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 multi-Golden Globe nominated Precious is a difficult movie. Adjectives and accolades dont work here. Precious is something you have to see and experience to understand.
The title character is a 16 year old, obese black girl from the ghetto. Obese of course is a relative term. The girl is huge, probably exceeding 300 pounds. Raped and impregnated twice by her father, physically and sexually abused by her mother and illiterate, Precious future gets a score of about zero.
Barely making it academically in high school, Precious is transferred to an alternative school when the authorities learn she is pregnant. It is the break of a lifetime. There, Precious meets a teacher with the patience and love of the art of teaching to reach her. The new situation is good, but dont expect a happy Hollywood experience. Act two doesnt set up a crisis that ends with happily ever after in act three.
Pain rains on every page of Geoffrey Fletchers script and director Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer) movie.
Gabourey Sidibes flat, defeated performance as Precious is exceptional and ironically gives life to the lifeless. She and MoNique, playing Precious mother, got deserved Golden Globe nominations. So did the picture.
Precious isnt a film that fits everyone. It is uncomfortable. Her dilemma is unfathomable. In an uncommon way, Daniels tells us it is more common than we know.
Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars
Rated R for mature themes, language, violence. It opens Friday, Dec. 18 at the Carmike 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.
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.
35th Annual Portland International Film Festival begins
The 35th Annual Portland International Film Festival has begun. It runs through February 25. For film fans this one is loaded. There are 140 films from 36 different countries — 93 are features and 46 shorts.
Portland isn’t that far from Tri-Cities art film lovers. This entry reviews a few films from the first weekend and Monday. I’ll be posting reviews throughout the series until its conclusion February 25th.
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.
'My Week with Marilyn' elevates Michelle Williams' career
As a snapshot of history, My Week with Marilyn is fascinating.
Take that thought another step into good movie territory, and My Week with Marilyn isn’t that great. It’s not bad, but this is not a story that will wow you.
What does grab your attention are the great performances that dot its landscape and will have you leaving the theater jaw agape.
'Don't be Afraid of the Dark' offers few reasons to worry
Emphasis. Don’t. That’s “don’t” as in Don’t be Afraid of the Dark .
This movie won’t leave you afraid of the dark or much else. No leaving the lights on for the night when you get home. No checking rooms and closets or peeking under the bed worried that something creepy might be there.
Nope. In the 99 very slow minutes of Don’t be Afraid of the Dark an expected jump or two is about all you get. And they’re not even that good.
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