Movie: From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler (1995) - Starring Lauren Bacall

The adaptation of E.L. Koinsburg's book of the same name, From the the mixed up files of Basil .E. Frankweiler, is an entertaining story of two precocious children running away from home and getting a new look at life. The movie is directed by Marcus Cole and stars Lauren Bacall as Mrs Frankweiler, Jean Marie Barnwell as Claudia and Jesse Lee Soffer as Jamie. The movie made for television was released in 1995 and also had a older version which released in 1973 staring Ingrid Bergman. The book penned by the great E.L Koinsburg is the winner of the Newbury medal for the best in children's literature.
Claudia, a spunky 11 year old feels neglected in a family of three and decides to run away. After weighing options she settles on the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art as the destination. She also enlists the support and savings of Jamie, her younger brother. Now Jamie has a steady head and is renowned for his frugality / money management practices. So all set, the pair draw out well etched plans and “escape” from home. They reach the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and soon blend in with the endless stream of visitors and make the bath room their hideaway.



Soon the routine sets in as Claudia and Jamie mixing in with the museum crowd never giving out any suspicions to the caretakers. Claudia also vets her interest in art and passes time studying the exhibits. Soon a sculpture of an Angel fascinates her. Transfixed by its beauty she wants to check out whether the angel was sculpted by Michelangelo. By checking the records they find that the piece of art was sold to the museum at an absurdly low price by Mrs Basil. E .Frankweiler
So the adventure continues as the duo goes in search of Mrs Frankweiler. She being a kind lady takes them under her wing. Mrs Frankweiler, Claudia and Jamie undertake the journey of getting the identity of the sculpture creator established. They have small troubles but make lot of friends and enjoy life anew. Claudia starts appreciating her family and Jamie sick of their separation calls up Mom and Dad. A grand reunion is achieved bringing the curtains down.
The movie may be a tad too slow for the young viewers and many nuances of the books are not properly experienced. In fact this movie considerably deviates from the book to satisfy current technology changes like the telephone which was not so ubiquitous when the book was written. Some of the characters have been given a bye which might cause some heartburn to Koinsburg's fans. Lauren Bacall is well cast as the eccentric but lovable Mrs. Frankweiler. The kids, Jean Marie and Jesse Lee perform admirably and end up winning the maximum accolades. But still the book is more enjoyable. Just watch the movie first and then definitely reach for the book. You may end up having the best of both worlds or else the movie may not satisfy your senses.

Movie: Pret A Porter or Ready To Wear (released in 1994) – Directed by Robert Altman

Pret A Porter is a movie which takes a satirical look at the chaotic fashion industry. It follows almost forty odd famous faces including top actors, designers, models and their supporting crew for the fashion show in Paris. Directed by Robert Altmann, it stars Lauren Bacall (Slim Chrysler), Kim Basinger (Kitty Potter), Linda Hunt (Regina Krumm), Sally Kellerman (Sissy Wanamaker), Sophia Loren (Isabella de la Fontaine), Marcello Mastroianni (Sergei), Stephen Rea (Milo O'Brannagan), Tim Robbins (Joe Flynn), Julia Roberts (Anne Eisenhower), Danny Aiello (Major Hamilton), Anouk Aimee (Simone Lowenthal), Jean-Pierre Cassel (Olivier de la Fontaine), Teri Garr (Louise Hamilton), Richard E. Grant (Cort Romney), Tracey Ullman (Nina Scant) and Forest Whitaker (Cy Bianco).
With these number of stars the film is like a all flavored cake which does not impart any taste. As far as I could identify there are three plots running through the film. The first being that of two American Journalists, Joe Flynn and Anne Eisenhower, who lose their luggage in the flight and are forced by circumstances to share a hotel room. So with no clothes on and twin beds there is much more happening than news mongering. Another happenings include Isabella De La Fontaine is a widow who has inherited a great fashion label and hardly misses her philandering husband.



He is more mourned by his mistress Simone Lowenthal. Sophia is followed by Sergei who is in-fact her one true love. Simone on the other hand tries hard to keep her company from being pirated away. Another group like Regina Krumm, Nina Scant and Sissy Wanamaker are all rival fashion Magazine editors trying to get ace photographer Milo O'Brannagan on their side. Milo specializes in baring the celebrities to their ineptitude self and catches many a socialite at their most vulnerable self.
So among these unconnected story lines each of which can be a film in itself, other characters weave in and out. This meandering of actors through the plots gives the viewer severe migraines. So you have the color blind socialite Slim Chrysler, cross dressing buyer Danny Hamilton and his wife along with a melange of real life designers, like Issay Miayake Gianfranco Ferre, and Sonia Rykiel and models looking equally flabbergasted as the others. The only saving grace is news reporter Kitty Porter who is a ditsy journalist who nails the industry with some sly one liners.
This movie could have been a scorching satire, but is reduced to a also ran as the vicious zing is missing. The all bared attack and the real realities of the obsequious and coquettish industry is not presented robbing the film of its meat. The screenplay brings confusing plots together to stitch a garment which neither fits nor floats. This ill fitting presentation deprives Pret a Porter the greatness it could have attained. The film also has lot of sex scenes and full frontal nudity during a catwalk scene. In fact being a film about Fashion there is nothing much to look forward to about fashion or models, even the clothes horses and the clothes featured are insipid and the fashion shows, a rip off from fashion TV. As the film mentions “it is all about looking good”, but this one advice the movie itself never takes. Nothing much to recommend as its confusing and boring.

Baby Mama (released in 2008) - A comedy film starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, and Dax Shepard

Surrogacy is a hot topic for a serious drawn out docudrama, but Baby Mama turns all that notions upside down. All the complications of surrogacy is not fully presented, but it is a romantic comedy which pulls out to your heart strings. In a male dominated story lines of Hollywood this movie gives the bonding between two women belonging to different worlds the premium space. Directed by Micheal McCullers, this 2008 movie stars Tina Fey, Amanda Poehler, Greg Kinnear and Steve Martin.
Kate Holbrook is a Wharton Grad and a hard nosed career women. In her late thirties she feels time slipping from her hands and wants to satisfy the urges of motherhood. But to her horror she comes to know that her uterus is T-shaped which makes her chances of pregnancy very remote. Kate approaches this problem in a true business sense and zeroes on the technique of surrogacy. She chooses a spoilt Angie to carry her baby to term.



Angie is a con on her own right with her head in the air and lands up at Kate's door step with no place to live in. She plans to make a run with the compensation money and knows that the in-vitro fertilization has not succeeded.
A a driven Kate approaches impending motherhood in her own methodical way, she learns the hard knocks early by tending to a childish Angie. Slowly a bond develops between the two women and Angie begins to regret the lie she is forced to live. But she keeps putting off the confession. A routine ultra sound confirms her pregnancy, and to her shock Angie realizes the baby to be is her own with her husband Carl. Angie is forced to confess the lie at Kate's baby shower. A horrified Kate insists that the baby could be hers as the pregnancy test could be done only after two weeks. A distance develops between the two women and the law steps in for the custody battle.
At the hearing Angie makes an heart felt apology and the DNA tests confirms that the baby is hers. A crest fallen Kate storms out to the courtroom and is confronted by Angie. Angie's water breaks and Kate is forced to rush her to the hospital and assist in the delivery. Kate faints during the delivery and a routine examination confirms her pregnancy. An ecstatic Kate and her boyfriend Rob make preparation for their baby to come home. Angie gives birth to a daughter whom she names after Gwen Stefani and she tries to involve her common-law husband in the child rearing process.
As a year passes a great bond develops between the two women. They become like sisters and bring up their children together. Kate and Rob get married and Carl tries to get involved with his daughter and all ends well. This film might be a very simplistic take on surrogacy but one has to keep in mind that this is a romantic comedy meant to entertain. Do not rush in looking for answers to the strong emotional problems. This movie was like by critics and the audience and was one of the top grosser of 2008. A fast paced script and some splendid acting by the leading ladies like Tina Fey and Amanda Poehler makes this movie a good watch.

Mixed Nuts (released in 1994) - starring Steve Martin, Rita Wilson, Madeline Kahn, Anthony LaPaglia, Garry Shandling and Adam Sandler

Mixed Nuts is a comedy film directed by Norah Ephron, starring Steve Martin, Rita Wilson, Madeline Kahn, Anthony LaPaglia, Garry Shandling and Adam Sandler.
The story revolves around a suicide hot-line operating out of the rented premises by a crazy but nice guy called Phillip. Phillip tries hard to keep the hot-line alive inspite of repeated warnings by the landlord for eviction. He even tries keep the eviction notice a secret from the other staffers like, the nice Catherine, a pregnant Gracie and the crabby Mrs. Munchnik. Despite the expectation for a large number of calls from lonely souls on Christmas eve, the hot-line only receives certain frightened calls from the victims of the serial killer dubbed as the “Seaside Strangler”. They also receive threatening calls also from the serial killer.
Phillip trying to get a loan asks for help from his loan officer girl friend who unceremoniously dumps him in favor of her psychiatrist. Meanwhile Gracie is heavily pregnant and her temper is on a short leash. She fights with her slacker boyfriend Felix who runs away with a Santa suit.



Meanwhile Mrs. Munchnik gets caught in the elevator on the way to the Christmas dinner with her sister. Her frantic calls to Louie, her clueless song writer neighbor, does not help her and she is trapped for a long time. Meanwhile Gracie finds Felix who returns with Catherine and Phillip to apologize to her. She locks herself in the bathroom and whacks him with Munchnik's cookie tin. So Felix leaves to the vets office where he overdoses with tranquilizers and has to be sent to the emergency wing to be revived.
Meanwhile Chris, a troubled transvestite, tired of the the abuse calls in for help and Phillip inadvertently gives him their address. Chris arrives at the door when Gracie and Munchnik are alone. Scared of the serial killer, a tussle happens and Munchnik is knocked unconscious. Gracie leaves Chris and Munchnik alone to find Phillip to confront him about the eviction notice. Phillip meanwhile arrives to find Chris with the unconscious Munchnik and subtly suggests him to leave. But Chris takes it as an invitation for dancing and they do the slow dancing together. This is one of the craziest part of this clueless movie.
As the clueless movie moves, Gracie, Catherine and co arrive along with Felix and a gun shoot out happens after an altercation. Gracie wildly shoots killing the landlord across the door. Then they try to stuff the body as a Christmas tree and after some weird stuff the body is discovered by the police. Every body tries to save each other, but as luck could have it the landlord turns to be the serial killer. Gracie gets the reward for killing him and she rescues the hot-line. Phillip and Catherine discover each other during a hot bath and fall in love. And the movie ends to the relief of the audience.
Mixed nuts is one of the nuttiest movie which masquerades as a Christmas comedy. In fact the story goes hay wire and all the weird acting in the name of comedy actually tests your patience. This movie was pilloried by the critics and the audience and did not even recover its cost. I would not recommend this viewing even if you are stranded on an lonely island with the mixed nuts for company.

A Simple twist of fate (released in 1994) - Starring Steve Martin and Alana Austin

This 1994 movie directed by Gilles Mackann is loosely based on the George Elliot Classic “Silas Marner”. Steve Martin turns script writer for this film which he also stars with Alana Austin.
Steve Martin stars as Micheal Mackann, a high school music teacher who is cheated upon by his wife. A heart broken Micheal retires to rural Virginia as a maker of finely crafted furniture. A sad and morose man Micheal lives life clutching his savings in the form of gold coins. Meanwhile this small ray of happiness is also taken away from him by Danny Newland, the wayward brother of politician John Newland. He crashes the car and steals Michaels gold coins to pay for the damage. Micheal is completely devastated and retreats in to solitude.
Soon the golden rays of goodness arrive in the the form of a blonde toddler who stumbles in to his house on a foggy morning. Her drug addict mother is found dead on the grounds and Micheal presents the baby to John Newland.



After seeing the mother's dead body, John understands that the baby is his, but he conceals the fact to protect his career. He undertakes the investigation and allows Micheal to adopt the toddler. Micheal christens her Mathilda, and with the help of April Simon raises the child who grows up in to a precocious teenager. Mean while Micheal is transformed in to a doting dad interested in community activities.
John Newland in the meantime along with his wife Nancy suffers miscarriages and yearns for a baby. He takes Mathilda under his wing. He even gives her riding lessons and gifts a pony of her own. Nancy also understands that Mathilda is his baby, gives her tacit consent. As time passes by John Newland feels the need for a child and confesses Mathilda's birth secret. Nancy urges him to seek custody of his daughter who has grown very close to Micheal.
As John Newland files the custody suit, Micheal is devastated and he resolves to fight for Matilda. The Newland lawyer insinuates unsavory incidents in Micheal's earlier marriage and also urges the judge to consider the financial implications about Mathilda's future. Considering Micheal's penury and the economic advantages for Mathilda even the judge is inclined towards the Newland's, in-spite of the girl's repeated cries for being with Micheal. Then the case blows wide open with the discovery of Danny Newland's body under a desilted tank. Danny's corpse is found clutching the bag of gold coins belonging to Micheal. This sudden riches equalizes Micheal's station in life with that of the Newland's. The Judge also implies the killing of Danny to be that of murder by the Newland's and gives Mathilda's custody to Micheal. Mathilda devoted to her adoptive father accepts her mother and visits her grave for redemption.
This movie was panned by majority of the critics who disliked a Victorian theme which had no relevance in the twentieth century. But the film proves to be a box office darling and had decent collections. Alana Austin was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture for her portrayal of twelve-year-old Mathilda. Her younger sister Alyssa was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a Motion Picture for her portrayal of the character at the age of five.
The movie is not recommended as a must watch and sometimes Steve Martin disappoints with this sad acts. If one has limited choices then this movie can be seen.

Spanish prisoner (released in 1997) - A suspense film, starring Campbell Scott, Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ben Gazzara and Ricky Jay

Directed by David Mamet, Spanish Prosoner is a suspense movie which tells the story about a confidence game to undertake a corporate heist. The film stars Steve martin, Campbell Scott and Rebeca Pidgeon.
A the plot goes, Joe Ross is a geeky engineer who develops a highly efficient industrial process which would revolutionize the manufacturing world. As he scouts for probable buyers he meets the wealthy Jimmy Bell and his secretary Susan at an island resort. Jimmy befriends Joe and asks him out to his house to introduce him to his sister. Simple Joe feels this kind of attention to be very flattering. Susan and Jimmy also keep insinuating that Joe's boss was trying to embezzle the plans and processes all for himself and in the end Joe believes them.
Jimmy convinces him to take his legal counsel and meet him with the plans. But soon Joe understands Jimmy to be a fraud and enlists the support of the FBI agent Pat McCune. But Pat turns out to be hand in glove with the con men and poor Joe is thoroughly robed of his plans. And to add salt to his wounds it appears as though he has sold his plans to Japanese industrialists.



This alienates his boss and other members of his family. Joe is also framed for the murder of his co-developer George Lang. While running from the law Joe meets up with Susan who appears to believe him and keeps professing her love for him. A desperate Joe believes her and the duo formulate a plan to prove his innocence. Joe remembers the cross circuit television camera's in the island retreat where the meeting was held. He plans to take the tapes which would prove his innocence and Jimmy's presence. But Susan too is proved to be the fraud and Jimmy arrives at the island to kill him. In the ferry Jimmy and Susan are surrounded by a gaggle of Japanese tourists who shoot at Joe. Joe is hit by a dart and falls unconscious. The Japanese tourists turn out to be American marines who were tailing Jimmy. All ends well as Joe gets his plans and is proved innocent. Jimmy and Susan are taken to jail.
This movie is a well paced comedy and really involves the audience. Steve Martin as the evil Jimmy Dell is one of the suave and finest villain act of the time. His menacing act evokes laughter and curiosity. Apart from the typical Martin mannerisms this movie offers the audience more insight to the talents of this fine actor. Campbell Scott as the simple Joe is apt and Rebeca Pidgeon as the wily Susan is a class apart.
This movie was a critics favorite and the top grosser of 1997. The film was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. A perfect cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday evening is the best back drop to see this movie. It is worth your time and money.

Baby Mama (released in 2008) - a comedy movie starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, and Dax Shepard

Surrogacy is a hot topic for a serious drawn out docudrama, but Baby Mama turns all that notions upside down. All the complications of surrogacy is not fully presented, but it is a romantic comedy which pulls out to your heart strings. In a male dominated story lines of Hollywood this movie gives the bonding between two women belonging to different worlds the premium space. Directed by Micheal McCullers, this 2008 movie stars Tina fey. Amanda Poehler, Greg Kinnear and Steve Martin.
Kate Holbrook is a Wharton Grad and a hard nosed career women. In her late thirties she feels time slipping from her hands and wants to satisfy the urges of motherhood. But to her horror she comes to know that her uterus is T-shaped which makes her chances of pregnancy very remote. Kate approaches this problem in a true business sense and zeroes on the technique of surrogacy. She chooses a spoilt Angie to carry her baby to term. Angie is a con on her own right with her head in the air and lands up at Kate's door step with no place to live in. She plans to make a run with the compensation money and knows that the in-vitro fertilization has not succeeded.
A a driven Kate approaches impending motherhood in her own methodical way, she learns the hard knocks early by tending to a childish Angie. Slowly a bond develops between the two women and Angie begins to regret the lie she is forced to live. But she keeps putting off the confession. But a routine ultra sound confirms her pregnancy, and to her shock Angie realizes the baby to be her own with her husband Carl.



Angie is forced to confess the lie at Kate's baby shower. A horrified Kate insists that the baby could be hers as the pregnancy test could be done only after two weeks. A distance develops between the two women and the law steps in for the custody battle.
At the hearing Angie makes an heart felt apology and the DNA tests confirms that the baby is hers. A crest fallen Kate storms out to the courtroom and is confronted by Angie. Angie's water breaks and Kate is forced to rush her to the hospital and assist in the delivery. Kate faints during the delivery and a routine examination confirms her pregnancy. An ecstatic Kate and her boyfriend Rob make preparation for their baby to come home. Angie gives birth to a daughter whom she names after Gwen Stefani and she tries to involve her common-law husband in the child rearing process.
As a year passes a great bond develops between the two women. They become like sisters and bring up their children together. Kate and Rob get married and Carl tries to get involved with his daughter and all ends well. This film might be a very simplistic take on surrogacy but one has to keep in mind that this is a romantic comedy meant to entertain. Do not rush in looking for answer's to the strong emotional problems. This movie was like by critics and the audience and was one of the top grosser of 2008. A fast paced script and some splendid acting by the leading ladies like Tina Fey and Amanda Poehler makes this movie a good watch.