Good movie for both wine-lovers and those who aren't wine-lovers
925756
Came for the wine, stayed for the comedy. Good movie for both wine-lovers and those who aren't wine-lovers.
2760055
I remember taking my older son to see This movie in a Theater in West Los angeles, I am taking about years ago.
This time with a glass of wine in his home we enjoy this movie again. I have no complaints about your service, or the quality of the sound or anything else with the DVD . It is a good story and the actors are great ,ironically, now I got a chance to see the big picture, probably need it more money. It was good not only to see it again with my son, I will  share this movie with family members, I have a big family.
Thank you for your service in making this possible.
3943588
I think this movie is generally under-rated. My expectation was one long blonde joke... but I was pleasantly surprised to find some substance there, instead. The underlying messages are admirable: that you should not judge people based on initial appearances, and that women should create their own destinies, rather than passively hoping for "happily ever after" with the man of their dreams.

The main character, Elle, is very feminine, but also very smart and very resourceful and very strong. She's hardworking and honest and fiercely loyal. She sticks by her principles, even in the face of strong pressure to do otherwise. Over the course of the film, we see her progress from a girl whose happiness depends entirely upon someone else's behavior, to a woman consciously guiding her own future. Reese Witherspoon does a fine job with the role, playing up the comdedy without allowing the character of Elle to ever be a bimbo joke.

The only scenes that had me rolling my eyes were the "bend and snap" segment in the beauty shop, and a few moments in the final courtroom scene.

Overall, "Legally Blonde" is a surprisingly good movie -- very engaging and upbeat entertainment.
3641489
There are quite a few fine reviews already written here... I just wanted to add my 5-stars worth.
I was drawn to this movie initially because my father's family is Calabrian (where we have our own bad guys, the 'Ndrangheta, but they're pretty much like the Sicilian Cosa Nostra).

So I started watching the movie for personal reasons, but found myself quite fascinated by this (approximately) true story.  The direction and pacing I thought were fine, although the 'main' plot may develop too slowly for some.  Ultimately, though, the main actor, Veronica D'Agostino, is so strong she basically carries the plot past any slow parts.  Bear in mind, this is much more a melodrama than crime thriller (think "Godfather," not "Public Enemies"), but is also less sentimental about the Mafia-types than any movie I can think of.

La Cosa Nostra (and the 'Ndrangheta) are thugs and killers who are "honorable men" only in their own twisted minds, and Rita Atria -- the real 17-year-old upon whom this movie is based -- wanted the whole world to know it, even if it killed her.
2021556
The lead actors in The Bubble and the characters they play are all appealing, and the film provided a look at Tel Aviv that I, pretty much an outsider to Israeli culture and politics, had never seen before. It was particularly interesting to learn about a youth movement in Israel that is sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians;  one does not always hear about this movement when reading about Israel in the American press. Characters' observations about living in "a bubble" wherein idealism, intellectuality, and tolerance seem to insulate people from harsh realities in life are well taken.

The two male leads have a sweetly depicted romance that moves the film forward. The romantic/sexual explorations of two secondary characters provide comic relief and insight into the vexing foibles of 20 something love in a big city; these secondary situations are two-dimensional, though, and don't contribute as much to the film as the central relationship between a young Jewish Israeli guy and a Muslim Palestinian.

As is the case in Romeo and Juliet or West Side Story, The Bubble is melodrammatic in its resolution of the forbidden relationship between "star-crossed lovers."  That said, the movie is enjoyable as a love story, as an introduction on a personal level to the emotional nuances of Israeli-Palestianian politics, and as an affirmation that there can be moral beauty in a loving relationship between two men--even when the world is hostile to the relationship.
579346
Bombolini (Anthony Quinn) is Santa Vittoria's resident fool, drunk, and lazy good-for-nothing, but everybody in town loves him.  He becomes the new mayor just as the Germans are coming to occupy the village and confiscate over a million bottles of wine.  Bombolini comes up with a plan to hide most of it, but will everyone keep the secret?

This drama with comedic elements has a lot going for it, especially  Anthony Quinn in a happy-to-lucky role similar to his in&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Zorba-the-Greek/dp/B0001XALGY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Zorba the Greek</a>&nbsp;with the wonderful Anna Magnani playing his long-suffering wife.  Their scenes are full of earthy charm and raucous energy.  Handsome Hardy Kruger plays the German captain who tries to find the wine; he's quite charming but his playfulness and non-violent approach to war are a bit hard to believe.  Sultry Virna Lisi gives a solid performance as a troubled, snooty Countess who catches the captain's eye.

The movie, unfortunately, is too long by half, with the first hour  moving at a snail's pace, and the energy fades when Quinn isn't on the screen.  Still, I liked it a lot because the characters are endearing and the message of solidarity is a good one.  Directed by Stanley Kramer and nicely photographed in Italy.
1475764
I recently watched this movie again - I had seen it about a year after it came out, when I was about 11 years old.

I like the idea behind this movie - while I was (or am) not by any stretch as intelligent as Fred, the main character in this movie, I was more intelligent than many of my peers and thus experienced a lot of the same sorts of conflicts that Fred did. As such, I enjoyed this movie in that I could relate to it.

On the other hand, there were a lot of areas in this story where the psychology could have been explored in a fuller and more meaningful way. While I would not go as far as some of the other reviewers who have stated that the characters were two-dimensional, I would say that the portraits of the main characters could have used a couple more coats of paint.

Of the main characters, I think that Dede, Fred's mother, was best represented. Jane, on the other hand, who runs the Institute where Fred winds up attending, is a fascinating case in psychology and this movie only scratched the surface. There is a certain pathology that comes with highly motivated and successful people that has to be consciously worked through to be able to have a full sense of humanity. There are aspects of a balanced, fruitful life - such as a meaningful relationship with another person, and/or raising children - that are not dependent on intelligence, success, etc. Without them, even the most successful life feels hollow and empty. We see somewhat of a glimpse of this in this movie, but I think a little more exploration of this would have been welcome. Of course, there's only so much you can do in a two hour movie.

What makes this movie interesting, and again, it would have been nice to have this more fully explored, is Fred's observation of Jane's situation and his realization that he is heading down the same path, and doesn't want to. Through his experiences with his mother and later with Connick's character, Eddie, he knows that there is more to life than merely being intelligent and motivated. It is this balance that he is searching for, and it drives him to near-madness. I think this situation cleaned itself up a little too neatly in this movie. But, again, there's only so much you can do in two hours.

With respect to the production side of things, this movie was excellently directed, and the cinematography was superb. The soundtrack was above-average. The main character actors each did a respectable job. Overall, I would recommend checking this movie out.
3403501
I guess two things attracted me to this film; one was the story of Georgio Perlasca, and his attempt to save innocent life's of many thousands of Jews from the Nazi extermination camps, in the later part of World War 2. To my shame I had never heard about Georgio Perlasca selfless humanitarian efforts until reading a Wikipedia entry. The second reason for my interest was the Italian actor Luca Zingaretti, his performances in Montalbano the crime drama series, are `par excellence', and I am a real fan of series.

Without giving plot spoilers I found that this film seemed to be made more for Television as opposed to a cinematic release, there is nothing fundamentally wrong in this. The film is nearly 200 hundred minutes long; some may need to view this production in segments. Some see subtitles as a chore, but I can assure you that to see and hear productions as they were originally broadcast is always best and I find them all the more enjoyable. The film was rather good in my estimations, but I can understand that it may not be everyone's tastes.
1067198
"Sideways" has a fine premise for a movie:  Two friends go traveling in Northern California to celebrate the freedom of bachelorhood before one of them gets married.  Both have their own selfish interests and addictions:  (One is addicted to alcohol [Paul Giamatti]; the other is addicted to sex [Thomas Hayden Church].)  Their passions seem to be their only bond, for they increasingly separate from one another, each to pursue his own obsession.  Their escapades reveal desperation for each and provide some revealing and comic situations along the way.

The acting is exceptional.  Paul Giamatti is particularly expert at playing the lonely wino and conniosseur.  We may not always like the characters (and maybe we're not supposed to), but we can find their struggles and the story appealing enough.  The story is complete, unlike some films that only try to illustrate relationships and do little else.  "Sideways" is a worthy trip and a good diversion, but it may require an acquired palette.
2790408
I really liked this movie. Mostly English language with some Danish and Italian thrown in. I'm a fan of Pierce Brosnan and he did not disappoint in this film. Ida is at the end of her treatment for breast cancer. Clearly it's been devastating, but her good nature, sense of humor and her deep love of her family have kept her going. Then she finds out her husband is having an affair and btw, he is a clueless idiot. Although it's no excuse, he is blindly ignorant of the effect of his actions. It is a question put to Ida later in the film as to what she ever saw in him in the first place. Phillip is a bitter widower. He is very successful and polished, but has never moved passed the death of his wife. Although Phillip and Ida have never met, his son and her daughter are getting married at the Italian Villa owned by Phillip, which has been abandoned since his wife's passing. Phillip and Ida get off to a very bad start. What I liked most about the film is how well these two characters were written and acted. At first Ida comes across to Phillip as unappealing and trivial, but he begins to see her inner strength, goodness and beauty, and his icy exterior slowly melts. I was confused somewhat with Patrick, his son. The trajectory there did not seem logical to me. He is obviously conflicted but not sure how that completely explains the decisions he made. The peripheral characters provide a lot of color, drama and humor and Italy always makes for a beautiful and romantic stage.
3338217
Other viewers have given excellent synopses of the overall plot and characters, so I won't attempt to repeat.

Upon reading the gist of the story, I wasn't sure whether I would like this film, because the women protagonists are all comatose. Indeed, as I watched, I found this theme echoed in the cinema-within-cinema as well, in which many of the women are also asleep or in swoons. The pervasiveness of the unconscious woman image is intentional, and weaves in with the movie as a whole to make a multi-level commentary on the relationships between the sexes.

On the level of plot and character, the story seems to me to be mostly about many different kinds of love and acceptance between people. It challenges the usual judgments that we may make about people and their feelings, actions, and relationships. I found the ending unexpectedly affirming, though some may disagree.

I whole-heartedly rate this film five stars - for a unique story line, for fine performances by all the cast, for extremely creative use of cinema within cinema, for the visuals (especially the scenery and the corrida) and for a well-chosen score.

A footnote about the rating: it is rated R for some nudity and sexual themes, including a scene in the film within a film that was intentionally done with props that are clearly not actual human body. The scene of the goring of the torera was handled with restraint, and did not shock me.
1363157
This is one of my favorite movies. It's a love story, a life story, and a comedy all in one.

I've shared this movie with a few people and they have enjoyed it as well. A great movie to watch on one of those nice nights in with your other half. Great with a bottle of wine!
2319757
"Sideways" is an exceptionally fine comedy/drama for adults.

This is the story of Miles and Jack [Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church]. Each has a mid-life crisis in full swing. Miles solution has been to become a wine expert, a pursuit that gives him intellectual satisfaction. Perhaps even better, it also gives him justification to drink a great deal. While Miles is still recovering from a bitter divorce, Jack's answer is to get married. Just before the nuptials, the guys take a road trip together to California's wine country. Miles, a frustrated writer, tries to teach Jack the intricacies of wine, but Jack is more interested in the intricacies of women. For him, the trip is just an excuse to have one last fling before settling down to married life. [We suspect Jack is just kidding himself!]

Giamatti and Church are excellent. They create memorable characters. Equally memorable are Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh as Maya and Stephanie, the women the boys become involved with.

"Sideways" is about equal parts drama and comedy, but it may be remembered more as a comedy because it contains many truly funny scenes. The movie remains true to itself right up to the ending, which is hopeful rather than happy.
4568491
Wow, here's an oddity: a modern-day film faithful to theological history, an uncompromising biography of Martin Luther.

Knowing the film world, I doubt this film was made to glorify God. It probably was made more to make the Roman Catholic church look bad, or to glorify a rebel and a man of the people: "the peoples' liberation" as the back cover of the DVD states.

Whateverthe motive, it stays true to history and it's nice to see that for a change. To those unfamiliar with Luther, he was the founder of the Protestant denomination. Luther was a monk who saw and heard things he thought were unscriptural and broke off from the Catholic Church in "protest." Hence, the "Protestant" church was formed.

Anyway, not only was the story done well, so was the cinematography. This is one gorgeous movie to ogle, well-filmed with high production values. The scenery, sets and costumes are all first-rate.

Joseph Fiennes (Luther) is a bit wimpy-looking but his character certainly isn't. As the subject of indulgences and other practices begin to transform Luther's ideas of what Jesus' church should be, the story grows in intensity as Luther gets pressured by the Catholic hierarchy as his protest issues become public.

What happens to him and to the masses because of his actions are revealed in pretty dramatic form. Obviously the story is far more complex than two hours can give it but the filmmakers did a pretty good job condensing it to make the time constriction.

Notes: This was Peter Ustinov's last movie. On the DVD, being that is was a fairly expensive one, I am surprised there were no "extras." In all, however, a solid film but it will definitely offend Roman Catholics.
4733779
This is one of my favorite movies because I did not expect much and then boy what a surprise.  A fun and interesting look at that time in the 70's before Napa wines became internationally know.
3753258
Alexander Payne, indie wunderkind, has done what he can to cover the various population demographs in his previous works. Pregnant single mothers (Citizen Ruth), academic overachievers (Election), retired senior citizens (About Schimdt). Now he turns his social sights on wine-loving middle-aged buddies who are facing middle age crisis.

Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) are two former college buddies who set out on a wine tasting road trip. It sounds like a relatively simple-plotted or plodded movie, but it is the screenplay and the acting that makes this movie stands out.

Giamatti, in a career defining role, fills in the role of Miles, a failed author and husband, comfortably. With his hang-dog loser looks, he embodies every failing aspect of being middle aged. Jack, on the other hand, seems to have his pathetic dead-end life on a turnaround, with him getting married to a beautiful bride and standing to inherit his father-in-law's business.

Miles and Jack heads out for one last chance in their sorry lives to recapture their lost youth in typical "Animal House" college manner. With Miles as his reluctant accomplice, we see Jack lusting over a wine pourer (Sandra Oh) and Miles, pondering over Maya (Virginia Madsen in a comeback mode).

Ultimately, even though the focus early on is on Jack's hedonistic exploits, it is really about Miles, and his inner journey towards self-reflection and redemption.

Even though, the DVD looks great with its green slip cover, the special features were a little tad disappointing. Aside from the obligatory commentaries (which are quite funny!) and deleted scenes, the making-of-featurette does not shed any light. The picture transfer here is tip-top. The soft focused reflections of the California sunshine is perfectly captured in context of the copious amount of footage of wine drinking and grapes.
441082
Settle in with a bottle of wine and your significant other for a great date night movie. Although you will need to keep the tissue box handy.

My husband and I like this movie. It's sad in spots, but the overwhelming message it has is one of hope. Love at any age is beautiful.