LAST VEGAS

I didn't expect much from this movie. We just wanted some light entertainment and a few laughs. and that's what we got; a VERY few laughs.

It could have been so much funnier because the jokes in the beginning of the movie about aging and Billy's (michael douglas) penchant for young women and his attempts at looking young,  were chuckle worthy. but it fell off the humor wagon soon after that.

The story is simple; 4 childhood friends now all in their 70's or soon to be get together for a bachelor party in Vegas. The friends are Douglas, and De Niro and Morgan Freeman and Klein; all good actors. and they all have their issues associated with  getting older.

The one i liked the most and seemed most believable to me was the part played by Morgan Freeman (who did NOT act wise or stentorian in this film and he did NOT do a narrative voice over - thank god!). He had had a small stroke, was loved by his son and his family but they were too protective of him and he felt like a small child and the vegas party led to a discussion with his son about the freedom he needed to make his own health and life choices.

The most ridiculous one was the "we loved the same woman" theme played out very clumsily between De Niro and Douglas.

We both gave this film a 5.

LAST GAME NIGHT FOR AWHILE

 the start of the potluck feast with Nancy (in the back holding multiple plates), Matt, Jim (with his goofy lovable grin) and Kelly (rabid Ravens fan).

 This is Sara one of the 2 hostesses with the mostest.

 and on the couch is the other hostess, Megan. and Judith is the lady with the frenchified and feisty purple scarf. The cat on the couch has 3 legs; lost one to a barbed wire fence.

 around the joyful gathering we have (starting with bottom left), Carol, Nancy, Matt, me, Kelly, Mary, Jim, Bill and Pat.

 me having my usual size portion of one of Jim's excellent desserts; this time it was a German chocolate cake.

Deadly serious Farkle dice game with feline help.

THE BOOK THIEF

This was a good movie about life  in Germany during Adolf Hitler's reign and it focused on the German citizens and their life with the forced conscription, the philosophical indoctrinations and the bombings which meant long hours in a bomb shelter.


It was also the story of Liesel, a young girl who was foster parented by Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush. When she started living with them, she couldn't read but that changed under the gentle and encouraging guidance of her papa.

It was very well acted and had some great poignant moments but all in all it was an idealized and a tad too 'clean' and spruced up movie. Even the scenes of watching a jew being taken from his home and beaten seemed sanitized and the town though reeking of poverty still seemed like a cute garbage free touristy village. There was a fellow schoolmate of Liesel's who was very much into the hitler beliefs and he bullied both her and her friend but that also seemed not quite real; there wasn't a feeling of tense violence.

However, it was an interesting story and kept me entertained throughout. It was too long and the ending (which took you through the deaths of her foster parents and her life after the Americans rode into town) was too pat and melodramatic in its attempts to be kleenix worthy. We gave it a 7.