Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
A quirky film about a single mother and the suffocating, tragic love she has for her 6-year-old child, “Loverboy” serves as an answer to anyone who might wonder if you can love your child too much: Absolutely. Emily (Kyra Sedgwick from “The Closer”) is an eccentric, anti-social woman yearning for the affection her parents showered on each other, but never on her.
An independent film from Britain, “On a Clear Day” tells the story of a man trying to come to terms with his past by setting a goal for the future: to swim across the English Channel. Frank (Peter Mullan) is a stoic man who tells his young grandson, “Things aren’t meant to be fixed nowadays.”
“Bring It On: All or Nothing” is the idealized version of what happens when a rich girl from an elite California school is forced to transfer to an urban setting for her senior year of high school.
A beautifully filmed tale set in feudal India, “The Warrior” tells the story of a man who must decide whether to follow the orders of his cruel boss or do the right thing and put his own life in danger.
“Mrs. Harris” is HBO’s fact-based tale about the tumultuous relationship between Jean Harris and Scarsdale Diet author Dr. Herman Tarnower, whom she is accused of shooting to death in a jealous fit of rage. But it’s also a cautionary tale about what can happen when a woman is so obsessed with a man she’d rather die–or kill–than be left behind.
Not as subtle as Diane Lane’s “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Shadows in the Sun” highlights the beauty of rural Italy–and of Claire Forlani, who plays Parish’s daughter Isabella. The warm acting and lush scenery transcend the film’s slow-moving pace and the predictable ending, which, in movies like this, can be nothing other than happy.
Being the object of three teenage girls’ affections may be some men’s secret fantasy, but Keith Clark (David Boreanaz) finds it’s more than he can handle–or live up to–in These Girls. Keith is the type of guy who doesn’t work, but needs a babysitter to look after his infant when his wife is working. He and the 17-year-old sitter begin an affair, which goes smoothly until her two best friends catch her in the act. Literally.
An assassination whodunit, “End Game” stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as Alex Thomas, a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the president of the United States. When the president is killed during his watch, Alex is wracked with guilt.
A well-intentioned film about a young pharmaceutical rep who is torn between earning a good living and living a good life, Side Effects tells the story of Karly Hert, portrayed by Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Roswell), who also executive produced the project. Karly works for a company whose motto is “To protect and prolong life.” But what they really mean is prolong their own) lives by making as much money as possible.
Sex Is Zero is to South Korea what Porky’s, American Pie, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High are to the United States. The Korean film has all the classic elements of a sex comedy: gratuitous breast shots, unusual use of bodily fluids, and a plot that’s secondary to the physical comedic skills of the actors.