Recent Films IV

Millions - Director Danny Boyle gets about as far away from his Trainspotting and 28 Days Later as you can imagine in this magical half-fantasy about two young brothers in Liverpool who literally have a fortune drop into their laps during the Christmas season. Requires a very large dose of suspension of disbelief, but well worth it. My money says that it'll become a holiday classic in the tradition of It's A Wonderful Life, at least in the UK.

The Upside Of Anger - Kevin Costner is the male Meg Ryan; in the right roles (baseball player, cowboy) he can be great, in the wrong ones (bodyguard, postman, Robin Hood, Waterworld Guy) he's awful. Here he's a retired baseball player who has a radio talk show and spends the other 20 hours a day sucking on a longneck. He finds a kindred spirit in Joan Allen, who's also in her cups because her husband, she suspects, has run off to Sweden with his secretary and left her with four daughters to raise. The two of them make a perfect match (note: not a perfect couple) and hit all the right notes. Who knew that writer/director Mike Binder - previously responsible for the horrific HBO series The Mind Of The Married Man - had it in him? Yes, the ending is a bit daft, but by then the film has built up so much good will that you probaby won't mind.