Screen Queen-Some of what I'm watching this Month

Happy Endings
SONY PICTURES HOME ENT. UK
Starring:Lisa Kudrow Steve Coogan Jesse Bradford Maggie Gyllenhaal Tom Arnold Jason Ritter Laura Dern David Sutcliffe Bobby Cannavale
Director:Don Roos
This comedic drama from writer-director Don Roos ('The Opposite Of Sex') comes packed with many unusual themes including abortion, homosexual parenting, teenage pregnancy, marrying for green cards, and the unscrupulous practice of bringing a client to orgasm at the conclusion of a massage.
My Thoughts
Lisa Kudrow The star of this unfortunate mess is most of the problem, her thoroughly un-likeable character leaves you totally indifferent to weather she has a happy ending or not. The excellent Maggie Gyllenhaal is wasted in a two dimensional gold digger part and the excellent Jason Ritter is used to little effect either. Whilst praise was heaped on Steve Coogan,when this film opened this years London Gay and lesbian Film festival. I found his portrayal of a gay man irritating. In fact I just found the whole thing dull clichéd and the end of the film found me far from happy!
** Stars

Flightplan (2005) DVD
Starring:Jodie Foster Peter Sarsgaard Sean Bean Kate Beahan Michael Irby Assaf Cohen Erika Christensen Shane Edelman Mary Gallagher Haley Ramm Forrest Landis
Director: Robert Schwentke
After 2002's Panic Room, Jodie Foster took a three year break before deciding to take another leading role in a major motion picture. Three years is a lifetime in Hollywood, but Foster is one of the few stars who can afford to take such a lengthy hiatus from the industry and still command major roles on her return.
My Thoughts
Well Jodie certainly wasn’t having surgery during her 3 yr absence ands Flightplan sees a haggard and pinched looking Foster in a somewhat implausible re working of The Lady Vanishes, only this time its on a plane and its her daughter who goes missing while everyone else just assumes its her marbles she’s missing. Veering between thriller and action movie this film just ended up being not very good at either. See you in another 3 years Jodie!
** Stars

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Starring:Bruce Willis Josh Hartnett Morgan Freeman Ben Kingsley Lucy Liu Stanley Tucci Rick Bramucci Kevin Chamberlin Oliver Davis Victorio Fodor Sam Jaeger Dorian Missick Shira Leigh Janet Lane
Director:Paul McGuigan
Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman co-star in this drama about mobsters and the unwitting victim (Josh Hartnett) who winds up in the middle of a murder scheme. This film was originally screened at Sundance.
My Thoughts
Implausible but very slickly made thriller sees Josh Hartnett thrown into the seedy world of gangsters but is he as innocent as he appears. Bruce Willis for once underplaying is effective and Lucy Liu as the love interest make for a pretty good cast, the only slight annoyance is the somewhat clichéd caricature of a Jewish accent trotted out by Ben (sorry Sir Ben as he insists on being addressed and rather pompously billed) Kingsley. As is so often the case the director has assumed a slick script and plot make up for un-likeable characters and Josh Hartnett’s character just comes across as smug. That aside, it was nice to see Stanley Tucci in a great cameo role. Shame he doesn’t photograph better. I was lucky enough to be sitting a few feet from him in Hollywood once and I can tell you he is much more handsome in the flesh. All in all, a slick but not particularly likeable film.
** Stars
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* Star-Complete turkey
** Stars-Yawn! bit of a dud
*** Stars-Not bad, but no masterpiece
**** Stars-Definately worth watching
***** Stars-An instant classic

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