Hairspray

Date: July 28
Location: AMC Sunset Place

Amy's plug for Talk to Me went unheeded not because we don't value her opinion but because it wasn't playing anywhere near South Miami. Hairspray was a great time, with excellent songs and a teriffic cast. Travolta was particularly effective as Edna Turnblatt. Like most musicals, it probably won't stick with me long after the first viewing, but I sure did enjoy myself in the theater. And I have to admit a salacious interest in Amanda Bynes' character.

Breach

Date: July 24
Location: Clifton Living Room

Another great-looking film for the big-screen TV -- I loved the use of D.C. locations. There's no way this film (or Zodiac, for that matter) should have been released in the first few months of the year. Had it come out in November, Chris Cooper would be a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination and the film's writing and direction would be in the running as well. It's exceptionally smart, exciting and poignant and all the more interesting for being based on such recent history.

Live Free or Die Hard

Date: July 15
Location: AMC Sunset Place

We used the free Harry Potter passes to see the latest John McClane adventure. It was as fun and as absurd as the rest of the Die Hard sequels. Willis' advancing age gave this installment a charming quality, especially as they played up the old vs. new fighting styles and his technological cluelessness. The early gunfights and car chases were the most effective; McClane leaping onto the wing of a jet fighter... less so. I really enjoyed Justin Long as the sidekick. Most of all, it made me want to rewatch the classic first film.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Date: June 11
Location: AMC Aventura

For the second year in a row, we joined Madison Gallup and her parents for dinner at Johnny Rockets followed by the new Potter film across the hall at AMC. A lovely tradition I hope to repeat for the next two films. I do hope the A/C works next time — we were forced to watch Phoenix in rain forest conditions. We did get free passes out of the deal after more complaining than should have been necessary. The film was quite good, though as such a fan of the books, I always find myself trying to fill in what was left out and wondering how they'll dramatize certain plot points. I'll never be able to experience these films as films first; they'll always be dramatizations of a familiar text (and somehow, this is even more the case with the Potter films than with other literary adaptations).

Black Snake Moan

Date: June 10
Location: Clifton Family Room

This is the first movie I've watched on the new TV (not counting Barbie's Princess and the Pauper) and damn, did it look good. I have a feeling we'll be going through our NetFlix films a lot quicker now. This was a great film, funky and sexy but also very sweet. Great acting from Samuel Jackson and Christina Ricci, not to mention Justin Timberlake. Writer/director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) is a wonderful new voice, creating this deep-south grown-up fairy-tale genre with plenty of style and heart.

Ratatouille

Date: June 30
Location: Muvico Boynton Beach

The success of Fiona's first moviegoing experience, Surf's Up, may have been an anomaly. She refused to sit still during this one, forcing Alex to spend most of the movie in the lobby or the aisles. And Sophia was a little tired and largely bored by the film. Well, at least I had a good time! Brad Bird once again proves he is working on an entirely different level than anybody else in animation (not to mention live-action). This film is really not made for kids (though kids should enjoy it), and it's not really a comedy (though it is funny). What it is: charming, provocative, rich in detail, absolutely gorgeous to look at and ultimately very touching. I rank it a bit below Bird's The Incredibles, which works so well on so many different levels. And I'd likely put the two Toy Story films ahead of it as well, though I think this is probably a better "film" than either of them (if that makes any sense). But if any further proof was needed that Pixar is the most consistently wonderful creative force in movies today, this is it.