MOVIE - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

PG (2:05)

Wide Release 12/25/2013

Viewed Wed. 1/15/2014 at El Con

RT Critic: 48 Audience:  77

Cag: 5 Loved it, loved it, loved it!

Directed by Ben Stiller

Actors:  Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, Kristen Wiig

My comments:  This was hilarious, fun, and clever.  Ben Stiller was just wonderful (I never realized how blue his eyes are) and Sean Penn was the perfect actor for the part he played.  I laughed loudly and often.  And I love seeing Iceland, where about a quarter of the movie was filmed, and I loved the unlikely friendships that Walter made. I think the movie was beautifully done, and I'm glad that most audiences loved it as much as I did!

Rotten Tomatoes Review:  Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.

MOVIE: Milk

Rating: Super
Viewed: Sat, Dec. 13, 2008
El Con, with Fran
Rotten Tomato Rating: 93%
Mine: the same, I really liked it a lot
EW: not yet, cag: A
Rolling Stone: 4/4
Genre: Drama/Biography
Released 11/26/08
R (2 hrs 8 min)
Directed by: Gus VanSant
Sean Penn (nominated for Golden Globe Best Actor), James Franco
BEST ACTOR, Academy Awards, Feb. 2009 - SEAN PENN
BEST SCREENWRITER, Academy Awards, Feb. 2009 - DUSTIN LANCE BLACK

Harvey Milk, openly gay activisit and elected official in San Francisco, was assassinated, along with the mayor of SF, in 1978. Thirty years ago! This movie takes you from the early 70's, Milk's move from New York to San Francisco, and the journey that he took to make a difference for gay rights. It was framed by Milk sitting at his kitchen table recording into a tape recorder. flashing back through fashion and friends, telling his story. it was really well done, seemed well researched (at least I'm counting on that - I'd like to think the story was accurate), and was rewarded by a smattering of applause from the packed audience - you don't hear that very much anymore. A totally enjoyable movie experience. Sean Penn has to be the most talented actor of this generation. AMAZING! The actors were well chosen, the parts were well acted - and James Franco was, as usual, fantastic.