Sam’s Place

Son of Rambow (2007)

Sam: ***

• Children in early-’80s England remake Rambo. Seems like something I’d like, especially since the acting wasn’t bad & the cinematography was fairly creative, but actually I didn’t like it much. It was too fanciful, so my suspension of disbelief didn’t kick in.

Emma: ***

• I liked the ’80s soundtrack but overall didn’t care for the movie.

The Nanny Diaries (2007)

Sam: **

• This movie is predictable, uninspiringly acted (which, for Scarlett Johansson is a little better than usual), and unfunny when trying to be funny. I really felt the mush fatherhood has made of my brain when the child neglect depicted upset me.

Emma: ***

• An OK movie… Uh, if you’re a sappy parent who likes Hollywood crap.

Strange Wilderness (2008)

Sam: ***

• A comedy in which stoners try to save their wildlife TV show by filming bigfoot. Obviously this wasn’t going to be a “good” movie. If you take into account that it was made for the stoned viewer, it could’ve been worse.  

Emma: ***

• It had a few funny moments.

The Bank Job (2008)

Sam: ****

• London’s East End, the ’70s, police corruption, risqué royals.

Emma: ***

• OK as a movie, but fascinating that it’s a based-on-fact story. Also, Jason Statham — hoo hoo!

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Over Her Dead Body (2008)

Sam: ****

• A romantic comedy about a haunting wife (or ex-wife, I guess). If you put all the Hollywood movies with mysticism in one place there would be enough material to start a religion. Funny lead actors, not-bad writing, and low expectations all help make this pretty good if you’re in the mood for this sort of thing.

Emma: ***

• Predictable but saved by the funniness of the two lead actresses, Lake Bell and Eva Longoria.

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Brideshead Revisted (2008)

Emma: ***

• I had high hopes that this would be radically different than the 1981 version. After a promising first half hour, though, Matthew Goode settles into a Jeremy Irons imitation, Michael Gambon (as Sebastian Flyte) irritates, and Emma Thompson appears too infrequently to make much difference.

Sam: ***

• Too full of cinematic clichés.

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A Room with a View (2007)

Emma: ***

• Elaine Cassidy, as Lucy Honeychurch, is one of the few good things in this movie, but her chemistry with the acting-challenged Timothy Spall is lacking.

Sam: **

• American actors shouldn’t play Brits. In this case Elizabeth McGovern can’t seem to act while speaking English English.

Trafic (1972)

Sam: ***

• Funny man/auteur Jacques Tati was unique & did some things really well but some of these jokes don’t work (the nose-picking scene, for example).

Emma: ****

• Good but slow & somewhat dated.