Burlesque
I’m ready and willing to see any project Cher is involved in. The movie is full of music, with most of the singing done by Christina Aguilera. Cher has a couple of solos, one of which is a ballad and seems completely out of place. Aguilera changes her looks as often as she changes her costumes. What a voice for such a tiny person. The story line is predictable, but it is a fun movie.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
I haven’t read any of the Harry Potter books, and I’ve only seen a couple of the movies, so it isn’t surprising that I was lost throughout the movie. Harry, Hermione and Ron are young adults now. Although she is one from the dark side, I loved the character played by Helena Bonham Carter. The special effects were as good as ever. One favorite through all the movies has been the pictures that move, whether they are in a frame or a newspaper. I’d love to have a purse like Hermione that could carry everything from three sets of clothing to a tent and survival gear! One of the spells that Harry and his crew are able to perform is that of transporting themselves from one place to another. Some of the landscapes they find themselves in would be great for an afternoon hike.

Agora
The film is a glimpse into the life of Hypatia (played by Rachel Weisz), who lived in Alexandria during the late 300’s AD. The romantic interest in the story comes when one of her pupils declares his love for Hypatia publicly and is rejected. We also know that one of her slaves is in love with his mistress. As the film progresses, several of Hypatia’s students become leaders in the government and the Church. Her slave has been freed and joins the Christians. When conflicts arise between the Jewish and Christian populations, the love of these two men for Hypatia leads to very different outcomes. Throughout the film, Hypatia is intent on uncovering the mystery of the movement of the planets (the wanderers) in the universe.

Get Low
Felix Bush (Robert Duval) is an aging hermit who has a bad reputation around town. His reputation is built on a few facts, a few exaggerated stories, and some lies. When Felix feels the end is near he decides he would like to have a funeral party for himself, while he is still alive, so everyone can come and tell their stories. As the movie unfolds we see that there was a moment in Felix’s life that changed everything for him, but we don’t find out all the details until his funeral party. Bill Murray plays the unscrupulous funeral home director who is helping Felix with his plan.

Saint Misbehavin’
The documentary covers the life of Hugh Romney in his transformation from poet to activist clown. Now known as Wavy Gravy we catch glimpses of the unique way in which he sees the world and its troubles. He was the founder of the Hog Farm commune, which still is operating, and was prominent in his role as head of the “Please Force” (security) at Woodstock, while his wife ran the kitchen. He is the co-founder of SEVA, an organization that provides free eye operations throughout the world, as well as Camp Winnarainbow, a circus and performing arts camp.

Winter's Bone
This movie is a bit dark but I really enjoyed it. A young woman is struggling to support her family on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains. Her father is a meth “cooker” and has failed to appear for a court hearing. He has put up the farm as his bail, and unless Ree can find him, or prove he is dead, they will lose the farm. There is a wonderful cast of supporting characters, although none of them are exactly loveable.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
We saw this on a recent trip to Vancouver. I’d heard a lot about the movie, but apparently I didn’t pay enough attention because it was a graphic novel made into a movie - exactly the type of movie I don't like. The acting was good, as were the special effects, but there wasn’t much of a story.

The Kids are All Right
I hadn’t heard of this movie before, but it had a stellar cast, and it was the only game in town. I didn’t think that Julianne Moore and Annette Bening were believable as a lesbian couple, and that fact seemed to spoil the whole movie for me. There were a few funny moments, but for the most part I was disappointed.

The Girl who Played with Fire
I saw the movie before I had read the book, but it didn’t feel a bit out of place. The story picks up about a year after the first movie and Mikael and Lisbeth are at it again. This time they are working to solve the same murders, but they are coming at it with very different points of view.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I loved the book and the movie is very well done. I saw the Swedish version with English sub-titles. The story told in the movie follows very closely the story from the book – a few things were added and a few were left out but the story itself wasn’t changed.

The Secret in Their Eyes
This movie (from Argentina) won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The story is about a retired court employee who has decided to write a novel about one case that continues to haunt him. We see the story unfold in flashbacks to his earlier life and his attempts at solving the murder. 25 years after the murder, his quest for the truth leads him to contact the husband of the murdered woman where he finally finds closure to the mystery.

The Trotsky
It’s been a long time since we saw a movie so it seemed appropriate to choose a film promoted by the First Weekend Club (a group promoting Canadian Films). Leon Bronstein has always believed that he was the re-incarnation of Leon Trotsky and sets out to live his life in a similar manner. An attempt to organize a hunger strike at his father’s factory in Montreal ends with his father having him arrested and thrown in jail. When his father refuses to pay for Leon’s boarding school he is forced to attend Public School, Leon is undeterred and begins to organize the students. Their first walkout is less than successful, but when he and some of his followers take the principal hostage everyone starts taking Leon seriously. The film ends with Leon’s exile - to London, Ontario. Even without “getting” all the associations with Trotsky’s history this is a very entertaining movie.

Avatar
You have to see this on the big screen and in 3-D - if I have a chance I will see it again in the Imax theatre. It feels like this is the future of movie-making and I’m glad to see that it was rewarded with a couple of Golden Globe awards, The story struck a chord with me on so many levels, and I was almost speechless when it was finished. It is a long movie, and a bit violent, but it may be the best movie I have ever seen.