Common Sense Reviewer

  • Renee Schonfeld
  • Renee Schonfeld
  • Washington

About Me

My favorite thing in all the world is my family... They're funny, loving, interesting, and I'm proud of all of them. I am a mom, a wife, a friend, a colleague, politically involved, a little bit of a singer, a writer and a Reader (with a capital R).

What My Kids Love Now

They love movies, books, politics, helping the environment, dance, theatre... Some of them are Dungeons and Dragons players; some love sports; one likes acting; one is a ballet dancer; one does Middle Eastern dancing; two of them are great swimmers. They have pets: dogs named Daisy, Tallulah and Inde and cats named Zena, Mithral, Drake and Thor. They're all concerned about the world we inhabit.

House Rules

My kids are all grown up. They have children of their own. Some of my grandchildren have parents who are very selective about what they see and listen to. Some of my grandchildren get to choose pretty much what they want. All of them know how to use a computer, and their parents are careful about what they do with it.

When the Kids Are Asleep…

Books and movies, movies and books, and plays, too. I read about families, women, people from different countries, politics, mysteries, and short stories.

Titles You’ve Reviewed

  • DVD: I, Robot

    I rate this titleonand give it2.0

    Will Smith + great special effects = a winner.

    I, ROBOT is what I call a summer popcorn movie! It's hard to say which has the sleeker profile, Will Smith (everything you could ask for in an action hero) or the Chicago skyline of 2035, as ...

  • DVD: The Other Sister

    I rate this titleonand give it2.0

    Overly sentimental movie is unlikely to interest teens.

    Despite the vibrant performances of Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi and some touching scenes between the two, THE OTHER SISTER is predictable, sentimental, and very heavy-handed. Subtlety and ...

  • Movie: Do the Right Thing

    I rate this titleiffyand give it4.0

    Spike Lee's masterwork of racial unrest; discuss with kids.

    Distinctive, memorable characters and a highly original structure contribute to the powerful experience of DO THE RIGHT THING. Spike Lee uses vibrant music, unusual close-ups, bright colors, an ...

  • Movie: The Invention of Lying

    I rate this titleiffyand give it3.0

    Gervais' irreverent fable looks at truth, lies, and faith.

    Amid the movie's clever, witty dialogue, funny situations, and sneakily amusing riffs on some of our most treasured icons (moviemaking, advertising, the good-looking guy), it's surprising to ...

  • Movie: Surrogates

    I rate this titleiffyand give it2.0

    High-tech robots threaten humanity in edgy sci-fi thriller.

    Using a graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele as source material, director Jonathan Mostow and the screenwriters work ...

  • Movie: The Burning Plain

    I rate this titleiffyand give it3.0

    Poignant story of infidelity, loss, remorse; not for kids.

    The Burning Plain is the first directorial effort by Guillermo Arriaga, who wrote Babel,

  • DVD: The Great Outdoors

    I rate this titleiffyand give it2.0

    Good cast can't help lame Man vs. Nature farce.

    THE GREAT OUTDOORS is basically a series of skits and would-be comic confrontations between American middle class values, represented by Chet and Connie Ripley (

  • Movie: Cold Souls

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Fanciful tale is fun for grownups; won't appeal to kids.

    The clever script and smooth direction by first-time writer/director Sophie Barthes -- as well as terrific performances, especially by Giamatti in a role that feels like it was tailor-made for his ...

  • DVD: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

    I rate this titleiffyand give it3.0

    Anything-goes comic raunch-fest is funny, but not for kids.

    It's irreverent and beyond crass, but THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HART is also very funny. No cow is too sacred to be decimated here. Piven and a long list of brave comic performers and character ...

  • DVD: My Cousin Vinny

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Courtroom comedy will appeal to teens. Some strong language.

    Vinny is a role tailor-made for Joe Pesci. He relishes the part, and makes a meal of every courtroom speech and every close encounter with the soul of Alabama. Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for her ...

  • DVD: Maverick

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    '90s Western offers a few laughs and so-so adventure.

    An amusing script by William Goldman, slick direction, and charming (if not to be taken seriously) performances by the principals provide ...

  • DVD: Daffy Duck's Quackbusters

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Funny vintage cartoons with lots of slapstick violence.

    All of the early Warner Bros. cartoons, originally six minutes in length, and directed and written by some of the great animators of the last century such as

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