I've seen a bunch of movies in the last few days. It's been enjoyable, though I haven't gone over the moon for any one film.

Little Miss Sunshine
I really liked this movie. I clapped and cheered at the end. The Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest was hysterical and little Olive was a standout participant. The movie examines strained, twisted family relations, and through exaggeration illuminates the mistakes we can make so easily with those we love most. Alan Arkin is great. I wish he'd make more movies. He's one of my all time favorite actors. Everyone in the cast was terrific. I heartily recommend "Little Miss Sunshine."

Scoop
Eh. If you're a fan of Woody Allen, you can wait for the DVD on this one. It's a pale reflection of the former comedic glories of Woody Allen. He, himself, was sort of fun to watch, as was Scarlett Johannson. Neither achieves greatness here. The dialogue was stilted. The film didn't hang together well. However, Hugh Jackson in a near Speedo is certainly worth seeing. The boy can swim! For the guys, Scarlett in her bathing suit is an eyeful.

World Trade Center
I was leery of seeing "World Trade Center." Living seven miles north of the WTC, I could see and smell the smoke for days after the attack. I loved shopping in the mall at the WTC, which is where the men in the movie are trapped and buried. I knew people who died there. The event changed my life, which sounds sappy and obvious, but I'm not the person I was before 9/11. That's all I'll say.

With that in mind, I found the first 20 minutes of the film to be the toughest. Brought back to that beautiful September morning, knowing what was coming, seeing the shadow of the first plane nearing its awful destination, watching the brave men and women who serve and protect my city rush unknowingly to their doom, was heartbreaking. It was moving in the extreme to see the danger that others put themselves in to attempt rescues, and how much help flooded to the tip of Manhattan that day.

With every wheezy breath inhaled by the men trying to dig out the two main characters, I kept thinking of the deaths and continuing illness suffered by the hundreds of rescue workers who breathed that toxic air for all those weeks and months of rescue and clean up work. Five years later, our bravest and finest are still suffering and dying.

I am glad I saw “World Trade Center.” Is it a great movie? Probably not. Is it a good movie, yes, for sure, and worth seeing. The special effects are well done, seamless, in fact. I suspect Nicholas Gage will be nominated for an Oscar, but I don’t think he’ll take it home.

The Devil Wears Prada
I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. I saw it close on the heels of “World Trade Center,” and of these two very New York movies, I’d have to say I liked “Prada” more, which was a surprise to me. Meryl Streep is wonderful. I surely hope she’ll be nominated for an Oscar. Certainly, because of the way the Golden Globes are set up, she’ll be nominated for best actress in a comedy, and she’ll probably win. Well done, Meryl! The fashions were fabulous, naturally. It’s too bad Gia isn’t a brown eyed, brunette, because Anne Hathaway would make a lovely Gia. No matter how much the movie characters justify the exotic and excessive world of fashion, spending that much time and money on such a deeply superficial enterprise is nuts and borderline sinful. But it was fun to watch. Those folks live and breathe the most rarefied air in New York. I’d probably choke on it.

And now for trailers...
Well, I really only want to address one, "Infamous." OMG, it's a remake of "Capote," and "Capote" was made just 2 years ago! WTF? For one, "Capote" does not need to be remade. Secondly, what were they thinking? It's the exact same story, nearly identical scene for scene, though it looks as though "Infamous" has a greater emphasis on Capote's New York social scene. The actor who plays Capote looks more like him than Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but no way can he touch PSH's performace. I just don't understand why this movie was made.

Seems you got a lot of movies. Good for you, Maggers.

This summer I won't see a lot of foreign movies in a theatre. Almost summer movies are animations for kids.

I'm waiting for "Superman Return (from August 19).

I've seen a bunch of movies in the last few days. It's been enjoyable, though I haven't gone over the moon for any one film.

Little Miss Sunshine
I really liked this movie. I clapped and cheered at the end. The Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest was hysterical and little Olive was a standout participant. The movie examines strained, twisted family relations, and through exaggeration illuminates the mistakes we can make so easily with those we love most. Alan Arkin is great. I wish he'd make more movies. He's one of my all time favorite actors. Everyone in the cast was terrific. I heartily recommend "Little Miss Sunshine."

Scoop
Eh. If you're a fan of Woody Allen, you can wait for the DVD on this one. It's a pale reflection of the former comedic glories of Woody Allen. He, himself, was sort of fun to watch, as was Scarlett Johannson. Neither achieves greatness here. The dialogue was stilted. The film didn't hang together well. However, Hugh Jackson in a near Speedo is certainly worth seeing. The boy can swim! For the guys, Scarlett in her bathing suit is an eyeful.

World Trade Center
I was leery of seeing "World Trade Center." Living seven miles north of the WTC, I could see and smell the smoke for days after the attack. I loved shopping in the mall at the WTC, which is where the men in the movie are trapped and buried. I knew people who died there. The event changed my life, which sounds sappy and obvious, but I'm not the person I was before 9/11. That's all I'll say.

With that in mind, I found the first 20 minutes of the film to be the toughest. Brought back to that beautiful September morning, knowing what was coming, seeing the shadow of the first plane nearing its awful destination, watching the brave men and women who serve and protect my city rush unknowingly to their doom, was heartbreaking. It was moving in the extreme to see the danger that others put themselves in to attempt rescues, and how much help flooded to the tip of Manhattan that day.

With every wheezy breath inhaled by the men trying to dig out the two main characters, I kept thinking of the deaths and continuing illness suffered by the hundreds of rescue workers who breathed that toxic air for all those weeks and months of rescue and clean up work. Five years later, our bravest and finest are still suffering and dying.

I am glad I saw “World Trade Center.” Is it a great movie? Probably not. Is it a good movie, yes, for sure, and worth seeing. The special effects are well done, seamless, in fact. I suspect Nicholas Gage will be nominated for an Oscar, but I don’t think he’ll take it home.

The Devil Wears Prada
I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. I saw it close on the heels of “World Trade Center,” and of these two very New York movies, I’d have to say I liked “Prada” more, which was a surprise to me. Meryl Streep is wonderful. I surely hope she’ll be nominated for an Oscar. Certainly, because of the way the Golden Globes are set up, she’ll be nominated for best actress in a comedy, and she’ll probably win. Well done, Meryl! The fashions were fabulous, naturally. It’s too bad Gia isn’t a brown eyed, brunette, because Anne Hathaway would make a lovely Gia. No matter how much the movie characters justify the exotic and excessive world of fashion, spending that much time and money on such a deeply superficial enterprise is nuts and borderline sinful. But it was fun to watch. Those folks live and breathe the most rarefied air in New York. I’d probably choke on it.

And now for trailers...
Well, I really only want to address one, "Infamous." OMG, it's a remake of "Capote," and "Capote" was made just 2 years ago! WTF? For one, "Capote" does not need to be remade. Secondly, what were they thinking? It's the exact same story, nearly identical scene for scene, though it looks as though "Infamous" has a greater emphasis on Capote's New York social scene. The actor who plays Capote looks more like him than Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but no way can he touch PSH's performace. I just don't understand why this movie was made.

Truman Capote seems to be one of those individuals whose life seems so flamboyant and contradictory that it lends itself to cinematic depictions. Although each film concentrates on Capote's relationship with two convicted and ultimately executed killers, Infamous seems relay/comment on Capote's life through the eyes of individuals who knew him rather than focusing on this singular event which made him not only famous but as the film says infamous as well.
Whereas Capote was more of a film centered on him as an individual, Infamous appears to offer a more rounded view of the man,particularly in relation to the time in which he lived.

Along with Flight 93, World Trade Center will give my 8 year nephew an understanding of what transpired that day when his is a grown man. For that I am grateful to Oliver Stone. Perhaps someday, years from now, Stone will give the politicalized version of those events as so many took him to task for not during it this time. For myself, it left an indelible impression as it is a day so many of us lived through and will never forget where and what we were doing.

I've been hestitant to see The World Trade Center, but after reading the posts by Maggers and Annice, I think I'll nab hubby and go see it.