Latest DVD reviews:

i am sam - Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dakota Fanning
An unapologetic tear-jerker, it features Penn as a mentally challenged man who raises his young daughter on his own, only to later fight social services to retain custody. Pfeiffer plays the hotshot lawyer who helps him, and Fanning the daughter in question.
I don't remember this movie doing well at the box office, so the only reason I rented this is because Michelle Pfeiffer is in it. Looking more luminously beautiful with each passing year, she's gorgeous in this film, and excels in her role of a hypocritical attorney who gradually learns to laugh and love again after her encounter with Penn.
A well-directed effort with a thoughtful and touching script, it is further lifted by Penn's admirable portrayal of a person with the mental capacity of a 7-year-old, and a lifetime obsession with the Beatles and Dr. Seuss. Considering his reputations for being a bad boy and the ex-husband of Madonna, it's a stretch which he executes perfectly.
Watch out for Fanning as the precocious daughter who changes the lives of all those around her. A real find with loads of talent - much of which is still untapped, I predict - she is what I would call 'the female equivalent of Haley Joel Osment'.

In The Bedroom - Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl
This film has won many awards, but honestly speaking, I was quite disappointed. A young man ( Stahl ) gets involved with a married young woman ( Tomei ) who's in the middle of a bitter divorce. His parents ( Spacek and Wilkinson ) tolerate it only because they're convinced he'll outgrow it, and also because he's going away to college. A tragic turn of events occurs, however, resulting in the young man's death. And thus the story begins, as we watch the once-warm relationship between his devastated parents slowly unravel.
An "indie" film, it is no doubt a good effort by director Todd Field. He draws nice performances from all his cast members, most notably Wilkinson who, with his burly teddy-bear build, soft, kind face and mild-mannered demeanour, breaks our hearts as he transforms from a blissfully happy man to one who sobs in private and skips lunch because he no longer has a son to eat with.
The pace of the movie, though, leaves much to be desired. Certain scenes are a little unnecessary and slow the story down. My attention wavered towards the last one-third, even with my relatively high threshold for "slow-burners". Verdict? Not too bad, but a little overrated, I think.

Update on Josh Groban:
He will be appearing in a tribute concert for America come September 11th, which will most likely be broadcast over cable - channel and time still pending. For those of you who are wondering what I've been raving about these past few months, this is a good chance for you to finally see him in action. Rumour has it he's been picked to sing the national anthem - a rendition of which may be found on his website ( click on "Watch" for a sampling ). He's also mentioned he's coming to Asia for a promotional tour later this year, so if you become a Grobanite ( like me! ), you're in for a real treat. Stay tuned...

The forum page for Sensory magazine is now up and running. I'm the movies/musicals SIG leader, and have already posted in the Movies and Travel groups. Do drop by when you're free. Public access is currently available, but not for long.