Monday, July 28, 2003

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - 6.5/10

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - Gregory Peck, Ruth White. Dir by Robert Mulligan. Bright, nostalgic southern small town moments are the most memorable. Very good performances. Gregory Peck is at his gracious best except in some courtroom scenes, where he tends slightly towards the ham-osphere. One can also see where Dev Anand (often called Gregory Peck of Indian films) got some of his popular mannerisms from. The girl who has played "Scout" is amazingly charming in some scenes. I especially liked the one where Gregory Peck reads a story to her at bedtime. The chemistry of the characters and the casualness of the scene is rare.

Narrator (older Scout Finch): Maycomb was a tired old town, even in 1932 when I first knew it. Somehow, it was hotter then. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon after their three o'clock naps. And by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frosting from sweating and sweet talcum. The day was twenty-four hours long, but it seemed longer. There's no hurry, for there's nowhere to go and nothing to buy...and no money to buy it with. Although Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself...That summer, I was six years old.

Narrator (older Scout Finch): Neighbors bring food with death, and flowers with sickness, and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a knife, and our lives.

Narrator (older Scout Finch): There just didn't seem to be anyone or anything Atticus couldn't explain. Though it wasn't a talent that would arouse the admiration of any of our friends, Jem and I had to admit he was very good at that, but that was all he was good at, we thought.

DVD - the accompanying documentary on the DVD about the making of the movie is wonderful. No less enjoyable than the movie itself. B/W. 130 mins. 8/10.

Narc (2002) - Dir by Joe Carnahan. DVD. 6/10.

Analyze That (2002) - DVD. 7/10.

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