Fallen (1998)

Fallen is the kind of movie that those who absolutely do not believe in the supernatural, think, “Well maybe.”

Homicide detectives John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) and his partner, whom everyone calls Jonesy (John Goodman), become involved in a case appearing to be a series of copycat murders, but the similarities are too close to be copycat. Some details were only known by the police and the killer, who has been executed. Fallen opens with a dark flashback and a voice stating “I want to tell you about the time I almost died.” It sets the tone of the noirish Fallen.

Killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas) while being prepped to die by gas pellet, summons Hobbes just before he is taken to the gas chamber. When Hobbes approaches the cell, Koteas shows no fear or remorse, instead he cajoles, he laughs, he asks to shake Hobbes hand, he speaks to Hobbes in another language and finally he gives him a riddle to solve.

As Reese is escorted to the gas chamber he skips, prances and sings; once locked in the chair he stares and grimaces at the witnesses, and at Hobbes who is among them. Then he loudly sings the old Mick Jagger tune “Time is on my Side” to and with his last breath. For me, it is this scene that sets the tone of evil in this movie. Reese’s execution puts Hobbes on a path that makes him suspicious of those he works with. Especially Lieutenant Stanton (Donald Sutherland) who seems to have knowledge that he is not willing to share.

John Hobbes is not a cop on a mission; he is a bachelor living with his brother and his brother’s young son in a cramped apartment. However, he is quickly drawn into the murkiness of the spirit world of demons and human hosts.

The detective is further drawn into the web when the latest body found is that of a man he had seen the night before. Each step he takes in the investigation draws him deeper into the unknown. He tries to find the link by reviewing the video of Reese’s execution, a linguist has determined that Reese was speaking an ancient language before he died. The links become threads that lead to the dead cops’ daughter Gretta (Embeth Davidtz). Is she the key? When Hobbes questions her, she advises him to walk away from the case. He does not and finds himself in the fight of his life against evil.

There is no trickery here, no monsters; just the remarkable use of the camera and the idea that has been put into the audience’s head that evil lives among us. It could be anyone, man woman or a child. The plot is effective because it is so simple--it’s not the bogeyman that will get you, evil lives closer to home.

Denzel Washington does not usually appear in supernatural police dramas such as Fallen but this mystery, thriller supernatural film is a good match because the characters he most often portrays are always so grounded. An unusual change for Washington, he makes the perfect non-believer.

Rated R

The Women (1939)

The Women is sharp, witty, fast paced and stylish.

Husbands cheat on their wives, friends are catty and divorce is just a misstep away in this classic movie. The Women is a sophisticated comedy that deals with issues that are never ending. Mary Haines (Norma Shearer), a society wife learns that her husband is cheating with another woman. She does her best to keep friends from guessing that she knows. But, in a world where all of your friends are wealthy, high maintenance, and so bored that all they do is lunch and go to fashion shows, a cheating husband is fodder for wagging tongues and sly winks.

Rosalind Russell as Mary’s sharp-tongued underhanded cousin, is the perfect foil for Shearer's sympathetic character. Joan Crawford has one of her best man-grabbing, husband stealing roles in this film. At one point when the husband tries to cancel their date. She becomes indignant because "he tried to stand her up for his wife". Another time in a confrontation with the man’s wife she says, "When Stephen doesn't like what I'm wearing, I take it off". Yes--this film really was made in 1939.

These women are such a tight knit clique that they even go to the same divorce dude ranch. Ranch owner Lucy (Margorie Main), is a no nonsense woman who claims that she has no sympathy for these rich, spoiled and pampered women, but some are so immature and naive, she can‘t resist their charm. The Countess DeLav (Mary Boland) continues to believe in the magic of first love, no matter how many times she gets married.

Some of the films dialogue still sounds fresh, when Mary tells her mother that her husband is cheating, her mother reply’s that Mary's father did the same thing and she kept quite. She advises Mary to do the same, Mary responds, "Mother, this is the 20th century.” Time has not tarnished this must-have classic movie’s wit and sophistication.

Also in the cast are Paulette Goddard and Joan Fontaine. Ruth Hussey and Virginia Grey appear in minor roles and, columnist Hedda Hopper brings her real-life persona to the screen as a society gossip snoop. There are no men in this sophisticated comedy. However, you do not miss them; they are the subject of the movie. Great fun.

The film The Women was adapted from a play written by Clare Boothe and directed by George Cukor. Although the film is black and white, the magnificent fashion show sequence is in color. It is pure glamour when the fashions are shown in glorious Technicolor. Classic movie.

The Women (Keepcase) is available from Amazon.com and other sites.

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Santa Claus Goes On Trial! We need a Miracle on 34th Street to save him.

It is a busy time for department store executive Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins) as Christmas nears. She is responsible for the store’s annual parade and hiring a department store Santa Claus. However, there is no joy in these preparations; past events in Dorey’s life have made her cynical about Christmas spirit and the magic of believing in Santa Claus. She has passed this cynicism on to her daughter Susan by keeping her in the loop of what goes on at work, including information about the Santa’s she hires every year. Talented young actress Mara Wilson portrays Susan, an exceedingly honest and perceptive child.

By a quirk of fate, Dorey hires an old man (Richard Attenborough) without asking questions. He makes the perfect Santa; he has a full white beard and needs no padding. When Dorey checks the mans application, she sees that he has signed his name Kris Kringle, his next of kin are reindeer, and his address is the North Pole. She knows that she should report this, but Kris is the best department store Santa the Coles department store has ever had.

A contrived incident places Coles in an embarrassing situation and Kris in a fight to keep his freedom. Dorey asks her friend, Brian (Dylan McDermott), who is a lawyer, to help Kris. Brian makes an impassioned speech in court about Kris Kringle and the spirit of Christmas, then places his faith in the people of the City. There are some actions in the new version of Miracle on 34th Street that some may question, but remember this story is about proving whether Santa Claus exists and miracles. I suggest that you remember what a very young Natalie Wood says in the original Miracle on 34th Street, “I believe, I believe” and just enjoy this family-oriented film. Others in the cast are J. T. Walsh, Jane Leeves (Frazier), Robert Prosky, James Remar and William Windom as C.F. Cole.

This lighthearted holiday drama is a remake of the 1947 film of the same name. This remake is quite good; it stays very close to the original story. As remake films go, the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street is one of the best.

Rated PG

Available from Amazon Miracle on 34th Street and other sites.

Double Jeopardy (1999)


Will the 5th Amendment let her get away with murder?

Double Jeopardy, a mystery/crime thriller film shows Ashley Judd at her best. This under-used actress demonstrates what she can really do when given the right part. Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive and Men in Black) in the role of Judd’s parole officer is at his best as well. Those familiar with legal jargon know that the title Double Jeopardy gives a hint to the context of crime thriller.

Libby Parsons (Ashely Judd) lives a good life. She has a young son who is the light of her life and, a loving and wealthy husband (Bruce Greenwood). Her life changes over night when she and her husband go sailing and she awakens covered in blood and her husband is missing. Libby cannot remember anything and cannot explain how or why there is blood on her on her hands. Unable to produce her husband or a witness, Libby is convicted of murder and sent to prison. Soon after, she accidentally learns that her husband is not dead. Libby is determined to find her husband and regain custody of her son. While in prison, she is a model prisoner, she only thinks of one thing, to get out--to find her son. One of inmates, a former lawyer, gives Libby advice that makes Libby more determined than ever to come face-to-face with her husband one more time.

The story really begins to move forward when Libby gets out of prison and is turned over to her gruff Parole Officer Travis Lehman (Tommy Lee Jones). Lehman listens to Libby’s story and at some point, begins to believe that she is telling the truth. In prison Libby exercised, buffed up and added strength and resilience to her body and her mind. Both are now razor-sharp and nothing will stop her from her reaching goal.

However, finding her husband Nick is not so easy, he has money, rich friends and the means to keep himself hidden and secure within the confines of the elite. Libby’s husband is charming and affable, but there is something dislikable that comes through his polished veneer. He is very much like Ingrid Bergman’s husband in the 1944 film Gaslight.

Ashely Judd gives a tight and believable performance as a desperate woman on the edge, searching for her son and seeking revenge. The action heats up for Libby, when her husband’s lukewarm trail leads her to Louisiana.

This is a good crime film with a little humor tossed in. The Double Jeopardy angle always makes good drama when done well. Others in the cast are: Benjamin Weir, Jay Brazeau and Annabeth Gish.

Rated R

This film is available from Amazon Double Jeopardy

Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

The Kranks forfeit Kristmas!

Luther Krank (Tim Allen) convinces his wife Nora (Jamie Lee Curtis) that they should skip Christmas and go on a cruise instead. He reasons, it is cheaper and besides daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) has left for South America to work with the Peace Corp. When the Krank’s refuse to buy a tree for Christmas, disbelief and rumors spread through the neighborhood like wildfire. After the neighbors learn that the Krank’s will be away and there will be no Christmas party, it starts a frenzy. After all, they always spend Christmas with the Kranks.

To the dismay of neighbor Vic Frohmeyer (Dan Aykroyd), the Kranks house is the only one on the block left unlit. Frohmeyer, who has made himself spokesperson for the neighborhood, decides that strong measures are necessary to get the Kranks to put Frosty the Snowman on their roof. Meanwhile, life goes on. Luther tells everyone in his office of his plans to skip Christmas and Nora does her best to fend off questions and bad-will among neighbors and shop owners in their small town. The Kranks become the neighborhood pariahs as they count the days to cruise time. However, a telephone call from their daughter changes everything. She is returning home for Christmas. Luther and Nora have to do a quick turn-a-round and change their plans. They have less than a day to decorate the house, get a tree, plan a party and prepare Blair’s favorite foods. One somber note in this film is that the wife of Luther’s nemesis is terminally ill. On impulse, Luther performs an act of kindness that opens him to the idea of the coming holiday and what it really means. Think Ebenezer Scrooge, the miserly character in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” It is a warm touch to Luther’s previous “Bah humbug” attitude toward Christmas.

Christmas with the Kranks is not laugh aloud funny; still, the movie does cause a chuckle now and again. Nora crouches on the floor and peeks out of the window as she makes a desperate telephone call to Luther because neighbors are on their lawn yelling for ’Frosty.’ Luther’s session at the tanning salon prove disastrous. There are other scenes to make you smile, scenes that make this a good holiday movie. Like Home Alone I am sure that it will join the long list of Christmas movies that are shown on television every year. Others in the cast are Cheech Marin, M. Emmet Walsh, Elizabeth Franz, Erik Per Sullivan, Jake Busey and Julie Gonzalo.

Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay for Christmas with the Kranks. It is based on the John Grisham novel “Skipping Christmas.”

Christmas with the Kranks and John Grisham's Skipping Christmas is available from Amazon.com and other sites.

In Her Shoes (2005)

Can feuding sisters become best friends again?

In Her Shoes is a revealing comedic look into the lives of the Feller sisters Rose (Toni Collette) and Maggie (Cameron Diaz) whose disconnect has gone past sibling rivalry.

At first glance, Rose and Maggie appear to have nothing in common except their parentage and their shoe size. Rose is a lawyer on the rise at a large firm in Philadelphia and Maggie is…well Maggie is pretty. When Rose takes Maggie home to their parents’ house, Maggie is still drunk after celebrating at her high school reunion, stepmother Sydelle (Candice Azzara) tosses Maggie out of the house. Rose begrudgingly allows her sister to stay with her. However, she has rules that she expects sister Maggie follow. Two of the rules are, do not touch anything and do not wear my shoes. Rose makes the mistake of not adding one more rule, “Do not go to bed with my boyfriend.” Maggie finds herself homeless once more when her sister demands that she leave.

As the film develops, it delves into the minds of the sisters and shows us what makes them tick. Rose is smart, articulate and vaguely unhappy and Maggie is a flake who steals money from her family, sleeps around and cannot hold a job. The girls’ dad Michael (Ken Howard) does what he can for his daughters but does not offer any real emotional support.

When Maggie unearths a box of old birthday cards from grandmother Ella, (Shirley MacLaine) it sets off a set of events that changes her life and the lives of those around her. In Her Shoes has been relegated to the “chick flick” genre, not that there is anything wrong with that label, there are some very fine chick flick type movies. In this case, that title does not quite fit. Pay particular attention to the Professor (Norman Lloyd) and Mrs. Lefkowitz (Francine Beers).The professor is a hospital patient and wise Mrs. Lefkowitz is Ella’s retirement community neighbor. These two help to further move this excellent comedy into the drama category.

In Her Shoes is a cleverly written screenplay by Susannah Grant. It is a funny and bittersweet movie about sibling rivalry, misunderstanding, family secrets and finally life’s journey. The movie is based on the Jennifer Weiner novel of the same name. Love interests in the cast are Mark Feuerstein and Jerry Adler.

Rated PG-13

In Her Shoes (Widescreen Edition) Available from Amazon and other sites. Visit the In Her Shoes official web site.