"It never seems like enough." "Trust me. It's enough."

Evening - starring Claire Danes, Vanessa Redgrave, Toni Collette, Natasha Richardson, Hugh Dancy, Glenn Close and Meryl Streep. All of these lovely foreign actors forced to speak with American accents - kinda funny really.

This film is an adaptation of a book I have not read, but from watching the vignettes, I gathered the film heavily altered the book. So much so that they elevated an apparently rather minor character to a very high role. Claire Danes plays a younger version of Vanessa Redgrave, Ann. The older Ann is dying and her daughters, Nina and Constance, have gathered at her bedside. The film bleeds Ann's memories of attending the wedding of a friend where she meets her greatest love and regret with the present, where her daughters are taking stock of their own lives and that of their mother's. This movie at its essence seems to be about regret not really existing but in reality just believing in the choices that were made.

As with most films that try to balance competing storylines, something is missing and lost in this film. I found myself drawn into the youthful story of a wedding, unrequited love, affairs, and the beautiful color and vivaciousness of 50s. The present is full of so many unanswered questions and not enough is offered to make the viewer care about Ann's daughters. In fact not enough backstory is given to prop up the present. The past is much more lush.

Don't watch this expecting much and perhaps you will not be disappointed. (It was kind of neat watching mothers and daughter acting in the same film.) It was a fairly engaging movie but not a pressing one to view. Watch it on a rainy day on tv.

"Trick, was anybody talking to you?" "Trick?" "Yes, trick. As in slut, whore, tramp. You don't know your name?"

Why Did I Get Married - an ensemble film with Janet Jackson (Pam), Tyler Perry (Terry), Jill Scott (Sheila), Sharon Leal (Diane), Richard T. Jones (Mike), Malik Yoba (Gavin), Tasha Smith (Angie), Michael Jai White (Marcus), and Lamman Rucker (Sherriff Troy).

The film surrounds four couples and the stages of their marriages. The couples are successful African American friends who met in college. Pam is a therapist and noted author married to Gavin an architect. They are recovering from the death of their child. Terry is a pediatrician married to Diane a partner at a law firm. Terry wants to have another child and Diane is finally achieving the success at work she has always craved. Angie is a the owner of salon and best selling hair product line married to Marcus a former football player who works in Angie's salon. Angie is a bit of a lush and agitates Marcus to no end about the mother of his children. Marcus is a little brow beaten. Mike and Sheila are the final couple to round out our foursome. Mike is cheating on Sheila with one of her friends. Sheila has no self confidence because she is a larger woman and Mike ridicules her for being overweight.

The couples meet once a year to work on their marriages and remind themselves why they did in fact marry their spouses. This vacation many secrets are revealed and every marriage is tested for some reason or another. The movie follows each of the couples trials and tribulations as they try to work their way back to their partner.

I originally did not want to see this movie. I was getting tired of Tyler Perry putting his name on everything. But then the trailers came out again and I was drawn to the film. Plus I was trying to watch it in honor of Black History Month - but that did not work out. I enjoyed it. It has the requisite heart string pulling moments balanced with humor. This is a great movie about marriage, love, forgiveness and commitment. If you are a fan of ensemble pictures and looking for an accurate picture of marriage - rent it. You'll enjoy it.

Of course we communicate. Now can we not talk about it anymore?

Melinda and Melinda - Apparently, I am unknowingly attracted to Woody Allen films. This is film starring Will Ferrell, Amanda Peet, Chloe Sevigny and an unknown to me - Radha Mitchell.

The movie starts off with friends at dinner. One of the friends is a pessimist and views the world accordingly. Another friend sees humor in everything and is optimistic. A third friend then presents a situation to the two. The movie then proceeds according to each one's take on the same situation only slightly tweaked by each one's vision. The set up is a husband and wife are throwing a dinner party when Melinda (Radha Mitchell) shows up unexpectedly. The movie weaves the two views with sporadic touching base with the storytellers.

I liked the film. I especially liked the more humorous storyline but that is only because I love Will Ferrell. He is great as an out of work actor who is married to a director looking for funding. The more melancholic storyline is also appealing. The two storylines balanced each other out. It was fun seeing the same or similar ideas/plots being treated so differently. I think this is a worthwhile rent if you are a Woody Allen fan - because this like almost all his movies has his finger prints all of over it.