Movie Round-Up...

Much as I love writing, I know I can't always give a longer review on every movie I've seen so, from time to time, I'll just write a post that will be mini-reviews of several movies...even if it's simply 'See' or 'Skip'.

***I will be adding one more category to my rating system--'Sunday Afternoon': To me, this represents the random movie you've stumbled upon on cable on a weekend afternoon and watch. The 'Sunday Afternoon' flick might not be a four star movie but it's not an outright 'Skip', either. Phrased another way, you like it but it falls short of something you like a lot or one that you absolutely love. For example, on the Netflix five-star rating system - a 'Sunday Afternoon' would be a three-star rating.

Now that THAT'S covered...onto some reviews!

--------------------------

"New In Town": A romantic comedy that, for me, didn't quite cut it. I'm okay - in this genre - with not reinventing the wheel, few rom-coms do. But...for whatever reason, this one just didn't gel...felt like a lot was cribbed from "Fargo" (in terms of the community where the movie was set) and I kept thinking to myself that maybe a stronger female lead than Renee Zellweger (Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, even Rachel McAdams) could have helped.) Criticism aside, there were some laughs and, oddly enough, this was one rom-com that a guy was able to sit through and tolerate...the guy in this instance being my brother-in-law, who has no qualms about walking away from a movie if it stinks.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON


-------------------------------------

"Kramer vs. Kramer": This was one of those films that my mom had recommended I see for years. And years. Close friends had also mentioned it. And yet...I didn't see it until this year...much like I didn't see "Ordinary People" for eons (another Mom pick) and absolutely adored it. Back to "K. vs. K" - starring acting legends Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep (how could you go wrong???) as Ted & Joanna Kramer, a married couple with a young son, played beautifully by Justin Henry. As the title might suggest, the bulk of the movie revolves around this marriage that has crumbled with workaholic Ted seemingly unaware how quickly things are unraveling until Joanna announces she is leaving him and their son. Remember - this film is 1979, pre-"Mr. Mom" and Ted must try and juggle everything as the full-time parent while maintaining his highly demanding job as a Madison Avenue ad man. It may seem dated now as there are plenty of dads nowadays who do just this but you know this was groundbreaking at the time.

You will laugh, you will cry, you will be moved. Justin Henry shines as the son in a performance that is as memorable as young Timothy Hutton's in "Ordinary People"...I'm just not sure - with the caliber of his acting here - why he didn't he didn't go on to become a gifted actor. Apparently, I'm not the only one to wonder this:

"After a dream start in the business, when he was chosen for a pivotal role in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) at the age of seven, without any acting experience, Justin Henry's career has stagnated. He was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Kramer vs. Kramer", becoming one of the youngest actors ever nominated"
(IMDB, mini biography of Justin Henry)


SEE, SEE, SEE!!! (Thanks, Mom!!)