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B0001AVZA8 Something's Gotta Give DVD Jack Nicholson Diane Keaton Frances McDormand Keanu Reeves Amanda Peet Nancy Meyers 12 December, 2003 30 March, 2004 Columbia Tri-Star http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001AVZA8.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001AVZA8.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001AVZA8.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $28.95 $18.82 $6.99 $12.87 $11.49 15 1H3LR1X5IPRMT 1EJ0E0H5AVL9J 1CSCADQYYQ94R Feature Film-comedy DVD 1 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Dolby PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Usually ships within 24 hours 043396013025 As upscale sitcoms go, Something's Gotta Give has more to offer than most romantic comedies. Obviously working through some semi-autobiographical issues regarding "women of a certain age," writer-director Nancy Meyers brings adequate credibility and above-average intelligence to what is essentially (but not exclusively) a fantasy premise, in which an aging lothario who's always dated younger women (Jack Nicholson, more or less playing himself) falls for a successful middle-aged playwright (Diane Keaton) who's convinced she's past the age of romance, much less sexual re-awakening. As long as old pals Nicholson and Keaton are on screen discussing their dilemma or discovering their mutual desire, Something's Gotta Give is terrific, proving (in case anyone had forgotten) that Hollywood can and should aim for an older demographic. Myers falls short with the sitcom device of a younger lover (Keanu Reeves) who wants Keaton as much as Nicholson does; it's believable but shallow and too easily dismissed. Myers also skimps on supporting roles for Frances McDormand, Amanda Peet, and Jon Favreau, but thankfully this is one romantic comedy that doesn't pander to youth. Mature viewers, rejoice! --Jeff Shannon 3.64 188 5

Keaton Shines in Great Comedy!

Something's Gotta Give is one of the year's best films and best comedies as it teams up Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, who seemed to love every minute they shared onscreen. Nicholson plays a man who only dates girls under 30 and is shocked to find he can fall in love with a woman his own age, played by Diane Keaton, who has never looked better. She gives her best performance since she won an Oscar for Annie Hall and should be on her way to another as a very career sucessful woman who has no confidence with men. It is great to see her reaction to both Nicholson's and Keanu Reeves' character. Nicholson and Keaton light up the screen with every scene they are in and Amanada Peet and Reeves do very well in their supporting role, as does the underused Frances McDormand as Keaton's sister. Nancy Meyers, who had a huge hit with What Women Want, does a much better job here and makes for a great adult romantic comedy featuring actors over 50. A great film that will be remembered. 3

Funny Romantic Comedy that Went On Too Long...

This romantic comedy with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton had its moments. It made me laugh out loud a few times which is wonderful, but the movie could have ended in about 5 different places. It went on so long that I was tempted to shut it off, which is a shame because the acting was tremendous. 3

great beginning -- sugary ending

This movie starts out with a bang. Jack is basically being Jack at his devilish best for the first 15 minutes. Then, as he goes through heart attack and a subsequent self-discovery, the film slowly looses its steam and the syropy ending had me all upset. Keaton is too, really good for about 2/3 of the film and then has this weird "breakdown" with boo-hooing that simply gets annoying. Keanu Reeves plays a young doctor who falls for a much (!) older Keaton. Okay, surfer dude, there's something wrong with you when you see Amanda Peet and go after her mom. The settings are overly "yappie" with that enormous house on the beach and not a single "middle-income" person in sight. Overall, it's a strange mixture of dark humor and sentimentality with a very disappointing ending. B00005JMJ4 B0001ADAVK B00005JMFQ B0000VD02Y B00005JM5E

0780621611 Don Juan DeMarco DVD Marlon Brando Johnny Depp Jeremy Leven 07 April, 1995 03 February, 2004 New Line Home Entertainment http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0780621611.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0780621611.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0780621611.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $9.97 $9.97 $4.00 $8.99 $3.50 222 24TA12DSJ1BJN UGHZAXF1ZBF0 24UCA3S0K7BLI Feature Film-comedy DVD 1 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Dolby PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Usually ships within 24 hours 794043463624 You might not get a thrill from the sight of Faye Dunaway and Marlon Brando throwing popcorn into each other's mouths, but that didn't stop this movie from gaining a new lease on life thanks to cable television and home video. It's a quirky romantic comedy about a mental patient (Johnny Depp) who claims to be Don Juan, the world's greatest lover, and he gets quite a few women to believe it's true. Brando plays the psychiatrist who tries to analyze his patient's apparent delusion, and Dunaway plays Brando's wife, who wants to inject some Don Juan-ish romance into their marital routine. Walking a fine line between precious comedy, wistful drama, and delicate fantasy, the movie gets a big dose of charm from its esteemed cast, with Depp delivering dialogue that would have sounded ludicrous from a lesser actor. This may not be a great movie, but it is guaranteed to put you in an amorous mood. --Jeff Shannon 4.46 70 5

I Love This Movie

This is a great movie and is quite romantic. While everyone in the cast does a good job it is Johnny Depp who once again steals the movie from everyone. He is an amazing actor although highly underrated I think. His characterization of Don Juan (the world's greatest lover) is great. He is very good at adapting accents into his characters and this one is no exception. You would think that two legendary stars like Marlon Brando and Faye Dunaway who have had very successful careers for more than three decades would steal scenes from Johnny Depp but it is him who ends stealing scenes from the two of them. This film is very good and I enjoyed it very much, it is one of my favorites. It's a simple movie with a simple plot. There are no twists and turns and no surprises. It is a real feel good movie and as I said everyone does a good job but is Johnny Depp who's excellent performance dominates this movie from beginning to end. It is a very nice little movie that everyone who's a bit of dreamer will enjoy and if even you're not a dreamer, lighten up you can always take things (especially life too seriously). You will really enjoy this movie and I think everyone who still believes in romance should see it. You will love it, great movie and great actors what more can you ask for in a movie. 3

Diverting if not filling.

DON JUAN DEMARCO makes for a 90-plus minutes worth of taking your mind off your hard day at the office. Just don't mistake it for a masterwork.It's fun to see Marlon Brando playing against type as a rumpled state psychiatrist intrigued by his new patient who claims to be the world's greatest lover and, judging by all of the women who long to be with him, seems to be able to back up that claim. Johnny Depp also is great fun to watch, as he suavely inhabits the role of the Don. And Faye Dunaway has a funny grace as Brando's wife, alternately bemused and charmed by her husband as he goes about bringing the romance back to their 32-year marriage. But the major problem with this film is that, good as they are individually, Brando and Depp don't really have the chemistry between them when they're onscreen together. You never get any sense of why the crusty Brando is so taken with Depp's Don, and that feels like a loose cog in what would otherwise have been a satisfying film. Brando and Dunaway, however, DO have that spark, and their onscreen pairing works quite well. And Depp DeMarco is so engaging on his own that he carries the viewer through any missteps.So, a nice, charming little film that didn't set the world on fire when it was released initially but still makes for a nice low-key evening's entertainment, as long as you're in a forgiving mood. 5

A great story with great main characters

"Don Juan DeMarco" is an entertaining, feel-good love/drama/comedy/fantasy movie. The story is interesting throughout and the acting is very good. Johnny Depp does a superb job at portraying mental patient Johnny DeMarco who thinks he's the legendary/literary Don Juan. Johnny Depp's talent for playing "outsider"-type characters delivers here as it does in "Benny & Joon" and "Edward Scissorhands." Through the use of present-day action combined with Johnny's flashbacks, albeit delusions, the story grabs your attention and sustains it through the end of the tale. Johnny's character's profound impact on the life of his doctor, played by Brando, is heart-warming. The ending is particularly good also. B000053VAZ B00005Q79A B00005R87R B00005K3OT 0792164903

B0000VD02Y Under the Tuscan Sun (Widescreen Edition) DVD Diane Lane Sandra Oh Raoul Bova Audrey Wells 26 September, 2003 03 February, 2004 Buena Vista Home Vid http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000VD02Y.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000VD02Y.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000VD02Y.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $29.99 $20.99 $11.99 $19.99 $15.75 29 3V91A4LJFQAPF 19RVQ1X4R9200 1Y8Y5Z6PVO6K0 Feature Film-drama DVD 1 Color Widescreen PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Usually ships within 24 hours 786936238679 Though she made her first movie at the age of 13, Diane Lane has only blossomed into a true star in her 30s, and Under the Tuscan Sun marks her full flowering. After a brutal divorce, Frances (Lane, Unfaithful, A Walk on the Moon) is persuaded by her friend Patti (Sandra Oh) to take a tour of Italy--where, on a whim that she hopes will rescue her from her desperate unhappiness, she buys a rundown villa and sets out to renovate it. Along the way, she gets advice from a former Fellini actress, meets a scrumptious Italian lover, and helps support Patti after her own relationship derails. The conclusion of Under the Tuscan Sun holds no surprises, but the deft turns and observations along the way are delightful. Lane carries the film effortlessly but surely, exuding both heartbreak and re-awakening passion. --Bret Fetzer 3.71 236 1

WANT TO TORTURE YOUR FRIENDS?????

Purchase this DVD and give it to them. This is a stinker from the Disney corporation. DIANE LANE is a great actress but even she is unable to salvage the lame screenplay from staying afloat! Stay away from this horrible long dull film! 1

Simply awful

I can't believe anyone would write a positive view of this movie. I hope that Frances Mayes took the money and ran, because in this chick flick to end all chick flicks she's portrayed as almost a total bimbo, whereas she was actually running a department at a university.The problem is that the producer took very small parts of books on renovating a house in Tuscany, and added a totally unrelated focus on love. People love at every corner, and our heroine, who in both books spent almost all her time with her boyfriend, is bouncing uncontrollably around all the foreigners, all of whom might have an affair with her even though they're married.The chick-flickyedness of the movie goes over the top, with the producer not willing to give up the slightest cliché. You want kittens? We have kittens! You want babies? We have babies! You want handsome men who will have an affair with you, even though they've just met you? Got them too! Too bad none of the books had this. That also goes for the Italian public servant, who is a ravishing blonde who used to be a Fellini starlet, and the boy-toy polish worker who is sleeping with his girlfriend in Mayes' bed.Just when you think it can't get any worse, the asian friend of Mayes (another producer invention) shows up after you were glad she'd been left in the USA, and proceeds to give an even more leaden performance than at the beginning of the movie. However, this gives Diane Lane the chance to make meaningful but meaningless facial expressions (check out Lane's look when Sandra Ho is dancing, holding her baby).I think that if you find this movie fascinating reading either of the books will be an intellectual challenge. 5

UPLIFTING AND REAL...

Wassup who said that this movie was boring, stupid, this movie is great and has a lot of material that is real and shows how can you get up after a very berrie hurtful relationship. This lady of course is betrayed by her husbandm, she wnet for vaction in Italy, was capture by the beauty of Toscana and then she stays there finds love, lost it, and then find it again with an average american guy, so there you have it, a great movie with a great message, and by noway boring!, this is good. B00005JMJ4 B0001AVZA8 B00005JM5E B00005JMET B0001ADAVK

B00006JDVX The Importance of Being Earnest DVD Rupert Everett Colin Firth Oliver Parker 01 January, 2002 12 November, 2002 Buena Vista Home Vid http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006JDVX.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006JDVX.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006JDVX.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $29.99 $26.99 $14.18 $16.99 $14.81 1,782 AUXIEWMQKPAK 2UPY5I2B66K3Y 1NZ7GE3OJEC3Y Feature Film-comedy DVD 1 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Dolby PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Usually ships within 24 hours 786936199291 Splendidly adapted from the wittiest play in the English language, The Importance of Being Earnest stars Colin Firth as an English gentleman who pretends to be his own brother, named Ernest, so he can enjoy himself in the city without besmirching his reputation at his country estate. Unfortunately, he's just fallen in love with a young woman (Frances O'Connor) who insists that she can only marry a man named Ernest--and when Firth's best friend (Rupert Everett) goes to Firth's country estate pretending to be this same brother Ernest, he falls in love with Firth's ward (Reese Witherspoon), who similarly feels that Ernest is the perfect name for a husband... The absurdity of the plot is matched by the exquisite cleverness of the dialogue, and the performances--particularly Dame Judi Dench as Everett's fearsome aunt--are excellent. --Bret Fetzer 3.68 95 5

Excellent Film Version of Oscar Wilde's Funniest Work

I consider THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST to be the funniest play in the English language, and the greatest comedy in the language not written by William Shakespeare. The play contains one hysterical line after another, and one brilliant comic situation after another. For anyone who has not seen or read the play, this movie version will be a very excellent introduction to it.The cast is superb, and could hardly have been improved upon among today's actors and actresses. Colin Firth is a natural to play Jack Worthing AKA Ernest, and Rupert Everett is utterly perfect as Algernon. Frances O'Connor, upon whom I must confess I have a gigantic crush, plays Gwendolyn, and Reese Witherspoon does a superb job portraying a young Englishwoman. Judi Dench hands in yet another strong performance as Lady Bracknell. The performances of all of these performers are completely satisfying.Nevertheless, the movie fails to be the definitive film version of Wilde's play. There are two reasons for this. The first is the presence of an earlier, stronger film. The second is a series of bad decisions made in the making of this film. Taking the second point first, this new film makes a number of embellishments and alterations in the Wilde play, most of which are not very successful and are more than a little distracting. For instance, much of the first scene of the play is relocated in a number of locations, including a brothel, instead of Algernon's lodgings. Instead of arriving at Jack Worthing's country estate by rail, Algernon arrives by hot air balloon (!) and Gwendolyn arrives by motorcar. There are a number of scenes in which Cecily imagines knights and nymphs that are quite grating. And, worst of all, Gwendolyn has "Ernest" tattooed on her buttocks, a rather absurd addition. None of these make the movie more enjoyable, and primarily serve as distractions. There are also several scenes with creditors chasing Algernon, attempting to collect debts. All could have been deleted and we would have been left with a stronger and more interesting movie.The first mentioned obstacle to this becoming the definitive screen version is the 1952 film directed by Anthony Asquith. As good as the current cast is, the prior cast was, with only one exception, much stronger. Michael Redgrave was, I have to admit, a much better Jack Worthing than Colin Firth. And while I adore Frances O'Connor, Joan Greenwood was probably the best Gwendolyn one could possibly imagine. Anyone doubting this should do a line-by-line comparison between the two performances. Take just one line, when Gwendolyn says, "I have the gravest doubts upon the subject. But I intend to crush them." O'Connor delivers the line excellently, but Greenwood, with her magnificent, deep, rich, plummy voice stretches the line out magnificently, caressing every syllable. Rupert Everett surpasses the performance of Michael Dennison as Algernon, and Reese Witherspoon comes close to matching Dorothy Tutin as Cecily, but not even the great Judi Dench can come close to Dame Edith Evans extraordinary performance as Lady Bracknell. The 1952 version also featured the inimitable and unforgettable Margaret Rutherford as Miss Prism and Miles Malleson as Rev. Chasuble. The one way in which the newer film surpasses the earlier film is in making the entire affair feel more like a film than a filmed play. As fine as the Redgrave-Greenwood version was, it was pretty much a straight filming of the play, with very little in the way of deviation or departure. The new film makes considerable effort to be more dynamic visually and to break up the scenes so that it isn't transparently Act One and Act Two and so forth.I heartily recommend this new version of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, but I would also very strongly urge any lover of the play or this new film to seek out the earlier film. It may be more stagy and static, but the performances make it the definitive film version of this great play. 3

THIS IS AN ODDLY INCONSISTENT FILM,

not that it isn't enjoyable to watch, but its weaknesses are glaring. The main fault has to lie with the director, who didn't keep a tight rein on the story line, tried to introduce modern day stream of consciousness scenes which didn't seem to belong with a plot of Wilde's at all, and who chose America's new sweetheart, Reese Witherspoon, to play the major role of an English proper schoolgirl. Perhaps she does some fine work in this country (I've never seen any of it), but the only word to describe her work in this film is "abominable," and she really pulls the movie down watching her amateurish high school-like performance while acting with some great, great pros like Dame Judi Dench and Colin Firth (and they alone must be given credit for holding this movie afloat). I like Rupert Everett, but he seems miscast in this film as well, being a little too droopy and flaccid for the character he plays, and his instantaneous falling in love with Firth's ward, Witherspoon, is not at all believable. Perhaps he is playing the character as if he smells money when he is in desperate financial circumstances.The plot in short: Firth is in love with a lady played by Frances O'Connor (adequately), Everett falls in love (maybe) with Witherspoon. Both ladies believe these men are named Earnest because of the subterfuge of the men, and both women adulate that name. When they find out their true names, their passions hang in the air while the women try to figure things out, and Dame Judi Dench tries to throw a monkey wrench in all their plans.The great characteristic of Oscar Wilde's plays is his fabulous wit. In this film, all of his so original witicisms have been expunged.Try the earlier film version (I believe it was with Michael Redgrave). It may not be as flashy, but it better captures the true, inimitable Oscar Wilde. 1

Painful

I love most of the actors in this movie, but after watching it I started to question my feelings.I don't think anyone who made this film truly understood the play. If they had it might have been more amusing, because the play is one of the best pieces of satirical literature ever written.A shame, really. Go read the book. 6305692696 B00005MP58 6305692610 B000069I02 0800141660

B0001NBMAS Desk Set DVD Spencer Tracy Katharine Hepburn Walter Lang 01 May, 1957 04 May, 2004 Fox Home Entertainme http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001NBMAS.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001NBMAS.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0001NBMAS.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $14.98 $11.24 $10.33 $10.99 $9.09 80 2JUTUADWIVMNA 2H3Q7OUO4Q9AT 3U6C13OJ7HGB7 Feature Film-comedy DVD 1 Color Widescreen NR (Not Rated) Usually ships within 6 to 10 days 024543115649 One of the later Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn matchups, this time pitting efficiency expert--sorry, that's "methods engineer"--Richard Sumner (Tracy) against TV-network research whiz Bunny Watson (Hepburn) over adding a new-fangled computer--again, sorry, that's "electronic brain"--to her department, thereby threatening her and her colleagues' livelihoods. Gig Young appears as Bunny's beau, an ambitious network executive who strings her along and becomes apoplectic at the idea that she doesn't need him. But as always, it's Hepburn and Tracy's bickering-flirting that makes this such a winning enterprise--a lunch date that turns into an interrogation and their sly repartee during a Christmas party are a couple of the movie's hilarious highlights. Interestingly, what starts out as something of a technophobic exercise--Hepburn fears for her job, and a computer goes haywire--takes an abrupt turn (perhaps the IBM product placement had something to do with that). Briskly scripted by Henry and Phoebe Ephron (Nora and Delia's parents) from a play by William Marchant. --David Kronke 4.56 34 5

A genial, gentle soap bubble of a movie.

There are many cinematic moments I cherish, but one of my favorites has to be Katharine Hepburn murdering "Night and Day" to Spencer Tracy's bongo accompaniment in "Desk Set." The movie--about the love and war between computer expert Tracy and TV-network fact-checker Hepburn when she fears Tracy is trying to replace her department with a massive 1950s electronic brain--is the purest froth. But it never puts a foot wrong, and retains the same inspired level of delicate amusement throughout its running length--no easy achievement with farce. (The movie's "electronic brain" is in itself a hoot to behold for audiences in 2002!) In a way, "Desk Set" is an inversion of James Thurber's great comic story "The Catbird Seat," with the man instead of the woman as the efficiency expert and with love triumphing in the end (the latter a most un-Thurberish development). It's redundant by now to praise Tracy and Hepburn, the smoothest old pros in cinematic history; suffice it to say that the superb supporting cast--including Gig Young, Joan Blondell, Dina Merrill, and the nameless old lady who dithers wordlessly through the action--is a match for them. 5

"... you're wearing one brown sock and one black sock."

Directed by Walter Lang (1896-1972) and based upon a play written originally by William Marchant (1923-1995), the 1957 comedy "Desk Set", starring the legendary duo of Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) and Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003), is a charming and hilarious film. Its story revolves around the lives of people working for a large corporation that is starting to modernize with 1950's computer technology. Spencer Tracy plays the seemingly unsociable Richard Sumner, who is a "methodology engineer" (computer specialist) that is hired by the company's president, Mr. Azae (Nicholas Joy), to install computers in several departments. Katherine Hepburn plays the very sociable Bunny Watson, who is in charge of the company's research & records department and has a photographic memory. She has three assistants working for her: Peg Costello (Joan Blondell, 1906-1979), Sylvia Blair (Dina Merrill) and the aspiring Ruthie Saylor (Sue Randall, 1935-1984). For seven years, Bunny has dated a company employee, Mike Cutler (Gig Young, 1913-1978), who is very interested in moving up the corporate ladder. When word gets out that one of the departments that Richard Sumner will be modernizing is Bunny's records & research department, Bunny and her staff fear the worst; but Bunny's relationship with Richard becomes quite interesting.Other memorable characters in the film include the old lady (Ida Moore, 1882-1964), Richard Sumner's assistant Miss Warriner (Neva Patterson) and Smithers from the legal department (Harry Ellerbe, 1901-1992). Memorable scenes in the film include the rooftop conversation, the Christmas party, the rainstorm, Bunny's apartment, and the scenes with the computer. Overall, I rate "Desk Set" with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend the film to everyone. I am so glad to see this wonderful film being released on widescreen DVD! 5

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!!

I've been waiting for this DVD forever because I love this movie but can't stand the pan-and-scan version. I just saw this mentioned on Turner Classic Movies, cried out "Yes! Yes!" and immediately came to Amazon to see if they have it. I am so glad they do! And in honor of this great movie finally being released in all of it's widescreen glory, I am cut and pasting my review for the video version here below:"Like Floating Island...Delicious!" The smart dialogue, the gorgeous fashion, the way you want to kick Gig Young in the teeth...I wish more modern comedy could be this clever. (My two favorite scenes are the rooftop lunch quiz and the rainy evening misunderstanding. As usual you never think Tracy is acting, he's so real. And Hepburn's Miss Watson (her name a inside-joke nod to the founder of IBM -Thomas J. Watson) is a character you root for to blow off egotistical beau Mike. Another bonus is the Sumners snooty EMIRAC assistant, Miss Warringer-whose come-uppance couldn't be better. I want a brown coat like Bunny's! Thank goodness this is finally out on DVD and WIDESCREEN! It's completely enjoyable now without the distractions of pan and scan!Tracy and Hepburn Forever! B00004TJOD B00004TJOE B00004TX2B B00005JKGZ B00004RF97

B000035Z1Z French Kiss DVD Meg Ryan Kevin Kline Lawrence Kasdan 05 May, 1995 18 January, 2000 Twentieth Century Fox http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000035Z1Z.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000035Z1Z.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000035Z1Z.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $19.98 $17.98 $10.30 $12.74 $9.39 2,406 3RBWSKEUX885F 2D8ACIUIKLQGA TOK31K33BZ83 Feature Film-drama DVD 1 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Dolby PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Usually ships within 24 hours 024543000044 Meg Ryan emerges bloodied but unbowed from this botched comedy by Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill). Ryan plays a woman whose fiancé (Timothy Hutton) leaves her for a Parisian beauty. She jets over to the City of Lights to fight for her man, but an incapacitating fear of flying forces her to seek help from a fellow passenger, a French thief played by Kevin Kline, who then tutors her in the ways of getting her beau back. Kasdan seems incapable of pacing the story, let alone getting a firm grip on its comic tone and intentions. The production sputters and regroups and stalls repeatedly, forcing Ryan, particularly, to find the boundaries of her own screwball performance. --Tom Keogh 4.61 107 5

Romace is alive and well in Paris

Meg Ryan as a the faithful American fiancee to a filandering Canadian Timothy Hutton. Hutton flies to France (on business, of course), but soon falls in love with a native woman and dumps Ryan, who has already applied for Canadian citizenship out of love for him. To save her relationship with Hutton, Ryan rushes to see about things in France. On the plane she is seated next to small time French crook Kevin Kline, who plants a stolen diamond necklace on unsuspecting Ryan to avert customs officials. There are several small roles played by actors who are popular in Europe, but not known to American audiences. The story twists and turns, but in the end leaves the viewer completely satisfied. Kline even gets to sing the original French version of Bobby Darin's "Beyond The Sea". This film is a delight!***** 5

Excellent!

This is a really good movie.Meg Ryan is hilarious as usual and she and Kevin Kline make almost as good a duo as she and Tom Hanks.I'm not going to give the plot away, but if you've been jilted by a boyfriend, fiancee or lover for someone else and need some humor in your life ( or ideas for revenge.. ) , then this movie is for you.Even if you've never been dumped for a "God-dess" ( a term from the movie ), watching Kate ( Ryan ) try to win Charlie, her fiance, back with the help of Luc ( Kline) will crack you up.Kate and Luc's mutual dislike for each other is the foundation for many hilarious scenes.. especially the " all men are bastards " scene.It will keep your attention and keep you laughing the entire time. The plot isn't too silly, too cheesy, too mushy or too unusual..Simply put, this is a movie that you can watch with almost anyone! We own it and have 2 copies because one is already worn out! 5

It's been awhile since I've seen it but...

From what I recall it deserves a five star rating. I watched this in French class and I remember thinking oh boy another sucktastic school movie and was pleasently suprised. At first I doodled, but you can't help but be pulled into the story and the delightful Meg Ryan. I soon was completely involved with storyline and loved every minute of it, and I for once didn't even mind the pretictable ending.A movie that is worth renting, watching, and then purchasing. Enjoy. 6305368171 6304765266 B0000AOV4I B00003CXDC 0790732947

B0000640VO Amelie DVD Audrey Tautou Mathieu Kassovitz Jean-Pierre Jeunet 01 January, 2001 December, 2002 Miramax Home Entertainment http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000640VO.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000640VO.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000640VO.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $19.99 $14.99 $14.15 $16.99 $14.68 180 1ELTBNUMXK8QD 1P4XJY2ENXKTI 2O6JN7MBIREGW Foreign Film - French DVD 2 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen R (Restricted) Usually ships within 24 hours 786936180893 Perhaps the most charming movie of all time, Amélie is certainly one of the top 10. The title character (the bashful and impish Audrey Tautou) is a single waitress who decides to help other lonely people fix their lives. Her widowed father yearns to travel but won't, so to inspire the old man she sends his garden gnome on a tour of the world; with whispered gossip, she brings together two cranky regulars at her café; she reverses the doorknobs and reprograms the speed dial of a grocer who's mean to his assistant. Gradually she realizes her own life needs fixing, and a chance meeting leads to her most elaborate stratagem of all. This is a deeply wonderful movie, an illuminating mix of magic and pragmatism. Fans of the director's previous films (Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children) will not be disappointed; newcomers will be delighted. --Bret Fetzer 4.61 796 5

Charming, clever - a delight!

This quirky film won me over from its first moments showing the childhood of Amelie, an imaginative girl born of emotionally stunted parents. From her suicidal goldfish to her belief that her camera causes accidents to her sullen (and hilarious) revenge against her father, Amelie's childhood perfectly describes the rest of the film: both poignantly real and humorously surreal. As an adult, Amelie (Audrey Tautou) retains her impish nature while living in a circumscribed world. She works as a waitress in a café, lives alone in her Parisian flat, and spies on her neighbors. When she discovers by accident a small box hidden behind the tile of her bathroom, Amelie sets out to return it to its rightful owner. Because of the effect this return has, Amelie sets out to do good deeds aimed to change the lives of other people, ignoring the reality that her own life is desperately in need of love.The plot by itself cannot adequately define this film. The wry voiceovers create a tone of humorous levity, and the cast of off-beat characters lend the feel of a small circus. Warmth and charm and wit abound. The remarkable performance of Audrey Tautou - honest and nuanced - brings the entire film into focus.I waited far too long to see this film. I highly recommend it for a wide audience, from foreign film buffs to romantic comedy devotees to those looking for a funny, upbeat film to liven up the evening. 5

Beautiful Film

Although MAYBE a little too mature for me, I loved Amélie. There were 2-4 nude scenes, but besides that, I loved it.Somehow I find it more difficult to comment on movies I liked. Perhaps this is because praise is harder to put into words than complaints, and merit is often less tangible."Amelie" is a movie I would highly recommend. I know, I know: it's already been labeled an international hit, but this is one of those rare occasions when a movie deserves the praise it has been showered with.It's fresh, original, beautifully shot, and features a memorable score that helps create its very special atmosphere. It leaves you with a wonderful feeling, like "an orange-coloured day", when nature is in bloom and harmony, inviting you to the celebration of life. It endows your memory with a picture album of those colourful, dynamic, artistic, often poetic sequences of which it is composed."Amelie" is not a simple fairytale, as some might think. There's a bit of everything in it: romance, mystery, philosophy, brilliant humour and whimsy. It touches upon many issues, but never "in your face". Obviously, it wasn't meant to mirror reality, so don't try to find flaws here. And I wouldn't encourage viewers to question some of Amelie's actions from the moral standpoint. Doing so would be taking the film too seriously, instead of just enjoying its mischievous twinkle.The plot is well-woven and a pleasure to follow. I've seen the movie several times, and it hasn't yet lost any of its charm. It isn't perfect, at times overly sentimental, but I would generously give it 9/10, for all of the above and for making my day. :) 5

A breath of Fresh Air

I am 23 years old, and admittedly quite jaded with life, society, and just about everything about the good ole Earth. I got wind of this movie over New Years, and have since watched it several times, always with different people. Not one has been disappointed, so I believe that Amelie is truly a movie that appeals to everyone. For those of you that can't get past subtitles, you probably went and saw the Passion, so you should check this out too. This will contrast that so wonderfully, and probably fill you with a new zest for life. The premise: Amelie is a single waitress that decides to pass on living for herself, and makes an attempt to affect the lives of everyone around her. You might find her meddlesome, but it is never contrived, and normally to a person's benefit. That is until she meets Nino, a pornshop clerk, who has a weird habit of collecting torn photographs from beneath photo booths, and reforming them in albums (I realize that sentence has horrid grammar, but I'm typing faster than I think). This romance is what got me. IF there is something so innocent and pure as the chase depicted here, then perhaps humanity is not all bad. At first, it might seem a tad obsessive, but when placed within the quirkiness and oddities of the characters within the movie, it seems completely normal. I took many things from this movie. Aside from some profound discussion with my friends after seeing it, I got a newfound desire to actually give people a chance. In addition, I also got a rather insatiable appetite for Audrey Tautou, whose childlike innocence, alabaster skin, and melodic voice is something to behold. This is probably the best film made within my lifetime; not because of special effects or cinematography, but because it tells a wonderful story in a wonderful way. You should see it, it's only $4 or so. B00005K3OT B00005JL57 B00000K3TS B00005O6PA B000083C5F

B00002CGGH Better Than Chocolate DVD Anne Wheeler 01 January, 1999 05 February, 2002 Vidmark/Trimark http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00002CGGH.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00002CGGH.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00002CGGH.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $14.98 $12.28 $8.25 $7.30 410 1PDFFJQI8E7XY 2J48X510DNDG8 AX9MENO0A4SG Feature Film-comedy DVD 1 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Unrated Usually ships within 24 hours 031398725336 Many lesbian movies are long on charm and short on production values; Better Than Chocolate has a solid dose of both and steamy sex scenes to boot. Our heroine Maggie (Karyn Dwyer), a clerk at a lesbian bookstore, meets footloose butch Kim (Christina Cox) and, after Kim's van is towed away, they move in together. Unfortunately for their romantic bliss, Maggie's mother, Lila (Wendy Crewson), and teenage brother move in that very evening thanks to Lila's impending divorce. But what really complicates matters is that Maggie can't bring herself to come out to her mother; even when she tries, Lila steamrolls through the conversation, like she knows what's coming and doesn't want to hear it. Interwoven with this is the struggle of Judy (Peter Outerbridge), a male-to-female transsexual who's in love with the bookstore's owner, Frances (Ann-Marie MacDonald), who's freaking out because customs officers are holding a list of books at the border that they claim are obscene. The overlapping plots are deftly juggled, the personal and political are compellingly interwoven, and, most satisfying of all, the characters have problems that aren't going to be easily resolved. A handful of candy-colored lip-synching musical numbers give the movie some flash and the sex scenes give the movie some heat, but it's the elements of sorrow and ambiguity that really make the joy in Better Than Chocolate something to savor. --Bret Fetzer 4.09 128 4

A deliciously sweet romantic comedy!!!

Canadian director Anne Wheeler's "Better than Chocolate" is a wonderful movie about gay women, but it is also moderately about larger issues, such as liberation and acceptance. Maggie, a sweetly innocent clerk at a lesbian bookstore appropriately called 10% Books, meets intimidating butch Kim one afternoon. After Kim's van is towed away, they move in together faster than you can say "What the hell are you thinking?" Unfortunately, Maggie's mother Lila and her teenage brother move in that same night, thanks to Lila's nasty divorce. What really complicates matters is that Maggie hasn't come out to her mother yet, and even when she tries, Lila tries to avoid the subject, like she knows what's coming and doesn't want to hear it. (Haven't we all been there?)Interwoven with this is a dramatic subplot about Judy, a male to female transsexual who's in love with the bookstore's owner Frances, who is always freaking out because custom's officers are holding a list of books she has ordered, claiming the books are obscene and cannot be sold. The end result is a sweet romantic comedy with a hint of drama, which realistically portraits the problems faced by the lesbian community and how not everyone is willing to accept them. A powerful scene has Judy harassed by another woman for using the ladies room, because she is a man. The woman attacks Judy and begins beating her with a purse, splashing her drink in Judy's face. This was a tragic and powerful moment that really affected me, making me realize how unaccepting people can be of anything that is slightly different. It is moments like this that really make the movie so much better than other lesbian films. The title "Better than Chocolate" does not refer to sex, but to love, which Lila is convinced she will never find again now that her husband has admitted he's been screwing his partner's wife for more than a year. Since love is doubtful and sex seems out of the question, Lila has turned to chocolate instead. This is a great movie that really makes you think. It's wonderfully witty, surprisingly charming, and incredibly funny. It's the feel-good-movie of the year that just so happens to be about lesbians. This is highly recommended...is it better than chocolate? Who knows. But it's one [heck] of a great movie!!! 5

Better Than Chocolate between...

I give this movie five out of five stars. Although it moves rather quickly you can't help being hook. Twenty minutes of the movie has past and Maggie, 19, not-quite-out, college dropout, and working at Ten Percent bookstore (no it's not a discount store) meets Kim, a nomadic artist, butch but sweet and romance starts. There's a scene that will leave many people exploring the arts.Within the first twenty minutes, Maggie meets and falls in love with vivacious Kim, helps her conservative lesbian boss fight customs who seem to be trying to put her out of business. Oh, don't forget Maggie has to find a place to live, because her newly divorce mother, Lila is moving in with her along with sibling, Paul, neither who know that Maggie's been living in a bookstore since she quite law school, and she's gay! Couple this with her omisexual co-worker, and transgender friend, Judy, who has love and parent issues of her/his own, and you've got a great story.I almost cracked up when Lila goes..."Kim do you have a boyfriend?" and Kim replies, "No...Funny that!" Everyone seems to be in on the joke, but Lila who replies, "What's wrong with boys?" Maggie's fighting off an uncontrollable need for laughter and the audience does too. Wendy Crewson as Lila is an added addition to this romantic comedy.All said in done, I wonder what it's like to live in that world. Definitely never a dull experience. This is a must see regardless of your lifestyle. 5

Love it - Loved it - Will always love it!

This is one of my all time favorite lesbian movies. The love story is so sweet! A must see! B00004U104 B00005NTN5 0783117523 B00005QW5T B000053VAU

B000023VTP Notting Hill (Collector's Edition) DVD Julia Roberts Hugh Grant Roger Michell 1999 09 November, 1999 Universal/MCA http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000023VTP.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000023VTP.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000023VTP.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $14.98 $11.24 $7.49 $10.99 $8.79 696 2C8B3W57SYTND 3JFSPV89OJHIM UGRVTD0MHNT8 Feature Film-comedy DVD 1 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen Dolby PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Usually ships within 24 hours 025192064029 They don't really make many romantic comedies like Notting Hill anymore--blissfully romantic, sincerely sweet, and not grounded in any reality whatsoever. Pure fairy tale, and with a huge debt to Roman Holiday, Notting Hill ponders what would happen if a beautiful, world-famous person were to suddenly drop into your life unannounced and promptly fall in love with you. That's the crux of the situation for William Thacker (Hugh Grant), who owns a travel bookshop in London's fashionable Notting Hill district. Hopelessly ordinary (well, as ordinary as you can be when you're Hugh Grant), William is going about his life when renowned movie star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) walks into his bookstore and into his heart. After another contrived meet-cute involving spilled orange juice, William and Anna share a spontaneous kiss (big suspension of disbelief required here), and soon both are smitten. The question is, of course, can William and Anna reconcile his decidedly commonplace bookseller existence and her lifestyle as a jet-setting, paparazzi-stalked celebrity? (Take a wild guess at the answer.) Smartly scripted by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and directed by Roger Michell (Persuasion), Notting Hill is hardly realistic, but as wish fulfillment and a romantic comedy, it's irresistible. True, Roberts doesn't really have to stretch very far to play a big-time actress who makes $15 million per movie, but she's more winning and relaxed than she's been in years, and Grant is sweetly understated as a man blindsided by love. Together, in moments of quiet, they're a charming couple, and you can feel her craving for real love and his awe and amazement at the wonderful person for whom he has fallen. The only blight on the film is its overbearing pop soundtrack, though Elvis Costello's heart-wrenching version of "She" gets poignant exposure. With Rhys Ifans as Grant's scene-stealing, slovenly housemate and Alec Baldwin in a sly, perfectly cast cameo. --Mark Englehart 4.11 319 4

Great DVD and a great romantic comedy

This DVD is an example of what makes this format so special. You get an anamorphic widescreen version of the film that is crystal clear, a musical soundtrack that sounds great in Dolby Digital 5.1, and a nice array of special features. And all this at a bargain price.Several deleted scenes are included on the disc, and at least one would have made a nice addition to the finished film. Hugh Grant's comments on the set are also fun to see, and the ability to jump right to a favorite song in the film is a useful touch.The film itself gets better upon repeated viewing. Hugh Grant plays a role that he has patented in several previous films (Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Englishman who went up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain) of the boyishly charming romantic lead, and Julia Roberts gives a believable - and touching- performance of a Hollywood superstar who desperately wants a normal relationship, but doesn't know if that is possible.With memorable characters sprinkled throughout the film, and the somewhat predictable, but thoroughly enjoyable (and well-done) storyline, this is a wonderful movie with which to cuddle up next to your significant other. 5

Loved it on the silver screen and loving it on DVD

This is the best romanic comedy in 1999, in my opinion. It's a story about an actress (Anna Scott played by Julia Roberts) at the height of her career finding the ordinary man (William Thacker played by Hugh Grant) in Notting Hill (an actual place in the UK) and falling in love with him. The unlikely story of travel bookstore owner getting involved with a mega-star actress is a fantasy but then it's a movie... and their story is fun to watch. Their quirky romance struggles a bit while they try to find a common ground for the couple from opposite ends of the spectrum- and the movie tries to convey that even famous actresses have normal needs, too. Like love and the need to belong in the world. The secondary characters like Spike, Will's flatmate, Will's friends and sister just about steal the scenes. This movie is sweet, fun, poignant and a great happy ending. In the press conference scene at the end, when William and Anna stare at each other across the room, you can feel the love and hapiness. And the bench scene in the park is just about the sweetest ending. I've seen this movie several times and will see it many times more. ( Hey, even my guy friends liked it. ) 4

A Funny British/American Comedy

I personally do not think that Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant are the absolute perfect on screen power couple. The movie however is sweet and will definately be remembered as a romantic comedy classic. The acting is good but like I said I just didn't buy the on screen chemistry. The story is a brilliant concept escpecially in today's society. The music is good and there is good ol' British comedy that gives the audience comic relief. This is a very good date movie and it is one of Julia's and Hugh's best films. I reccomend it. B00000JRTX B00003CXT7 6305696071 6305368171 B00005JG6N

B00003CXGA High Fidelity DVD John Cusack Stephen Frears 31 March, 2000 08 April, 2003 Walt Disney Home Video http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00003CXGA.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00003CXGA.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00003CXGA.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg $19.99 $14.99 $7.99 $8.87 1,218 19PE8QU9WARZ8 1DXD5DEFPQ06M 11JGJ8D9OOPES Feature Film-comedy DVD 1 Color Closed-captioned Widescreen R (Restricted) Usually ships within 24 hours 717951009944 Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanization, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (cowritten by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups--which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment. Thunderstruck and obsessed with Laura's desertion (but loath to admit it), Rob begins a quest to confront the women who instigated the aforementioned top-five breakups to find out just what he did wrong. Low on plot and high on self-discovery, High Fidelity takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove (not unlike Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank), but once it does, it settles into it comfortably and builds a surprisingly touching momentum. Rob is basically a grown-up version of Cusack's character in Say Anything (who was told "Don't be a guy--be a man!"), and if you like Cusack's brand of smart-alecky romanticism, you'll automatically be won over (if you can handle Cusack's almost-nonstop talking to the camera). Still, it's hard not to be moved by Rob's plight. At the beginning of the film he and his coworkers at the record store (played hilariously by Jack Black and Todd Louiso) seem like overgrown boys in their secret clubhouse; by the end, they've grown up considerably, with a clear-eyed view of life. Ably directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), High Fidelity features a notable supporting cast of the women in Rob's life, including the striking, Danish-born Hjejle, Lisa Bonet as a sultry singer-songwriter, and the triumphant triumvirate of Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Rob's ex-girlfriends. With brief cameos by Tim Robbins as Laura's new, New Age boyfriend and Bruce Springsteen as himself. --Mark Englehart 3.94 234 1

Sorry, but this is .....

A lot of people won't find the truth about this movie useful. Sycophants of Cusack, Black, alt rock, or record stores will dis my review just because they refuse to notice how shoddy this movie is. And that's sad because High Fidelty isn't making any of its subjects look good.I can't imagine what people see in this movie. The lead character is completely unlikeable and his unhappiness is all that he deserves. He spends most of the movie talking into the camera, a passive and highly uninteresting way to tell a story. And the top-five-list gimmick that he uses incessantly gets old long before the director stops using it. This film is so unimaginative, that it puts Cusack wandering pitifully in the rain in three separate scenes. It also has three scenes in which someone gets angry at someone else in a restaurant and walks out on them. How hard is it to come up with new ideas for scenes? High Fidelty runs out of originality about 10 minutes into its too-long two hours.Some people will flip out over Bruce Springsteen's cameo not noticing what a poor actor he is. Others will say that Jack Black is uproarious. I'd say mildly amusing, but so underused that even at his zaniest, he couldn't save this muddle. What a waste of an evening. I hate films about ... whiners who bring on their own misery and then wallow in it. It's not even funny. Unless your critical faculties are next to nil, in which case, enjoy! 3

what a loser

This movie is very sad.The poor guy crys about his woman leaving him moaning to the audience about how cool she is,gets her back,then cheats on her.This guy is so whipped it awful.she treats him like a yo-yo and his mommas boy ass keeps taking it like a punk.This is not my idea of a romantic film. 5

The story of my life at the moment

Right now this movie is defining my life. I'm only 18, yet I'm a music snob who is getting over a breakup with a girl (we dated for over a year), and this film is giving me solace.Despite its lack of special effects or cinematic extravagence, this movie is very profound and very high on discovering yourself. John Cusack played the role of Rob Gordon perfectly, using music to cope with his pain, while discovering what he did wrong in his past relationships, a very courageous thing. The music fit the movie very well (everything from Springsteen to Stereolab is included here), and Jack Black and Todd Louiso's role as Rob's co-workers were acted and written in perfectly. The plot itself is defining my life since my girlfriend recently left me and is interested in some other guy who has the same complex that Ian Raymond (played hilariously by Tim Robbins) does in the movie. This is the perfect romantic breakup movie, especially if you love music. Even if you don't know a thing about Captain beefheart's "Safe as Milk" or obscure punk bands like the Stiff Little Fingers, this movie is definitely enjoyable. 1558908382 B00003CXCI B00005OM4Q B00005JKFA B00004S51T