In dreams, there are hopes, expectations, and anticipation.  The anticipation keeps the excitement alive, just as it did for Jay Gatsby who awaited the reunion with his love, Daisy Buchanan.  And just as it did for me as I waited more than six months for the release of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.  But what happens after the dream is realized?  Do we not sometimes discover the dream was better than the reality?    Just as Gatsby’s reality with Daisy did not turn out as expected, my reality with the film did not live up to all I hoped and dreamed.  Maybe I expected too much; maybe Luhrmann…

For Nicholas Sparks, success is an understatement.  With sixteen books on the New York Times Bestseller list, eight film adaptations from his novels, a supernatural television show set to debut on ABC, and a recently acquired production company, Sparks is building a media empire.  Unfortunately, director Lasse Hallstrom’s work in "Safe Haven" will only help to bring that empire down.   The story is set in Southport, N.C.  Katie (Julianne Hough) discovers the small town while escaping from her abusive husband (David Lyons). Meanwhile, Alex (Josh Duhamel), the local store owner and recent …

It’s not about politics.  It’s not about racism.  And it definitely is not about justice for all.  Zero Dark Thirty is about one thing - a man hunt - and that man is Osama bin Laden.  Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) successfully took nearly a decade of research and whittled it down to give viewers, in my opinion, an authentic portrayal of the greatest man hunt in American history.    The film wastes no time in getting to the nitty-gritty.  Opening in Pakistan at a Black Site, Dan (Jason Clarke), a CIA agent, introduces Maya (Jessica Chastain), a newly …

I left the midnight showing of Les Miserables feeling like Fantine, played by Anne Hathaway, when she sings a particular line in the movie. “I dreamed a dream in time gone by, when hopes were high and life worth living.”  My hopes were high when I entered the theater and the Oscar hype was worth living, but it proved to be just a dream as I walked out disappointed and unfulfilled.  Based on Victor Hugo’s novel set in 19th century France, former prisoner Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) turns his life around for the good despite having policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) on his tail for breaking …

Inventor and organic chemist Andy Brewster (Seth Rogen) embarks on an eight-day journey that could change his life.  Traveling cross country, he hopes to sell his eco-friendly cleaning product to various vendors.  Before taking his trek, however, he visits his widowed mother, Joyce (Barbra Streisand), and invites her to come along.  The question left unanswered in the previews is, why? Prior to leaving for his trip, Joyce shares with Andy that she once loved a man named Andrew Margolis.  When she realized he would not commit, she married Andy’s father.  However, to keep her fond memories of …

I was an Anna Karenina virgin.  I walked into the theater knowing two things: One, the film was based on a classic novel by Leo Tolstoy.  And two, the book was over 800 pages long and took place in 19th century Russia.  I dreaded the film, I dreaded my decision to write a review on it, and I thought I was about to watch something straight out of PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre.  I was mistaken on all accounts.    For other Karenina virgins like myself, the main story revolves around a young, aristocratic woman named Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) who falls in love and begins an affair with the …

“Sex.  Betrayal.  Scandal.  Make yourself at home.”  That is the tag line on "The Oranges" film poster.  What it should read is, “Kiss.  Hug.  Makeup. If affairs were this easy, everyone would be having one.”  I expected a serious, true-to-life indie about relationships and family. "The Oranges" is nothing more than a Hollywood comedy with sub-par acting and a story line laden with humor that completely overshadows the serious issues in the film. The Wallings and Ostroffs have been living next door to one another for several years in suburban New Jersey on, wait for it, Orange Drive.  When 24…