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The Ghost Writer (2010)
Way too much to-do about way too little
Reasons I did not like this film: 1. With the exception of brief appearances by Eli Wallach and Jim Belushi, there was not one character in the film that I cared anything about. Character, not actor. Most of the actors are people whose work I like and they were excellent here playing unlikeable people. But you could have killed them all, and it wouldn't have bothered me. Not much of a basis for a suspense film. 2. The plot is way too much to-do about way too little. When we learn the big secret at the end, it's a "so-what?" moment. The secret wasn't worth hiding, let alone killing for. 3. The secret didn't need to be hidden. It could have been shouted from the rooftops and no one would have died. 4. I hated the intrusive, manipulative music.
A Mom for Christmas (1990)
A modern fairy tale about magic and love
This is a delightful Christmas fantasy that deals lightly with magic and the power of love. Jessica, played with astonishing maturity by 10-year-old Juliet Sorcey, receives a free wish from a wishing well. When Philomena (Doris Roberts) asks what she wants, she says "I want that," pointing to a grouping of mannequins arranged to suggest a mother, daughter, and dog. The mother looks amazingly like Olivia Newton John. When Philomena asks Jessica what she means, she explains that she wants to have a mother to be with her during the Christmas season. And Philomena grants her wish: "One mother for two weeks, starting at midnight tonight and ending at midnight Christmas eve." At midnight, the mannequin she pointed to, now alive and looking exactly like Olivia Newton John, rings the doorbell and is taken in. As she becomes part of the family, we are all aware that the two-week countdown clock is ticking.
The theme of a statue coming to life occurs throughout classic literature. The original Pygmalian, as described by Ovid, was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had made, brought her to life with a kiss, and married her. So, enjoy this film for what it is -- easy to watch entertainment that is fun for all. Good script and fine acting by a cast that finds exactly the right pitch to tell a modern fairy tale.
The Whistle Blower (1986)
It's a film of questions, not answers
I notice that Netflix has this film listed under "Thrillers." It's not a thriller, but rather a fairly complex drama about what happens when people who are schooled not to trust anyone have almost unlimited power with no accountability. There's never a "stupid moment" in this film that reveals to us, the audience, or to Michael Caine as the protagonist, who the bad guys are or what they've done. We have to peel the layers off the onion along with Michael Caine. There is no James Bond ending in which the bad guys' island explodes and collapses into the sea. Instead, there is a real world ending tailored for adults. I liked the film.