Remember Me

Director Allen Coulter's work is probably familiar to all of us, but we just don't know his name. That is a shame. After working in TV since the late 80s he makes the great leap onto the big screen. And not for the first time, but, in my opinion, in his first significant production.

Robert Pattinson is no small commodity these days, and neither is Pierce Brosnan or Lena Olin. All three are wonderful, smart, evolutionary characters in this touching, if not difficult to watch story. I say difficult because we watch the main characters make really bad choices over and over again. But that is part of the evolution. That is a critical part of the story. Be patient.

Emile de Ravin of Lost fame holds her own very well against these big screen heavy-weights. He accent is gone and she almost seems like the native New Yorker she portrays. Her cop Dad is played brilliantly by Chris Cooper, who, in this story at least, is my favorite character. Daddy's of daughters almost always are my favs.

Three groups of people will most likely LOVE this movie. 1 - Fans of brooding pretty boys. 2 - Fans of New York City. 3 - People who realize whats going to happen once they hear the first President Bush on Television. No spoilers here.

Watch this with someone who is in one of the above categories.

Awake

Lena Olin has always been on my list. You know the list I'm talking about. Her performance in this movie, while key, is only a supporting one. Just the same, I still have my baby crush on her.

Heyden Christensen appears to be growing into his voice. His character while anesthetics is very interesting. Not so much the rest of the time. That may be by design, but I'm not so sure.

Jessica Alba as a villain rather than the heroine was a pleasant surprise. This is pretty much all the good surprises though from her.

You know how much I like Terrence Howard. You also know I think his delivery does not change from character to character. That works for me so far. Keep it up Mr. Howard.

Bottom line, this is a movie you can skip.

Chocolat

Ever wanted to change the world? This movie will inspire you. If you have not already seen it, you are in for a treat. Juliette Binoche is magical, and her supporting cast, which includes greats such as Dame Judi Dench, Lena Olin, and Johnny Depp all weave together a delicious dramedy.

It is a story of good versus evil, right versus left, old versus new, and yin versus yang. The parties all discover that it is only when they embrace each other that they can stand themselves. Even if you don't have an addiction to chocolate, you will find this movie intoxicating. The more often you watch it, the more you learn from it.

Nominated for best picture and 4 other academy awards in 2001, "Chocolat" was a risky venture. The script and setting were better suited to Masterpiece Theater audiences, but Disney, via it's Miramax label, decided to give the viewing public a taste of smart story-telling that raised the bar for other studios.

Eating popcorn during this movie seems odd, so choose the milk duds or bon bons instead. It is a great movie to watch in front of the fire on a dark and stormy night.