Sigourney Weaver

Political Animals – The Woman Problem

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Political Animals – The Woman Problem
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Political Animals

At a private family dinner Elaine (Sigourney Weaver) announces to her mother (Ellen Burstyn) and sons that she intends to run against President Garcetti (Adrian Pasdar) in the next election. To help lay the foundation of his hush-hush campaign by getting the help of an old friend and pollster (Chris Ellis), Bud (Ciarán Hinds) sets out with Douglas (James Wolk) and T.J. (Sebastian Stan) under the guise of a fishing trip.

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Political Animals – Second Time Around

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  • Title: Political Animals – Second Time Around
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political-animals-second-time-around

Following up last week’s Pilot, Elaine (Sigourney Weaver) sends the former President of the United States, and her ex-husband (Ciarán Hinds), to negotiate the hostage crisis in Iran, a move the current President (Adrian Pasdar) isn’t all too thrilled with being bullied into making. Elaine allows Susan Berg (Carla Gugino) to make the trip as a member of the press as part of her exclusive on the First Lady, and although she doesn’t change her opinion of Bud, spending some time with him on the plane does make her continue to soften her stance on Elaine.

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Political Animals – Pilot

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  • Title: Political Animals – Pilot
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political-animals-pilot

USA Network’s new six-part mini-series stars Sigourney Weaver as Elaine Barrish, the current Secretary of State and former First Lady and Governor, who is dealing with the fallout of her recent divorce and failed Presidential bid, trying to keep her family together (and out of tabloids), and a pain-in-the-ass journalist (Carla Gugino) who has spent her career trying to undermine Elaine but might just become a valuable ally.

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Rampart

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  • Title: Rampart
  • IMDB: link

RampartWoody Harrelson stars as David Douglas Brown, a crooked cop forced to face up to his choices in the midst of the 1999 Rampart Scandal in which more than 70 Los Angeles police officers were implicated in the most widespread case of police misconduct in history.

The story is presented in the form of a character study of “Date Rape” Dave, a womanizing, bigoted bully who has daughters (Brie Larson, Sammy Boyarsky) from a pair of sisters (Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche) and is facing charges of police brutality and viciously beating a man who crashed into his police car on camera.

In need of help Dave recruits a retired cop (Ned Beatty) and old friend of his father’s who puts him onto a heist that only gets him in further trouble with the LAPD. His involvement also puts an investigator (Ice Cube) from the District Attorney’s office on his case.

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The Tale of Despereaux

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Tale of Despereaux
  • IMDB: link

If Dumbo were a mouse he might look like Despereaux.  Adapted from the Newberry Award winning children’s book by Kate DiCamillo our little hero, the bravest mouse in the world, takes a bit of a light-hearted and bloodless (don’t expect to see in mouse tails cut off here) jump to the big screen.  The result is a so-so movie which hints and teases at more than the animated action-adventure we receive, but never delivers.

“Reader, you must know that an interesting fate awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.”

There is a skill to adapting a book into a movie.  The rise and fall of action in a series of chapters often doesn’t translate directly to screen and the necessary beats of a feature film.

The Tale of Despereaux isn’t a bad film.  It’s got an all-star cast, sharp animation, and a lovable protagonist.  It also has too many characters, a convoluted plot, and a less than satisfying ending.

It’s 20+ minutes into the film before we even meet young Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a small mouse with a big heart who takes instantly the notion of chivalry.  Despereaux doesn’t fit into a society that wants mice to cower and run; he dreams of adventure, and even doodles drawings of cats.

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