Arthur

April 12.

I can’t imagine a world where if I was a poor woman scraping money together to pay for a one bedroom apartment in Queens where I lived with my sick father and a billionaire offered me a million dollars as a sorry I lied to you I wouldn’t take it. I know we’re all supposed to pretend we are above money and that integrity is more important, but come on.

This wasn’t the only false part of the Russell Brand reboot of Arthur, but I have to admit, I didn’t hate it like I thought I was going to. It is too sad to really be a comedy and too silly to really be a drama but I found Brand and his nanny, played by Helen Mirren, to be a great team and enjoyed his antics and seeing some beautiful New York scenery.

I saw the original Dudley Moore version but I was a kid and don’t really remember it, actually maybe I only saw part two. Either way, I did think a few times that Brand was trying to imitate Moore, but then I found out that they are from the same area of England. So maybe they just sound the same when they are pretending to be drunk.

Rating: Like

Alice in Wonderland

March 20.

My expectations weren't really high for Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland." I wanted to like it, visually it looked amazing, but Burton has disappointed me before. Boba agreed to go even though I think she expected less than I did. We made our way to The Palms so we could see it in IMAX 3D and with no signs of Jimmy D, we settled in for what turned out to be an unnecessary sequel to the beloved story.

It was, as expected, visually interesting. But, I didn't like the back story given to any of the characters, and the Mad Hatter was the most depressing. The charm of Lewis Carroll's original is the nonsense of it all. This adaptation answered questions I didn't have and jumbled characters and scenes I always loved.

Johnny Depp and Burton have made some memorable movies together. But the last few years have been a letdown. Maybe they should take a break.

You've Got Mail

February 20.

"You've Got Mail" is one of those movies I always stop at when flipping channels. It represents a surreal New York that doesn't exist. It's all good weather and smart people living in beautiful, spacious apartments. Oh well, I still like it.

If you're an old movie fan check out the pre-email versions that I also liked. There is the 1940 version, "Shop Around the Corner," starring James Stewart, where two shop employees in Budapest who hate each other fall in love through anonymous letters. And the 1959 version, "In the Good Old Summertime," starring Judy Garland. The musical take on the story is set in turn-of-the-century America and follows the same formula: Man and woman hate each other but fall in love through letters.