Heaven is for Real, 2.5 Stars

This film has the potential of being totally hokey. But it avoids that (for the most part) with some strong acting and a somewhat restrained script.

It has an interesting dynamic of a search that many go through about what is life (and death) and what are we doing here? I'm not sure it matters whether you are a person of faith or not as it deals with issues in a forthright, humanistic way.

Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) gives a good, wide-ranging performance and is partnered with Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes - the Robert Downey Jr versions), whom I am starting to appreciate. Margo Martindale (Secretariat) does well and Thomas Haden Church (We Bought a Zoo) plays his typical role. Newcomers Connor Corum and Lane Styles do well and are not too 'syrupy'.

And there are beautiful vistas of the Manitoba prairies, where it was shot, which is a bonus.

Swiss Family Robinson (1960), 2 Stars

I loved this Disney movie when I was young and it still holds up (though with some 1960's/ 1800's attitudes). I didn't realize this was a remake of a 1940 version and remade in 1998 (with Jane Seymour).

There is a strong cast: Sir John Mills (Gandhi), Dorothy McGuire (Friendly Persuasion), Kevin Corcoran (Pollyanna), Tommy Kirk (Shaggy Dog), and James MacArthur & Janet Munro (who were both in Third Man on the Mountain [aka Banner in the Sky].

It drags in places and is downright silly in others, but young kids will enjoy it as a rental.

Billy Elliot, 3 Stars

Decided to see this 2000 film again. The story drags in some places, but generally it holds up well. The dialogue is a little hard to understand at first but either it cleared up or my ear became more accustomed.

Excellent performances by Jamie Bell as Billy (voice of Tintin but doesn't appear to have done much since), Julie Walters (HP series) and Gary Lewis (Joyeux Noel, which is very good).

The story about unemployment in 1980's England is compelling. We've seen the musical (by Sir Elton John) on Broadway and it is equally moving. I recommend this to you.

Begin Again, 2.5 Stars

Begin Again is from the same director who did Once. I believe the plots are very similar, about being discovered and renewal, and all centred around music.

The music is great and worth seeing for this alone (once they get to it). Keira Knightley (Pride & Prejudice) gives a solid performance. The camera is really quite kind to her and close-ups seem to linger a little longer. Mark Ruffalo (Just like Heaven, which I liked very much)(sorry Joss) is not so picturesque but is equally strong. His scenes with 'daughter' Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, which I haven't seen) have some nice moments.

There is a lovely scene near the beginning where Ruffalo imagines backup instruments supplementing a solo performance by Knightley (who sings all her own stuff quite nicely). The movie doesn't quite return to the magic of that moment, and felt a little long at times, but I think I'd see it again and recommend it to you.

Serenity, 2 Stars

This 2005 film is on Netflix and is a follow up to the popular but short-lived series Firefly. (Not to be confused with the movie  Serendipity, which I liked.)

The cast from the TV show is all there - Nathan Fillion (nothing else notable that I recognized) was his gruff self; Gina Torres (now in the series Suits) is okay; and, Adam Baldwin (The Patriot and later the TV series Chuck) plays another over-the-top role.

The plot is a little more brutal than the series, but it keeps moving. Firefly fans will enjoy it. Not sure I'd see again.

An Affair to Remember, 2.5 Stars

Found this 1957 film on Netflix and Sleepless in Seattle fans will remember the references to it there.

Definitely romantic, it's a little dated and drags at times. But some of the dialogue is lovely and one wonders if they sometimes just let the actors go with the scene and ad lib. Excellent performances by Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Worth seeing what all the fuss was about.

Jersey Boys, 3 Stars

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I had seen the musical and loved the music but generally wasn't 'wowed'. So perhaps I went in with low expectations, fuelled by lousy reviews in local papers and on rottentomatoes.com

I really liked this and will see it again more than once, just to hear the music. Unlike some recent musical movies, everyone can sing in this one. It's a big cast, with some interesting characters developed. John Lloyd Young, whom I am not familiar with and seems to have a short / new bio, was very good. And Christopher Walken (The Milagro Beanfield War [good movie, I'm going to have to find it and look for him]) - each scene that he is in revolves around him.

The story was clearer on the screen than on stage and is quite compelling (although it drags someimes). The music should be recognizable but it is the 50+ crowd who will like it best (and hum some Four Seasons songs for a few days at least).

How to Tame Your Dragon 2, 3 Stars

This is the follow up to a very sweet movie. And this one is very different. While the first was suitable for younger kids, this one is darker with more violence.

The story is good and, unlike some sequels, it can stand on its own without having seen the first one. The voices are great: Jay Baruchel (She's Out of My League), America Ferrera (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Gerald Butler (P.S. I Love You). And Cate Blanchett (Robin Hood) is a welcome addition.

I knew this movie was darker but somehow my expectations were for something else. And while I liked this one and would see it again, I prefer the sweetness of the first.

Dragon 3 is scheduled for 2016 and I look forward to it.

Twenty Feet From Stardom, 3 Stars

This movie won the 2014 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and is the story about back up singers to famous lead bands. If you like music, it's worth watching.

While the stars listed are Mick Jagger, Bruce Springstein, Bette Midler, etc, the real stars are unknowns like Darlene Love (Lethal Weapon series), Merry Clayton (a small, powerful, prescient role in the 1987 Maid to Order), Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill and Tata Vega. And though the story is about how they did or didn't get recognized, it's also about the part that timing, circumstances, and luck played.

You can find this on Netflix and I recommend it.

Chef, 2 Stars

I've seen reviews for Chef that say the food shots are top notch and that the film is not quite as good. I'd agree - the food shots are 4 Stars, but not strong enough to improve a long drawn out 2 Star movie.

Jon Favreau (Wimbledon) gives a measured (if you'll pardon the cooking pun) performance. Sofia Vergara (who has done lots of movies and, according to rottentomatoes.com, this is her best so far?) is nice to watch. Emjay Anthony (apparently in It's Complicated but I'd have to see it again to remember) does a nice job playing Favreau's son. I'm not sure why Dustin Hoffman (The Graduate) nor Robert Downey Jr (Heart and Souls) needed to be cast - I admire both actors but the production could have saved money with lesser-knowns in their roles?

A nice rental on a slow day.