Gary Wolcott's "Mr. Movie" column has appeared in the Tri-City Herald since 1992. The Tri-City native now lives in Portland, Ore., and watches about 250 movies each year. This member of Portland's association of movie critics, Far From Hollywood, believes movies are made to be seen on theater screens and should be seen there and not on television screens. Have a question for Mr. Movie? Click on "Add Comment" below. Mr. Movie has joined Twitter. Follow him here.
The Blind Side tackles football and the much better, and more interesting sport of real life.
Michael Oher was drafted by the National Football Leagues Baltimore Ravens this year and is now a rich pro athlete. Learning how Oher got from deep in the end zone to the NFL will take you a couple of hours and three soggy hankies.
Big, lumbering and academically slow, Oher is a ghetto-born kid. In the game of life, thats fourth down and 40 yards to go. His break came when he played football for a Christian school and was adopted by a fairly well-to-do white family.
The movie version of his life, The Blind Side embellishes Ohers story a bit. OK, a lot.
Normally, Id throw a penalty flag. Two words keep it in my pocket: Sandra Bullock. Youre hearing quite a bit of Oscar buzz, and its deserved. Bullock adds two extra dimensions to her usual one-dimensional, cutesy, addle-brained personality and gives the performance of her life.
Credit writer/director John Lee Hancocks (The Rookie) excellent dialogue for part of Bullocks transformation. Im admittedly biased. In my book, you cant beat a good sports biopic. I can even say that about golf, but Id probably draw the line at bowling.
Hancock has done a good one. Dont punt on this one. The Blind Side gets a game-winning score.
Mr. Movie rating: 4 1/2 stars
Rated PG-13 for mature themes. It opens Friday, Nov. 20 at the Carmike 12 and at the Fairchild Cinemas 12.
5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.
The Big Year is based on Mark Obmascik’s book. The title is apparently a bird-watching term.
One does a big year when they are willing to devote almost all of their time to the sport — if we can call it that — of birdwatching. A big year is an attempt to see as many different species as possible.
While not exactly true, the movie does highlight the lengths that those who love birds will go to spot this species or that. The flick stars Jack Black as a young man and perennial loser whose dream is to set the record for the most birds seen in a year during bird watching. The world record is 732 species. It is held by Owen Wilson’s Kenny Bostick.
Kudos to Battelle Film Club for bringing 'The Hedgehog'
The Hedgehog is a subtitled French film from 2009 that finally got released in the U.S. last year, and thanks to the Battelle Film Club , it will be seen in the Tri-Cities.
The story centers around Paloma, an 11-year old girl whose interests are philosophy and art.
No one in her family can relate. Her parents barely speak to each other much less to Paloma. The disconnected mom talks to plants, and the psychiatrist but can’t talk to her daughter. Dad is nowhere to be found.
'Exit Through the Gift Shop' via Battelle Film Club
Tri-Cities theaters don’t see many documentaries. Last year’s Oscar winner Inside Job made it. This year, we got to see the fabulous Buck .
But for the most part, there isn’t much demand for documentaries. Most of the time if you want to see one you’ll have to catch it at a Battelle Film Club offering.
Exit Through the Gift Shop is the one they’re showing for the fall series. This one got an Oscar nomination for best documentary instead of the much-better and more important Waiting for Superman . But you could perceive that documentary as being anti-union — and it kind of was anti-teachers union — so Hollywood isn’t going to go there.
Anna Faris is the insecure Ally Darling, and relationships never seem to work out for her.
On her way home after just being fired from a job — and just before the pathetic Ally ends up sleeping with the boss that fired her — she reads an article about the number of lovers women have for their entire life.
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