Taking matters into her own pragmatic hands she decides to have an abortion and then, after a change of heart, to offer the unborn baby up for adoption to the perfect couple who are desperate for a baby of their own, showcase housewife Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and musician turned jingle writer Mark (Jason Batemen).

It’s an arrangement which suits everyone, but as we all know, the best laid plans of mice and, in this case, teenage girls often go awry…

Review
An everyday run of the mill plot about a teenage girl making the biggest mistake of all with her first tentative steps at becoming sexually active might not sound like the stuff of movie classics. But don’t be fooled, Juno is full of the sort of tasty ingredients that most wham bam hi-concept blockbusters can only dream about.

The script is delicious to the ears. Sassy, cheeky, real, laugh out loud witty and has an original rhythm and style which is field of daisies fresh and full of quotable dialogue such as this exchange between Juno and adopted father-to-be Mark:
“My dad had this weird obsession with Roman or Greek mythology or something and he decided to name me after Zeus’ wife.”
“Zeus’ wife?”
“Yeah and I mean Zeus had tons of lays but I’m pretty sure Juno was his only wife. And apparently she was supposed to be super beautiful but really mean, like Diana Ross.”

The cast is about as perfect as it could be: JK Simmons and Allison Janney hit just the right note as Juno’s understanding but worldly wise parents; Michael Cera makes nerdy Paulie likeable; best friend Leah (Olivia Thrilby) is hilariously supportive - “ Oh, gruesome. I wonder if the baby’s claws could scratch your vag on the way out?” and it’s impossible not to sympathise with Jennifer Garner’s desperate-to-be-a-mother Vanessa and Jason Bateman’s Mark – even if it’s for different reasons.

But the cherry on this bun in the oven is Ellen Page. Her Juno is a classic creation. She is one smart, likeable and oversized cookie who you desperately hope everything turns out all right for in the end.

Juno is simply a bitter sweet gem of a film.

Sparkle Rating
9/10 – It’s a triumph of film-making to take a life-changing and potentially depressing subject such as unplanned teenage pregnancy and tell your simple tale in a funny, charming and engaging fashion, but to keep it real at the same time. Unmissable.

Russell Crowe’s take on Robin Hood gets the festival off to an action packed start, but isn’t competing in the competition for the coveted Palme d’Or – basically best picture of the festival – which will be announced on 23rd May.

Nineteen films are competing for the Palme d’Or which will be decided by a jury led by Mr Surreal himself, Tim Burton.

Festivals like Cannes are a bit like the cinema world’s version of the World Cup. Every four years  the World Cup throws up some exciting new players that we’d never heard about before. Similarly festivals like Cannes give us the heads up on some potentially cracking new films to keep an eye out for when they go on general release or, considering that there are number of foreign language films, if they go on general release.

In Competition

Of the films in competition for the Palme d’Or, ones to look out for are:

Another Year directed by Mike Leigh
You usually know what you get with Mike Leigh films – very British comedy dramas. Another Year starring Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville falls squarely into that mould being about a happily married couple and the trials and tribulations their friends go through over the course of a year.

Route Irish directed by Ken Loach
Apparently a late entry to Cannes, Route Irish explores the murky world of ex-squaddies working for private security contractors in Iraq.

Fair Game directed by Doug Liman
Starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, Fair Game is a political drama based on a true story about a CIA operative being outed by the Bush administration in an attempt to discredit articles her husband had written questioning the presence of weapons of mass destruction I Iraq.

You’ve probably guessed it by now, but Cannes makes the Oscars seem like TV movies of the week by comparison – not the sort of place where the likes of Shrek 3 is likely to turn up.
Some of the more accessible films are usually found ‘out of competition’ at Cannes and this year potential goodies include the aforementioned Robin Hood as well as:

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps directed by Oliver Stone
More financial shenanigans twenty years on starring Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf and Josh Brolin. But this time the Gekko might actually be the good guy.

Tamara Drewe directed by Stephen Frears
Hot tottie of the moment Gemma Arterton stars as comic strip character Tamara Drewe, a beautiful young writer who returns to her idyllic English countryside where she grew up and causes all sorts of problems.

And Finally…

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger directed by Woody Allen
An All star cast (Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin & Slumdog’s beautiful Freida Pinto) and a plot involving romance, sex, treachery and laughs – it’s Woody Allen, what else do you need to know?

Look Out For Cannes Updates on the Sparkle website

The way he responds to trouble is also old school Clint; squaring fearlessly up to thugs who are terrorising a young female neighbour. For most eighty-year olds, you’d think ‘come off it granddad, get real, time to give the ego a rest’. Which is pretty much how the thugs react. But Clint still exhibits that steely menace just about better than anybody and, octogenarian or not ,he still looks as though he can kick ass with the best of them.

But within Gran Torino’s ’stand up for what you believe in message’  is a much more thought provoking film. The Gran Torino of the title is the last remaining symbol of an America that has long dissipated. His children and grandchildren only tolerate him for what he can reward them with materially. The message is clear, America’s values are shot to hell in a hail of designer labelled bullets. And this is where the film delivers a more subliminally positive message. As Clint’s grizzled old Korea war veteran gets to know his Asian neighbours better, he’s exposed to a world where the community bond remains strong, the elderly are respected and young men pick up their neighbours spilled groceries.

But ultimately, from early on in the movie and Kowalski’s first run in with the local hoods, you know that a messy showdown is inevitable. His burgeoning friendship with his young neighbours may cause some thawing of the old soldier, but when trouble comes a calling, Clint isn’t one to walk away.

Sparkle Rating: 8/10 – Clint doing what he does best, telling a personal story in a thrilling and emotive manner without any pretensions whilst slipping in some surprises and a morality tale along the way. The man’s a legend.

Relationships need that little bit of sparkle whether they’re platonic or otherwise and at Sparkle we’re committed to creating a friendly, comfortable place where people can relax, enjoy themselves and meet other people who share the same likes and dislikes.

As someone commented on this blog recently, Sparkle is ‘like an online pub where you would just spend your time chatting to people about all sorts & maybe have the odd game or two.’

Here on the Sparkle blog we have relationship advice, travel advice, book reviews, poetry, music and film and DVD reviews, but this is just the shop window. On the Sparkle website we have a whole lot more and anyone serious about meeting new friends, or finding a soulmate should enter the shop to really find out what it means to become a member of the Sparkle community.

“I was no fun at all when I was 18 – I was a really good girl! It’s taken a lot of time, alcohol and bitterness to become this naughty…” - Sparkler’s Comments.

Here are some tasters from what’s currently happening and being talked about in the Sparkle website.

Relationships & Dating – Who are the least romantic men in the world?
Apparently it’s British men, but the British females in Sparkle are sticking up for their guys.

“The most romantic things are the simplest…they mean more than a bunch of flowers” - Sparkler’s Comments

Relationships & Dating – Music to Make Love to
Some revealing discussions where opinions vary from the seductive Craig David’s mood-setting Born to do it to the get down and get dirty Leftfield’s bump ‘n’ grind rhythms on Chant of a Poor Man.

“In Scotland……ok it’s colder and we have our thermals to remove!!…..we tend to consider love making in terms of ALBUMS” - Sparkler’s Comments

Music Community
As well as music news, reviews and sensational videos – listen to Plan B’s She Said and be converted- there are specialist music groups and discussions ranging from identifying songs from their lyrics, album tracks that should have been hits and retro photos of what some members looked like in the 70s and 80s. Some fab & funny photos…what were we thinking about back then?

Films & TV Community
Movie news, Film & DVD reviews and the latest trailers as well as chat about movies that make us cry (ET, Titanic and anything with animals seems to do the trick), films to avoid like the plague, favourite comedies, musicals, Sci-Fi, Cult (Hedwig and the Angry Inch looks a shocking classic) and all sorts of things cinematic.

In other parts of the site there are book reviews, personal poetry, travel chat including visiting destinations like the Greek Islands and some stunning photos and interesting tips about taking shots of flowers from Sparkle members in the photography group.

There’s also live chat, a load more specialist groups and if anyone isn’t feeling particularly chatty, a games room with some seriously addictive games.

…and this is only for starters. Sparkle is a new concept in making friends and meeting people online. It isn’t faceless and impersonal. This is a community where getting to know people better and what makes them tick leads to relationships and friendships which are built to last.

Like Carrie Bradshaw, isn’t it time you added Sparkle to your life?

Well there’s always the cinema to keep us thought-provoked and entertained. This month there are a few interesting new releases to look out for, with heroes who range from old favourites to drug addicted policemen and Muslim terrorists…

This is Definitely Not About Football – Four Lions
How does a comedy about a group of inept British Muslims who create a terrorist cell and plan to launch a suicide attack on a western target grab you? Written and directed by Chris Morris this will no doubt have The Daily Mail brigade waving their rolled up newspapers in outrage – all the more reason to go and see it. Offensively funny; the best kind of black comedy.

The Hoodie Returns – Robin Hood
The poster for this proclaims that it’s ‘The untold story about how the man became a legend’. No it’s not about Eric Cantona, it’s the zillionth film about Sherwood Forest’s bow and arrow wielding bandit. Director Ridley Scott likes his epics and here he re-teams with his Gladiator star Russell Crow as Rob whilst Cate Blanchett provides the love interest as feisty Maid Marion. Given the people involved it’s unlikely to be a bad movie and Robin Hood stories are usually good for a bit of fun, but will it have anything new to say? Maybe our Rob was a transvestite…well he did favour those rather snazzy emerald green tights.

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know – Bad Lieutenant
The fact that this is directed by Werner Herzog and stars Nicholas Cage and Val Kilmer should be a warning that audiences are going to be in for a bizarre ride. Bad Lieutenant has the same title as the Abel Ferrara movie from a couple of decades ago, but is neither a sequel nor a remake. It’s a bleakly humorous and eminently watchable tale about a policeman with a drug and gambling addiction investigating the murder of Senegalese immigrants It’s also a reminder that when Nicholas Cage chooses wisely, he has a charismatic and captivating screen presence.

A Wet Dream for 80s Gamers – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
A computer game adaptation that is actually quite good fun. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the prince, Gemma Arterton the feisty princess who joins him on his adventure to save the Persian Empire from destruction in between bouts of bickering/flirting. If you want some cheesy swashbuckling escapism this is the film for you this month.

The Girls are Back – Sex and the City 2
Plot? Who needs it? If you’re a Sex and the City fan all you need to know is that the girls just happen to be having a holiday in Abu Dhabi where Carrie unexpectedly bumps into Aiden…OMG.
If you’re not a fan, you’ll be asking ‘who?’ Don’t worry about it; read the next review, the chances are you’ll hate SATC.  For those of us that are fans, we’re pretty much guaranteed another enjoyable date with fab fashion, sassy dialogue and a ‘will she or won’t she’ plot. It’s also got Liza ‘ with a zee’ Minnelli in it.

It Might Sound Like the A Team, but these are – The Losers
A wise-cracking Special Ops squad (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Shirt,  Óscar Jaenada) betrayed in Latin America by a gloriously nasty baddie (Jason Patric) make their way back to the U.S of A for revenge with the assistance of the mysterious and sexy Aisha (Zoe Saldana). Cue lots of action, mayhem and non-demanding fun as The Losers pre-empt The A Team. A testosterone fuelled antidote to Sex and the City.

…And if you’re a Masochist – The Back-UP Plan
A single woman who’s desperate for a child opts for artificial insemination and then, when she’s pregnant, just happens to meet the man of her dreams – what to do, what to do?
It’s a rom-com with Jennifer Lopez, enough said.

He terrorises the dog, attacks his teen neighbours with snowballs then cries when they retaliate and behaves outrageously bad after seeing his mother (Catherine Keener) with her new boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo in a scene so brief that it’s a case of was that or wasn’t it?). A slap-deserving “Feed Me Woman!” directed at his mother is followed by Max biting her on the shoulder before he runs off, finds a boat, sails into the darkness and discovers the land where the wild things are.

Review
The source material for Where The Wild Things Are is a much loved (in America at least) 48 page book by Maurice Sendak aimed at the under 10 brigade. The movie, despite the presence of the large and cuddly looking ‘wild things,’ is definitely not a children’s film.

Directed by Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) the film focuses on Max’s imaginary journey (a totally believable and natural performance by Max Records) as he plays at being king of the wild things and gets to know the very different personalities represented by each of them. And therein lays the reason why some people will love this film and others will be disappointed by it.

Visually it looks as though we’re in for a magical and charming fable about childhood. Initially the appealing autumnal landscapes and imagination on show in each of the wild things’ appearance and the antics they get up to – dirtball fights and having a ‘wild rumpus’ – reinforces this expectation. But the fact that the wild things (voiced by James Gandolfini, Chris Cooper and Forest Whittaker) represent aspects of Max’s personality and those of the people in his ‘real’ life; sound human, and portray distinctly human neuroses completely removes the magical element.

Ultimately what you get is a tale of a young boy’s awakening knowledge of how his actions affect the people he loves and the world about him wrapped up in fantasy world packaging.

Sparkle Rating 7/10 Where The Wild Things Are looks wonderful, is original and the actor who plays Max is a natural, but the humanising of the wild things themselves distracts from the overall impact on first watching – James Gandolfini’s voice just doesn’t seem right in the mouth of a big cuddly creature. This is a movie which is probably more engaging second time around. UK release date 10th May 2010

However, Anne Hathaway’s Andy isn’t as Miss Goody Two Shoes as she first appears; the course her journey takes isn’t necessarily as predictable as your standard Hollywood fare. She might start out with integrity, but once she gets gripped by the fashion world’s seductive and glamorous embrace that integrity is in danger of going out the window along with her flat-soled shoes. And who can blame the girl when the new improved, fashion conscious Andy looks stunning enough to turn heads.

Whilst Emily Blunt almost steals the show as the sneering work colleague from hell that you can’t help but like, and Stanley Tucci and The Mentalist’s Simon Baker provide some sturdy support from the male perspective, the queen of this movie is Meryl Streep. Her ice queen Miranda is a classical and utterly believable creation; a Cruella Deville in hot-off-the-designer’s-sketchpad outfits whose impossible demands and softly spoken, but venom laced, remarks make Margaret Thatcher seem Mother Theresa-like by comparison.

The triumph of The Devil Wears Prada is that it makes you care about what happens to its characters; every flawed last one of them. The question is though, once you’ve sold your soul to the devil in the perfectly cut Valentino gown can you buy it back?

Sparkle Rating
8/10 – Deliciously bitchy fun with a serious morality tale at its centre. The Devil Wears Prada and looks fabulous in it.

Review
Don’t watch this film expecting to see Rose and Jack reunited; the 1950s world that Frank and April inhabit is one where white collar husbands all wear the same light grey suits and fedoras and commute silently to work in faceless offices whilst the little wife stays at home looking pretty and keeping the house clean. Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) isn’t interested in showing us how loving Frank and April were; you have to trust him on that one. Apart from the briefest of intros, the Frank and April we meet bicker constantly and make the same sort of mistakes that millions of people in struggling relationships make every day. Despite the fact that everyone keeps telling them that they’re special they aren’t particularly very nice to each other. Frank’s character especially behaves in a way that it’s all credit to Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting skills that we can still empathise with him throughout the film.

These are people living lives of quiet desperation. Like millions of others, hope, love and dreams have all been eroded by time and the banality of living to a formula devised by society’s conventions.

At times the film feels like a play written for Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio to showcase their acting skills and that can detract in the earlier scenes. However, as you’re imperceptibly drawn into Frank and April’s world and start to care about them, you realise that what you are watching is far more complex and multi-levelled than simply being a film about two people trying to rekindle their love.

April’s plan to bring love and vitality back into their life by selling up and moving to Paris might not seem so radical these days, but in the world they inhabit it is paramount to a display of madness. But of course society dictates that it would be too impolite to say so. Ironically the most honest voice in Frank and April’s circle of friends is that of a neighbour’s son who has mental health problems.

Revolutionary Road isn’t going to appeal to the masses even with the presence of two of the biggest stars around acting their thespian socks off. The world it shows us is probably too close for comfort to make it entertaining viewing; hell it’s borderline depressing. But it is a compelling movie which will seep deep into your consciousness. This isn’t a film you’ll forget quickly.

Sparkle Rating
8/10 – Uncomfortably true to life and some tour de force acting from the leads, but possibly not a film to watch if you’re in a rocky relationship…on the other hand, maybe it’s exactly the movie to watch in that situation.

It isn’t a classic month for exceptional movies, but there is some fun to be had with April’s new movie releases.

Unsheathe the Sword – Clash of the Titans
Don’t expect anything deep and don’t bother opting for the 3D version (3D was added to ride on the back of Avatar and is more likely to disappoint) and you should have some fun with Sam Worthington’s Perseus taking on the gods, giant scorpions and the mighty Kraken. Escapist fun and the Tenerife locations look great.

Don’t Put that Sword Away Yet – Centurion
More rippling biceps and lots of flashing…of steel blades before you get too excited. Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) leads Rome’s toughest legion, the Ninth, deep into savage lands (A.K.A Scotland), gets his ass kicked (Scotland 1, Italy 0) and then he and his motley crew of survivors have to leg it with a bunchy of hairy-arsed Picts in hot pursuit. Good race and chase action.

Now Get Your Axe out – Valhalla Rising
Is this sword and slasher month or what? This time it’s Mads Mikkelsen’s one-eyed, mute warrior-slave heading for America with his Viking mates to find that the land is hostile and the natives are revolting. This is the least frenetic of the three, but is probably the best movie.

A Superhero Movie with a Difference – Kick-Ass
Geeky teenager turned would-be superhero finds himself up to his neck in manure when he becomes an internet phenomenon and attracts the unwanted attention of a vicious mobster. Cue the appearance of two bona fide superheroes, the Batman-esque Big Daddy (nutty Nic Cage having more fun than he’s had in years) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz – the most explosive and shocking schoolgirl to grace cinema screens since Nathalie Portman in Leon). Great fun and very violent.

Get Your Skates on – Whip It
A film about teenage girls competing in roller derbys sounds about appealing as someone sticking a hot poker in my eye, but this one has an excellent script and a great cast (Juno’s Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Marcia Gay Harden and Juliette Lewis). A rites of passage movie which exceeds its subject matter.

Just Be Cool – Nerverackers
Okay, I don’t know a damn thing about it except that it’s set in a perfect future. Perfect that is until someone starts committing viscous crimes. So why recommend it? Because it’s directed by Robert Rodriguez…nuff said.

…And Two to Run Away From – Dance with Me & Cop Out
If you fancy a desperately dull British drama where you don’t give a hoot about the characters, then Dance with Me is right up your street. On the other hand if Bruce Willis acting by smirks in a substandard buddy movie (think low brow Lethal Weapon) rings your bell, there’s always Cop Out – an appropriate title if ever there was one.

Plot

Review
The film sets a furious pace from the movie’s opening scenes as a frantic camera follows Miller and his team of soldiers as they race through hot, dusty streets trying to avoid sniper fire on their way to investigate a potential ‘weapons of mass destruction’ site.

Anyone who’s seen The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum movies will be familiar with director Paul Greengrass’s style of keeping the camera up close and personal so that it spins and whirls dizzyingly, even going out of focus in its attempt to keep up with the action. It’s an effective way of making the audience feel as though they’re in the thick of things, but on the big screen can also be a bit nauseating.

The pace doesn’t let up as Miller’s obstinate drive to get at the truth takes him deeper and deeper into the Green Zone and danger.

From the moment you meet Matt Damon’s soldier with integrity, Roy Miller, you automatically compare him to Jason Bourne. He’s smart, conscientious and committed to getting at the truth whatever the cost…and he’s not afraid to take on the big boys. There are a number of parallels with the Bourne movies and admittedly Roy Miller could be Jason Bourne before he was turned into the perfect fighting machine.
But where Green Zone differs is that Jason Bourne’s quest was in essence quite straightforward. Roy Miller’s isn’t. This is Iraq. There are no easy answers and who the good guys are and who the bad are isn’t necessarily quite as clear cut as it might at first seem.

The opening scenes supply a clue about the juxtaposition of the situation that Miller is facing as he watches chaotic looting, then discovers only ancient bird shit in a site where there are supposed to advanced weapons of mass destruction. His is a situation which, like the Middle East itself, doesn’t fit into easy categorisation. When you’re trying to makes sense out of the bedlam and the CIA are the source of the most sensible advice, you really know you’re heading up shit creek without the proverbial paddle.

Summary
Like the underrated Body of Lies starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, Green Zone is more than just a fast moving ride with more than its fair share of nervy, edge of the seat moments. It has a salient message about the cack-handed way the United States tends to bulldoze its way into countries whose cultures it doesn’t understand.

Green Zone is an exceptionally entertaining thriller, but it’s also one with great chunks of meat on its bones.

Sparkle Movie Rating: 8/10