Review Potpourri

Lots of reviews from Movie Man Mike:

Current releases:

An Inconvenient Truth (A-). I had not planned to see this movie, but I wound up seeing it anyway. Man, am I glad I went to this. Yes, I have read many stories in the past year or two about global warming and the fact that scientists are now in agreement that the earth is getting warmer. But, this movie really takes the facts and makes them into a sobering picture of where our planet stands today. There are a few "political statements" in the movie, but it would be difficult to make this film without some reference to politics since it's the political climate that controls the environmental climate--and this movie hopes to change both. I am glad to see Al Gore has gotten back to the subject he care so deeply about, and his presentation is very smooth and compelling. I recommend this movie for all lovers of the planet.

Kinky Boots (B). I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It was recommended to me by my neighbor, who happens to be the manager of the Angelika theater. This is a film about finding your place in the world and learning tolerance. Following his father's death, Charlie Price reluctantly takes charge of his father's shoe factory, only to discover that the factory is in deep economic trouble. Charlie's efforts to save the factory result in a chance meeting with a drag queen, Lola. Together Charlie and Lola devise a scheme to transform the factory, and save the jobs of all its employees. The story is a lot of fun and very entertaining. Lola, played by Chiwetel Ejifior is a brilliant show-stealer.

On DVD:

Prime (B). I never saw this film at the theaters, and I can't imagine why. It's cute and it's a romantic comedy--a combination that generally does well at the box office. The film stars Meryl Streep who plays a Jewish therapist, and Uma Thurman, who is one of Streep's patients. The film begins with Thurman having broken up with a serious boyfriend. She soon meets a much younger man, who turns out to be Streep's son. That's when the story gets very strange, comical and interesting as Streep violates her ethical obligations and Thurman tells all sorts of private details to Streep during their sessions, to the point that Streep is unable to take it any longer. The story is one of personal growth, and love and learning. It was well worth the rental price.

On the stage:

Bombay Dreams (C). I was not impressed with this Summer Musical. Somewhere in the show there was a story that had potential, and maybe that was the "idea" that Andrew Lloyd Webber is credited with. The setting for the musical is Bombay, India. The story focuses upon themes of love, cultural class, and fame and fortune. The main character is a young man from the slums who has a dream of making it big in film. He succeeds in his dream and forgets about the friends and family in the slum, who were the motivation for his dream in the first place. As one might expect, he is shocked into acknowledging is roots and saving the community he grew up in. None of the musical numbers in this show are particularly memorable (at least not in a way you want to remember them). The cast had a few good vocalists, but this was not a good platform for showcasing their talents. I do not recommend this musical.