Reviews

The Hoovers: combine an honest mother, a father whose career is on the fritz, a silent Nietzsche-obsessed brother, a drug-addicted grandfather, a suicidal uncle and a girl who just wants her moment to "Shine" and you get one of the most dysfunctional families on earth. The new comedy, Little Miss Sunshine, tells the story of a family who drives from New Mexico to California in hopes that their 7-year old daughter, Olive (Abigail Breslin, Signs) can win the "Little Miss Sunshine" pageant. With an ensemble cast that includes Greg Kinnear (As Good as It Gets), Toni Collete (The Sixth Sense), and Steve Carrell (TV's The Office) one would expect a movie that produces "I laughed so hard, I cried" reactions. Yet, this is one of the best movies to use intelligent humor to attract and hook its audience. Perhaps it was expecting to see Steve Carrell be as outrageously funny as he was in such blockbusters as The 40-Year Old Virgin and Anchorman that was a downer. It is Carrell however, whose performance is serious and subtly funny at the same time. Carrell plays Frank, Olive's gay, suicidal, Proust scholar uncle who needs constant supervision. It was awkward and fascinating to watch Carrell play a serious character. While his performance is worthy of all the praise it has been given thus far, it is not the performance that drew much attention…at least from the audience I viewed it with. Paul Dano, a relative newcomer, seems to overshadow his costars. Dano plays Dwayne, Olive's teenage brother who has taken a vow of silence until he is admitted into the Air Force Academy. I should have guessed from the moment I saw Dwayne's mural of Nietzsche and "I hate everyone" scribbled on his notepad, that his cynical view of the world would be the most interesting. It is his observations during the film that provide some of the most comedic moments such as his various facial expressions and witty remarks on his notepad to his odd-ball family. There is another uncredited character in the film that provides some of the best laughs—the family's VW bus. Starting in New Mexico, the audience follows this bright yellow bus 700 miles west to California with several mishaps along the way. A key moment in the film occurs when the stick-shift breaks leaving only two functioning gears. The family is then forced to push the bus to get it rolling and do some clever stunt-work by jumping in after it gains some momentum. This visual gives the film one of its many themes—to chase your dream. Finally, it is when the Hoover family, sans grandfather, reaches the pageant when the film becomes the most heartbreaking. With visuals that seem to be taken from documentaries about kiddie pageants, such as a mother spray-tanning her daughter and a over-the-top host, Olive seems to be out of her element. Wanting to spare his daughter the embarrassment of performing, Richard (Kinnear) tries to convince his wife Sheryl (Collette) to pull Olive from the competition. That comes only after Richard pleads with a pageant official to let Olive compete when they arrive just five minutes late for registration. Sheryl tells her husband "Why can't we let Olive just be Olive?" The film's message is perhaps wrapped up in that simple quote…to just let people be who they are without trying to fit them into a mold. Little Miss Sunshine is hopeful and heartbreakingly funny with a talented cast that is worth seeing on the big screen. This film has been called "too real" by some, but it is its realism that gives it humor. Go see this film, it's worth it.

"Brokeback Mountain" follows the lives of Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar throughout their lives after meeting one summer while working as sheep herders on Brokeback Mountain. It is a beautiful love story that speaks to everyone no matter what their sexual orientation or beliefs. It is something we all go through as human beings.The cast is formed perfectly with subtle performances and transformations throughout the picture. The aging process between the two main characters and their female counterparts is amazing down to their voices and looks. I would definitely recommend this film to everyone. It angers and saddens me that so much criticism has been made towards such a beautiful story and wonderful film directed by Ang Lee. Definitely go see this movie.

This powerful documentary details various experiences of Jewish youth during the Holocaust. Through the intense photo montages and fill clips, MTV does an excellent job of bringing new stories to today's MTV generation. The diaries and letters of those killed in the holocaust are poignant and heart-wrenching. The amount of detail that was documented was amazing, considering the ages of most of the victims.

Narrated by by many of today's hottest young stars such as Elijah Wood, Amber Tamblyn, Ryan Gosling, Kate Hudson, Oliver Hudson and Joaquin Pheonix to name a few, it brings one of the most important events in history to life from perspectives that are often ignored...that of the youth who lived through it. Like Anne Frank, these young people wrote eloquently about the events of their lives in the ghettos, concentration camps and even escapes. This documentary should be seen by anyone who wants to learn more about our world's history.

I am only giving this 3 undeserving stars because the visuals were pretty good. However, Jodie Foster, who is one of my favorite actresses, made a horrible choice with this movie. I am not saying that it's her fault the movie is horrible because it's not. Frankly, the script is the problem. There are so many plot-holes that leave the audience confused from the start. Granted, it's a thriller and confusion is inevitable, but there are too many unanswered questions even by the end of the movie. The dialogue is repetitive and predictable.

Jodie Foster as a grieving widow and paranoid mother seems to have very little depth. I usually love the movies that Jodie Foster makes, however, this performance has no levels. She seems to be freaking out from the beginning of the movie. There seems to be no change in emotional levels leading up to Julia's disappearance.

The actions and reactions in this movie are predictable and it is certainly not worth the 8-10 dollars spent on the ticket. The only thing redeemable about this film are the special effects and the beauty of the sets. How Ebert & Roper gave this two thumbs up is very perplexing. It's thriller yes, but it seems to be "Panic Room" on a plane. Thumbs down for me.