Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

Here is a magical film that seems to have everything in place to be a real delight, but they seem to have forgotten one element: the magic. I can’t imagine how they misplaced it, but they did. It is written and directed (first time) by Zach Helm, whose Stranger Than Fiction was wonderful. It stars Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman, two actors who have always ... Read more »

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

This one putters along in a likeable fashion for almost an hour and a half as nothing more than a silly entertainment. Then it stumbles into a pop-up shooting gallery ending, as so many talentless writers and directors settle for these days. BING! Up pops the metal rabbit. BANG! Down falls the metal rabbit, to be replaced by twelve more rabbits. They actually shoot at metal rabbits, at ... Read more »

Mr. Right

Sam Rockwell is a strange hit man, and Anna Kendrick is the girl he falls in love with. But it’s a little more complicated than that …

I went back and forth on this one. After the first thirty minutes I was ready to eject it, the meet cute dialogue getting a little thick for me. But then it is revealed that the reason he is so awesomely good at what he does is that he has some sort ... Read more »

Mr. Robot

This one is pretty strange, but I am enjoying it. It reminds me a little of Person of Interest, though it’s not violent, so far. We have seen the first seven episodes. “Mr. Robot” is Christian Slater, a crazy idealist hacker who has recruited a group of four other hackers. Goal: To take down the largest, most powerful corporation in the world, the E Corporation. ... Read more »

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

This is my personal favorite of the Frank Capra “capracorn” movies. That’s not a term invented in today’s more cynical age, but goes all the way back in the ‘40s, when people were much more open to his brand of open sentiment and patriotism than they are today. I guess some people just aren’t happy with a story unless it has a lot of killing and hatred and the bad people win. I’m aware ... Read more »

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

I thought this might be another attempt to turn a Disneyland ride into a movie, like the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, or the big Eddie Murphy flop (and how long has it been since you didn’t have to put that word after his name, except for Shrek? Maybe he should look for more jackass roles), The Haunted Mansion, but ... Read more »

Mr. Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner was probably the second-best English painter ever. (The best, he said modestly, was that amazing genius John Varley, 1778-1842.) (I was going to let that little joke stand, but then I looked up Mr. Varley on Wiki. I knew he was a competent painter of landscapes, but I hadn’t realized that his life was almost exactly contemporary with JMW Turner: 1775 to 1851. ... Read more »

Mr. Woodcock

There is a short film on the DVD titled something like “Gym Class Horror Stories,” where many of the cast and crew of this film go back to those awful days of misery, pain, and sadism known as Physical Education. Of more than a dozen people interviewed, only one admitted to never having had any problems in gym class with a sadistic teacher. Even Billy Bob Thornton, whose dad was the ... Read more »

Mrs. Henderson Presents

Stephen Frears is better known for more serious fare than this, such as Dirty Pretty Things, The Grifters, and My Beautiful Laundrette. This one is light-hearted, and does some things very well, not so well on others. 1938, London, and recently-widowed Mrs Henderson, rich and clueless, is looking for something to do with the rest of her ... Read more »