Bottle Shock- A Harmonious Blend of Life

It is wonderful in my mind when you get to see Alan Rickman in a film where he gets to play a good guy. He is after all more well known for his bad boy performances in such cinematic classics as Robin Hood- Prince of Thieves and Diehard. But over the years Rickman has played a variety of serious and comedic roles, probably my two favorites are his portrayal of Colonel Brandon in Jane Austin's "Sense & Sensibility" and the beloved alien science officer/ actor Alexander Dane in " Galaxy Quest".

Alan delivers another brilliant performance in this true to life tale of two men, Steven Spurrier a British wine critic and sommelier in Paris, who travels to California's Napa Valley in 1976, and Jim Barrett the owner and vintner of the legendary Chateau Montelena vineyards, played by Bill Pullman . Pullman is another underated great actor who can bust a serious dramtic move, just as easily as he can do a comedy role. Together, they make this a charming and funny film.

Balancing out this dynamic duo is Chris Pine of recent "Star Trek" fame. He has a devilish smile and a layed back attitude towards things, that makes it hard not to like him as a person and as an actor. Chris takes on the role of Bo Barrett, Jim's son, who appears as a lazy irresponsible drifter, but turns out to be the impetus and driving force that keeps the vineyard from the brink of destruction. The relationship between father and son is well played out by the well turned in performances of Pike and Pullman, very convincing and very endearing.

The story is based on the true events when in 1976 Steven Spurrier invited 12 American Vineyards to participate in a blind wine tasting challenge against the top wine makers of France. In a shocking upset, the Americans took the top honors in two categories, which opened the doors and changed the world's impression that the French were the sole experts on winemaking.

Rounding out the cast are Freddie Rodriguez ( Six Feet Under) as Gustavo a mexican farm hand who has a wealth of experience and wine flowing in his veins, Rachel Taylor (Transformers) as the gorgeous intern that lends a helping hand to creating a legend, and one of my all time favorite character actors Dennis Farina who plays Maurice, Spurriers neighbor and aide de comp.

It is a definetely a must see, and if you are a wine enthusiast I recommend buying the DVD or at the very least checking out the extras. The offer up some great background about the Montelena Chateau vineyards, and a pretty extensive explanation of what goes into making a great wine.

It's a fun film, with great passion about a little vineyard on the brink of failure, that ended up making history!

Henry Poole Is Here - Swimming In Spirituality

This is a sleeping giant of a film, that deserves a giant wake up call. It has the potential to launch a few rising stars and revive the careers of some cinematic veterans.

Luke Wilson, who has the good looks and acting chops to be a leading man, hasn't really had the opportunity to shine in many of his roles. But in this film directed by Mark Pellington ( Arlington Road, Mothman Prophecies) Wilson is given the center stage spotlight. Henry Poole (Wilson) is a man troubled by news that he is about to die.

As sort of personal gesture to himself, Henry decides to return to the neighborhood where he grew up, in order to put his personal affairs in order before he departs. His plan was to buy the house he grew up in, but must settle for a neighboring house down the street. Which becomes the blessing and bane of his remaining life. Shortly after moving in, the realtor has a wall outside his home re-stuccoed, and a rather remarkable phenomenon occurs soon after in the form of a water stain.

A nosey, neurotic and very spiritually misguided neighbor Esperanza played by Adrianna Barraza, discovers the stain in the stucco and becomes convinced it is the face of God. She begins a crusade to convince Henry it is a miracle and a sign from God. Henry wants nothing to do with God, miracles or his wall being turned into a shrine. Thus becomes the basis for this spiritual divided plot.

Sort of poised in the middle of this ecclesiatical conflict are two characters, a level headed priest played by George Lopez and Henry's next door neighbor ( Radha Mitchell) whose daughter is withdrawn into herself, and unwilling to speak a word to anyone.

These characters one by one slowly draw Henry out and force him to at least accept the fact that faith can be a powerful thing. The more he resists the more the miraculous and unexplainable seem to plague him and force him to see the light.

It is a very profound and touching film, and Luke Wilson delivers a rather heartfelt performance. As does the rest of the cast. George Lopez is starting to reinvent himself as an actor, and I am certain this film will do for him and Luke Wilson , what Pulp Fiction did for John Travolta and Samuel Jackson.

But the most surprising performance comes from the little girl Millie played by Morgan Lily. It is amazing how a young actor such as Morgan can deliver such powerful performances at such a young age. But I see great things in her future, and I would predict she is someone Hollywood will be keeping a close eye on.

And to balance this stirring film out is yet another killer soundtrack, including the memorable song "On an Ocean" by Lisa Gerrard, which was featured in Ridley Scott's epic " Gladiator". I would recommend renting this and at the very least buying the soundtrack. It is a very light hearted and moving film.

Little Hero, Big Surprise!

This is a fantastic film, directed by Andrew Stanton ( Finding Nemo, Monster's Inc.) He hits another one out of the park with this brilliant and so loveable tale, of a post apocalyptic service bot WALL-E ( Waste, Allocation, Lift, Loader- Earth Class) who discovers the first signs of life on Earth, other than his beloved pet coachroach!

But more than this, it is a love tale between the charming WALL-E and EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) a robot who is sent to earth to scan for lifeforms. Which is ironic since she seems quite bent on shooting anything that moves and asking questions later. And yet the two make a very cute couple!

The great thing about this film besides the oustanding animation and effects, is the endless string of jokes and gags strewn about the film. I find the more you watch it, the more you discover. I have seen this a bunch of times, and I find that you always seem to catch something you missed before.

The android characters are all fully animated in their expressions, it is amazing how much the animators are able to convey with simple gestures and movements. Brilliantly done. The film takes you from the lonely desolation that is WALL-E's world, to the outer reaches of outer space to hook up with the AXIOM the life support vessel that contains the remaining human population. The ship is Captained by the funny and talented Jeff Garlin who has pretty much the biggest speaking part in the film. Another small homage and gag is the ship's computer, the voice is supplied by the lovely and talented Sigourney Weaver. ( A humourous homage to her role in Galaxy Quest.) Another classic Disney film.

This is a must own on DVD, besides having the opportunity to watch this classic Pixar film over and over, there are some incredible extras in the Special Features. Including extended scenes and an animated short featuring another WALL-E cast member BURN-E.

Overall, the film is filled with stunning imagery, funny homages to other great films and Pop Culture icons, great laughs, and a feel good love story between two droids! It's a "can't miss" classic!