Vacation movies

Didn't get to any theater movies while I was on vacation, but I saw several movies on video.

My favorite was Wilby Wonderful (2004), an adorable Canadian dramedy about a day in a the life of a small island town, with a terrific cast, including the GREAT Sandra Oh and Ellen Page, pre-Juno. It's sort of like Love, Actually, but not as splashy or self-conscious, and a bit darker. One of the films released by Film Movement.

I enjoyed Lucky You (2007) from director Curtis Hanson (In Her Shoes, La Confidential), with Eric Bana scorching up the screen as Huck Cheever, a troubled poker player in Vegas trying to live up to, and come to terms with, his dad, played by the GREAT Robert Duvall. Drew Barrymore has a key role as a sweet but wise young woman who turns Huck's head, and the movie is full of great cameos, including Robert Downey Jr, Jean Smart and Debra Messing. The first half is better than the second half, and the ending is frustratingly predictable, but it's very much worth watching.

I also finally saw An Unfinished Life (2005), directed by Lasse Hallstrom (The Cider House Rules, My Life as a Dog) with Robert Redford as the bitter father, and Jennifer Lopez as the guilt-ridden wife, of a man who died young in a car accident. A bit predictable and a tiny bit slow in places (with a completely unnecessary subplot regarding Jenny's abusive ex-boyfriend). But it has terrific supporting characters, including the GREAT Morgan Freeman, Camryn Mannheim and the ever adorable Josh Lucas. I laughed, I cried (a little) and was glad I saw it.