Movie Review: Greenfingers

Story: Based on a true story about convicts in England who are rehabilitated by becoming gardeners, writer, director Joel Hershman gives us a summer sapfest filled with beautiful gardens, lovable jailhouse lugs, central casting stereotypes and the usual quirky British cast of characters. Although the film is wildly predictable I couldn't help but like it anyway (which does not by any stretch of the imagination mean it is a good film). And there is also the Clive Owen factor (more on that below). The Brits refer to someone who is good with plants by saluting all of the digits -- hence, Greenfingers (apparently we only honor the one digit) handiwork. Many of the scenes in the film revolve about discussions of the themes of the would-be gardens. I was inspired by that thought process and have called this summer's Lobo patio Clutter.

Acting: Clive Owen is right up there on my male hottie list of movie stars. He was brilliant in Croupier and was most recently seen in the PBS mystery series as the detective who is going blind. I have also heard the rumor that he is on the short list of names being considered for the new James Bond series. In this film he was as pretty to look at as the flower gardens. Helen Mirren (another regular in the PBS mystery series, Prime Suspect) seemed to be having a grand old time in this film. Warren Clarke (yet another detective in the PBS mystery series, Dalziel and Pascal) also appears as the warden. David Kelly (the skinny guy in Waking Ned Divine) rounds out the bill in the central casting call.

Critters: Ducks and a Russian Wolfhound

Food: Lots of prison food. It always seemed to be sausages and some egg kind of thing. Ugh!

Visual Art: Many inmate watercolor paintings.

Blatant Product Placement: None.

Soundtrack: Wildly over the emotional top with violins. However, parts of the track worked very well.

Opening Titles: Uninspired.

Theater Audience: A Spartan few.

Sappy Factor: 9

Predictability Level: Ultra high.

Oscar Worthy: Ha!

Nit Picking: This has nothing to do with the film at all but with the theater drink holders. I put my water bottle in the drink holder and it fell right through and rolled down the middle of the center aisle through the seats. The film had not started yet and a woman up front thought it was a rat running past her. I attempted to find the bottle but was unable to do so. My movie pal, LBT, was more stubborn than I and continued the search (while I ate her popcorn). She was successful and the small crowd applauded her efforts. So, my nit picking has to do with the Loew's theater chain who deliberately made the drink holders too big for holding anything but their own out of sight priced drinks.

Big Screen or Rental: Neither. Rent Croupier instead.

Length: 90 minutes

LOBO HOWLS: 3