June Movie Reviews

Big Eyes is about artist Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) who was quite popular in the 1960s with her paintings of sad children and animals with over-sized eyes. Her husband convinced her the paintings would never sell if people knew a woman was the artist so he took credit. What a jerk. Then in a brilliant marketing move he began making prints, and posters and postcards of the art. Excellent story and great acting. They sure captured the 1960s. The sets were great.  When I saw the previews I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the painting of the print I've had hanging on my bedroom wall since I was a kid. I tried selling it in a yard sale a few years ago, but no one was interested so it ended up in a closet. Maybe someone would be interested now that a movie has been made about this woman? I dug it out of a closet and it's back hanging on the wall! ****

Family Affair is part of the Oprah Winfrey documentary series about Chico Colvard's family and the abuse his father inflicted on his three sisters. The father spent only a year in jail for incest after nearly 15 years of raping his daughters continuously since they were five years old. The sisters still have a relationship with their father who has never even apologized, hence, the theme of the movie and the purpose behind making it. WHY would they forgive him and treat him as if he's a great man worthy of their love and devotion when in fact he is a sick monster? They were far more forgiving than I'd ever be...it was depressing. ***

The Jungle Book was the last animated movie that Walt Disney personally made. He died before it was completed. I LOVED this movie as a kid. I saw a commercial or something that featured a scene from it and the next day I was in the library looking at their sales room and the video of the movie was there. I received two coupons for two free books in the last winter reading contest so I took it. What a sweet movie! Great animation, beautiful background art, delightful characters and music. It's a classic. *****

Lars and the Real Girl was a really strange movie about a very shy man who manages to fend off everyone in his life but then for some bizarre reason, orders a life-size, realistic doll and pretends she's his girlfriend. On the advice of a psychiatrist, everyone goes along with him and this doll has more of a social life than I have! I'm not sure the point of the movie and it was too surreal and stupid for me. **

The Love Punch with Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan is about ex-spouses. That's as far as I got. I'm not into divorce humor or watching two people not get along for over an hour. The librarian recommended it. All the movies she recommends I hate. We have exact opposite taste in movies. I should know this by now. Normally I really like Emma Thompson. This was dumb. *

St. Vincent is about a crotchety old man (Bill Murray) who hates people and the single mother (Melissa McCarthy) and young son who move in next door. It was sweet and heart-warming. Nothing special. ***

Trust Me is a movie about a child actor agent. I thought it was going to be a comedy based on the promotion and previews, but it ended up a drama. Even the cover of the DVD case they are smiling and looking rather comedic. I'm not quite sure what it was. I'm totally confused. It was OK if not a little slow. I'm not sure of the point. **

Wild is a movie about a woman who's mother dies, she goes off the deep end and becomes a trampy, heroin addict who decides as a last ditch effort toward sanity walk the whole Pacific Crest Trail by herself. Reese Witherspoon plays the lead role and I can't see her name without thinking of her drunk-driving brush with the law about a year ago when she exclaimed to the police officers, "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" LOL. Anyway, as a former backpacker there were parts that were really funny especially in the beginning when she loaded her backpack until it weighed more than she does and then tried to get it on her back. That was priceless. Or her self-talk on the trail. She swears as much as I do. So she hiked the trail and became a new person. I wonder if that would work for me? ***