Mike's Movie Tips

1.5/4 Starring: Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Oshimura, Kei Sato, Taiji Tonoyama Not Rated (Probable R for Some Violence and Language and Sexuality/Nudity, although I'd give it a PG-13) When it comes to classics, it's really a shot in the dark if you're not a critic.  Some are timeless and have aged well.  " Casablanca " is one such film.  Some were probably good for their time, but with improved technology, they seem dated.  "The Wages of Fear" belongs in this category.  Others were shit to begin with.  " Shane " is one of those.  While not nearly as dreadful as George Stevens's wretched western, "Onibaba" is still a waste of time. The film takes place in an unspecified time, but it's probably during feudal Japan.  There is a war going on, which makes starvation one of many real worries for those not fighting.  Two women are struggling to survive without Kichi, the man they share in common.  They are Kichi's mother (Otowa...

3.5/4 Starring: Matthew Perry, Bruce Willis, Amanda Peet, Natasha Henstridge, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kevin Pollack, Rosanna Arquette Rated R for Some Sexuality, Nudity and Violence "The Whole Nine Yards" is a great Friday night movie.  It's well-acted, unpredictable, clever, and above all, very funny.  A mix of film noir and screwball comedy, this underrated gem is distressingly overlooked, and that's a shame since these days screenwriting for comedy ends at the pitch stage (thank you, Seth Rogen). Dr. Nicholas Oseransky, or "Oz," as he is known, is not having his share of the American dream (or Canadian, since he lives in Canada).  He married Sophie (Arquette), the daughter of his late business partner, only to have her end up being a total bitch.  And since her father stuck them with a load of bad debt, she won't divorce him until it's paid off.  His fortune changes when his new neighbor, Jimmy Jones, moves in.  When the ever-polite Oz goes...

2.5/4 Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Nonzo Alonzie, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Stellan Skarsgard, Derek Jacobi, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Chaplin, Hayley Atwell Rated PG for Mild Thematic Elements Given Hollywood's obsession with "brand names," not to mention the timeless quality of the tale, I suppose a big budget, live action version of the tale of Cinderella was inevitable (the fact that Disney has already made a classic animated version of it probably made it all the sweeter for studio executives).  My memory of the animated version is fuzzy at best, but despite owning the tape, I remember hating the idea of it because it was a "girly" movie.  Boys will be boys, I guess. This new version isn't half bad, but considering what it has going for it, it is disappointing.  Cate Blanchett is one of the leads, Stellan Skarsgard and Derek Jacobi play supporting roles, and it's directed by Kenneth Branagh.  It should have ...

3/4 Starring: Peter Mullan, Louise Goodall, David McKay, Anne-Marie Kennedy, David Hayman, Gary Lewis Rated R for Pervasive Language and Some Violence, Sexuality and Drug Use Ken Loach frequently makes movies about the British working class.  Surprisingly, or perhaps not, it's not all that different from the American working class: blue collar jobs, scarce money, and cigarettes being common.  Loach keeps the characters at an arm's distance, but the performances are strong enough that it makes for worthwhile viewing. Joe Kavanagh (Mullan) is a recovering alcoholic and approaching his one-year sobriety.  He paints houses, and with his friend and co-worker Shanks (Lewis), coaches a soccer team.  One of his players, Liam (McKay), is an ex-con and former drug addict with a wife Sabine (Kennedy), who is also an ex-addict, and a three-year-old son.  They're being watched over by a social worker named Sarah Downie (Goodall).  Joe becomes smitten, and embark...

3/4 Starring (voices): Deanna Oliver, Jon Lovitz, Timothy E. Day, Timothy Stack, Thurl Ravenscroft, Phil Hartman Rated G I remember being entertained, if not enchanted, by this little movie when I was a kid.  All these years later, I find that it's not nearly as good (for my money, if you're looking for a good family movie, " Rise of the Guardians " or anything by Hayao Miyazaki would be a much better investment of your time).  Still, I think there are enough moments here to delight kids and to make sure that their parents aren't incredibly bored. Five appliances, the Toaster (Oliver), Lampy the lamp (Stack), Blanky the electric blanket (Day), and Kirby the vacuum cleaner, are awaiting the return of a little boy that used to play with them.  But when a mean air conditioner (Hartman) tells them that the boy moved away, they decide to set out to find him. Admittedly, a road movie about five household appliances doesn't sound like an appealing concept, ...

2/4 Starring: Judi Dench, Billy Connelly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher, Gerard Butler Rated PG for A Beating, Language and Brief Nudity "Mrs. Brown" is a buddy movie for the Merchant/Ivory crowd.  As much as I liked " The Remains of the Day ," I don't mean that as a compliment.  When people call art house movies stuffy and dull, they're thinking of movies like "Mrs. Brown."  This movie is so badly written and awkwardly constructed that had it not been for the valiant, if futile, efforts of it's leads, it would have been legitimately unwatchable.  As it is, it's a well-acted mess. The husband of Queen Victoria (Dench) has died.  Their marriage was one of the happiest in the history of the monarchy, and she is so depressed that she has taken herself into seclusion into the Scottish Highlands.  John Brown (Connelly), who was with her husband during his final days, is brought in to bring her out of her depression.  Although they don...

3.5/4 Starring: Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Ninja, Yo-Landi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sigourney Weaver, and the voice of Sharlto Copley Rated R for Violence, Language and Brief Nudity I just love it when movies defy my expectations.  Whether through quality (" Redemption ") or content (" Faster "), I love the feeling of being immersed in a film that takes me into unexpected directions. At first glance, "Chappie," the new film by South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, looks to be a ripoff of "Robocop" (the original or the remake , take your pick).  In fact, while it takes elements of both (there's even a machine that looks like a camo version of ED-209 from Verhoeven's original, and it plays a big role in the film), a closer cousin would be "E.T."  A more violent version, but the story similarities are hard to miss. Johannesburg is in chaos.  Criminals run rampant on par with those in " The Crow ," and the po...