Personal Ramblings - "The Wrestler" & Mickey Rourke

I recently saw the "The Wrestler". Worth seeing and Mickey Rourke deserved the Academy Award for his acting as Randy "The Ram" Robinson. I didn't watch the Oscars, too boring for me but Mickey Rourke was robbed in my opinion. The choice was clearly political. I think Mickey had a great line in an interview with Barbara Walter's before the Oscar's where he said "he would be honored to win the Oscar but ...... it wouldn't get him in to heaven".

Years ago during Mickey's worst period he was hired to work in a movie I was line producing and it didn't work out well and he was let go on his first day after much conflict with the producer. It was rather tragic but Mickey has made a great return and i wish him the best.

The movie "The Wrestler" is a film imitating life. It is the the exact opposite of the "Rocky" story. It's a hard to watch movie but worth the time spent going through the pain of the character Randy "The Ram's" life.

Go see it, it's a must see and I hope this role is a new beginning for Mickey......

Movie Review - Miracle on 34th St

Just purchased and watched "Miracle on 34th St" with my family. It's a great movie that truly captures the Christmas spirit and the power of faith and belief. It's a movie that you watch every Christmas and yet if moves you laugh,cry and have faith in that special innocence of childhood. None of the remakes come close to the original. It's a film to watch with your family.

Movie Review - Slumdog Millionaire

Just watched "Slumdog Millionaire" directed by Danny Boyle at a local theater and I can't recommend it enough.

Here is the plot summary on IMDB:
The story of Jamal Malik (Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show's questions. Each chapter of Jamal's increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show's seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out... Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures

Check it out..........

Movie Review - Front of the Class

Coincidence or Synchronicity....... Hmmm
I was driving my daughter to school the other day and I told her the story of this young man who had to deal with Tourette's syndrome to become a teacher. I was using it to teach her not to give up or give in. I just read something about him the night before online. Well that day the teacher I told her about "Brad Cohen" came and spoke to her class. Apparently one of the parents at the school directed the Hallmark movie "Front of the Class" and invited the real teacher to speak.
The movie aired this Sunday and we watched it. It was a very moving story of how Brad Cohen overcame his struggles to become teacher of the year. It's a great movie to watch with your kids and to talk about how you deal with obstacles in life. Check it out if you can........

Movie Review - The Dukes

I was invited last night by my friend Shawnell Cherry to see "The Dukes", a movie she costumed designed. After the movie the writer/director Robert Davi did a Q&A. It was a fun night.

I really enjoyed the movie. It's a indie with heart and a hopeful story. it's an old fashioned movie but I mean that in a good way. It also has echoes of Italian filmmaking. Robert Davi spoke of the influences of Italian filmmaking and
commedia dell"arte ( a form of improvisational theatre started in italy ) on him. The Dukes is a story that leaves you feeling that even when things look the darkest there is always hope.

The movie has received many excellent reviews and won over seven film festivals. Robert Davi did an great job directing this film on his directing debut.

Here is the IMDB review:
The Dukes,(Chazz Palminteri and Robert Davi) a Doo Wop group, were on top of the world at 17, now are struggling for survival in 2008. Their manager (Peter Bogdanovich) is desperately trying to get them work but is met with failure at every turn. Finally pushed to the extreme , they pull a heist only a fool would attempt, which leaves them even more desperate. When all seems lost, they find themselves. Underneath the laughter, "The Dukes" is a film that explores the intricacies of re-defining yourself; not only dealing with lost fame but applies to anyone whoever found themselves at the bottom of the mountain looking up where they once were; and how ,in changing times, to hold onto your true self.
Written by Bob Byers

It's in the theaters right now. Check out the The Dukes website and go see the movie.

www.The Dukes-Movie.com