Valentine's Day

Please don't tell Roger Ebert how much I enjoyed Valentine's Day, which opened nationwide just in time for the holiday. This is what he had to say:

"Valentine's Day" is being marketed as a Date Movie. I think it's more of a First-Date Movie. If your date likes it, do not date that person again. And if you like it, there may not be a second date."

Sorry, Roger, but I enjoyed it quite a bit and there is a good chance I'll see another film with the same person I went with. It was a large audience Saturday night at the Palace Theatre and others were enjoying it as much as me. With a star studded cast including Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah, Julia Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Anne Hathaway, Shirley McLaine, Hector Elizondo and others whose names escape me at the moment, there is never a dull moment on this particular February 14th. It is reminiscent of Love,Actually ,the British film from 2003. I think Roger was more enthusiastic about that film. Valentine's Day has a very similar story line, set in Los Angeles instead of London. The stories intertwine; as we follow a florist making deliveries on February 14th. Of course, everyone is beautiful and the weather is perfect, so it is a bit like a modern day fairy tale. There are some great shots of LA landmarks and quite a few good laughs. I especially enjoyed the longtime married couple played by Shirley McLaine and Hector Elizondo. Valentine's Day will be playing at the Palace at least through the February 25th. It's not a definite must-see on the big screen, but not a bad way to spend a couple of hours pleasantly.

"Stan The Wine Man"

I have to admit that not only have I not seen this movie, I have until Molly’s review had no desire to see it. Like the guys say... It looks like a chick flick. That being said, it appears Bridgett and I will have to check this movie out. What wine would go well with a star studded movie about love and lives? Well, this movie seems fun and entertaining with a light-hearted theme. How about Promiscuous Red! This is a new item I brought into the store not only for it’s cute name but also because it’s light and fruity with good flavors that are not complex but enjoyable. This wine is only eleven bucks, raspberries come through on the nose followed by jammy raspberry and ripe plum notes on silky tannins that go down easy. And the name comes with a subliminal message that may pay off after the movie. At this price you can afford to buy two bottles for the next date with the same person. Sorry Roger.

First of all, I must apologize for neglecting my movie reviewing responsibilities. For the past six weeks, I've been preoccupied with moving and getting settled in my new home. Movie watching has not been my highest priority. In fact, I may be one of the only people on the island who didn't go see Avatar when it was here. I did hear many rave about how amazing it was, and I have to admit I was curious, yet I never did find the time to see it.

On New Year's Eve, my date and I went to see Sherlock Holmes. I am a big fan of both Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. From the previews I had seen, I knew it wasn't a typical period piece. In fact, the nonstop action seemed really out of place for a story set in 1891; though typical of a Guy Ritchie film. I did enjoy the story that happened between the action scenes; there were just too many action scenes for my taste. I suspect we will see at least one and maybe more sequels to this film.

More recently, I've seen It's Complicated, a romantic comedy for those of a certain age. Even though this film was not a big hit with the critics, audiences everywhere loved it! I've heard several people talking about seeing it more than once. In fact, I'm planning on seeing it again, since I feel I must have missed some of the dialogue because I was laughing so hard. Meryl Streep is absolutely wonderful in the role of a Jane, woman having an affair with her ex-husband Jake, played by Alec Baldwin. Steve Martin is Adam, a newly divorced architect in charge of the remodel of Jane's house. There is a spark of interest between those two, but it gets complicated when Jane is sneaking around seeing her ex, who is married to the other woman he left her for. John Krasinski offers comic relief as Harley, Jane's future son in law. Don't dismiss this film as a chick flick; men enjoy it just as much as women. It's fun and entertaining; what more can you ask for in a movie?

I'm still digesting Up in the Air, which was somewhat disturbing to me. It was written and directed by Jason Reitman, whose previous movies are Juno, which I loved; and Thank You for Smoking. Up in the Air has George Clooney flying around the country firing people when companies need to downsize. Reitman used people who had been let go recently for the firing scenes so the emotions we see are very real. George Clooney is always a pleasure to watch, the writing is smart and the subject matter is thought provoking. I saw it a week ago, and I'm still chewing on it. Don't go in expecting lots of laughs. The screenplay won a Golden Globe Award for the 32 year old Reitman, who is obviously off to a good start in the movie biz.

This week at the Palace is Invictus, with Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as the captain of the the Springboks, South Africa's national rugby team. Clint Eastwood is the director and he is known for making fine movies. I haven't seen it yet, but I will.