Musical Movie Review: ***^ Music and Lyrics (2007)

 Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant and Haley Bennet take on the musical genre.  Drew Barrymore plays Sophie Fisher, the house made who has a knack for poetry and lyrics.  She works for Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) who is a has-been musician doing the state fair circuit.  But even that is falling apart.  However he has a life line, Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) who is currently hot, wants him to write a song titled, "Way Back Into Love."  And of course it turns into a love story with Fisher and Fletcher falling for each other.  Some disagreement over artistic interpretation gets in the way, but resolves itself in the end.

I liked the music, and the partnership, and the feel good love story in the end.

Warning: Cora wears scanty clothing and uses sexual innuendo in her songs.

Movie Review: ****^Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

 Since Covid it seems the quality of movies has gone down.  Fortunately this movie is on exception.  It has fun characters and a good story.  It even has a fat dragon.  Edgin (Chris Pine) our thief/planner and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) the muscle have been betrayed by by a former team member, Forge (Hugh Grant) who has been influenced by a red wizard, Sofina (Daisy Head) who helped Forge become a ruler, and  wealthy.  The red wizard's goal is to take over the population with a half dead curse and create an army to rule.  Forge has fostered Edgin's daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman), and has manipulated her with lies.  Edgin seeks a talisman which will bring his dead wife back to life.  He engages the help of a wizard, Simon (Justice Smith) who lacks confidence and consequently is not a very good wizard. and a druid, Doric (Sophia Lillis).  She is able to transform from creature to creature.  The talisman is in Forge's safe.  This is protected with many spells.  The only way in is with a helmet which cancels all spells.  Xenk (Regé-Jean Page) who is a Harper (sworn to peace) and reminds Edgin he is a Harper as well.  

The conclusion of this movie is very fun.  It ends much differently than you would expect.  Suffice it to say that Edgin gets his daughter back, but they are still poor.  

Movie Review: Sense and Sensibility ****^(1995) ***(2008)

This of course is based on a Jane Austen book.  Last night I had an enjoyable time watching the Columbia pictures Sense and Sensibility (1995) via instant Netflix.  This last week I also watched the newer Masterpiece Theater version (2009) from home delivery Netflix.  Miranda pointed out that the original version has five actors from the Harry Potter movies--Snape, Professor Trelawney, Madame Pomfrey, Dolores Umbridge and Cornelius Fudge.  On the other hand the new version only has Mr. Weasley.  On that score alone, I recommend the 1995 version.  The characters are fun, and the acting is superb.  The new version, although entertaining, just lacks the same character.  It tries to add sensuality, especially in the first scene, but it really doesn't fit.

So for the 1995 version, which had me in stitches.  Remember, this movie was made at the start of many of these careers.  Turns out Dolores Umbridge is married to Dr. House, who has the attitude you would expect Dr. House to have.  His sarcasm and wit is just as biting as in his future work.  I found it pleasing that Dolores was getting her pay back, after all she put Harry through.  It was fun to view this way.  In addition, Professor Trelawney loves Hugh Grant, And Snape loves Kate Winslett.  What could be funner than that?  The highlight of this movie is when Elinor (Emma Thompson) discovers that Edward (Hugh Grant) is not married.  She breaks into tears in front of  him.  It is a moving scene, and the humor of her collapse adds to it greatly.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.   This moving kept me entertained from start to finish.   Mrs. Jennings and Sir John do an excellent job of teasing and needling the girls, and they make the movie fun while not taking itself too seriously.

So I heartily recommend the 1995 version, and don't recommend quite so much the 2009 version.

Movie Review: **^Did You Hear What Happenned to the Morgans?

The movie is (2009) starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker.  The critics did not like this movie.  It is about two socialite New Yorkers being placed in Western Wyoming in a witness protection plan.  They are placed with two rural down-to-earth types, the Wheelers, played by Sam Elliott and Mary Steenburgen.  This is the classic fish out of water type story with a marriage relationship problem on top of that.  It is being with this two people, that helps the Morgans put their own relationship back together.  I enjoyed this movie.  The characters were a bit stereotypical, but I didn't care.  It was fun all the same.