| EAGLE EYE Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and for language. Drama/Thriller 118 minutes 
3 stars |
It’s preposterous. The story, that is, and that’s the first and biggest problem with Eagle Eye. If you buy this premise, I’ve got a bridge to nowhere you might be interested in buying. Having said that, Shia LaBeouf is the best of the young actors/stars that Hollywood has to offer at the moment. He is eminently watchable as the two college girls sitting next to me proved, giggling at his antics, and then shrieking when he was in danger.
Shia plays Jerry Shaw, an underachiever if there ever was one. His twin brother was the “perfect” son having become an officer in the Air Force. Jerry works at a copy store and can barely pay his low rent. He somehow gets set up as a terrorist and arrested by dour FBI Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton showing he can play conservative/tough). The chase is on, and this is really a chase movie after all with as many bells and whistles as can be thrown in, when Jerry gets into a car with single mom Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan, doing a good job, and connecting with Shia). The two get orders from a woman’s voice on a cell phone, and must complete dangerous tasks. Sure, there’s a government conspiracy. How could there not be?
The production values are excellent, although with all the car chases and crashes it feels like you’re watching a video game or you’re watching the movie from a roller coaster. Credit for exciting cinematography must be given to Dariusz Wolski (director of photography), and editing to Jim Page. Other actors that add interest: William Sadler as Shia’s demanding father; Michael Chiklis as the Defense Secretary; Rosario Dawson as Zoe Perez, military authority; and Anthony Mackie as Major William Bowman.
Although the screenplay tries to add depth to the character of Jerry Shaw, it really depends more on Shia LeBeouf’s performance for complexity. Adding complications on top of complications that are not believable doesn’t solve the problem of a plot and story that the audience can’t buy. There was a real opportunity for the director D.J. Caruso to create something a cut above the usual government conspiracy/bad guys who pretend to be good guys, but the screenplay let him down. It felt like too many people had a hand in it and it became a jumble.
There is tension that accompanies the bloody violence and explosions, but the questions are not answered with any satisfaction for quite a while. When the answer to who is behind all this chaos comes out, it elicits a moan rather than a gasp from the audience. That’s never a good thing. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA Rated R for strong war Violence, language, and some Sexual content nudity. Drama/War/Adaptation 160 minutes
3½ stars |
Although Miracle at St. Anna is uneven, ultimately the humanity comes through. As a World War II story, it tends to look like most of the ones we’ve seen, except here the Buffalo Soldiers, African-Americans, get their due. Yet, the mystery and the “miracle” are not quite convincing; there are sometimes pronouncements instead of dialogue; and the screenplay meanders a bit too much taking the audience on a longer journey than necessary at almost two and a half hours.
In the early 1980s a postal worker sits watching a war movie, then goes to work. He doesn’t look happy. As he waits on customers in New York City, he murders a man. A cop and young reporter talk about the incident and the reporter gets some face time with the silent killer, but little else. This is where the long flashback begins. The audience is swept off to Italy in 1944 as the African-American soldiers make their way across the countryside of Tuscany. As they reach a low water crossing, they are ambushed and many are killed. Director Spike Lee shows us bodies in the water—-many with their eyes wide open (surprised at being shot?)—-as four men make it to the other side of the river.
One of the men, a gentle giant named Private First Class Sam Train played by Omar Benson Miller finds a young boy, Angelo (Matteo Sciabordi) alone and hurt and decides to take him with them. Mr. Miller has played these roles before and it’s dangerously close to stereotype. It’s not Mr. Miller’s fault as that’s the way it’s written, but it does get to be too much after a while. The group of four soldiers is headed by Derek Luke as 2nd Staff Sergeant Aubrey Stamps. He does a very good job as the ambivalent leader of this ragtag group, leading his men deeper into territory they shouldn’t be. Also along is Michael Ealy as Sergeant Bishop Cummings, the corrupt preacher who angers and challenges Sergeant Stamps. Finally, Laz Alonso is Corporal Hector Negron, a Puerto Rican Catholic who is the translator and modern day murderer.
The group randomly knocks on a door in the first tiny village they come across and find a group of Italians, some fascists, some partisan supporters living together and trying to survive. One of these Italians is Renata played by Valentina Cervi as a sexy temptress to both Stamps and Cummings. War being what it is with death always over the next curve in the road, the stakes are high, and it is in this part of the movie that the characters are most understandable and vivid.
As the flashback ends and the audience knows why Hector Negron did his deed, the sadness is palpable. These soldiers, and all soldiers, pay a high price for preserving our safety, yet often their own humanity suffers. James McBride, who wrote the book, wrote the screenplay “inspired” by an actual incident during World War II. But novels and film are different mediums, and the movie would have benefited from fewer minutes rather than more. Still, I found the story moving despite its flaws. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| NIGHTS IN RODANTHE Rated PG-13 for some Sensuality. Drama/Romance 97 minutes
3½ stars |
Since the screenplay is adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel, be prepared to be moved, one way or another. Mr. Sparks’s stories always have a twist that will either bring you to tears or make you feel manipulated. This was in evidence at the screening when one audience member was enthralled by the movie, while another called it “cheesy.” If you’re not inclined to let yourself go and allow the story to take you with it, you may feel the way the latter person expressed it. I have to say I liked it better than I expected.
The casting is excellent. Diane Lane as the uncertain, emotionally fragile heroine, Adrienne Willis, helps enormously. She has been betrayed by her husband Jack (Christopher Melonie, who seems to be type-cast though has more potential than this narrow role), and is trying to work her way through all the feelings. Pretty, but not beautiful, yet very feminine, Ms. Lane is someone women can identify with at all stages of the story. There are times she looks radiant when it’s called for, and at other times when she is suffering, she allows herself to be photographed with less make-up. Women appreciate that since no one looks great 100 per cent of the time. Adrienne is helping out a friend for the weekend by taking over the duties at a bed and breakfast in the beach town of Rodanthe, North Carolina. It helps that the house is lovely and would be a nice romantic getaway.
Richard Gere is well-cast, too, as Dr. Paul Flanner who is also in his own private hell. Mr. Gere has always brought a kind of superior attitude to his roles, often like his characters are sneering at the inferiority of others. That makes him a good match for this role as a doctor who is revered, but finds out he’s human like everyone else. He is the only guest at the house in Rodanthe and comes there for a specific purpose. Saying Adrienne and Paul find out quite a bit about each other is an understatement. Being caught in huge storm for a weekend does that to two attractive, love-starved people, I guess.
Scott Glenn has a cameo that brings all his experience to bear on the part. He’s not his usual bad guy, or the super competent cop, but it is one of the more powerful performances in the movie. Also very impressive is Mae Whitman as Adrienne’s daughter Amanda, the punkish, dismissive, angry but loving daughter who sees her world coming apart when her parents separate.
Nights in Rodanthe may not rock your world, although you may shed a tear or two, but it does speak to middle-age angst, and the dream and hope of finding true love, especially if you missed it the first time around. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| GHOST TOWN Rated PG-13 for strong language, sexual humor and some drug references. Comedy/Fantasy 102 minutes
3½ stars |
How much can you do with ghosts in film anymore? But writers keep trying, coming up with a nuance here and there. Writer/director David Koepp and writer John Kamps put their spin on this tale of a socially challenged Manhattan dentist who sees dead people. Fortunately, this is a comedy, so it’s okay to laugh at the silliness even if these souls are wandering around trying to find peace.
Ricky Gervais plays Bertram Pincus D.D.S. as a fastidious, persnickety British transplant. Being a comedian, his timing is often just right when it comes to the comedy portion of his role. His dramatic acting is a bit less sure. Dr. Pincus almost compulsively avoids other people, but never hesitates to be sarcastic if he can help it. On a hospital visit during a routine test he “dies” for several minutes and this is when he starts seeing the walking dead. Each one has some unfinished business before he/she can cross over to eternal life (where have we seen this before?).
The most persistent of these ghosts is Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear, playing a familiar type character, smirking even though dead), who the audiences sees die in a clever sequence at the beginning of the movie. He doesn’t want his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni, who really holds this film together) to marry a seemingly a good match for her, Richard (Billy Campbell), a soically-minded lawyer. Frank harasses Bertram until he agrees to intervene so the other ghosts will go away.
The dentist decides he can be attractive enough to get Gwen interested in him and then he can come between her and Richard. This is where it gets difficult to buy. There isn’t much chemistry between Ricky and Téa that I can see, and trying to imagine it is well, icky. But if you can go with it until that passes, it does have a payoff, although not one you haven’t seen before, yet pleasant enough.
This movie turned out to be better than I expected. It’s surprisingly funny in the right places with the right timing, and not too heavy on the life lessons. It also has some reversals and some touching moments when situations are resolved and ghosts leave mortals behind. Death is, after all, permanent no matter what they say in the movies, but positive memories can help make loss bearable. A good laugh helps, too. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| LAKEVIEW TERRACE Rated PG-13 for intense thematic material, violence, sexuality, language and some drug references. Drama/Thriller/Crime 106 minutes
3 stars |
The lesson learned from Lakeview Terrace, that takes long enough to make, is if you live next to a crazy neighbor (who is, further, a cop) – Pack Up And Move. The sooner, the better. Because? It’s guaranteed the nut next door will descend into homicidal insanity. But this is not news to anyone who’s ever seen one or more movies of this sort. And if the viewer has, then definitely there better be a hearty dose of suspense. Since such is lacking here, to paraphrase the song title - Walk On By The Movie Theater.
All eyes and on the prowl is the aptly named Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson, it’s his movie all the way), a policeman with anger issues. Among the latter are unyielding rules for his children (even unto approval of his son’s basketball T-shirt), unconventional law tactics (threats, bribery, violence), uncompromising indignation (for liberal positions), and disapproval of ethnic mixing (absolutely unacceptable). As to the last, to Abel’s great consternation, a mixed couple moves in next door: African-American Lisa (Kerry Washington, earnest and sincere) and her white husband Chris (Patrick Wilson, as usual accomplished and convincing – someday he’ll get the breakout part he’s earned).
What follows is a s-l-o-w escalation of antagonist actions on Abel’s part echoed in the slowly encroaching wildfire in the surrounding hills. You got it. The unreasoning, out-of-control madness of the flames grows and creeps ever closer as Turner’s rage takes over and runs amok. Shining security lights in his neighbor’s bedroom is one thing, but breaking and entering should not be the logical progression. Then again, Abel is an unstable policeman with a sense of self-righteousness. What hope could a good neighbor have?
Virtually none as the rational and controlled Chris discovers. No matter his approach to Abel, it is rebuffed with a barely veiled threat. In the meantime, he and Lisa are an imperfect couple with disagreements, among which are race and the issue of starting a family. These efforts to give the couple depth are feeble and forced, meant as complications but seem merely distractions from the head-to-head battle between the men. It’s a competition Chris is ill equipped to win. Yet, how often does the weaker contestant lose in these circumstances? And if the suspense has been adequately and skillfully built, the viewer will be, at least, curious as to the mechanics of the so-called loser’s victory.
Unfortunately, the progression set forth in the script by David Loughery and Howard Korder (based on a story by Loughery) is predictable. The viewer is aware, and awaits, a step up to the next level of aggression by Abel, but the sequence of events is too deliberate and measured, resulting in the audience losing its anticipation. Still, a tip of the hat to the writers for attempting to vary the formula by injecting larger issues (race) and character development (Abel, Chris, and Lisa have backstories), but it might be this genre isn’t an appropriate venue. Further, since action is the focus, cardboard characters can, and often do, suffice.
Based on his past films, one can guess why director Neil LaBute was drawn to Lakeview Terrace favoring, as he does, material located on the morally ambiguous borders of social and personal life where the behavior and beliefs of protagonists and antagonists is murky and overlapping.
Trouble is, this script, and LaBute’s interests, are an awkward fit within this genre wherein pacing and broad strokes take precedence over subtlety and small, telling moments. While the movie is professional in every regard, the mix of bad neighbor violence/social insight doesn’t fit, serving only to short change both. Even Samuel L. Jackson’s great performance can’t save it.
Lakeview Terrace – Not worth a visit. Review by Charles Zio
| RIGHTEOUS KILL Rated R for violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and brief drug use. Crime/Drama/Mystery 101 minutes
2 stars |
The audience has been waiting for Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino to work together in something meaty. This isn’t it. And it’s frustrating because these two acting icons are intriguing to watch. They do a dance here where one never overshadows the other as two long time NYPD partners. Their mutual respect comes through and infuses their cops with authenticity. Although Pacino especially can be overzealous in his roles, it’s under control all the way and their acting keeps you watching long after this pedestrian plot is letting the audience down. DeNiro plays the explosive cop with anger management issues, while Pacino is the cool one who calms him down.
You’ve seen this story before, many times. Tough, burned-out New York City cops, in this case DeNiro and Pacino as Turk and Rooster respectively, investigate vigilante murders. Guess what? The police come to the conclusion, about three quarters of an hour after the audience, that it’s one of their own. What a revelation. Turk and Rooster with their seniority and the OK of an equally worn-out boss, Lieutenant Hingis, played with resignation by veteran Brian Dennehy, take over the investigation, but are still aided by younger colleagues Det. Simon Perez, and Det. Ted Riley (John Leguizamo and Donnie Wahlberg, both holding their own with the big guys).
Another character is police forensics specialist Karen Corelli (Carla Gugino, young enough to be DeNiro’s daughter, but who’s counting?), a pretty cop into rough sex who Turk is having a fling with, or “lowering his sperm count” as he so romantically puts it. 50 Cent plays Spider, a drug dealer who is integral to the plot, but not given much to do or stretch as an actor. Melissa Leo, of Frozen River, shows up to do a satisfying cameo as a junkie caught up in the web of lies.
There’s much self-righteousness running amok, and plenty of guns, but and the outcome and the serial killer’s identity is never much in doubt. Although DeNiro and Pacino try to give their characters as much nuance as they can, they look tired, just like the screenplay. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| MY BEST FRIEND'S GIRL Rated R for strong language and sexual content throughout, including graphic dialogue and some nudity. Comedy/Romance 101 minutes
1 star |
There’s still hope for Kate Hudson if she can somehow escape from ron-com purgatory where she’s been paying for her sin of picking bad scripts. As for Dane Cook, I still don’t get this guy’s appeal, but somebody must like him. As a comedian, he’s got some good timing, but everything seems to sink to the lowest bodily level functioning. I suppose it can cause a guffaw or two, but is it funny, and can it sustain an entire movie?
This supposed “love triangle” is almost painful to watch although the actors try very hard to infuse it with energy. Cook plays Tank, an obnoxious call center salesman, who lives with his best friend Dustin (Jason Biggs, needing to stretch his boundaries, too). Tank has a way with the girls, and this is the only part of his role with believable swagger. He makes money on the side by being hired by guys who are dumped to be so gross with former girlfriends on dates that they run back to previous boyfriends.
This works out well, for him anyway, until Dustin hires Tank to perform these duties with Alexis (Kate Hudson), and Tank finds himself feeling differently about her. Comedy ensues, well, complications anyway. The tone of the film gets more frantic and ridiculous as it goes along until wedding scenes that zoom past bad taste right to silly and on to disgusting. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| BURN AFTER READING Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence. Comedy/Drama/Family 101 minutes
4 stars |
The Coen brothers are obsessed with the randomness of life, and especially, death. Their Oscar winner, No Country for Old Men, was a drama, edged with comic touches. Burn After Reading is concerned with the same theme, only it’s strictly for laughs. And there are some funny moments and situations in the film thanks to a complex storyline, and mostly the performances by actors who look like they’re having a great time. The problem is that there isn’t much depth, they’ve mined this territory before, and the movie ends rather abruptly. But if you’re strictly looking for a good time, you’ll find it in this Coen brother's idiosyncratic absurdist black comedy.
Brad Pitt is particularly funny as Chad Feldheimer, the good looking but dim-witted gym employee who discovers a disk at work that contains the memoirs of an alcoholic, fallen ex-CIA agent named Osborne Cox (John Malkovich, bringing his hardcore edginess with him). Osborne’s wife, Katie, an iced-over doctor played by Tilda Swinton, has taken up with Federal Marshal Harry Pfarrer, played by George Clooney in a humorously bizarre combination of lothario and fraidy cat.
It is Frances McDormand (wife of brother Joel) as Linda Litzke who is at the center of the craziness as she drives the action. Her motivation? She wants plastic surgery to stay fit for her gym job, but mostly to attract men. Also very good is Richard Jenkins as Ted Treffron, Linda’s boss at the gym who is, with a few lines and expressive gestures, able to communicate exactly how he feels about her.
Another group of clowns are our stalwart government agents who simply want to take care of the messes. As dead bodies start appearing David Rasche, a CIA Officer, presents J.K. Simmons, his CIA boss with the situations, and the boss tells him to clean it up and make it go away. He has one of the funniest lines in the movie as he tells the officer after the body count beings, “Don’t come back until it makes sense.”
The characters’ lives intersect in amusing ways that may not be anticipated, but ultimately, the Coen brothers’ style and the skill of the cast make this movie work. Are people in the wrong place at the wrong time; the right place at the wrong time; the wrong place at the right time, etc? We all live in a random, uncaring universe where our petty concerns are a matter of importance only to each individual, but how funny that can be to the rest of us. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE WOMEN Rated PG-13 for sex-related material, language, some drug use and brief smoking. Comedy/Drama 114 minutes
2½ stars |
What was the motivation to remake The Women? Looking at the end result I have no idea. It was adapted from the play of the same name by Clare Booth Luce, which was made into a movie in 1941 with spectacular divas of their day, including Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell. These women were “dames” in the best and broadest sense of the word, even though they were portraying high society women. In her day, Ms. Luce was quite spectacular herself as she was not only a playwright, but elected to congress, and married Henry Luce who was the founder and publisher of Time Magazine.
Luce’s dialogue was witty for it’s time. Her "women" were (it seems) quite inspiring in those years, so it’s such a disappointment that this movie falters on so many levels. Diane English, who was so sharp when writing for women in television, unfortunately makes too many questionable choices here. Despite the updating to modern times, and efforts to counter the “static” perimeters of the stage play, The Women feels old-fashioned and strangely inert. Sex and the City is not a perfect movie, but it is a more accurate reflection of the way modern women think and feel.
Part of the problem is the casting. Meg Ryan, as Mary Haines, the sweet, nice housewife, can be adorable, but—-been there, done that. It’s uncomfortable watching essentially a re-run of most of her previous performances. Then there is Annette Benning as Sylvia Fowler, an unmarried working woman with no children. Ms. Benning is capable of so much more nuance than is allowed here where she’s encouraged to be shrill, but mostly, it’s not amusing. Debra Messing, as Edie Cohen, is like a one trick pony. She’s pregnant again; how hysterical. The final friend in this group is Jada Pinchett Smith as Alex Fisher, the token lesbian, which I didn’t buy for one minute.
Eva Mendes plays Crystal Allen as the “other woman.” She is one gorgeous specimen, but looks can’t make up for a poorly written part. There are a few cameos: Candice Bergen as Mary’s meddlesome mother, Carrie Fisher as writer Bailey Smith, Bette Midler as agent Leah Miller, which adds more of less interest to the goings on. More successful is Debi Mazur as Tanya, the gossipy manicurist. Cloris Leachman, normally on target, is off her game here like she doesn’t exactly know how to play a maid who has spent many years working for Mary, but doesn’t want to get emotionally involved with the family (excuse me?). Mary’s daughter Molly, played by India Ennenga is a typical pre-adolescent, and is believable in comparison to these usually dynamic actors.
Mary finds that being a good wife and mother can be boring to a husband who then looks elsewhere for excitement. She turns him out, and with the “help” of her friends, finds herself at last. The audience never gets to see Stephen Hains (or any man), only the women, but it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing to be learned. It’s all been said and done before—and better than this. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| MAN ON WIRE Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and nudity, and drug references. Documentary/Crime 94 minutes
4 stars |
Philippe Petit is an intriguing, but ultimately enigmatic man. Even though we are there with him as he wire walks and spend sufficient time with him in this documentary, he remains essentially a mystery. That Philippe is no ordinary thrill-seeker is evident from the opening frames and throughout the film. He has a goal very early in life when he finds out in France that they are building the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, which at that time would make them the highest buildings in the world. He is charming and in perpetually good spirits. He draws his girlfriend and others into his dream. He is determined to wire walk between the towers. This is not only daring, it is illegal, but that doesn’t stop Philippe as the culmination of his careful planning is reached in 1974.
Just to divert for a minute here, clips are shown of construction workers building the towers. It’s eerie and sad almost beyond bearing to watch the sometimes mundane construction work and think about how years later these buildings would be the scene of the worst personal and public tragedy of our times.
The movie, though, follows Philippe as he happily continues his obsession, even in other countries. There is footage of him wire walking between the Notre Dame steeples and the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. He gets arrested, but this is only a minor inconvenience. Philippe, it seems, apparently has no shame when it comes to his goals. He also doesn’t just walk across wires; he puts on a show. He stops, kneels down, lays down, he walks back and forth. The viewer can only stare in amazement.
What becomes evident is how much preparation it took to carry off this stunt; it took years in fact. He had accomplices that helped him carry supplies and get the wire from one side to the other, and a girlfriend that supported his goal. Many of these people are interviewed as well, and each had his own reason for helping Philippe. There are complicated relationships amongst the group, with some not trusting others, and some doubting their own good sense.
It is surprising how much tension director James Marsh is able to create, even if you know the outcome. When asked at one point about fear of falling and dying, Philippe says flippantly that it would be a wonderful way to die, doing what you love. The photography of Philippe on the wires is incredible, and the viewer is able to experience what the world looks like from so high up. (I had to turn away several times as the camera panned down.)
Philippe is clearly a man who pursues his own ends regardless of the cost, and he seems to enjoy confounding people. What drives a man to such an obsession, to such heights, can probably never truly be answered. He’s obviously not “crazy.” Philippe doesn’t seem to fully understand it himself, but that doesn’t bother him. He is one of those “because it’s there” types of explorers. He certainly knows what he’s doing is extraordinary, and therein may lie the reason. I’m glad the filmmakers allowed us to share his riveting story. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| FROZEN RIVER Rated R for some language. Drama/Crime 96 minutes
4½ stars |
Frozen River provides a good metaphor for the desolate landscape in upstate New York where those with few options try to survive on practically no money or good will from others. Writer/director Courtney Hunt has beautifully realized a film with little excess, but powerful character studies. Chief among them is Ray, played by Melissa Leo, giving a nuanced, deeply felt performance as a woman trying to stay afloat when her husband steals the money she has saved for Christmas to go gambling. The close-ups show a face weathered from years of hard work for little gain. Yet, the admirable part about Ray is that she doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for herself as a less resilient woman would do. No, Ray keeps going even if that means what she has to do is outside the law and dangerous.
She has two sons, an unhappy fifteen year old named T.J. (Charlie McDermott’s teenager is natural and believable), and a five year old, Ricky (James Reilly, sweet and cute). Ms. Leo has a good rapport with both of them, and her scenes with the two are some of the most heartfelt.
Ray finds herself involved with Lila (Misty Upham, in an excellent performance), a Native-American woman who lives on the Mohawk reservation. It seems Lila is a smuggler, bringing illegals across the Canadian border. The reservation spans both countries so what happens is that neither country has much control. With no other means of making money except her part-time minimum wage job, Ray at first resists becoming involved. But then realizes that driving these unfortunate people across the frozen river in the trunk of her car is the only way she can save herself and her boys, and get the double wide trailer she was saving to buy.
This is probably not an area of the country most will be familiar with, or give much thought to on a regular basis. In that sense, this is something original as it shows the consequences of a little known situation where people are smuggled across our northern border rather than the southern one. The desperation of those running toward “freedom” is real and understandable. Everyone involved risks his/her life in some way or other.
The growing relationship between Ray and Lila is handled and paced well. At first they are at odds because of their cultural differences and mistrust, but both are mothers who love their children and that translates universally. The sacrifice of motherhood and the potential loss of children in such dire circumstances are heartbreaking. This is a movie you will not soon forget. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| TRAITOR Rated PG-13 for intense violent sequences, thematic material and brief language. Drama/Thriller/Politics 110 minutes
4 stars |
Despite a less than original title, Traitor lives up to its billing as a suspenseful thriller. Writer/director Jeffrey Nachmanoff does a fine job with an intelligent, clever screenplay (from a story by actor Steve Martin), and in directing his excellent cast.
Don Cheadle plays Samir Horn, the “traitor” of the title, with complete authority and commitment. The audience first sees Samir as a young boy in the Sudan waving goodbye to his father as he gets in a car; a death soon follows. The next time we see Samir, he is visiting some terrorists to sell explosives. The house is raided and he ends up in prison with a group he was trying to negotiate with at the time of the raid, and who don’t trust him. Visited by two FBI agents Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce delivering a strong performance), and Max Archer (Neal McDonough playing a cold, arrogant good guy effectively with those ice blue eyes). Samir, a former U.S. Special Operations officer and explosives expert, refuses to cooperate or give up information and almost dies in the brutal surroundings.
His potential explosives buyer Omar (Saïd Taghmaoui, excellent in portraying a misguided but true believer) also in the same prison, sees that Samir is totally committed to his Muslim faith. They become friends and when there is a prison breakout, Omar takes Samir with him.
This begins Samir’s true use to the terrorists as he is asked to set up a horrific set of bombings to be executed across the United States. Clayton and Archer peg Samir as the mastermind of a plot although they don’t know exactly what it is, and chase him across Europe, the Middle East, and America.
There are several subplots that add to the suspense. One involves a girlfriend, Chandra Dawkin (Archie Panjabi). The other involves Carter, (Jeff Daniels in a good turn), also a government agent. Clayton and Archer know him, but not that he and Samir are in contact with each other.
The plot is tightly crafted. The acting is good across the board. At times, the story is confusing since there are so many locales, characters, and secretive relationships that it’s difficult to keep track, and it’s a tad too long, but ultimately all is understood. There are the usual killers, backstabbers, explosions, but also surprises that shock as the movie goes along that make for compelling viewing.
What makes this film a cut above the usual is that is shows the nuances of the “war” that the audience never sees in reality. It’s chilling when so-called soldiers kill without conscience for their cause, yet there is enough ambivalence of the main character that the humanity comes through. This is a film worth seeing. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| DISASTER MOVIE PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, drug references and comic violence. Comedy 90 minutes
1 star |
I could go for the easy shot and say Disaster Movie is a disaster, but then that wouldn’t begin to describe how bad this movie really is. First, it’s more about spoofing recent superhero movies and current favorites rather than disasters, but maybe that’s the point? The “scenes” are more like skits from some of the worst Saturday Night Live shows you can imagine. Writers/directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have a few good lines, and actors that try hard to make it work, but ultimately it’s an embarrassing mess.
Matt Lanter plays Will, the “hero” of the Cloverfield-like disaster that takes over their city as they are partying. He’s typical of the nice-looking though bland and somewhat dense leading man. Vanessa Minnillo is his girlfriend Amy. She is quite a stunner, but some acting lessons would help.
Crista Flanagan shows promise as a comedienne and is initially funny as Juney, the Juno-like character (and several others). The character is mannered and talks “like a teen who’s thirty” and is given several ridiculous physical pregnancy "jokes," but that begins to wear thin. Also initially engaging is Nicole Parker as an Amy Winehouse-type character and a weird, bizarre Enchanted-like princess, but again the “jokes” go on too long.
There are take-offs on Justin Timberlake, the Javier Bardem character in No Country for Old Men, Hellboy, Indiana Jones, Batman, Dr. Phil, Beowulf, Flava-Flav, The Love Guru, Prince Caspian, Calvin Klein underwear models, etc. The line between satire and idiocy is slim to non-existent here as almost everything comes down to the juvenile sights and sounds of bodily functions. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE ROCKER PG-13 for drug and sexual references, nudity and language. Action/Musical 102 minutes
3 stars |
The premise of a heavy metal drummer, twenty years past his prime, joining his nerdy nephew’s teen band isn’t necessarily great. Nor is it immediately dismissible. It could present an amusing clash of ages and egos, a humorous take on the positive and negative elements in rock groups, or even a funny take on the Peter Pan types who won’t grow up. The Rocker, though taking a slight pass at each, ultimately doesn’t deliver in depth on a single one of these possibilities. There’s more energy and excitement in any video on MTV or VH1 or BET than in the entire almost hour and a half here.
Robert Fishman, known as Fish (Rainn Wilson, trying hard but only intermittently believable), is the drummer for Vesusvius, a heavy metal band in 1986. Just as the band is about to hit it big, the members sell him out (agreeing to replace him with the record company executive’s nephew). They go on to phenomenal success, Fish to a deadening, office job. Ending up in his sister’s attic (why and how doesn’t matter much), he is invited to join his teenage nephew’s band when their drummer is expelled from school (again, it doesn’t much matter why). The band consists of nephew, Matt (Josh Gad, coming across as less nerdy than he claims to be), Amelia (Emma Stone, under used in the role of a one-dimensional, tough girl), and the lead singer Curtis (Terry Geiger, of good voice but stretching credulity as an angsty songwriter).
Needless to say, Fish is totally out of synch with his bandmates – in dress, demeanor, outlook, thought process, behavior, etc. But there is one area in which he excels and that is in his musical instincts. He unfailingly makes the band’s tunes better. Unfortunately, this is nothing to brag about with songs that are consistently ordinary, mundane, and generic. Despite the depiction of interested, then enchanted, and finally ecstatic fans of A.D.D. (the band’s name as in Attention Deficit, which viewer’s will experience first hand trying to care about the story), there will definitely be no dancing in the theater aisles.
If there is any curiosity as to how A.D.D. achieves its are-you-kidding rapid rise to fame and fortune, try this on – the band’s Webcam rehearsal, in which Fish appears sans clothing, becomes an internet sensation (he’s called The Naked Drummer) and as an after effect, the listener’s notice and supposedly are taken by the music. Or so says David Marshall (Jason Sudeikis, letter perfect) as a sleazy, immoral, record lackey who signs up the band and arranges a road trip. Now, what parent would allow their underage children to go off in a tour bus around the country? Well, Curtis’ mom, Kim (Christina Applegate, capable of far more than this silly cameo), Matt’s mother and Fish’s sister, Lisa (Jane Lynch, believably a tough cookie) and his father, Stan (Jeff Garlin, deserving of more to do), a henpecked dreamer.
What happens out on tour? Everybody grows up, including most notably Fish who has fought maturity all his life. Ahh! And finally, in the long expected climax, A.D.D. is slated to open at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Yo, Cleveland) for the reputedly insanely popular Vesuvius. One of Curtis’ hit song is called I’m Not Bitter (the title altered and improved, natch, by the drummer man’s suggestion earlier in the film), but you might feel the opposite due to the lack of payoff that occurs when Fish finally meets the men who in decades past betrayed him. But then, it’s just one disappointment among many. The film is directed by Peter Cattaneo and written by Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, based on a story by Ryan Jaffe.
The Rocker – Rock n’ Roll Is Here To Stay. Not so this tired film. Review by Charles Zio
| TELL NO ONE Foreign Film - France Not Rated Content Advisory for Parents Drama/Thriller 125 minutes
4 stars |
The solution to the mystery in Tell No One isn't easy to follow, but the journey to the ending confession/clarification will keep you watching and interested even if you, likely, give up trying to solve the contorted plot on your own. A good script and good writing are always a plus.
Alexandre Beck (Francois Cluzet, believable and identificable everyman) is a Parisian pediatrician still reeling, after eight years, from the murder of his wife Margot (Marie-Josée Croze, appealing and mysterious throughout) at a country lake where they spent their childhoods together. Alex carries on, though he has not healed, when he receives an e-mail leading to a video of Margot looking into a surveillance camera with a message, "Tell no one. They're watching." As if this isn't enough of a jolt, the police arrive after the discovery of two buried bodies at the murder site. In one of the victim's pockets is a key to a safety deposit box which turns out, with an alias, to have belonged to the murdered woman. Inside are pictures of a badly battered Margot and a bloody weapon.
While the police pursue and investigate him, Alex tries to sort out what actually happened, especially as he now knows that Margot is alive. Consulting his ever supportive best friend Hélene (Kristin Scott Thomas, cooly calm/smart), her lover, his sister Anne (Marina Hands, aloof/emotional, caring and secretive), and his retired police inspector father-in-law Jacques (André Dussollier, imposing/forceful), he finds little clarification. Also in the mix are Gilbert Neuville (Jean Rochefort, smoothly ambiguous), a billionaire political figure who raises dressage horses (Alex's sister is one of his riders), his son Phillippe (a skilled cameo by director Guillaume Canet), Elysabeth Feldman (Nathalie Baye, effectively tough) as a high profile lawyer, Eric Levkowith (Francois Berléand, intelligently sympathetic) as an relentless but honest cop, and Bruno (Giles Lellouche, an imposingly tough/good-hearted thug).
The last named character is critical in an extended and dandy chase sequence wherein Alex runs from the police, pursuing in cars and on foot, after being suspected of a recent killing, along streets/through alleys/out a restaurant/and, most grandly, through lanes of highway traffic. But more than the law is after him. There's also a group of ruthless bad guys (and one very deadly woman) in pursuit of Margot and, thus, Alex who they guess may know her whereabouts. Of course, it is establsihed he doesn't, he can't even figure out what happened to her those eight years ago. And, listen, the chances are you'll be as lost as he is with the ongoing series of turns, twists, revelations, red herrings, etc. that don't become clear until near the end when, literally, all (or just about all) is explained. Even if you're in a fog and give up trying to decipher the clues, no matter. It's such an enjoyable trip there's no need to get annoyed, even more since you will definitely know the scoop by the finish of the film.
Guillaume Canet has been mentioned for his acting cameo but he is also the co-author of the intelligent (though a bit convoluted) script with Phillippe Lefebrve (based on a novel by Harlan Coben). And further, he's the director of this finely honed mystery. (An aside, though the film is subtitled, there are several songs in English that are effective, U2 among them.) Canet has an assured hand technically and dramatically. Don't expect greatness. Just a really fine show.
Tell No One - It's not a secret that a well done mystery, and this is one, is always welcome. Review by Charles Zio
| THE LONGSHOTS Rated PG for some thematic elements, mild language and brief rude humor. Drama/Sport 94 minutes
3½ stars |
You’ve seen inspirational sports stories before, and though you have a good idea what’s coming, you can still appreciate this movie, especially since it’s based on the true story of Jasmine Plumber, the first girl to play in a Pop Warner football tournament. Although that’s a big accomplishment, the bigger one is what it took to get her there.
Jasmine (beautifully played by Keke Palmer) is a lonely, sensitive outcast at her middle school in the economically depressed city of Minden. Neither boys nor girls like Jasmine and she has no friends. Being raised by a single mother, Claire (Tasha Smith, always convincing, but almost too put together here), she is forced to spend time with her Uncle Curtis (Ice Cube, keeping his edge, another rapper who has made the transition to acting). Curtis is her father’s brother. Her father, Roy (a suitably conniving Malcolm Goodwin), left her and her mother deeply hurt. She desperately misses him and has no other male figures in her life.
Jasmine and Curtis get off to a rough start. The scenes between them are realistic and touching, and build nicely. He was a former football star and notices she has a good throwing arm. Along the way, of course, there are those who cheer them on, and those who try to stifle their dreams. Among those who cheer: Jasmine’s teacher Ms. Macer (Jill Marie Jones, playing against type), Garrett Morris, looking like he’s having a good time as the preacher, Reverend Pratt, and Earthquake and Michael Colyar giving moral support as they are the first to see Jasmine’s moves.
The first hurdle is fitting in with the boys. At first they reject her, but success speaks for itself. This young group of actors does a good job. They are not unbelievably advanced as you would see in some sports movies. They look and act like middle school age boys. The coaches, too, are well cast, especially Coach Fisher (Matt Craven, who has a lived-in face, and is very credible as the no-nonsense coach).
It’s hard work, and there are set backs between the time Jasmine first starts her journey and when the team makes it to the tournament. The story is predictable, but what I liked about The Longshots is that it doesn’t promise more than it delivers. Director Fred Durst and writer Nick Santora give the audience a refreshingly sweet, but not cloying film. The city is still depressed after the tournament and no one’s life takes a remarkable turn, but everyone in the community benefits from the pride of Jasmine’s accomplishments.
And it’s also important to see a girl succeed in such an unusual environment; it’s a success she will always have to encourage her, and other girls, too. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| DEATH RACE Rated R for strong violence and language. Action/Sci-fi/Thriller 89 minutes
2 stars |
Okay, so in only four years, 2012, there will be a prison called Terminal Island where a psychotic warden dressed like a business women will televise “death races” for hundreds of dollars? It starts to make a little more sense when knowing it’s based on a story from 1975 by Danish writer Ib Melchior. (One can only guess what that negotiation was like.)
Terminal Island houses the worst of the worst. You know the type, those guys who will kill at any provocation, so the warden Hennessey (Joan Allen doing a credible job even as she’s slumming in this movie), has to do something with all that talent, doesn’t she? It’s never really explained how these death races started, but Hennessey is determined to keep them going—and bringing in the cash.
She has one little problem, though, her main madman, Frankenstein, dies during the last race. It seems the audience loved the freaky, masked guy, so Hennessey has to find a replacement. No problem. A working-class laid-off former driver Jensen Ames (Jason Statham, watchable if a little bit stiff), gets arrested for his wife’s murder. He’s set up, which the audience knows from the beginning, so there’s no doubt he’s the “good” guy. His crew led by Coach (Ian McShane, who can do this role in his sleep), get his supped up car in condition so he can go three rounds with other notorious killers. His main rival is Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson, playing a real bad *** if here ever was one.)
Although there is some semblance of terrible wrongs that are supposed to be the reason for Jensen’s motivation, this movie is all about the cars, bloody violence, and stunts. And those stunts are pretty horrific at times. They are only tolerable if looked at as video-game like. If you take them too literally, they can turn your stomach. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE HOUSE BUNNY PG-13 for sex-related humor, partial nudity and brief strong language. Comedy 97 minutes
2 stars |
This movie must have had real possibilities once, especially with Anna Faris in the lead, but went off course when the writers decided to go so broad with the comedy that it makes it impossible to go past a certain point of enjoyment. It’s not as though anyone hasn’t had similar concepts when it comes to college life, and in particular sororities and fraternities.
The word “vapid” is used to describe Ms. Faris’ character, Shelly, several times but stupid is closer to the reality, though it's to her credit that she’s as likable as she is in this jumble. Huge Heffner and his Playboy Mansion figure prominently as Shelly lives there for a number of years before being tossed unceremoniously out the door by Hef (she thinks). Shelly is the good-hearted innocent who loves everybody, but is so dumb that she accidentally winds up at the dilapidated Zeta Alpha Zeta sorority house begging to be the house mother.
The girls are all plain outcast duds who are mocked and ostracized by other sororities on campus who want to get rid of them. Shelly comes to the rescue as she sexs up everyone and everything in sight. The “girls” Emma Stone as Natalie and Kat Dennings as Mona, both do the best job they can with the material. The others don’t quite succeed as well.
Colin Hanks shows up as Oliver, an earnest nursing home manager and Shelly’s love interest. (There’s type casting for you.) First Shelly tires to flirt as she would at the Mansion. These scenes are embarrassing. Then she tries to be intellectual, more icky stuff.
The girls of Zeta turn into a hot commodity and they give a playboy type party. A snob from a rival sorority sabotages their chances of keeping their sorority house, primarily so Shelly can save the day again.
Anna Faris almost carries it off, but alas, in the end there’s no saving the screenplay. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| HAMLET 2 Rated R for language including sexual references, brief nudity and some drug content. Comedy 94 minutes
2 stars |
Hamlet 2 goes wrong from the beginning with the character of drama teacher Dana Marschz played by Steve Coogan as such an unlikable and unwatchable cretin that even when his wife, Brie Marschz (Catherine Keener, not in her finest hour) is maliciously berating him the audience can’t help but agree with her assessment. Satire is one thing; this totally misses the mark.
Dana is the drama teacher at a high school in Tucson where he really only has two students, Rand Posin (Skylar Astin, on target as the immediately recognizable teacher’s pet/gay theatre geek), and Epiphany Sellars (Phoebe Strole as the girl in theatre class who wants to be a star soooo bad). When a schedule mix-up adds fourteen (Latino) kids to his class, Dana the character, gets even more strange and obnoxious. It’s an awkward and embarrassing performance by Mr. Coogan, and director Andrew Fleming should have reined him in, instead of sending him out farther.
As Dana tries to Brie get pregnant, she and their border Gary (played by an unusually subdued David Arquette), spend more time together and Dana becomes as much an outsider at home as he is, well, everywhere.
A subplot involves Elisabeth Shue as herself, here reinvented as a nurse who gives up show business. Another amusing supporting actor is Amy Poehler as Cricket Feldstein, a shrill ACLU lawyer protecting the rights of Dana and class after the script he’s written, Hamlet 2, is barred from performance at the high school.
There are plenty of inside jokes about theatre, but most fall flat because of the off-putting progression of Coogan’s character. The last minutes of the movie only slightly redeem the rest when the audience gets to see parts of the actual performance and the kids acting in it. It’s certainly more interesting than what’s gone on before. For those who appreciate theatre and were hoping for something refreshing, Hamlet 2 is as bad as a play that closes on opening night. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| TROPIC THUNDER Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references, violent content and drug material. Action/Comedy 107 minutes
3½ stars |
There are amusing bits, even a laugh or two, in Tropic Thunder. Just not enough, nor consistently, to qualify as a must-see comedy. Maybe broken up it could’ve been effective as an ongoing skit in SNL or Mad TV (or best at such, the late, classic SCTV). The talent, first rate, helps a lot. If only the material could have matched it.
Starting off with a fake movie ad and several film trailers (don’t miss these which present/help define the lead characters) we arrive upon the film location of a Vietnam War battle scene. The director, Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), is a bumbler unable to control two of his stars, Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller, in one of his patented intense/half bright egotist roles), a fading action star, and Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey, Jr., with some good moments in an absurd part), a multi-Oscared Australian actor. Unable to prevent the two men from ruining a death scene (who gets to cry is the issue) results in no cameras rolling on a spectacular exploding effects take, a costly mistake that angers Les Grossman (Tom Cruise, hidden behind extra weight and profuse body hair), an immoral/profanity spewing/ultra rich/producer who demands Coogan regain control. The suggestion from John Tayback (Nick Nolte, effectively playing on his wild man image), the author of the book (the film’s title) recounting his unit’s war experience, is to set cameras high in the trees of the jungle itself and drop the five lead actors to perform, in actual time/place, the scenes of the movie thus achieving realistic drama. Coogan bites and with the assistance of his special effects expert, Cody (Danny McBride, as a dandy/over-dedicated professional) puts the plan in effect. Problem is, just after informing the actors, Coogan is blown to bits by an old French mine that, furthermore, alerts a nearby drug militia which accepts the actors at face value as US troops.
Tugg, with script and map (which he can’t read) in hand, is gung ho while Kirk is skeptical. One of the issues raised about the movie is Downey’s Kirk having undergone skin alteration to play a black man in the movie being shot. The implication is that it’s a professional challenge (different than his five other Oscar-winning characters) and also that he’s a method actor. The latter leads him to believe his speech and language is authentic which is challenged and insulted by Alpa Chino (pronounced, uh-huh, Al Pacino), a black actor who doesn’t buy anyhow/anyway Kirk’s transformation (and who can blame him). Also accompanying the men is Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black, over the top but it mostly works), a seriously addicted, low comedy actor and Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel, good as straightman to the rest), the most level headed/intelligent of the bunch. There’s no way this motley, fake-armed fivesome should end up as anything but dead. But this is a satiric comedy, so not to worry.
Tugg is captured and discovered by the teenage leader of the drug band to be the star of Simple Jack, which was his break out attempt as an actor by portraying a mentally challenged farm boy. This is the second, larger issue that’s raised objections about this movie. Despite the overuse of the word retard (unfunny!), the focus is not on the disability, but in Kirk’s assessment that Tugg gave an unconvincing, misguided, and inaccurate portrayal of Jack. It’s not a disability matter but an acting critique. And it must be admitted that in terms of Tropic Thunder, the acting (including clever cameos, of note Matthew McConaughey), under Ben Stiller’s direction often attains a level of entertainment not always merited by the script (penned by Justin Theroux, Stiller, and Etan Cohen, based on a story by Stiller and Theroux). On the other hand there are nifty/sharp/wise/inside industry visuals/comments/asides/jokes that are well aimed and accurately landed (as well as some witty song usage). Catching these moments somewhat compensates for the long, laughless stretches predominating throughout most of the film. Though it looks great (John Toll, director of photography and production designer Jeff Man), the movie’s promise isn’t realized. There’s smiles, but the guffaws are few and far between.
Tropic Thunder – Despite hints, the reign of humor is scattered. Review by Charles Zio
| MIRRORS Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images, language and brief nudity. Horror/Thriller 110 minutes
3½ stars |
Anyone who has seen a horror film (casually or aficionado) will be familiar with the various genre conventions. Even so, if done well, one can still expect old-fashioned jolts and scares, in addition to those occasioned by the newfangled acceptance of a higher and more graphic level of violence (which elicits its reaction through revulsion as opposed to fright). Mirrors is an example of the later, a scary movie that delivers the goods. So what if you’ve witnessed just about all of it before? Given what it is, it’s better (but certainly not great) than expected.
Mirrors opens with the familiar – a soon-to-be-victim running in terror from who-knows-what supernatural force. Trapped finally in the employee locker room of a New York subway station, the cause of his terror is revealed immediately prior to his (very) bloody demise. Cut to our hero, Ben Carson (Kiefer Sutherland, excellent at conveying intensity and inner demons), a suspended detective (having accidentally shot a fellow police officer), trying to recover from his guilty conscience (with drugs rather than drink) in order to return to the force and regain his family. The latter consists of his wife Amy (Paula Patton, effectively empathetic and maternal), a woman divided between spousal love and protecting her family and his children, Daisy and Michael (respectively, Erica Gluck and Cameron Boyce, both fine as the threatened innocents).
Not allowed home, Ben is living with his kindly sister Angela (Amy Smart, sympathetic but bland). To earn some income, he takes a job as the night guard at the yet imposing Mayflower, formerly the epitome of upper class shopping until ravaged by an arsonist’s fire. Inside, the department store is a nightmare setting if ever there was one with far off vaulted ceilings, darkened corridors, broken furniture/counters, a flooded basement, and everywhere (seemingly imitating the fire’s victims) half burned/deformed posed/fallen mannequins. Most ominous, though, are the mirrors (especially the enormous ones covering entire wall surfaces and stretching off to unseen heights) that are spotlessly clean. When Ben inquires he is told his predecessor, the opening scene sacrificial lamb, was intent on keeping them spot free. Strange. But then Ben himself is soon enough caught up in unusual doings.
The script by Alexandre Aja and Gregory Levasseur (based on an Asian film) isn’t always clear, let alone logical, as it sets forth a series of escalating hints (what was located previously on the site of the Mayflower), threats (one’s image in a mirror means danger), races against time (to save lives), mystery (who is Essker is the big one), and violence (there is a second particularly brutal murder). Add in an explosive/shattering/foundation shaking climax and a twist at the end and who, genre-wise, could ask for anything more.
Meriting particular mention are the designs of Joseph Nemec III, especially the ruined interior of the Mayflower (truly a setting deserving sequels), the photography of Maxine Alexandre, and the editing by Baxter – each contributing to the look, feel, and effectiveness of the whole. And certainly a firm pat on the back to Alexandre Aja for his skillful and professional direction wherein he took the familiar horror elements and rendered them, for those so inclined, worthy of another look.
Mirrors – Worth a look if you enjoy the familiar done well. Review by Charles Zio
BARCELONA |
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexuality and smoking. Comedy 101 minutes
3 stars |
We’ve been here with Woody Allen before; not Barcelona, but the relationship territory between men and women, and more prominently, their relationship with themselves. This is not really a story; it’s more a fable with unnecessary narration by Christopher Evan Welch. If anything works in the movie it's because Allen was smart enough to cast the actors he did.
Best friends, Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), and Vicky (Rebecca Hall), decide to spend July and August in Barcelona, Spain, where they stay with Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and Mark Nash (Kevin Dunn). The couple are good hosts and show the women around. Cristina, the restless one, is looking for something in the way of excitement, while Vicky, the stable one, is alternately amused and annoyed by her friend’s lack of direction.
At an art showing one night, Cristina spots a painter, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), and is immediately attracted to him. After some inane questions and conversation (that I don’t believe for a moment), they are off on a rickety small plane to his house so they can all bond. When Cristina becomes ill, Vicky and Juan Antonio have an adventure of their own. This dilemma for Vicky is the most interesting part of the film. So sure of herself and what she wants, she suddenly changes when she finds there’s another side to life, specifically passion, something Vicky has never felt or believed existed, so tightly has she kept herself in check.
When Cristina and Juan Antonio get together, Vicky leaves. His unstable ex-wife Maria Elena, (Penélope Cruz), who tried to kill him when they split up, is retrieved by Juan Antonio when she tries to kill herself. The three live together for a while. Vicky’s fiancé Doug (Chris Messina) decides he wants to marry Vicky in Spain (why?) and flies over adding another anxiety for her as she continues to question her once absolute choices.
This group of conflicted people doesn’t exactly represent anything new. Juan Antonio and Maria Elena, are the clichéd artists who see and feel more in the world (even if they are either crazy or sex-obsessed) than the rest of us. Vicky is the tightly wound, smug girlfriend who decides early on what she needs to do to feel safe. Cristina is the adventurer who is satisfied for only a little while, and will probably keep bouncing around the rest of her life, or settle eventually. As she says several times, she doesn’t know what she wants; only what she doesn’t want.
The actors are attractive and interesting and work hard to bring meaning to their roles, and they are better than, but can’t always rise above the parts written for them. The look of the film is lush and charming, but doesn’t make up for the slight, shallow story. The idiosyncratic Allen dialogue sometimes overpowers the actors’ lines and you can almost hear him saying the words in that staccato delivery.
These characters are self-obsessed (like their creator famously is). As people who’ve never suffered any deprivation in their lives, they think their feelings are profound when they’re actually pretentious and narcissistic. They’d find out much more about life if they freely gave of themselves and thought about others less fortunate rather than wallowing in their own torturous musings. Though they are great to look at, these are not people I’d want to spend any time with, in Barcelona, or anywhere. Why does Woody Allen continue to mine this same territory? I guess he still hasn’t found the answers he wants, or likes. No wonder. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| AMERICAN TEEN PG-13 for some strong language, sexual material, some drinking and brief smoking, all involving teens. 100 minutes
4 stars |
This documentary reminds me how much I disliked high school. The film is quite realistic in showing how the big shots rule the school, and those who are different in any way pay a heavy price for trying to assert their individuality. Yet, even the popular kids have issues that stress them out. In short, it’s not much of a picnic for anyone, though far worse for those who don’t, or won’t, conform.
It’s senior year at a small Midwestern high school in Indiana. Writer/director Nanette Burstein and crew follow around several kids from different cliques. There is the popular girl, Megan Krizmanich, self-absorbed and prone to insensitivity and even cruelty; Hannah Bailey, the vulnerable, artistic girl with far out tastes; Colin Clemens, the star athlete, trying to please his father; Jake Tusing, the ultimate outsider, looking for love with no luck; Mitch Reinholt, the golden boy to whom all things come easily.
School starts hopefully for some, not so for others, but all face the same pressures: the first half of the year is very important because of college. The social caste system is actually very rigid and moving in or out of the groups is not easy. The most sympathetic teen is Hannah Bailey, the artist. She knows others don’t like her or think she’s weird, but bravely tries to go her own way. Quirky though she is Hannah is sweet and appealing. Through the course of the school year, she has little luck dating, and then Mitch Reinholt asks her out. They’re an odd couple, but Mitch bucks his friends and seems to genuinely like her, but in the end is cruel to her. Jake Tusing is probably the saddest case. His search for love borders on the extreme, with girls almost running the other way. Megan Krizmanich is pretty and comes from a well off family. She acts like a spoiled princess, dominating her friends, making decisions about who’s in or out.
Parents do have influence. This is most evident in Colin Clemens story. His father (an Elvis impersonator of all things), was a star athlete. He coaches Colin, and also tells him he has to get a scholarship because he can’t afford to pay for Colin’s college degree. This puts enormous pressure on Colin as he tries to get noticed by scouts by not sharing the basketball and then causes the team to lose some games by his behavior. His depression is palpable as he struggles to fend for himself in a competitive meat market.
Nanette Burstein has made an astute documentary that shows the joys, but mainly the anguish of those supposedly “carefree” teen years when kids find out that life isn’t all they thought it would be. There is an epilogue about what happens to each of the teens in the film after high school. It would be interesting to see where they are in ten, then twenty years. This revisiting of high school years lets those watching go back to their own days in school and reevaluate what is was like for them. Most will be grateful they never have to go back. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
THE CLONE WARS |
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Rated PG for sci-fi action violence throughout, brief language and momentary smoking. Science Fiction/Fantasy/Animation 98 minutes
2 stars |
This animated version of The Clone Wars just doesn’t inspire much excitement as the live action movies did, long, long ago in a galaxy far away. This story takes place before the movies we’ve seen previously, so the audience already knows what happens to Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. That doesn’t leave much suspense. Even adding an apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, so that Anakin can be a master to teach another, is nothing extraordinary.
The animation is interesting if stiff-looking. The battle scenes kill more beings than would be expected. The voice-overs are serviceable, including those by Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Lee, but again, nothing special.
Jabba the Hutt’s young son is kidnapped and Anakin and Ahsoka rush off on an old bucket of a spaceship to rescue him. What no ones knows at the beginning is who is behind it, though it’s not hard to figure out. Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress are suitably villainous when the time comes. The twists and turns are mild. So why this animated version? Die hard fans can never seem to get enough, but at some point it has to stop, doesn’t it? Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| HENRY POOLE IS HERE Rated PG for thematic elements and some language. Comedy/Drama/Religion 101 minutes
2 stars |
If faith is the answer, what’s the question? Henry Poole is Here takes the audience on a journey that while sincere is rather heavy-handed when it comes to miraculous happenings. Henry (Luke Wilson) is a cranky, glum, slovenly guy who buys a house that he barely cares about, but that we find out later is in the neighborhood where he grew up, and that last place he remembers being happy. Flashbacks to Henry as a child (Noah Dahl), trying to escape his parents’ fighting, are some of the affecting scenes. But for now he wants to be left alone to drink Vodka and eat donuts.
His nosy neighbor, Esperanza (Adriana Barraza), tries to engage him but no such luck. She does notice, though, an image of what she thinks to be the face of Jesus Christ on the stucco on the side of his house. This agitates Henry as he quite simply wants to be left alone. Esperanza brings over not only her friends to see the face, but her priest Father Salazar (George Lopez), who wants to have a red substance that’s coming from the face tested to see what it is.
The pace of this movie is painfully slow, especially in the beginning. It takes too much time, and too many extreme close-ups of Luke Wilson to find out he’s dying and that’s why he’s such a depressed grouch. It only gets somewhat more interesting when the little girl next door, Millie (Morgan Lily), who doesn’t speak, seems to be the only one that Henry feels more sorry for than himself. Her mother Dawn (Radha Mitchell), happens to be beautiful and understanding, but Henry resists being with her because he doesn’t feel he has the right to involve her with a dying man.
Back to the wall. Miracles start occurring as people touch the face, and some physical problem of theirs is cured. People start lining up to touch the wall. Henry gets more and more angry. You may be able to figure out what happens from here.
The writer, Albert Torres, and director Mark Pellington obviously have a reverence for the subject matter. They don’t offer neat explanations, trying to show the power of prayer and belief resides in each individual. But still, it’s difficult to swallow. Also, too many extreme close-ups start to give a claustrophobic feel to the visuals and the movie itself. Luke Wilson is a credible and likeable actor; the rest of the cast does a good job as well, and while not everything has to be tied up neatly, the story leaves one feeling unconvinced. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| PINEAPPLE EXPRESS Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, sexual references and violence. Action/Adventure/Comedy 111 minutes
2½ stars |
Someone please advise the Judd Apatow & Company film train that it’s just about run out of fuel. Sticking to its familiar Boys To Men track, this stoner comedy is similar to its most recent predecessors – the originality, exuberance, and promise have dwindled to a few laughs. How’s the following for a plot?
Dale (Seth Rogen) is a mid-twenties/marijuana befuddled/process server with a high school senior girl friend. His suppler, Saul (James Franco), is eccentric (he watches old, short-run black television series) and continually stoned (he is ever lighting up) and is himself supplied by Red (Danny McBride), at best an ambivalent fellow (straight or gay, loyal or a betrayer, alive or dead), who in turn is supplied by Ted (Gary Cole) a childish, murdering drug king aided by his corrupt cop lover, Carol (Rosie Perez) all amidst a drug war with a generic Asian cartel.
The action encompassing this group is Dale’s witnessing of Ted shooting an assassin from the Asian drug group at which point he becomes the object of a manhunt. He’s quickly associated with Saul, by virtue of his discarded roach (for the brand name, see the film title) and the two men go on the run, first to the woods, then to Red, then to Dale’s girlfriend’s family, and eventually to a large wooden growing/storage center literally in the middle of nowhere. A large number of the actions and reactions of Dale and Saul occur under a drug -induced haze. But even the sober players are goofy and absurd (like one of the killers chasing the heroes down who is intent on dinner with his wife). And yes, there’s a car chase, an extended brawl (between Dale, Red, and Saul) and an even longer shoot out near the end. Capped, naturally, by lots of male bonding.
That there is some humor in the foregoing cannot be denied. It’s just not much. Yes, Seth Rogen is adept at portraying the man who will not grow up, James Franco skillfully plays the dope head, Danny McBride can surprise with the ever shifting persona of Red, and Gary Cole and Rosie Perez nail their parts (as do the others in their bit parts). Trouble is the characters are so self –contained and self-involved the viewer is left aside and never fully suspends disbelief to become part of the scene. Such, of course, can be a real danger with comedy wherein what is hilarious to those sitting around writing the script (in this case Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, based on a story by Judd Apatow) does not necessarily translate beyond the moment, and place, of its composing. Like a man in his twenties with a high school girlfriend? Or selling drugs to kids? And let’s not forget those moments when what might have induced a smile is over extended and loses its impact altogether.
On the other hand, even if the humor holds up, the same pitfall (you-had-to-be-there) effect can befall the director as seems to have happened here to David Gordon Green. You seem to sense he and everyone else involved had a jolly good time, they broke each other up a lot, and there were funny outtakes galore. But increasingly Judd Apatow & Company’s movies seem to be evolving into home movies, private parties to which the viewer doesn’t feel invited. Maybe next time.
Pineapple Express – Not fast, not furious (as in lively), and scant fun. Review by Charles Zio
OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 |
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 Rated PG-13 for mature material and sensuality. Adventure/Comedy/Drama 117 minutes
3½ stars |
The girls of the traveling pants are growing up. This follow-up to the first adaptation of Ann Brashares’ book series finds the girls in college now. They are older so their problems are more adult—like a pregnancy scare. The actresses are well-cast and work well together as an ensemble; each presenting a different type that a multitude of girls can relate to when watching the movie. Although, sometimes the story is a bit too simplistic.
Amber Tamblyn plays Tibby Tomko-Rollins, Alexis Bledel is Lena Kaligaris, America Ferrera is Carmen Lowell, and Blake Lively is Bridget Vreeland. They all do an excellent job, although Amber Tamblyn’s character is probably the most difficult to pull off. As they gather after the end of the school year, Carmen can’t wait until they are all together again. She’s feeling left out because her mother has remarried and is pregnant. Carmen misses the days when it was just her and mom. She makes no summer plans because she thinks the four best friends will be enjoying their time together, but then learns they’ve all already made plans out of town. Carmen is annoyed at her friends, and reluctantly decides to take up her friend from Yale’s offer to work backstage at a prestigious summer theatre. (You might be able to guess what happens there.)
Tibby works in a video store, Lena takes an art class, and Bridget goes to Turkey on an archeological dig. Each story is followed through in a well-crafted, interwoven pattern by director Sanaa Hamri. The most touching story is not about the men in their lives, although it is about finding love. Bridget is still heartbroken over her mother’s suicide, believing as many children of suicides do, that her mother left because she didn’t love Bridget. A wise teacher, Professor Nasrin Mehani (Shohreh Aghdashloo, nicely showing emotions) on her dig in Turkey advises her to not cut off the past, but embrace it. This gives Bridget the impetus to go to Alabama to see her grandmother, Greta (Blythe Danner, very effective) and find answers about her mother.
There are also lighthearted moments that provide humor; sweet ones that provide romance; sensual ones that provide sex, but in a loving context. Female audiences, who liked Pants 1, will enjoy this one as well. The photography is admirable, looking at the costumes is fun, and the rest of the technical aspects are handled well. And for those who are not familiar with the series, it is more touching than you might expect. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE WACKNESS Rated R for pervasive drug use, language and some sexuality. Comedy/Drama 95 minutes
3 stars |
Teenage angst is created anew with each succeeding generation, and each one has its own particular trials and quirks. The Wackness is about Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck in an affecting, believable performance) in New York City in 1994 where being a lonely, depressed outcast has led him to an enterprising line of work. Luke is a drug dealer. He only sells marijuana, almost like he’s doing a public service rather than an illegal activity. He seems to care about his clients’ well-being, either because he has no one else in his life, or he's an okay guy.
It’s the summer after Luke’s high school graduation and his concerns are about his family, going away to college, and sleeping with girls. But hey, Luke has principles; he wants to at least not be repulsed by a girl he sleeps with. He forms a kind of a bond with his psychiatrist, Dr. Jeffrey Schaffer (Ben Kingsley), who trades him weed for therapy sessions. In this case, the doctor truly is crazier than his patient. He is even more desperately unhappy than Luke.
When Luke finds that his father, (David Wohl) has lost all the family money, much to his mother’s (Talia Balsam) anger, he tries to sell even more drugs. In the meantime, he is attracted to Dr. Shaffer’s step-daughter, which the doc doesn’t like. Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby, doing a nice job), was popular in high school and barely noticed Luke although they were in the same class. She is bored because most of her friends are away and doesn’t have much to do so she and Luke become friends. When she takes him to her summer house and teaches him about sex, he falls in love with her. Dr. Shaffer’s own unhappy marriage with Kristin (Famke Janssen, playing disaffected very well) becomes unraveled even further, which leaves him completely undone.
While the younger actors, Josh Peck and Olivia Thirlby specifically, do a credible job making their characters interesting and sympathetic, Ben Kingsley’s character is a total jerk; I don’t care if he is depressed. If someone suggested him as a psychiatrist, I’d run, not walk, the other way. And I could have lived without the visual of him and Mary-Kate Olsen, as a demented flower child called Union, getting it on in a phone booth.
Writer/director Jonathan Levine’s story about a sad sack teenager is not as original as it might seem at first glance, and is very close to being self-indulgent. Although there are some touching moments, and some pop culture references that kids can relate to, there are other films in this genre that provide more powerful and lasting memories of what it feels like to grow up in a crazy world. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
THE DRAGON EMPEROR |
THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR PG-13 for adventure action and violence. Action/Adventure/Sequel 112 minutes
3 stars |
A little cheesiness goes a long way, especially in movie sequels. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has plenty to spare, yet it also has Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, and some interesting CGI. Although this is the weakest of the Mummy movies, teen boys or anyone who likes spectacle without too much thought would seem to be the chosen audience. Director Rob Cohen is trying to give us an Indiana Jones type campy, over the top movie, but there are some problems.
The biggest mistake is in the casting. Maria Bello, who looks the part and tries hard, and normally a good actress, is not at her best here. She is an odd replacement choice, and she and Brendan Fraser seem awkward together. The worst choice, however, is Luke Ford as their son, Alex. In the last movie he was a little kid. Next thing we know he’s what, 25 or 26? He’s way too old to be their son. Did I mention he’s not much of an actor? Why the screenwriters chose to skip his adolescent years, which would seem full of opportunity, is a mystery, except to have him separated initially from his parents.
Rick and Evelyn O’Connell (Fraser and Bello) have settled into a rich but boring existence. When they get the chance to go Mummy hunting again, they take it. In Shanghai, they catch up with their son, Alex (Ford), who is supposed to be in college, but having their genes (ha), he finds the tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Thousands of years ago Emperor Han (Jet Li who elevates any movie he is in) wanted to rule China. His second in command, General Ming (Russell Wong, believable and handsome) finds a “witch” Zi Juan (Michelle Yeoh, who seems to have cornered the market on beautiful, dignified Asian women), who can help the Emperor with the total power he seeks. He tells Ming no one is to touch her, but to take her where she can find the “object” she needs to complete his dominance. In the course of their travels Ming and Zi Juan fall in love, and when the Emperor finds out, he kills Ming. Before he can do the same with Zi Juan, she curses him to an existence in suspension holding the reins of his horses.
That’s where Alex comes in, finds the tomb, not knowing what he is about to unleash. Rick and Evelyn get drawn in along with her brother, Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah playing the same incompetent character, supposedly the comic relief) who now owns a nightclub in Shanghai.
As mentioned, along with the Asian actors, the CGI is the strongest part of the movie. The chase scene in the streets of Shanghai, the mountain scenes with the yeti, the risen “soldiers” of massive armies, and Jet Li’s many transformations will keep the audience’s attention if not total belief in the goings on, but then who goes to this kind of movie for reality, anyway? Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| SWING VOTE PG-13 for language. Comedy 100 minutes
2½ stars |
Like a politician who wants to please everyone, Swing Vote tries to have it all. It’s supposed to be a comedy, but has heavy doses of serious issues that are left unresolved. Kevin Costner plays Bud Johnson, an alcoholic redneck in New Mexico who works at a factory packing eggs into cartons. He’s lazy, unapologetically uneducated, and lets his young daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll, excellent throughout) be the parent. So of course he’s the perfect person to be responsible for casting the final vote to pick the President of the United States. Oh, the irony.
Molly is very bright and civic-minded. She registers Bud to vote, signing his name illegally. Then she expects him to show up at the polling station. When he passes out in a drunken stupor, she manages to get to the machine and almost votes except for a cord that gets pulled from the wall at an opportune time. Huh? Already straining credulity, the Republican president Andrew Boone (Kelsey Grammer doing a nice job), and Democratic challenger Donald Greenleaf show up to court Bud.
The strongest part of the movie is the most honest: where we see the candidates worrying about demographics, and their puppet masters willing to obtain victory at any cost. That’s when they start switching positions to please Bud who will cast the deciding vote. Neither man is presented as “bad” just tremendously ambitious as the most powerful position in the world is at stake. It’s only late in the movie that they seem to develop a conscience, and decide to hold to their original positions and be true to themselves. This makes it more palatable that Bud has to decide between two decent, though not necessarily noble men.
Where the movie strays the most is the parental storyline. Bud is not a parent to be admired. Hard working men and women from so-called “red” states could take offense at this characterization of a person who should have his daughter taken away. It helps that they have an affable Bud who is not a mean drunk. But he takes the whole movie to realize the import of his decision. Then there is a scene with Mare Winningham (always good, and too good here), as Molly’s disturbed mother, that is totally out of synch with a comedy in its pain and intensity.
The uneven pace and tone is covered by lots of cursing, a personal fault Bud tries to correct (and which often substitutes for real humor in movies), good acting by the cast, especially young Ms. Carroll, the patchy charm of Kevin Costner, and the nuggets of truth about our corrupt political system, but in the end it’s a let down. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
REVISITED |
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED PG-13 for some sexual content. Foreign Film – UK Drama 133 minutes
3½ stars |
Adapted from the epic novel by Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited may disappoint those who read and love the book, or the television mini-series. If you are flexible and willing to accept a loose adaptation, you may be satisfied with this version about the life of one man on the outside looking in on the British (Catholic) upper crust.
The story starts with Army Captain Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode, drawing empathy in his role) at a mansion called Brideshead used now as a military base, thinking about the years between World War I and II when he visited it with his friend Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw, appropriately dissolute). They met at Oxford when Sebastian vomited in Charles’s window. To make up for his awful breech of manners, he sends Charles flowers and invites him to lunch. There Charles meets Sebastian’s friends including Anthony (Joseph Beattie), where he tells them all of his plans to be a painter. As they become closer friends, Sebastian, obviously homosexual, becomes more enamored of Charles. Although there are scenes of the two swimming naked and they share one chaste kiss, there is no evidence of an affair between the two men. Sebastian reluctantly invites Charles to Brideshead to meet his family, where the splendor of the estate takes the middle class young man’s breath away.
Charles is introduced to the controlling and dominating matriarch of Brideshead, Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson, delivering another flawless performance although she’s too young for the part) who is obsessed with her children remaining true to their Catholic faith. He also meets Sebastian’s siblings, including Bridley (Ed Stoppard), Julia (Hayley Atwell), who is mysterious, and unobtainable, and their younger sister, Cordelia (Felicity Jones). Immediately taken with the beautiful Julia, Charles is then invited to stay for the summer. The three go to Venice to visit with Lord Marchmain (Michael Gambon in another good performance) separated from Lady Marchmain, and his mistress, Cara (Greta Scacchi). Along the way, Charles is warned by several characters not too lead Sebastian on, but he’s somewhat naïve, and infatuated with Julia and doesn’t want to cut ties with the family. Sebastian sees Charles and Julia kissing in Venice, which leads to an estrangement between the two. Julia is forced by Lady Marchmain to become engaged to Rex (Jonathon Cake), a rich but ambitious American and Charles is forced to leave Brideshead.
The years begin to take their toll, the carefree times are gone, and the characters grow up and older. Sebastian is living in Morocco, an alcoholic who is ill and barely surviving. Charles becomes a painter of some reputation and meets Julia again. The saga continues. One of the major storylines in the book is about the Catholicism of the Flytes. Charles is a self-proclaimed atheist and never understands the hold the religion has over the family, which leads to further estrangement.
It’s difficult, even in over two hours to include the sweep of the novel with all its subplots, but the movie does a pretty good job of creating the sense of glory days gone by for these characters. The cinematography, set design, and costumes are well-done. It seems an odd time to release this kind of film, but if you like to look at times gone by, and British masterpiece theatre-type work, this is for you. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| BRICK LANE PG-13 for some sexuality and brief strong language. Drama/Adaptation 101 minutes
4 stars |
This is a lovely, heartfelt film about the meaning of “home.” The screenplay is adapted by Abi Morgan and Laura Jones from the popular book by Monica Ali about a Bangladeshi woman named Nazneen (Tannishtha Chatterjee in an earnest performance) who tries to cope with her constricted life in London on Brick Lane, known for its immigrant communities. Nazneen mourns for the idyllic life she had as a child spent playing with her sister. Only gradually do we learn it wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. As with most nostalgia, Nazneen tends to remember the good and chooses not to dwell on the bad.
At seventeen Nazneen comes to London because of an arranged marriage, leaving her sister, and everything she knows behind. Her husband, Chanu Ahmed (Satish Kaushik, doing a fine job), is considerably older, and her life is more about duty than pleasure. She has two daughters, but the older, teenager Shahana (Naeema Begum, very good), is rebellious and has taken on the attitudes of her adopted country which causes difficulties with her traditional father. Nazneen goes about her daily life without much conflict, or joy either. The incident that changes everything is when her husband leaves his job because he feels unappreciated. Instantly, the family is threatened with instability. Nazneen finds a way to earn money sewing. She meets Karim (Christopher Simpson, charismatic) who takes her the sewing work and picks it up. Young and handsome, she finds herself attracted to Karim and, in her early thirties, is in the first flush of love.
Nazneen has been living for the days she receives letters from her sister, who has had a rough, if exciting life back home. But when Karim comes into her life, she now has something exciting to live for that makes her happy for the first time since she left home. The relationship with her husband has been one of obedience, but for the first time she feels appreciated as a woman. The movie is subtle; with the actors’ expressions telling more than words can about their emotions. For the most part tensions build slowly, but inevitably, as the culture clash is unavoidable. When 9/11 adds even more unrest to the immigrants’ situation as Muslims are now the target of suspicion, militancy begins to build among the residents of Brick Lane.
Although visually striking, the pace of the movie works against it. A book can afford to slow down and go into detail; a film doesn’t have that luxury. Yet, once Karim comes into the picture, it does move faster. The growth of Nazneen is handled delicately, but realistically by director Sarah Gavron, who shows a woman blossoming and calling on an inner strength she had all along, but didn’t realize. Nazneen is also pragmatic, though, as she comes out of her “dreamlike” state, assesses her priorities and puts her family’s survival first. Brick Lane is a film to see. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| STEP BROTHERS R for crude and sexual content, and pervasive language. Comedy 95 minutes
3½ stars |
Watching Step Brothers one wonders just how long the Judd Apatow inspired formula film will hold on. The answer will eventually be supplied by the teenage males who are the market, and of course the subject, of the films themselves. Sure, there’s some laughs and the acting is often better than the material, but the signs indicate that diminishing returns are increasingly making an appearance.
The titled step brothers become family after the marriage of Robert Dohack (Richard Jenkins, convincingly running the gamut from relaxed to crazed irateness) and Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen, ever delightful, here a sexy wife and overly caring mother). The instantly smitten couple have in common problem adult sons, 39 and 40, who still live at home, are consistently jobless, and with a maturity level around 12.
The continued good fortune in casting extends to the actors who embody, to the nth degree, the step brothers. Namely, Will Ferrell (more often than not appealing no matter how absurd his character and/or situation) as Nancy’s son Brennan and John C. Reilly (a fine actor who deserves greater acknowledgement of his wide range) as Robert’s son Dale. The two men are not happy at their new family arrangement and react with subtle and overt acts of hostility and sabotage (especially Dale’s humorous, obscenity laced rants and songs) that establish that neither has set so much as a toe in the land of adulthood (listen to their silly, and funny, childish insults).
A change comes with the visit of Brennan’s younger, conceited brother Derek (Adam Scott, nicely conveying a dislikable bad guy). After a bout of taunting, Dale punches Derek thereby incurring the amorous devotion of his frustrated wife Alice (Kathyrn Hahn, dandy as a newly freed from primness, sensuous stalker). Having shared a mutual enemy, Brennan and Dale discover they share adolescent hobbies and enthusiasms and finally bond.
Now, if this happened to be a sitcom, we’d be at the end of an amusing premier episode. That it’s not such an animal is evidenced by the profanity (overwhelmingly for humor not shock value) and a graphic defiling of a drum set (and not with the male genitalia you might guess). But this is a movie and the script by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay based on a story by both men and Reilly has to come up with some complications. These involve, among others, Robert forcing the two sons to get jobs (joint job interviews!), forming an entertainment company (a feeble, imitation, updated Duran Duran), forestalling a house sale, and destruction of property. There’s more, too, and though most involve well delivered bits, the sequence of events come across as mostly time fillers. And maybe, just maybe, this boys-into-men genre has lost its novelty and the viewer now wants, and deserves, more depth and insight into character while, of course, not losing the outrageous/rebellious viewpoint.
Still, director Adam McKay (also cited above as a co-author) keeps the story moving along while avoiding the dread fault of the too-long-take (a mood killer if there ever was one). Considering the close participation of the principals (McKay, Ferrell, Reilly) the ability to keep the touch light, the tone good-natured, and the entertainment value consistent is to be complemented (too much unfettered involvement by producers/directors/writers/actors often results in a work most highly appreciated by the very creators themselves). Overall, the travails of the step brothers are easy to swallow even if the meal isn’t totally satisfying.
Step Brothers – Another dysfunctional family, pleasantly comic with, here and there, laugh out loud moments. Review by Charles Zio
I WANT TO BELIEVE |
THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace. Action/Adventure/Crime/Sequel 142 minutes
2½ stars |
I’m not sure of the impetus behind making a movie based on the well-known television series, The X-Files, but I’m sure there are die hard fans who could tell me, and are glad there is one. The problem is the movie should not just be good, but very, very good, and unfortunately, it doesn’t measure up to that level of competency.
We have the same main characters, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Their relationship is complicated and the driving force behind the action. (The audience for the show, it seems, have invested these characters with a great deal of their time and attention.) The other main subject in the film is unexplained phenomena that can’t be measured by any actual scale or real device.
The story begins when an FBI agent goes missing. There are some chilling scenes that show a woman being assaulted by two men at her home. This woman is the agent, and the FBI desperately wants to rescue one of their own. That desperation leads the head investigator, Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet, a usually reliable actor, but rather flat here) to approach Scully, a doctor/surgeon at a Catholic hospital. They want her to contact Mulder, who has since left the FBI, and want to pick his brain. He is bitter, and is reluctant to get involved, yet does, or there would be no movie. It seems a priest, Father Joseph Crissman (Billy Connolly) is having “visions” which he can’t explain that take him (and FBI searchers) to buried human body parts. Whitney believes Mulder can work with the priest to find out if he’s the real deal or a fake so they don’t waste any more time in finding their agent.
Gillian Anderson is the more interesting of the two actors and her character of Dr. Dana Scully is a provocative one. David Duchovny’s Mulder has a self-righteousness that can be irritating. The conflicts between Scully and Mulder seem too manufactured at times since these two clearly deserve each other.
The setting, snow everywhere, with it’s barren, frozen landscapes add to the eerie nature of the story. Yet, the story itself is simplistic, and is less about the paranormal, then some pretty freaky, crazy people. Because of a subplot about Scully’s attempt to save a very ill child, where she does battle over his care with one priest at the hospital, while Mulder tries to work with the other priest, Father Crissman, the religious subtext provides most of the extra-dimension factor. But it’s not enough to make the story anything extraordinary. Again, I’m back to same thing. Why is it necessary to have a movie of this television show? Review by Ann Marie Oliva