More Movies

With Hubby out of town for more than half of the last month, I've been watching a lot of movies, so I thought I'd write a few more reviews...

Amazing Grace
PG for historical content (dealing with the slave trade)
This was such a fantastic movie, I can't say enough good about it. I'm not sure how tightly it follows the actual historical facts, but it is well worth watching regardless. The powerful, moving account follows the story of William Wilberforce and his endeavors to get the British House of Commons to end the slave trade.

The Holiday
PG-13 language and sexual content
It's funny and kinda fun, but at several characters are not terribly moral, and that always leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The previews are actually quite accurate--if you like them, you'll probably like it. If not, well, it's nothing spectacular.

Millions
PG for some scary moments and a brief scene which I'll explain
A 7 year old boy finds a duffle bag full of money, and believes it was sent from God. He tries to make the world a better place, but his brother wants to spend it all on toys...and then they learn where the money really came from. A charming little story about finding ones place in the world. That said, it's also a bit weird. It's British--let's just leave it at that, shall we?
In one scene (which doesn't have much to do with the rest of the movie) the little boy is with his pre-teen brother and they come across a picture of a woman in a lace bra. The woman's areola is visible, and the little brother asks what it is. The older says "that's her nipple." "What's it for?" "It's to feed babies. Mum fed us with hers." "How do you know, you can't remember being a baby." "I don't remember her doing it to me, but I remember her doing it to you." And that was the end of that...On the one hand, the scene is unnecessary, on the other hand, I was very pleased that they handled it the way they did...let's hear it for promoting breastfeeding in the movies!!!

The Nanny Diaries
PG-13 for language
It looked cute, and I like Scarlett Johansson...great acting, intriguing premise...but all in all the movie was kinda dumb. I am glad I saw it...but don't feel the need to see it again, ya know? It's depressing to see how dysfunctional some families are.

Stardust
PG-13 for intense situations, storytale combat, and a few scary moments
So, I guess I'm not the first to say it, but this movie reminded me of The Princess Bride or of Shrek. It's not that the story is even vagely similar, but that, like those others, it is a whole new kind of fairy tale. It's not quite little-kid-safe (just a little step up from Princess Bride though), but thoroughly enjoyable. It's full of those far-out things that normal people never think of--like a pirate who catches lightening to sell on the black market, or a kingdom where the heir to the throne is the one who can manage to kill off all his brothers, or an old stone wall which separates the magical world from the mundane...