Rental Movie Review - Little Black Book ***1/2

Little Black Book (2004)
Directed: Nick Hurran
Written: Melissa Carter
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Main Cast:
Brittany Murphy .... Stacy
Holly Hunter .... Barb
Kathy Bates .... Kippie Kann
Ron Livingston .... Derek
Julianne Nicholson .... Joyce

I just watched Little Black Book and I must say I really enjoyed seeing it. I like Brittany Murphy, yes I'll admit to that. She just seems to have the fun free spirit that reflects on camera. I had seen the trailers but figured it to be just another romance comedy chick flick, so I waited for it to come out on DVD. This wasn't the case, I think men would really enjoy seeing this movie as well. It has a nice twist and pace that can be appreciated by both sexes. What guy hasn't had a snooping girl friend look through his stuff?

Oops, I really don't want to give away any details this time for this movie. Don't read anything about it! Don't even read the little paragraph behind the rental box, just watch it. If you really must just read the plot line below. The movie is light but entertaining. Like many films, most of what you see can't really happen in real life. Don't expect a factual story to tie up the loose ends. For instance, I'm not sold on Ron Livingston for the Derek character. He performs well, but a better casting call would have fit for someone who dated very beautiful professional women. The point is I had fun watching this movie, and I hope you will too. Tell me if you agree after watching it.

Plot Summary - courtesy of the Internet Movie Database
Stacy Holt (Murphy), an associate producer for a daytime talk show, is confounded by her boyfriend Derek's (Livingston) unwillingness to talk about his previous relationships. Egged on by her co-worker Barb (Hunter), Stacy sneaks a look at his Palm Pilot, scores the names and numbers of his exes, and sets up interviews with them -- all in an effort to get closer to her man. Her plan starts to unravel, however, when she becomes friends with one of the women.
Summary written by IMDb Editors

Movie Review - Ocean's Twelve ***

Ocean's Twelve (2004)
Directed: Steven Soderbergh
Writen: George Nolfi & George Clayton Johnson, Jack Golden Russell(characters)
Genre: Action / Comedy / Crime
Main Cast:
Brad Pitt .... Rusty Ryan
Catherine Zeta-Jones .... Isabel Lahiri
George Clooney .... Danny Ocean
Julia Roberts .... Tess Ocean
Andy Garcia .... Terry Benedict
Casey Affleck .... Virgil Malloy
Bernie Mac .... Frank Catton
Don Cheadle .... Basher Tarr
Matt Damon .... Linus Caldwell

I have been too lazy and busy to post the reviews from some of the movies I went to see. I like writing these for my own benefit. It's fun to come back and see what I thought of the movies. I tend to forget plot lines, cast members, and general tidbits and putting them into writing helps me remember. Lets see I went to see this movie like three weeks ago my memory of it is already limited. Here's what I do remember from it:

It's true what they say... You can tell the cast of Ocean's Twelve had fun while filming the movie. The camaraderie and chemistry is visible all through out. Sadly the story wasn't as entertaining. Beyond unbelievable it felt forced. There wasn't enough time and plot to support giving 'airplay' to the entire cast. Needless to say the first movie was better. Even the original with the original rat pack was better. Another rumor that was true was how Julia Roberts looked. Her eyes gave her pregnancy away, she looked exhausted. Anyway that part is irrelevant to the movie. The movie itself wasn't all that bad. How can you not want to watch it when Brad Pitt, Matt Damon & George Clooney are in it? I loved seeing the different parts of Europe that they went to, and some scenes were really funny. Overall this was an average movie, still worth seeing.

Plot Summary - courtesy of the Internet Movie Database
Set three years after "Ocean's 11," this sequel shows us Danny Ocean gathering up his complete gang of con artists and thieves from the first film in New York City before they all jet off to Amsterdam, Rome, and Paris to pull off three seperate heists. All the while, the boys must deal with increasing pressure from a very mad Terry Benedict, a dedicated Europol agent with a link to Rusty's past, and a mysterious French rival known as the "Night Fox." Will Ocean's crew reach their full potential and become the greatest thieves the world has ever known, or will they fall victim to Benedict's revenge? All bets are off.
Summary written by Ken Stauffer