"Lovely, Still"

Mary (Ellen Burstyn moves across the street from Robert (Martin Landau), a lonely, elderly bachelor, and the two become romantically involved. The movie ambles along at a leisurely pace until the plot takes a dramatic turn. I won't give away what happens but it completely caught me off guard. Ms. Burstyn was quite good, however I thought Martin Landau seemed a little goofy, especially some of his facial expressions.

3.5 stars

"The Space Between"

The storyline is simple. A jaded flight attendant feels obligated to keep an eye on a young Pakistani boy who's flying west. When the flight is grounded after 9/11, she takes matters in her own hands. (The boy's father is a worker in the World Trade Center.) She rents a car and the two of them head back east. The film is subtle and quite moving. And Melissa Leo gives a nuanced and outstanding performance. One more example of why I love indie films.
4 1/2 stars.

"The Go-Getter"

Perfect little road movie. It's about a young man who steals a car to find his brother. He's lost touch of him and he wants to reconnect with him and tell him their mom has died. Along the way he meets some real characters. He also is in contact with the owner of the car when she calls her cell phone which she left in vehicle. The cinematography, dialog, and acting are all excellent. This is the reason I love indie films.
4 stars out of 5

"5 Star Day"

What an unexpected treat this movie was. The storyline is about a college senior who need to complete a project to graduate. His presentation revolves around the premise that astrology is B.S. Well, he reads his horoscope on his birthday, and it predicts one of his best days ever. A "5 star day". As it turns out, it's one of his worst days ever. So he embarks on a mission to track down three people who were born at the same time in the same hospital and compare how their birthdays were. I won't reveal any more of the story, but believe me, it's a movie well worth watching.
4 stars out of 5.

"The Others"

If you want to be totally creeped out by a movie, this one is your cup of tea. Nichole Kidman plays a mom who's raising two young children in a country home in Jersey during WWII. Her husband is away fighting for England and her daughter starts seeing ghosts in the house. Three mysterious former  workers show up to help with the household. Kidman starts to hear strange noises herself and starts to unwind. There were several times when the hair on the back of my neck stood up. This movie was subtle, but scared the crap out of me. This movie is like something Hitchcock would have made.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

"Middle of Nowhere"

Set in a small town in Ohio, this is a story about two teenage kids who meet while working at a theme park. They go into business together selling pot because he's looking for financial independence, while she needs money to go to med school. It's a story of self discovery and the excellent cast of unknowns (except for Susan Sarandon) do a great job.  The movie follows them through varios adventures over the course of a summer. It's not your typical "shallow and soulless kids behaving badly" movies. I found myself feeling for the young characters.  I think Dorian, (Anton Yelchin) and Grace (Eva Amurri)  are both promising young actors.
4 stars out of 5.

"Phoebe In Wonderland"

A totally enchanting movie. Elle Fanning, in her first movie, delivers an absolutely incredible performance. She's a young girl who has some mental and emotional problems. She's totally infatuated with the Alice in Wonderland story. When she's cast in a school performance of the play, all her dreams come true. It's a feel good movie that's appropriate for the whole family.
4 1/2 stars out of 5.