Meet the Patels

Poor Mama & Papa Patel: they are burdened with a couple of kids in their 30s, and are desperate, willing to spend whatever money it takes, to fly them wherever it takes, make whatever compromises it takes, to just finally get on the road to grandchildren. 

You can tell that a certain point, they're just relieved their offspring are seemingly hetero.





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Life Itself

A great movie about a great (and real) movie reviewer, this film was mesmerizing from the first moments to the very last.

Made me want to catch up with many of the movies he loved, and read his writings of the ones he hated.


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Somewhere Between

Girls born into China's "One Child" policy, and then adopted into the U.S.: they've endured so much, and it's hard to watch some of the things they've had to endure.

Especially considering the low-quality video that's barely got enough resolution for a large TV, let alone a small movie screen.



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Otter 501

It's wonderful to get a fairly in-depth behind-the-scenes look at otter rescue & rehabilitation undertaken by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

It's a shame that the framing device & acting are so horribly weak as to leave this film unfit for viewing anyplace outside the aquarium itself.

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Bully

As alarming as the bullying itself, is the breezy way school workers ignore it.

At what point did "shake hands and make up" EVER solve the problem?

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Chimpanzee

I'm always amazed by how they do these beautiful DisneyNature documentaries, if a little suspicious of the personalities involved.

It's as if your new neighbor just sat around on their front porch taking phonecam shots while your home was being ransacked & burned.

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Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

It's an interesting process, Conan's funny, and he has LOTS of friends appearing with him on this series of live shows between late-night TV programs.

I just wish the camera had spent less time fixated on O'Brien's very un-entertaining personal assistant.

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African Cats

DisneyNature's annual Earth Day release, this is the classic "nature show," in that the viewers find themselves rooting for either the hunter or the hunted.

As I do during many of thes movies, I constantly found myself wondering, "how'd they get that footage?"

Inside Job

Earnest but head-scrambling indictment of the conscience-deprived bastards responsible for our financial crisis.

Michael Moore covered this ground more effectively a year ago with "Capitalism: A Love Story."

The Tillman Story

We finally get an inside look at Pat Tillman's family, and how they fought to get at the truth of the military/government coverup that turned his friendly-fire death into an epic Fox News myth.

The movie is well-put together, with my only frustration being that of watching key players blatantly lie and walk away with smirks on their faces.

Hubble (IMAX)

The biggest attraction of this IMAX documentary is the amazing views of galaxies far beyond our own.

These segments of the film--the ones containing actual Hubble images--should replace the tired "planetarium shows" in most science museums.

Restrepo

I get that they're spending a year with soldiers stationed at "the most dangerous place on earth," but I don't get-- whatever it is they want us to get.

The impression with which I was left was that everyone, including the leader, was inexperienced & unprepared, and that we're all best off far away from there.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

The results of the plastic surgery are difficult to look at, and the psyche of a performer is no secret, but these are not the reasons to see this film.

What I got out of the whole thing is that Joan Rivers is still shockingly funny-- and I wish the film had focused on simply documenting her standup over the course of the year.

8: The Mormon Proposition

Should churches place their efforts in politicking, & if so-- should they really be retaining tax-exempt status?

Sure to make wounds feel fresh for some as it sheds new light on the battle, all in a deeply engaging way.

Oceans

Filled wall-to-wall with breathtaking photography and amazing new sights, Oceans had me leaving the theater wanting to learn more.

Especially so, since the narration itself offers little in the way of details.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

Documentary in which a Christian attempts to persuade other Christians to be more Christian.

Though I'm more of the Bill Maher school, I appreciated this for its moments of humor & beauty, especially the filmmaker's confessional booth at a Portland Pride event.

The September Issue

Allegedly a real-life look at the working life of Vogue editor & Prada-wearing devil Anna Wintour, this piece of fluff comes off as more of a love letter.

If I want a documentary on this person, I'll ask Michael Moore to do it.

Good Hair

Chris Rock turns documentarian to awesome, hilarious effect in this in-depth look at black women's hair.

I learned a lot, I laughed a lot, & I hope there's a lot more within Rock where that came from.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Michael Moore examines the world around us: mortgage companies getting bailed out while homeowners get kicked out; companies secretly taking out life insurance policies on their "peasant" employees; in general, Life Since Reagan.

Starts out strong & funny and keeps plugging along, until at some point the depression soaks right through you.

The Cove

The man responsible for "Flipper" and the popularity of performing dolphins has dedicated the last 40 years to rescuing the animals from their sad fates, and "The Cove" documents his Ocean's 11-style operation to expose the gruesome deadly operation that kills thousands of dolphins a year in Taiji, Japan.

The government's coverup is as disturbing as the blood-red water & the screaming, and I hope this dramatic documentary has the effect its makers seek.

http://www.thecovemovie.com/