Sam’s Place

Flight of the Conchords: Season 1 (2007)

Sam: ****

• I could see why someone wouldn’t like this — it’s goofy — but I like it, especially the ’80s-style MTV videos.

Emma: *****

• Funny & I like the music.

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The Good Night (2007)

Sam: ***

• Martin Freeman was very good in The Office (UK), & I like Gwyneth Paltrow sometimes, but this movie (directed by Gwyneth’s brother) — about a depressed guy with a depressed girlfriend & a jerky best friend — is depressing & aimless.

Emma: ***

• It started off promisingly, & was unpredictable, but petered out at the end.

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My Boy Jack (2007)

Sam: **

• This is the story of how Rudyard Kipling lobbied for Britain to fight Germany in the run-up to W.W.I, & encouraged his son (played by that Harry Potter kid) fight, & then suffered. I didn’t really get swept up the story but, somehow, also was upset by it. A bad combination.

Emma: ****

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Priceless (Hors de prix) (2008)

Sam: ***

• Pretty cheerful for a French movie. A lot of time is spent showing the lush life of high priced French quasi-prostitution. Turns out there are downsides.

Emma: ****

• Lighthearted & silly fun.

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Rocket Science (2007)

Sam: **

• Stuttering, bow ties, a banjo, New Jersey…. There’s good quirky (see Conchords, above) & irritating quirky trying too hard to be clever. This is the latter.

Emma: **

• This movie went on forever & the affected stuttering became more and more annoying.

Dan in Real Life (2007)

Emma: **

• Predictable Hollywood crap. I like Juliette Binoche, & Steve Carell sometimes, but they didn’t have much to work with here.

Sam: **

• Didn’t Juliette Binoche use to be in real movies?