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A few months ago, I had the great pleasure of reading Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones' Diary." I loved the humor, but was wary as to how well it would translate to the screen. Last night, I got a chance to go to a sneak preview of the film...it fulfilled all my hopes for what the film *should* be. It does prove to be a departure from the novel, but I feel it stays true to what BJD is all about.

Zellweger, Grant, and Firth were phenomenal...they embodied their characters, really making them come to life. I was impressed with Zellweger's accent...I would have never guessed that she was a Texan. Her comedic timing was impeccable, adding to the believability of Ms. Jones. :) Bridget has got to be one of the most truly accessible heroines out there...she's flawed, but that doesn't matter. Her humanity is what makes her great.

Colin Firth was fantastic. He really made the audience believe that a stuffed shirt like Mark Darcy could really fall in love with a quirky girl like Bridget. Considering that Helen Fielding has often commented that her inspiration for Mark Darcy was Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in A&E's Pride and Prejudice (1995), it's no wonder that I couldn't imagine another actor in that role.

Austen fans, be sure to watch for the parallels between BJD and P&P...even some of the camera angles in Bridget Jones Diary echo scenes in the Pride & Prejudice mini-series.

I know this has already been said in other reviews, but it's so true...the audience was laughing so hard during the movie that I did miss occasional bits of dialogue. Bottom line, this is a witty film, with great dialogue, and a nice message...you don't need to a be a supermodel to find love...there can be someone out there who'll like you just the way you are.

I got a chance to see a sneak preview of Josie & the Pussycats this past week. I really didn't have many expectations for this film...all I was looking for was a fun movie that wouldn't make me cringe (too much.) Well, without hesitation I can say this movie totally blew me away. It was by far one of the funniest movies I've seen in a LONG time. Sure, it was campy, but it garnered genuine and consistent laughs from the audience. It's been a long time since I've seen a movie with such energy and well-balanced pacing.

All three actresses were fantastic as the Pussycats, staying very true to their comic book/tv characters. Rachel Leigh Cook was an excellent choice for Josie...she adds a poignancy to the role that was completely unexpected. As you can imagine, there is the usual romantic subplot, but Cook gives it an honesty and sweetness that saved it from becoming a cliche. Rosario Dawson also did a wonderful job of humanizing Val, portraying her as a strong yet insecure woman. Tara Reid had the hardest part of all. How do you portray a ditzy character so that it doesn't degenerate into a one-note gag? Answer: Make the character endearing. Reid did a wonderful job at making Melody's sappy optimism and absent-mindedness absolutely adorable. In less capable hands, some of the gags would have fallen flat...but they got me smiling, and even laughing.

The soundtrack utterly rocks...the last teen movie I can think of with a soundtrack that was so well matched to the visuals was "Clueless." Songs that could have been just filler really added to the overall energy and appeal of the film. The music style was more "hard rock" than the original TV series, but they managed to get the theme song in there somewhere, so I was happy. :) At the screening I went to, people actually danced in the aisles during the end credits...not something I see every day. ^_^

The script is phenomenal, filled with many in-jokes and great timely references. What's most amazing is that Josie & the Pussycats is a movie with something to say, yet it got its message across in a witty and entertaining way while avoiding being too preachy.

I can honestly say Josie & The Pussycats is one of the best TV-to-Film adaptations I've ever seen--very enjoyable for fans of the old series, but remaining accessible for those who weren't.

The premise of "The Family Man" was certainly not original. Nicholas Cage plays "Jack Campbell," a successful business man who, thirteen years ago, chose to further his career rather than marry his college love. Thinking he is content with his present state of success, he miraculously is given a "glimpse" of what life could have been like for him had he chosen differently. The only way a movie like this can work is if it grabs your heart and doesn't let go. After seeing the sneak preview last night, I can honestly say it delivered. The acting was superb all around. Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni had amazing chemistry on the screen. Their emotions seemed genuine, and very believable. I think this is one of Tea Leoni's best roles. I've always admired her acting, but some of the productions she'd been involved with in the past didn't show her talent and emotional range as this movie was able to. The little actress who portrayed the Campbell's daughter Annie(I think her name is Mackenzie Vega) was an awesome casting choice...some of the best moments in the film are her interactions with Nicholas Cage. Her character is precocious, but not obnoxious. Who would have thought that the director of Rush Hour could direct a movie like this? I think Brett Ratner is going to blow a lot of people away with this one...he can definitely direct a lot more than just action comedies and music videos!!!

Basically, if you're looking for a great holiday picture with a lot of heart, then The Family Man is a MUST SEE!

The original Thorn Birds mini series was one of the most passionate and vibrant works to ever grace the small screen. A sequel is already a gamble due to the high expectations involved. The first step in the wrong direction was not casting Rachel Ward as Meggie...what were they thinking? Although the new actress can deliver her lines, she'll never match the chemistry that Ward/Chamberlain had in the original. I might have forgiven the absence of Ward if the script remained true to the original, but it certainly didn't. Not only did the majority of the situations completely disregard what was put forth in the novel, but they also turned what was rare and beautiful into a soap opera fiasco. In short, it should not have been attempted in the first place. Read the book or watch the original...avoid watching this one!

I am a huge fan of both Jimmy Stewart and Carole Lombard. However, attempting to get through a viewing of "Made for Each Other" made me cringe. The dialogue was superficial, the characters lifeless, and the situations drab and depressing. It seemed that the movie was going for a realistic portrayal of a couple in their first years of matrimony, but it failed miserably in this attempt. Although Stewart and Lombard are both talented actors, at no point during the picture did I ever really *CARE* about what happened to John and Jane Mason. Not only was the script flat and uninventive, but it never really showed what would make the couple fall in love in the first place. Furthermore, the "dramatic" turn of events toward the end of the movie were so cliched, they would easily lend themselves toward derisive laughter rather than tears. Frankly, this wouldn't even make a good "movie of the week."

Running for a little over an hour, "She Done Him Wrong" is penalized by the fact that it does not have the time to fully develop its characters. The plot could have been very deep and complex, but let many opportunities fall to the wayside due to the rushed pace. Allusions to promiscuity and white slavery were surprising for a movie of its day, but were not utilized to their fullest potential. Most of the characters are one-note. Even Cary Grant's performance as Captain Cummings seemed restrained, as if he was holding back. The only character that seemed to have any decent dialogue to speak of was Lady Lou, portrayed by Mae West. Mae did an incredible job delivering her lines...sultry, intelligent and very, very smooth. This movie provides Mae with some of her most quotable lines...probably this is one of the best reasons for seeing it. I wouldn't say this film is wholly without merit, but certainly left a lot to be desired.

I've probably seen every incarnation of Pride and Prejudice that has graced both silver screen and small, and this has got to be the most faithful and vivid adaptation to date. The cinematography of this version puts to shame the attempts made in a previous BBC production starring Elizabeth Garvie. In addition, the script was FANTASTIC!! It kept a good pace while retaining a great deal of the dialogue verbatim from the novel. I particularly noticed that the script did an excellent job of taking out some of the more awkward lines without noticeably introducing a 90s sensibility into a 19th century story. In some productions, the minor characters seem to all blend together. However, in this production, they have done a great job of making even the most minor characters distinct. Jennifer Ehle is one of the driving forces behind this adaptation...she brings the character of Elizabeth Bennet to life. I've read the book several times, and I believe she has really captured the passion and the spirit that Jane Austen intended. Colin Firth also did an extraordinary job as Mr. Darcy. In the previous adaptation by the BBC, Fitzwilliam Darcy was a very 2-dimensional character. However, Firth does an excellent job of fleshing out his character, especially considering how seldom Darcy speaks! His presence was so powerful that it communicated a lot of the emotions of the character without appearing excessively stoic. One of the greatest love stories in literature has finally found a mini-series that has done it justice. In many of my experiences with adapted works, I've seen that they typically fall into 3 categories: those who take the basic storyline and change almost everything, those who take the storyline and create a lifeless "book report", and those who take a story and infuse it with a little style and a lot of passion and make it come alive. After watching this take on Pride and Prejudice, I'm sure you won't question where it belongs.