Releases for 6.23.09
The ones to see:
Phoebe in Wonderland
Eh:
Inkheart
The ones to avoid:
Confessions of a Shopaholic
More detailed reviews below.
Phoebe in Wonderland
As this movie went along, I thought my review was going to be a simple "it’s a movie about crazy people." Obviously there are things wrong with the main characters, but by the movie’s end it becomes apparent what the whole picture is about and it really made the previous hours with these characters all the more enjoyable. That freaking Fanning family has something amazing in their blood, because like her older sister Dakota, Elle as the lead character Phoebe is an amazingly talented little actress. There is a scene between the little girl and her mom, where the child is freaking out and scared (you’ll know when you see it), and it’s one of the most real scenes I’ve ever seen… all because of the acting involved. The actress who plays the mom said that right after that scene, Elle Fanning was perky and happy as normal – very impressive. On a personal level, this movie completely reminded me of a girl I used to take care of when I worked for the YMCA. I had to punish her at times, as is the case with any kid, but I felt bad for her because she would often shut down and retreat into some other world in her head, it seems. The reason I felt bad is because nobody there seemed to know how to deal with her. I hope she found the same fate that Phoebe does 
.
Inkheart
This movie started really strong. I mean, REALLY strong – it jumped right into the story, it didn’t feel dumbed down, and I was really expecting something after being impressed by that. Eventually, though, the story sort of started stumbling around and it just didn’t live up to its potential. It’s okay, but it really could’ve been great.
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Don’t dare believe that I panned this because of the genre – "chick flick." I hate that term. A good movie is a good movie, no matter who the intended demographic may be. This one, though, really wasn’t very good. To begin with, I know that the star of the movie is Isla Fischer, but quite often it seemed more that the star was really supposed to be her well-endowed chest. She’s "on display" quite a bit, which is an odd decision considering that this movie is aimed at women. Regardless, though, I just found nothing very entertaining or engaging in the movie. The only real moment came from John Goodman near the end, but other than that it just didn’t keep my attention at all. Yes, even with her chest bouncing around in the beginning. Think more of me than that, will ya?
