markandbeck Reviews

Secondhand Lions (2003)

A small jewel.

[25 April 2004]

Growing up is a process of deciding what you are going to BELIEVE in. This film is a celebration of that. When I first saw the trailer in the theater, I thought "There is a film I wish I had written." Because it has heart. It has honest dialog by believable yet eccentric characters.

But I waited until it was out on DVD to see it. Why? We only have so much money to spend on movies, and tend to go to the theater for "spectacle" -- that effect you only get on the big screen. This movie was not spectacle. It was fable, and charming just as it is.

Just like Joe Versus the Volcano, this is a film that not a lot of people are going to "get." Those who do will be able to watch it over and over.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Better than I expected

[30 December 2003]

The fact is, I had not intended to see this movie - ever. I had not heard good things. But my wife saw it, and liked it. One evening she caught me in a mellow mood and I watched it with her.

To say it is contrived is an understatement. To say it is generally predictable is to state the obvious. It is a piece of fluff romantic comedy familiar to viewers of old movies. But there are a lot of people who LIKE fluff, and frankly, I think we will probably watch it again some day.

The writing was occasionally witty, often funny, and sometime knee-slappingly hilarious, without degenerating into the completely silly. The chemistry between Kate and Matthew was great, and their performances were what made this movie rise above the mediocre.

Don't waste your time with this movie if you insist on depth or insight into universal truths - it ain't happenin'. But if you want a good time with a charming flick, you could do worse.