New acquisition: Violet & Daisy (2011)

 

Saoirse Ronan

(ph: Carlos Serrao)

Saoirse Ronan

Little Women (2019)

Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.

Lively, beautifully set and photographed, excellently cast adaptation of the classic and beloved novel; however, the non-linear telling of the tale diminishes the impact of the romances and tragedies and seems to assume the audience already has full knowledge of the story.

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007)

When a broken-hearted boy loses the treasured wooden nativity set that links him to his dead father, his worried mother persuades a lonely ill-tempered woodcarver to create a replacement.

Old-fashioned, fairly likable Christmas movie adequately staged to get into the right mood for the season; interesting to see, almost unrecognizably,  Tom Berenger in an unusual role.

Saoirse Ronan

City of Ember (2008)

For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing ... and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker.

A very nicely produced adaptation of a good young adult novel adds some quite unnecessary aspects to the story and is fairly watchable, but fails to capture the mystery and atmosphere of the book.

Maltin**: "Adaptation...never fires the emotional response it needs so badly. The real star of the film is production designer Martin Laing."

Lady Bird (2017)

In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California.

Excellently executed movie about a mother-daughter drama made with cinematic sense and in good taste; Ronan and Metcalf are extraordinary.

New acquisition: Lady Bird (2017)

Saoirse Ronan

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saoirse_Ronan

The Way Back (2010)

Siberian gulag escapees walk 4000 miles overland to freedom in India.

Basically an adventure drama made with expertise, wonderful landscape photography and a good cast, the political message is merely an afterthought.

On rewatching; I agree it is mostly watchable as a successful adventure movie.

Maltin**1/2: "Episodic story is told on a vast canvas, in a grand style reminiscent of David Lean. Unfortunately, despite some genuinely exciting passages and strong performances, the film goes on too long and leads to an unsatisfying conclusion. Perhaps its most noteworthy achievement is making us believe its actors are genuinely Russian, Polish, etc."

The Host (2013)

When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, a young woman will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

Despite a star cast and good production value this sci-fi drama risks a silly plot (two souls in one body - and their internal conversations!) and loses; an attempt to recreate Gattaca's atmosphere and quality, but rather appears like an artsy Red Dawn.

Maltin**: "...long, dreary adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's novel. Science fiction has rarely been so dull."

The Lovely Bones (2009)

A young girl is murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from purgatory.

Although obviously made with a lot of talents involved the director overdid the phantasmagorical elements on the verge to kitsch.

On renewed viewing: I still think this movie could have been better.

Maltin **1/2: "Well-made, well-acted adaptation of Alice Sebold's bestseller suffers from overabundant, heavy-handed images of an Edenic afterlife that don't connect with the rest of the film."