"Some places are like people, some shine and some don't."
At theaters:
Unknown - This is the new film with Liam Neelson. If the ending wasn't so improbable, I'd give it a higher rating. It certainly held my attention for the almost two hours that it ran. I know many have seen the trailers, but in a nutshell without giving anything away, Neeson appears to be being gaslighted by his wife and others. If I say more than that, I'll give it away. For a movie that will keep you guessing and if you can reject reality for awhile, you will enjoy this film. 
On Netflix:
Easy A - This delightful comedy stars Emma Stone as Olive a high-schooler who increases her popularity by pretending to be a slut. It is cute, not silly and one that adults can enjoy. It is not you usual teenybopper film. I particularly enjoyed Stanley Tucci and Particia Clarkson who portray her parents. It is not for young children due to its content and language. 
Red - One word to describe this film is silly, but once you get over that and realize it is a spoof of all the Mission Impossible type movies you can take a deep breath and just go along for the ride. The cast is outstanding with Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren rounding it out. It is great seeing all of them having fun. For a movie you just don't have to think about and just enjoy, see this one.
Tomorrow is the Academy Awards. I don't see any real surprises here. I have read that there might be a backlash to Melissa Leo due to her own promoting for the award, but even though Hailee Steinfeld did a great job, Melissa Leo deserves it more. My pick for best picture is still The Social Network, but The King's Speech is a very strong contender. Don't know if I will stay up to see which one wins. I can always catch the winners online Monday morning.
Carol Frank, Yolanda and Betty correctly identified 'He knew the risks, He didn't have to be there. It rains you get wet." coming from Heat.
Try this one: (I think it is hard.)
"You know what the Queen said? If I had balls, I'd be King."
On Netflix:
Cairo Time - It is very coincidental that I had this film come this week, but before you run to put it on your list, think again. I was so disappointed with the film. It stars Patricia Clarkson as an American who has come to Cairo to vacation with her husband who is working for the UN. It had such promise and the trailers were enticing, but the trailers were better than the whole movie. It moved very slowly and didn't have any real climatic situation. It did show sights of Egypt which was interesting, but not interesting enough to warrant even the 90 minute the film took to watch.
On Netflix and your local airplane:
Morning Glory - Coming back from our trip to SF we saw this film. It was a good way to wile away two hours in an aircraft. Rachael McAdams is adorable and I am a fan of both Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. The storyline is improbable. The plot is simple; a struggling morning show hires a very young woman as their new executive producer. The co-anchors don't get along and the Ford character would rather be anywhere but there. Very predicable ending. With better writing, it could have been a much better film as the star power had great potential.
At Reston Community Center presented by the Reston Community Players:
Twilight of the Golds - I have been going to the Reston players for many years, but this is by far their most stellar production. The actors were first rate and the story extremely thought provoking. We went with a group from OLLI (life long learners) and all of us could not say enough about the performance. One woman who has Arena Stage tickets, said it was as good if not better than their performances. The play opened on Broadway in 1993 and was adapted from a made for television movie. Although it only ran for 29 performances due in part from an unfavorable review by The Times it is worth seeing. It is about a family who must face a crisis. They are given information that will made their decision very difficult. I am being evasive as I don't want to give the plot away. I love the theatrical technique when the individual actors talk directly to the audience. Although its run is over, if you ever see an advertisement for this production, see it for yourself.
Sandy Esterson sent me this link. It is amazing. The two dancers are Ginger Rogers aged 92 and her grandson aged 29. I wish I could move like her at my present age. Unfortunately the window is very small. If anyone figures out how to make it a whole screen, please let me know or send it to all in this email. I hope the link works!
Neverunderestimateanoldbroad.wmv
Once again the movie pickings are slim, so catch up on some of the great movies of the last year.
Roberta
