The Secret of Kells, directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, art directed by Ross Stewart (Cartoon Saloon), animated, 76 minutes. A 2010 Oscar® nominee for best animated feature, The Secret of Kells introduces us to Brendan, a 12-year-old Irish boy, who has spent his young life living among monks in an abbey. He is the nephew of Abbott Cellach, a disciplinarian who is creating a fortress of high walls around the abbey as defense against an inevitable attach by Viking hordes. Brendan begins … [Read more...]

There have been some wonderful films lately that have looked at those of us who present what we might call our "wounded" face to the world. People who seem angry, self-absorbed and/or unapproachable. As we discussed in last month's column, Gran Torino and Ghost Town both illuminate the pain, sadness and vulnerability that lie just beneath the surface of those wounded faces and personalities. Now comes the perfectly titled Happy-Go-Lucky so that we can see the polar opposite of that wounded … [Read more...]

As I note every year, my favorite films are not the ones that I consider the "best' films of 2008. I do not believe that works of art can or should be ordered from good to best to whatever. How could anyone objectively say that a Rembrandt is a "better" painting than a DaVinci or a Van Gogh? We only know what we personally like and don't like.As a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, I hope that we eventually change the description of the Oscars that … [Read more...]

It's "Award" season in Hollywood. This is the time of year when movies of "substance" finally make their way into some theaters across the country. Unfortunately, to Hollywood nowadays, "substance" more often than not means dark, depressing, nihilistic and/or violent.But not always.In most years, there are at least a couple of life-enhancing gems that somehow find their way into the mix...and our hearts.Such is the case this year with Last Chance Harvey, which … [Read more...]

Every once in a while, a film comes along with such an intriguing premise that we bolt upright in our chairs when we first see a preview for it or read about it. In Hollywood parlance, a "home-run" premise is worth its weight in celluloid. Of course, we are sometimes elated and sometimes disappointed when we see the actual film. As Forrest Gump so eloquently said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get." Opening this coming December, a … [Read more...]