Thumbsucker

Thumbsucker

Bob Yan Productions etc.

October 7, 2005

Dramedy
DVD
C-

A little depressing but not bad.  Director Mike Mills adapted Walter Kirn's novel.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Columbia
September 18, 2009
Children's, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Romance
DVD
B

I saw this at the time and am very pleased to say it holds up, in visuals (despite advances in the last decade or so), music, humor, intelligence, etc.  And, yes, it counts as a romance, since the nerd-love between Flint (Bill Hader) and Sam (Anna Faris in what I've always thought of as the Drew Barrymore role) is sweet and better done than in a lot of romcoms.  The voice casting is overall solid, and I like how Mr. T is cast so much to type it's basically self-parody.  There are a lot of great throwaway jokes, visual and sound, and the music is just a lot of fun.  (The pacing could be a shade better and I wouldn't say I was riveted, so B is as high as I'll go.)

This is based on the (much shorter) picture book by Judi and Ron Barrett.  Phil Lord and Christopher Miller did the adaptation and co-directed.

Catwoman

Catwoman
Warner Bros.
July 23, 2004
Crime Drama, Fantasy, Romance
DVD
B

Not being a superhero fan (OK, I was a little until the age of about nine), I had no idea of the hatred that this sexy, stylish, and sweet movie, directed by Pitof, has inspired.  I thought Halle Berry was great, even moments (early on) when she has to do the modern romcom klutz thing or do bad "purr" puns.  Sharon Stone is a good match as the not-that-surprise villainess, and Benjamin Bratt plays a nicer version of his character in Miss Congeniality.  Yes, the script could've been better (I didn't even get the Midnight-the-cat-breathing-her-back-to-life thing until I watched the bonus features), but I liked the theme of duality and I'm a cat person, so, shrug.  Oh, and the soundtrack was good.  Maybe this is a superhero movie for people who don't like superhero movies and, yes, Catwoman is an anti-heroine.