Not-So-Lucky

- 2 1/2 Eberts

I was looking forward to seeing Happy-Go-Lucky. Roger gave it 4 stars and I had liked most of Mike Leigh's previous movies, but I only thought this one was OK.
I thought Sally Hawkins was really good and I thought Eddie Marsan, who played her driving instructor, was even better. There was a great scene between the two of them towards the end of the movie.
But, overall, I thought the movie was slow and not all that interesting. As a matter of fact, I kind of got sick of Poppy. It had some great acting and was worth seeing, but you should wait for it to come on TV.

Milk

- 4 Eberts

I finally got to see Milk, and I think it was my favorite, in a very good movie year. I had seen the Times of Harvey Milk documentary so I wasn't as anxious to see this movie as some of the others that came out because I knew the story. But the movie was much better than the documentary. The acting, and Sean Penn in particular, was outstanding.
The movie is really important socially and politically. I don't think that any one who watches it can come away and not be in favor of gay rights. "Separate but equal" is just not good enough any more.
Has to be one of the all time best American movie biographies. Great story, great acting, great movie.
Roger really liked it too and gave it four stars.

Rachel Getting Married

- 3 Eberts

In the middle of this movie I thought I was going to add this movie to my list of "Good Movies That I Don't Want To See Again". On that list I have movies like The Homecoming, Thirteen, Monster, Kids, Mystic River, American Me, Sleepers, Elephant, Leaving Las Vegas, Requiem for a Dream, Boys Don't Cry, Vera Drake, Breaking the Waves, Amores Perros, Freaks and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
I thought these movies were all good, but they were painful to watch, and I really didn't want to see them again.
Rachel Getting Married was painful too, but that was one reason it was so good. Anne Hathaway did a great job and it was easy to identify with her pain.
Ultimately the movie did show her grow. She was a really strong person. There was no Hollywood ending, but in the end I thought she was going to get well.
I also enjoyed the portrayal of the interracial families, not as interracial families, but just as families, coming together.
Roger really liked this too, and gave it four stars.

Frozen River

- 3 1/2 Eberts

A movie about women who are forced to do things by circumstances that they would probably never do otherwise. It's a story about people who want better things for their children but are unable to provide them. It's a story about the men who aren't there but should be.
Frozen River is a story about the hardships that many good people in this country have to go through because they are caught in situations they can't get out of.
The writer/director, Courtney Hunt, in her debut gets two great performances from her two female leads, Melissa Leo and Misty Upham.
Roger really liked this movie and gave it four stars.