The Devil Wears Prada 2

This was the worst movie I watched in the theatres this year. It was unnecessary. It didn't add anything to the original. It was just an excuse to make money and I forgot what happened in the movie the next day I watched it. Even a good cast needs a decent script.

Wildwood

This animated movie is getting a lot of praise. I thought it was ok. The plot reminded me too much of Labyrinth which I consider to be a superior movie because it was more entertaining. A girl's brother is kidnapped in a strange world. The girl and her friend enter the world to save him. They soon find it is controlled by an evil witch governess. The place is populated with talking animals and bandits. It's not just the girl. Many people have been wronged by the governess which concludes towards the end with a battle. It's PG-13. I think it wants to be a children's movie and not be one at the same time.

The Sheep Detectives

I thought this movie looked awful but then I saw good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm glad I didn't listen to what I initially thought and saw the movie for itself. This was one of the best films I watched in the movie theatre this year. It was funny, cute, and original. A shepherd (played by Hugh Jackman) reads mysteries all the time to his sheep. When he mysteriously dies they are on the case. You not only get to know the sheep you get to know about the eccentric people in the small town where the shepherd lived. Nicholas Galitzine, who played the good looking guy in Masters of the Universe, plays a dweeb here. He has quite a range. Emma Thompson stars and the voice actors include Bryan Cranston and Patrick Stewart.

Farewells (aka Lydia ate the Apple)

When I was in my early 20's I watched this movie and gave it a 3 out of 5 on Amazon. I received an email saying they liked my review but asked why I gave it such a low rating. For the past twenty years I've wanted to watch it again. It stuck with me. After I rewatched it I went back to Amazon and edited it to a 4. It's an early movie from director Wojciech Has (who later made The Saragossa Manuscript). A man (Tadeusz Janczar) has a one night stand with a girl from a bar. However, it ends up changing both of their lives. After the war the guy has become penniless but the woman has married into wealth to spite him. Yet it is clear she loves him still and is very unhappy. Even though this makes a statement about the social classes, it has enough soap opera to make it more than just a statement movie. Janczar delivers a great Bogart like performance.

Forgotten Island

I wasn't planning on seeing this. The previews made it look so bad. Then I saw it had a good rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The previews picked the worst scenes in the movie. Sometimes you can't trust previews. This movie was original and kind of funky. It goes over Filipino mythology, something that I know nothing about. I like learning about different mythologies so I have to say it was worth watching for that alone. It was interesting. Two friends get stranded on an island but one of them has to make a plane the next day so that they can make it to college. But their friendship is tested on the island and so are their memories. I like how the movie goes over the value of friendships. I recommend Forgotten Island. It was different.

Michael

This was an entertaining movie about the life of Michael Jackson. It covers his life until the "Bad" tour. The allegiations against him aren't discussed since the movie focuses on his life before them. It's mostly about him trying to free himself from his abusive dad. It shows him from his Jackson 5 period and also focuses on his amazing success with Thriller. The movie is packed with music. Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, did a great job playing the pop star. He should get nominated but I can see this unfortunately being overlooked. We'll see. I watched this in the theatre and I have to say it wouldn't have been as good at home. The critics hated it but I thought it was all right.

The Thief (La Voleuse)

Romy Schneider gives a good performance in an otherwise boring movie. It was based on a true story and written by Marguerite Duras who has done better work. It's about a woman who takes her biological child back. The foster family made the mistake of not officially adopting him so they really have nothing to say legally. But when the foster father stages a suicidal stunt what is Romy supposed to do. This stresses an awfully bad marriage between Romy and her husband. Will they be able to live with themselves? I would say you should only watch this if you're a fan of Romy.