Morning Glory (2010)

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at national morning TV shows? You may still have legit wonders after this movie, but at least you will know what some in Hollywood think.

Rachel McAdams plays a very young Executive Producer of the last place show with a very short time to turn it around. Diane Keaton plays the anchor she does not fire, and Harrison Ford plays the reluctant replacement of the fired guy.

Jeff Goldblum and Patrick Wilson play the other 2 main influences in the EP's life and work.

This is not a movie for dummies. There is some very fast highbrow "banter" here and if you snooze you lose your chance for a giggle.

How often does Harrison Ford play a character who is truly nasty?

Watch this movie with someone who is hooked on their morning TV program.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Who would have thought the best thing to happen to Guy Ritchie's work would be to dump Madonna? In my opinion, everything he has done since their break-up is fun to watch. If nothing else, his movies are way more marketable than before. Any ideas why?

Any other ideas why he used an American to play Holmes however? Okay, fair enough, perhaps only the massive ego of Robert Downey, Jr. could replicate that of the fictional Holmes. What? Am I wrong about that?

Jude Law is perfect as the faithful Dr. Watson, and Rachel McAdams is devilish as Irene Adler, the only woman Holmes ever saw as an "equal" in the original series of stories.

The bad guys in this tale are played well by Mark Strong (a Guy Ritchie regular) and Ed Tolputt, though we never see Tolputt's face.

What seems odd to me here is that the story spins as if Holmes had never heard of Professor Moriarity before. In the original Conan Doyle stories he was the arch-nemesis of Holmes. So one might think this story a prequel. But wait, at one point in the story Watson reminds Holmes that Ms. Adler is the only criminal to outwit Holmes twice. These stories are part of the well-known Holmes lore. So the coexistence of those two characters in the same story under these conditions is a little inconsistent. That is by no means a spoiler by the way.

Watch this movie with someone who knows the basic characters and can keep up with the rapid fire dialogue.

The Time Traveler's Wife

If you like tearjerker movies with lots of kissing, you will most likely like this one. Rachel McAdams plays the girlfriend and wife of a guy who bops in and out of her life from the age of six. Her age not his. The story bounces from present to past to future. Pay attention.

Eric Bana, who has been very selective in his projects of late, plays the time-traveling husband with great passion. I very much enjoyed his performance here. You may have to just watch the movie to get how it works.

Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt may have owned the rights to this story, but the actors owned the audience hearts. This is not to say there are not plenty of points of confusion. This movie is best if you don't think too much about it. But that is the case with much of Hollywood these days.

The movie gets better and more gripping as you go along. Patience is required.

Watch this with someone who likes the kissing and won't worry about whats missing.

State of Play

While some similarities exist, not much other than the character names and the title are carried over from the brilliant BBC series to this very smart movie. You don't need to have seen the series to enjoy this movie. In fact, you may enjoy it more if you are not distracted by the differences.

In the extra features a producer makes the statement to the effect that everyone in Hollywood wanted to be part of this project. And there are huge names aplenty to be sure. Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck turn in very different roles than their norm, and both are great. Helen Mirren continues to be one of the best actors from any country. Robin Wright Penn and Rachel McAdams are both very strong and sexy characters here. Jason Bateman does his best acting to date and was a very pleasant surprise for me.

Set in DC this political murder thriller is good a keeping the audience guessing. The pace is brisk and one has to keep up with plot twists as they happen.

Watch this with someone who like to guess who did what to whom and watch them react at the end when all is revealed.

The Lucky Ones

Wounded but lucky to be alive, 3 U.S. Army soldiers return from Iraq to find the lives they thought they had completely gone, if not totally imaginary. Don't you hate when that happens? We all do it though. We project our wishes and fantacies onto our, and other's, realities.

This touching and occasionally funny story takes these troops from the flight home to the flight back. In between they learn much about each other and themselves. This interesting journey of discovery, or cleansing, and of reinvention is critical for each character. We should all do the same.

As one who has driven every mile of the route they take, I can highly recommend watching the film and then making the trip. Virtually if not in reality.

Tim Robbins, Michael Peña, and Rachel McAdams all do a great job as the wandering soldiers. Peña reinforces my opinion that he can do it all - drama, comedy, and action. Yes, I think this guy is a real deal movie star.

Watch this movie with a great deal of self introspection.

The Notebook

Maybe not the greatest love story ever told, but certainly one of the best told. If you are a fan of the before and after love story, this is one of the best.

Director Nick Cassavetes uses just the right amount of sentiment and art to spin this tale of who-they-were and who-they-are-now. You may find yourself drawn in so tight to this wonderfully played out story that you are tempted to fast forward. Don't. Take it all in like fine warm rain.

Jame Garner (Maverick series, Rockford Files series, and Murphy's Romance) plays the role of an older gentleman reading a story from a notebook to an aging Gena Rowlands (I don't even know where to start listing her great roles) who's memory comes and goes. As the story is read, it is played out by a second cast.

I know, I know, there is no first and second cast. There are however, two stories unfolding as this movie progresses. Therefore, I employ a concept of first and second cast, and assume you know what I'm talking about. Okay?

So, first cast is in a nursing home, and second cast acts out the story being told by first cast.

Bottom line, both casts do a super job, and the writer and directer did a very smart job of keeping the stories just close enough, yet just far enough apart, to keep this movie interesting. Both of the stories. And when they come together near the end, as predictable as we think it will be, it is done with class, art, and good movie magic.

Ryan Gosling (Remember the Titans, and Lars and the Girl) plays the young man in the story opposite Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls, and The Wedding Crashers). These two have more chemistry than DuPont.

Watch this movie with someone who will not hog the tissues.