99 Cents Word Reviews

I’ll possible write more on both of these sometime next year, but just a quick way of letting you know what I’ve seen recently and what I’ve thought of it all. If all goes well, I should be seeing A Single Man, Away We Go [way overdue] and The Lovely Bones by Christmas. I have a feeling all won’t be going well though…
    
The Princess & the Frog
Down with Pixar. That’s all I’m asking. Calling this a princess story belies the true nature. It might even be more enjoyable to boys than girls, and it’s an experience indeed. It’s a magical experience [cliché, I know]. It’s a perfect Disney remembrance piece. The voice work is excellent, and the story for all it’s simplicity is quite original. For a musical, it has a small amount of songs but we don’t miss them. We’re all too caught up in the acting. Anika Noni Rose is a tremendous actress [voice alone]. Tis a pity she doesn’t get more work.

A-/B+

The Boat That Rocked
It’s not very good. I’ll admit that. But I’m damned if I didn’t have a whole lot of fun watching it. It’s a rock & roll fairy tale of sorts, complete with a fantastical ending. But it’s done in so much earnest, I can’t be mad at it. Tom Sturridge and Seymour Hoffman are the standout, but really it’s as ensemble a film as an ensemble can be. It may not be perfect, or exceptionally smart, but it’s a whole lot of fun – and you’ll find better acting than in crap like Twilight., of course, that’s not saying much.  
C