Little Fockers (Ben Stiller)

(Amazon UK link)

Six months ago we watched the film ‘Meet the Fockers’, which I found inexpensively in a local thrift store. We liked it so much that I ordered (second-hand) the first and third in the series when I was in the UK.  We watched ‘Meet the parents’ last week, and thought it excellent. So we were looking forward to seeing the final film in the trilogy, ‘Little Fockers’, yesterday evening. 

The main characters are the same as in the other two films, and the chemistry between them is as good as ever. Ben Stiller is excellent as Greg Focker, a nurse who has other responsibilities in his hospital. He’s married, now, to Pam (Teri Polo) and they have twins, Samantha and Henry, who are nearly five. Samantha is considerably taller than Henry. Apparently the actress (Daisy Tahan) was eight in 2010 when the film was made, while Colin Baiocchi, who played Henry, was a year younger. 

Marley and Me (Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson)

(Amazon UK link)

We’re enjoying a spate of re-watching DVDs we last saw six or seven years ago, some of which we had entirely forgotten. Last night we decided on the 2008 film ‘Marley and Me’, which promised to be ‘warm, funny and deeply moving’ according to the front of the box. We first saw this in 2014, and while I had a memory of a rather sad ending, neither of us had any recall of the story, or the characters.

The film features a young married couple called John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny Grogan (Jennifer Aniston). The chemistry between them is excellent, starting with a few shots right after their wedding, where we learn that Jenny is an organised, scheduled kind of person who sees her future life in a series of steps. John, by contrast, is quite laid back. Both of them work as writers for different newspapers, although it’s quickly evident that Jenny is being featured rather more than John is.

But John’s time comes when he’s offered a temporary slot with a personal column, and discovers he has quite a gift for this kind of thing. He’s a bit concerned that Jenny is getting broody… so he decides to buy her a dog for her birthday. Marley is a delightful, loving puppy… but very mischievous. He chews everything he finds, knocks people over, and is generally rambunctious and exhausting. And he keeps growing…

The story follows the Grogan family over the next twelve years or so, with some heartbreak, some major stresses and a great deal of happiness as the longed-for babies arrive and start to grow up. Marley is protective and loving of the children, but continues causing havoc wherever he goes. There are many amusing scenes which made us  laugh aloud: in particular one where he tries to jump out of a car window and almost succeeds…

But although there’s a lot of slapstick, there’s also some poignancy. Marley shows himself to be aware of people being upset, and despite his many faults - his family consider him the worst dog in the world - he’s very loving. We’re not ‘dog people’ but we found some parts quite moving, particularly the end. It’s foreshadowed a few times, and beautifully done, but could be upsetting to sensitive folk.

The rating is PG which is a tad surprising as there are quite a few innuendoes, a dog humping furniture, and a couple of scenes where, while nothing explicit is shown, it’s clear what is going on. There’s also a brief scene describing some violence relating to a neighbour, with a petrified, sobbing teenager; I’m not sure why that scene is in the film as it doesn’t seem to have any significance other than to prod John to consider moving.

The language is relatively mild although there are some profanities; but the scene at the end could be very upsetting to children with pets. I wouldn’t personally recommend this to anyone below the age of about twelve, and even then it would depend on the teenager in question.

However, from our point of view it was a great film, well made with a clever script and great acting. We very much appreciated the fact that John and Jenny were committed to each other long-term, despite several arguments and stressful periods in their marriage. It’s a positive message, one that is all too often absent in modern films.

There are a lot of extras on our DVD; we didn’t watch all of them, but were very interested to learn that there were 22 different dogs who played Marley, and to see some of the performances from the perspective of the dog trainers. Some of the deleted scenes added to the story, too and we weren’t entirely sure why they weren’t included, other than to cut the running time.

Definitely recommended for adults and teens if you like a somewhat different kind of character-based film, which was apparently based on a real life reporter and his dog, and if you don’t mind some very poignant scenes as well as the humour.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Wonder (Jacob Tremblay)

(Amazon UK link)

Sometimes, when I add something to my wishlist after an Amazon recommendation, it turns out to be a good choice. Sometimes acceptable, sometimes very good. And just occasionally we find a film that is outstanding. Based on a novel (which I had not heard of) ‘Wonder’ comes in the last category. It’s one of the best films we have seen for a long time.

I expect the film was recommended to me because I have given good ratings to other films with Julia Roberts in it. But it’s not Julia Roberts who stars in this. She plays an excellent supporting role as a mother of a child with severe facial disfigurement. But the child himself, Augie, is the star of this wonderful story. Played by the young Canadian actor Jacob Tremblay, Augie is a ten-year-old boy who was born with a severe genetic condition.

Over the years, we learn, Augie has been in hospital many times undergoing different surgeries. His sight and hearing have been restored, and a great deal of plastic surgery means that his face, while unusual, is not unpleasant or difficult to look at. He has been homeschooled so far, but his parents feel that he should go to ‘Middle School’ for fifth grade.

Augie finds his face embarrassing and usually goes about wearing a space helmet. But the school principal and staff do all they can to help him adjust. He is very bright, particularly gifted in science. But one boy in his year verbally bullies him, and at first Augie is either ignored or shunned. He finds his first few days miserable, but gradually children get to know the real person inside. He’s kind, helpful, and has a great sense of humour…

There are other stories in this film too. The second part of the film features Augie’s older sister Via (Izabela Vidovik). She’s a likeable girl who has evidently felt neglected, sometimes unloved, as her parents focus all their attention on her brother. She knows it’s not his fault, and she understands. She just wishes she could talk to her parents and spend time with them. Then her best friend stops speaking to her too, and life looks grim until she’s invited to the school drama club…

It’s a film about the importance of looking beyond appearance, about honesty and friendship, and about unconditional love. There are some very poignant moments as well as some amusing scenes; the pace is excellent and we found ourselves engrossed in the story, barely noticing Augie’s different appearance after the first few scenes. And towards the end I found myself moved to tears in an emotive conclusion to the film.

The acting is excellent; Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson make believable parents, and some of the most amusing exchanges are between Augie and his dad. The school staff, particularly the head and Augie’s form teacher, are entirely believable, and the classmates too in their reactions and behaviour.

The rating is PG, which seems about right to me. There are a couple of quite intense scenes with some fighting, although it’s fairly tame and nobody is seriously injured. There’s no ‘strong’ language, and no scenes of intimacy, though there are some childish slang terms and some kissing.

We were slightly disappointed that there was no 'extra' documentary about the making of the film; there was just one brief one about the music (something which was good, but we barely noticed it). However there are some short YouTube films available explaining - for instance - how Jacob Tremblay was made up each day to look like Augie.

All in all, we loved this film and would recommend it highly to anyone, including children of about eight or nine and upwards.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Midnight in Paris (Owen Wilson)

(Amazon UK link)

I had never heard of this film, and it’s not one that would naturally have been recommended to me. However I happened to read a review of it on a consumer site, and my interest was piqued. It went on my wish-list and I was delighted to be given it for a recent birthday. We decided to watch it last night simply because it was the shortest of the ones remaining in our to-be-watched drawer.

‘Midnight in Paris’ starts with some very nice scenery and some rather too loud jazzy music. I quite like jazz in its place, and when I thought this was going to be the background to opening titles, I didn’t mind it at all. But no titles appeared, and the music became louder as the images of Paris continued for much longer than we’d have expected as an opening sequence. We had to turn the sound down at one point as the high notes were almost screechingly loud.

Then the story starts. We meet an American family who are visiting Paris. The parents - caricatured materialistic types - are there for business. Their daughter Inez (Rachel McAdams) decided to tag along, as did her fiancé Gil (Owen Wilson). Right from the start they seem like an ill-matched pair. He’s evidently a romantic, who loves the nostalgic feel of Paris, and the beauty of the buildings. He wonders if they could live there after they’re married. But Inez doesn’t want to live anywhere other than the United States.

Gil is a successful Hollywood scriptwriter, and Inez appears to care more for his success and wealth than for him as a person. She’s rather scathing about his current project of writing a novel, although he’s easy-going and seems to brush off her negativity. Still, when she decides to go dancing with some old friends, he says he’d rather go for a walk, as Paris is so romantic at night. He manages to get himself lost, and sits down for a rest just before the clock strikes midnight…

...at which point an old-fashioned car arrives and he’s persuaded to get inside. The situation gradually becomes surreal, as he finds himself amongst people whose novels he has admired… apparently he’s gone back in time to the 1920s, an era he believes reflects the glories of literature. I thought this was supposed to be a dream sequence at first, but he repeats the experience the following day, meeting famous artists as well as writers, and a very attractive girl…

I had to accept that, essentially, it’s a semi-fantasy plot, which includes time travel but without any worries about the potential problems. Whether or not these forays into the past were a dream, or a subconscious wish, or reality (so to speak) is left open. But the contrast is made between Gil’s romantic nature and Inez’s materialistic side. As he becomes more inspired to write, given advice by people who care, and begins to fall for the girl in the 1920s, his relationship with Inez deteriorates rapidly. And thank goodness for that. Right from the start I was hoping they would break up.

There’s an underlying message or theme to the film: being contented with one’s own era, taking life as it comes, going with one’s heart. There’s some humour, nicely mixed in with the story; once or twice we even chuckled aloud. The scenery and filming are gorgeous, the costumes stunning, and despite the oddness of the storyline, I was left feeling both nostalgic and uplifted.

Rated 12; basically due to several sexual references, although there’s nothing explicit, no violence, and no nudity. Mild language. Unlikely to be of interest to anyone under the age of about fifteen or sixteen anyway; it’s necessary to know the names of at least some of the best-known artists and writers from the 1920s in order to get the point of the forays into the past.

Recommended, if you like character-driven stories that are light, slow moving and somewhat thought-provoking. It's only 90 minutes long, but quite intense; the length felt exactly right.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Marley and Me (Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston)

(Amazon UK link)

We saw this film in a charity shop for a couple of pounds, and thought it looked worth buying; we decided to watch it last night, wanting something light and undemanding.

'Marley and Me' is exactly that. There's no great plot in this film; essentially it's the story of a young couple (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston) who adopt puppy, who quickly turns into a rumbunctuous dog. Meanwhile, they go through some stressful times in their marriage as their family grows and they have to make important decisions about their careers.

And yet it's a very engaging story that captivated us from the start. The chemistry between the two main actors is strong, and the dog Marley an absolute delight. We're not 'dog people' - and even less inclined to be so after watching this! - but there are some very funny moments as well as some sad scenes, which are beautifully done. Had we been dog owners, we would probably have cried at the end; I admit only to feeling a tear or two pricking my eyelids.

Overall, I appreciated a story featuring a family who genuinely care for each other, who have good rapport and who stick together despite often difficult circumstances. Marley undoubtedly provided most of the humour (and some of the tension between his family) but it was essentially a story of growing love and loyalty between all the family members.

There's almost no bad language and no on-screen violence; however, there's one violent off-stage scene, several innuendoes and the beginnings of bedroom scenes. There is also more than one scene showing the dog 'humping' someone or something. There's nothing overt and no obvious nudity, but parents should take note of the "PG" rating - if you don't want a small child asking awkward questions, it might be worth avoiding. Having said that, under-12s would probably find it a bit dull, other than the Marley scenes. A sensitive dog-loving child could find the ending very traumatic.

There are lots of extras, which we thought well worth seeing. They include some great deleted scenes, some dog-training demonstrations, and much more.

Recommended if you want a light film that promotes positive family values.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews