Soul mates Paige (Rachel McAdams – The Notebook) and Leo (Channing Tatum – Dear John) are leaving the Music Box Theater in Chicago on a beautiful snowy night. While stopped in their car they are struck from behind by a truck. Paige having taken off her seat belt a few seconds earlier is sent flying through the windshield…..shown in extreme slow motion.

Flash back four years to the beginning of their relationship. It’s love at first sight. It’s a very sweet and loving courtship. He is so in love with her and very thoughtful; suffering from a cold he surprises her with a box full of “feel better” gifts while she’s working, through the window you see Leo standing in the rain watching her open it. You can feel how in love they are and what a perfect relationship they share.  After a whirl wind romance they get married at the Art Institute of Chicago surrounded by all of their friends.

Now back in the present, Paige wakes from a drug induced coma not remembering her husband Leo, their life together, or anything that has happened in the last five years. Paige remembers her life before Leo, she thinks she is still in law school, still living in her parent’s home, and still engaged to Jeremy (Scott Speedman) her ex fiancé. Devastated Leo tries to help Paige remember their life together. After not communicating with her family for the last five years, her mother (Jessica Lange) and father (Sam Neill) come to the hospital and want to bring Paige back to their home, back to her life before, and only having these memories she is more comfortable with them than her own husband.

Even despite all his efforts Leo can not help Paige to remember their life together or that her parents do not want them to remain married, or even that her ex fiancé is a jerk and wants her back, Leo vows to make her fall in love with him again!

Paige discovers a dark family secret that everyone kept from her. Her friends and family act like those five years never happened. They picked life back up from the day she left them. Her creepy fiancé also wants to continue their relationship as if the five years had not gone by. I wanted to say hey can some one tell this girl what has happened these last five years, not just bits and pieces. Does this girl not have real friends?  Can no one help her besides Leo to remember her life?

McAdams gave a great performance, actually playing the part of two characters. I really liked the pre head trauma Paige, she is a fun, free spirited artist, and a loving person, but once she becomes the person she used to be, the person she was before Leo. I found myself not liking her so much. Tatum also gave a good performance; you see a softer, loving side of him. Tatum made me feel what he was going through; he had me rooting for him to win her back. You can truly feel his love for Paige.  McAdams and Tatum’s onscreen chemistry was palpable.

At first I didn’t like the ending of this movie, but the more I thought about it I understood it better. It doesn’t give you the “And they lived happily ever after” ending, it gives you the hope that they may live happily ever after.

I don’t expect to see this movie to win any major awards (like a leg lamp), but for a sweet love story, it will be your ticket to a romantic holiday.

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Inez:  You’re in love with a fantasy.

As I tend to be fairly thorough, I may as well point out that I am going to spoil the premise of this film, which is barely hinted at in the ads for it.  Owen Wilson stars as Gil, a successful, self-proclaimed Hollywood hack, hoping to write his first novel and establish himself in a setting he has been striving towards since he first became a writer.  Gil is currently spending a vacation in Paris, with his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her parents (Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy).  While Inez and the others are simply happy to be visiting Paris, Gil is much more smitten with the city and would love to be more a part of the place he admires so much.  Gil and Inez are eventually joined in their journeys by Paul (Michael Sheen), Inez’s former professor, who specializes in acting as a, “pseudo-intellectual,” as Gil refers to him, going on and on about all the sights he takes the two on, regardless of the errors pointed out to him.

And now I am really going to spoil the main premise; one night, Gil opts to walk around the streets of Paris while Inez decides to go dancing with Paul.  Arriving on the steps of a church, as the clock strikes midnight, an old limousine arrives, with the people inside insisting that Gil join them.  He does, only to realize that he is now in the presence of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston and Alison Pill).  The limousine arrives at its destination, which is revealed to be a 1920s setting in Paris that is filled with a number of famous figures from the era.  Gil has apparently slid through time to the very period that he wishes he could be a part of.  I will avoid spoiling any more of the details regarding Gil’s leap through time, but suffice it to say that the plot follows the mold of Woody Allen films, especially as it introduces the beautiful Adriana, played by Marion Cotillard, who is currently dating a certain abstract painter.  Gil has certainly found a place of peace, which will happily aid in his writing, but how attached should he become?

Simply in acknowledging the details of this film more and more, I find it to be truly marvelous.  Midnight in Paris is a wonderfully enjoyable film that manages to incorporate tons of literary and artistic references without ever feeling like the film is playing its subject matter and humor too inside for all audiences.  This is certainly not a stuffy film, but it is quite clever in the way it has Gil interact and acknowledge a number of famous figures from this time period.  The present day aspect of this movie is great as well, playing out like many of Allen’s past films.  Honestly, I would say that this is slowly climbing the ranks among my favorite Allen films the more and more I think about it.  It at least suggests that Allen can still comfortably slip into the mode of writing films similar to ones from decades past.

The cast is great.  Filling in the shoes of a Woody Allen-type character, it would seem that Owen Wilson eases right into them.  His style of delivery and unassuming nonchalance lends itself perfectly into what this type of character should be and how to speak Allen’s type of dialogue.  Cotillard is in the role that will most likely receive much acclaim, which is unsurprising, given the way that her presence can light up a room, while also suggest much more in the way she acts.  I do not quite want to reveal the roles of many of the other actors involved in the fantasy aspect of this story, but they include Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, and my favorite, Corey Stoll as a certain masculine author.  On the present side, McAdams is solid in the role of Inez, a woman that can’t quite figure out why her fiancée can’t seem happy and accepting of his success.  Then you have Michael Sheen, who (between this and a guest stint on 30 Rock) seems to be easily channeling the role of the respectable weasel.

To properly describe the tone of this film, it would be easy to place it near an Allen film like The Purple Rose of Cairo, except this film removes the pathos and better establishes a sense of inner discovery for its characters.  The film is quite humorous and functions well as a fantasy comedy.  I would only love to go on more in a different, more open conversation about how wonderfully interesting the layers of the fantastical element in this film can actually be.  There is a great amount of creative energy that must have gone into the writing of this movie, which has easily been a benefit for it.

I must finally point out how great of a production this film is.  Never working off of a large budget, Woody Allen continues to make very good looking film regardless.  Continuing his globetrotting, which has placed his last several films in various countries, Allen now brings his eye to Paris, which looks great here.  Without being too obvious with his shots of places like the Eiffel Tower and Versailles, the film is wonderfully cinematic, as well as playful with the standard use of jazz music throughout.  Darius Khondji, who has worked with Allen and many other well-known directors, does a lot of great things in this film to make its look match the quality of the picture.

Yep, getting a thousand words in, I have basically decided that a lot of very good films need to come out this year in order to have me fill a list that accompanies Midnight in Paris as one of the best films of the year.  The film is funny, clever, and full of charm; the actors are all quite good; and the fantastical element brings a lot of spark to an already entertaining film.  Woody Allen is one of the most prolific filmmakers currently working and this latest feature only adds another great piece of work to his very expansive filmography.

Inez:  What are you doing so dressed up?

Gil:  I was just doing a little writing.

Inez:  You dress up and put on cologne to write?

Gil:  You know how I think better in the shower and get the positive ions going in there.

Colleen Peck:  Excuse me, who’s going to say “good bye”?

Becky Fuller:  Oh, well that doesn’t really matter.  Mike, do you mind if Colleen says “good bye”?

Mike Pomeroy:  Well who do you think the public would rather hear from last?  Someone who’s one every broadcast award on the face of the planet, or the former Ms. Pecoima?

Colleen Peck:  It’s Arizona!

McAdams stars as aspiring news producer Becky Fuller.  Becky has just lost her job as producer for a small morning show in New Jersey.  After putting her resume out there for the other big cities to see, one of the network bosses at IBS (yep, this film went there), Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum), hires Becky as an executive producer for the failing morning show DayBreak, based in Manhattan.  DayBreak features host Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) and a revolving door of co-anchors, along with a crew who all do what they can, but have not yielded good ratings for the network.  Being the optimist that she is, Becky is looking to shake things up by tackling the show’s problems head-on.  Her first big decision, bring in a new anchor.

Cue Harrison Ford.  Ford stars as Mike Pomeroy, a veteran news anchor, who has won every TV news award possible and has quite the career behind him.  Currently he is coasting by on a contract, but Becky manages to twist his arm and bring him aboard the show as co-anchor.  However, Pomeroy does not buy into today’s “popular” news stories, and refuses to really become involved with anything that he does not deem important (basically Ford plays a big grouchy-pants).  This of course clashes with Colleen’s way of doing things, which basically means she has to smile her way through everything, while battling with Pomeroy off camera.  Becky has a lot to do if she is going to save this show, but at least she has a new admirer in the form of the handsome newsman upstairs, played by Patrick Wilson.

Adam Bennet:  Congratulations, you just hired the third worst person in the world.  So now is a good time for you to take up drinking.

Becky Fuller:  Who are the other two worst people in the world?

Adam Bennet:  Oh, Kim Jong-Il and Angela Lansbury.  She knows what she did.

It is always nice to see Ford on the big screen.  Regardless of how unengaged he has seemed as of lately, he still has a natural screen presence that speaks to the massive amount of charm he can still bring.  In this film, Ford actually does seem quite comfortable.  He is nothing but a curmudgeon throughout, but he does it very well, and gets all of the film’s best lines.  Keaton is fun too, although she is pretty much on the sidelines for most of the movie.  The best work easily comes from McAdams, who does everything that a role like this requires.  Becky is a career woman, looking to be great at what she does and works hard for the money, so hard for the money.  McAdams has the right kind of chops that imbue the character with charm, spunk, and enthusiasm, but never overplays the role.  I was also surprised to see how much of a gifted physical comedian she is.  And of course, she is very easy on the eyes.

The film’s story is okay.  It was scripted by Aline Brosh McKenna, who previously wrote The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses, among other similar titles.  The film certainly does not try to examine its subject matter too closely.  This is no Network or Broadcast News, nor is it silly (or as hilarious) as Anchorman.  No, this is actually a mix of buddy comedy and romantic comedy.  The relationship between Becky and Mike is the heart of this film, which is hammered on way too hard come the end of this film, but is still all the sweeter for it.  You then also have the subplot involving Becky’s love live with Wilson’s character, but that is pretty much filler for those needing that romantic comedy portion to better ease all of Ford’s grumpiness.

Mike Pomeroy:  I’m not saying the word “fluffy”.

Getting back to how I started off, I don’t know if it was Abrams or director Roger Michell who is responsible, but the film surprised me from a technical standpoint.  I was engaged throughout because the film is fairly well handled, pacing-wise, but strong on conveying a sense of style, keeping me visually engaged.  This is an element that clearly stood out to me enough to base a lot of my praise around, and it probably will not be acknowledged by many who see this film, but I find it true nonetheless.

So this film is just fine for many reasons.  It is well made.  All of the actors rise to the occasion and do good work here.  The lead performance by Rachel McAdams is particularly noteworthy, as is the relationship between her and Ford.  The plot falls into a lot of familiar ground, but the film still gets by based on its simple charm and nicely handled humor.  And now for the weather.

Colleen Peck:  I suppose you don’t think I have standards.

Mike Pomeroy:  Sure you do.  When you got your pap smear on air, you wore a silk robe.  Classy touch.

Film 

Even if I used terms such as clever, bright, ingenious, adept, cunning, discerning, quick-witted, resourceful, shrewd, versatile and keen, I could never come close to describing the attributes of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes.  And to think, I once thought the television character MacGyver was the most brilliant and quick thinking man I ever known.  That all quickly changed the moment my wide-eyed baby blues affixed themselves, many months ago, to the big screen debut of Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the legendary Scotland Yard detective Sherlock Holmes, and the many debacles and inconceivable situations he narrowly escapes. 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional character of Sherlock Holmes first appeared in publication circa the late nineteenth century.  Holmes is most famous for his sharp intellectual skills and his acute use of observation, quick deductions and forensic science skills to solve what many believe to be unexplainable cases.  If you witnessed what I did on Monday night, then you know there’s arguably no case or mystery that Sherlock can’t solve.  He’s a master of disguise, proficient in weapons and martial arts, adept in making quick and precise deductions, prevalent in anatomy and chemistry, experienced with the women, a skilled musician and much more.  Those are actually just a few of the traits that define the qualities found within Sherlock Holmes and I am elated to report that Guy Ritchie’s vision and Robert Downey Jr.’s incarnation of the famous detective nailed those with precision and accuracy. 

Of course, that’s not to say that Robert did not have any onscreen help with his titular role.  There’s also a co-star by the name of Jude Law I would like to talk about.  Maybe you heard of him before?  The onscreen marriage/chemistry of Robert’s Holmes and Law’s Dr. Watson was a union formed with more impeccability than Match.com could ever promise to deliver for a slight nominal fee.  The film also stars Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, the only woman who apparently has ever got the best of Holmes, Kelly Reilly who plays Watson’s love interest and finally Mark Strong who plays the duo’s nemesis Lord Blackwood.   

The film is set in the late nineteenth century and simply put; it revolves around the plight of Holmes and Watson who are trying to stop evil Lord Blackwood from taking control over Britain.  It is billed as an action-adventure mystery.  Take note of the first word I used, “action.”  There is plenty of action to go around as sometimes I felt like I was watching a Jerry Bruckheimer Pirates film instead of the sleuth mystery film I was expecting.  Initially, it was a much welcome surprise as I was a wee bit apprehensive that the movie might be a bit on the dull side.  Much to my chagrin, I got my prominent dose of action right from the explosive beginning.  I was amazed at how the film starts like a pack of racehorses stampeding right out of the gates acting instinctively to the firing of the pistol.  In my opinion, this is exactly how the second Transformers film should have began.  But let’s face it; even heavy intense scenes of crowd-pleasing action don’t always consist of the essential ingredients necessary for a good film.  Despite the film’s ravaging opening, Robert’s usual charismatic onscreen charm and the duo dream team made in movie heaven the feature managed to fizzle out in the beginning of act two and although I cannot point my finger at exactly what went wrong, Ritchie did successfully manage to pull me back in later on.  

After seeing this film theatrically, I went home and immediately brushed up on my Sherlock Holmes knowledge/folklore and I must admit that in my opinion, Guy Ritchie’s vision and representation of the fictional character remained faithful to the short stories and novelizations of centuries ago.  Guy, Robert and Jude painted a picture perfect canvas with their conceptualization of the nineteenth century world of Sherlock Holmes as they successfully deployed the necessary mix of comedic elements, action sequences and forensic investigations that made Holmes so popular in literary culture.  So why is it that I am still struggling to find that perfect equilibrium in my mind and shout with emphatic applause that this is a must-see film on Blu-ray?  Well, it’s probably because it isn’t, but I’m still not going to audaciously admit it. 

While the action could be combustible at times, like the scene with the multiple long drawn out explosions our heroes encountered while pursuing what they thought was a perished Lord Blackwood, I enjoyed the thrill ride nonetheless.  The comedic antics, references and humor lent themselves well to once again accurately depicting the fictional character of Holmes.  Even the inclusion of the numerous fight scenes I felt set the record straight that Sherlock is a master of human anatomy and mixed martial arts.  I mean take a look at the guy.  One would never believe the opponents he is able to successfully take down just by using his quick-witted deductive logic that quickly calculates the necessary strikes.  I am truly jealous that I don’t possess that power.  I have never been a fan of Rachel McAdams so I can candidly admit to her part being a bit miscast, as the age difference between her and Robert are immediately distinguishable and painfully obvious.  It’s pretty evident that Rachel’s character served little reason other than to set the movie up for a potential sequel with Sherlock’s true arch nemesis.  Fans of the fictional works will immediately know whom I am referring to.  He needs no introduction, but don’t worry…his name will be spoken several times throughout in case you can’t make that deduction quite yet. 

I guess what bothered me in my theatrical viewing still plagues me now.  I just can’t get past the fact that nothing gets past Sherlock Holmes.  If you are watching the film and you find yourself confused as I was in segments, don’t worry, everything is logically deduced, explained and played out within that brilliant mind of Holmes.  Ironically, I think that is what gave me instant satisfaction.   All my questions were answered before I even walked out of the theater.  I unequivocally wanted to fall in love with this film the first time I saw it and I also purposely held off on writing my best of 2009 until seeing this.  Had it not been for the brilliant matchmaking of Jude and Robert, then I probably would not be so generous with my sentiments here.  Long story short, you are going to want to give Sherlock Holmes a try.  But just don’t take my word for it.  Instead, let’s take a closer look at the Blu-ray disc’s vitals and find out why this release is damn near perfect.

Video 

During my Blu-ray screening I looked high and low and I could not find anything wrong with the 1.85:1 framed print.  So I guess you are probably asking why did it not get a perfect score?  Well it was the palette of colors that were used that knocked the score down ever slightly a notch.  Before you shout ignorance at me, first let me explain.  I did not feel right giving the video a perfect score when there are so many vivid Blu-ray titles out there that exemplify the best that the young format has to offer.  The color palette here, for lack of a better term, is dull.  The brightest thing about it was a vibrant red dress worn by Rachel McAdams.  It’s just me nitpicking, but I have a right to do so.  I am the reviewer here.  Everything else in this 1080p VC-1 encode is stunning.  There are no artifacts, no video noise and no blemishes to be found.  Believe me.  I looked.  Sharpness, clarity and textures were in abundance, although darker in appearance due to Ritchie’s artistic licensing of making the film look authentic like 19^th century London supposedly would have looked like.  You can’t fault the guy for doing so.  Black levels and contrast were exceptional.  This one should’ve been awarded a 5, but I’m sorry, I would have liked to see a bit more color to award it a score amongst Blu-ray’s best.  The video snob will now move onto the audio section (insert smile).

Audio 

Again, I am faced with the same dilemma I encountered in the section above.  The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track here is also exceptional, much like the video presentation, but I did have one minor problem.  It was not as bad as it was during my theatrical experience, but I don’t know what it is.  I can’t grasp why I have a hard time either understanding or hearing the dialogue at times.  In film class we are told to keep dialog transactions as short as possible, but the opposite is true here.  In addition to the bombastic bass and action scenes, this is a very wordy feature.  You need to pay close attention to every spoken word.  Sometimes, despite how hard I tried to concentrate, this was a hard feat to accomplish.  With that minor gripe out of the way, everything else is perfect.  The action scenes are in your face and engrossing all around you (all the sudden the Flyleaf song lands upon my brain’s frontal lobe).  There was one scene in particular that was so radical.  Yes, I said radical.  It is my mission in life to bring that word back to everyone’s vernacular (insert smile again).    The scene took place in a dockside slaughterhouse where are three heroes are inside and Lord Blackwood’s voice is echoing throughout the room.  The rear speakers were in full rage during that scene.  And, oh yeah!  I briefly mentioned the bass before.  Let’s just say after the first five minutes I had to turn my system down slightly.  Wow!  I thought the dog was going to go deaf.  I even offered for her to sit up on the couch with me, but she chose to stay on the carpeted floor, which felt like an earthquake pulsing throughout the film’s 128-minute runtime.  Poor puppy.

Special Features 

Here’s a treat we can never expect 100% of the time on the Blu-ray format.  All the special features, with the exception of the included Frisbee disc (the DVD and Digital Copy) are in glorious High Definition.  Halleluiah!  Now that the small talk is out of the way, let’s play sleuth and investigate every detail of all the special features that can be found exclusively on the Sherlock Holmes Blu-ray release. 

• DVD & Digital Copy – Let’s get the rough parts over with so we can move on to the real reason why we are here.  Blu-ray!  Yep.  You guessed it.  New to 2010 is the Warner BD/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack and this is one of them!
• Maximum Movie Mode – Director Guy Ritchie delves into the world of Sherlock Holmes while you watch the movie.  It includes a Picture-in-Picture track, storyboard comparisons, still galleries, focus points and a timeline.  All the focus points can also be accessed independently off the main special features menu.
• Sherlock Holmes: Reinvented – Here you can see how Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. brought to life the legendary sleuth.  Robert Downey Jr. also gives us an inside look at how he prepared for the role.  This is well worth a watch in my opinion.  It’s one of those moments that should be experienced right after watching the feature film.
• BD-Live – There are also exclusive features that are accessible via a BD-Live Internet connected Blu-ray player.

Final Thoughts 

I emphatically encourage longtime fans and readers to check this Blu-ray release out and see how you think it matches contemporary views with historical homage to the preceding bodies of work from centuries ago.  I want to warn newcomers unfamiliar with the legacy and fictional pieces related to all things Sherlock Holmes to proceed with caution.  I am plausibly confident in my belief that not everyone is going to walk away from the Sherlock Holmes Blu-ray release as an instant fan.  Perhaps it may ultimately take another viewing or some logical thinking to figure out why it appealed to you.  Although once you figured it out, then you are ready for another serving of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes.  I believe that Sherlock Holmes belongs in everyone’s Blu-ray collection for the following reasons:

• The cast
• The performances
• The exquisite and detailed set pieces
• The high octane bombastic action sequences
• The impeccable near perfect audio and video presentations
• A Hi-Def special features package that will keep you busy for hours

Do you need any other reasons to add Sherlock Holmes to your Blu-ray collection?  If so, then message me below in the comments package.  If you are already sold, then click below to pre-order your Blu-ray today!

 Available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and for Download on 3/30!

Film 

The premise of the story is certainly a unique and interesting one.  The film contains obvious science fiction aspects, but also a strong love story with neither being the mainstay of the movie’s content.  Both of these structure the Traveler’s delivery in the one-hour, forty-seven-minute runtime.  Bana plays Henry DeTamble, a normal-looking man with a very abnormal ability.  DeTamble has the uncanny knack of moving back and forth through time, often against his will.  While such an occurrence may sound plain silly, it is a rather ‘un-silly’ reason why Henry does what he does.  Believe me when I say you need to watch the film for the explanation. 

Enter Clare Abershire (McAdams), the seemingly star-struck woman who is somewhere between shock and head over heels upon her ‘first’ encounter with DeTamble, her eventual husband.  Fast forward a bit and we discover that though the two share a distinctly strong bond, Clare understandably loses patience over time with her husband’s sudden disappearances as he is transported to another time and place with an unknown hour or day of return.  Both Bana and McAdams are quite proficient in their roles though their chemistry and that of the story’s does not truly surface until Traveler’s halfway mark. 

In all honesty, this movie was a tedious and almost suffering experience during the first 50 minutes.  It just lumbered on with a disintegrating Henry DeTamble dropping his clothes around every corner while Clare seemed borderline superfan to Bana’s character.  You must be patient with this film.  I see now why several critics and cinema patrons gave up on this one.  But, just as a football game doesn’t stop at three quarters of play, The Time Traveler’s Wife does not cease at 50 minutes.  The story begins to take a more definitive shape while foreshadowing abounds after surpassing the middle point.  It is only then that you get to begin working with something more substantial as a viewer.  When it’s all over, you’ll be glad you sat tight for the film’s complete story to play out for your senses.

Video 

One could not ask for a more crisp, clear viewing of this story as its palette is a beautifully vibrant one in the VC-1 encode.  This picture is a fine example of 1080p resolution producing such minute details as every beard whisker and skin pore upon the actors’ faces, while the aspect ratio of 2.35:1 soundly carries the picture on your television.  Grain is kept at absolute minimal levels, even in low light shots, which is an unexpected but appreciated high point.

Audio 

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing sound experience, you would do yourself a favor by not putting The Time Traveler’s Wife high on your ‘must hear’ list.  This track is front-heavy with only the occasional, although pleasantly surprising, rear speaker sound.  As is the case with just about any dialogue-driven movie, those speakers behind you just do not get much of a workout (and by dialogue-driven I’m referring to the non-action, non-musical productions that do not utilize your audible arsenal).  Your subwoofer will lie pretty dormant in these kinds of films as well.  There is nothing wrong with the disc, it’s just the nature of the beast in this case.  Still, it leaves the viewer hoping for something more.  In the end, however, you will find the dialogue quality to be quite clear and fulfilling.

Special Features 

There’s good news and bad news here.  The good news is all the features on this disc are in 1080i high definition!  The bad news is there are only two extras.  Nevertheless, for those two extras, there is a decent amount of substance in both time and content.

• An Unconventional Love Story – This featurette contains several short discussions with the director, producers and actors from The Time Traveler’s Wife regarding their points of view on the script, the story’s flow, and filming various scenes (25:55).
• The Time Traveler’s Wife – Love Beyond Words:  Actors Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, as well as screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin and director Robert Schwentke talk about the story’s transition from novel to movie (21:06).

Final Thoughts 

In the end, The Time Traveler’s Wife was a decent film.  It just had some difficulty getting off the ground early on.  Looking back on those first 50 minutes, you will notice some ‘where is this going’ footage, sure, but also some content that does strongly tie in to the latter half of the film.  The originality of the story definitely separates this movie from the pack as far as others in the love story genre are concerned.  It may leave you scratching your head in bewilderment at times and checking your watch at others, yet in the end, you may just find a few ‘ah-ha’ moments scattered throughout.  

Pre-order The Time Traveler’s Wife on Blu-ray today!

Synopsis: Lose yourself in timeless love with this gloriously romantic story of the journey of two hearts. Artist Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams of The Notebook) shares a deep emotional bond with Henry De Tamble (Eric Bana of The Other Boleyn Girl), a handsome librarian who travels involuntarily through time. Knowing they can be separated without warning, Clare and Henry treasure the moments they have together, imbuing them with the yearning and passion of two people imprisoned by time?and set free by love. Based on the #1 bestseller, The Time Traveler’s Wife weaves together destiny and devotion, past and future to turn an extraordinary love into an extraordinary love story.

Visit the official website and check out the video clip below!

Pre-order The Time Traveler’s Wife on Blu-ray today!

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional character of Sherlock Holmes first appeared in publication circa the late nineteenth century.  Holmes is most famous for his sharp intellectual skills and his acute use of observation, quick deductions and forensic science skills to solve what many believe to be unexplainable cases.  If you witnessed what I did on Monday night, then you know there’s arguably no case or mystery that Sherlock can’t solve.  He’s a master of disguise, proficient in weapons and martial arts, adept in making quick and precise deductions, prevalent in anatomy and chemistry, experienced with the women, a skilled musician and much more.  Those are actually just a few of the traits that define the qualities found within Sherlock Holmes and I am elated to report that Guy Ritchie’s vision and Robert Downey Jr.’ incarnation of the famous detective nailed those with precision and accuracy. 

Of course, that’s not to say that Robert did not have any onscreen help with his titular role.  There’s also a co-star by the name of Jude Law I would like to talk about.  Maybe you heard of him before?  The onscreen marriage/chemistry of Robert’s Holmes and Law’s Dr. Watson was union formed with more impeccability than Match.com could ever promise to deliver for a slight nominal fee.  The film also stars Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, the only woman who apparently has ever got the best of Holmes, Kelly Reilly who plays Watson’s love interest and finally Mark Strong who plays the duo’s nemesis Lord Blackwood.   

The film is set in the late nineteenth century and simply put; it revolves around the plight of Holmes and Watson who are trying to stop evil Lord Blackwood from taking control over Britain.  It is billed as an action-adventure mystery.  Take note of the first word I used, “action.”  There is plenty of action to go around as sometimes I felt like I was watching a Jerry Bruckheimer Pirates film instead of the sleuth mystery film I was expecting.  It was a much welcome surprise as I was a wee bit apprehensive that the movie might be a bit on the dull side.  Much to my chagrin, I got my prominent dose of action right from the explosive beginning.  I was amazed how the film just started like a pack of race horses stampeding right out of the gates acting instinctively to the firing of the pistol.  In my opinion, this is exactly how the second Transformers film should have started.  But let’s face it, even heavy intense scenes of crowd-pleasing action don’t always consist of the essential ingredients necessary for a good film.  Despite the film’s ravaging opening, Robert’s usual charismatic onscreen charm and the duo dream team made in movie heaven the feature managed to fizzle out in the beginning of act two and although I cannot point my finger at exactly what went wrong, Ritchie did successfully manage to pull me back in. 

After the viewing I went home and immediately brushed up on my Sherlock Holmes knowledge/folklore and I must admit that in my opinion, Guy Ritchie’s vision and representation of the fictional character remained faithful to the short stories and novelizations of centuries ago.  Guy, Robert and Jude painted a picture perfect canvas with their conceptualization of the nineteenth century world of Sherlock Holmes as they successfully deployed the necessary mix of comedic elements, action sequences and forensic investigations that made Holmes so popular in literary culture.  So why is it that I am still struggling to find that perfect equilibrium in my mind and shout with emphatic applause that this is a must-see?  Well, it’s probably because it isn’t. 

I emphatically encourage longtime fans and readers to check the film out and see how you think it matches contemporary views with historical homage to the preceding bodies of work from centuries ago.  I want to warn newcomers unfamiliar with the legacy and fictional pieces related to all things Sherlock Holmes to proceed with caution.  If you are under the false impression that this is the too good to be true Christmas season blockbuster film, then I will warn you now and tell you that your film is a couple theaters down in a theater marked by the title Avatar.  I am confident in my belief that not everyone is going to walk away from Sherlock Holmes as a day one fan.  It may ultimately take another viewing or some logical thinking to figure out why it appealed to you.  Luckily for me, I did enjoy myself and I look forward to revisiting it one day again in the future, just not anytime soon.  It is what I would classify as a movie that I was happy to have checked out on the big screen, but will patiently be waiting until I can score a good deal on the eventual Blu-ray release. 

While the action could be combustible at times like the scene with the multiple long drawn out explosions our heroes encountered while pursuing what they thought was a perished Lord Blackwood, I enjoyed the thrill ride nonetheless.  The comedic antics, references and humor lent themselves well to accurately depicting the fictional character of Holmes.  Even the inclusion of the numerous fight scenes I felt set the record straight that Sherlock is a master of human anatomy and mixed martial arts.  I mean take a look at the guy.  One would never believe the opponents he is able to successfully take down just by using his quick-witted deductive logic that quickly calculates the necessary strikes.  I am truly jealous that I don’t possess that power.  I have never been a fan of Rachel McAdams so I can candidly admit to her part being a bit miscast as the age difference between her and Robert are immediately distinguishable and painfully obvious.  They must really be anticipating box office success with this vehicle as Rachel’s character served little reason other than to set the movie up for a potential sequel with Sherlock’s true arch nemesis.  Fans of the fictional works will immediately know who I am talking about here.  He needs no introduction, but don’t worry…his name will be spoken several times throughout in case you can’t make that deduction quite yet. 

I guess where I am hung up is that I just can’t get past the fact that nothing gets past Sherlock Holmes.  If you are watching the film and you find yourself confused as I was in segments, don’t worry, everything is logically deduced, explained and played out within that brilliant mind of Holmes.  Ironically, I think that is what gave me instant satisfaction.   All my questions were answered before I even walked out of the theater.  It’s not going to beat out Avatar for this holiday season’s number one box office spot, but it should finish second.  I unequivocally wanted to fall in love with this film and I purposely held off on writing my best of 2009 until seeing this, but had it not been for the matchmaking of Jude and Robert, then I probably would not be so generous with my final grade of a B-.  Give Sherlock Holmes a try if you are feeling adventurous. 

It goes without saying that Robert Downey Jr. is one of the most dedicated actors working today.  Whether he’s a “the dude playin’ the dude, disguised as another dude,” or the unlikely choice of a lead in the blockbuster Iron Man, which exceeded most everyone’s imaginations, the man is now a movie star.  Therefore, it only made sense that both he and one of the more respected directors of the past decades would eventually cross paths.  The duo was able to help bring to screen one of the quirkiest characters seen since the likes of a Wes Anderson Tenenbaum.  However, it’s a shame their dedication towards Holmes’s character didn’t translate with the story’s narrative.  In 2008, Ritchie’s most recent film RocknRolla was released, one of the more underrated action/comedy films of the last few years, so, naturally, when news first broke about the pairing of Downey Jr. and Ritchie, intrigue and excitement were abounded. 

First off, the positives: RDJ knocks it out of the park.  He’s the shining light in this otherwise muddled affair.  It can be said that he has not chosen a bad role since 2005’s severely overlooked Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, save his choice of The Soloist.  Sure, his accent may be a little off, and his speech is often mumbled, but it’s his comedic timing and charm that shine through.  Intimate moments that seem to be overlooked as he examines a crime scene come back later at crucial moments to play a larger role in the narrative, in traditional Ritchie style.

Perhaps the most surprising role in the film was that of Jude Law.  By now, audiences are used to his womanizing, leading man roles.  Law was wise to take a step back from this style and play sidekick for this adventure.  His efforts did not go unnoticed, as his chemistry with Downey Jr. was absolutely superb.  Going in, it felt as if he might be the weakest link in the mix; however, it is only Law’s character of Dr. John Watson that is fully fleshed out during the movie.   The same cannot be said about the two antagonists, Mark Strong’s Lord Blackwood, and Rachel McAdams’s ever-conniving Irene Adler.

Strong was unfairly left out of much of the film.  After his role in Ritchie’s RocknRolla, expectations for the man’s career were heightened.  It was a shame to see his character limited to work in the shadows, when he is capable of commanding more screen time.  He has all the magnetism and charisma of a George Clooney or ­­­­­­­­a Brad Pitt.

The weakest part of this film was Adler, played by Rachel McAdams.  McAdams is not a terrible actress by any means; sure she hasn’t had the best of roles, but that can’t be held against her.  Here, however, her Adler character does absolutely nothing to advance the film’s narrative.  Her purpose is to serve as a semi-love interest for Holmes, but ultimate role is to set up Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’s grand nemesis.  Of course, this setup will only be worthwhile if the film garners enough praise and revenue to warrant a sequel.

Acting aside, it is Guy Ritchie who seems to have let this film get away from him.  Half the time he wants to beckon to prior films like Snatch, but his strengths have always resided in a contemporary setting.  RocknRolla looked vividly stunning with modern day London as a backdrop, and made it seem as if there was no other city on in the world that could compare.  But when it comes to period pieces, it just seems like a genre Ritchie should stay clear from, at least for now.  One can empathize with his desire to try something new, but it just didn’t click for him this time.

In all, Sherlock Holmes is not the worst movie in theaters right now by any means.  But it also is not a film that has lived up to the talent levels of those involved.  A valiant effort, yet one that falls short.

Miramax has made plans to release the Mike Judge comedy Extract on Blu-ray December 22nd.  Extract features comedic performances from Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, J.K. Simmons and Ben Affleck.  Iheard good things about this one!

In shocking news, don’t know if you consider this good or bad, Troma Entertainment has decided to go “Blu” in 2010 by releasing a new Blu-ray title every month.  Here’s hoping we see The Toxic Avenger on the Blu-ray format in the near future!

Summit Entertainment has announced that they will be bringing The Hurt Locker to the Blu-ray format on January 12th.  I can’t say I know too much about this one.

This last bit of news was from Friday, but sadly we never got around to posting it until now.  Warner Brothers/New Line Cinema has set a February 9th Blu-ray release date for the Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana drama The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Pre-order your Blu-rays today with Amazon’s pre-order price guarantee and know that 1% of your purchase will go directly to making a difference in the life of a child at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To pre-order any Blu-ray mentioned in the above news article just click on the movie title link.