Posts Tagged ‘Kathy Bates’

Short Take: Exceedingly enchanting. Woody Allen at his feel-good best.

Director: Woody Allen

Screenwriter: Woody Allen

Cast: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody

Length: 1h 40m

Synopsis: Gil (Wilson) and his fiancé Inez (McAdams) are vacationing in Paris, France, soaking up the atmosphere and taking in all of the beautiful art that surrounds them. Gil is a Hollywood screenwriter trying to take another crack at writing novels, and his latest work about relishing the past has gotten some much-needed inspiration from the city of love. While Inez spends her time enjoying luxurious spa days and get-togethers with friends Gil wishes to experience all of the charm the city has to offer, and he finds all he can handle when he stumbles upon a way to travel back in time to the 1920s. Every night at midnight he visits iconic artists like F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), and Salvador Dali (Brody), chatting away with them about love, life, and women. And speaking of women, one night Gil can’t help but be enchanted by an art aficionada named Adrianna (Cotillard), who is equally enchanted by him. The stress of the present and magic of the past combine to create an awkward but exciting situation for Gil, one which he will find his way out of only if he follows his heart.

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Short Take: Involving and touching, its message gets through

Director: John Lee Hancock (The Rookie)

Screenwriter: John Lee Hancock (The Alamo), Michael Lewis (book)

Cast: Sandra Bullock (Miss Congeniality), Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road)

Length: 2h 8m

Synopsis: As a young child Michael Oher (pronounced “or”) and his brother were taken from their drug-addicted mother by Child Services. Afterword, he frog-leaped to and from several foster homes only to wind up alone on the streets. One night while walking along one of those streets the Tuohy family pulled over to him and invited him to their home. The well to do Tennessee family ended up taking Michael in and raising him through his final years of high school, where he earned good enough grades and did well enough in football to merit a high-profile status with college football coaches and recruiters from across the country. Eventually choosing Ole Miss, Michael went on to have an exceptional college football career and was selected 23^rd overall in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Read the rest of this entry »