Latest movies

Watching lots of movies, in the theater and on video:

Spinning into Butter - better than I expected. Sarah Jessica Parker plays the Dean of Students at a liberal arts college in Vermont when someone starts to hassle a black student, bringing racial tensions to the surface. I thought she was terrific, and I thought they did a nice job of addressing the issues. Great cast too, including Miranda Richardson and Beau Bridges. Not a perfect movie, but worth watching.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno - ranchy, but very funny and ultimately quite sweet.

Tiptoes - weird movie about a regular size man (Matthew McConneghy) who belongs to a family of dwarfs, a secret he has been keeping from his fiance, until she becomes pregnant and he must tell her the truth. It started out really promising, but by the end it was a total Movie of the Week. Not sure what they were thinking - the movie seemed nicely offbeat during the first half, but then it got bogged down in melodrama. I learned a lot about dwarfism, of course, which seems like the point. But I didn't really enjoy the movie and that's a shame. Kate Beckinsale, especially, is a terrific actress who can move effortlessly among genres, but she is ultimately wasted here in a part that a much less talented woman could have played. It was fun to see so many well-known Little People, and they were all excellent, but not enough to save the movie.

Fakers - fun little British caper movie with Matthew Rhys from Brothers and Sisters. Just a puff pastry, but worth the time.

Brothers - Not a perfect movie, but very affecting. It's gets a bit lost in the last 1/3, but that certainly doesn't ruin it. Fine performances and a worthwhile topic.

Invictus - very good movie; terrific performances, moving and meaningful.