The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: With a pint-sized caddie (Joshua Flitter) at his side, amateur golfer Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) shocked the world at the 1913 U.S. Open when he outplayed defending British champ Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane). But Ouimet’s rise to the top wasn’t easy, with a hard-nosed father (Elias Koteas) and a hard-knock life to overcome. Actor Bill Paxton (in his third time out as a director) helms this inspiring true-life story based on actual events.

Review: Really good movie! Even if you are not a fan of golf (I’m not). I added this movie to the list for my husband & ended up enjoying it very much myself. I love movies based on actual events, but I would have enjoyed this even if the story was fiction. Really good. I’d give it 4 stars & would probably watch it again!

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Submitted by: Mel 9/30/06

Loverboy (2004)

Netflix Synopsis: Inspired by Victoria Redel’s novel, this drama offers a glimpse into the insular world of Emily (Kyra Sedgwick), a woman so neglected by her own parents that when she finally has her own child, whom she names Loverboy, she reacts in the complete opposite way, showering him with love and attention. But when the boy starts school, Emily soon learns that she must open up their twosome to others, which she does with great apprehension.

Review: Well this was a bizarre movie. Although it was an all star cast, (Kevin Bacon, Marisa Tomei, Matt Dillon, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bullock) and the acting was good…it was just very strange. The write-up claims that Emily was “so neglected” by her parents. That was not at all evident in the movie. I’m assuming the book delved deeper into that, but had I not read the write-up about it, I would not have understood why this woman was so obsessed with her son. At 18 minutes into the movie, I was just about to turn it off and mail it back. I stuck with it and it did get a little better, but it just wasn’t a great movie. Oh and one thing that was really annoying was that the movie was barely audible! I had to have the volume almost all the way up to hear anything anyone said. There was a part or two where the “background” music was louder than the dialogue! I guess I’d give it three stars, but that’s being generous. I’m still planning on reading the book if I can get it at the library.

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Submitted by: Karen 9/27/06

Cellular (2004)

Netflix Synopsis: A young man named Ryan (Chris Evans) is driving in his car when his cell phone rings. On the other end of the line is a woman (Kim Basinger) desperate to get someone to help her, her husband and her son. Apparently, all three have been abducted by a madman (Jason Statham), and if Ryan doesn’t help quickly, they’ll all get killed. But Ryan’s cell phone battery is low, and he doesn’t know where the helpless family is. What’s he supposed to do?

Review: Cellular is a classic adventure thriller, with a side of humor and suspense. Bad cop vs good cop, bad guy vs pissed off mom, clueless kid and bumbling desk cop try to save the day. Cellular is not particularly intelligent and the acting is nothing to brag about but it is a good movie if you are in for a boring evening and need something entertaining to watch. Not an amazing movie but not awful by any means.

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Submitted by: Brandy 9/24/06

Billy Rose’s Jumbo (1962)

Netflix Synopsis: Circus owner Pop Wonder (Jimmy Durante) and his daughter, Kitty (Doris Day), try to save their beloved business from foreclosure in this musical. Pop and Kitty rely on Sam (Stephen Boyd) to help them save the circus, unaware that Sam’s got an agenda of his own. Martha Raye and Dean Jagger costar. The film features most of the Rogers and Hart songs from the original play, including “My Romance” and “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.”

Review: Two of my all-time favorite entertainers (Day and Durante) in one movie? How could I resist? Billy Rose’s Jumbo starts off almost interminably slow but given a good 20 minutes to build, it becomes a real gem of a movie that you won’t soon forget. Doris Day was a little “mature” for the part of Kitty but she still plays it with the same impeccable innocence and guileless virtue that made her a star. Durante’s portayal of Pop Wonder is delightful and spot on. Sam is not the best role I have seen Stephen Boyd portray but he did okay with this. Boyd was a great character actor and this part was a little beneath his talent but his classic 50’s & 60’s Hollywood good looks (and that beautiful cleft chin) made up for the deficits in the character. The best scenes in this movie are the circus act scenes, Circuses are still exciting and breathtaking to me even in this day and age of modern CGI, special effects and extreme stunts. Circuses will always bring back memories of childhood innocence and will always be “the greatest show on earth” in my eyes. Billy Rose’s Jumbo is an excellent film to recall the days when the circuses both great and small roamed the earth and created the biggest excitement all year when they paraded into town.

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Submitted by: Brandy 9/24/06

Ray (2004)

Netflix Synopsis: This biopic tells the life story of rhythm and blues legend Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx, who won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal). Born to a poor family in Albany, Ga., Charles contracted glaucoma at age 6 (which robbed him of his eyesight) and nonetheless went on to become a world-famous pianist and performer. He dealt with racism, romantic letdowns and his own heroin abuse, but managed to triumph over all obstacles. Taylor Hackford directs.

Review: When I heard Jamie Foxx was slated to portray Ray Charles, I was very doubtful that he could pull it off without being irreverent but he most definitely deserves the Best Actor Oscar he achieved for his work in this film. It was an excellent performance worthy of a standing ovation. This is a well written film, with excellent casting choices and destined to become a biographic classic. My only problem with this movie has been pointed out by other Netflix reviewers already…Ray Charles had a very long, very prolific career and there was much more to him and his music than drug abuse and womanizing, especially in his later yeatrs. This movie is “Part 1″, a small slice of Charles’ life and the rest of the whole was just as important in making Charles an American music legend for all time.

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Submitted by: Brandy 9/24/06

Lords of Dogtown (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: A group of outcasts from California’s Venice Beach change the face of skateboarding forever in this 1970s tale written by “Skateboard Godfather” Stacy Peralta. The Z-Boys (a group of radical riders who scout the neighborhoods for empty swimming pools) invent a brazen style of skating, become legends and deal with heartache when the sport they live for turns into big business. Heath Ledger, Rebecca De Mornay and Johnny Knoxville star.

Review: I really enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would but it’s definitely not for everyone. I went through a “skater chick” phase in the early and mid 80’s and so most of the skater “boyz” in this movie were familiar to me but if you don’t know anything about the skateboarding world of the 70’s and 80’s this movie will not resonate for you in the same way. It’s a movie about legendary skaters and the birth of modern skate culture. Not “mainstream friendly”, the way it’s written (by the great Peralta himself) can really only be appreciated by those who lived and breathed the lifestyle at some point in their life. For me, it was the DVD extras that were the most fascinating. It was trippy to see how the Skate Gods of yesterday have aged.

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Submitted by: Brandy 9/24/06

The Ringer (2004)

Netflix Synopsis: Desperate for dough to help a pal erase a gaming debt, lowlife Steve Barker (Johnny Knoxville) plots with his buddy to rig the Special Olympics. The plan: Steve will masquerade as a competitor in the hope of unseating the high-and-mighty reigning champ, Jimmy. Some of the other contestants recognize Steve as a fake, but because they’d also like to see Jimmy fail, they go all out to help the imposter prevail. Brian Cox and Katherine Heigl co-star.

Review: I had grave doubts about seeing this movie because I was afraid the approach was to make fun of developmentally challenged people. I was so relieved that this was NOT the case. The Special Olympics endorsed this movie and the subject matter was treated very respectfully and with appropriate humor. Although not a superb movie in the usual terms, The Ringer IS charming and endearing, the “special” cast was phenomenal. They more than made up for the mediocre performances of Knoxville, Cox and Heigl. Movie ending was a little too quick and “pat” but at least it HAD an ending unlike many movies other I have seen lately.

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Submitted by: Brandy 9/16/06

The Wild (2006)

Netflix Synopsis: When a clerical error sends a teenage lion to the wilds of Africa, five zoo animals — a lion, a giraffe, a koala, a snake and a squirrel — launch a rescue mission to bring him back home. But before they can get off the continent, they’ll have to conquer the concrete jungle. Kiefer Sutherland, James Belushi, Jonathan Kimmel, Eddie Izzard and Chris Edgerly lend their vocal talents to this animated Walt Disney adventure.

Review: The Wild is a very poor imitation of Madagascar. My four year old was entirely unimpressed and grew bored very quickly. VERY similar story concept to Madagascar but a poorly written version of it. The animation art/CGI is less appealing than Madagascar and although I did chuckle a few times, it’s not nearly as funny as Madagascar either. And yes, I mentioned Madagascar four times….if Disney didn’t want The Wild to be compared to Madagascar, they should have avoided blatantly and very poorly attempting to duplicate a movie that was such a big success for Dreamworks.

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Submitted by: Brandy 9/16/06

Patriot Act (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: Hilarious and, yes, even heartwarming, this unconventional documentary captures a war-torn Iraq through the eyes of comedian Jeffrey Ross, who, with camera in hand, agreed to join Drew Carey on a USO tour. Other featured comics include Kathy Kinney, Blake Clark, Kyle Dunnigan, Andres Fernandez, Rocky LaPorte and Bob Hope — who appears posthumously courtesy of archival footage capturing his best USO performances.

Review: Excellent documentary. If one lone comic can get the feel of what our troops face and the good being done in the war zone on a 4 day excursion, why can’t legions of reporters and media get it right?? Patriot Act is a documentary “home movie” filmed by one of the comedians (Jeffrey Ross) on Drew Carey’s brief Comedy Tour in Iraq. It offers a unique look into the workings of a whirlwind USO tour and the discomforts and sacrifices the USO acts make to bring a laugh or two to troops who are in sore need of some comedic relief. There is very little of the actual stand up comedy routines in this documentary (and most of it is laced very liberally with the “F” word) but if you rent this, make sure to listen close to Andres Fernandez’ routine on parenting, it had me in stitches! The scenery footage is amazing but the best scenes are when Ross engages and converses with the troops one to one, on camera. Look for the interaction with Jim Nabor’s (Gomer Pyle) grandson! The worst part of this documentary, as Ross talks to these individuals on camera and you get to know them, is wondering and hoping that the soldier he is talking to made it out alive. Make sure you sit through the credits to see messages for home from some of the soldiers. DVD Extras are also worth a peek.

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Submitted by: Brandy 9/12/06

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)

Netflix Synopsis: Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt) continue to juggle the demands of an extra-large brood in this sequel that has the family meeting its nemesis in the form of the equally gigantic Murtaugh clan. Led by an overly competitive patriarch (Eugene Levy) and his sexy new wife (Carmen Electra), the Murtaughs are hell-bent on wrecking the Bakers’ idyllic lake vacation in this supersized comedy co-starring Hillary Duff and Piper Perabo.

Review: Cute movie, nice/sweet ending. Steve Martin & Bonnie Hunt are charming. Nice family entertainment for an evening.

Submitted by: Mel 9/10/06