Friday, August 28th

Halloween 2 - not screened for critics

The Final Destination - not screened for critics

Taking Woodstock - 2 1/2 stars

This started out well. I liked the story about how Elliot is helping his parents run their small motel. Imelda Staunton is hilarious as his crazy mom. When Elliot hears about Woodstock and the way they lost their permit, he calls them up to say he has a location where they can hold their concert.

Everything leading up to the concert is interesting. If the movie had focused on that, I would have liked it a lot more. But the problem is the movie focuses too much on Elliot and his relationship with his parents. I don't mind that we never actually see the concert, because Elliot never makes it to the concert, and it is his story. But by the end, I was just bored.

Adam - 3 stars

I don't know anyone with Asperger's Syndrome, but Hugh Dancy's performance seemed just right. He showed the problems someone with Asperger's goes thru, but we weren't asked to feel sorry for him all the time. He was able to hold down a job, have lunch with his friend, and even start a relationship with a girl in his building (Rose Byrne).

The movie is actually a rather simple story about a relationship, but the fact that he has Asperger's makes it unique. It is difficult for him to have a relationship, and it is also difficult for her. It takes someone with a lot of patience to make the relationship work, and she may not have enough patience.

Since it's an independant movie, it's not as predictable as a typical romantic comedy (The Proposal and The Ugly Truth come to mind). The performances were good and I enjoyed the movie.