| FUNNY PEOPLE Rated R for language and crude sexual humor throughout. Comedy/Drama 146 minutes 
3½ stars |
First and foremost, Funny People is funny just as advertised. The jokes and one-liners are sure to make you laugh unless you have an aversion to vulgarity. But if you are walking into a Judd Apatow comedy expecting high brow joke-telling (if there is such a thing) then you deserve to be shocked. The movie can very well be seen as a production in two acts: the first act is brilliant comedy and an interesting storyline while the second act leaves you scratching your head and wondering why the movie took the course that it did.
The movie centers on Adam Sandler’s character, comedian and movie star George Simmons. It is unclear if Simmons is supposed to be an on-screen representation of Sandler but there are many parallels and they even use old stand-up and home movie footage of Sandler in the movie. Simmons is diagnosed with a form of leukemia and put on experimental medication with only a slim chance of survival. This sends the multi-millionaire comedian into a panic and out of desperation he tries stand-up comedy again. He meets Ira Wright (Seth Rogen), a struggling stand-up comedian, at a comedy club and hires him on to be his assistant and write jokes for him. Simmons then proceeds to go through the stages of grief while Ira desperately tries to help him cope. In this part of the movie the juxtaposition of comedy and self-examination will really draw you in. One moment the audience is laughing out loud at a joke and the next Simmons is trying to deal with his own mortality. Simmons eventually does realize he needs to share his illness with his family and friends. He embarks on a bucket list of activities which seem to bring his illness into the proper perspective.
However, the movie then takes a strange turn. Laura, George’s old girlfriend played by Apatow constant (and real life wife) Leslie Mann, comes to have feelings for him again even though she is now married with kids. This begins a strange sequence where it appears George has introduced himself into a bizarre love triangle. It comes to a head when Laura’s husband, Clarke, comes into the picture. Clarke is played dutifully by Eric Bana but by the time he is introduced into the fold the audience is too drained to appreciate any of his jokes and maybe more so because they are not used to seeing Bana play a hokie Australian bloke. There is conflict and resolution eventually but not one the audience wants or even is thinking about in the first part of the film.
There are some great performances from others in the cast. Jonah Hill as Leo and Jason Schwartzman as Mark work well with Rogen as three young roommates all plodding along in show business. Their chemistry produces some extremely funny moments and great interaction. Aubrey Plaza is hilarious as the deadpan east coast comedian Daisy who is Ira’s love interest. The problem is that because of the crazy turn the movie takes she has very little screen time, which is disappointing. There are a slew of comedian cameos; Andy Dick, Sarah Silverman, Paul Reiser (where has he been?!), George Wallace, Ray Romano, Norm McDonald, Dave Attell and many others. Even Eminem has an entertaining appearance.
I would recommend this movie simply because of the comedy. There are some terrific jokes in the dialogue and good chemistry between most of the actors. The direction the plot takes toward the latter half of the movie is definitely a buzz kill and at two and a half hours you will want the story to hurry up and end, but the overall ride is worth it. It is just a shame that Apatow was not able to tie off the story as well as he could have because it would have given a thought-provoking edge to a good comedy. Review by Cleet
| THE HURT LOCKER Rated R for war violence and language. Action/Drama/War/Thriller 130 minutes
4½ stars |
If it’s true that you’re never more alive then when you face imminent death, The Hurt Locker clearly illustrates that point. It also proves that a woman, in this case Kathryn Bigelow, can direct a war movie because she has done an excellent job with the screenplay by Mark Boal, and also with her actors. The Hurt Locker is 130 minutes of tension, suspense, and action-packed agony waiting to see what will happen to the soldiers who disarm roadside bombs in Iraq. This is not a movie about being for or against the war. It’s about the men who live with the inevitability of death—-theirs or someone else’s every day for as long as they are soldiers.
The movie opens with a squad investigating a call about an IED, improvised explosive device. The team leader seems like a decent enough sort of man. He gets suited up and goes to investigate only to have the bomb explode. His fellow soldiers, Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are devastated but have no time to mourn as a new guy has to take over. He is Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner). Temperamentally very different from their previous fellow soldier, James is a reckless hot shot taking unnecessary risks and putting them all in danger.
The film is very good at showing the differences in the men. Sergeant Sanborn is the realist who is just trying to do a good job and make it out alive so he can go home. They have 40 days left in their tour when the movie opens, and the count down is tortuous. Specialist Eldridge is almost in panic mode every time they go on a mission. His character could have ended up being the stereotypical coward but for the skill of the writing and the layers he brings to the part.
Then there is James who seems to have little regard for anyone or anything. At first he is unlikable for his swagger and coldness. Yet as the film progresses, he can’t help but show his humanity. The truth is that his “hurt locker” is full, but he keeps going back for more.
The more than two hours of running time begins to become almost unbearable. The audience knows it can walk out, but in a foreign war like this one there’s no place for our guys to go. You really get the feeling of being trapped there in a desert hell. The Iraqis are as they appear to the soldiers. You never know who has the switch to blow up the bombs. Even innocent-appearing bystanders can be menacing or your enemies and kill without as much as a shrug. This only adds to the fear that they must constantly fight against.
Kathryn Bigelow deserves all the praise for such a well made, psychologically honest, fully realized war film that is character driven yet shows the horrendous cost to those who have to defend American interests. The cinematography by Barry Ackroyd, film editing by Chris Innis and Bob Murawski, the original moody music by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, production design by Karl Júlíusson, art direction by David Bryan, set decoration by Amin Charif El Masri all add to the realistic atmosphere.
There are a few surprising (good) cameos from Guy Pearce, David Morse, and Ralph Fiennes, and good work from the entire cast of actors, but this movie belongs to Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, and especially Jeremy Renner who is exceptional in this role. The quote at the beginning of the movie references his character: “war is a drug.” To James, every day normal existence is a drag. He has become addicted to the adrenaline rush. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE UGLY TRUTH Rated R for sexual content and language. Comedy/Romance 97 minutes
1½ stars |
The Ugly Truth is glossy—-glossy looking that is, from the high end production values to Gerard Butler’s manly man to Katherine Heigl’s lip gloss. Everything else is squandered opportunities. The problem starts with the screenplay by Nicole Eastman, Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith. Director Robert Luketic doesn’t help matters either. Unoriginal is too kind a word. Let’s just say it’s trite in the extreme. Everyone knows immediately how the movie is going to end. Even if the saying is true that it’s the journey, not the destination, this journey is a flop. In fact, it never had a chance.
Although, I do understand where they were trying to go with it, more or less. No one is more cynical about love than someone who has been badly hurt, yet they never really explore what could have been the most interesting thing about Mike Chadway (Mr. Butler).
Ms. Heigl plays Abby, the producer of a local morning show. The character is so prissy and inflexible that it’s hard to develop any real empathy for her problems. The show’s ratings are dropping, so by the sheerest of coincidences the modern ape man Mike, who has a show on cable television, The Ugly Truth, comes on her show to talk about how men and women don't relate, and it’s a hit.
A deal is struck and he’s going to help her win over the doctor next door. Hilarity does not ensue as there are a series of embarrassing incidents that have Ms. Heigl and Mr. Butler trying way too hard to win over the audience. Both are beautiful people, but that only takes you so far in triumphing over crude, lazy, silly material. Both these actors have potential for much better, but they would be wise to pick better projects. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE |
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE Rated PG for scary images, some violence, language and mild sensuality. Adventure/Fantasy/Mystery 153 minutes
3½ stars |
The Harry Potter movie series has much going for it, especially the books that created the fantastic wizard world as written by J.K. Rowling. So already it’s ahead of the game. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no exception and most of the excellent cast is back to lead us to more adventures. (Sometimes critics and reviewers sound like they have only one mind among them.) Yet, I may be one of the very few dissenting voices since my expectations are so high. I have to admit disappointment with this movie. It just may end up being my least favorite Harry Potter film, but that's not saying I don't recommend it.
It’s not that it isn’t well acted. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter has grown as an actor as he has as a person, and the same is true of his best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Other actors also come through; Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham-Carter, and of course, Alan Rickman. The familiar supporting and new cast does a good job throughout the film.
Harry comes back to Hogwarts for his 6th year. He’s a teenager now, and hormones are raging on top of all that Voldemort business that’s going on and must be tended to or else. He depends on his friends and Dumbledore even more than before, and “trust” is a word that is used continuously. Also back at school is a morose Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), who vows revenge against Harry. When Harry and Ron are allowed to take the potions course (which they weren’t previously because of their grades) they have to take leftover textbooks and Harry finds one inscribed with the name "Half-Blood Prince" that proves to help him enormously.
Voldemort has cleverly spread his soul around in various items and can’t be killed unless they are found and destroyed. This leads both Dumbledore and Harry to try to figure out where they are, and this puts them into harm’s way. They do some travel that takes them away from the school, and into danger.
This movie is darker and more taken up with the distractions of teen angst that does, at least, provide some comic relief, yet it has less spectacular special effects creatures, which doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the ususal very good visuals including art direction. It’s also slower, and at two and a half hours could easily be cut by at least 20-30 minutes, especially from the middle section of the movie because then it ends rather abruptly leaving the audience with no big finale or resolution. There was no wild applause when the movie was over from the formerly enthusiastic crowd, though the audience did seem to enjoy it overall. Director David Yates has made a faithful-to-the-series film that Harry Potter fans will probably like just fine.
For my taste, the magic isn’t gone; it’s just tamped down. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| BRÜNO Rated R for pervasive strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity and language. Comedy 82 minutes
2 stars |
The tipping point between bad taste and offensiveness is open to individual definition, but wherever the viewer’s crossing line might be located, it’s probable that Sacha Baron Cohen, in Brüno, has stepped over it. Despite a few laughs and a late attempt at would-be redemptive romance, the film is ultimately reduced to a series of snide skits due to an overall emptiness of meaning. To be fair, though, the movie doesn’t aspire to anything more than the equal opportunity demeaning of everyone in sight.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s persona this time around is the gay Austrian title character Brüno, an egotistical, socially insensitive, relentless self-promoter seeking celebrity at any price. Fired from his fashionista television show (after a disastrous intrusion into a runway show) he leaves his home country and his long-time male companion (their love making graphically demonstrated in an extended, fairly explicit sequence) to find fame, mostly in America (with stop overs in the Middle East and Africa). He is accompanied for part of his travels by Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten, an able enough actor and suitably outrageous when need be).
Cohen is once again over-the-top in his characterization, here as an unmistakably effeminate man who becomes even more so the straighter the situation and/or people with whom he comes in contact. This is a movie that revels in the stunned disbelief of the unsuspecting/caught off guard, like the studio audience that is revolted by his purchase of an African child (for an ipod) whom he names O.J. as well as those pretending to the normalcy of their dealings with Brüno, such as the gay-converting preachers, and the psychic trying to keep his eyes averted as Brüno intimately pantomimes love making with his dead former sweetheart (Milli, yeah him from that disgraced duo). Brüno, in fact, does have perseverance and the movie conveys his attempts to satisfy his craving for fame by whatever means he can. In other words, a string of patronizing bits mocking the discomfort, gullibility, and ignorance of the unsuspecting.
The guilty authors of this cheap and one-dimensional script are Cohen along with Anthony Hines, Dan Mazer, and Jeff Schaeffer, based on a story (huh?) by the same gentlemen and Peter Baynham. The director is Larry Charles. It’s easy to imagine some combination of the previously named playing can-you-top-this in the writing and filming of the movie, and laughing uproariously (there is even a quick shot of Cohen starting to laugh as he pulls the chains of the National Guard soldiers). Classic comedies leave the viewer with something to think about beyond the surface laughs and smiles. Brüno just leaves you wondering why you wanted to see it.
Brüno – Big loser? The title character. Bigger loser? This movie. Biggest loser? You, if you pay to see it. Review by Charles Zio
| MOON Rated R for language. Drama/Sci-Fi/Thriller 97 minutes
4 stars |
Director Duncan Jones gives audiences plenty of moody atmospherics in this sci-fi film. It definitely has the feel of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey about it. So if you are a fan of that movie you will like this one. Everything seems to move very slowly as per many space movies, yet things are happening that the main character Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell, really showing his skill in this part) doesn’t understand. He’s essentially the only character, yet holds the audience’s attention throughout.
He’s an astronaut who has been on a three year assignment for a company that mines the earth’s energy source-Helium 3. Sam works and lives alone on the moon with no human contact, not even live feeds; everything is programmed with the help of the computer GERTY voiced by Kevin Spacey. Mr. Spacey’s voice is smooth though has a distancing, chilly tone to it, so it’s perfect for the computer that Sam has to interact with in the space station.
Sam is a few weeks from finishing his contract and going home to his wife and young daughter when he begins to feel ill. To describe what happens next would give away too much of the story, but Sam finally gets a visitor who helps unravel the truth of his predicament.
The screenplay by Nathan Parker, taken from an original story by Duncan Jones is simple, yet both have taken care to bring the story along in a careful, thoughtful manner. What happens to Sam Bell may one of our worst fears about the future, and is exploited to ominous effect.
Notable are the many visual effects by the technical crew, production design by Tony Noble, art direction by Hideki Arichi and Josh Fifarek, and cinematography by Gary Shaw.
What will the space travel bring? Are corporations going to exploit people way into the future? Moon has some possible answers, but be prepared for isolation, claustrophobia, and a frightening look at planned obsolescence. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
BETH COOPER |
I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER Rated PG-13 for crude and Sexual content, language, some teen drinking and drug references, and brief violence. Comedy 102 minutes
1½ stars |
Coming from Larry Doyle’s screenplay adapted from his novel, whose credits include The Simpsons, among others, and Chris Columbus who directed Home Alone and one of the Harry Potter movies, one would expect more, much more from I Love You, Beth Cooper. Unfortunately, this is no ground breaking teen summer movie. It’s so clichéd that it’s embarrassing to watch at times.
A valedictorian named Denis Cooverman played by Paul Rust decides to lay himself open during his graduation speech and declares his love for cheerleader Beth Cooper played by Hayden Panettiere. He also outs his best friend Rich Munsch played by Jack Carpenter among other insightful, anger-provoking musings.
This doesn’t go over well with Beth’s Army boyfriend Kevin played stereotypically and overzealously by Shawn Roberts. When Denis invites Beth to his party which has only himself and Rich as hosts, she arrives with two girlfriends, Lauren London as Cammy Alcott, and Lauren Storm as Treece Kilmer. Of course, Kevin finds out where she is and proceeds to pummel the nerdy Denis whenever he finds him. The five spend the rest of the time running from the coked up Kevin, and having “adventures.”
The lack of originality, chemistry, subtlety, and novelty are disappointing. The director has to take responsibility for the casting and the lackluster performances. Although it’s clear Paul Rust has some comic timing, he in no way looks like he’s just graduating from high school. Hayden Panettiere shows some layers as Beth, but can’t salvage this messy script. Talk about the pain of high school. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| PUBLIC ENEMIES Rated R for gangster violence and some language. Drama/Crime/Gangster/ Adaptation 143 minutes
3 stars |
Style trumps substance. At almost two and a half hours, Public Enemies, a gangster movie about the infamous John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), is surprisingly lacking in any authentic feel for the 1933-34 time period when it takes place. It looks great. It sounds great. Johnny Depp is cool in any costume. Marion Cotillard, as Dillinger’s girlfriend Billie Frechette, is appealing and sexy. Christian Bale is appropriately grim as FBI man Melvin Purvis. But put it all together and somehow it’s bland and flat.
It doesn’t lack violence. Those scenes are well done. The machine gun fire, for once, sounds like actual guns firing. The wounded and dead are contorted, distorted, and grimace with real dedication.
The main problem is that the audience never gets a sense of who Dillinger is, or why he is the way he is. He’s difficult to identify with, even after all that screen time. The gang runs from here to there, meets up with folks who cover for them or take them to safe houses, get in gun fights then go on to the next episode. This may be Johnny Depp’s least compelling performance so far. There are points when he’s charming, but most of the time he’s just grim. The love affair with Billie is not involving, either. Why should I care about these two people? Their obsession with each other is not convincing.
Actors show up, seemingly at random: Giovanni Ribisi, Channing Tatum, Stephen Dorff, Leelee Sobieski, Diana Krall as a torch singer, and more. Then there’s Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover, which I don’t buy for one minute. Stephen Graham plays Baby Face Nelson as an unrestrained psychopath and it’s almost a relief.
Screenwriters Ronan Bennett, Michael Mann, and Ann Biderman, may have been too reverential to the book by Bryan Burrough. It has the feel of: now we have to do this, now we move on to that, and though it flows the storytelling doesn’t feel easy or natural. Michael Mann’s direction lacks fire, and fails to make understandable or believable why the common folk liked Dillinger so much.
Public Enemies is not a bad movie, in fact, technically it’s interesting to watch, but in terms of any passion, angst of the times, feeling of history, or what turns people to crime, it’s more a whimper than a bang. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS |
ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS Rated PG for mild humor & peril. Comedy/Kids/Family Animation/Sequel 87 minutes
3½ stars |
This Ice Age is one that will do for the kids. It doesn’t break any new ground and is absolutely predictable, though. The voiceovers are all okay, even the whiny voice of Ray Romano.
Ellie (voice of Queen Latifah), and Manny (Ray Romano), are expecting their very own little mammoth. This changes the dynamics with the other animals in the “herd” making them feel left out. Diego (Denis Leary) decides to strike out on his own, but when Sid (John Leguizamo) finds himself in another world after he finds three eggs he thinks have been abandoned, only to learn later they are dinosaur eggs, he's in trouble. The dino-mom wants them back. His friends decide they must rescue him from the strange, more dangerous world where the dinosaurs and other prehistoric monsters live.
They find a guide in a weasel named Buck (Simon Pegg), who at least adds some energy to this rather tame story. Other voiceovers: Seann William Scott is the voice of Crash, Josh Peck is the voice of Eddie, Chris Wedge is the voice of Scrat, Karen Disher (II) is the voice of Scratte, among others.
There are the inevitable lessons about friendship, loyalty, honor, parenthood, and life/death though they are pretty well worn by now. The animation is well done.
At a quick 87 minutes it still feels slow, but the kids in the audience didn’t seem distracted. The test of a movie like this is, "Does it entertain the kids?" If it does, then it accomplishes what it's supposed to, regardless of how impatient adults feel about it. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| AWAY WE GO Rated R for language and some sexual content. Comedy/Drama/Romance 98 minutes
3½ stars |
Do you ever feel like you’re the only normal person left in the world? If so, you will identify with Away We Go. A thirty-something couple has to finally grow up as they are expecting their first child and are serious about creating the perfect family situation. The problem? They are counting on his parents to help them, but are stunned to find the somewhat flaky parents (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O’Hara) are moving to Belgium for two years.
John Krasinski plays Burt Farlander as a nerdy but charming child-man. It is Maya Rudolph, though, who is the revelation here as Verona, his pregnant and uncertain girlfriend who refuses to marry him. They have a nice, relaxed chemistry. Once his parents are out of the picture Burt and Verona realize they can live anywhere USA. This starts their trek to discover where and how they should live. Verona, always a realist, thinks they should settle near either family or close friends.
As they make their way to Phoenix, Tucson, Madison, Montreal, and Miami, the quirkiness kicks into high gear, especially when they visit Burt’s childhood friend LN (pronounced Ellen) played with biting sarcasm by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who works at a college. She is the quintessential earth mother who lectures everyone about the most natural and right way to do everything. You want to strangle her.
Along with the laughs are some serious issues, especially the death of Verona’s parents when she was 22. Most women will identify with the longing she feels to talk to/be nurtured by her own mother when confronting the most important role she will have in her life. Ms. Rudolph’s scenes when she speaks about her parents are touching, and when she visits her sister Grace (nicely played by Carmen Ejogo), the closeness between the sisters seems natural. There are other issues of abandonment that are also raised by Burt's brother's situation.
As the laid-back pace drags on you may wonder when something’s going to happen, but it allows the audience to consider their plight. This is decidedly not an action movie, but one where reflection is what’s called for by both the characters and the audience.
Of course, there is no perfect family or correct answer to what style family is best, or how to raise children. Life evolves on its own and answers are figured out eventually as Burt and Verona come to realize. Away We Go may be too slow for some viewers, but it is earnest and sweet. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
REVENGE OF THE FALLEN |
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material. Action/Adventure 150 minutes
3½ stars |
As can happen with sequels, this one is a disappointment. The Autobots are present, the Decepticons remain evil, the military puts up a mostly feeble defense, and the human heroes spend a great deal of time running about. So, what else is new? Not much, or at least not enough, to justify another two and a half hours of this tale of boy and machine. But hey, those bots, good and bad, and their battles still look impressive.
Opening with Optimus Prime advising the viewer of a long history of bots on Earth (which information is integral to the long climax), we remeet Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf, a believably natural actor) as he prepares to embark for college. Leaving behind his feisty girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox, the deserved new “It”girl) and his grieving mother, Judy, and relaxed father, Ron (Julie White and Kevin Dunn, both amusing and appealing), Sam is looking forward to college life. Unfortunately, the evil Decepticons are on the search for some doodad to activate some device which will destroy the sun and therefore the Earth and therefore all its inhabitants. In other words, it’s that old standby threat – the destruction of human life as we know it!
Anyhow, after two days on campus, Sam (occasionally afflicted with uncontrollable spasms and channeling ancient symbols) is attacked, along with Mikaela (recently arrived) and his dorm mate Leo (Ramon Rodriguez entertaining as geek and terrified accomplice) and this leads to Simmons (John Turturro, amusingly self-involved) whose butcher basement (literally) is filled with volumes of research and data on the bots. The plot, in the non-involving script by Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman is primarily an excuse for extended chases and lots of bot-fighting, which, by the way, is so convoluted in the editing as to be difficult to follow (no matter, just await the end of mayhem and look at the eyes, if red, the bad guys won). To be succinct (as the movie is not), the movie goes on way too long and increasingly loses interest and entertainment value.
Yeah, there’s still a kick in the cars, trucks, and other vehicles morphing into iron clad bots of all sorts, but by the time you’ve seen the process transpire what seems 40 or 50 times, the thrill is gone. And that goes, too, for endlessly repetitious, exploding, destructive battles. An unintended joke is the so-called military “Nest” unit allied with the Autobots (lead by the ever noble Optimus Prime) who, for all their incredible firepower, lose virtually every confrontation with the Decepticons until a bit of success at the end (Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson deserve better than their time wasting roles). Overall, the trouble is director Michael Bay can’t get enough of his own movie, though the audience can, and does. If this sequel is any indication, let the Autobots rest in peace and spare we weary viewers any further restless seat squirming,
Transformers – Dandy the first time, but some movies do not bear repeating. Review by Charles Zio
| MY SISTER'S KEEPER Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, sensuality, language and brief teen drinking. Drama/Adaptation 109 minutes
3½ stars |
The moral dilemma of the Fitzgerald family is the true focus of My Sister’s Keeper. One daughter, Kate (Sofia Vassilieva, natural/appealing), develops acute leukemia as a young child. Dr. Chance (David Thornton), that’s right, suggests conceiving a test tube baby to closely match Kate’s DNA as a source of biological materials to give Kate more hope to live. Thus Anna (Abigail Breslin, always believable) is born to supply her sister first with cord blood, then blood and bone marrow, then presumably with a kidney.
Anna rebels against the kidney donation and hires attorney Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin, playing it straight), to help her get “medical emancipation” from her parents as she is tired of giving over body parts and having no control of her life.
Kate and Anna’s mother Sara (Cameron Diaz), a former lawyer is appalled since she has devoted her life, literally, to keeping Kate alive. She fights the lawsuit against the wishes of her husband Brian (Jason Patric), a fire fighter, and near saint. There is also a brother named Jesse (Evan Ellingson) with difficulties whose own personal problems sometimes detract from the main story.
The point is that when a family member has cancer, the entire family struggles with the disease, and each person deals with it in his/her own way. The movie is very good at showing the effects of chemo and other treatments. The doctors are compassionate, though reserved, as they have many patients who need them to be steady, but the family is pretty much left on their own. Cracks in relationships are magnified, facades of unity fall away, and stress overwhelms and overtakes moderation. In short, it’s hell.
The realism is both the strength and the weakness of the movie. It’s intense, and the mostly female audience was in tears throughout the film. It may be especially difficult for mothers to watch as a child is critically ill. It may be too much for some viewers, and there are those who will avoid the movie altogether for that reason. Another issue is that it seems very manipulative, wringing every last tear from the audience. It's only later that you may say to yourself, "now wait..."
Adapted from the novel by Jodi Picoult, the writers Jeremy Leven and Nick Cassavetes have done a pretty good job, it seems, bringing the moral and ethical problems to the forefront, though the movie often gets dangerously close to maudlin. I did hear some fans of the book complain that the ending was changed, but in a book you have much longer to develop the story/characters and I think they ultimately made the right choice here. Director Nick Cassavetes provides the narrators with emotional resonance so that the cuts back and forth in time are not too distracting. The more artsy effects can take one out of the movie, but it is generally cohesive and moving.
Jason Patric shows depth as the husband and father who watches as his wife’s life becomes about their daughter’s survival. I give Cameron Diaz credit for taking on such an extreme role; the character is not all that likeable, though understandable, as she becomes obsessive about keeping her daughter alive. This is very different for her, yet sometimes she comes across as shrill.
There is no real “happy” solution when cancer is involved. Everyone suffers even if he/she is a survivor. If you can handle it, bring plenty of tissues, no, bring a box of tissues, and make sure you are prepared to go along for this sad and heartrending journey. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| YEAR ONE Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, brief strong language and comic violence. Adventure/Comedy 100 minutes
2 stars |
It was no joke living in the early years of the human race. At best, and few and far between, there are a few weak chuckles in this movie. It’s a wonder the entire population didn’t expire from utter, sheer humorlessness. This movie should have more aptly been named The Year Without A Laugh.
Starting in prehistory, Jack Black plays, or rather mugs, as Zed, a failed hunter in his mud hut village. His only friend is the smartest man in the settlement (truly nothing to brag about in an uncivilized society) named Oh, portrayed by Michael Cera, some of whose asides are clever though they have no chance to amuse amid the flatness around them. Zed lusts after Maya (June Diane Raphael) while Oh yearns for Eema (Juno Temple). Both ladies are adequate, which is not a slam since they are only required to look pretty and display Acting 101 abilities. To propel the movie, Zed is exiled for breaking the one big no-no, eating of The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. That’s right, it’s Bible time. In fact, time is not linear in this movie with the primitive, the Roman, and the Book of Genesis occurring simultaneously. No matter. Zed, having eaten of the apple and believing he is The Chosen One, and Oh, skeptically following, run into Abel (Paul Rudd, in a throwaway cameo) and Cain (David Cross, a suitable obnoxious villain). The familiar murder occurs (none too comically) and shortly the trio arrive in a town where Zed and Oh meet up with Maya and Eema who are being sold as slaves. Betrayed by Cain, Zed and Oh are sold two-for-one and end up in a caravan attacked by Romans and escape, then manage to rescue Issac (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) from being sacrificed by his father Abraham (Hank Azaria), two more talent-wasted bit parts.
Tedious, isn’t it? Cutting to the chase, Zed and Oh end up for the remainder, and drearily unexciting climax, of the film in Sodom, chosen, it seems, for the chance it offers for verbal and visual sexual jokes (straight and gay, neither of which are funny) and a surely-not-to-be-listed-in-his-future-film-credits turn by Oliver Platt as the High Priest. How bad is this film? Even the outtakes in the closing credits don’t elicit a smile. Maybe the film worked on the page for writers Harold Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, and Lee Eisenberg or in the actual shooting under Ramis’ direction, but up on the screen, it’s an idea that flops big time.
Year One – In just about every way it’s the worst of times. Review by Charles Zio
| THE PROPOSAL Rated PG-13 for sexual content, nudity and language. Comedy/Romance 107 minutes
2½ stars |
Though Sandra Bullock (Margaret) and Ryan Reynolds (Andrew) are appealing and have some chemistry, this movie lacks the makings of a good romantic comedy. The premise is tired and unoriginal, yet one can hope for the best given it also includes actors Mary Steenburgen as Andrew’s mother Grace, Craig T. Nelson as Andrew’s father Joe, and the ever feisty Betty White as the grandma, Annie. All wasted.
Ms. Bullock plays a boss-from-hell book editor with Reynolds as her whipped assistant. Right from the start the tone is off, and not funny. She’s Canadian and has been ignoring her immigration lawyer. Really? We’re supposed to believe she’s anal to a fault, but she ignores her status which threatens her job? When confronted with deportation she quickly decides that her assistant will marry her. He goes along because he wants a promotion and his book published. Yawn.
Then we have to have the fish-out-of-water scenes as the pair fly off to Alaska for the weekend. The weekend? Doesn’t it take like almost a day to fly to Alaska—half the weekend? Although you can’t take timelines too seriously, it strains credulity. There is some contrived father/son drama, the beautiful ex-girlfriend, the homey folks, the ever-present, all-purpose Ramone (Oscar Nuñez) who offers a bit of comic relief, but little genuine humor.
The writer, Pete Chiarelli, and especially the director, Anne Fletcher have given the audience great locations and a beautiful looking movie, but one missing any kind of real emotional authenticity. The actors do their best to underplay their characters to the point of blandness.
There are two points in the movie where déjà vu hits. One is where Bullock says, “You came back,” reminding one of her first big hit, Speed, although it certainly lacks the same impact. The second reminds me of another romantic comedy that worked much better called While You Were Sleeping, where she also played an outsider to a kooky but loving family, and it included a confession at the altar, too.
The audience was mildly amused at times; though quiet for the most part. There is a hunger for good romantic comedies, which is why with everything it had going for it; this movie is even more disappointing. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE HANGOVER Rated R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material. Comedy 100 minutes
4 stars |
The audience had a good time at this raunchy, crude, but funny movie, and so did I. Four guys decide to go to Las Vegas to have a bachelor party for one of them who is getting married. Doug Billings (Justin Bartha) is marrying the sister of Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis), who is odd, and the odd man out. Doug’s two friends who come along are Stu Price (Ed Helms), a dentist who is brow beaten by his girlfriend, and Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), a dissatisfied teacher.
The leave in a luxury car belonging to the future father-in-law, and this seemingly normal group of guys are fun to watch from the beginning. They have a toast on the rooftop of the hotel they are staying in, and the next thing you know it’s the next morning when they are really, really hung-over with no memory of what happened the night before. There’s a tiger in the bathroom, a chicken walking around the hotel room, a baby in the closet, and the future groom is missing.
The misadventures they have trying to find Doug and piece together their wild night is cleverly written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore who actually understand how to put a funny script together. The audience is finding out clues the same time as the characters. The discoveries are quirky and humorous enough to keep you engaged.
This assortment of actors do much to make the premise pay off, especially Zach Galifianakis as Alan, who plays the soon-to-be brother-in-law from hell. He’s the kind who means well, thinks he’s helping, but messes up everything he touches. He is genuinely comical, and a pleasure to watch. Bradley Cooper, who seems to be everywhere, in every movie, is the good-looking one, but is married and has a kid. He is Alan’s hero. Oh yes, and takes off his shirt. Ed Helms from The Office adds nicely to the mix as the dentist who finds himself, for once, breaking out of his straight jacket.
Various characters show up including Mike Tyson, and it all mostly works except for Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) who is funny, but in a very stereotypical way which may be offensive to some, but then there’s enough here to offend and amuse almost everyone. High powered stars are not needed as these guys do just fine and probably better as the audience can identify with them. Stay until the end credits because they are hilarious. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| LAND OF THE LOST Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language including a drug reference. Adventure/Comedy/Sci-Fi 93 minutes
2½ stars |
Every once in a while Land Of The Lost threatens it might get funny. It doesn’t. At best there are moments of amusement, but even those precious few are lukewarm. Matt Lauer (appearing as his Today Show self) and the special effects are both well done. Very little for the price of a ticket.
Will Ferrell plays the pretentious and earnestly serious Dr. Rick Marshall who has been disgraced for his theories on time warp. Exiled to teaching elementary school science, he is approached by Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel), a graduate student who believes in his theories. They trek off to a desert location and enter an amusement ride under the guidance of Will Stanton (Danny McBride), a blue collar hustler. Thanks to some sort of tape recorder device invented by Dr. Marshall (which plays the opening song from A Chorus Line) the time-space continuum is breached and the trio are catapulted to a parallel universe where past, present, and future coexist. Or something like that.
Shortly after arriving in the sands of a new world, a fourth member of the group is added in the person of Chaka (Jorma Taccone), a missing link in the evolutionary scale. Amid ruins (a Viking ship, a contemporary motel sign, and so on), and various creatures, in particular a vicious dinosaur they name Grumpy (ugh), the humans run into some alien beings (Sleestaks) one of whom informs them Marshall’s device can open the portal back to the present. Or is he really an evil being who is looking to conquer the universe? Oh, the suspense. As if the progress of the movie weren’t dull enough, the end of the movie brings a pile of momentous life lessons such as persevere, be brave, loyal, a friend, fall in love, and revenge is sweet (oops).
What’s a shame is that this movie could have succeeded. The script by Chris Henchy and Dennis McNicholas (based on the 1970s series created by Sid and Marty Kroft) promises wit, cleverness, and satiric touches that repeatedly fall flat, not to mention that bits seemed inserted to stretch the movie to an hour and a half which was already pushing the viewer’s patience button. As for the actors, Ferrell is playing a stock character he long ago mastered, Anna Friel is believable, Danny McBride though somewhat bland in his delivery is adequate, and Taccone is silly but his role demands it. Production-wise the film does not skimp and looks handsome (to be expected with a reported budget of 100 million). The fault, by default, falls on Brad Silberling. Too often he becomes enamoured with a scene and it’s played out slowly and predictably. What would have helped was hit and run pacing as the absurd cannot abide study. But then the source material had little to recommend it. When was the last time you heard the decades old and very dated television show nostalgically or warmly referenced? Expect the same fate to befall this movie.
Land Of The Lost – What’s really lost is the viewer’s time and money. Review by Charles Zio
| MY LIFE IN RUINS Rated PG-13 for sexual content. Comedy 98 minutes
1½ stars |
How do you say, “no way” in Greek? With Rita Wilson (who has a cameo) and Tom Hanks as two of the producers, you’d think this movie would have been funnier, or better, yet it is unoriginal, predictable, lame, and at times, difficult to watch.
The premise is not bad. A professor is stuck in Greece after she is let go by a university. To make a living she decides to be a tour guide, where she gets all the “B” tourists, but she has lost her mojo or “kefi” (as in passion for life) as it’s known in Greece. Director Donald Petrie and writer Mike Reiss don’t do nearly as much with this movie as it needs. Nia Vardalos looks good, but she seems to have lost the natural charm she had as the overweight awkward girl looking for love in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. For one thing, what’s with the dark red lipstick and high wedge shoes? Is that really what guides wear to Greek ruins?
Another disappointment is Richard Dreyfuss as Irv the tourist. Irv is obnoxious at first, but then becomes endearing to the rest of the group with his corny sense of humor and inane jokes, yet of course, has a heart of gold. His performance is a puzzlement; at times over the top, like most of the performances, at times underplayed. Actually, there’s a lot of talk about humor, but it’s scarce. What’s worse is there is no sense of the Greek zest for life. What’s even worse is they show several short clips from Zorba the Greek. That’s an excellent movie that, though old, does have a heart and soul, unlike this one.
The love interest, named Poupi (are you as tired of stupid bathroom “humor” as I am?) is played by Alexis Georgoulis. He’s good looking, but it’s hard to say if he has more to show as an actor because they keep him mostly giving meaningful looks, yet he probably has more potential than is evidenced here. The characters keep commenting on how quiet he is, but he’s better off without the silly dialogue some of them have, or is it that there’s a language barrier?
The best thing about the movie is the actual ruins the audience gets to see. That’s the only time this movie feels authentic. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| UP Rated PG for some peril and action. Animation/Action/Adventure Comedy/Family 96 minutes
4½ stars |
Disney and Pixar have done it again. Up is a movie that everyone in the family will get pleasure from and want to see over and over. The story is original; the animation is truly inspired. Co-directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (who wrote the script) have given audiences a great summer gift.
It begins long ago, but not far away when Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) is a boy in a more simple time in America. He’s caught up in tales of adventure when the most amazing feat was flying. He is taken by one Charles Muntz (voice of Christopher Plummer) who seems the epitome of a hero. He meets Ellie, the love of his life, when he interrupts her pretending to be a pilot. The love story between the two is moving as it shows the growth and depth of their love and her eventual death. Carl is heartbroken and is a holdout for a construction project with huge buildings all around his little house.
Carl makes a mistake and is about to be sent to the old folks home when thousands of balloons appear coming out from his chimney and pull the house off its foundation and into the city skyline. Carl is off on an adventure to a South America waterfall that he and Elie (voice of Ellie Docter) once dreamed of going to see. He’s determined to see the falls as a tribute to her.
What he doesn’t count on is that a young scout named Russell (voice of Jordan Nagai) is trapped on his porch when the house takes off. This character provides much of the comic relief and is quite endearing even as he seems to make every situation worse, yet he is earnest and lovable.
The adventures they have as they get to South America are only occasionally scary and though they are “up” very high in the sky, the audience is given many last minute rescues to enjoy—kind of like the old serials where the heroes always eventually escape. The voice actors all do an excellent job, especially Ed Asner, and it’s good to hear some other voices for a change, and not just trick casting used to draw people into a movie.
What is really charming is the idea that two people love each other so much that the love survives death, and endures and promotes a kindness that spreads. What a sweet idea in such a cynical world. It may not be real, but it’s something to aspire to. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| DRAG ME TO HELL Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language. Horror/Thriller 99 minutes
3½ stars |
You have to figure a movie with a title such as “Drag Me To Hell” doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a few early surprise chills, but eventually, and overall, it’s mostly over-the-top familiar and, therefore, a less threatening, though somewhat entertaining, entry in the horror genre.
The opening set up - decades ago, a boy cursed for stealing by a gypsy is haunted and hauled to the fires below, despite the efforts of the interestingly named medium Shaun San Dena (Adriana Barraza). Leap ahead to the present and loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman, conveying belief when innocent or tough and no matter the absurdity facing her character), a young, sweet loan officer bucking for a promotion from her manipulative boss Mr. Jacks (David Paymer, oily) who seems to be leaning toward her coworker Stu Rubin (Reggie Lee, nicely sneaky). Trying to impress her supervisor, Christine denies a third mortgage extension to Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver, eating the scenery and savoring every grossly physical moment) as a decrepit, crazed, determined embodiment of evil. Following a rip snorting fight between the ladies, Mrs. Ganush issues a curse via a button off Christine’s coat sleeve.
Yes, that’s right, a curse via coat button. But then the title credits with an old time graphic comic book look and type slightly askew are obvious clues the horror to come will be stylized. And it is. The violence is cartoon-like in that, mostly, no matter the degree of harm, the victim shakes it off with little sign it occurred. This being so, the skepticism of Christine’s psychology professor boyfriend Clayton P. Dalton (Justin Long, good with a quip or caring words) is understandable as his timing for being absent during her incidents is uncanny, not to mention handy. Also present is the necessary fount of wisdom to explain the how and why of the malevolence that has been unleashed, in this case it’s spiritual advisor Rham Jas (Dileep Rao, suitably grave and ominous).
Turns out Christine’s curse involves three days of haunting by a demon referred to as Lamia (in shadow, a dead ringer for Lucifer) who thereupon yanks the victim’s soul down to an eternity of suffering and damnation. The screenplay by Sam and Ivan Raimi incorporates many standard horror devices (flies, winds, loud sounds, shadows, clawed hands, gushing blood, bursting windows, etc.). Everything is familiar and cozy, not scary.
As director, Sam Raimi has a sure hand in moving the action along at an entertaining clip. The picture looks good (clean photography by Peter Deming), is crisply edited (Bob Murawski), with effective production design (Steve Saklad). Of special note is the interior of San Dena’s home (take about a setting for a séance). And a nod to the actors, all of whom acquit themselves honorably (with nary a sense they’re less than earnest in their character portrayals). For those whose taste runs to the sadistic and bloody, this movie ain’t for you. For others, it might be a pleasant change of pace.
Drag Me To Hell – Not a scream. Not a guffaw. Horror light. Review by Charles Zio
SALVATION |
TERMINATOR SALVATION PG-13 for intense sequences Of sci-fi violence and action and language. Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi 114 minutes
3 stars |
One of the most intriguing aspects of the original Terminator was the time travel that a man used to send his father back to the past to conceive him so he could save future generations, all the while being hunted by that dastardly machine with an accent known as Arnold Schwarzenegger, yet knowing his father would never come back. Huh? Yes, it does sound wild though audiences accepted the premise and even liked it. Well anyway, the original Terminator was a very inspiring idea because this is the third sequel, prequel, whatever to that time-bending story.
The grown-up John Connor (Christian Bale), son of the brave, embattled Sarah Connor, the woman his father loved, is now a leader of the resistance fighters, a loose band of humans who survived “judgment” day. The earth is, well, it’s a total mess having been trashed quite thoroughly by bombs, explosions and who knows what else.
But wait, we have to go back to the past again to get a glimpse of a killer on death row. Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a scary dude, signs a release presented to him by a dying doctor named Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter), who has plans for his body after death. The audience sees him get the fatal needles and then we’re in another time, and don’t learn, but can surely guess, what has happened to him in the lab.
When he gets away in the future, 2018 (which doesn’t seem far enough away for all this catastrophe) he now wants a “second chance.” The question he asks is, “Do killers deserve a second chance?” He actually comes across a 17 year old Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), John Connor’s father who must be saved so John Connor can be born.
So there is the storyline, and almost all else is people dressed in tattered clothes trying to get away from Skynet, those killer machines who want to eradicate all humans. There’s lots of twisted metal, explosions, bombs, killing, and many menacing robotic machines out to destroy humans at will. Of course, they could save themselves and us much time by just squashing and choking them instead of throwing people against things so they can get up and run away all over again. So, how smart are these machines really?
The acting is notably super serious with Christian Bale suitably earnest. Sam Worthington who plays Marcus Wright, the risen, penitent killer is the most noteworthy character in the movie and adds yet another spin onto the franchise. Moon Bloodgood plays his tough girl romantic interest. Bryce Dallas Howard is John Connor’s pregnant wife. She’s alright, though bland.
If you are a Terminator fan, you may find yourself involved in all the goings on in this sequel/prequel. If not, it’s quite an explosive light show. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| GOODBYE SOLO Advisory Content for Parents Comedy/Drama 91 minutes
4 stars |
Writer/director Ramin Bahrani (with co-writer Bahareh Azimi) has set this small gem of a movie in the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he grew up. That should be of particular interest to North Carolinians as the obvious talent of Mr. Bahrani can be evidence of pride in our local filmmakers. Yet, the dark backstreets that taxi driver Solo (Souleymane Sy Savane) travels could be anywhere USA because this is primarily the story of two marginalized men who form a somewhat uneasy relationship.
Solo, the Senegalese driver trying to make the best of his own shaky situation, has almost unnatural good humor. He tries to take everything in stride and keep his mind on the goal of becoming an airline flight attendant. Even when his wife berates him, he has no hate in his heart. One night he picks up an older customer named William (Red West) who often goes to the local movie theatre alone. Solo tries to engage William in conversation, but the crusty old guy is not interested, yet does let Solo become his “driver.”
As Solo and William are friendly enough to be on a first name basis, he finds out that the depressed William’s ultimate plan is to end his life. This adds a measure of desperation to Solo’s attempt to find out more about William, and stop his course of action. For his part, the older man is resentful of the intrusion but allows Solo into his life as he likes spending time with Solo’s precocious daughter Alex (Diana Franco Galindo).
The interesting thing about Goodbye Solo is that some facts are obscured or never fully revealed. The audience has to come to its own conclusion. How much is Solo involved with the criminal element in Winston-Salem? Is he facing real discrimination in his attempt to get away from taxi driving to become a flight attendant? What happened in William’s life to make him feel so bitter, resentful, and hopeless? The pace seems at once leisurely, but moves along just right during its 91 minutes.
If you think it’s easy bringing an independent film with this depth to life, you need only look at all the failed independent movies in its wake. The casting helps tremendously. The two leads, Souleymane Sy Savane, and Red West are an excellent team. The roles couldn’t be more different but both always act in character, showing every pained, joyous, heartbreaking emotion on their faces. This is especially difficult for Mr. West as his character is much less expressive than Solo, but we feel his pain acutely and want him to come out of his funk. Goodbye Solo reminds us that in a cold, thoughtless world, connections do count, no matter where they lead. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| ANGELS & DEMONS Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images and thematic material. Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller 138 minutes
3 stars |
If there’s a moment of suspense in Angels & Demons it’s buried deeper than a secret in the Vatican archives. Tom Hanks at least gets to race around Rome (real or generated) while the viewer can only shift from one side of his seat to the other with impatience. The only question that might generate interest is, “When will this movie be done?’ Not soon enough is the answer.
The aforementioned Tom Hanks is once again Professor Robert Langdon, a symbologist author who has written a book on a secret medieval society dedicated to science and scorned by the Catholic Church, called the Illuminati. A bit of antimatter is stolen at the start and identified as a time-sensitive destructive weapon. At the same time, church politics are in full swing following the death of the last pontiff and the machinations attendant on the enclave to choose his successor. Complications arise with the kidnapping of the four cardinals favored to be elected and a message that they will be branded (literally) and killed following which the antimatter will destroy the Vatican itself.
And the race is on. Langdon spouts the history and operating principals of the Illuminati while speeding from clue to clue with the blessing of Camerlengo, Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor), a priest managing the Vatican in the absence of a pope, the assistance of the lovely Dr. Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) an Italian physicist on the antimatter project, under the eye of Vatican Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgard) and Inspector Ernesto Olivetti (Pierfrancesco Favino), while avoiding a skilled assassin (Nikolaj Lie Kaes), and a difficult to read Cardinal Strauss (Armin Mueller-Stahl). These supporting actors are skilled and entertaining but even they, in unison, cannot salvage the movie.
The underlying problem is the viewer doesn’t connect with the main character. Hanks is an everyman but this is one everyman who it’s hard to identify with because he seems to be no more than his persona, which is a smart academic. Nor does the viewer get the vicarious enjoyment of solving any of the clues (or trying to) along with Langdon who deciphers a symbol, explains it, then leads the camera on a dash to the next tourist spot (some with crowds, some under renovation) or under floors, through tunnels, or down dank passageways. In effect, it’s like watching a historical lecture, and even PBS and the History Channel do it better.
The writers, David Koepp and Akiva Goldman, do their best (the movie is based on Dan Brown’s book) but a plot requiring a great deal of exposition, constantly revealing new points and facts, grows tedious and by the time any genuine action occurs the viewer is past caring. Nice photography by Salvatore Totino and editing by Dan Hanley and Mike Hill at least provide a bit (but just) of diversion. Ron Howard does a professional job (he’s reliable that way), yet the film passes by without making a lasting impression. It isn’t long into the movie that the tedium leads you to hope the antimatter really will blow up – as soon as possible.
Angels & Demons – Even a prayer won’t help. Review by Charles Zio
| STAR TREK PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content. Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi 126 minutes
4½ stars |
It all begins with a futuristic fable. If you were not a fan of the early Star Trek series that still plays on television somewhere after 40 years, you will be after you see this movie. It’s okay to be surprised. This is just the beginning of a new era of young “trekkers.” Much credit goes to the writers Alex Kutzman and Rob Orci for putting together a prequel that dares to go where no writers have gone before—back to the beginning before they were who they came to be.
The characters, both good and bad, created by Gene Roddenberry represent the best and worst of our hopes and nightmares for an uncertain outlook, and this is what has made them so compelling. James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) is the ultimate risk-taker, a fatherless son unsure of his purpose in life since there is no man to guide his undisciplined genius. The movie opens with a quick succession of scenes showing his rebellious stunts. As a parallel we see Spock (Zachary Quinto) during the same periods of time. He is the controlled, brilliant Vulcan, yet he too has an identity problem. He is half human, and his mother (Wynona Ryder, of all people) dotes on him. He fights against what Vulcans see as the weakness of human emotions, but he is also angry that he cannot fully express both sides of his nature.
The story moves in logical succession from Iowa where a father-like figure named Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) challenges Kirk to be his hero father’s equal, to Star Fleet Academy, to the Starship Enterprise, and finally to space adventures in a quest to stop a Romulan enemy named Nero (Eric Bana).
Great care is taken to introduce all the original characters: Uhura (Zoe Saladana), Dr. “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Sulu (John Cho), and Spock’s father Sarek (Ben Cross). Yet these are not mere imitations, the director J.J. Abrams has given the actors room to make some inspired choices and therefore the roles feel new and fresh while still being true to the original personas. As we watch who saves who, it is like a war where the soldiers who fight side by side develop a bond that is, in some cases, even stronger than family because of a unified, higher purpose.
The special effects and visual effects were better than I expected, and were stunning at times. Even though you know who will survive attacks, the sequences raise your pulse. Special mention should be made of the original music by Michael Giacchino, cinematography by Daniel Mindel, editing by Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey, production design by Scott Chambliss, updated costumes by Michael Kaplan, and hair and makeup. In short, all the technical aspects are first rate.
The two leads are excellent with Zachary Quinto looking amazingly like Leonard Nimoy, who has a small, but important role, that provides a bridge between the old and the new. Yet he’s able to show the conflict within which is not easy when the character is supposed to show little emotion. But it is really Chris Pine in the William Shatner role who drives the movie and makes it work. He has all of Captain Kirk’s swagger, ego, smugness, skirt-chasing, but as the movie progresses, all the integrity, passion, and appreciation for his mission. He also has friends to care about and who care about him. There is one blossoming romance which I’m not quite sure about, but I’m guessing will become more prominent in movies to come. This franchise will be around for a long time.
Don’t miss the beginning. It’s first class all the way. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| NEXT DAY AIR Rated R for pervasive language, drug content,some violence and brief sexuality. Action/Comedy/Crime 90 minutes
1½ stars |
Next Day Air has some real problems, not the least of which is an uneven tone. It’s supposed to be a comedy, yet the gun violence is not comical. In fact, it can make you cringe. How is killing people funny?
A package containing contraband is delivered to the wrong address by a bumbling delivery man. The real owners want it back. The delivery man, unaware of the chaos he’s causing continues on his merry way. Does this sound familiar? Why this idea needed to be made again, is a mystery. Yet here it is. Nothing new or original is added to the mix. It is almost instantly forgettable.
It’s not the actors fault. The cast includes: Donald Faison as the hapless delivery man Leo, who works for his mother Ms. Jackson (Debbie Allen, why?) and is ready to fire him. Mike Epps is Brody, Wood Harris is Guch, the two who take the package, Omari Hardwick as Shavoo, Emilio Rivera as Bodega, Darius McCrary as Buddy, Cisco Reyes as Jesus, and Yasmin Deliz, (a beauty) as Chita.
They try, but all is for naught as the writer, Blair Cobbs, and director Benny Boom (that’s right), have let them down. But even the performances seem to come from different movies at times. Some actors play it straight, while others are very broad. Mos Def, who is reliably good in any role he takes on, is good here when given the chance and adds something in his few short scenes, but far from enough to save this movie. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
WOLVERINE |
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity. Action/Sci-Fi 107 minutes
3½ stars |
If Wolverine’s story is an example, let’s skip any further mutant bio pics. There is family angst, true love, and a battle with one’s dual nature. Also, special effects laden fights, rampant destruction, and spectacular scenic shots. What’s missing is a hero to root for and an ultimate victory to cheer.
Who is Wolverine? He’s James Logan, a sickly boy in 1850s Canada who discovers that his friend, Victor Creed, is his brother, but then this is a tabloid dysfunctional family – real father killing stepfather, then step-son killing real father, and all this while Logan’s mother weeps on the side. Although this set of actions raises numerous questions, none of them will be answered. Instead the boys run from war to war, Civil to Vietnam, and it becomes clear Victor has a blood lust (as his vampire-like canines indicate). Eventually, the men fall under the sway of Colonel Stryker who is gathering mutants for some sort of military project. Repelled by the killing spree they are engaged in, Logan walks away and settles down as a lumberjack with his love, Kayla Silverfox, in the Canadian Rockies. What follows - murders, betrayals, nefarious plots, mutant one-upmanship – only avoids predictable tediousness by virtue of the distraction of quick pacing. You don’t even need to stay put for the little tag following the long, long credits at the end because it’s easy enough to guess exactly what it will show.
What went wrong? Not the acting. Hugh Jackman is suitably large and pumped as Wolverine and he growls with rage and authority. But since it’s evident from the beginning he is mighty and immortal and decent, there is no depth to his character (despite a feeble attempt to insert an inner battle with his dark side). How can you cheer for a character’s triumph (personal and with the forces of evil) when neither is ever in doubt? Liev Schreiber is a believable Victor savoring the murder and mayhem he creates. Danny Huston, as the scheming Stryker is less than convincing in his menace. Lynn Collins as Kayla is okay as the love interest. The cast of mutants, among then Will.i.am (John Wraith), Kevin Durand (Fred Dukes), Taylor Kitsch (Remy LeBeau), Daniel Henney (Agent Zero) are fine. Of special note are Dominic Monaghan (Bradley) and Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson) who make a genuine impression in their bit parts.
In short, X-Men Origins should have left well enough alone. That is, left it to viewers imaginations to fill in the missing gaps in the saga of Wolverine. The script has little originality and as a result is less than memorable. The same, unfortunately, can be said for the direction of Gavin Hood. Overall, while the movie is watchable, it won’t inspire cheers. If only it were as good as the trailers.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Shoulda, woulda, coulda been better. Review by Charles Zio
GIRLFRIENDS PAST |
GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST Rated PG-13 for sexual content throughout, some language and a drug reference. Romantic Comedy 100 minutes
1½ stars |
When you go to a Matthew McConaughey movie you know two things: he will play a self-involved playboy, and he will take off his shirt. Other than that it’s a mystery as to why people think that his playing the same character over and over—and not all that well, is interesting to an audience.
The premise might have seemed charming at one time, but trust me, that was long ago and far away like this fairy tale should be. Mr. McConaughey plays Connor Mead, a fashion photographer who sleeps around (big surprise), is obnoxious (very), and left his first love behind (yawn). That woman, Jenny Perotti, a doctor no less, is played by Jennifer Garner. Now one thing a romantic comedy must have is chemistry between the two potential lovers. Sorry to say, that is absolutely missing here. These two are like apples and lemons. Guess who’s the lemon?
Connor comes home to the family mansion (the wealth is never explained so who cares), to attend his brother Paul’s (Breckin Meyer) wedding. His fiancée Sandra (Lacey Chabert) is stressed out and various members of her family, and others, float around and interact with Connor which is supposed to be amusing, but falls flat every time.
Connor gets a visit while in the bathroom from his dead uncle, and idol, Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas, the only bright spot in this movie), who says Connor’s wasting his life being a ladies man and he’s going to send three ghosts to prove it, à la A Christmas Carol. Now I understand why Charles Dickens was a genius. This lame imitation of that convention is a dud from start to finish, and it could have been so much better, but no, it doesn’t do anything exciting or original with the idea of a man looking back over his pathetic love life.
We always know who’s going to end up with whom. Aside from Michael Douglas, Ms. Garner makes an effort, but the rest of the cast seems strangely lethargic or shrill. The production values are good, but it can’t hide all of the problems that truly ail this movie. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE SOLOIST Rated PG-13 for thematic elements some drug use and language. Drama/Music/Bio/Adaptation 117 minutes
4 stars |
Mental illness is not a subject many people are eager to spend time exploring, but it would be a shame if that’s what keeps audiences from seeing this movie. The Soloist has its share of frightening, disorienting moments, but ultimately it’s about living positively, even with severe limitations. Director Joe Wright has drawn very good performances from his two leading men. The screenplay, melodramatic at times, was adapted by Susannah Grant from the non-fiction book by journalist Steve Lopez, “The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship, and The Redemptive Power of Music”. Mr. Lopez’ columns for the Los Angeles Times about his relationship with schizophrenic, homeless, musical genius Nathaniel Ayers is the basis for the book.
Although specific facts have apparently been altered (Hollywood style), the heart of the book remains intact. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.), a scruffy, experienced, though somewhat rebellious news guy, is out looking for human interest topics for his column. He wanders around LA and sees Nathaniel by a statue of Beethoven playing a violin with only two strings. After he draws out information from Nathaniel, he confirms the pathetic story of this once musical prodigy who years ago attended the prestigious Julliard School of Music but now lives as a street person. As he writes his columns, his readers respond to the homeless man’s plight, one even sending him her used cello which was Nathaniel’s actual chosen instrument.
As Steve becomes more and more involved with Nathaniel his boss, and ex-wife (Catherine Keener), feels him pulling away from her. He visits The Lamp, a shelter that provides a kind of day care for the many homeless poor, sick, drug-addicted, mentally ill, or other unfortunate people who have no where to go. Steve’s frustration mounts as he tries to help Nathaniel be more “normal” but who rejects living in a room of his own, medication, and other extras that Steve, through his connections, can help provide. Or is it that he wants to “fix” Nathaniel rather than accept he will always have limitations because of his illness?
It is difficult to watch the flashback scenes of the sickness overtaking a young teenager with such musical gifts and bright future, and especially the pain of a working class single mother seeing her son deteriorate before her eyes. Also tough are the scenes at The Lamp of the many marginalized people who live on the edge of obliteration and struggle to survive from one day to the next.
Jamie Foxx does excellent work as Nathaniel. He’s able to convey the humor that allows us to laugh with, but not at him. He’s also powerful in the scenes where the man is perilously close, then loses control. He never goes over the top with the character which would be very easy to do.
But the story is really about Steve Lopez’ journey, and it’s Robert Downey, Jr.’s movie. He’s such a good actor, and is so natural and believable that you find yourself totally absorbed in his plight. It’s not because he makes the character likable, though he can be, it’s because he makes him so human.
The Soloist is worth seeing. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE INFORMERS Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, drug use, pervasive language and some disturbing images. Drama/Adaptation 98 minutes
1 star |
Like the characters that inhabit it, this movie is thoroughly repugnant. Adapted by Bret Easton Ellis from his own short stories about early 1980s Los Angeles, it is as meaningless as these lives of the beautiful, super rich and famous we stare at in disgust. I’ve liked the novels of his that I’ve read, so what happened? Novels are not movies, and the richness and layers that can be mined in print are not always evident on film.
Part of their sin? They have no imagination! I mean, how many times (on screen) can you watch entangled young bodies, drug-taking, dissolute, dissipated, narcissistic, nihilistic, obnoxious wealthy people act out before it gets tedious? We’ve seen this all before. It’s been done; it’s not shocking anymore like it was when Mr. Ellis wrote his first book while still in college.
There are too many interconnected story lines to get any depth or meaning out of any one of them in particular. The adults are lousy examples of anything except making money and bad parenting. The kids are all the too much/too soon types who waste every bit of talent and humanity on total self-involvement. I don’t have to like a character to be intrigued, but there has to be some shred of connectivity to make it worthwhile.
The movie has quite a cast list including: Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Rhyder, Jon Foster, Amber Heard (naked much of the time, Chris Isaak, Austin Nichols, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mel Raido, Rhys Ifans, and Brad Renfro in his last performance, who try, maybe too hard because there is no humor, except inadvertently. Coupling too freely in the time of AIDS may be the most sensible point of the film (maybe), yet by the time it gets to that scene on the beach, I really didn’t care what happens to any of these characters. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| FIGHTING Rated PG-13 for intense fight sequences, some sexuality and brief strong ,br> language. Crime/Ganster/sports 105 minutes
4 stars |
Like the main character, this movie is down-to-earth, gritty, and determined. Though it doesn’t transcend the boxing genre, it’s a solid effort with its own rewards. And if you might be looking for future talent, you’ve come to the right place.
Shawn MacArthur, the fighter-to-be, is an openly friendly and sincerely courteous young man without a swagger but quick and ready with his fists if need be. What could have been the clichéd dim but determined boxer is instead rendered believeable and sympathetic by the promising young actor Channing Tatum who conveys an unforced naturalness that never hits a false note. A drifter in New York, selling bogus items on the sidewalk, he is “discovered” by Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard, who invests his every role with dignity) a small time hustler who, himself, was betrayed in the past by former associates, and now low life operators, Martinez and Jack (Luis Guzman and Roger Guenveur Smith, fine work by both). The requisite love is present in the person of Zulay (Zulay Henao, top notch) a down on her luck waitress and single mother. Humor is supplied by her grandmother Alba (Altagracia Guzman, delightful) with her nonstop judgmental prattling. Menace comes courtesy of Evan Hailey (Brian White, excellent), Shawn’s high school nemesis from Birmingham, Alabama. (It’s curious that neither Shawn nor Evan have a trace of accent to indicate their southern roots.)
The plot, as the movie title indicates, revolves around Shawn’s success in his bare fisted fights. His opponents are more toned, skilled, experienced. He is single-mindedly determined and relentless. Between bouts, the past is revealed, secrets exposed, antagonisms let loose, threats made, culminating in whether Shawn will throw the big fight.
Notice, however, that the film is not called “Fighter” but “Fighting” and with good reason. The script by Dito Montiel and Robert Minic looks at the world of small timers striving to get by and angling for the big score as well as casting an eye on the well-heeled who exploit them for further fun and profit. While the sociological angles are interesting, they sometimes lead to stretches of observation that slow the pace of the picture.
Dito Montiel, in his role as director, has an original and sure touch. He often surprises by upending expectation. For instance, the well-staged fight scenes (skillfully edited by Jake Pushinsky) are frequently shot in close up imparting an immediacy and intimate involvement for the viewer. And his feel for the city of New York is unmistakable. Aided by the able director of photography, Stefan Czapsky, the visuals alternate between aerial views of the city (indicating both a view toward the mean lives below and the heights to which the characters aspire) and shots of the streets of the city (the location shots capture the highs and lows, mostly of Manhattan but also Brooklyn and the Bronx). What is captured is a true sense and feel of the reality and variety of the city. For the interiors, production designer Therese Deprez accurately captures the chaos of crowded shops (some fronting for illegal activities), cluttered apartments (Harvey and Zulay’s are spot on), and marbled elegance of the wealthy. Here’s looking forward to future knockouts from all those involved here.
Fighting – Satisfying for those welcoming breaks/variations on the old boxing genre. Review by Charles Zio
| EARTH Rated G Documentary 99 minutes
4 stars |
The photography in Earth is spectacular. Writer/directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield make sure there is enough to keep your eyes focused on the screen. You won’t want to miss a moment. The film is narrated by James Earl Jones, which is a treat for the ears, so you really can’t miss with this one. It’s interesting for the whole family as DisneyNature intended.
The stories vary and switch from a mother polar bear and two cubs with the father "out there" on very thin ice, to under the sea with huge whales heading from warmer waters to colder ones on a perilous journey, to a herd of elephants traveling for days to find water. I kept wondering how they got the unbelievable shots they did; for instance, going over a waterfall. You feel like you’re there, and that you are looking down as the water cascades over the side. It’s great, except for those who may have a fear of heights.
The kids will be amazed. Though there is no attempt to hide some of the more intense death scenes, there is no killing on screen. The most you will see is an animal grabbing the throat of another, but there is no tearing apart of animal flesh. Very young children might be a bit frightened when a great white shark leaps out of the water with a seal in its mouth, or when a pride of lions attack an elephant at night, but these scenes are tastefully edited.
The father polar bear finds himself out to sea and finally finds land with a bunch of walruses, but he’s starving and doesn’t have the strength to attack and kill one. The point is made about global warming and the consequences for the bears, and by extension, all of us, though it’s not a hard sell. The scene of melting ice speaks for itself.
This is one of those movies that really should be seen on a large screen for full effect though you may want to rent it to make sure you don't miss a thing. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
THE MOVIE |
HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE Rated G Comedy/Family/Musicals 98 minutes
3½ stars |
It’s wholesome, typical Disney, but then the audience for this comedy/family/musical is preteen girls. (Never underestimate the star-making power of preteen girls when they really like something.) There was some screaming, but generally not so loud and not so much that it wasn’t enjoyable for adults.
It seems Miley Stewart AKA Hannah Montana is tired of trying to live two lives. One is the sweet, regular school girl. The other is a singing kid star in a blond wig. Her father, Robby Ray Stewart (Billy Ray Cyrus, whose acting needs work) thinks she should come down off her pedestal after she ruins her best friend’s birthday party by showing up as Hannah Montana and nearly causing a riot. He tricks her into going home to Tennessee to see her Grandma Ruby (Margo Martindale) and all the, just plain folk who sit around the porch on lovely summer nights singing and playing their guitars.
At first Miley is rebellious, well, not like a normal teen--this is Disney after all, but enough so kids can identify with her. Yet, the family unit is shown as strong and the rebellion against her father and the rules doesn’t last long. The rapport between father and daughter is good, and it’s heartening to see a close, respectful parent/child relationship. She meets a young cowboy working the farm named Travis Brody played by the blonde, smiling Lucas Till who sort of becomes her boyfriend in a very chaste way. There’s not even a kiss for Miley here.
The strength of the movie is not in the story, though, because it’s pretty much standard. The attempts at humor can be surprisingly flat and corny. The movie really comes together in the final scenes when Miley is doing a benefit concert at an amusement park to help save the surrounding land from developers. This is where Miley Cyrus shines. She can sing and has real appeal on stage. Her confidence makes her seem older than she is, but she never loses the youthful girlishness that has made her so popular.
The production values are excellent with the photography of the farm especially lovely as Miley and Travis ride their horses.
The audience of mostly young girls had fun and clapped at the end. There is no telling if Miley Cyrus will outgrow her popularity as she gets older as so many other teen pop divas have done, but if she does, she can move right over to country music where she is obviously very comfortable and loves singing. This is a movie parents won’t have to question for appropriateness. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| MONSTERS VS. ALIENS Rated PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor and mild language. Animation/Sci-Fi 94 minutes
4 stars |
This is a delightful sweet sci-fi kid’s movie, if there is such a thing. It’s delightful because the animation is excellent, the characters are loveable, and there is actually a story that can be followed. Having seen it in 3-D, I would highly recommend trying to take the kids to a theater where it is showing in that format, but it would be enjoyable in 2-D as well.
The dialogue is voiced by well known actors. They are more than adequate, but really, they are not the main attraction here. Susan (Reese Witherspoon), a naïve young woman, is getting ready for her wedding day. In a mishap, she is hit by a small meteor outside the church. All seems well, but while saying her vows she has an odd green glow and begins to grow to gigantic proportions, thus getting her the name Ginormica later on. When her husband-to-be, the self-absorbed television personality Derek (Paul Rudd), sees her size, he calls off the wedding. Broken-hearted, Susan is whisked off to a secret military facility run by General Monger (Kiefer Sutherland) where other “monsters” are held in captivity.
These monsters are not at all scary except for maybe Insectasauras, at the beginning, who just makes noises. Along with the big fuzzy flea are: the Missing Link (Will Arnett), Dr. Cockroach Ph.D., (Hugh Laurie), a brilliant scientist, and his opposite, the goofy and happily oblivious B.O.B. (Seth Rogan), made of blue gelatin. He has one of the funny lines when he says, “I have no brain. It turns out, you don’t need one.” (Don't we all know people like that?) It’s that kind of dialogue that makes the movie enjoyable for adults, too.
Of course, there has to be a villain so we know right from wrong. This is the alien Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) and his minions. He’s after the "quantonium" material that made Susan so big, and so has to extract it from her body.
There are some nice touches and visuals that are amusing when not outright laugh-worthy. Also, chases, space ships, rockets, and plenty of action to keep the audience’s attention. And the movie’s not so long that you start squirming in your seat. The children around me liked the movie and applauded when it was finished. That’s always a tip-off because they will give an honest reaction. I had fun, too. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| SIN NOMBRE (Nameless) Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content. Crime/Action/Thriller 96 minutes
4½ stars |
How many film school grads would give anything for the kind of debut that writer/director Cary Fukunaga has achieved with Sin Nombre? You can’t chalk it up to beginner’s luck; the movie has an authenticity that is difficult to achieve—for any filmmaker. The story is told in a straight forward, taut manner without camera tricks or non-linear jumps in time or space to propel it. The results are both admirable and horrifying.
An orphaned member of the Mara Salvatrucha gang of Southern Mexico called El Casper, real name Willy (a soulful-looking Edgar Flores), in southern Mexico recruits a pre-adolescent friend nicknamed Smiley (well-acted by young Kristian Ferrer) who looks up to him. They take a detour one day while Willy visits the girl he loves, but this forces them to lie to one of the gang leaders, Lil' Mago (a believably menacing Tenoch Huerta Mejia), who is almost completely covered in tattoos. This lie comes into play later on as Willy has violated one of the cardinal rules of the gang then tries to hide it.
Sayre (appealing Paulina Gaitan), an innocent/sad Honduran girl looking out over the rooftops of her hometown knows there is nothing but poverty ahead of her, and so agrees to go “North” to New Jersey with her father, uncle and brother to be with his new wife and family, and hopefully a better life.
The treacherous journey north is the heart of the film as waves of "nameless" immigrants sleep on train tracks, wash up in tubs of water, get little food, water, and sleep to grab free rides on the top of trains trying to escape. This is where Willy and Sayre meet after a series of incidents and she naively attaches herself to him. Who will survive the dangerous life and death passage?
The story may not be especially original as the poor look for some salvation from the desperate poverty they are born into and are forced to endure. Yet the story is told without sentimental fawning. But even every day survival is difficult. People do what they have to do to make it. Reality is brutal as some help by throwing fruit on the train passing by while others throw rocks. The travelers are never sure which they will meet; circumstances can change on a dime. It may cause some audience members to rethink their view of immigration as these hapless people are shown caught between two types of hell.
The gangs strictly enforce a code where respect, loyalty and honor of the group comes before all else, oh yes, and it is either kill or be killed. Only those who can develop their inner psychopath will last. This is where Willy makes his first mistake; he cares for someone other than himself. The gang scenes are gripping, intense, difficult to watch where the violence is so matter-of-fact that it becomes all the more sickening. Death is accepted, and everyone moves on with little time to mourn.
The director has drawn exceptional performances from his mostly unknown but talented actors. Also deserving of mention is the original music by Marcelo Zarvos, the editing by Craig McKay and the cinematography by Adriano Goldman. Mr. Fukunaga has made an outstanding first film and is off to a flying start. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| 17 AGAIN Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material and teen partying. Comedy/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Teen 112 minutes
3½ stars |
The tag line for movies like “17 Again” isn’t “If I knew then, what I know now” but “What I’m going to learn then, that will help me now.” Once again, the main character has an unhappy life and by returning to his youth (in the present day) he will become the better for it. And should he benefit others (especially family members), all the better.
Opening in 1989, Mike O’Donnell is the big man on campus at Hayden High School. He’s good looking, star of the basketball team, best friend to a dorky kid, hero to the student body, dating the prettiest girl in school, able to duplicate the cheerleader’s dance routine, and, of course, sure to earn a college scholarship from a scout coming to the latest game. That Mike is played by Zac Efron is a plus since he is believable and sympathetic (whether his acting chops are more than skin deep time will tell). As the game starts the aforementioned prettiest girl, Scarlet (Allison Miller) appears to reluctantly admit her pregnancy. Mike is stunned and then abandons the court, and his destined future, to follow the girl he loves.
Forward to middle age and a weary Mike (Matthew Perry, topnotch) on the verge of divorce from Scarlet (Leslie Mann, very good) who is weary of being blamed for his failure to attend college, disdained by his children, passed over at his job for a less worthy co-worker, and living with his childhood best friend Ned (Thomas Lennon, stealing scene after scene) who has channeled his geekdom into riches. In despair, Mike visits the scene of his past glory, Hayden’s basketball court, and stopping by the trophy case meets a mysterious janitor (Brian-Doyle Murray). Lickety-split, with particulars of no great importance, and Mike has been returned to age 17.
Determining that he is being given a second chance, Mike prevails upon Ned to pose as his father and enroll him in school. Ned is less than enthusiastic until he meets the principal Jane Masterson (Melora Hardin, super) whom he humorously pursues from then on. For his part, Mike discovers high school, its students, and their attitudes have changed markedly in twenty years. In the meantime, he is able to help his son Alex (Sterling Knight, genuine) and his daughter Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg, convincing) with their teenage travails as well as falling in love all over again with Scarlet. In the end, Mike is rewarded by connecting with his kids and the realization that the major choice he made in the past was the right one. It’s all very Disney/Nickelodeon (e.g., these modern teenagers utter nary a single curse) and there’s nothing wrong with that if you’re young enough and, given Zac, female enough.
The script by Jason Filardi is mostly predicable but has moments of wit amid the numerous messages/lessons it aims to impart. Burr Steers, director, does a good job of pacing the movie to prevent boredom from setting in at the familiarity of it all. Bottom line, the movie is amiable but the subject matter could use an infusion of originality.
17 Again – The time passes pleasantly but not memorably. Review by Charles Zio
| STATE OF PLAY Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content. Drama/Adaptation/Politics 118 minutes
3 stars |
Tension is maintained throughout State of Play, but that would be the case with many movies about political intrigue and murder. The real test is how you feel about it when it’s over. Not having seen the original six-part BBC television drama it would be impossible to compare the two, but given how much is stuffed into this movie, it must have made more sense spread out over six episodes.
Since newspapers have been taking some big hits, the lightly touched on topic of print vs. online journalism get short shrift in the film. The big story they are working on here is simply switched to the newspaper deadline and, oh well, the online version is just about gossip anyway. As though there is a difference and one is “real” journalism and one is “phony” journalism, even if both come from the same newspaper.
Too often movies about newspapers take themselves ultra seriously, as though journalists are some kinds of heroes ready for sainthood, even when they break the rules for the good of the story. That’s when they lose me. There may have been high standards and integrity once, but has anyone seen the news lately? One thing always rings true; there are people who work for newspapers who would sell their souls for information. So spare me the violins.
Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) is an old-fashioned sloppy, junk food eating reporter working for the Washington Globe in D.C. He and online modern young gal Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) don’t mix metaphors together until a big story breaks and they have to cooperate. The story starts out simply enough as a small time hood getting killed and another man shot who saw the shooter. Next a red-haired congressional aide gets pushed onto subway tracks and dies. At first the subway death seems like suicide, but no, nothing is what it seems as there are plots, subplots, counterplots, twists, turns, about faces, reverses. Well, you name it, (thus I’m betting on a more believable series).
Cal has a personal stake in the goings on because the congressman involved is his former college roommate Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). It seems Cal is a loyal friend, sort of, except he had a short fling with Collins’ wife Anne (Robin Wright Penn) which he pays penance for continually. The events start connecting and Washington, D.C. has never looked dirtier. The politicians are corrupt, there’s billions of dollars to be made by our returning veterans working as mercenaries, and in spite of all the juicy happenings, editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) screams about the paper losing money, go figure.
All the actors do well especially Helen Mirren as the hardened but not brittle editor, Jeff Daniels as Rep. George Fergus who plays despicable very well, and Jason Bateman as a whiny marketing guy over his head. I did have trouble believing Crowe and Affleck are the same age. They look about a generation apart. The end of the movie really detracts from the whole as it turns schmaltzy and unrealistic. Pardon my cynicism. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE GOLDEN BOYS Content Advisory for Parents Comedy/Romance 97 minutes
2½ stars |
This is a well-intentioned, sweet, small movie about three old sea captains in 1905 who don’t want to keep up the housecleaning chores, so they flip coins and advertise for a wife. It’s a reunion of sorts for the audience seeing some very good older actors working together as an ensemble. Shot entirely on location on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, there are some beautiful images of the dunes and landscape. Unfortunately, the pace is very slow and plodding.
It starts off well enough with old footage from early seafaring days. The three captains: David Carradine as Captain Zeb, the pragmatic, courageous one, Rip Torn as Captain Jerry, the cranky one, and Bruce Dern as Captain Perez, the mischievous one are fun to watch, although there’s lots of mugging for the camera. As they spar over what to do about keeping house, it seems to take forever to get to the solution, which is to get a wife rather than pay a housekeeper. Captain Jerry gets the honor of getting married which he is none too happy about, but has agreed so they start advertising.
There is a bit of mistaken identity when a woman gets off the train with a suitcase with “Maratha Snow’ written on it. They are so inept they hide in a shed for most of the day to avoid her until Captain Zeb goes home to face her and tell her she “doesn’t suit” only to find, tada, Mariel Hemingway instead.
Other subplots develop that are supposed to add to the ambiance of the small seaside town, and there is plenty of atmosphere. It is all very proper with people addressing each other formally as Mrs. so and so, or Captain such and such. Several supporting actors are interesting to watch like John Savage. Charles Durning plays a small part though seems very frail as does Julie Harris in a cameo.
Adapted from a book that surely conveys the difficult life by the sea and the people who bravely lived life with certain convictions, the movie is a comedy that has only a small element of drama. Rip Torn plays this part well and could probably do it backwards and in his sleep. Bruce Dern seems to be enjoying playing against the type of semi-psychotic characters he’s known for, and David Carradine gets to be heroic, and low-key amusing.
The audience of mostly seniors really seemed to like the movie. It’s good, clean, though slow-going, fun. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| OBSERVE AND REPORT Rated R for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence. Action/Comedy 86 minutes
2 stars |
Satire is one thing. Crude, coarse, obnoxious movies are another, altogether. I will give credit to writer/director Jody Hill for pushing material to the edge of good taste (in service of what, a few laughs?) and taking risks, but the risks don’t pay off because the movie is neither funny nor provides the “action” to make it worthwhile.
Seth Rogan, an amusing actor given the right material, plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a supervising mall cop. This is Ronnie’s story (and movie) and sorry to say that by the end I had had more than enough of this sad sack of expletives. Ronnie’s not very swift, to say the least, and there are hints he has disabilities (and is bi-polar). In fact, he’s called “retard” several times. His dream, though, is to become a real cop, and he hopes that by being a super cop and catching a flasher who’s terrorizing women at the mall, he will be able to join the force.
Standing in his way is a Ray Liotta as smarmy Detective Harrison. He hates Ronnie, and through a series of events tries to get rid of him, once literally. Ronnie has a crush on Brandi who works at the makeup counter (Anna Faris, pretty, sexy, and good at playing as dumb as the plastic plants at the mall).
There are various characters like the goofy twin guards who work for Ronnie, his best friend, and another guard, Dennis (played psychotically with an embarrassing lisp by Michael Peña), his alcoholic mother (Celia Weston, who deserves better), the coffee counter girl who likes him (Collette Wolfe), the angry vendor, Saddamn (Aziz Ansari), who curses him, and the flasher himself. Rather than sink to a new low in reviewing, all I can say about this actor is—-it’s too bad.
Granted, sense of humor and sensibilities come into play when reviewing such a vulgar “comedy” and it’s strictly my opinion, but I wouldn’t waste money on such an offensive, repugnant, shameless movie. Hilarious this movie is NOT.
I was really hoping for better from a North Carolina filmmaker, and maybe there are some good prospects for the future, down the road, when this movie is just a distant memory. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
BUCK HOWARD |
THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD Rated PG for some language including suggestive remarks, and a drug reference. Comedy 90 minutes
4 stars |
For those who remember, the character of Buck Howard is based on the Amazing Kreskin. For those who don’t, Kreskin carved out a career in the 1970s as a mentalist, someone who performed feats of “mind reading” (at its simplest, “pick a card, any card, don’t show it to me,” etc.). Buck is a show business survivor past his glory days (61 appearances on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”) who now clings, lovingly, to an act performed in small venues (never sold out), in cities and towns big and small, to an older audience who fondly recall him and are still dazzled by his feats. But perish the thought this is a sad story of a washed up legend. Instead, the movie relates, with charm and satire, the happiness and satisfaction of the performer who’ll never quit.
The great strength, and good fortune, of this movie is that Buck Howard is acted by John Malkovich in a pitch perfect, not a false note performance. Buck is sincere, friendly, and enthusiastic (he’s got an arm rattling handshake). He’s also moody, sarcastic, and self-centered. Yet, first and foremost, he is a professional showman with a time-tested routine before/during/after his act. Since he travels a great deal (at one point claiming he does 400 shows a year) and must concentrate his energies on being prepared for his act, Buck retains the services of a road manager, the most recent of whom is Troy Gable, a law school dropout, searching for himself, who thinks he may want to be a writer. Though the Gable character all but cries out “cliché” it’s made palatable (but not compelling) by Colin Hanks who shares with his father Tom (who appears, wouldn’t you know it, as his father) an average guy quality. And anyway, the movie belongs to Buck. Everyone else is just support.
Speaking of support, there’s Emily Blunt skillful and appealing as Valerie Brennan, a savvy publicist who knows how to handle Buck and, especially Gable. Ricky Jay is suitably patient as Buck’s long-suffering manager. Debra Monk and Steve Zahn show up (in Cincinnati) as dim, rabid fans of Buck and their devotion is both funny and touching. There’s a host of cameos (Jay Leno, Tom Arnold, Gary Coleman, and look close, it’s Don, no longer Donny, Most from “Happy Days”). The humor, even the satiric, is gentle and amusing.
For all the focus on Buck, and Troy’s narrative attempts to explain and understand his boss, the man remains a mystery. His personal life, background, financial situation, in fact anything beyond his stage persona, is left to conjecture. Nor is his signature move (finding his payment the audience has hidden while he is offstage) or the stunt he stages to regain visibility and his career explicated. Viewers can form their own opinions, but there’s no doubt that Buck Howard emerges triumphant.
Dual commendations to Sean McGinly for his script and direction and right-on casting to all the actors, led by the masterful John Malkovich. Also the photography of Tak Fujimoto (who captures the second tier look of Buck’s life) and the comfortably paced editing of Myron Kerstein (to savor the moments). If you’ve got a soft spot for old show business troopers (and the likes of Kreskin are becoming all too rare), go see Buck Howard.
The Great Buck Howard – His act may be stale, but you gotta love this guy. Review by Charles Zio
| FAST & FURIOUS Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual content, language and drug references. Action 107 minutes
2½ stars |
If you like cars, car crashes, girls in bikinis, guys trying to out-macho each other, and blood and gore, you will find Fast & Furious entertaining because it sure isn’t the story. The opening sequence is about action, editing, and stunts. Several cars surround a truck to steal gas (liquid gold), but the driver resists and starts shooting. Needless to say, it all ends in a spectacular fiery crash. Is it too much to ask to have an action movie look good, and have an original, exciting storyline and intriguing characters?
Vin Diesel plays Dominic Toretto, a super hyped-up muscle man (to go with his cars) who is running from previous crimes. He is the leader of the group that failed to get the goods. The character of Dom says little in the tradition of strong, silent type heroes, except here he is an outlaw. His nemesis is the FBI/cop trying to track him down, Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker, equally as expressionless as Vin Diesel) who once used and left Dominic’s sister Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster, pretty, adequate) to get evidence on Dom.
Dom gets the word that there are people gunning for him after their failed attempt so he decides he must leave his bad-girl chick, Letty (Michelle Rodriquez, showing her usual girlish grittiness), because he doesn’t want her to get hurt. Ironically, Dom finds out later she’s been killed. He now turns into a revenge machine and single-mindedly goes after the man who he believes killed her.
To do this he has to become a “driver” for a gang of thugs that transport drugs out of Mexico. This leads to one of the best (and most violent) action sequences where five cars compete in a street race to win a spot driving for the drug czar. O’Connor, undercover, comes in second. Dom wins and takes off with the killers. You’re thinking, “How is he going to prevail against these odds?” Don’t worry. If Dom dies, there is no movie. Though much of the plot is lame, he does have to succeed to an extent so that he can get his revenge, and we get to see what happens.
John Ortiz, as Campos, is the best actor in the movie, but that’s not saying much as he’s given little to work with in his dialogue or otherwise. The real stars in the Fast & Furious movies are the cars and stunt drivers, and possibly CGI. Yet, I also have to wonder if these guys were in any real danger, and/or why they would risk their safety for this movie. I guess if I have to ask, I don’t fully “get it.” Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| ADVENTURELAND Rated R for language, drug use and sexual references. comedy/Drama 106 minutes
3½ stars |
Remember that semi-tacky summer amusement park with the children’s rides and the unbeatable games manned by bored, smart aleck teens and attended by disruptive, cheating wise guys? Sure you do, and that’s Adventureland. It’s pleasant, nicely acted, and very familiar. See it now or wait for the real thing, probably coming this summer to a lot near you.
James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg, with a corner on the ultra bright but socially clumsy teen character) is forced by his father’s downsized job (it’s Pennsylvania 1987 but even then and there it happened) to forego a trip to Europe with friends and the threat of no funds for grad school at Columbia in the fall. The only place that will hire this major in comparative lit is the Adventureland amusement park. Though he wants to work “rides” he is instead assigned otherwise by manager Bob (Bill Hader, fun and a tad spooky) because he is “a games kind of guy.” Count on it, his summer is a series of games (with drugs, drink, unruly patrons, social and would-be sexual entanglements, etc.). Primarily, Jim will pursue the love of his young life, fellow employee Em (Kristen Stewart in a surface performance) who mostly sulks because of a dysfunctional family (seemingly the lot of just about every kid in the movie). She also has a secret. She is involved in a loveless affair with the park’s married maintenance man Connell (Ryan Reynolds, well done), older and skilled at corralling young girls impressed by his having jammed with Lou Reed. Unbelievably, no one has caught on that Em and Connell are going at it in her house, in the back seats of cars, and even in his mother’s basement.
In the meantime, Jim, still a virgin (because he’s moral and romantic) is counseled by Connell to go for the physical with the hottest number in the park, Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva, a delightful tease). Just as Em is regretful and ending the affair Jim learns the truth (was there any doubt he wouldn’t) and relates it to Lisa P. (he has a habit of spilling the beans to people who he swears to a silence they repeatedly break). In no time, everyone at the park knows the truth. Em is heartbroken. Jim is heartbroken. Will they reunite? In New York (Em is going to NYU)? In the rain? Come on, could it be more obvious.
Let it be said that the acting is uniformly enjoyable (to cite a few in lesser parts but all are good - Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig, Jack Gilpin, Wendie Malick). Greg Mottola’s script is not original although he does try to give his characters a bit of depth. As director he keeps the story moving almost the whole way until the close when the movie appears to have more than one end. Granted it’s predictable – bright/knowing teens, loss of virginity, eccentric friends, small town blues, dead end job, problematic parents, true love – but the loss of innocence is the inevitable road to maturity. In this instance, it’s also sweet and warm and happy. You know – nostalgic.
Adventureland – No surprises in an agreeable, seen-it-all-before trip. Review by Charles Zio
| DUPLICITY Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual content. Crime/Thriller 125 minutes
3½ stars |
Julia still has a lovely smile, Clive is a believable horn dog (as he calls himself) spy, and there is chemistry between them (aside from the industrial espionage in which they are engaged). Trouble is the movie is too clever by half and the use of certain techniques results in a distancing from the action, both of which prevent a suspension of disbelief and becoming fully involved in the film.
Julia Roberts may have moved past the girl next door but, as Claire Stenwick, she’s a most appealing con woman. Matching wits with her is Clive Owen, believable whatever the role, as Ray Koval, a former member of British intelligence. From their first meeting it is evident this pair are hot, in bed and out, for each other. Part of the spark is their two-of-a-kind connection, there’s no end of their crosses and double crosses, and their relationship is one of outsmarting, if not out tricking, everyone else, especially each other.
The movie is a stew but suffice it to say there are two corporations, Burkett & Randle, run by Howard Tully (Tom Wilkinson, dandy) and Equikrom, run by Richard Garsik (Paul Giamatti, sleazily note perfect) out to damage each other and their respective businesses. Throw in industrial theft, counterintelligence, spying (this is war) and the promise of an incredible new product that will remake the personal care market (and reap tens of millions) with Claire and Ray deep in the middle of the machinations. Others on board, in the game are Denis O’Hare (Duke), Kathleen Chalfant (Pam, with one the strangest haircuts ever), Tom McCarthy (Jeff), and Rick Worthy (Dale). And Carrie Preston (Barbara Bofferd) gives a charming turn as a lonely, but happily, used pawn. Love, spying, mystery. So what’s the problem?
The script by Tony Gilroy is twisty, often sharp and humorous, and might have stood up except for overused flashbacks continually disrupting the sequential flow for no real purpose other than, it seems, to be clever and a who-done-it-and-how explanation adding to an unsatisfactory ending. Additionally, Mr. Gilroy, as director, utilizes several visual techniques leaving the viewer at a remove. One, is multiple images (four) on the screen to set a scene. It may look nice but contributes little. Another favorite is to freeze an image, shrink it, and have it disappear leaving a momentarily black screen. Whatever the purpose, the result is to remind the viewer this is only a movie instead of drawing them into the action. All the production elements (locations, photography, design, etc.) are first rate (like Julia would be in anything half baked). As well-constructed as Duplicity may be it isn't engrossing, aside from Roberts and Owen who supply some panache. Too bad the film gets in their way.
Duplicity – Julia and Clive, and the others, click. The movie doesn’t. Review by Charles Zio
| TWO LOVERS Rated R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use. Drama/Romance 110 minutes
3½ stars |
And thus, a film career ends. Taking Joaquin Phoenix at his word, his last performance here is more than respectable. Regrettable, too, in as much as he’s a fine actor who has already displayed signs of a worthwhile career to come. The movie, for its part, is a quiet study of a confused young man caught between a dream and the ordinary. No fireworks, but it’s a thoughtful take on decent people.
Joaquin Phoenix plays Leonard Kraditor, a man in debt (“creditor”) to the man who saves his life at the start after he has dived into the waters off Brighton Beach, Brooklyn (a quick, afterthought of thanks) and substantially to his parents with whom he has moved back in after treatment for suicidal tendencies. His mother, Ruth (Isabella Rossellini, topnotch) is concerned, loving, and can read her son like a book. His father Reuben (Moni Moshonov, textbook natural) is a kindly, decent man looking to secure his son’s future by merging his dry cleaning business with a competitor. Ideally for Leonard’s parents, who rightfully worry about his stability, would be a match with the prospective business partner’s sweet and compassionate daughter Sandra (Vinessa Shaw, pitch perfect). And though he’d rather be a photographer than a dry cleaner, Leonard seems to be drifting toward the sure, safe bet of Sandra.
Until Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow, excellent), as a new tenant, appears in the Kraditor’s apartment house. Leonard is smitten at the sight of the willowy blonde and then, with acquaintance, intoxicated by her sophistication and free spirit. The choice is clear and Leonard is caught between his uninhibited, happy self with Michelle (he dances, smiles, kids around) and the predictable, stable future Sandra promises (she will take care of him as symbolized by the present of a pair of gloves). But it’s not quite that simple. Michelle is having an affair with Ronald (Elias Koteas, spot on) and enlists Leonard as her friend/surrogate brother (needless to say, he is not pleased at being so considered). Matters come to a head on New Year’s Eve (Ruth and Reuben are hosting a party) with ends and beginnings and consequences open to speculation.
Though the characters are given enough depth to raise them above one dimension, the script by James Gray and Richard Menello can’t escape what is an oft repeated, clichéd story line (though there are some genuine attempts at originality). The saving grace is that the actors are uniformly convincing and sympathetic, especially Joaquin who, by underplaying, makes Leonard, a stock character, interesting and someone to root for. The photography by Joaquin Baca-Asay nicely done encapsulates the difference between the women in the contrast of worldly, glitzy Manhattan, and the cozy/smaller/neighborly environs of ocean side Brooklyn. For James Gray, as director, overall a pat on the back for a small, intelligent film with heart.
And, goodbye, Mr. Phoenix. Good luck with the singing. See you in Casey Affleck’s up-coming documentary. Remember that many viewers have enjoyed your past performances and would not be adverse to your return (minus the matted hair, long beard, dark glasses, and spaced-out obliviousness, unless it was for a role). And somebody care to guess how many coming headlines about Joaquin (whether about music, acting, whatever) will reference “Phoenix” as the bird of rebirth? Anyhow, sir, with this movie, you went out with class.
Two Lovers – A sincere, little movie and Joaquin’s honorable swan song. Review by Charles Zio
| I LOVE YOU, MAN Rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references. Comedy/Romance 110 minutes
3½ stars |
It’s crude. It’s funny. It’s crude and funny. It's crude and funny AND familiar. But what else can you expect from a love story between men who never really get past the adolescent stage, and reminds you of all of Judd Apatow's movies? The premise is that Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd, reliably playing the semi-nerdish good guy) gets engaged to Zooey (Rashida Jones, representing women well) who thinks he’s perfect until her friends butt in and remind her he has no “best friend.” This hasn’t bothered Peter until he overhears the girls making that remark, and that it means he may be clingy in the marriage. He decides he’s going to change things up.
There are some funny scenes of Peter having “man dates.” He tries to convey he wants a friend, not a boyfriend, which backfires in at least one case. Since Peter’s a realtor he has a showing of Lou Ferrigno’s house (the requsite celebrity cameo) and meets a moocher who comes for the food, named Sydney Fife (Jason Segel, who is hard to dislike, often looking like he’s trying not to crack-up at Paul Rudd’s dialogue).
Peter seems to have a connection with Sydney and gets advice from his relaxed younger gay brother, Robbie (Andy Samberg, doing fine in a smallish role) who tries to set him up with some man dates, but also advises him on things like when to call a guy friend, what to eat and drink, etc. Sydney is easygoing, but calls Peter out bluntly on what he thinks and does. Peter, never having had a male friend before, is not sure how to respond, and makes some funny mistakes trying to navigate new territory.
Finally, the connection is genuine when Peter and Sydney discover they both play instruments and love the band Rush. Only now, Zooey is beginning to question whether Peter is spending too much time and being too influenced by Sydney. She likes to talk to her friends about intimate details of their sex life, but is not so sure she likes the way Peter and Sydney share confidences. Yet nothing monumental happens; the climax doesn’t build. It just winds down.
There’s more than a little bit of truth here about males who bond better over an activity, like playing guitars, then getting into deep conversations, which women friends can do endlessly. And the idea is sound that having guy friends adds a dimension to a man’s life, the same way it does for women. Director John Hamburg has cast the movie well and there are scenes where the audience was laughing out loud, yet, is all the crudeness really necessary? I’m guessing most guys coming to this movie would say yes. And that may exactly be the reason it's time for something new. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| GOMORRAH Rated R Foreign Film - Italy IFC Films Crime/Gangster/Drama 137 minutes
4 stars |
This ain’t a pretty picture. Morally, that is. The viewer is given a chilly, clear-eyed view of the violent criminality of the Camorra (Neapolitan Mafia) that permeates society, high and low. There is a documentary feel here appropriate to the tale to be told though any displays of feeling or conscience are fleeting since these are people dehumanized by their social environment. The title “Gomorrah” is, of course, biblical and symbolizes wickedness as the stories of the leading players, threaded through the film, illustrate.
From the start, the nature of the criminal enterprise is evident. A group of men, at leisure at a tanning parlor, are rapidly and neatly shot (one bullet per victim). In this world, death doesn’t go on vacation. And the surroundings are equally bleak – large, bland, angular, claustrophobic, concrete apartment blocks, abandoned, crumbling buildings, criss-crossing walkways and streets. Roaming about are a sweet faced boy, Toto (Salvatore Abruzzese), eager to join one of the local gangs; a money runner, Don Circo (Gianfelice Imparato), alternately welcomed and berated by those to whom he delivers stacks of euros; two teenage braggarts operating on their own (and quoting “Scarface”), Marco (Marco Macor) and Ciro (Ciro Petrone); a couture tailor, Pasquale (Salvatore Cantalupo); Maria (Maria Nazionale), the relative of a gang member who refuses to move; and a slimy businessman, Franco (Toni Servillo), and his apprentice, Roberto (Carmine Paternoster).
Uniting most of the characters is uncertainty and fear. Lookouts are stationed to warn of police, members of one gang evict families of others from their territory, revenge and honor killings are common, mob warfare is rampant. It’s a bleak existence. Even the glimpsed weddings, signs of happiness, take place on a lower level walkway while above some mob business is underway. Even a good-natured scene of music and dancing is quickly interrupted by gunshots, followed by a scheme for retaliation, where Toto will learn that membership carries unpleasant consequences. As does betrayal, in different ways, for Pasquale and Marco and Ciro. Don Circo will run scared while Franco exploits everyone in sight no matter the land and lives it destroys. Even the one character who walks away intact, does so empty handed down a deserted highway scoring a lone victory as the Camorra continues to spread its tentacles.
Gomorrah is based on the investigative book by Roberto Saviano who is one of the six coauthors, another being the director Matteo Garrone. Mr. Garrone does a fine job of keeping the viewers interest through the first half of the movie as its plot lines are set up and succeeds in conveying the sweeping, insidious reach of the mafia (gowns to waste disposal to contract killing). His portrayal of the drab, dreary, easily deposable lives of those in the mafia orbit is further reflected in the skillful photography of Marco Onorato with his shots of large-scale, weathered and decrepit, concrete apartment complexes and barren country sides. There’s scant warmth or hope in this picture, even the rare moments of humanity are fleeting and unconvincing. But how could it be otherwise when violence is ever present and death is always at one’s back? Hey, Hollywood, this is the real mafia. Ugly, isn’t it?
Gomorrah – The mafia as it truly is, down and dirty. Review by Charles Zio
| KNOWING Rated PG-13 for disaster sequences, disturbing images and brief strong language. Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller 122 minutes
2½ stars |
When characters in films make prophecies, it’s not going to be a good thing. This movie, full of symbolism, metaphors, and references to religion as well as physics, comes across a bit heavy-handed, although it does hold the audience’s attention for the duration if only to find out what happens. The main problem is that the end is a let down, in more ways than one.
Astrophysicist John Koestler (Nicholas Cage, playing very straight and serious) is trying to recover from the death of his wife. Left alone with his son Caleb (Chandler Canterbury, a very natural child actor), in one of those big old spooky houses near MIT where he teaches, he struggles with work and drink. On the fiftieth anniversary of Caleb’s nearby school a time capsule is opened and pictures drawn by previous students are passed out to the present students. Everyone except Caleb gets a drawing of what they thought the future would look like. Caleb gets a series of numbers on both sides of a paper written by a strange child who hears voices.
Curiously, this paper doesn’t seem to disturb Caleb or John. Almost by accident though, John takes a second look and finds a disturbing fact. Within the series of numbers are all the disasters that occurred in the last fifty years. It’s at this point John realizes there are three left. Wanting to stop them, he tries to understand what they are and where they are located. The race is on, but fate being what it is, marches on too, even in spite of John who is a non-believer.
In the meantime, strange alien beings are lurking around their house and “whispering” to Caleb. John starts to become frantic as he’s afraid that he will lose his son, too. John manages to track down the strange girl who wrote the numbers, but she’s since died. He instead finds her daughter Diana (Rose Byrne, mostly shrill) and granddaughter Abby (Lara Robinson, playing two roles), who is experiencing the same eerie happenings with the beings as Caleb.
That’s as much as I can say without giving away too much, but if you follow writings about beginnings and endings, you may guess what’s going on. Oh yes, and John’s father is a minister who he has not spoken to for a period of time; another hint for the viewer.
The disaster CGI is good. It’s impressive in parts and adds to the mood of foreboding as people die randomly. The sinister mood is sustained throughout the two hours by director Alex Proyas. It’s the screenplay, written by at least four people, that in the end seems like a compromise, and a disappointment. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN Rated PG for sequences of action and violence, frightening and dangerous situations, and some thematic elements. Adventure/Comedy/Sci-Fi/Thriller 98 minutes
3 stars |
This sci-fi movie is for young, though not the youngest, family members because it does have a few scary moments, as well as some violence. But Race to Witch Mountain does seem to try to be about acceptance, tolerance, and faith in the unseen. If you don’t buy into that, just sit back and enjoy a Disney movie.
Dwayne Johnson, known previously as The Rock, plays Jack Bruno, a taxi driver in Las Vegas trying to go straight after being locked up in jail. Mr. Johnson is an incredible physical specimen. His acting is somewhat less impressive, yet he is likeable on screen. The comic, non-threatening demeanor that he has learned to project for some of his roles is a good match for this particular character, so we (the audience) root for him and want him to succeed.
That success is about getting two alien teenagers, who show up in his taxi one day, to their spaceship on well hidden Witch Mountain. These normal looking kids, Sarah (AnnaSophia Robb), and Seth (Alexander Ludwig) have to finish their parents’ mission to Earth or there will be dire consequences. These facts and others are rather convoluted, but the special effects are fun, if nothing extraordinary, as is the look on Jack’s face whenever they surprise him with their extraterrestrial powers.
Jack asks for advice from astrophysicist Dr. Alex Friedman (Carla Gugino) who flirts with Jack and seems to have her space factoids down cold, though she's a bit ditsy. Of course, there is a bad guy, from the government, who wants to catch the teens and do tests on their alien brains and bodies. Ciarán Hinds plays Henry Burke without an ounce of humor, as if we didn’t get the picture.
So there is a lot of chasing, running around, and driving around in the, by now, beat up taxi. There is even a dog acquired during the chase. (I guess every Disney movie has to have at least one animal.)
This is not a movie that will test your deepest thoughts, but then, it’s a movie that you can sit and enjoy with family. It doesn’t rank with the greatest innovative Disney films, yet it’s not at the bottom of the heap either. Kids of a certain age will have a good time, and parents can watch it with them. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| WATCHMEN Rated R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language. Action/Drama/Sci-Fi/ Thriller/Adaptation 160 minutes
4½ stars |
Rarely have I seen a movie that is so realized in terms of its genre, but the filmmakers of Watchmen have accomplished that feat. Though I haven’t read the complex and popular graphic novel, I understand why there was so much anticipation. There is a complicated storyline that has numerous layers, but I got it. Yes, it’s grim and dark, and many times, outrageous. So what naysayers? Some were falling over themselves to praise the darkness of The Dark Knight. Now they want a movie made from a graphic novel to be what—delicate? I don’t like the extent of spurting blood, crunching bones, twisted heads, kicks to the groin, etc. Amidst the darkness, there is plain silliness sometimes that seems out of context as it tries for humor; the sex scenes are laughable, but not in a good way. The film is too long here and there, although the apparent faithfulness to the novel will hearten some rabid fans. And I never thought I would, well I can’t say enjoy, feel engaged by this kind of movie as much as I did.
The alternate reality of 1980s that’s presented is one of having a doomsday clock very close to nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. The opening with Bob Dylan’s, “The Times They Are A-Changin’” gives distorted lead ups of history to this grim fabrication. Nixon continues as our sweaty president, crime and lawlessness prevail, depression of spirit is inevitable. There were vigilantes who worked with the police to try to control the forces of evil, but they were retired by law, although it’s not stressed why. It turns out that one of their group, The Comedian, is murdered. This provokes another, Rorschach, to want to get the old gang together to find out the reason.
None of the actors are “movie stars” which may actually help with the believability factor. Each character has a story about how they wound up as Watchmen fighting for whatever purpose. It’s an interesting group, and for those not familiar with the novel it pays off to add the back story of the “heroes.” Even though none of these people have supernatural powers, they are certainly able to beat people to a pulp whenever they choose and seem to get a kick out of it. There are flashbacks to explain the history of each one of the characters: the ironically titled “Comedian” is played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan as an outright killer with a yen for chaos rather than justice as he targets anyone who is easy pickings. He does a good job making us hate/dislike him while showing the terrible waste of his abilities. He would logically be the first killed if someone is targeting the Watchmen.
The only character with real superstar superpower is Dr. Manhattan (Jon), a physicist who accidentally gets caught in some kind of locked chamber that transforms him into a huge, blue, naked being who can convert energy at will. Billy Crudup manages to convey a normal man turned freakish observer of flawed humans. Malin Ackerman is Laurie/Silk Spectre II. She is a beautiful woman with long straight, dark hair, who is in love and lives with Dr. Manhattan. As he drifts farther from human concerns her loneliness causes her to spend more time with Dan Dreiberg/Night Owl. As played by Patrick Wilson we have sympathy for the shy, smitten Dan who is obviously in love with Laurie, but who thinks he can’t compete with the big blue guy. Laurie’s mother, retired from crime fighting as the original Silk Spectre is played by Carla Gugino whose troubled relationship with the Comedian comes into play later on.
Then there is Matthew Goode playing Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias as the “smartest man in the world.” His idol is Alexander the Great; that should tell you something right there. He’s managed to do the best for himself since their retirement. But it’s really Walter Kovacs/Rorschach as played by Jackie Earle Haley that drives the action. He won’t let the Comedian’s death go, goading the others into helping him uncover the reason for Comedian’s death. He’s behind a mask that changes spots for the majority of the movie, but it’s his relentless coercion that moves things along with his ominous voiceover diary.
There are all kinds of philosophies/ideas mixed together here: heroes become corrupted, unchecked adoration leads to egomania, greed creates more greed, and humans, even if well-intentioned, are fundamentally flawed and can’t resist their own tragic fate. Those with power are like the Greek gods who often fell short because of human-like failings. Look around, there are plenty of examples. If the story is presented in a cartoon-like manner, so what? It isn’t supposed to be War and Peace. These types of stories have lasted for centuries. Dr. Manhattan explains to Laurie that he is discouraged with humans because they are, well, human. Amen. We never learn the lesson, though, and that’s why Watchmen makes sense to many, on a level they can’t even explain. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| WALTZ WITH BASHIR Rated R for some disturbing images of atrocities, strong violence, brief nudity and a scene of graphic sexual content. Foreign Film – Israel Animation/Drama/War/Bio 90 minutes
4½ stars |
It’s not as if we don’t know that war is hell, but Waltz with Bashir presents and brings the horror home in a unique animated movie. This is writer/director Ari Folman’s story. As a 19 year old Israeli soldier he was assigned to the first Lebanon War in the early 80s. Years later he meets with a friend and fellow soldier who tells him of a recurring nightmare about 26 vicious dogs that chase him.
Ari tries to remember himself but can’t recall anything about that time, especially the invasion of Beirut, and the massacre of Palestinian civilians at two settlements. As he begins to ruminate about the war and realize that it’s odd he can’t remember, he decides he must find out the truth.
Ari makes contact with men who he served with at the time, men he had cut all ties with when the war ended. He begins to see partial images and strange visions, not knowing what they mean. As he interviews more people, the actuality is finally uncovered.
The animation is intriguing, dark, and foreboding with imagery that is not difficult to understand. It might seem like an unusual choice to present this in animated form, but it works because it helps create the mood of the film, and keeps the audience slightly off-balance as though we are in a dreamlike state as Ari is throughout most of the movie. The title comes from an incident when an Israeli soldier dangerously “dances” with bullets in front of huge posters of the assassinated Lebanese president, Bashir, who was a political rock star to his countrymen.
Waltz with Bashir was nominated for and won awards this season in acknowledgment of its excellence. It was up for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards and many thought it would win. It didn’t, but that may be because it split the vote with another of the top films, or because the topic of war is unpopular right now. Regardless, it’s quite an achievement.
Sometimes, the mind does extraordinary things to protect itself from a truth that may be too terrible to bear. In this case, Ari Folman has presented a unique opportunity for the audience to witness the unfolding of a bad dream turned reality turned exceptional movie experience. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
FOR SO LONG |
I'VE LOVED YOU FOR SO LONG Rated PG-13 for thematic material and smoking. Foreign Film-France/Germany Drama/Mystery 115 minutes
4 stars |
Can forgiveness be earned years after an unforgivable act tears a family apart? I’ve Loved You for So Long deals with an answer that is as individual as the people involved. Human beings are not standard issue. Some can forgive and move on, others cannot. It may depend on how large a heart one has, or—-what there is to gain. Juliette, played solidly with quiet strength by Kristin Scott Thomas, comes out of prison after fifteen years. Her adoring younger sister Léa, an excellent Elsa Zylberstein, invites her to live with her family: husband Luc (Serge Hazanavicius), father-in-law, and two adopted little girls. This creates tension between husband and wife, but Léa refuses to abandon her difficult decision to reconnect with her sister.
Juliette is distant, guarded, and unsure of Léa’s motives at first, given the way her parents so thoroughly rejected her. The film moves at a leisurely, though even pace, revealing bits of information in real time about Juliette’s past. The story is told in a simple, straightforward manner befitting the subject matter.
Writer/director Philippe Claudel skillfully stays away from flashbacks while providing all the audience needs to know, when we need to know it. So much is conveyed by Ms. Scott Thomas just by the sad, haunting expressions that flicker across her beautiful face. Yet, neither she nor her situation is glamorized; her deep set eyes have darkened circles and her lithe body betrays a weariness and hyper-vigilance that is believable.
Léa obviously idolized her older sister (as a child) before the incident and is desperate to understand what happened and have a relationship with her now, yet Juliette is closed-off and resists her efforts. Her two nieces, especially the older one, is better at drawing her out and almost against her will she begins to feel part of a normal family again as she becomes included in their social interactions.
Juliette endures humiliation in trying to find a job, a new life, friends, all with the stoicism of someone who doesn’t believe she deserves better. The prison that Juliette left behind, though, is nothing compared to the one she has created for herself. When the reason for her actions and subsequent imprisonment becomes clear, there will probably be differing reactions to her culpability, but the skill of the writer/director and cast in this affecting film is never in doubt. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE INTERNATIONAL Rated R for some sequences of violence and language. Action/Adventure/Drama 118 minutes
3½ stars |
A key villain in this movie says something to the effect that fiction, as opposed to reality, must be logical. Sorry, bud, The International doesn’t prove your point, unless the viewer is willing to believe one honest man (with an assist from one honest woman) can crack and defeat an incredibly well connected, seemingly ubiquitous, power-grabbing, global conspiracy. But then, this is a Past-The-Time Movie – looks and sounds good, is acted well enough, has a sensible story mostly, and moves along at a pace that precludes reflection on any defects (though here it does slow down three-quarters of the way through). In short, it’s pleasant and satisfying for its duration, and almost immediately forgettable.
Clive Owens plays Louis Salinger, an Interpol agent (formerly of British intelligence), on the trail of a large European bank and its suspicious involvement with international arms sales. That Mr. Owens is a fine actor is attested by his not only allowing himself to look believably battered, beaten, and tired but by investing his familiar character (the single-minded, do-whatever-it-takes law figure) with depth and conviction. Equally committed to the quest for justice is Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts, adequate though bland), a lawyer in the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Why did these actors sign on for the movie? Aside from a paycheck, it must have been the opportunity for some travel as the movie hops around – Berlin, Lyon, Milan, New York, Turkey. This is evidently meant to illustrate the global reach and magnitude of the nefarious IBBC bank, based in Luxembourg, which will stop at nothing in its hunger for power. Under the direction of Jonas Skarssen (Ulrich Thomsen, more sedate than menacing) and advised by the cynical and fatalistic Wilhelm Wexler (Armin Mueller-Stahl, topnotch), bodies accumulate, often dispatched by the Consultant (Brian F. O’Byrne, talented and it’s about time somebody gave him a more substantial role). Also in the mix are Luca Barbareschi as a warm and savvy Italian politician and a trio of New York Detectives portrayed effortlessly and naturally by Felix Solis, Jack McGee, and Nilaja Sun.
The plot doesn’t much matter. There are suspects, ominous glances, chases, lucky hunches, a coincidence hard to swallow, and a go for broke, extended, museum-based, slam dunk shootout. Eventually, there’s a chat about reality (wherein the definition mentioned at the top), morality, redemption, blah-blah-blah. And, yeah, of course, the good guy (Salinger) wins, but the victory is so low key as to be almost anti-climatic.
As to the script by Eric Warren Singer, it is sufficient though unoriginal except for a subdued hint of chemistry, actually more admiration/respect than desire, between Louis and Eleanor thereby presenting a man and woman in a professional relationship without layers of lust (how often is that seen?). The photography (grand and sweeping and overhead of various cities) by cinematographer Frank Griebe is impressive. Director Tom Tykwer does a nice job of orchestrating the technical aspects and keeping the story relatively interesting and moving along. He won’t have to delete the movie from his resume but it won’t be listed on top either.
The International – Lacks substance but easy enough to swallow. Review by Charles Zio
| FRIDAY THE 13TH Rated R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material. Suspense/Horror/Remake 95 minutes
2½ stars |
It may be hard to believe that the original Friday the 13th came out 29 years ago, but moviegoers can once again witness mass murder in the woods with this latest sequel from director Marcus Nispel. The setting is the same Crystal Lake Camp where the first carnage took place and it begins with Whitney (Amanda Righetti) and friends camping out beside the lake, which in hindsight was probably a poor choice. The inevitable happens as it is revealed that none other than Jason Voorhees (Derek Mears) is still patrolling the area and murdering folk.
Whitney’s brother Clay (Jared Padalecki) comes to Crystal Lake to look for her but is warned by the townsfolk and the local police that she is already dead. Clay runs into a group of young people heading out to a cabin by the lake for a weekend party. He butts heads with the rich kid Trent (Travis Van Winkle who also played the same role in Transformers) but has pity taken upon him by Jenna (Danielle Panabaker). Predictably, the young people arrive at the cabin and begin engaging in frenzied activities from water skiing to smoking pot to drinking to sexual activity. This makes them easy targets for our killer and he begins taking them out. The plot develops through the usual clichés of horror films and the ending is as predictable as the events it takes to get there.
That is not to say screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift do not make it entertaining. The dialogue which is geared more towards the younger crowd is amusing and laugh out loud funny at some points. Chewie (Aaron Yoo) and Lawrence (Arlen Escarpeta) provide lots of comic relief during the film. Willa Ford and Julianna Guill provide the eye candy for the young males. The film very much resembles an American Pie movie with a serial killer thrown in.
There are moments of tension along with the blood and gore that is to be expected with a movie in this franchise, but it offers nothing new in terms of surprises or twists. The film is adapted well for modern day considering the original film may be out of date for scaring young people. If you like movies of this genre, it is worth catching if not in the theatre, than at the very least as a rental. If you are not into horror movies, then you can probably afford to miss this one. Review by Cleet of ampsportsduo.blogspot.com
THAT INTO YOU |
HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU PG-13 for sexual content and brief strong language. Comedy/Adaptation 122 minutes
2½ stars |
The title of the book this movie is adapted from is clever, and it made an impression on the dating crowd because it is ostensibly what men have wanted women to know for a long time. Unfortunately, the same spirit of good-natured truth telling does not infuse the movie. There are so many characters that the whole exercise takes more than two hours to slog through as all the interconnected stories come to a conclusion. So, what do we learn? If a guy is interested, he will find you, call you, or get in touch someway. No matter what you do, if he’s not interested, he may use you for sex, but then dump you. My grandmother’s generation had a variation on this advice with the succinct, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?”
This attractive group of actors try their best with the material they’re given. The story that’s developed the most involves Justin Long (playing Alex), an appealing, boyish actor, and Ginnifer Goodwin (playing Gigi), a sweet girl-next-door type, as two people who become friends when he tries to help her overcome her cluelessness about men. That always helps. She is the chronic female chaser, trying to justify why a guy likes her given even the tiniest bit of encouragement.
Bradley Cooper (as Ben), fast becoming a favorite leading man, is married to Jennifer Connelly (Janine), a pouting wife but apparently good friend whose marriage is inexplicably going down hill. The reason for this we learn later on is unbelievable. Into their arid world steps the temptress Anna played by Scarlett Johansson. Since the story is told from both perspectives she is not a “bad person” just someone trying to break up another woman’s marriage. I’m not sure what we’re supposed to make of that since the goal seems to be the coupling of men and women with the right people for them. Is it seriously okay to do this if you can actually pull it off?
Other well-known actors in the cast include Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connelly, and even Kris Kristofferson, looking worn out, playing Ms. Aniston’s father. The screenplay doesn’t give much depth to any of their stories as the movie veers from one to another, with cutesy little asides about singles’ struggles to find love. I won’t be seeing this movie again. It’s too familiar, and I’m just not into it. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| CORALINE Rated PG Kids/Family/Sci-Fi/Fantasy 100 minutes
3 stars |
Coraline has interesting ideas, characters, scenes, visual effects, etc., and though each of these elements is of merit individually, they do not fit comfortably, or flow smoothly, when joined together. As the story in this animated film falls short of engrossing, there’s ample time for viewers to appreciate the excellent stop-motion technique and effectively moderate 3-D effects.
Coraline (voiced convincingly by Dakota Fanning) is a bright, newly arrived (in Oregon from Michigan), personable young girl beset by an irksome, motorcycle-riding (?) local boy, Wybie (Robert Bailey, Jr., believable) with a familiar lament – no one listens to her. Not even the wacky neighbors in their shared Victorian house. That would be upstairs, a Russian circus performer, Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane, a bit overdone), and downstairs, a British burlesque duo, Misses Spink and Forcible (respectively Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, stereotypical), one being abundantly large breasted, a fact emphatically emphasized in a particular sequence (for divorced dads taking the kids to the Saturday matinee?). And there’s a cat, too (Keith David, fun). Bur Coraline’s major grip is with her two distracted writer parents, Father (John Hodgman, workmanlike) and Mother (Teri Hatcher, very good), who are focused on the gardening book they’re co-authoring. So far, so conventional, if eccentric.
One day, Wybie gifts Coraline with a doll of his grandmother’s (yeah, she owns the house) that looks just like her. Thereafter, she finds a small door in a wall behind which lies a throbbing tube (multiple metaphors/symbols from here on out!) through which she crawls to emerge into a parallel world where all is perfect and wondrous, especially her mother. There is only one worrisome feature – everyone has buttons for eyes.
No pun intended, but you can see the trouble coming, can’t you? And it’s a jumble – entrapment, kidnapping, captivity, spirit children, talking animals, heroics, chases, near misses, magic, rescues, even snow globes. There are tense moments but the suspense is not convincing, compelling, or sustained. And humor? The big joke (and feeble it is) centers on the title character’s name.
On the other hand, the animation (using sculptured figures rather than drawn) is first rate and kudos to director of photography Pete Kozachik. The 3-D effects are dandy and more impressive by virtue of their intermittent use. Though the script by Henry Selick (based on the book by Neil Gaiman) is of the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink variety, his editing keeps the movie from coming to a standstill, while his direction can be complimented for its valiant, but only partially successful, effort to make a cohesive, entertaining whole out of a hodgepodge of parts. By the way, parents be forewarned, young children may find a scene or two, or an idea or two, disturbing or on the verge of nightmare. Come on, filmmakers, this is being marketed to children.
Coraline – Sweet kid, nice looking, with a confused story. Review by Charles Zio
| TAKEN Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language. Foreign Film - France Action/Crime/Drama/Thriller 93 minutes
4½ stars |
The fun of a fine action movie is watching the obvious hero (rarely heroine) overcome the obstacles presented by the single-minded villain (rarely villainess) and horde of henchmen (sometimes a stray woman) without giving any thought to philosophical questions, moral quandaries, or educational lessons, which while usually present are secondary to the sheer enjoyment of watching the triumph of good over evil. In less successful films of this genre there are overly long stretches of exposition, noticeable gaps in logic or sequence, and extended scenes of mayhem and violence. These mistakes are not present in Taken, a film that grabs the viewer and carries him through to a satisfying conclusion. There are some clichéd elements to criticize, but all in all it’s a terrific ride.
Though there are other actors in Taken, it is first and foremost Liam Neeson’s movie. In a convincing performance he is believable (warm and relaxed for a change) as Bryan, a father attempting to make amends for having placed his child second (not being present) to his job as a CIA operative. That child, 17-year-old Kim (Maggie Grace, sweet and credible), with her mother’s consent, pleads to go to France with her friend. Bryan is hesitant being aware of the dangers in the world (as demonstrated by an incident with a female rock star he’s been hired to protect along with some former cronies) and the need to be tough (as he capably evidences by deflecting an attack on the singer). When he relents, Kim flies off to Paris where, within hours, she and her friend are kidnapped. Bryan warns the chief abducter that he has a particular set of skills and that unless his daughter is released, “I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kill you.”
It is no bluff. The remainder of the film is Bryan’s making good on his promise. His opponents are of three sorts: the currently popular bad guys – former Eastern European communists, in this case Albanians; corrupt government officials, here French; and finally, the epitome of moral and political decay, a lecherous, overweight sheik. No matter the numbers, the security measures, the skills of his opponents, Bryan matches and exceeds them. And, as a maddened father, he is an unforgiving hunter without any pity or forgiveness.
Taken is an economical movie in that there is no waste or excess. The script, by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, makes every scene count in that it contributes to and/or advances the story, even if the plot isn’t original or clever. The actors are uniformly able and persuasive, though basically anonymous as it’s Neeson’s show (okay, a nod to Famke Janssen, too little used as Lenore, his former wife). Director Pierre Morel does a commendable job in efficiently setting up the premise and, once the action begins, smoothly and rapidly moving the action along (nicely captured by cinematographer Michel Abramowicz and editor Frederic Thoraval). That there isn’t much chance to catch one’s breath or question Bryan’s unfailing acumen is not a deficiency. Action movies are, let’s face it, make believe. When has the hero is such a movie ever failed to escape, no matter how trapped? Taken isn’t a thoughtful movie. Just one to sit, watch, and enjoy.
Taken - A popcorn movie deluxe. Review by Charles Zio
| NEW IN TOWN Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. Comedy/Romance 96 minutes
2 stars |
Despite the title, there’s nothing new about New in Town. The romantic comedy, and I use the word “comedy” loosely, is a retread of every tired rom-com you’ve ever seen. Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. play the leads, but their connection is not believable. While he manages to hold the audience’s attention with good looks and some aw shucks good will, Ms. Zellweger looks pained throughout the movie. She’s supposed to be upset in some scenes, but her joylessness is the most convincing thing about her performance.
She plays Lucy Hill, a fast track corporate Barbie doll from Miami. (If she’s so smart, why doesn’t she take warm clothes to Minnesota in November?) She’s supposed to be getting a small town factory ready to follow a restructuring plan, meaning lay-offs of half the sweet innocents. Speaking of that, I wonder how Minnesotans are going to feel about the clichéd characters portrayed here? They seem like Marge from Fargo with a much lower IQs? This is not a flattering portrait, although the idea is that they are genuinely nice people who are simply quaint, while Lucy wears designer high heels but has nowhere to go and no friends.
Enter Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick, Jr.) who is the union rep. Of course, they get off to a bad start, arguing. Yet, they are attracted to each other. (No one could see that coming.) Ted is a widower with a young teenager. As the formula goes, there is a moment when Ted reveals a tragedy in his past. But the audience, while attentive, did not shed a tear. It isn’t earned! These are superficial characters, cardboard and bland, so there’s not much investment of emotion.
The snowy landscape does come across as realistically isolated. The acting by several of the supporting players is over-the-top. Accents alone do not a character make. It gets tired.
The reason for this is a screenplay that alternates between satirizing these folks and admiring their spunk. Which is it? And it’s not all that funny as comedies go. There are a few chuckles and sight gags, but not enough to sustain a movie. The audience was quiet as we filed out of the theater. Not a good sign. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| THE WRESTLER Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, lanugage and some drug use. 105 minutes
4 stars |
It’s a sad and familiar story – the one-time star fallen on hard times given a last chance at personal redemption – but with a standout performance by the right actor (especially one in a similar circumstance) such a movie is often more touching that it deserves to be. Thus, The Wrestler.
Speaking of down on his luck, the protagonist here is Mickey Rourke who, in his off screen life, has been on a downward trajectory long enough for just about everyone to have lost count. And, with some assistance from expert makeup, he definitely looks ravaged (though buff). As well he should as he’s playing Randy "The Ram” Robinson (all an alias) a former wrestling champion twenty years past his prime. He’s now been reduced to small venues in towns where he gets a meager cut of the gate (even if top of the bill) forcing him to work in a supermarket reporting to a snide, demeaning manager.
The backstage wrestling scenes will confirm everyone’s surmise that the matches are choreographed make believe. Still, it takes a great deal of athleticism and skill, and even planned mayhem carries risks of unavoidable or accidental harm. Call it primal theater but the audiences are rabidly dedicated participants ever faithful to the personas created by the wrestlers. Randy was, and remains, a recognized champion since defeating The Ayotallah (boo hiss) in Madison Square Garden two decades ago with his signature move – a swan dive off the corner ropes onto the previously stunned and prone body of his opponent.
Now, though, Randy is physically vulnerable (and takes a plethora of drugs), is no longer the handsome hero, and leads a hand-to-mouth existence with cash usually in short supply. Inevitably, the toll of a particular bout (and be warned, the fights are brutal and bloody) sends Randy to the hospital and the realization he is alone. For comfort, solace, and he hopes an ongoing relationship he pursues a seemingly cold stripper from his favorite bar, Cassidy (Marisa Tomei, excellent throughout) to no avail as she has her own demons. He turns to his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood, believable and touching) who is torn between anger and yearning to have her father back.
It’s a split decision, while Randy messes up with Stephanie, a chance with Cassidy, recognizing her need (finally) to move on, becomes possible. But, the old wrestler, having seen the gloomy future awaiting in the wrestling brotherhood and having been offered a repeat match (in a large and crowded venue) against his old nemesis, even given the health dangers, is powerless to resist the adoring/cheering fans validating his heroic status. It’s quite a moment. And Rourke, superior in every frame, nails it in a career performance.
Although the script (by Robert D. Siegel) is scarcely original, director Darren Aronofsky does a good job of capturing the lonely and bleak existence of a former star trying to maintain his dignity and self belief well past his prime (in every sense). Ably abetting the efforts are the dark/claustrophobic photography of Maryse Alberti and the bleak settings (New Jersey and otherwise) of production designer Tim Grimes. Even the heavy metal music feeds into the malaise as its exuberance contrasts, and is unable to negate, the sadness of Randy’s life. But hey, the undeniable gem and only real reason to see this movie is Mickey Rourke. Who would have thought it? He’s back.
The Wrestler – A solid win, start to finish, for Mr. Rourke. Review by Charles Zio
| 4TH AND LONG Independent Film Content Advisory for Parents Comedy/Sports 87 minutes |
It is undeniable that football has become the secular religion of American culture. Every weekend, teeming masses of sports fans tailgate with friends, root for their team and occasionally act like idiots in the process. Tim Vandenberg’s 4th and Long is a mockumentary that follows three men who are entirely and insanely passionate about their local high school football team. The story follows their tales of devotion to their team and their quest to resurrect the program after it is cut by the local school board.
Larry is an overweight football fanatic for the New Hanover Wildcats who works in the school’s library. He never got the opportunity to play football because his parents would not allow it so he now lives out his fantasy through the experiences of the team. Larry is simple-minded yet attempts to be thoughtful, though his circular logic lands him in moments of sheer bewilderment to the dismay of those around him.
Charles, or “The Chuck” as he is known, is a somewhat senile old man who has been following New Hanover football since his younger days when he claims to have hung out with the great Sonny Jorgensen. It seems his only reason for living is the Wildcat’s football team. Chuck often gets caught up in moments of deep reflection lamenting an accident that claimed his wife, and the way his life has ended up in such disarray.
Nathan or “Coach D” represents the young, energetic and unfiltered version of an American football hooligan. He was an assistant coach on the team until he had a drunken run-in with the cops. His manner of dealing with the young players was too much over-the-top insults and red-faced yelling. Not surprisingly, Coach D’s misguided passion does him in when he is fired from the team, but it cannot stop him for rooting for his beloved Wildcats.
The film takes an in-depth look at the three men’s lives and how they live for the football team; how that in turn keeps them from living a functional life. Football is their only escape from the mistakes they’ve made and their shortcomings. The film, of course, is humorous and it delivers some fantastic laughs as you follow the escapades of the characters, but at some points you find yourself shaking your head at their constricted lives. In the end, though, the message is that football serves as a focus and outlet for these lonely/sad/misguided people. The characters are likable and I found myself rooting for them to be happy in their own simple ways.
Of course, the main thurst of the film is humor and there is no shortage of that. The small town football feel is captured brilliantly by director Vandenberg using the city of Wilmington, North Carolina as a backdrop. The actors are well cast and down to earth, and seem real enough to exist in any similar township in our country. There are some scenes that drag on too long but overall the film is a great watch for the sports fan or even for those who wonder what the fuss about football is all about. Review by Cleet of ampsportsduo.blogspot.com
| INKHEART Rated PG for fantasy adventure action, some scary moments and brief language. Action/Fantasy/Family 106 minutes
3 stars |
I can understand why the fantasy books of German author Cornelia Funke would be so inspiring to children. The unfortunate part is that the same can’t be said of the movie Inkheart, made from one of those books. Visually, the movie is a feast, at least at the beginning. As more and more is crammed into the plot, it picks up speed and is too much to take in at once becoming a jumble of swiftly moving images.
The idea is clever. Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser doing his usual workmanlike job) is a young father. He’s also what’s known as a “silvertongue” which means that when he reads aloud, characters or creatures, or both, come to life out of the book. You can imagine the complications this can cause. It also has the unfortunate side effect of having someone from the present exchanged for whoever or whatever is coming out of the book. One night as he’s reading to his little girl, Meggie (Eliza Bennett), his wife Resa (Sienna Guillory) disappears into the book he’s reading called Inkheart.
Flash forward nine years and Meggie is twelve. Mo is a book collector and has been looking for the book all this time so he can get his wife back. Dustfinger (Paul Bettany in a noteworthy performance), a fire-breathing street performer, and another character Mo inadvertently released when reading Inkheart, has been looking for him so he can get back to his family. Meanwhile, Mo and Meggie visit an eccentric aunt named Elinor Loredan (Helen Mirren bless her, can only improve things so much no matter her talent) who is a crusty ole gal who helps out here and there.
Along the way as the group is escaping and being recaptured over and over, they find the author of Inkheart, Fenoglio (Jim Broadbent, amusing), hoping he’ll help to save everyone from the villain Capricorn (Andy Serkis, over-the-top-evil) who doesn’t want to go back into the book. I can’t say I blame him.
Except for the medieval backdrop, there is no explanation what Inkheart is all about except it has fantastical creatures, lots of running around, and fighting. What seems to get lost is that once characters are out of the confines of a book they run amok and do what they want, staying true to character, except more exaggerated and out of control. The same could be said for this screenplay. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| DEFIANCE Rated R for violence and language. 137 minutes
3½ stars |
The story of the Bielski brothers is important and unusual because it is not just about a single act of bravery, but years of heroism (starting in 1941) as partisans who protected other Jews in the forests of Belarus during World War II. The story begins as the brothers return to their parents’ farm only to find them, and several more brothers, murdered by the Germans (suspecting they were turned in by a locally appointed policeman/collaborator). With the help of a neighbor, the three brothers (one is a child), escape into the forest, where Tuvia (the oldest brother) finds them. They determine they will take their chances trying to survive in the woods rather than face almost certain death as the Nazis continue to raid the cities and surrounding areas, rounding up Jews and summarily executing them.
At first the brothers try to save what’s left of their own family, but soon they come across others who have also escaped into the forest. Tuvia (Daniel Craig giving a fine performance) is the charismatic one who becomes the leader despite a power struggle with his physically stronger younger brother Zus (Liev Schreiber, equally compelling in his role). The third brother, Asael (Jamie Bell, believable showing growing maturity in dire circumstances), is caught between the two, but ultimately aligns with Tuvia.
One of the strengths of the film is that Tuvia is not all-knowing and invincible, in fact, he is quite human; stubborn, discouraged, and even indecisive at times even though he is responsible for hundreds of lives. Yet he keeps the trust of the group as he manages to keep control (even through illness) and stand by his values of not turning anyone away. Everyone is considered equal, but must work for the greater good.
The horror of war is not spared to the partisans as they must keep on the move to avoid discovery, face constant hunger and death, and freezing temperatures. But they manage to build a community that actually runs fairly well with bunkers, a teacher, chess playing, “forest” wives, and artisans keeping supplies up. The accents are well handled by the actors, but the dialogue sounds wooden at times, too sentimental, and more than occasionally stereotypical.
The technical work, especially the cinematography by Eduardo Serra, film editing by Steven Rosenblum, production design by Dan Weil, are well done across the board giving the look and feel of “being there.”
Defiance tells a different kind of Holocaust story, and being true, one to admire. Over all, the good points of the movie outweigh the flaws. Review by Ann Marie Oliva
| NOTORIOUS Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexuality, including dialogue, and nudity, and for drug content. Drama/Music/Biopic 122 minutes
3½ stars |
Notorious is for those who are familiar with Biggie Smalls (and Tupac and Lil’ Kim, etc.) and hip hop music and its battle of the coasts (East vs. West) and the violence that has marked its history. For any who would like some insight and background on this now established music genre, give a look and listen. For those with no interest or easily offended by graphic language or seeking definitive answers, walk on by.
Christopher Wallace, the eventual Biggie Smalls, is briefly seen as a heavy, scorned child missing the presence of his father. The stars of his rough Brooklyn neighborhood (i.e., most financially successful) are the drug dealers and with the instruction of a friend, Wallace joins in. By the end of his education (kicked out of high school), Biggie (Jamal Woolard, a better rapper than actor) has a stash of cocaine, roll of bills, and a daughter on the way from his girlfriend, Jan (Julia Pace Mitchell, convincing). His mother Voletta (Angela Bassett, excellent, of course) is loving but firm about education and manhood and kicks her son out. Biggie concentrates on becoming a distributor and, over reaching, gets arrested. Sent away to jail, he combats the boredom by writing rhyming lyrics, for which he has a knack, in a notebook. Released, he returns to his home and his buddies and idly starts to rap. The result gets into the hands of Sean Combs (Derek Luke, tough/smart) who tells Biggie he can make him a star if he gives up the street (Puffy knowing from his family’s past experience that the street ultimately destroys you). Biggie agrees.
What follows is the bumpy rise of Biggie Smalls. Creatively, he’s a skilled and talented rapper. Carnally, aside from anonymous available women, two others figure prominently in his bed and life– Lil’ Kim (Naturi Naughton, fierce/compelling) who he helps to fame and Faith (Antonique Smith, effective/believable) whom he marries and fathers a son (Christopher Jordan who actually plays the young Biggie at the start of the movie.) Professionally, Combs is forced out of his former music company position and goes on to found his own empire which includes Smalls. Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie, warm and appealing) is a former buddy of Smalls who falls into a feud with him all of which is part of the larger falling out between East and West Coast rappers. Eventually, Tupac is killed in Vegas and eventually Biggie falls victim on a trip to Los Angeles where he is promoting his second album. The movie presents this trip as Biggie’s big grown up moment wherein he states he feels, and as is demonstrated via various conversations, his sense that, for real and the first time, he truly feels like a man. Thus, his gunning down at a stoplight is tragic in every way (also, he’s only 24).
The screenplay by Reggie Rock Blythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker, though failing to go into revealing depth on the characters and the milieu, does offer an overview/insight/and intriguing sense of the rap world, even with voice over narration. Director George Tillman Jr. skillfully integrates the plot points and the songs that evolve from them and draws fine performances from all his actors, even Jamal as Biggie who, although a wooden actor (but good rapper), nonetheless elicits the viewer’s interest and support (though no tears at the end). If profanity offends, forget it. But overall, this is a respectable and well made look inside and into some of the history of hip hop for both fans and the curious.
Notorious – If your tastes are so inclined, an okay music genre film. Review by Charles Zio
| HOTEL FOR DOGS Rated PG for mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor. Comedy/Kids/Family 100 minutes
3½ stars |
If you’re a dog person, you’ll probably like Hotel for Dogs. The kids in the family will, too, so it’s going to be good for renting as this is the kind of movie some kids will want to see over and over. It has a good mix, and plenty, of cute/ugly/funny-looking dogs in the story, and who can resist that?
Two kids, 16 year old Andi and 11 year old Bruce (Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin, believable as brother and sister), have lost their parents and are in foster care. The couple they are placed with, Lois and Carl Scudder are played with over-the-top expansiveness by Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon as untalented musicians trying to get a break. The kids are unhappy and feel unloved, but compensate by taking in a cute stray dog named Friday as a pet who they sneak in and out of their room.
It gets more and more difficult to care for and feed Friday, but they find an abandoned hotel with two other dogs living there where they can leave Friday until they figure something out. In the meantime, their caseworker Bernie (Don Cheadle, always winning) worries about them, knowing they are good kids.
Bruce is something of a mechanical whiz kid and devises all kinds of funny contraptions for the dogs, whose number keeps growing and growing. For instance, he has them feed at a table by an assembly line. He also has car seats set up complete with fan and projected scenery so they can feel like they’ve got their heads out a car window. These clever devices are fun to see, though it’s not at all likely that a hotel would be abandoned, even on the poor side of town, with all kinds of furniture and junk still inside. Yet, this is not a movie to dwell on logic.
Along the way, Andi and Bruce make some friends who help them with the dog hotel, and there is even a budding romance or two. Unfortunately, the animal control people are made out to be the bad guys here. They have the unenviable job of picking up strays and putting them down if no one rescues them.
Have no fear, though, none of these dogs will face that fate so it’s okay to take kids. All will turn out well. The message is clear, though, please save man’s best friend. They bring us plenty of smiles. Review by Ann Marie Oliva