One Thousand Years of Good Prayers **

Just so you know.... I was a little excited about "One Thousand Years of Good Prayers" because it's directed by Wayne Wang who did "The Joy Luck Club".

It wasn't impressive at all.
Slow. Nothing really happening. Boring.
You get a little explanation of the awkward father-daughter relationship at the very end, but it's just not worth it!
And the title.... The father references a story where there are THREE thousand years... but not ONE???

Sorry, but I wouldn't watch it again... ever.
Don't buy it!
If you must see it, do the Netflix thing up top!!

Star Trek *****

Let's start this one with some background...
When I was a kid (no cable, one TV), I was forced to watch all of the old 'Star Trek''s... not once but over and over. One brother in particular was totally obsessed with the show! (You know who you are...) As a result I had to be a fan.

So I went into the new movie, 'Star Trek', looking forward mainly to Simon Pegg as Scottie. Otherwise, I went in with a critical eye. To say I was impressed is a HUGE understatement!!! They did an awesome job!!! It was writtten soo well... soo in line with the original series!! But here, we get to see our contemporary special effects, not models!!! Cool!!!

The movie basically takes us through what happened leading up to the series. So, you guessed it, it set us up for as many sequels as they can do!! I can't wait for the battles to come! The potential is almost endless!!!

The cast was spectacular! We don't even meet Scottie until close to the end... Pegg was awesome, but so was everyone else! Harold guy from the 'Harold and Kumar' movies plays Sulu... (delighted me!) Entire cast did great jobs!!

And the entire movie was a great job! It's not often that I have NO criticisms, but here it is! For anyone who is even vaguelly a 'Star Trek' fan, this is a MUST SEE!!!
And I can't wait for what's to come!!!
Watch it!!
It's still at theaters, but I'll get you the link as soon as it's released on DVD!!!

The Passengers **1/2

I keep watching Anne Hathaway in dramatic roles, hoping to see what others see. I still don't see it??? I'm really not impressed with her in any dramatic role she's done?? She should really stick to comedy. She seems like she should be a good dramatic actress, but I'm just not impressed. Sorry.

'The Passengers' is about a therapist, played by Hathaway, who is counseling the survivors of a fatal plane crash. You notice some strange things along the way???... and then BAM, there's a huge plot twist at the end.

'The Passengers' was Ok, but again, I'm not overly impressed with Hathaway or the movie.

Here's the link if you really want to try it:

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Vicky Cristina Barcelona ***1/4

I was kind of looking forward to 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz are both super hot. Scarlet Johanson isn't anything to sneeze about either. I just don't like her super blondness. It was also directed by Woody Allen, so, you know.... I think he's a total perv for marrying his adopted daughter!! BUT, yes, his messed up little head has often been entertaining for me in the past.... So I always watch them, despite his perv-ness.

The film is the story of two young women, Vicky and Cristina, who go to Barcelona for the summer. Vicky is uptight and thinks she knows exactly what she wants. Cristina is a free spirit who has no idea what she wants, only what she doesn't want. Bardem plays everyone's love interest, and Cruz plays his crazy ex-wife. And yes, I think she did deserve an Academy nomination for this! She was awesome! Loved her in this role!

All in all, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' was a well made film with a nice but crazy story. I think it makes all of us women wonder which one we are... Vicky or Cristina... or in my case, at least, a little of both! There is some sexual craziness going on that I found a little disturbing. (Three of them end up in a 'relationship'.) But despite that, it was a very thought provoking movie that held my attention.

As for the kids, unless you're OK with them knowing about 'free love', then they shouldn't watch it. I'm definitely not even letting my very mature 15yo watch it! There's not really any nudity, but the subject matter is way more than any kid needs to know about. They just don't need to know about the crazy perversions of adults!

But for grown ups... Good one to check out:



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Valkyrie ****

I'm an avid fan of our human history. So I have to watch movies like 'Valkyrie' for several reasons. Mainly it's to see what Hollywood wants us to think about history. Is it accurate? Does it give a full spectrum of what happened?

With 'Valkyrie', I was expecting an epic movie... Tom Cruise and all!
It wasn't really what I would call 'epic' in that it wasn't really an encompassing view of what happened. It's a story of a specific man and his conspirators in a specific situation.

'Valkyrie' was a great history lesson for all of us in what went on with Operation Valkyrie, the failed plot to assassinate Hitler. It's also an important lesson for us... all Germans aren't evil y'all !!! Some of them recognized his madness and did try to stop him.

Tom Cruise really did a great job here. He's not one of my favorite actors, but he earned some respect from me in this dramatic role. He did a great job portraying Col. Von Straussberg, and made me believe that he truly did abhor Hitler. Good job!
I was a little disappointed not to see more of K.Sutherland. His character is transferred halfway through, and we don't really hear from him much after that. But the time we did see him, was very good. I'm a fan of both Sutherlands!

'Valkyrie' was a really good portrayal of Operation Valkyrie, and an important addition to our video libraries! (If you don't see the link below to get it, then go to the blog:) http://triciasmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Paul Blart: Mall Cop ***

I like Kevin James. But I don't love him. When I saw that I was getting this one, I wasn't terribly excited, but I knew it would be at least a few laughs.

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' had several really good laughs. It was definitely worth the watch.

As you may have guessed, it's about a mall cop named Paul Blart. There's a love story, personal issues and of course a major drama in his life. All of which come with some great almost slapstick humor.

Another thing I really liked was that it was very well written! I'm pretty critical of a movie's story line, and I hate when it doesn't tie together, leaving loose ends. No loose ends here. It all made sense, and each piece of information was vital to the story later on. I love that!

It was totally OK for the kids. I'd let a three year old watch it.

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' was a very nice little watch!

Taken ***1/2

I wasn't all that excited about this one. I'm not a big fan of Liam Neeson generally, and it seemed like it might be lacking originality. But I was wrong!

'Taken' turned out to be a really good watch. Neeson plays an ex-military, over controlling Dad who doesn't want his 17 year old daughter to go to Europe for the summer. When he succumbs, he has lots of rules for her to follow. But quickly after landing in Paris, she and her friend are abducted by an Albanian prostitution ring. He knows that he only has a few days to find her before his chances of finding her alive greatly dwindle. He's a man on a mission. And the mission is great fun to watch!

All in all, 'Taken' is not the most original or suspenseful movie of this type, but it does have some snippets of originality thrown in to make it very enjoyable. Liam Neeson's character is really the only main character, and he does a great job holding the movie together. (I probably wouldn't have cast him... but I don't know who I would have??)

This one is probably OK for most mature teens, although the subject matter of enslaved prostitution might be further than you want any kid to learn about.

It was a good watch! (And all in about an hour and a half!)

Frozen River ***1/2

So I wasn't too excited about getting this one.... But the lead, Melissa Leo, was nominated for an Academy Award, so I thought I should check it out.

It was worth the watch!

In 'Frozen River', Melissa Leo plays a desperate and alone mom who happens into a little human smuggling. We've seen this story and heard others like it many times. Usually it takes place around Mexico, however. With 'Frozen River', the action takes place in upstate New York and they're smuggling people across Mohawk territory, specifically a frozen river. Who knew this happened? I didn't.

There are, of course, some personal traumas that she goes through in this endeavor. And you get to meet a myriad of other interesting people.

All in all, 'Frozen River' was a nice surprise and very worth the watch.
Also, it's ok for the kids, but the younger ones probably wouldn't enjoy it.

Good one!

TimeCrimes ***1/2

Ok, so I watched several other new releases this week beside 'Benjamin Button'. 'Last Chance Harvey' was ok but really sad, but then...

I turned on my Netflix instant view player last night and turned on 'TimeCrimes'. It's Spanish for starters, so you will probably need to read. The sound track for me at least, was off for most of the movie, so I just muted and read it. Also, it's considered a sci-fi/fantasy! And I still liked it??

The plot of the movie 'TimeCrimes' deals with time travel. Yes, I hate things that are unreal, but the theory of time travel does hold a little credibility with me. You know, because of the whole plausibility of it with Einstein and quantum theory and all.

In 'TimeCrimes', our main character, Hector, is swept up into a plot where he inadvertently gets into a time machine. He goes back about an hour in time and realizes that now there are two of him. The plot gets sticky with two and then three Hectors. Then at the end, at least one of the Hector's is back to normal. But I'm pretty sure the other Hector's will be forever perpetuating the same plot and themselves??

Although 'TimeCrimes' wasn't great and probably won't be one of my all time favorites, it was definitely worth the watch. I enjoyed the complexity and layering of the plot. It was one of those movies that was fun to keep up with!

As for the kids, there's a little nudity (it's foreign) not in a sexual way, just a naked chick. So if your ok with that and your kid wants to read it.....

A nice watch!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ***1/2 almost ****

'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' was a little more than curious to me... fantasy, miraculous, unreal might have been better adjectives. You see, I am not a big fan of the movies that have implausible plots. If it just can't happen, it automatically loses credibility with me. I know things like this don't bother everyone, but I have issues with it. Total fantasy is really difficult for me. Fortunately, this one isn't total fantasy, but more of a life story.

In 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', because of a backward moving clock, a baby is born old and ages in reverse. We are then taken through this strange and crazy life. When the clock is removed eighty something years later, he dies a beautiful young newborn baby. We go down the very strange path throughout the life of Benjamin. It's very interesting and entertaining. The idea concept of aging backward is also an interesting one that you can't help but roll around in your head. But from the perspective of Benjamin, he doesn't know it any other way.

The special effects in the movie were outstanding. You only get to see Brad Pitt 'hot' for about ten minutes. The rest of the time he's really old. (Great work, but kind of a bummer. I think he'll age better in actuality.) Pitt and the entire cast delivered very good performances.

It's ok for most teenagers. There is a little bad language and some sexual references but no obvious nudity. (There are a few scenes when you 'know' what they're doing. And one where you see some flesh.)

Ok, so my issues with 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'?
1. Obviously the whole aging in reverse thing, but
2. If he dies a newborn infant, then shouldn't he come out as a full grown old man??
That would've killed Mom for sure!

BUT, getting past my problems, I'm sure you will still enjoy this one. I did in spite of them!!

Frost/Nixon ***1/2

'Frost/Nixon' is a movie about... you guessed it, the Frost/Nixon interviews! This was a series of interviews in 1977? I think. David Frost was a 'talk show host' and he promised Nixon the most money to be able to interview him. This was a huge plus for Nixon in terms other than money, because he was also a 'talk show host!' (That was something like calling someone a racial slur back then because the title came with zero credibility.) He wouldn't be interviewed by somebody who would be difficult.

This film is important for one big reason. It reminds us of the human-ness of all of us, including the President of the United States. And we should never tolerate the bending of our laws or constitution for anyone. Yes, we should always have compassion and understanding for all fellow men. We're all human. And we can forgive. But in public office, especially that one, there's forgiveness (out of office) but never forgetting. History repeats itself! So we must ever be diligent in remembering what others have been through.

The movie itself was very well done. Frank Langella was superb as 'Tricky Dick'. The entire cast actually was great. Very well done and good for the kids to see... if they can pay attention.

In 1977, I remember these interviews being aired. I was the fragile age of seven. My father kept trying to tell me how important it was for our country. I admit it. I just wanted regular programming back. I was probably missing the Bionic Woman or something. And yes, the movie was not much more gripping 32 years later. There's no action or adventure... only the one big Nixon line where my father howled!

"When the President does it, that means that it's not illegal."

That's when I understood the gravity of it all. That's when I stopped and listened to my Dad, and I understood why it was so important for our country!

Never forget!


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Nothing But The Truth ****

Wow! What a great surprise! I hadn't heard anything about this one. I really just got it because I'm a fan of Kate Beckinsale. She's a great vampire and 'Serendipity' is one of my all time favorite romantic movies.

Kate Beckinsale's performance in 'Nothing But The Truth' is nothing short of Oscar-worthy. She plays a reporter with the story that will embarrass the US President and bring about international scrutiny. When her story is published, the government is quickly after her to give up her CIA informant. Because of the Patriot Act crap, she has no first amendment protection in D.C. Therefore, she is jailed for contempt for almost a year. When the judge finally comes to the conclusion that she's not going to tell, he succumbs to releasing her. However, the quick prosecutor (played by Matt Dillon quite well by the way) arrests her as she's leaving jail, prosecutes her and imprisons her for another two years. Her life and family is overturned all because she wouldn't give up her source. And when the 'source' is revealed at the end, I was moved to tears by the loyalty of this woman!

To make it all even more interesting, this is based on a true story!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Miller_(journalist)
Yes, they took some liberties and embellished. But it's a fascinating look at all of the 'what ifs'.

For me, there were two important lessons in this movie.

First, we should do everything we can (including complaining on blogs, and to your congressman) to stop the the abuse of our first amendment rights. The Patriot Act had a purpose at the time, but it has been heinously abused! As a citizen of the United States, I am entitled to my first amendment rights!!!

If the press is forced to give up their sources, no one will talk. The press would be useless, only uncovering what they want uncovered!

Second, is principle. So often today, we cave. We have our principles, but when push comes to shove, we give up our principles for the easy road. Well, 'Nothing But the Truth' will make you think twice before you give up your principles again! This woman endured so much to protect her source, her principles. She is really to be admired.

'Nothing But the Truth' is moderately safe for the kids, but not really appropriate. There is one really sad conjugal visit where they're having sex, but there's no nudity. Otherwise, I don't think most kids under 18 would totally be able to follow or understand it.

'Nothing But the Truth' is an important movie for us as Americans. It reminds us to protect the freedoms that our forefathers fought to obtain.

The fact that Kate Beckinsale did not get an Oscar nomination for this performance is just wrong!!! Her performance here was better than half of the nominees from last year! It's a travesty that 'Nothing But the Truth' didn't get more attention, and that Beckinsale's stellar performance wasn't recognized by the establishment. She was awesome!

Buy it here: