Happy
Feet
a review by Tom Condon, OP
In the great nation of Emperor Penguins,
deep in Antarctica, you’re nobody unless you can sing--which
is unfortunate for Mumble, who is the worst singer in the world.
He is born dancing to his own tune--tap dancing
READ MORE |
The
Nativity Story
A Review by Tom Condon,
OP The
two-year period of Mary and Joseph's life, which culminates in their
leaving Nazareth and journeying 100 miles to Bethlehem for the birth
of Jesus.
READ MORE |
Stranger
Than Fiction
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
Will Farrell plays against type liveng a perfectly routine life
as an IRS agent. He gets up at the same time, brushes his teeth
with the same number of strokes, counts his steps to the bus stop,
and seems content with his dull life. Then... READ
MORE |
The
Prestige
A Review by Tom Condon,
OP
In early 20th-century London, a magician (Christian Bale) develops
a rivalry with another conjuror (Hugh Jackman) after devising a
seemingly impossible new trick. READ MORE
|
The
Queen
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
A revealing, witty portrait of the British
royal family in crisis immediately following the death of Princess
Diana. The setting for this fictional account of real events is
no less than the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British
government in the wake of the sudden death of Princess Diana in
August of 1997. READ
MORE |
Conversations
with God
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
A man who falls into homelessness and despaire finds a
way out by conversing with God. Based on the best selling book
series by Neale Donald Walsch. READ
MORE |
The
Departed
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
Despite the geographical
shift, The Departed deals with familiar
themes in Martine Scorsese’s mob movies: belonging, loyalty,
and betrayal. In this increasingly violent world, without a firm
moral compass, no one escapes unhurt. READ
MORE |
World
Trade Center
A Review by Tom Condon, OP This
docudrama tells the story of Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin
(Nic Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), who were trapped in the
rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, after they went
in to help people escape. READ
MORE |
Journey
from the Fall
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
Set during the thirteenth anniversay of the Vietnam War. Tells the
epic story of a family who is painfully torn apart by the war, forced
to emigrate across a dangerous sea, reunited and struggling to survive.
READ MORE |
Quinceanera
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
In the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, 14-year-old Magdalena
learns that she is pregnant. Magdalena's great-granduncle and gay
cousin take her in after she is kicked out of her religious family
home, and together they all try to shake off the prejudices that
beset them. READ
MORE Half
Nelson
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
From the first scene, the audience knows that this likeable, charismatic
teacher is dealing with a major problem: He is addicted to crack
cocaine. READ MORE
Hollywoodland
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
A private detective (Adrien Brody) investigates the mysterious death
of Superman star George Reeves (Ben Affleck) and uncovers unexpected
connections to his own life. The affair Reeves had with the wife
(Diane Lane) of a studio executive (Bob Hoskins) might hold the
key to the truth. READ MORE
|
Our film critic, Tom Condon, OP (St. Martin) is spending
the summer in southern California studying film and has
happened upon several little gems. Here are some unusual
films that are worth looking around for in your area. Hope
you enjoy them. |
Summer Independent Films
Little Miss Sunshine: Together, the motley six-member
family treks from Albuquerque to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant
in Redondo Beach, California, to fulfill the deepest wish of 7-year-old
Olive, an ordinary little girl with big dreams. READ
MORE
Sweet Land: A woman who buries her husband on
their Minnesota farm in 1968 relives her life as an immigrant
who arrived from Norway in 1920 as a postal bride. READ
MORE
The Big Bad Swim: Set in scenic South Lyme, Connecticut,
"The Big Bad Swim" follows twelve novice swimmers ranging
from ages 17-75 who've taken time out of their complicated lives
to take a swim class. READ MORE
Flannel Pajamas: Stuart
Sawyer and Nicole Reilly meet through mutual friends on a blind
date and experience a magical evening in a local diner on a rainy
evening in April, 2000. It may never get better than this-- but...
READ MORE
|
A
Prairie Home Companion
A Review by Tom Condon, OP A
look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's
most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty,
a country music siren (Streep), and a host of others hold court.
READ MORE |
An
Inconvenient Truth
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
Former Vice-President Al Gore presents a compelling documentary
film on the dangers of global warming. Read how critic Tom Condon
looks at the film from a preacher's point of view. READ
MORE |
Unted
93
A review by Tom Condon, OP
This docudrama tells the story of the passengers and crew of United
Airlines Flight 93, the fourth plane hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
Told in real time, the film re-creates the doomed trip, from takeoff
to the hijacking to the realization by those on-board that their
plane was part of a coordinated attack against the United States.
READ MORE
|
The
Da Vinci Code
A review by Tom Condon, OP
I don’t think the Church has much to fear from the
movie. It just doesn’t make much of an impression. The shock
value of Brown’s theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were
married
and had a child has long since worn off. READ
MORE
|
Thank
You for Smoking
A review by Tom Condon, OP “Nick Naylor
does hide the truth…he filters it”. Thus Dominicans
find a particular caution in this film to seek the truth amidst
a corporate world obsessed with spin. READ
MORE |
The
Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
A review by Tom Condon, OP
At a time when Immigration is a hotly debated issue, this film isvery
timely, as it deals with the difficulty of life on the Texas/Mexico
border, especially for undocumented persons. READ
MORE |
Brokeback
Mountain
A review by Tom Condon,
OP Two sheep-tending cowboys in
1960s Wyoming find themselves unexpectedly falling in love and suffering
the heartbreaking consequences, keeping their relationship a secret
for 20 years.
READ MORE |
Munich
A review by Anne Lythgoe, OP Does
acting like terrorists justify efforts to defeat terrorism? This
is the central question left hanging in the air in Steven Spielberg's
Munich.
READ MORE |
Capote
2006 Oscar for Best Picture!
A review by Tom Condon, OP
Capote begins with
a scene of an isolated farm house in rural Kansas. It’s
1959. A girl discovers a horrible crime: an entire family brutally
murdered in their isolated farm house.
READ MORE
|
Walk
the Line
A
review by Tom Condon, OP A chronicle
of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days
on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records
in Memphis.
READ MORE
|
Good
Night and Good Luck
A
review by Tom Condon, OP The true
story of early television's attempt to expose abuse of political
power in the McCarthy era. Smoke-filled black and white photography,
great cast. Worth seeing. READ
MORE
|
Prime
A review by Tom Condon,
OP
Meryl plays a middle aged, Jewish, Upper West Side therapist.
In the course of the movie, she discovers that Rami (Uma Thurman),
her divorced, 37 year old patient, has begun a romantic relationship
with David (Bryan Greenberg), her 23 year old son. READ
MORE |
A
History of Violence
A
review by Tom Condon, OP Peaceful
lives are interrupted when Tom thwarts an attempted robbery and
becomes a local hero. That's when all thge trouble starts.
READ MORE |
Broken
Flowers
A review by Tom Condon, OP
Dumped by his latest girlfriend, a man receives a anonymous pink
letter informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him.
READ
MORE |
The Constant Gardener
A review by Tom Condon, OP
When a British diplomat's
wife -- a socially-conscious lawyer -- turns up dead in Kenya, he
sets out to find the truth surrounding her murder.
READ
MORE |
March
of the Penguins
A
Review by Tom Condon, OP From birth
to death, from dating to mating, from comedy to tragedy, and from
love to fighting for survival in Antartica.
READ MORE |
Star
Wars III:
Revenge of the Sith
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
The central conflict is Anakin’s turn to the dark side and
his development into super-villain Darth Vader. Anakin is haunted
by memories of his mother’s tragic fate READ
MORE |
Crash
2006 Oscar for Best Picture!
A Review by Tom
Condon, OP "What makes Crash so
noteworthy for an American film, is that it dares to be about something.
Crash dares to deal with racism, both explicit and implicit."
READ MORE |
Enron:
The Smartest Guys in the Room
A
Review by Tom Condon, OP
These were no dummies. They were indeed the smartest guys in the
room. In a culture which stereotypes criminals as suspicious looking
foreigners, or people from disadvantaged environments, the shock
of Enron is that they can also look like your class president. READ
MORE |
Millions
A Review by Tom Condon, OP
After the death of their mother, 9-year-old
Anthony is ever practical, while his 7-year-old brother Damian uses
imagination, fantasy, and faith to make sense of his confusing world.
When a suitcase full of money falls out of the sky at Damian's feet,
it sets the boys on the adventure of a lifetime and leads them to
realize that true wealth has nothing to do with money.READ
MORE |
The
Sea Inside
A
review by Tom Condon, OP
The Sea Inside
is the real life story of Spaniard Ramon Sampedro who fought a
30-year campaign in favor of his right to die with dignity. Two
women try to change his life - Julia (Belen Rueda) is a lawyer
who supports his cause, and Rosa (Lola Dueqas) is a neighbor who
wants to convince him that life is worth living. MORE |
Hotel
Rwanda
A
review by Tom Condon, OP
Hotel Rwanda has been frequently compared
to Schindler’s List. Paul, like
Oscar Schindler, does whatever he can to protect the refugees at
the hotel. Paul provides the Hutu military leaders with money and
liquor. At first, Paul entertains them, and, as time goes on, begs
for them to be saved. Even though hundreds of thousands die, Paul
manages the hundreds at the hotel by his initiative, fast thinking,
courage, and sheer determination. It’s a remarkable feat in
every respect.
READ MORE |
MILLION
DOLLAR BABY
A review by Tom Condon, OP
Clint
Eastwood, now in his 70's, is better than ever.
For decades, he’s been dealing with issues of sin, violence,
and redemption. But in the last few years, he’s developed
a strong personal style and a way with actors and a story that I
would never have imagined from his earlier films.READ
MORE |
SIDEWAYS
A review by Tom Condon, OP
Sideways
is a wonderful comedy/drama that has been winning all kinds of awards,
and has just been nominated for five Oscars, including best picture.
Without a big budget, or big stars, it’s this year’s
“little film” that has everyone talking. READ
MORE |
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