http://melissagalt.com/reviews Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:43:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "Dan in Real Life" - Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, John Mahoney Finally, a feel good movie! While Carell will never have the depth and comic genius of Tom Hanks or Jim Carrey, his is sort of a reality version. His humor is less expected and less quirky. ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/dan-in-real-life/ "No Country for Old Men" - Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson This was more like no movie for the audience. And this won Oscars? The Coen Brothers have found their new ghoulish muse in Bardem, he is like a Vampirish version of Bandera, and needs a new ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/no-country-for-old-men/ "Vantage Point" - Matthew Fox, William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver This was Memento meets Ground Hog Day but not as mind twisting or as funny. I think I could have lived with 3-5 vantage points but felt more like 17 and that was too many. I actually left ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/vantage-point/ "The Brave One" - Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Nicky Katt, Naveen Andrews I struggled with this as I know Foster is capable of so much more depth. This felt like the tip of her iceberg. Her fiancé is killed and she is beaten to comatose by thugs in Central Park ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/the-brave-one/ "Eastern Promises" - Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl While I do enjoy Viggo, this sort of film, fraught with what I deem to be senseless violence, simply seems to be the most popular genre these days. The best part about this was the title and it held ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/eastern-promises/ "Martian Child" - John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Bobby Coleman For recently widowed celebrated scifi author (John Cusack) his path to finding his way back from grief and loneliness is to adopt a young boy (Bobby Coleman) who just doesn't fit in, determined to claim he is from Mars ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/martian-child/ The latest addition to restauranteurs Michel and Tonya Arnette's refreshing take on European style continental dining here in Atlanta; their first is my ever favorite Haven at the opposite end of the block. Valenza replaces the late night Mix, it was a bit young for my taste! This has the ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/valenza-atlanta-brookhaven-ga/ "Ratatouille" I have to say I didn't recognize the voices as anything special, but the movie was. A bit campy, and somewhat predictable but I am a sucker for happy endings. Fun because it involved such a collage of characters from old cartoons married with new ones, done in a style ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/ratatouille/ What a surprise behind a rather nondescript façade in a relatively uninhabited part of Piedmont Avenue, this opens to reveal exposed brick walls, stained concrete floors, and long gleaming wood bar, exotic cocktail opportunities, and two distinct dining areas. The first and most coveted is the lounge dining area complete ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/rare-atlanta-ga/ "No Reservations" - Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson This is a remake of a French film I had previously seen and loved. I do think the French did a better job, more character development and plot depth but then most American audiences prefer shallower film experiences and focus on ... http://melissagalt.com/reviews/no-reservations/