Alias - The Complete Fifth Season (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Final Season / The Last Stand
By the time the fifth season of `Alias' came onto the airwaves, the fans knew something was up: Jennifer Garner had suddenly become a box-office actress (and a soon-to-be mother), J.J. Abrams had his hands full with `Lost' and `Mission Impossible 3,' and the series was finally starting to show signs of its age (which included a rather large dip in the ratings), and it came to no surprise really when Abrams and Garner jointly announced that the show would not return pass its May Finale.
Despite the fact that the show now had an expiration date (and the episode order was cut from 23 to 17), Garner and company seemed to get really into these last episodes, giving them everything they had and actually brought the quality back to the early years. Early in the season the regular cast went through a large overhale, getting rid of two older characters and bringing in four fresh-faced rookies... And with the new cast (and the storyline of Sidney growing up and becoming a mother) brought some much needed new blood into the series.
In the form of a plot this final year focus's mainly on Syndey Bristow growing up and learning about all the responsibility's that come with life. She was thrown a heavy and heart-wrenching curve in the first season, and throughout the entire season she feels the repercussions from it, realizing that she is not invincible, she isn't as young as she used to be, and that her actions affect more people than just herself. So Sydney kinda moves into a mentoring position training and working with two new members to APO, and essentially passing the reigns off to them (it was mentioned that if the show had gone to a sixth season, Garner would have left the show and these characters would have become the main focus).
Since this is a final season, that means that included is not only the series finale, but the 100th episode as well. With only 17 episodes, the 100th episode was the fifth from the last and essientially served as a `reboot' for the series taking the story from the first 12 episodes and bringing it into the home stretch... especially by bringing back old foes and friends including Sark, Anna, Will, and a few other 'surprise' returns... while the final 4 episode successfully tied up 99% of the loose ends left throughout the series, by the final episode the audience was still left a little confused, but I think in a good way, because if this show proved anything it was that nobody really understands what is going on in their own life.
Season five, while not as strong as the first two season's is definitely a step-above the third and fourth seasons, and highly recommended. Note also that on the same day a "complete series" set will be coming out, so if you don't have any of the episodes, that might be the way to go...

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Studio: Buena Vista Home VideoRelease Date: 12/26/2008

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Juno (Single-Disc Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Teenage pregnancy is frequently a starting point for myriad philosophical arguments: some see it as a major problem, some see it as an argument for the need of early teaching of contraceptive technique and sex education, some see it as a reason for championing abortion, and some see it as a piece of life that confronts families in both positive and negative ways. JUNO is a beautifully written (Diablo Cody) and directed (Jason Reitman) version of unplanned pregnancy offered by a splendid ensemble cast: it is a movie that could modify the sociologic outlook of many people in a very strong fashion.
Juno (Ellen Page) is sixteen and talks her best friend Bleek (Michael Cera) into having sex: the result is a surprise pregnancy that Juno shares with her girlfriend Leah (Olivia Thirley) and the store clerk Rollo (Rainn Wilson) even before informing Bleek, a likable kid who seems fairly flat about the situation. After discarding abortion as a viable solution, Juno informs her father (JK Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) of her status, and tells them she is going to complete the pregnancy and give the baby to some loving and needy barren couple. Her parents are at first flustered by the news, but quickly become supportive in a way that tells us many things about the durability of successful families. With Leah's help, Juno answers an ad for 'wanted: baby' in PennySaver and visits the Lorings (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who desperately want a child and embrace Juno's gesture of adoption with eager excitement. The remainder of the film follows Juno as her abdomen increases in girth, finding new respect for her parents and for Bleek, and inadvertently walking in the troubled waters of the Loring's marital discord. Without giving the story away, the ending is so tender and free of cliché that it allows us, the audience, to appreciate all the vigor and sensitivity and humor and warmth of Juno - an example of developing maturity that is a fresh breeze compared to the usual teenage movies.
Ellen Page does indeed deliver a pitch perfect performance, but her co-stars are equally fine: Simmons and Janney break away from their usual type cast roles brilliantly, and the other members of the cast (the entire cast) flesh out this well written story with great skill. The mixture of animated graphics and the imaginative musical score enhance the flavor of the tale. JUNO offers an unbiased look at the topic of teenage pregnancy and wins on every level. Grady Harp, April 08

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Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she's faced with an unplanned pregnancy-and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby. With the help of her charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera), supportive dad (J.K Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney), Juno sets her sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) longing to adopt their first child.

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The Invention of Lying (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved this movie. It's sweet, and funny and really quite brilliant. It is about an imaginary world where no one can lie (and no one has ever been able to lie), and what happens to the very human, but kind-hearted man who first becomes able to. Though his intentions are mostly altruistic (remember, I also said he is very human, so he also does things to benefit himself), he inadvertently causes some big problems in his world. It's all very funny and sweet.
Yes, there are some strong references to the idea that religion is completely made-up, for the purpose of comforting people and calming their fears of death. For someone who can actually *think* about religion, instead of being a knee-jerk reactionary or dogmatic follower, it provides some terrific things to think about.
If your religious faith is so frail that it cannot stand the idea of a fictional story in which someone makes up religion in order to make the world a better place for the people they care about, then I'd have to say that you don't have much in the way of actual faith to begin with.

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Catch and Release (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Gray (Jennifer Garner) thought that she and her fiance Grady would be getting married this weekend, but instead she's attending his funeral. Already destroyed at the loss of what could have been, she's devastated to learn that Grady had a secret life that he kept from her including a million dollar estate and a toddler love child. When the mother of said child comes looking for Grady, she must confront the past in order to have a future. Juliette Lewis gives her all as the slightly trampy quasi-Earth mother.
As Gray comes to terms with his betrayal, she turns to his roommates for solace and a place to stay since she can no longer afford the house they were renting. Through this quasi-extended family, she discovers the Grady she never knew, as well as the Gray that she is now becoming, and finds herself getting closer to his lothario friend Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), as friends Sam and Dennis also experience difficulty dealing with the loss of their friend.
Writer/director Susannah Grant, best known as the scribe behind "Erin Brokovich" and "In Her Shoes," has created a poignant story of love, loss, and forgiveness. Kevin Smith shows a serious side as well as provides comic relief as Sam, the inspirational comment writer (okay, typist) for "Constant Comment Teas." Veteran British actress Fiona Shaw, hysterical as the horny headmistress of the tony boarding school in "Three Men and a Little Lady," dons an American accent and gives a heartwarming performance of a mother who just wants her son back. And Juliette Lewis is a bit chiched in the role of flighty masseuse Maureen, who apparently doesn't own a pair of flat shoes.
Though some might find the romance between Gray and Fritz develop a little too quickly, I thought it was handled tastefully given the love-hate relationship between them and how thin the line between the two can be (though the ending was a bit rushed). Missing from the film was Grady himself - a couple flashbacks with him would have added depth to the relationship between Gray and Grady and given us a chance to find out what made him such a touchstone for the five lead characters.
The disc's special features are minimal - just lots of movie trailers and commentary - nothing to write home about.

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