Ron's Popcorn Reviews.com

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Rating System

1/2-2 STARS= SKIP IT

2 1/2-3 STARS= RENT IT

3 1/2-5 STARS= SEE IT

Note: I realize that many of the reviews on the lower part of the page are basically terrible. Many readers say that this page symbolizes my growth as a writer so please don't be turned off from the site if all you read is the bottom of this page. If you see a specific review that you would like me to re write, e-mail me with the review and I'll consider writing it over and you will be e-mailed when the new review is up on the site.

Best,

Ron

THE READER

3 1/2 STARS

RENT IT

The Reader has been out for quite some time now. I had heard great things about it, mostly revolving around Kate Winslet's wonderful performance. It has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Leading Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and a few other things like makeup. After waiting to see it for a couple of months, after the nominations were announced I decided that I have to make an extra effort to see it by the end of the weekend. I finally saw it, and now I have my own opinion on the film that is garnering so much buzz. Kate Winslet carries this film from start to finish, and even when she isn't on the screen, you can't help but feel her haunting presence. That's about the only extrordinary thing about The Reader. The rest is good, not Best Picture-worthy, but good. The film will spark controversy of Winselt's character, who defnitely deserved her nomination, on whether she deserves our sympathies. Her simplistic views on her life and her actions will anger many, while some will pity her, and some may even understand her. This is a film such as the much superior Doubt, that challenges a viewer's ideas.

The film starts off in 1995, with Michael Berg, played by Ralph Fiennes in old age, having flashbacks to 1950 Germany. The flashbacks show him as a 15-year old boy, played by David Cross, who is helped by Winslet's Hanna Schmitz. He is diagnosed with scarlett fever and must remian in bed for three months. When he is well again, he goes to visit Hanna and give her flowers to say thank you for the day that she helped him. He looks at her while she is changing, and out of embarresment, runs away. He then comes back again. Hanna seduces Michael, and they start an affair. We know that Michael is going to have his heart broken. Hanna tells him that she wants him to read to her, so everyday he comes to her tiny apartment and reads parts from a new book. The first forty or so minutes is mostly them locked in sex and him reading to her. One day she simply leaves, and Michael is left in pieces.

Years later, Michael is a law student who goes with his class to observe the Nazi crime hearings, and Hanna is one of the defendants. This is where the film lost me. The scene where Michael sees Hanna for the first time in years, as a defendant for Nazi crime, lacks that chilling intensity that it needs. It didn't pull the right emotional strings. The rest of the film is mostly like that. The last half hour is so overwhelmingly sentimental. We don't feel anything for the cold and isolated Michael, yet Hanna creates sympathy. When asked why she joined the SS, she simply says, "they were looking for guards". The remaining hour is Michael coming to terms with himself after undisclosing information that would've helped Hanna in the trial. The big secret doesn't feel like it's enough. The film builds and builds, and what we get is something quite minor.

Winslet though is able to escalate this secret into an emotional tradgedy, which is what keeps our hearts in the story. Winslet has that ability to break hearts and give hope through her chaarcters, like the eccentric Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Their, she promoted a fun-loving girl. Here, she shows the despair of a guilty woman. The supporting performance from David Cross is very impressive, but I didn't really like Raplh Fiennes as the older Michael. This actress has shown that she can do anything. This year she has given to Oscar-worthy performances, the other in the much better Revolutionary Road. Even though that movie is better, Kate Winslet will be remembered for The Reader.

Make your own emotional verdict on the character of Hanna Schmitz, but for that you can wait to rent it.

WALTZ WITH BASHIR

4 1/2 STARS

SEE IT

Waltz With Bashir is a stunning and brutal artistic image of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Ari Folman makes this event into an animated documentary with real people like himself and reporter Ron Ben-Yishai. This movie has the feel of a stylized graphic novel adaptation and a war drama. With one beautifully animated scene after another, Waltz With Bashir soars into pop culture with its hip nightmare and rock music that is likely to attract both film students and comic fan boys. Its quirky realism and artsy violence make it a cross between an indie film and a comic book movie. Whatever the case is, this is a terrific film with beautiful animation. The year is 2006 and Folman is contacted by a war buddy. He tells him of a dream he had of 26 dogs that he shot in the Lebanese war. Folman doesn't remember much so goes an interviews soldiers who he fought with about their experiences. Then everything is told through flashback from several points of view. The title is a metaphor for a beautifully executed scene where a soldier is running around in the street with posters of Bashir Gemayel posters everywhere. Like most great 2008 movies, this is playing in limited release in small indie theaters but please make sure you see this because the trip to Manhattan is much more worth it than a 5 minute ride to the local cinema to see Yes Man. 
 
Its mesmerizing how this movie was made. Ari Folman is a real war veteran who was suffering from post-traumatic stress. He really got a video camera and went to his friends and the reporter and taped what they said. Then he had the footage illustrated. This movie is a monument to the possibilities of film. At first, its a hard thing to wrap your head around. At least for me it was because the seating was uncomfortable and I missed a few plot points. Eventually when I put the pieces together and realized what the whole thing was about I was shocked that I yawned a few times in the theater. Luckily, it was all memorable enough that when I found the missing piece it all started to make sense. But enough about theater seating. 
 
There is something in this film that is overwhelmingly artsy. And that's not a bad thing. I don't mean it is artsy because it is animated. The nudity and the violence mixed with the realism comes together and the entire thing is so New York City student-ish that I don't even know a word for it or how to describe it. I don't know anything about memory or how the mind works but everything felt medically accurate. One of the best scenes is when Folman is in an airport and sees duty free shops and cafes but then we see that it is actually a dump with bodies and broken down planes. It felt accurate to a hallucination and a mind that is traumatized from war.  
 
The footage of Folman interviewing the veterans is real, but what they saw is all imagined by the artists and it is thrilling to see brought to life on the screen. I don't know how many times I would actually write this in a movie review, but the term seems appropriate here: It all looks like its was imagined by a guy who is high and is listening to Bob Marely music while Saving Private Ryan is playing on the TV. Sorry if that sounds politically incorrect but that's what it looked like and the result is marvelous.  
 
  This is far from a perfect film and I think the big flaw for me is that at times it is very confusing and I really didn't like the archive clip at the end. But that is such a minor stint in a movie that has so much to offer. Waltz With Bashir is a marvel of a film. 

DEFIANCE

4 1/2 STARS

SEE IT

With a year consumed of WWII dramas, Defiance has something to offer. It isn't a commonly known story of the Belorussian forest attacks but it is one of the most remarkable events during WWII. It is the story of Jews that hid in the forest in Belarus led by the Bielski brothers. They prepared to fight back against the SS and Gustapo. They were indeed partisans and this is a film that is equally important and powerful. Daniel Craig puts on a perfect russian accent and plays Tuvia Bielski. He is the leader of the group and is constantly at odds  with his brother Zus, played exceptionally well by Liev Schreiber. Tuvia believes in diplomacy and says that even though they are hunted like animals, they will not become animals. Zuz is different. He believes in "blood for blood" and leaves the group to fight with the Red Army. Winter is coming and the group has no shelter and are running low on food. Most of them become infected with typhus and die off. Despite its flaws, Defiance tells the remarkable true story with terrific performances and wonderful cinematography.

Where the film falls short is when it gets wrapped around in romance. It becomes indulged with romantic scenarios that tone down the shocking reality of the story. I don't know how true it is, but the movie lost some of its credibility when the Bielskis started sneaking into concentration camps and sneaking Jews out. Maybe its true, but the way director Edward Zwick handled it didn't seem realistic. This is a hard movie to review because even though it is a powerful film, I can't imagine anyone wanting to see it again. There is something about the harsh reality of it all that would push people away. I don't mean it in the same sense as I would say for Schindler's List. That was hard to watch because it was true and horrible but still very well-made and important. But Defiance is unwatchable a second time because of its length and the setting and how unbearable it is. I'm not sure how to explain it but there is a huge weight to this film.

The performances are very good from Craig and Schreiber but I didn't like Jaimie Bell for the as the third brother. He seemed to childish for the role and it always distracted me whenever he was onscreen. The Russian accents were perfect and when they spoke Russian it was actually Russian. So many movies come out like The Bourne Supremacy where the language is completely inaudible. But here I didn't even have to read the subtitles because it was so clear and understandable. The forest setting as a brutal reality to it and it is shot very well by Zwick.

Defiance is not a perfect film but a very worthy and powerful one with terrific performances and great direction 

VALKYRIE

4 STARS

 SEE IT

The WWII drama Valkyrie, about a 1944 plot to kill Adolf Hitler, has been plagued with controversy ever since Tom Cruise was cast as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. First people were upset over Cruise's religious beliefs and then it was because of his lack of a German accent. Whatever the matter was the movie is now in theaters and I'm glad to report that it is an entertaining and dynamic history lesson. The film begins with Stauffenberg in Africa. His base is attacked and he looses his left eye, his right hand, and the fourth and fifth fingers on his left hand. He returns home and is recruited to be part of an assassination attempt against Hitler. Everyone knows the outcome of this story but director Bryan Singer and writer Christopher MCQuarrie manage to create suspense and make audiences hope though knowing the inevitable. Many have panned Cruise's performance but its a perfectly acceptable and effecting performance even if it isn't Oscar-worthy or as Roger Ebert said, "electrifying".

The top-notch cast includes Tom Wilkinson, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Terence Stamp, Kevin McNally, and an almost unrecognizable Eddie Izzard. The fine performances makes this an enjoyable, if not riveting, movie. This is an exceptionally well-made film and Brian Synger pays very much attention to detail and setting. I'm quite happy that Cruise didn't attempt a German accent because then it most likely would've sounded ridiculous because he did seem a little too uptight for the role. He was always very official and never showed any real emotion and to add an accent would've just been unbearable to see, but still, it was a decent performance. The best supporting portrayals come from Wilkinson and Nighy. We never got to see much of Branagh or Izzard but they made the most out of their small roles. David Bamber nailed Hitler's posture and appearance. So again, from the acting to the direction, this is a well-made film. 

Though Valkyrie never taps its full potential, it is a satisfactory thriller so see it and have a good time.   

THE WRESTLER

5 STARS

SEE IT

I don't think there are any more adjectives left to describe Mickey Rourke's performance in The Wrestler that you haven't already seen in the ad campaigns. "Tour de force", "performance of a lifetime". Honestly, I don't think anyone can describe what Rourke does here. He creates a beaten down man and executes his personality with an aching drama and a dark humor. Its not even that the character of Randy "The Ram" Robinson is so interesting, but he creates someone who you sympathize with and ache for his triumph. So yes, "a tour de force" is a simple way to put it. I'm not going to lecture you on how good this performance really is because first of all, its impossible to describe. You have to witness it for yourself to understand. And secondly, I'm sure you've heard from numerous critics that this a godly performance, so I don't need to get into it. The premise could not be more melodramatic but Darren Aronofsky along with Rourke create a film that has a heavy soul bearing down on it. It doesn't feel like a melodrama. It feels like a movie that will go down in history along with Rourke. 

He plays "The Ram" Robinson. He is a washed out pro-wrestler who does small gigs and lives in a trailer park. He is friends with Cassidy/Pam, a stripper played by Marissa Tomei. After a massive heart attack, the doctors tell him he can never wrestle again. Pam advises him to go visit his estranged daughter played by Evan Rachel Wood. This leads to one of the most powerful scenes in the film which I won't disclose. Aronofsky takes us backstage of these fake wrestling organizations like WWE. We see them discuss what they're going to do to each other before they go out into the ring. On screen we know its fake but they do jump and fall and pierce themselves to draw blood. So how fake is it?  

What's scary is that the direction and Rourke's performance has a brutal reality. The wrestling scenes are gory and the reason why it doesn't affect people on TV is because its all for show. But when you get to know these people and see that they plan this all, its painful to see how they put themselves through it. There is a really shocking scene where they are wrestling with staple guns and people in the audience are cheering because they think it is all for show. I think that's why this story had to revolve around a wrestler. Because this character hates himself and beats himself up and willingly tortures himself inside the ring. He puts himself through this agony to seek redemption for his mistakes in life.

 This is an average story that is made special and outstanding by Mickey Rourke's phenomenal performance and Aronofsky's direction of real fake wrestling. The Wrestler is a powerful film that is very worthy of its praise.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

4 STARS

SEE IT

Brad Pitt has given some great performances playing odd and quirky characters, like the very memorable Chad in Burn After Reading, but his best and most powerful performance yet is as a man aging backwards in David Fincher's beautifully made The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The writer here is Eric Roth, who also wrote Forrest Gump and he writes this one in the same fashion with an element of fantasy and the similarities between the two movies is sometimes irritating. So our hero is Benjamin. He gets younger physically but grows older mentally. His father leaves him on the doorstep of an "old-folks" home in New Orleans and he is found by Queenie, played very well by Taraji P. Henderson. The tragedy here is that Benjamin can't be with Daisy, played by Cate Blanchette. They meet when they are little and are great friends even though he looks 80-years old and she looks 8-years old. When they are both in their forties they have a relationship and move in together, but we know it cannot last seeing as Daisy will become older and Benjamin will look like a teenager. I'm enormously disappointed by this movie but maybe that's because I had extremely high expectations. This wasn't the fantastic gothic romance I had expected, it was simply a little above average. The film is made marvelously and acted brilliantly but if you've seen Forrest Gump then you've seen this.

There are about four or five major flaws that toned down my liking for the film. The Gump similarities are annoying because there is really no reason for me to watch a movie that I have seen several times. A few mannerisms here and there would've been fine, I actually would've appreciated that, but the movie is taking the same road as Gump so I basically knew what was going to happen in every scene. Benjamin is Forrest, Daisy is Jenny, Queenie is "mama", and Captain Mike, the drunk tug boat captain that Benjamin works for, is Lt. Dan. I read that Charlie Kaufman wrote a draft for this movie and I can't help thinking that his version would've been better. I really despised the narrative because I wanted the movie to be set in Benjamin's time through his eyes, I didn't want to see Julia Ormond reading his diary in a hospital. And why did Hurricane Katrina have to be associated with the film? Pitt is very graceful and innocent in the role and deserves a nomination for best actor but there are a few plot hole in the character. 1) He is born a shriveled up baby so he was a baby once. Then he developed into an old guy and then got younger. 2) As he is getting physically younger his mentality is supposed to get older, but we see him with women and motorcycles when he is mentally supposed to be in his sixties.

I still found myself enjoying this movie and even if you don't like it, you  have to appreciate the beauty of it. This is just a gorgeous film shot so well by David Fincher who certainly merits awards consideration. This isn't a prefect movie but it is a good movie so go see Forrest Gump...I mean The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.        

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

4 1/2 STARS

SEE IT

Revolutionary Road reunites the Titanic lovers in a story about how a marriage falls apart in suburbia. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio both give Oscar-caliber performances as Frank and April Wheeler. They meet at a party and instantly fall in love. When April becomes pregnant they decide to movie to the boring suburbs. Their marriage drastically takes a turn for the worst with Frank wasting his life at a job he hates and April slowly slipping into insanity. On Frank's 30th birthday April suggests that they move to Paris since it was the only place Frank ever really loved. They decide to pursue the idea and when that plan fails their relationship can't survive it. Their fighting and the tear jerking end is almost unbearable to watch but this is one of the most powerful films to come out in a long time and the message of this melodrama is...don't move to the suburbs.  

The first hour or so feels like this movie was made in the '60's instead of about the '60's because of the writing and acting, but the rest is authentic and shows real life in that time period. The best and most realistic portrayal of the '60's is the AMC show Mad Men and Revolutionary Road doesn't even compare to the brilliance and nostalgia of that but the performances and emotions make this worth seeing. My favorite performance here comes from Michael Shannon as the clinically insane son of April's friend, played by Kathy Bates. He finds the right amount of sadism and humor for this role and really reminded me of Heath Ledger's Joker, whether it was the voice or the dark humor I don't know. He is in this movie for a very short period of time, maximum 15 minutes, but he makes the most out of it and is probably the best thing in this movie. The ending felt like it was a trapped between a deus ex machina and a poetic conclusion, but either way it was effective and heartbreaking. 

The movie begins very slowly but once it gets going you'll see that it was worth the wait and until it does start moving the performances are what keep you emotionally invested in this story. This isn't a perfect movie and doesn't even deserve a Best Picture nomination but it is very much worth seeing. Revolutionary Road triumphs over the overrated Titanic and will entertain as well as upset.  

DOUBT

5 STARS

SEE IT

What carries Doubt for almost two hours are the phenomenal performances. Some say it is boring, and so did I, but about five hours after I had seen it and couldn't stop thinking about I had to admit that it had a mesmerizing effect on me. If I were to see it a second time it would be impossible for me to call it "boring". And even as I'm writing this and thinking even more about I can't help but only love it more. The setting is St. Nicholas school in The Bronx in 1964. All of the students are terrified of Sister Aloysius, played by Meryl Streep. She likes for everything to be old school and sees an enemy in the new priest, Father Flynn played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He wants the school to adapt to new times and Aloysius can't understand his idea of life. There is one African-American student in the school and the only person who is kind to him his Father Flynn. One day Sister James, played by Amy Adams, notices that the boy is behaving strangely after meeting with Flynn. She assumes what doesn't need to be said and goes to Aloysius, who doesn't miss her opportunity to remove Flynn from the parish. Whether there was any misconduct by the priest or not, the movie leaves it up to us to decide, hence the title Doubt. 
 
Most of the movie is built around long scenes of people just talking. The reason why it isn't dull is because the conversation provokes a thousand and one thoughts and questions to race through your mind and that is thanks to the wonderful screenplay and extraordinary acting. Every single performance here is Oscar-worthy but the best one comes from Meryl Streep. She is emotional and at the same time strict and cold and sometimes darkly funny. The last scene is heartbreaking because it is the one moment where she lets her emotions take over her and only Streep could've brought that much realism and drama to that scene.
 
Everything feels like the 60's. All of the kids and the cars and the clothes feels so authentic and it is all brought to life by the wonderful direction from John Patrick Shanley who also wrote the play on which this movie is based on. Many have already heard of the pivotal and terrific scene between Streep and Viola Davis so there is no need to explain it but Davis is really that good in such a very small role. There are many philosophical and moral questions in here, especially in Viola Davis' logic about what Flynn might or might not be doing to her son, that are again left for the audience to interpret.
 
What I also very much appreciate about the movie is that it didn't do what I feared it would: It didn't paint Flynn as guilty. I went in thinking that the film wouldn't leave any room for speculation and make our verdict for us but thankfully it didn't and now people can discuss it with there own opinions. Personally, I don't believe that Flynn was guilty but that's because I was given that option by a movie that didn't force anything on its audience. 
 
Doubt merits Best Picture consideration as well as Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Art Direction among others. With all of the movies out now, this one should be at the top of your list so see it and wait a few hours before you make your final verdict.

3 1/2 STARS

RENT IT

According to some rumors, Gran Torino will be the last movie Clint Eastwood will star in. Well its a shame to see a screen legend go out in mostly mediocre material, but Gran Torino is more of a tribute to Eastwood's tough guy persona, and in that sense its worth checking out. He also directs and plays Walt Kowalski, a retired automaker and a racist and bitter Korean War veteran. He lives in an old fashioned town which suits his personality because it doesn't get any more old fashioned than Walt Kowalski. He isn't close with his two sons who are both jerks, and practically despises his grandchildren and for good reason. His youngest grandson decides to wear a football jersey to his grandmother's funeral, and his granddaughter text messages during the service and then asks him if she can have his car when he dies. Even though its implausible that any parents would condone this type of disrespect or even that the kids themselves would act like that, it is what it is. He saves an Asian teenager living next door from a gang that tried to make the boy steal Walt's prized 1972 Gran Torino and over time they form a bond. Eastwood gives a decent performance but he could've gone without the bat voice from The Dark Knight.

There isn't any real point to this movie which is where it falls short. We wait for the payoff but nothing progresses or develops except Walt's relationship to the young boy. At times it starts to pick up and a better movie starts to come out but before you know it, it slips back into its own routine. This film will be remembered but only because its the final shot from Dirty Harry. The lines for the boy's sister, played by Ahney Her, try to be witty and fast-talking but they only sound contrived and ridiculous coming out of her mouth and I think my biggest problem with this movie was the screenplay. Eastwood still has the whole tough guy thing but the dialog is silly. "Get off my lawn" in Batman's voice doesn't sound scary, it only sounds stupid. 

I did like this movie and its very good at times but its just not what it should've been. From what I saw in the trailer I'll admit, I wasn't expecting greatness so I can't say I'm disappointed. Maybe I was just hoping for a surprise. With all of the terrific films out now, many of which are expanding into a wide release, don't waste your time going to see Gran Torino, but be sure to rent it because its a cool tribute to Dirty Harry and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. 

SEVEN POUNDS

3 STARS

RENT IT

Will Smith is one of the most likable stars in Hollywood. He can play funny and he can play dramatic. And while he does own July, he's not so lucky with Awards season. In his new movie, Seven Pounds, Smith plays a depressed and suicidal IRS agent named Ben Thomas. He behaves alarmingly strange and puts people through "initiations" to see if they are good or bad. He seeks out people with problems, like the blind Ezra Turner, played by Woody Harrelson. About halfway through, it became obvious what Ben is trying to do. He meets and falls in love with Emily Posa, played by Rosario Dawson. This seems to put a dent in his plans, but at least he knows that she "qualifies" for his plan. If it were not for Will Smith's performance, Seven Pounds would be practically unbearable, but it his performance that carries this entire movie. 

This is most manipulative thing to come out of Hollywood this year. Everything from the screenwriting to the music bullies the audience into finding deeper meaning in this painfully contrived script. The scenes between Smith and Rosario Dawson are terribly written which causes them to be implausible. Their romance doesn't develop, instead it just dives into them talking about marriage and having children. She doesn't know him but she calls him in the middle of the night and wants him to be with her. I understand that their relationship is being sold as a "meant to be" sort of thing but Ben goes to her house in the middle of the night and breaks in to fix a machine. That's creepy, not romantic. And the people he chooses aren't necessarily good people, he only chooses them based on how helpless they are. 
 
The movie becomes extremely frustrating because we get no answers until the end. There aren't even any hints, we are just expected to sympathize with this man and follow him on his journey because he's the protagonist. Oh, well then he must be good! The only "good" person that was explored was Emily, but all of his other, whatever you want to call them, aren't fleshed out. We are expected to like them because they have disabilities, which is another reason why this movie is so manipulative.     
 
Rent Seven Pounds for Will Smith's terrific performance but if you want a movie with good writing and interesting storytelling, you're better off skipping it. 

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

2 1/2 STARS

RENT IT

The remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still is as lifeless as Keanu Reeves acting. The bad acting and terrible special effects make this an unnecessary and dreadful remake of a much superior film. Jennifer Connolly plays Dr. Helen Benson, a scientist who is called for help when a huge sphere is predicted to hit New York City. Why is New York always the danger zone in catastrophic sci-fi movies? Instead of a cataclysmic effect, the sphere just glows in Central Park and Klaatu, played by Keanu Reeves, comes out followed by Gort, a giant robot who shoots lasers from his eyes. Benson helps Klaatu escape from federal custody and tries to convince him not to end the human race. And of course there is always a little boy who wins the affections of the heartless alien, and here he is played by Jaden Smith. Look at it this way, Keanu Reeves finally found a role that requires his usual lifeless and unemotional acting.

The selling point for me was to see one my favorite sci-fi movie remade and to see Jon Hamm on the big screen, who is excellent on the AMC show Mad Men. But nothing could save this movie. Connolly was practically sleepwalking through the entire thing and...well Reeves is inanimate as always, but here it was required. The ones who will actually like this film is those who haven't seen the original, or those who will be won over by Jaden Smith's sappy and whiny performance.

The visuals were terrible. It looked like a cartoon, and something tells me that this had a bigger budget than Slumdog Millionaire. I was really looking forward to seeing the remade Gort, but I honestly think the 1951 version looked more convincing. I don't even know why I'm saying rent it, but maybe its just because of my great respect for the original.

If you're going to see this, be sure to watch the original first because after seeing the 2008 remake, you're likely to be discouraged from seeing the true classic that inspired this garbage.

If this movie starred a plant and a rock, I think it would have more emotion to offer than what I saw in the 2008 The Day the Earth Stood Still. 

YES MAN

2 STARS

SKIP IT

So boss, here's the pitch: We have Jim Carrey. He's a bitter and lonely IRS agent, no scratch that...a loan officer. After attending a seminar, he has to say yes to everything! Whatdaya think boss?

Yes!

I think that's the only way to say yes to a project like Yes Man, by forcing yourself. Jim Carrey plays Carl Allen and he is the perfect character in a movie that requires someone to be completely transformed and be open-minded. He says no to absolutely everything, or there wouldn't be a movie, which may not have been such a bad thing. This is one of those movies where a homeless guy suddenly asks you for a ride after you've vowed to say yes, and maybe then a beautiful girl will show up and like you because of how "open-minded" you are.

Liar Liar wasn't a great movie, but compared to this it was a work of art. Jim Carrey gives this movie everything he's got. I even read a little about it and turns out Carrey actually learned basic Korean for the film and broke three ribs by doing a stunt himself. He poured himself into a worthless project, but that's why I think he's a wonderful comic actor. No matter what movie, he gives it a hundred and tow percent, but there's only so much even an actor like Carrey can do when working with material like this. but I'll admit, his performance is what makes this tolerable at times. 

Everyone was laughing and having a great time, but I was just staring at the screen with a dull and empty gaze. In all honesty, I was actually depressed for about 20 minutes after I saw this. Do yourself a favor and say no to Yes Man.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

5 STARS

SEE IT

Every once in a while, a movie sneaks into critical acclaim and cheer. It is impossible to describe what is so special about Slumdog Millionaire. I can say it has brilliant direction, wonderful acting, beautiful cinematography, a terrific score, but that wouldn't be it, at least not all of it. The whole power of this movie is its soul, and the raw reality it bears down on. For the first time in my life, I have seen the real India, not the ridiculous image that something like The Love Guru paints, but the real India. This is a film that has the nation on one note, unified by its power and force and has something different to offer. In 2008, a year of so much change, a movie is part of that movement. We have elected an African-American president, and maybe Slumdog Millionaire can win or at least get a Best Picture nomination. 

Jamal Malik is a 21-year old slumdog. He is on the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Milioanaire? He is one question away from 20 million rupees. The movie starts off with Jamal being violently interrogated by the police after he is suspected of cheating because afterall, what can a slumdog possibly know? He starts explaining how he knows those answers, which takes us into Mumbai as he is a child, and through his life up to this point. His mother was killed in anti-muslim raids, so he and his brother Salim run away and live on their own. They meet Latika. She is a young girl who begins to travel with them. When they are seperated, Jamal won't stop looking for her. He finally found her only to watch her leave again. He goes on the show for the final question, and he might win more than just 20 million rupees.

Despite this beng a traditional love story, the reality and power of this movie makes us quickly forget that this is a movie. I completely lost track of time while I was watching this. I went in and when it was over I felt as though I had been taken out of one world and thrown back into this one. This movie is a phenomenon. It is likely to get many awards and win over audiences. I saw a simple story turned into one of heartbreak and beauty. Even the scene of people standing in the streets watching the final question showed us the real India. It showed the different social classes. One is of college students and city people gathering around a store, the other is of wealth in a mobsters home, and the other is of poverty in a desert with one small television. And the power of that scene was that a whole nation was together, which is what we desperately need now.

We are experiencing a time of change, and cinema is part of it.

MILK

5 STARS

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Sean Penn goes for Oscar-gold playing Harvey Milk, the first openly-gay politician elected to major office, in Gus Van Sant's Milk. The movie details Milk's life from 40 to 48, and to watch 8 years of this man's life unfold on screen is fascinating. He moved from New York to San Francisco with his partner, he organized a gay rights movement and did what no others dared to do, and sadly he couldn't live to see the change he made throughout America. The movie starts off with the news announcing his assassination and Mayor George Moscone's, which takes us to Milk's apartment where we see him recording his memoirs. Milk knew he was going to be killed but didn't let that keep him from fighting. Then the story is told through flashback as he records them. The year is 1970 and Milk is living in New York. He meets Scott Smith, played by James Franco. They fall in love and move to San Francisco where they open up a camera store. When they see the injustices being done to homosexuals, Milk feels obligated to step up and try to promote change. Soon, he becomes known as the Mayor of Castro Street and becomes an activist for gay rights. With moments of humor and moments of heartbreak, Milk is a must-see for Sean Penn's mesmerizing performance and Van Sant's stylish and artsy direction.
 
One of the greatest elements of the movie is the archival footage. It constantly reassures us that this remarkable story is true. The real footage of people walking down Castro St. with candles shows us just how many people this one man effected. I loved the artsy campaign logos that popped up on the screen and all of the scenes in City Hall were terrifically directed. Van Sant is sure to get an Oscar-nomination for Best Director and its well deserved. The performances are outstanding but of course the most memorable one comes from Sean Penn. Not only will he get an Oscar-nomination, but he's probably going to win. He completely transforms into Milk and I forgot it was Sean Penn. The best supporting performance comes from Josh Brolin who is proving with every new movie that he can play anything. He went from crooked cop in American Gangster to George W. Bush in W., even though he wasn't too convincing in W. Emile Hirsch comes in and puts so much energy into the movie and its ironic because I always imagined Emile Hirsch as the next Sean Penn. 
 
Danny Elfman composes a wonderful score and is also likely to get some recognition during awards season. This movie is going to be talked about come February and its an important film to see so go see it.

FROST/NIXON

5 STARS

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Over the course of a filmmaker's career, his name is weaved into cinematic history when he makes a true work of art. For Scorsese it was Raging Bull, for Tarrantino it was Pulp Fiction, and now for Ron Howard that movie is Frost/Nixon. This is a fictionalized version of the interviews with David Frost and Richard Nixon three years after Watergate. The film starts off with a great montage of real news footage during the scandal that is intertwined with Frank Langella's first moment as Nixon as he is resigning the presidency. Throughout the movie, we see clips of the actors being interviewed as the characters they're playing as if this were a documentary. David Frost is a talk-show host in Australia and wants to hit it big. He gets the idea to interview the controversial figure and puts up his own money for the interviews hoping that it will finally bring him success. The two become interlocked in a battle that is told with such precision through the direction and the acting. This is awards season at its finest.

Frank Langella is sure to get an Oscar-nomination for his haunting and sympathetic portrayal of the very unpopular 37th President. Though he has no real physical resemblance to Nixon, he embodies him so thoroughly that I wasn't watching Langella play Richard Nixon, I was watching Richard Nixon. Michael Sheen does the same thing with Frost. We see him try to win over people who we know and he knows are smarter than him. Sheen did a wonderful job in The Queen as Tony Blair, but this is his star-making role. Excellent supporting performances come from Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt, and maybe the best is Kevin Bacon. The Watergate interview was one of the greatest scenes in recent memory. Howard deliberately only shows Langella and Frost because it was a connection between them. He doesn't divert the camera to the other characters so it would seem as though Nixon was only talking to Frost because he believed him to be the one worthy of an explanation or apology. When Nixon confesses and admits remorse, its feels so genuine and real that it's heartbreaking. 

I loved the mix of the documentary-like clips and Langella and Sheen never appeared in them for a specific reason. We see all  of the supporting cast but never them because the whole point was to show that the two men weren't that much different from each other. From the point-of-views of all of their friends and associates, we see that they're really the same. Ron Howard deserves a nomination for Best Director, Frank Langella for Best Leading Actor, Hanz Zimmer for Best Score, Peter Morgan for Best Adapted Screenplay, and hopefully this will be considered for Best Picture.

Frost/Nixon is playing in limited release and spreads wider on Christmas Day, but don't wait that long and make an extra effort to see it. 

SPECIAL

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The only amazing thing about the intentionally cheap indie Special, is how unbeleivably depressed it can make you feel once its over. If this was a drama, then it would be a lot easier to like and appreciate. Since this is aiming to be a quirky comedy, I have no choice but to advise people to skip it. Its rare when a comedy makes an audience practically want to cry. This is probably one of the more difficult movies to write a review on. I can't give this a star rating because its impossible to rate. I can only give it a skip it because I would like film goers to avoid the depressing and uncomfortable, maybe even pitiful, feeling that I had after watching this.

Michael Rapaport plays Les Franken, a depressed meter maid. He goes to a clinic and becomes part of an experimental treatment. Instead of making him more confident, the pills make him believe that he is a superhero. He starts running into walls, only to collapse and get a nose bleed, but he really thinks that he is going through them. If the screenwriters, Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore, think that its funny watching this man suffer and hurt himself, then they have a sick version of funny. His friends try to talk him out of it but he makes the conclusion that villains brainwashed them.

Soon, it becomes hard to be around Les and somehow Special is still trying to be a comedy. Despite the terrific performance from Michael Rapaport, this is a movie that you have to stay away from. He gets brutally beaten and he's on the ground crying, and its a very hard thing to watch. How is this possibly a comedy? I like the indie feel of the movie, but this isn't a quirky satire.

There was one great scene where Les and his friends, played by Josh Peck and Robert Baker, are at the clinic and they're trying to explain to him what's going on and calm him down. The greatness of that scene is that the music was a mix of an action-hero theme and a dramatic them because the audience gets to see both points-of-view. But the entirety of the movie is from Les's point-of-view, which is why its so hard to watch. The audience know that he's crazy and its painful to see him get in to this deeper. 

The character is shown as someone the audience can root for, but he is more of a  psychological case file. Then the movie become grotesquely violent. He stabs who he believes is a villain and it just becomes this mess of aching drama and satire and violence. If you want to avoid a depressing day, skip Special.   

FOUR CHRISTMASES

2 STARS

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What's the worst part of the holidays? Insane shopping, cooking all day, sending out cards, visiting extended family. Add a new one on that list: Four Christmases. Its the unmerriest time to be had at the movies this holiday season. With a cast of five Oscar winners and a couple of comedy kings, this movie is nothing more than overwhelming noise and formulaic romance. The great-grandparents are probably saying, "What's happened to Hollywood these days? Now its all about the money instead of the quality". And somewhere in between there might be a mention of Gone With the Wind and Casablanca. So here it is in a nutshell: Vince Vaughn. Reese Witherspoon. A happily unmarried couple who avoid their families at Christmas. Vaughn plays a cynical and sarcastic guy as usual. Witherspoon is just forcing on a personality. When they accidentally appear on the news, they must go to all four households and experience reopenings of adolescent wounds and old embarresments. Hahahaha, never saw that one before! And maybe one of them used to be really fat and picked on? Woah! I love originality! Oh wait, then that must mean I didn't love Four Christmases.

For god's sake! This movie has Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburghen, Jon Voight, and Sissy Spacek! We all know the movie sucks, but with so many great actors it didn't have to be this bad. Joining the cast is Vince Vaughn, whose snarkiness can't even save this. Everything is over the top, their relationship is contrived, the ending doesn't even try to be convinvcing, and why see this? If you want cheesy holiday themed romance, turn on the Lifetime channel! Don't waste the $12.50 on this! Worst romantic comedies than this try harder. The break-up towards the conclusion and the reconciliation at the end doesn't even try to be convincing. Its just like they were going through the motions. Everyone knows the ending and that the brief break-up is coming, but this really doesn't even try. Sure, why not? There's going to be big bucks anyway. The laughs are basically not funny. Oh my god! The baby threw up on her! That's hilarious! Oh my god! He falls off a roof while trying to install a satellite dish! People have seen this so many times. The only time it attempts to be funny is the highly advertised scene where Vaughn's brothers brutally beat him up. I started to get into it but then it just went way over the top with the brutality and eventually it just became implausible.

The scenes in Mary Steenburghen's house are painfully formulaic. Have we really not witnessed this on screen before? She used to be fat. The slapstick kept coming but it wasn't funny. The most contrived attempt was probably when they had to be in a Christmas play. Even Vaughn looked like he was just giving up and thinking: Just give me my check. There were tolerable moments occasionally, but not enough to recommend this exasperated film. Four Christmases is a loud and unfunny Christmas movie that is unlikely to spread any holiday cheer.   

SEX DRIVE

4 STARS

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According to Sex Drive, a heterosexual teenage male will take a cross-country trip to have sex with an online hottie by the name of Ms. Tasty. Well if her name is Ms. Tasty, she's either a prostitute, a guy, or a cop. Who knows? Maybe she's actually a hottie, but didn't they teach Ian to be careful in a chat room? But I found myself distracted from the implausibilities by the hilarious comedy and the charming performances. A movie like this identifies more with teenagers than a phony story like High School Musical 3 or Twilight. These characters were believable even in the most ridiculous of situations, while most "tween" films feature two-dimensional and uninteresting protagonists. Here the protagonist is an average kid with average friends who has average problems and curiosities.

Here our hero is Ian, played by Josh Zuckerman. He posts a photoshoped picture of himself where he looks like a buff football player. A girl, who may very well be a guy, starts to chat with him. One evening she tells him to meet her Knoxville, Tennessee. He steals his brother's car and takes a road trip with his friends hoping to lose his virginity. Along the way they run into some hilarious predicaments and some lame ones. Sex Drive isn't a perfect comedy and sometimes it goes overboard, especially during the offensive Amish scenes, but I got into the story and had a really good time. I think the movie goes above its formula because of the performances and some very funny moments. James Marsden is great as the homophobic brother and the kids are very good and they actually seem like real teenagers which is very rare in these type of comedies.

Sex Drive isn't a game changer like Knocked Up or Pineapple Express and its not in as good as anything from Apatow, but its a comedy that is almost impossible not to appreciate. The thing I didn't like about this movie is that it was very offensive towards Amish people. A joke here and there is okay but literally half of the movie is one gag after another on their culture. On top of that, there are so many gay jokes. They were all funny but because of how offensive it really is, this comedy will only appeal to a one demographic. But despite its problems, this is a funny and sometimes sweet movie with a heart under all of the raunchiness. 

BOLT

3 1/2 STARS

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What makes an animated film good? the kids have to enjoy it and the parents have to at least be able to tolerate it. So that would make Bolt a good animated film. What makes Wall-E a great animated film? The kids enjoy it, the parents love it, the animation is beautiful, and it raises deep and important questions. So no, Bolt isn't even in the same league as Wall-E, but no cartoons really are. If a viewer goes in thinking that this has a chance for Best Animated Feature, then odds are they won't enjoy it. If they go in and except it for what it is, then odds are they'll have a good time. This movie tells a paper thin and silly story about cute and simple characters, and that's all we really need. We don't need another Wall-E or Finding Nemo, because its already there in our DVD collections. We need a cartoon that can restore people's faith in them after Star Wars: The Clone Wars. So again, Bolt is a good animated film.

John Travolta voices the canine Bolt who stars on a TV show as a super dog. His owner, Penny, is also on the show and she is voiced by teen sensation Miley Cyrus. The producers of the show don't re-shoot any scenes or let Bolt see the cameras because they want him to believe that he is a real superhero so there will be more authenticity. When an episode ends on a cliffhanger and Penny is taken away, Bolt thinks its all happening so he goes on a cross-country trip to find her. He is accompanied by a sassy cat and a nerdy hamster. Eventually, he figures out that he is not a superhero and that he is just an average dog. Its a pleasant story that mostly manages to stay away from the sticky-sweet zone. We all know the ending but that's with almost every animated feature. From time-to-time we get exceptions such as Persepolis and A Scanner Darkly, but those aren't for kids so this is exceptable for its targeted audience and genre.

Of course this entire premise is paper thin; that the dog never notices a camera or a microphone, but what do the kids care? I liked the inside jokes of Hollywood and the obnoxious agent was a lot of fun so that provides the comedy for the adults. The wise-talking New York cat should also entertain the older audience as will the pigeons. That's what an animated film needs to do. It needs to take the silly animals and add elements that adults will understand and laugh at and that the kids will most likely understand. Once it grabs the adults its a much better experience for the kids. When I was a kid I always used to look over at my mother in the theater and if she had a bored look on her face then I wouldn't have that great a time. But if she's enjoying herself then I just found the movie a lot more fun.

At the end of the year, I think its safe to say that Wall-E is the best animated movie of 2008, but for today, I can say that I had a good time watching Bolt.

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK

5 STARS

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Every once in a while, a producer might reject a formulaic romantic comedy or a predictable cop drama. He might choose an ambitious piece of work that probably wouldn't make big bucks at the box office, but just be in limited release and maybe get a strong following. Who knows? Maybe it would even get talked about during awards season. In time it would be called a masterpiece which is obvious from the moment the movie ends, and maybe Charlie Kaufman is a genius, which was obvious ever since Being John Malkovich. The greatest living screenwriter today just might decide to be the man behind the camera instead of only penning the script. Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York is his directorial debut, one of his greatest achievements, one of the great cinematic achievements of our time, and will most likely stamp its mark on the audience for the rest of their lives. Pardon the sentimentality and the cliches but a film like this makes people question their morality and makes them see their own souls through a stranger's eyes.
 
There is really no need to explain Synecdoche, New York. I don't need to say I loved the performances because it has a wonderful cast. I don't need to say how good the writing is because the screenplay is by Charlie Kaufman. I can mention that he proves he's also brilliant with a camera but that can be seen just from the trailer. And I won't dare discuss plot because I wouldn't be able to explain it anyway, and I can't bring myself to take away any of the magic from viewers that I experienced while watching this. Honestly, I don't even want to know anything about the making of this movie. I know enough. Charlie Kaufman wrote and directed it and it stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman and a wonderful female cast. That's it. If I know anything else, Synecdoche, New York won't be a magical and immortal film anymore. It will be a cast and director on a set filming a movie. But this movie is too good for that. 

TWILIGHT

1 STAR

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The insanely popular book series is adapted into one of the worst movies of the year: Twilight. Legions of teenage girls are obsessed with Edward Cullen and his romance with Bella Swan. I've read half the first book and its probably one of the more cheesy and melodramatic things I've ever read, so going in I knew I was probably not the intended audience. During the movie, I could hear girls shrieking over Edward and they all seemed so emotionally invested in this story. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but its a hard though to grasp that anyone could possibly enjoy this. I realize that high school girls probably don't pay attention to direction or screenplay and don't really appreciate what makes a movie good, but there is nothing in this two-hour bore-fest that could satisfy even the fans. I wasn't sure just how ridiculous this could get, but when Pattinson actually says, "You're like my own brand of heroine", I was laughing so hard that teenagers who take this thing seriously actually gave me hating looks. I actually could've expected it to be even sillier, but it is my good fortune that I did not read up to the "vampire baseball" chapter. Just in case: To any obsessed Twilight fans reading this, I will only express how much more I hate this movie so stop reading now.

Kirsten Stewart plays Bella, a "misunderstood" teen who moves to a small town called Forks. She's going there to live with her dad while her mom and step-dad travel. At her new school, she sees Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson who many might recognize as Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He shoots her a look and she just can't stop thinking about his dreamy eyes. He then informs her how much he "craves her blood" and that he has to stay away from her. Tears were just streaming down my eyes. She only goes crazier for him. Eventually, he just can't resist her any longer and reveals that he's a vampire. Oh No! But Bella only wants him more and more. I've never seen any teenagers act like they do in here. As I was watching this, I accidentally interrupted their shrieks about Edward by shrieking, "people don't act like this!" Sorry girls.

The screenplay is horrific, the acting is borderline irredeemable, the storytelling is clumsy, the direction is terrible, the special effects are from the 80's, the music is excruciatingly bad, and the whole thing is just laughable. Sure, the book was written badly, but this screenplay is unbelievably ridiculous. The narrative told from Bella's point-of-view explore into the whole "misunderstood teen" thing way too much and it sounded like a robot monotone. Pattinson wasn't bad, but Stewart deserves a Razzie for her perfromance, among others. The worst probably comes from Justin Chon who plays an annoying classmate of Bella's. Catherine Hardwicke shot so many bad angles and put in so many unnecessary shots that made me hate this thing even more, like some sex fantasy she is having of him biting her neck. The music is awful. What mostly upsets me about the music is that Carter Burwell wrote it. This is the guy who did Frago, Barton Fink, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and this year's best score for In Bruges, and its painful to see one of my favorite film composers do the music for this garbage. Not only that, the music itself is terrible. These long electric notes only contribute to the why this movie is so cheesy. The special effects look like they were actually done by the fans. It was like I was watching a Disney Channel movie. And how can I forget the silliest thing of all, "vampire baseball". 

I probably forgot the other million things I wanted to say about this movie, either that or they're inappropriate to write, but if I haven't made myself clear, skip Twilight at all costs.  

THE DUCHESS

3 STARS

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QUANTUM OF SOLACE

3 STARS

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Daniel Craig is back as the blond Bond in Quantum of Solace. This time around, 007 tries to stop Dominic Greene, an environmentalist who is trying to take control of Bolivia's water supply. In a vaguely understandable connection, Greene is somehow responsible for the concluding events in Casino Royale, the much superior franchise reboot. What I love about this latest installation in the James Bond franchise, besides the beautiful cinematography, is that its the first Bond film that's a continuation. This entire franchise still survives because its not a saga, its just a brand new movie using the same character. But Bond 22 conjures emotions and interest because it continues his journey. Unfortunately, the beautiful cinematography, the great and inventive title, and and the continuity is wasted on a mostly mediocre film, but going to a Bond flick for the plot is like going to the Oscars for the food. Fans who are just looking for some great action sequences and great direction will greatly enjoy Quantum of Solace.

The 22nd Bond movie isn't a great film, it was mostly disappointing, but how many 007movies can really be called great? I can think of an exceptional few that includes From Russia With Love and Casino Royale, but that's really it. The title is so good because for once it actually captures the plot of the movie. Bond is basically looking for a quantum of solace, a dose of self-comfort, his own peace of mind after what happened in the ending of Casino Royale. What does Never Say Never Again have to do with the story? Nothing. Its simply there to sound provocative, but this title manages to be both creative and important. The film itself though, is mostly confusing and when their isn't any action its just simply boring. The writing roster,which even had Paul Haggis who directed Crash, tried to make this a complex and deep story but ended up with a mess. I'm only saying See It for the cinematography, which only enriches the action, because this really is a beautiful film. This is strictly a rental, but it would almost be an injustice to watch this on DVD. The action and cinematography is literally worth $12.50 at the box office. Some of these action sequences are just absolutely exhilarating. Marc Foster directed this thing amazingly, its only sad to see it wasted on this mess of a film. Even the little clip in the trailer, and the image on the poster, of Bond walking into sight with the weapon in his hand is beautiful and has an iconic feel, and it wasn't even used in the actual movie.

The performances are mainly good. Daniel Craig is a very good Bond even though Connery remains the best, Olga Kirelenko isn't bad but is pretty much useless here, and Mathieu Amalric is a fairly chilling villain. I appreciate that this isn't a formulaic 007 film, but Bond has to at least make an attempt on the girl, but doesn't even consider doing so. Again, I love that this is a continuation and not just one reboot after another. See Quantum of Solace simply for the action and the beauty, but be prepared to be disappointed at the wasted potential. 

ROLE MODELS

3 1/2 STARS

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Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott star as two likable slackers in Role Models. Rudd plays Danny, a cynical salesman for a power drink. His buddy on the job is Wheeler, played by Scott, and he's an immature womanizer. Both of the characters are charming enough to care about and dumb enough to laugh at. After they damage school property by resisting a tow-away, the court gives them two choices: 30 days of jail or 150 hours of mentoring kids. This leads the two bafoons to Sturdy Wings, run by ex-druggie Gayle Sweeney, played hysterically by Jane Llynch. She clearly states that she doesn't care if they go to jail and is going to keep an eye on them. Wheeler is paired up with Ronnie, played by Boob'e J. Thompson, a foul mouthed 10-year-old perv. Danny is stuck with Augie, played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse best known for playing McLovin in Superbad. Augie is a nerdy and fragile kid who goes to the park and plays with paper swords and plastic crowns. Eventually, Danny and Wheeler get to know and like the kids and form a bond. The performances are all very good, even from Sean William Scott, and the kids are very funny and many will be shocked at Bobb'e J. Thompson's dialog. All in all, its a very light and funny film with a heart.

There's really not much to say about a movie like this. Its a raunchy film about two slackers who start to see things differently, as with superior comedies like Knocked Up to Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Role Models has nothing really special about it but it has some very funny scenes and some hysterical one-liners. Jane Llynch is very good here, Paul Rudd is perfect for playing the cynical and non-caring Danny, and Sean William Scott finally gives a good performance. Mintz-Plasse is pulling of a very different character than he did in Superbad and is probably going to become a great comedic actor some day. Bobb'e J. Thompson gives one of the funniest child performances in recent memory and is indeed very foul mouthed. Some might be shocked by the things he says in here.

Role Models had a very good run until maybe the last half hour where it pretty much over-stays its welcome. The writers just kind of dragged it out to much and the sentimentality started getting in they and the silliness. Watching geeks play around in capes and plastic hats is fun for a brief 8 minutes but not for 20. The last scene was just very boring and the comedy left the screen and there was nothing left except...geeks playing around in capes and plastic hats.

Despite its imperfections, Role Models is an enjoyable comedy with very funny dialog and good performances.

FILTH AND WISDOM

4 STARS

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Madonna is known for many things including her music, her bitter divorce with husband Guy Ritchie, and her attitude just to name a few, but I never expected to add director to her profile. Filth and Wisdom, a surprisingly good film, is the Material Girl's directorial debut. It tells the story of three flatmates living in London who work odd jobs while pursuing their own dreams. A.K., played very well by Eugene Hutz, dreams of becoming a rock star and to make money, he is a male dominatrix. He is a quirky and memorable protagonist who will probably be Madonna's trademark if she ever decides to continue directing. Holly is played by Holly Weston. She's a ballet dancer who resorts to pole dancing to make money. Its obvious that she's a very simple and sweet girl who just needs to make money. Juliette, played by Vicky McClure, works in a pharmacy and dreams of going to Africa to help starving children. There is also a wonderful supporting performance from Richard E. Grant who plays a brilliant but depressed and blind writer. He does have a mad scientist look but despite the alarming hair, its a great performance. The whole movie was just a great surprise.

Madonna isn't a good director. To make that clear, she doesn't know how to get good shots, she just shot this thing like a home video almost. I don't know if that's what she was going for to make this film more artsy or maybe to push an even bigger indie feel on the audience, but it was sometimes very annoying to see this non-caring direction. What I did appreciate though, is that she showed restraint and didn't take advantage of the movie's provocative title. Knowing what kind of person she is, audiences go in thinking there is going to be a lot of nudity and as the title suggests, filth. But there is nothing here that should really alarm people if they're trying to avoid an hour and a half of, well...Madonna. Filth and Wisdom is just a really breezy and light film that viewers can just relax to. It has some very good performances from Hutz and Grant, a very funny screenplay, and just a light feel to it.

The selling point is that Madonna is directing, even though to some it might be a turn-off, but whether people got to this for Madonna or just strolling in, I think people can enjoy it and have a good time. Sure, there is really no purpose or worth of Filth and Wisdom, but its a fresh slice-of-life smack in the face with an quirky indie edge. Madonna is obviously not the director that Guy Ritchie is, and if she wants to continue directing she's going to need a lot of assistance, but it is her first time and people should juts think of it as a student film. This movie wants to have a cult-like status and wants to be a small and artsy flick for film students, and it probably will be.

Filth and Wisdom is playing in very limited release but people can enjoy it in their living room On Demand, so see it.     

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

3 STARS

RENT IT

One of the biggest disappointments this year is a Swedish vampire romance called Let the Right One In. On my way to the theater, I was expecting a dark and beautiful fairy tale such as Pan's Labyrinth, and what I got doesn't even come close. This movie is surely beautiful, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, but Let the Right One In too often exploits stereotypes and exaggerates aspects of fragile adolescence. Sure, there is something here and and it isn't all formula, but watching this movies feels like watching a blood soaked version of Twilight only without the melodramatic teen problems. The film is about Oskar, a 12-year-old boy living in Stockholm. This kid is so unbelievably and chokingly fragile that even I wanted to smack him over the head. He is bullied in school but the bullies here are more like sadists who will grow up to be psychopathic killers. Oskar wants to fight back and practices stabbing trees and it seems like this kid isn't exactly too sane either. One day he meets Eli, a mysterious 12-year-old girl who moves into his apartments complex. They quickly develop a friendship and soon enough a romance. Meanwhile, bodies are turning up dead buried in the snow and Eli only comes out at night and wears t-shirt in freezing temperatures and lives with a man that the word shady can't even begin to describe. What does this mean? Eli is a vampire. She tells Oskar to defend himself against the bullies so he decides to whack one of them in the ear with a stick. Instead of being psychologically evaluated, he gets a call home. The word bullies is to light a term to describe them here. They actually choke and whip Oskar, that's right, whip, and if that seems unbelievable, wait until the ending. The fragility of Oskar is just way too unbelievable and seems painfully contrived. I did greatly enjoy some scenes of Let the Right One In, and often hoped that the movie would pick up, but as a whole this is very disappointing and isn't worth more than five dollars at Blockbuster.

Swiss cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does wonders with this movie and Tomas Alfredson shows he is a great director. Many of these shots are so rich that it almost makes the viewer want to cry because they were wasted on such a mediocre film. A great one is staged between Swedish actor Per Ragnar and one of his victims. Ragnar hears the teenager's friends knocking at the door begging him to come out of the locker so they could go home, and Reganr just can't bring himself to finish it. He goes to the corner and starts crying and its a single shot where we see the victim's friends coming in and untying him. It showed Reganr's remorse and what I loved was that in the same shot we see the kid being untied. These brilliant shots is what makes the movie at least worth renting. What I really didn't like about this movie is that did they really need to show a kid being whipped by some school kids to make an impact? Did they really need to show a boy this fragile to create sympathy? The screenwriters could have just as easily showed normal kids with normal problems. Another thing is the pace conflicting with the length. I have no problem with a movie being long if I'm enjoying it, such as Miracle at St. Anna, There Will Be Blood, The Departed just to name a few, but if there is no real evolving going on on the screen I really don't want sit there for two hours. This is one of those films where the audience are going to be glancing at their watches saying I gotta get outta here. As sad is it is, movie goers can skip Let the Right One In at the theaters and just rent it for the sake of the cinematography.      

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO

4 1/2 STARS

SEE IT

 

Kevin Smith should be happy that he got away with his proposed R-rating, instead of the original NC-17 rating, because Zack and Miri Make a Porno is the most vulgar and dirty movie to come out this year, but its also the funniest and one of the best. Seth Rogen plays Zack and Elizabeth Banks plays his roommate Miri. When their power is shut off, they come up with the idea to make a porno to get money. What follows is some of the funniest things I've seen this year at the movies. The two manage to hire a camera man, played by Jason Anderson from Clerks, Bubbles, played former porn star Traci Lords, and several other dimwits including a lap dancer and one of Zack's co-workers. Movies like this are predictable, but what divides it from romantic comedies are that a film like this has some soul and has something to care about. Kevin Smith is one of the funniest filmmakers today, he's made my favorite comedy of all time Clerks, and he continues to make low budget but great homespun comedies with Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

 
This movie was surprisingly very well shot, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Smith is a very good director, but someone wouldn't expect a comedy to be so well shot, not badly shot, just functioning. A lot of the angles are very good, and the lighting is very good. I mostly don't pay attention to these sort of things when I watch a comedy, because mostly great cinematography comes from something like No Country For Old Men or a movie shot in an exotic setting. Zack and Miri is shot in Pittsburgh, mostly in a coffee shop, but Smith did great things with such an average setting. Another thing I appreciate about Smith's movies like Clerks and now this, is that they have a way of bringing a viewer back to where they grew up. They always seem like a homemade video from Hollywood. Smith obviously knows ways to shoot a community, he grew up in New Jersey, and he does it here which is really great.
 
The screenplay is hysterical. Kevin Smith wrote it and this is one of his best. The performances are very charming from Rogen and Banks, and the supporting performances from Anderson, Jason Mewes, and Craig Robinson are hilarious. Where Zack and Miri took its downfall is when the romance became a little too melodramatic. Everyone going into this knows how its going to end, but it really didn't need the excessive drama. Still, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is the funniest movie this year, and one of the best. 

APPALOOSA

3 STARS

RENT IT

 

Ed Harris returns to the directors' chair in Appaloosa, a western that should've been left and forgotten in the early planning stages. This is a traditional western for fans of John Wayne movies, and I realize I'm not the target audience, but last years' 3:10 to Yuma was one of the best movies of 2007. This film moves excruciatingly slow, and often paces. Ed Harris also stars, and plays Virgil Cole. He goes around town calling himself the town marshall, but him and his partner are basically hitmen. His partner is Everett Hitch, played by Viggo Mortensen. Everett is relaxed and collected, while Virgil loves a good shootout. Their friendship is tested with the arrival of Ally French, played by Rene Zellwegger. Of course all westerns have bad guys and here its Randall Brag, played unconvincingly by Jeremy Irons (I've never heard a villain from the west speak with an English accent). The performances are mostly good, even though Zellwegger doesn't really deliver anything. Harris and Mortensen are both very good together and Irons isn't bad, despite the accent. Appaloosa had its moments but practically loses steam all together because of its pace.

The biggest disappointment here is the scenery. The filmmakers had a great opportunity to offer excellent cinematography, but completely wasted it. It was shot almost too average, and with today's cinematographers, who could Harris not have taken advantage of the film's setting? The best shots were taken in the porch scenes between Harris and Mortnessen, and of course the shootouts. Today, a movie like The Dark Knight can have Oscar worthy cinematography, but a western shot in vast plains in Santa Fe can't? The writing here is good, but sometimes feels like it was written for a 1940's western, because I didn't buy the relationship between Harris and Zellwegger's characters and a lot of the conversations between the characters feels so dry. The love triangle really doesn't need to be here, but if its already here why not get Kate Beckinsale or maybe even Rachel Weiz to play the damsel in distress? Why get Rene Zellwegger? The best performance comes from Viggo Mortenssen. He finds the perfect combination of violence and charm to create the character. Ed Harris was also good but was basically playing a formulaic western tough guy, but then again, he added a lot of dark humor and got the role right. Like I said, Zellwegger doesn't belong here, and Jeremy Irons isn't bad, but its just the accent.

Appaloosa is really only worth watching because Ed Harris rarely directs, and its sad that he wasted it on this but it doesn't defeat the point, and I enjoyed watching Mortenssen and Harris act together. This is a traditional genre piece, and its a weak tribute to westerns, but its watchable.

BLINDNESS

2 1/2 STARS

RENT IT

 
A blind pandemic ensues the human population and the outcome is a dull two hour period called Blindness. The film starts off with a clever montage of close-ups of traffic lights. The audience sees a man suddenly go blind. Bystanders start to approach and one drives him to his home, and then steals his car. The man goes to an eye doctor, played by Mark Ruffalo, and tells him that he can see a sea of white. The doctor (none of the characters' names are ever revealed) goes home to his wife, played by Julianna Moore, and tells her of the strange case. The next morning the doctor himself goes blind, and soon enough, everyone is except the doctor's wife. The government starts to quarantine all of the blind and the wife pretends to also be a victim so she can be with her husband. The facility treats them as criminals and gives them limited rations. The wife starts to take care of the residents, who don't know that she can see. Very soon, the wards start to turn on each other and more implausibilities follow. Blindness isn't necessarily bad, technically its very good, but the acting and script is bland and often ridiculous.
 
This movie is implausible, but not because of the premise. The relationships of these characters and their reactions to situations is just simply unbelievable. Nothing feels genuine. The first twenty minutes feels like an infomercial of preppy housewives and stone cold dialog. Then, finally, the characters start to have emotion and frustration, but different problems replace the character development. For some reason, a guy with a gun just decides to take over. Doesn't the gun eventually run out of bullets? He takes all the food and tells the rest of the people to trade jewelry, and eventually women, for rations. Soon, he turns his ward into a brothel. Danny Glover also has a ridiculous voice narration where he sounds like a lifeless robot. One of the worst things about the film is its music, done by the Brazilian band Uakti. The score sounds like something in a traveling carnival film.
 
The lines coming out of the actors' mouths sounds forced. I didn't buy one line of dialog in the first half hour, and then it starts to pick up about halfway through, and drastically falls in the last twenty minutes. The ending just felt like a deus ex machina, and killed any hopes for a maybe a better movie than the first hour and a half offered. The only reason I would say that Blindness is a rental is because of the direction. I loved the montage of traffic lights in the beginning and the lens used for the film is brilliant. Fernando Mierrelles made the entire movie white. He tried to make the audience experience what the blind victims were going through and the entire ward is creepy because its just so bright. Some of the shots were very good and I do appreciate Mierrelles' camera work, but unfortunately the screenwriter was not as good. Blindness, at times, tries to rip off Children of Men and then tries to have higher social commentary, but despite some of the efforts, its one of the more uncomfortable and exploitative experiences that Hollywood has had to offer this year.
 

PRIDE AND GLORY

4 STARS

SEE IT

Cop dramas are giving romantic comedies a bad name in the department of predictability and cliches, but fortunately Pride and Glory navigates away from the growing trend. The story of the internal police family conflict isn't exactly new, audiences saw that in last year's We Own the Night, but Gavin O' Connor constructs a deep and layered tale of loyalty and deceit. Edward Norton plays detective Ray Tierny. He comes from a family of NYPD officers. His father is a cop, his brother is a cop, and his brother-in-law is a cop. They're all a big "happy" family until four cops under Francis Tierny Jr.'s command are killed. Their brother-in-law Jimmy Egan, played by Colin Farrell, is part of that squad and certainly knows something about the murders. Pop wants Ray back on the task force to help out Junior, and he soon discovers the corruption within his own family. Jimmy is obviously dirty and the viewer knows this from the beginning, and there is nothing extremely shocking about Pride and Glory, but the terrific performances and grittiness of this picture make it a memorable and impacting film.

I don't think Pride and Glory has any real chances at the Oscars, the last great cop drama was The Departed, but this has a lot more going for it than We Own the Night. The film has richness and complexity, mostly embodied through the performances. Norton is excellent as Ray and represents the white side of a battle. Noah Emmerich gives one of the best performances of his career and represents grayness and confliction. Colin Farrell gives two great performances this year and proves that he has talent, and represents darkness. Unfortunately, Farrell doesn't appear on screen too often but makes the most out of his scenes. His transitions from loving family man to raging maniac are authentic and believable because it never looks forced. Jon Voight is a great actor, and I'm sure the role of a the wise and alcoholic father wasn't too much of a challenge for him, but he never lets the viewer know that he's just hanging out. 

The screenplay is overall good, but dropping the f-bomb every two seconds doesn't make Pride and Glory a contender with The Departed. The New York setting often rings trues, but I'm from New York City and I've never seen an NYPD cop act like Farrell's character. The movie does tend to sneak into convention but not to the point where the audience breaks out singing "Same Old Song and Dance. The conclusion is silly, I'll admit it. Ray goes into a bar and wants to settle things with Jimmy with an old macho man fist fight, and what follows is almost too macho. All in all, Pride and Glory is a very good film that I will gladly watch a few more times. 

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

 2 STARS

  SKIP IT

 Happy-Go-Lucky is the story of Poppy, played by Sally Hawkins, an overwhelmingly joyful school teacher. Its also incredibly dull and rudimentary. There is basically no plot or story at all. Poppy just says random things and does random things that don't really make any sense. These type of actions work in other indy films like Little Miss Sunshine because there is some storyline there, and characters we like and root for; Happy-Go-Lucky lacks those elements. When the movie started off, I was somewhat entertained, and there was a light-hearted charm. As the film progresses, we see no maturity in Poppy and the whole thing just becomes noise. Practically every second of this movie is loud and annoying because Hawkins takes this character over the edge. I really tried to like this movie, but just couldn't. The movie sometimes feels as if it is just choking the viewer to find charm in this mess. I don't know if there is something wrong with me because I didn't enjoy it, but from what I understand, I have be honest in these reviews.

Hawkins is a charming actress, and she definitely has her moments here, but she is hyper for the entire movie. Maybe that's not even because of her, but what's the point of making a movie about a hyper woman who can't just slow down. One of the first scenes in the film is her with her friends after a wild night out. She is drunk and maybe even a little high, so I understand if the scene will be zany, but she remains that way for the entire two hours running time. The only performance here that felt witty and genuine comes from Eddie Marsen; he plays a repressed driving instructor who believes that one should at all times only focus on the road by staring at "En-Raha". The screenplay really makes an effort to have that indy charm but I didn't sense any of what I feel while watching movies like Juno or Little Miss Sunshine.

This isn't a horrible film, but its not good enough to say Rent It.There were scenes when a better movie occasionally sneaked out, for example the driving lessons (even though they were also overwhelmingly loud), but in all honesty I can't recommend Happy-Go-Lucky. The one thing I can recommend though is the movie's soundtrack, because that had the happy and pleasant tone that the actual film lacked.

CHANGELING

5 STARS

  SEE IT

 

Clint Eastwood's highly anticipated Changeling, features the best female performance of the year as well as the best art direction. This is a period piece set in  1920's Los Angeles, about Christine Collins, played astoundingly by Angelina Jolie. She is a single mother who comes home after work one day to find her 9-year old son, Walter, missing. She contacts the police, but they inform her that they only search for children 24 hours after they disappear. The cop tells her to relax and wait until morning and that everything will be fine. Morning comes, still no Walter. The story shifts five months later and we see Captain J.J. Jones, played by Jeffery Donovan, coming to Christine and telling her that they have found her son. She is in tears of joy which quickly turn into tears of sadness when she discovers that the boy is in fact, not her child. Seeing no other way, she looks after him but continues to beg the LAPD to find her real son. The film then starts to deal with corruption and lies. Christine is locked up in a mental institution when Jones sees her as a threat to the already unsteady image of the police force. Jolie is a shoe in for Best Actress and Eastwood is in top form as a director.

The screenplay is written by J. Michael Strazynski, who is better known for sci-fi movies such as Babylon 5 and the groundbreaking Spider-Man mini series from last year, but he proves here that he also has a talent at writing provocative dramas with even some dark humor. Changeling isn't quite as good as Eastwood's 2003 drama Mystic River, but its better than Million Dollar Baby and his 2006 war double feature, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima. The Academy pretty much loves anything off the Eastwood assembly line, but Changeling is worthy of being respected for more than the director's name in the credits. The art direction is one of the best elements of the movie. The closing shot is perfect, especially as it slowly turns into an artsy black and white take. If this isn't Oscar material, I don't know what is. Eastwood and his cinematographer certainly did miss a few opportunities for powerful shots, the one that mostly upsets me I will not reveal, but I think there's enough in here to make up for it.

The performances are stellar from all angles. Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role, showing audiences she can play more than sexy action star. In fact, the make up makes Jolie look anything but sexy. She finds the right amount of sadness and heroism to make Collins a woman the audience can care about and root for. She's generally not a strong woman, but there is a pivotal and excellent scene in the end between her and Jason Butler Harner that shows her growth throughout the film. Harner also gives a breathtaking and maybe even controversial performance as a disturbed maniac. Many will be divided by his character, arguing if he truly is just lost soul but also a human being, or if he deserves no sympathy. That's why Harner is brilliant, because he divides each and every viewer because I personally felt bad for him, probably pitied him more than anything, despite his horrific sins. Jeffery Donovan, best known for the television show Burn Notice, is effective as the corrupt policeman who shouldn't garner too much sympathy from audiences.

Changeling is one of the most powerful films to come out this year. It grips the viewer and I saw examples of that in the theater where I was fortunate enough to see it. There were about three to five times where people in the theater were clapping at character triumphs and persecutions of evil. A woman at the bottom row actually screamed out asshole when Donovan appeared on the screen and was trying to defend himself. I appreciate that Strazynski didn't take this story in a melodramatic direction. When Jolie cries and screams that's not my son! we don't feel annoyed because she repeats it about fifty times, we sympathize with her every step of the way. It would be interesting to see Eastwood compete with Lee at the Oscars for Best Director, following Lee's masterpiece Miracle at St. Anna and his feud with Eastwood over the lack of African-American soldiers in his '06 war movies. In consensus: Changeling is a powerful and heartwrenching drama about a woman who won't give up her faith, and neither does the audience.

W.

3 1/2 STARS

SEE IT

 
Wow. Those were my words when I found out Oliver Stone was making a biopic about George W. Bush. Wow, when I found out Josh Brolin would be playing him and when I found out the rest of the unlikely cast. And now I saw wow again, what a disappointment. Before I get started I want to make one thing clear: I don't dislike W. I think all in all its not a bad film, but Oliver Stone had such an opportunity to make this a hit with audiences and with the Academy but took this in the completely wrong direction. This is a well intentioned movie, because after all, everyone deserves a fair trial, and what I appreciate about W. is that despite all of its problems, Stone made a sympathetic movie towards the very unpopular 43rd President. Brolin plays Bush, Elizabeth Banks plays the 1st Lady, Richard Dreyfus is terrific as Dick Cheney, Jeffrey Wright is very impressive as Colin Powell, James Cromwell plays Bush Sr. and my main problem with the movie is Thandie Newton's Razzie worthy performance as Condoleeza Rice. The cast in very unlikely and odd, Brolin isn't too convincing as Bush, Banks doesn't strike too much belief as Laura Bush, and Newton is just dreadful here. Dreyfus embodies Cheney, to the point where no difference is seen between them. Oliver Stone definitely achieved something here, but failed way too much.
 
W. covers Bush's fraternity life, to his father running for his first term and loosing his second, to himself running for Governor of Texas, and of course the very unpopular invasion of Iraq. The film also details his alcoholism and his strong belief in God. The story is told in bits and pieces going back and forth from 2003 to the 60's through the 90's. There were fascinating moments, my favorite was a conference on whether to invade Iraq or not where Wright is excellent as Powell and Dreyfus is haunting as Cheney, but as a whole the film was overlong, choppy, and often quite dull. Its obvious that the producers wanted to release W. before the election, but at times it was way too noticeable because the movie really feels rudimentary. At the same time it is overlong and I think about half an hour could've easily been cut out. There were many good shots where the film could've ended and left it at that, but Stone added more and more where it becomes annoying for the audience especially when Newton appears more and more towards the end. Newton is terrible, making some sort of chicken voice to impersonate Rice that belongs on Saturday Night Live (Tina Fey is exceptional as Sara Palin). 
 
I honestly believed in W. Oscar chances. Brolin I though was a sure chance for Best Actor, but unfortunately the only Awards recognition this movie will be getting is a Razzie nomination for Thandie Newton. The shaky camera work was one of the worst factors in the movie. It most likely was a metaphor for Bush's life because the camera gets steady by the end, but Stone could've found another way to express that. The screenplay is surprisingly funny enough to give W. a light touch, and the comedy is appreciated in a very dull two hour and fifteen minute period. I'm saying See It because there isn't all that much playing right now except Body of Lies and Miracle at St. Anna so this more of a rental, but after all its an important movie to see.     

MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA

 5 STARS

 SEE IT 

Spike Lee's backlash at Clint Eastwood, Miracle at St. Anna, is perhaps the best movie of 2008, one of the best movies of the 21st century, and probably one of the greatest movies ever made, not to mention tremendously better than Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima. It tells the story of four African American soldiers who escape an ambush in WWII. The plot is too grand and detailed to really explain without dragging. The basic story is this: One day a black man shoots someone who recognizes him. When the police search his house, they discover a priceless Italian artifact at the bottom of his closet in a Macy's bag. When interviewed he says, "I know. I'm the only one left who knows." Then the story shifts back to WWII and the audience finds out the identity of the shooter and the victim, and why he has the artifact. The soldiers are stationed in Italy and barely escape after a German ambush. They are Stamps, played by Derek Luke, Train, played by Omar Benson Miller, Bishops, played by Michael Ealy, and Hector Negron, played by Laz Alonso. Trains has the sweet and innocent mindset of a child, unlike his much more violent comrades. He saves a young boy from a shed, played by Matteo Sciobardi, and tries to get him to safety. The four soldiers and the young boy find themselves in a small Tuscan village that the Germans have raided. They meet Renata, played by Italian actress Valentina Cervi, the beautiful femme fatale of the story. There are so many more rich aspects to Miracle at St. Anna but I don't want to waste everyone's time with plot.
 
Spike Lee is one of our greatest filmmakers and he definitely shows it here. Every shot is so well taken and the angles and spacing are perfect, and that's a small part of all of the wonderful directorial techniques that Lee uses to truly make this a work of art. The opening shot is perfect, especially for a dark New York setting. The battle sequences are amazingly choreographed that make this movie one of the best of its kind, right behind The Deer Hunter. The photography is gorgeous is and Lee has that kind of talent where he can give it life. It would be great if Lee got a Director nomination come January, it would almost be a crime not to honor his work here. Here's the shocker, Miracle at St. Anna has numerous problems which I will grudgingly admit, but I couldn't care less about the film's petty imperfections. Yes, the last scene belongs in a completely different film, what some might call meandering isn't exactly that but the jumping from sub-plots sometimes made it feel that way. The whimsical music that one can find in a 50's war movie didn't mesh well with the battle sequences and some of the scenes in a fancy setting were so polished I felt as though I was watching an Indiana Jones movie. All of these factors don't mean a thing to me because of the Oscar-worthy performances, the rich and complex story, the wonderful direction and photography, and the soul and spirit of this film.
 
Many say the move is overlong (two hours and forty five minutes), but I'm in the minority who wishes Lee would've added another hour and a half. The so-called meandering seems like it because he wanted to tell so much that it wouldn't even fit in a three hour period, so in a way he condensed it but not to the point of absurdity. The performances are terrific from Omar Benson Miller and young Italian actor Matteo Sciobardi, and I loved the way their bond meshed with the story and its countless sub-plots. Miller is perfect for the role because he has a very innocent look, which is another reason why the bond worked so well. Sciobardi is terrific in his first performance and is obviously a natural. Derek Luke gives the best performance of his career and Laz Alonso and Michael Ealy are excellent backups. Who really got the short end of the stick is Joseph Gordon Levitt who is being sold as a naive reporter who is flabbergasted by his discoveries but he is only in the film for about ten minutes, but then again, I'm glad this isn't familiar formula. There are some odd appearances from big actors like John Leguizamo and John Turturro. The Leguizamo role may strike some as absurd and maybe even silly, but I respect that Spike Lee stuck with his vision, which is basically the element that makes up for the film's flaws. Miracle at St. Anna is a Spike Lee movie, it doesn't belong to the producers and the editors, this is his movie. Even the final scene can be justified because its his vision, and that's why Lee is so great.
 
The racism sub-plot I thought would pull the movie down, after all, everyone knows Spike Lee can get carried away sometimes, but it actually enriched the story because this isn't the same melodramatic racism we see in movies like The Great Debaters and Remember the Titans. Here we see anger and outrage, real fury from these people that have been treated like garbage. I don't believe that people will ignore it and stand around holding peace rallies, because all people would fight back. That's what is show here, and that is why it is believable and authentic. It may sound like I'm overselling this movie, but it is a masterpiece. I don't care about the negative elements that might at times pull the film a little bit down, because I love Miracle at St. Anna to no end. I can't wait for the Director's cut to come out, so we can see everything that Spike Lee created. Miracle at St. Anna is a miracle to moviegoers.     

BODY OF LIES

5 STARS

SEE IT

Awards season is just kicking off and there is already a movie worthy of Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Picture. This movie is the CIA thriller Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in a mesmerizing performance as Roger Ferris, a CIA operative in Jordan. He is under watchful eye of Ed Hoffman, played by Russell Crowe in a startling transformation. Hoffman is a complete slime ball who has the power to manipulate Ferris' mission and organize side operations. The two leads appear on screen together two or three times and usually talk via cell phone. Most of Body of Lies depicts Ferris' association and relationship with a Jordanian intelligence man, played by Mark Strong, to catch a terrorist leader. This is the best movie so far this year and DiCaprio has my vote for Best Leading Actor.

Its not very often that an audience can genuinely say that a movie is practically if not completely perfect; Body of Lies came very close. The performances are stellar: DiCaprio is amazing, Crowe draws more attention because of his drastic weight gain than his acting, and Mark Strong gives a very impressive performance as Hani Salam , the Jordanian intelligence man. The action sequences are well choreographed to create the right mood. The cinematography gives this film an epic feel, the hanging overhead shots were sometimes overwhelmingly powerful. What made those shots so effective is that the movie drags the audience in, where they forget that they're in a theater in seats with air conditioning, so when the shots appear it almost feels as though the viewer is sort of holding on to something to keep from falling out of the sky.

The screenplay is written by William Monoghan, who won an Oscar for penning The Departed in 2006. Monoghan writes  the script with the same drama and wit, largely embodied by DiCaprio, recalling his powerful performance in The Departed. The slight weak link  is the romantic sub-plot, which could've been avoided, but after all there is a purpose for it by the end. The climax is excruciatingly hard for the viewer to watch, and is likely to shake up many. Body of Lies in its entirety is very violent and gruesome, but at the same very effective. I would look for Body of Lies to get several Oscar nominations, especially for DiCaprio's amazing work.

EAGLE EYE

4 STARS

SEE IT 

D.J. Carusoe's second team up with Shia LaBeouf, Eagle Eye, is manipulative, some times stupid, overly plotted so called "political thriller", but damn is it entertaining. LaBeouf stars as Jerry Shaw, an average slacker who loses his twin brother, a soldier in the Air Force. When getting back from his funeral, he enters his apartment and sees boxes of weapons, poison, and envelopes with passports. In the midst of the discovery, Jerry gets a call from an unknown number saying that the FBI will arrive at his home in thirty seconds. He is obviously in disbelief and horror as the FBI crashes through his window and arrests him. He makes an escape and is instructed by the mysterious caller to find a Porsche, in which he meets Rachel Hollman, played by Michelle Monoghan, who is also framed as a terrorist and must do as instructed to save her son. Together, they soon discover that this caller can control everything: trains, phones, cars, cranes, traffic lights, even wires. They also realize that they are part of something huge that includes National Security and god knows what else. 

Eagle Eye isn't a political thriller, it doesn't try to have moral high ground or higher social commentary, its just a really fun and dopey ride. Sure its silly, but people don't go to movies like this to be somehow morally changed, they go for the entertainment. And what's not to like; the movie has some breathtaking action sequences, great cinematography, sharp screenplay, and things flying and flipping all over the place. This movie shows no restraint, basically is all out there, and who says that's bad? It rips off of 2001: A Space Odyssey and even has a few hints of Hitchcock, but it really just doesn't matter in a picture like this. There are some very solid performances from LaBeouf, Monoghan, Billy Bob Thorton, Rosario Dawson, and Michael Chiklis.

I think what really kept this wacky story grounded is that the two leads are also in disbelief. Even in the end they still somehow can't really believe it, so the audience is kind of in sync with the two characters for most of the film. The end isn't exactly predictable, but it certainly isn't shocking; it was one of many conclusions used in this type of thriller. Now you might get a critic or a viewer who says this movie is so implausible, ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE! Of course its unbelievable and preposterous, sometimes a little too much, but its such a fun ride its impossible not to be entertained. The problems with this film aren't that noticeable because no one really pays attention to them, because there's so much going on on the screen. My main problem is that it was very loud, mostly because it was radically edited. The cars crashing and flying are so rapid that it gives a headache for a few minutes and the noise is at times overwhelming.

Eagle Eye has a good score, it sometimes gave off a calm sound which is rare here. I love the music when something "normal" is going on, it very soothing in a way. The cinematography is terrific! My favorite shot was in the field, it really reminded me of a Hitchcock scene, like something in North By Northwest. Where the movie really fell flat is when it tried to be something that its not: a serious message about politics. These mostly come towards the end, but they died down when the screenwriters realized that this is just pure mindless entertainment. Like I said, the conclusion wasn't shocking, but the rest of the story was well crafted to get to that point, where all of the pieces fit together.

Eagle Eye is a mindless, loud, but very suspenseful and entertaining thriller which is a great theater experience that is just plain fun from start to finish, so see it, see it, see it!

IGOR

2 1/2 STARS

 
From the moment it starts, Igor feels like week-old leftovers from a great Tim Burton idea. Its a spin on the classic evil scientist/hunchback servant story. Igor is a hunchback who dreams of becoming a mad scientist himself, and after his "master" gets blown up, he goes on to create a giant woman who sings songs from Annie. Its the classic cartoon about how you should "follow your dreams" blah, blah, blah... The voice cast is very good, ranging from John Cusack, Molly Shannon, and best of all Steve Buschemi. I don't dislike Igor, I just think it was a missed opportunity where it wouldn't have been if Burton had taken on the challenge. The film constantly and shamelessly rips off of movies like the much superior WALL-E ,The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Monster House. This movie has all of the right tools, but didn't put itself together properly to be a nifty little invention.
 
The film started off with a slight promise to be a cheesy but fun ride for a brief hour and twenty minutes, but soon enough Igor became very dull and ran out of ideas. The ending was obvious, this is a cartoon, but what's fun about these is the journey to the conclusion. Here it was just a boring and dry experience. The animation isn't bad, I liked the style of it for the main character, but at times it was very hard to watch and tends to give off a headache. But then again, Igor isn't as painful or as bad as the notorious Star Wars: Clone Wars earlier this year.
 
There isn't much to say about this except that its an okay rental that kids might enjoy if they don't get restless. The audience can constantly see the potential for a better movie, but Igor was unfortunately a formulaic clunker. This could've been vastly different had Burton worked on the project, but at least I can look forward to his upcoming stop-motion animated film, and his dark take on Alice in Wonderland.

THE WOMEN

3 STARS

Most of the female population is utilized as extras in the surprisingly decent adaptation of the 1936 classic, The Women. Meg Ryan, Annette Benning, Debra Messing, and Jada Pinkett Smith play four best friends living in New York. Most of the movie is about Mary's, Meg Ryan, separation from her husband after he cheats with a perfume dealer, played by Eva Mendes. Now of course this movie is aimed at the Sex and the City crowd, but I think this has a lot more going for it than the very dull and dry film adaptation of the popular series. But then again, hardcore fans of Sex and the City might be disappointed seeing as there is absolutely no sex in this movie, because there are no men in this movie. That's right, Meg Ryan can be seen on a busy New York street hailing a cab, and there are absolutely no men in sight. Sure, I'll forget about The Women in a day or two, but its a mildly enjoyable ride with some very good performances from Annette Benning and a great cameo from Bette Middler.

I was dreading the moment I would have to watch this, especially from the horrible previews, but I was so shocked when I enjoyed it and didn't call it the worst movie of the year. The screenplay is very cheesy and is basically one cliche after another. Meg Ryan and Debra Messing practically have no chemistry on screen, and neither does the pairing of Annette Benning and Jada Pinkett Smith. I don't know how its possible that there are no men anywhere. These attractive socialites spend more than half of the movie obsessing over men and sex but don't even have interactions with them. Its obvious that that's what they were going for, but in the 1939 original the women were all in houses, here you can see them in restaurants, streets, outings, and stores. I don't know too many guys who go to Saks Fifth Ave. but at least show some woman dragging her boyfriend there. 

Again, this isn't a memorable movie date or Saturday night rental and its not that long, and its a lot better than the Sex and the City film adaptation, so why not? I personally don't care for melodramatic chick flicks, I'd rather go see a Scorsese picture or a Coen Brothers film, obviously, but maybe its not impossible for a heterosexual male to enjoy a movie where women are obsessed with clothes and men and gossip about weight loss. 

THE ROCKER

2 1/2 STARS

Rainn Wilson takes a break from The Office to play Robert "Fish" Fishman in the constantly predictable and mediocre The Rocker. Fish is a complete loser and lives in his sister's attic. He used to be the drummer for a band called Vesuvious. They kick him out because their agent says that's the only way the can go big. Twenty years later Vesuvious is huge...and no one remembers or cares about Fish, who can't let go of the past. When his nephew asks him to be the drummer in his garage band for their prom gig, Fish promises to make them rock stars and hit it big.

The Rocker started off somewhat smoothly, but about forty minutes in Fish is way too creepy to care about and the film becomes very boring and bland. The script becomes overwhelmingly cheesy and the acting doesn't go too far either. I like Rainn Wilson in The Office and he had a funny cameo in Juno, but he takes his character completely overboard, making him a sociopathic clown. What the film did manage to do though, was stay out of the creep zone where a forty year old guy is spending so much time with sixteen or seventeen year old kids, despite Wilson's character.

The Rocker is very predictable and the "surprise" in the end can be seen from miles away. This isn't a terrible movie, but its not good enough for me to recommend and basically very forgettable. The kids aren't bad here and Jeff Garlin has a few funny moments, but those are far too few to save this from being a dull overextended YouTube video. This is a rental at best and I think Rainn Wilson has the potential to be a great comic actor, be he doesn't show it here.

CHOKE

3 1/2 STARS

Choke premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. It tells the story of Victor Mancini, a self-proclaimed sex addict, played by Sam Rockwell. He spends most of his days as a "historical interpreter", as he calls it, and then he sits by his mother's side in a mental facility. Ida, played wonderfully by Angelica Houston, doesn't even recognize her son, coming up with a different identity for him each time she sees him. In the meantime, Victor is falling for Paige, his mother's nurse, played by Kelly MacDonald. Choke is all over the place, but has enough laughs and charms to gladly recommend.

I think what really dragged this film down is its problem with tone. Choke started off well and then got completely lost in the middle, and when it finally did settle down on a tone, it wasn't the right one. When I came out of the movie I was somewhat disappointed and in some ways I still am, but this was very enjoyable and an adequate try for first time writer-director Clark Gregg, who stars on The New Adventures of Old Christine. The film is also held above water by a terrific supporting performance from Angelica Houston, who plays her character with enough commanding wit while finding just the right amount for tragedy, and Sam Rockwell is also very good in this.

Another big problem with Choke is that nothing is explored enough. Victor's sex addiction is more of a vague idea than it is an actual story. His relationship with Paige is a case study than something the audience can actually care about. And basically the entire sub-plot is referenced only once or twice. What the film is really about is that he pretends to choke in a restaurant so someone will perform the Heimlich on him, and give him money. But its mentioned very rarely so its more of an idea. Many things in this movie are never really clear and the time line is extremely hard to follow.

I sometimes began to feel as though the events in the film were taking place over the course of several months or maybe even a year. The characters basically fail to develop, leading back to time line. Usually, a character's life starts to fall apart, but within half an hour it feels like Choke is at its climax. I couldn't quite understand if Victors life was turning into a tragedy in a few weeks or a year, again leading back to its problem with time line. But even then Victor is a likable character.

Despite its problems, Choke is a very funny, sometime very sad, quirky comedy which has its charms. Every year at Sundance, some indy character comedy-drama will come out, mots better than this, but its a fun and moving film that I hope viewers will give a chance. I really liked this film. 

LAKEVIEW TERRACE

 4 1/2 STARS

Samuel L. Jackson is stunning and brilliant as a bitter and racist LAPD cop in Neil LaBute's Lakeview Terrace. Patrick Wilson and Kerry Washington play Chris and Lisa, an interracial couple. They move next door to Jackson's Abel Turner. Abel doesn't like them together because of race, and terrorizes them, starting out small and escelating into gunfire, hoping they'll move. Eventually they decide to fight back, but how can they do that when he is "the law"? The trailer for Lakeview Terrace does indeed make this look like a typical commercial B-movie with Jackson being much crazier than he actually is in the film, but this is one of the best and most entertainig movies of 2008. The performance from Jackson is terrific, with strong supporting perfromances by Wilson and Washington. Its rare for such a mainstream film to be equally entertaining and important. The movie touches on issues of race and corruption. Director Neil LaBute challenges the viewers and leaves character verdicts up to them.

Lakeview Terrace isn't perfect, it had its minor problems here and there. The main flaw is the way too over the edge ending. Yes, it was very suspenseful and very well shot, but way too over the top. The screenplay allows the actors to fully flesh out their characters and let them develop and let their actions escalate. There were some particularly interesting shots of interactions between the two families through windows. I found it fascinating how LaBute managed to stage perceptions through a window, metaphorically it could've been a take on censoring. But in some ways that's what Lakeview Terrace is all about: When personal issues mix with anger clash outside closed doors.

Forget the image left by the trailer, because Lakeview Terrace is much more interesting and complex than a typical commercial thriller. 

THE VISITOR

3 STARS

 

 In a career of supporting roles, Richard Jenkins gets center stage in The Visitor, a film about illegal immigration, human decency, morality, and a post 9/11 America. Jenkins plays Walter Vale, a depressed college prfessor who must go to New York to present a paper. Walter is a well off, guy. He doesn't need a hotel because he has his own apartment in the city. When he arrives there, he sees two illegal immigrants in the apartment. Turns out they've been living there due to a mix up. Walter decides not to press charges and forget about it. But when they cannot find a place to stay, he sees no other way than to let them stay a few extra days until they can work something out. He forms a friendship with them and makes it his mission to save one of them after he is detained by the police and on the verge of deportation. The Visitor has countless problems, but I found the story moving in small ways and I liked the performances, especially from Jenkins.

My main problem with the film is that I could never really form a connection with the characters. The story never alloes any personal association with them. Besides that, the entire plot is way too sentimental and smothering. The directors and writers assumed that viewers would buy a character like this based off of typical reasons. They completely missed the motivational, even inspirational, part of the film. We never really understand why this guy would risk everything by doing this, there was no motivation behind the character. The Visitor also tries countless times to make the audience sympathize with illegals. But the script just jumps into the story without creating complexity behind it. Why should I care about these people? There has to be a cause and effect, not assumptions that they're typical characters so there is sympathy. 

SNOW ANGELS

4 1/2 STARS

 Despite some big names including Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Michael Arangarano, and Olivia Thirlby who made her big screen debut in Juno, Snow Angels didn't even reach the one million mark at the box office. This is one of the best movies of 2008 and has a safe bet for my list of the year's best. Directed by David Gordon Green, who is popular this year for the pot smoking buddy comedy Pineapple Express, Snow Angels depicts crumbling adult relationships and its effects on youth and innocence. The story begins with a scene of the school marching band practicing. Suddenly, three loud gunshots are heard throughout the small town. The rest of the movie is what led up to those shots being fired. Arangarano plays Arthur, a high school student whose parents are on the verge of divorce. After school, he works at a Chinese restaurant with Annie, his former babysitter. Beckinsale plays Annie flawlessly. She is a human being, not good or bad, but a true person. And that's what makes Snow Angels so wonderful, that all these characters are so real that you want to follow them though their journey. Sam Rockwell gives the best performance though as Glenn, Annie's ex husband. He is a recovering alcoholic who is trying to change for the sake of his small daughter. All of these people are brought together by a tragedy that will change all of their lives.
 
Nothing in Snow Angels feels inauthentic, even in the somewhat crazy end. But even the ending somehow felt real, like there was no other way to tell the story. The photography is one of the best things about the film. The angles are always right to create the perfect atmosphere for that scene. The writing is always good, offering sharpness and sadness when needed. The acting is perfect, and like I said, Rockwell is the best. But its not right just mentioning Rockwell when there were other terrific performances from Kate Beckinsale, Michael Arangarano, and rising star Olivia Thrilby. Snow Angels rarely misses a note and is practically pitch perfect in almost every single scene.
 
Unfortunately the film did not have its moment in the spotlight. Judging from just the title and premise, it was never going to be a blockbuster, but this is a lot better than a big commercial mega hit like Hancock for instance. Hopefully, Snow Angels will have better life on DVD and it is well deserving of it.

RIGHTEOUS KILL

4 STARS

DeNiro stars as Turk and Pacino stars as his best friend and partner in the NYPD, Rooster. Now you might think that these nicknames are stupid, but trust me, there's a huge reason for them. A new serial killer is on the streets, killing off criminals who got away from punishment for their crimes. After guessing that this new killer might be in fact a  fellow cop, Turk and Rooster start investigating their own people. Joining the two screen legends are Carla Guigino, John Leguazamo, and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. If you go to see this movie, please don't think of me as an idiot. You will be thinking "how could this guy rave about a movie like this?" WAIT UNTIL THE END! Everything will fall into its place, everything will make sense. What I would like to know is how only twenty five percent of critics recommended this? Its hard to explain why Righteous Kill is so brilliant without giving anything away and if you've been hearing that its predictable, not even close. I was also thinking, why would this director and screenwriter make the story so obvious? Well when the ending came, I wanted to thank Jon Avnet for not screwing this film up, and making it an unforgettable experience.

Many critics have also been saying that the screenplay is bad, not the way I see it. The script practically always worked, and DeNiro and Pacino deliver these lines with wonderful performances. Righteous Kill surely isn't perfect, the unchronological order was sometimes annoying, but like I said, by the end you'll know why. The music in the opening credits sets up the film for the worst, you can sort of expect this to be a cheesy cop story. The direction was sometimes too flashy, such as the fuzzy flashback scenes, and the scenes in the psychiatrist's office. And afterall, there were a few loose ends, but none that you will remember after the film is over. Pacino gives his best perfromance in years and DeNiro's perfromance can't really be fully understood until the end. Screenwriter, Russell Gerwitz, has created a brilliant script and Jon Avnet reedeems his image after 88 Minutes. 

Like I said, its hard to explain why Righteous Kill is so clever without giving anything away, so please go see it. I'm very torn between giving this movie a four or four and a half star rating. After a few weeks of crappy films, Hollywood has produced Burn After Reading and now this in the same weekend. Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino make Righteous Kill an incredible event. 

BURN AFTER READING

 5 STARS

After last year's Best Picture winner, No Country For Old Men, the Coen Brothers are back for one of their best movies, Burn After Reading. This black comedy stars some big names including Brad Pitt, George Clooney, screen legend John Malkovich, last year's Best supporting Actress winner Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand who won Best Leading Actress in '96 for Fargo. Burn After Reading has the potential to be a new classic from the Coens. My favorite films from the brothers and some of my favorite film of all time are Fargo, Barton Fink, and The Big Lebowski, but this is defintiely almost up there.

Pitt stars as Chad, a quirky fitness instructor. After he finds a CD containing secret CIA files, composed by none other than John Malkovich, he and his associate Linda, played by Frances McDormand, decide to blackmail him so Linda can get...plastic surgery. Tilda Swinton plays Malkovich's wife and George Clooney plays her lover who also happens to be dating Linda. Mostly everything in Burn After Reading meshes perfectly, except for a few things involving some of the characters. What the Coen Brothers are truly brilliant at, is making something brutal and sad seem oddly funny, take for example Fargo and now this.

I cannot begin to explain how much I loved each and every single performance in this film, most notably Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, and John Malkovich. There are some lines and scenes here that I can really see becoming iconic. "Osbourne Cox, I though you might be worried about the security of your shit". I would buy any shirt that has those words on it. Frances McDormand is excellent playing this really ironic but sweet character, same as she did with Marge Gunderson. Brad Pitt is unforgettable, and John Malkovich is...well brilliant as always. Clooney has a lot of fun and there is a scene he's in including a chair which is surely something that will go down as iconic and one of the biggest laughs in modern film.

The screenplay for Burn After Reading deserves numerous award and is probably the best so far this year. I loved Burn After Reading from start to finish and was falling out of my seat with laughter. The score worked and didn't at times but mostly it was sucessful as this overblown dramatization of a very funny scene. This has a safe bet for my list of the year's best. As usual the Coens create unforgettable characters and unforgettable lines, these two have found their next "I Don't Roll on Shabbas".  

TRAITOR

4 STARS 

Don Cheatle gives an amazing performance in Traitor, a crafty and very entertaining political thriller. He stars as Samir, an Islamic man trapped between his loyalty and faith. Its never exactly clear which side he's on. The story makes it seem that he is simply an undercover agent for the United States, but Cheadle creates his character far more complex than that. His motives are never clear and his loyalties are constantly challenged. He joins up a group of terrorists who are planning a huge operation, which goes through Samir and into the CIA through Jeff Daniels. At the same time, the FBI is chasing him led by Roy Clayton, played by Guy Pearce. While Traitor may not be as strong as The Departed or Heat, maybe even The Dark Knight, I fell into this tangled web of conspiracies and political secrets, and what a fun ride it was. 
 
Nothing in Traitor has the exact potential to generate buzz, except maybe Cheatle's perfromance, and this certainly won't redefine the espionage genre, but who cares? All the performances are first rate, and the screenplay is good enough to give these actors some room to make their characters complex and thought provoking. This movie isn't exactly anti-terrorist, its more anti-terrorism. Its hard to explain, but Traitor dives far more into the mind of a terrorist, showing that they aren't necessarily bad people, it shows how they were fooled into thinking that what they are doing is good. For example Samir, he dislikes the American government enough to betray them, but hates terrorism even more that he will join the U.S. mostly because he want to protect the face of good Muslims. There are some brilliant scenes, showing how young men, sixteen or seventeen, can become fooled and the audience really starts to understand another side to a seemingly black and white war.
 
I don't want to make it sound like I'm raving about this film, I'm definitely not, but its rare for a movie to be this entertaining and also have the courage to get into deeper political and moral questions. The screenplay and the top notch performances make Traitor a must see post-summer film. 

MARRIED LIFE

2 STARS 

From the opening credits you can expect Married Life to be an offbeat but enjoyable Saturday night flick. Well its sure offbeat, I don't know about enjoyable. Chris Cooper stars as Harry, a seemingly happy but truly depressed man. He is stuck in a marriage with Patricia Clarkson, who says some of the most unbelievably moronic lines ever filmed. Turns out Harry is chasing some skirt on the side, Kay, played by Rachel McAdams. On top of that, Harry's best friend Richard, played by Peirce Brosnan falls in love with Kay. And to tie up this lovely tale, Harry decides to kill his wife, believing that she would rather die than be put through the embarrassment of a divorce. Married Life misses on practically every step.
 
Nothing really felt authentic here. Married Life feels like a crappy film adaptation of Mad Men thirty years down the road. Mad Men has a truly authentic feel and though provoking characters, Married Life isn't even close. Pierce Brosnan doesn't strike any belief as a corporate womanizer and doesn't look at all like a man living in the 1940's. Patricia Clarkson says some of the most degrading things on screen, and Rachel McAdams gives a strong effort but somewhat stumbles in her role. But the only element really worth watching here is the performance from Chris Cooper. None of these characters grow, they are all total jerks, and its hard to believe that any of them have respect for each other, not to mention being best friends. I don't want to spoil anything, though hopefully you won't watch it, but by the end everything is so unbelievable and in some ways crude that you just feel sick watching it.    
 
 The screenplay doesn't sound at all like 1940's, sounds very modern day. Married Life tries to be an artsy drama about adult relationships, but it mostly details selfish men who betray each other for women and only care about others in when it benefits themselves. Thankfully, this one is forgettable, so I can't say I hated it, but don't be fooled by the big names and the supposedly interesting storyline.

BABYLON A.D.

1 1/2 STARS

Every few years Vin Diesel hits the screen with a new action flick, did I mention that they all suck? Well Vinnie is back in one of the worst entries of his borderline terrible resume as a bad ass and depressed mercenary in Babylon A.D. He is hired to transport a young girl from somewhere in eastern Europe to New York. Accompanying them is Michelle Yeoh. The government has now totally overrun the planet and everything feels as though its the end of the universe,why is that always such a popular theme in futuristic movies? 
 
Now obviously I wasn't expecting much from Babylon A.D. After all, what can you expect from a guy whose made his career off of XXX and Fast and the Furious, so I was not in great shock when I ended up hating it. The screen writing is laughable, the acting is terrible, the story is a bad parody of Children of Men. But who knows? Was director Kassevitz really trying to make this a competitor to one of the best movies of the decade, spoof or attempted seriousness, it fails. Babylon A.D. is your typical Vin Deisel movie, no thrills, crappy action, bad special effects, and predictability in every camera angle. 
 
There were some cool shots of New York City, but thats only for about fifteen minutes out of a long and dreadful hour and a half. Babylon A.D. misses every hit and falls flat so that would be a negative review. 

THE FALL

3 STARS

The biggest dissapointment this year, even bigger than Indy 4, is a movie probably none of you have heard of, its a promising but dull fantasy called The Fall. Directed by Tarsem Singh, famous for the music video Loosing My Religion for R.E.M, The Fall is about a Hollywood stuntman named Roy, played by Lee Pace of Pushing Daisies, who ends up in the hospital. He tells an epic tale to a little girl named Alexandria who has a broken arm. She is played by young actress Catinca Utaru. In the parrallel story, Roy is asking Alexandria to steal him some morphine pills so he can commit suicide. Despite The Fall being typically in the category of movies I always love, Pan's Labyrinth, this movie is nowhere in the same league as those.

The one named director Tarsem put a lot of effort into making this film, he traveled to twenty eight countries and shot this eye full with no computer imagery, but forgot that story also matters. And let's face it, movie making isn't kindergarden, you don't get a gold star for effort. The scenery is gorgeous, sure, but if Singh took a moment to stop showing off, maybe the viewer can have some emotional investment in this movie. The Fall is basically a giant showcase of Tarsem screaming at the audience "LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!" Myself being such a huge fan of Pan's Labyrinth, I couldn't wait to see this movie. When it started I was jumpy in my seat from the excitement, but by the end I was jumpy in my seat the excitment of it ending.

The only reason I'm giving The Fall three starts instead of what it really deserves is because I had such high hopes for this movie, the gorgeous cinematography and costume design, and because despite that Tarsem did get too full of himself, the guy travelled to twenty eight countries while shooting this thing in sequence! You got to give him some props. I really tryed to love this movie, but the sadness over the dissapoinment of this picture stayed with me for hours so unfortunately I can only give a marginal recommendation to what I expected to be a five star film.

HELL RIDE

2 STARS

Here's a real kill joy, the very dissapointing Hell Ride. Produced by Quentin Tarrantino, who's made classics like Resovoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, really didn't do much with this. Larry Bishop directs and starts as Pistelero, a bad ass biker gang leader. Joining him, Michael Madsen as The Gent and Eric Balfour as Camanshe. They team up to seek revenge against the Six Six Six'ers, scary right? Dennis Hopper, who seems to be in about a new movie every couple of weeks, supports the cast as Eddie Zero, and David Carradine plays the leader of the Six Six Six'ers, Deuce. While Tarrantino has made some of the best "jokey" sadism movies, Hell Ride doesn't live up to Sin City or Death Proof.

Hell Ride really isn't really terrible, its just not exactly good. I liked some of the performances, Michael Madsen and Larry Bishop are very good, but its really just a bland picture. The violence, sex, and nudity works in some movies, but those also have soem intrigue. Sure, people don't go to movies like Hell Rdie for the plot, but it has to have atleast something to carry the movie. So can I really review this movie on plot and filmmaking? Probably not.  

THE PROMOTION

2 1/2 STARS

John C. Reily and Sean William Scott battle it out in the supermarket for a promotion in, you guessed it...The Promotion. Reily plays Richard and Scott plays Doug. Both want to become the managers of a new supermarket and try to put one another down so the upper management...well you get the story. Have you noticed how lazy this review is? Well that's because The Promotion is one of those movies that leaves with really nothing. I don't like it, and I don't not like it. I just really don't care.

The Promotion is the same story we've seen in countless other movies. The characters here are boring and sort of jerks. I really didn't care or root for any of these characters, they're just so uninteresting. In movies like this, the writer usually creates a character so that when he gets what he wants, the audience is pleased, but here you just really don't care. Have you also noticed how many times I've used the term "I don't care", that's because it just left me with some weird lazy feeling to the point where I feel like this review is more of a blog than me actually sitting at my computer and writing one of my "anyltical well-written reviews"- my friend Jonah.

But to get back to proffesionalism, The Promotion isn't bad, its just way too dry. A story like this isn't fresh, sure, but in the hands of Judd Appatow or Kevin Smith, this could've been a vastly different film going experience. The screenplay does this annoying thing where it experiments with different tones of comedy, well isn't that supposed to be done before the final product? I felt like I was watching the editing for The Promotion instead of an actual movie. At onepoint, its a dirty mouthed R-rated comedy, and then it turns into some kind of PG-13 garbage like Mr. Woodcock. It was way too noticeable when all of a sudden these characters start cursing as though their lives depended on it, and then go back to PG-13 zone. There were some genuinely funny parts, and just when its starting to pick up, it falls back into my "I don't care" mindset. The acting is okay, the screenplay is okay, direction okay, the whole movie okay. Notice my use of the word okay. Jenna Fisher is really the only thing that rises above the material, but unfortunatley we don't get to see too much of her onscreen.

The Promotion is a decent rental on a slow and boring night where you just feel like slouching and being mildly entertained. Now I'm going to go to sleep because The Promotion left me in one of the laziest moods I've ever felt. Bye bloggers, just kidding.

HENRY POOLE IS HERE

4 1/2 STARS

Luke Wilson stars as the bitter and depressed Henry Poole in one of the best movies of the year, Henry Poole Is Here. He moves into the suburbs after discovering he only has a short time to live. Henry wants to drink his last days away in his new empty house. After his new neighbor Esperanza, played by Academy Award nominee Adriana Barrazzo, sees a stuckoo stain and beleives it to be the face of Christ, she starts to beleive that Henry's house is some kind of miracle. Henry doesn't beleive this, and just wants to be left alone. Soon enough the whole neighborhood wants to touch the wall. Despite the chaos, he falls in love with his next door neighbor Dawn, played by Rhada Mitchell. Henry begins to have a new outlook on life, even if it means he will soon be leaving it.

Luke Wilson gives one of the best leading performance of the year so far, and this might be going out on a limb, but I think he deserves some consideration for Best Actor. Adriana Barrazzo is also very good and funny here, and you can't resist loving her. Morgan Lilly is adorable and gives one of the best performances from a child actor as a troubled six year old. Henry Poole Is Here does a fine job of drawing a line between faith and science. It doesn't support or deny the that the stain really is or isn't the face of Christ. Where the film took its downturn though, is where religion started to cross that line. At about the last forty minutes or so, Henry Poole Is Here really starts to force a decision upon veiwers. This happens when a girl can suddenly see after touching the wall, causing this to venture far too deep into a movie about miracles instead of faith.

The film never starts to make fun of these people who beleive in the wall stain. Henry Poole Is Here could've easily made a satire of these people, but Mark Pennington was very careful to make sure that whether you share their thoughts or not, they never seemed as though they were crazy. The ending wasn't as predictable as you might think. the audiences know two possible outcomes, and while they suspect that the movie will have a happy ending, it leaves them guessing. Unfortunately, Henry Poole Is Here is in limited release. People are going to say its due to the plot and the mood it creates, but you know what, if a crappy movie like The Last Holiday can get a wide release, so can this. The Last Holiday had bad acting and very bad writing while the plot was more or less the same, only you seem to care more about Henry than you do Queen Latifah.

The writing is pitch perfect. Henry's sarcasm on the subject is logical, and his depression understandable. Adriana Barrazzo's beleifs aren't funny because of her faith, but more because of her witty and warming personality. And Morgan Lilly is heartbreakingly wonderful here. All of these characters rise above being words on paper, to genuine and flawed people who you care about. If you don't get teary through the heartwarming story that is truly brought to life, check your pulse.  

TELL NO ONE

  4 1/2 STARS

Tell No One is a terrifying and heart wrenching yet brilliant French thriller that should merit a Best Foreign Language Film nomination. French actor Francois Cluzet gives an amazing performance as Dr. Alexander Beck. He is slowly getting his life back together eight years after his wife was supposedly brutally murdered. One day, Alex receives a mysterious e-mail. Its a video of his wife on a public camera. What does this mean? Is she really dead? As he is trying to find answers to these puzzling questions, Alex finds himself on the run from the police. Tell No One is a stunning and thrilling near-masterpiece.

Tell No One takes you deep into the underworld of the cultural country, and shows you another side to the otherwise well mannered tourist hot spot. The small uses of suspense, such as a loading screen on a computer, are brilliant, the long distance shots, showing an average day between both sides of the law are visually fantastic. The acting is first rate, from the lead and the supporting roles. Francois Cluzet creates Alex as a tormented man who you can't help but care about. Kirsten Scott Thomas gives a sexy and electrifying performance as Alex's sister's lover who is also Alex's most trusted friend. And the best supporting performance comes from Andre Dusollier as the wife's father. 

There is also a breathtaking chase sequence which is sure to shake audiences up, this movie is definitely not for the queasy ones. Direction and screenplay also contribute greatly to Tell No One, and the performances turn it into something Hitchcock would be proud to call his own. Tell No One is in very limited release so keep an extra eye out for it. This is without doubt one of the best films I've seen this year.

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY

4 STARS 

Francis McDormand and rising star Amy Adams deliver the charmingly enjoyable Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day. The story is set in 1940's England right before they go to war. McDormand plays Miss Pettigrew, an out of work housekeeper. Adams plays the promiscuous Delysia Leyfouss who needs Miss Pettigrew's help to stay on her feet. Lee Pace, best known for the hit TV series Pushing Daisies, co-stars as Delysia's "true love" and Ciarin Hinds plays an underwear designer who falls for Miss Pettigrew, and all these characters' lives change in 24 hours.

Miss Pettigrew starts off stiff, but eventually finds its footing to the delight of audiences. The film felt like a Broadway musical, and I mean that in the best way possible. All these characters don't really seem like real people, they're all very hyper and unrealistic, and I think that's what the film was going for. The screenplay was excellent and even with the back story  of World War II, it never lost its focus on making this a pleasant treat. The sets and the antique cars really give this a 40's feeling, and the acting and writing back it up perfectly.

Every performance here was first rate. Amy Adams is adorable and Francis McDormand is very charming. Lee Pace gives a great performance and I think some day he can really be a star. I watched the first season of Pushing Daisies, and I'll watch the second, and he's also very good in that and he brings that light charm to the movie.

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day at times has the vindication of a Mary Poppins knock off, but I think that the movie can be appreciated as its own story and what the heck, it would probably even make a great musical.

THE STRANGERS

 2 1/2 STARS

 

Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman must survive against a group of masked weirdos in the mediocre, The Strangers. Tyler and Speedman star as Kirsten and James, a young couple who have just returned from a friend's wedding reception. They're staying at Jame's family's summer home for the night and soon realize they may never be leaving. They are terrorized by a few masked nut cases who cut their telephone lines and trash their cars so they can't escape.

Though at times offering genuine scares, The Strangers too often settles for the usual cheap thrills of a modern day slasher movie. Its also quite hard to enjoy a movie when you're that aware of the camera. I generally have no problems with shaky camera work, I loved it in Cloverfield. But there it served a purpose, here its just being used to try to create an effect on the viewer which it seemingly doesn't. The acting is good from Tyler and Speedman, but even then the movie falls flat because it the screenplay really doesn't give the actors enough room to really create an emotional atmosphere.

There are times during The Strangers where you're just waiting for the payoff but it just falls into its own routine of the same thing over and over again to the point where even the actual frightening moments aren't enough to really carry this film from being an hour and a half of boredom and just become Liv Tyler screaming every five minutes. I kept waiting for something new to actually happen, maybe for the leads to rebel against these people, but nothing really changes throughout the time line of this movie. Its not really a struggle, just them hiding in a house, so unfortunately you can skip The Strangers.

It really is disappointing because the story promises in the beginning to navigate away from the usual cheap tricks used in other modern day horror films such as Prom Night, but by the end its nothing but a decent rental, if that. The Strangers isn't terrible, but its not really helping out this suffering genre.

SON OF RAMBOW

4 STARS

I still remember the day when I saw First Blood. I also remeber that the last thing it inspired was friendship, but I guess Son of Rambow proved me wrong. This is a sweet and sinceire if sometimes uneven coming of age story. When a young boy sees Rambo, he decides to make his own movie about it with the help of his new friend.

Will is a shy boy who belongs to a strict religious sect and Lee is a misbehaved bully. After the two boys paths meet, they want to enter a young filmmakers competition by making their own version of Rambo. They become friends and meet some new ones along the way. The movie also deals with faith and censorship, and while all of the elements may not mesh perfectly, it still somehow works. The child actors are very good here and are able to carry the film.

Son of Rambow never really becomes unpleasent or too violent nor does it stray into the whole whimsical zone. The screenplay and direction are strong and this whole idea of two young boys making their own home made Rambo is very clever. The story started to get dull by the end because inevitbaly it becomes repetitive, but I enjoyed Son of Rambow from start to finish. It has a lot more going for it than the new installment in the Rambo franchise and honestly, the whole Rambo franchise itself.

Son of Rambow seems like its going to be a parody of the Stallone blockbuster but its very careful not to make a satire out of the film. I think that the movie can be appreciated as its own story despite some flawes working against it. The movie is out of theaters but don't miss it when it comes out on DVD.

TROPIC THUNDER

3 1/2 STARS

 Ben Stiller has his writer director dayview in the very funny comedy Tropic Thunder. Stiller also co-stars along with Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. Stiller plays Tugg Speedman, a self absorbed action star, Jack Black plays a heroin addict who stars in fat comedies, and the best performance comes from Downey as an Oscar winner who undergoes a pigmentation procedure to play an African America, talk about throwing yourself into a role.

Th film starts off on the set of a war movie. Steve Coogan plays a jumpy director who is sick of the behavior of the actors and crew. After the movie gets shut down, Coogan decides to throw them in the jungle and shoot the film guirella style with hidden cameras everywhere. What they don't know, is that the Viatnameese have planted real charges everywhere and mistakes the actors for real American soldiers. The actors beleive that everything going on is all a special effect, until they start to see the reality of the situation. Stiller continues to go on, only to get himself captured by a Vietnameese drug circle, prompting the actors to save him.

Tropic Thunder isn't as funny or as fresh as Pineapple Express, but it still has some hysterical laughs and very good acting. Tom Cruise is very good as a Hollywood producer, Matthew McConaughy was actually good, I guess he's proven that he's better as a supporting actor than a leading man. Brandon T. Jackson and Jay Baruchel are very funny, and Danny McBride from Pineapple Express also brings a lot to the show, and of course the leads. Steve Coogan and Nick Nolte provide great supporting roles and make this a winner. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect as the award winning actor and it takes an actor that good to keep the role from turning into some over acted parody pf sorts.

Ben Stiller is probably better a director than he is a screenwriter, but does a very good job his first time keeps this from turning into a full blown satire. I was pleasently surprised by Tropic Thunder and its a great late summer comedy.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3-D

3 1/2 STARS

With just a few day before Jounrey to the Center of the Earth 3-D was officially taken out of theaters, I was lucky enough to see one of the last showings. I don't think out of the four movies I've seen this weekend, I had as good a time as I did at this one. The experience in  3-D is terrific. Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson, and Icelandic actress Anieta Briem team up to bring the latest adaptation of the Jules Vern novel.

Brendan Fraser stars as Trevor, a science proffesor whose brother dissapeared years ago. Trevor's nephew, the brother's son, played by Josh Hutcherson, visits him for a couple weeks. But instead of a quite ten days, they journey to Iceland meeting a mountain guide played by Aneita Briem. She takes them up a mountain where they fall into the center of the earth.

The film is at times chessy and let's face it, everyone's going to this thing for the 3-D, and so did I, but there is a fun and interesting story to back it up. Like I said, if you're going to see it, see it in the 3-D format. The performances are pleasent from Fraser and Briem and the writing is at times witty. They're isn't much to say about Journey to the Center of the Earth except that its an eyeful and its loads of fun. I was very pleasently surprised and I hope people will rush to the theater to see it if its still playing at the local cinema, and make sure its playing in 3-D.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS

1 1/2 STARS

George Lucas has now one hundred percent proven that he doesn't know when enough is enough. After the very dissapointing Indiana Jones 4 earlier this summer, he decides to anger people even more by releasing Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This movie is a train wreck from start to finish. Lucas, give it up.

Clone Wars takes place in between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The characters have now gone animated in more ways then one. Anakin Skywalker has a Padawan and they must rescue Jabba the Hutt's son. Count Doku is working against them, trying to get the slime ball and kill him and make it look like the Jedi are responsible.

Clone Wars has probably the worst writing this year. The day the words "he's so cute" are used in a Star Wars picture, animated or not, it's time for Lucas to pack up and call of the show. Lines range from very bad to groundbreakingly horrible. The animation is dreadful, and what's even sadder is that its quite obvious that Lucasfilm was going for this kind of look. There were some scenes where this style of animation worked, mostly the battle scenes and the scenes with Jabba, but those are far too few.

I really wanted to soften the punch on this film, mostly because I've always been a giant Star Wars geek, but in the end there's only so much you can take. I expected the film to be crap, that was quite obvious, but a little part of me was hoping that this film wouldn't suck, the little part that still loves the Star Wars universe. I was one of the few who supported the prequels, especially Revenge of the Sith, but no support for this one.

Horrible screenwriting, terrible animation, and a very dull storyline makes this even worst than Phantom of the Menace or the Christmas special that ran years ago. How much more can Star Wars fans take? The new characters are very boring and the original characters are really cartoons, not just because they're animated. Ladies and gentelman, the force has left Star Wars.

COLLEGE ROAD TRIP

NO STARS

Here's a tip: Next time you're having a bad day, don't say it can't get any worst, because then you might just have to suffer through College Road Trip. This new Martin Lawrence gag is the worst movie of this or perhaps any other year. I don't even have enough money to pay for the therapy to even mildly repress the trauma of this film. After this, I'm going to go to the neartest theater and watch a hopefully great film so my faith can be restored in movies. College Road Trip has earned one thing, a new rating on the site, NO STARS!

Martin Lawrence stars as a borderline psychotic over protective father. When his daughter, played unreedemebly by Raven Symone, is ready to go off to college, her dad goes nuts and decides to take her on a road trip. The film wasn't obviously aiming for much, but it falls flat on its ass even in that sense. The acting is so groundbreakingly bad and so overacted, that the acting in The Love Guru seems Oscar worthy. College Road Trip is a loud and traumatizing experience which I hope I can one day recover from. The acting from Donny Osmond is going to surely give me nightmares.

Stay away from this at all costs! The sentimentality doesn't work, mostly because of the memories from the first hour and twenty minutes. Next time you see the green screen before a commercial and it reads: The following motion picture has been approved for all audiences, DON'T BELEIVE THEM! This movie shouldn't have even been approved for humanity! Why god? Why?

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

4 STARS

Javier Bardem trades in his air gun for a glass of wine, and quite frankly a better haircut, in Woody Allen's new Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Scarlett Johanssen is back in front of Allen's camera rejoined by her Prestige co-star Rebecca Hall, No Country juggernaut Bardem, and Penelope Cruz. The charmingly well-matched cast delivers the consistently enjoyable summer diversion that is sure to win people over.

Hall and Johanssen star as best friends Vicky and Cristina. The two are spending the summer in Barcelona and run into Juan Antonio, played by Bardem. He is a struggling and undeniably charming artist. He invites the pals to join him on a romantic weekend in the country. There he seduces them and this leads to much tension between Vicky, played by Hall, and Juan Antonio. Back in Barcelona, Vicky manages to put the weekend behind her, and refocus her thoughts on her rich yet boring fiancé, Doug. But Cristina decides to move in with Juan Antonio and pursue a summer romance. Things become increasingly difficult for the two lovebirds when his psychotic ex-wife, Marie Ellena, played stunnigly by Penelope Cruz, moves in after an attempted suicide. The three of them eventually settle into a three way, yes, all the men in the theater were pouting.

While Vicky Cristina doesn't make a lot of sense in a realistic universe, the theater is your place for escapism. The film is one of the sexiest and most intriguing of the year. The story pulls you in with an interesting plot, excellent direction, beautiful scenery of Spain, and terrific performances, not to mention Johanssen and Cruz making out. Rebecca Hall and Penelope Cruz give the best performances though and are deserving of wide recognition. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a beautiful postcard from Spain.

The movie certainly navigates away from the classic clishé of a romantic comedy, though at times becomes its own entirely. The movie has its problems, but I was very happy with Vicky Crisitina Barcelona and had a great time. Woody Allen has yet again proven that he's a genius with the camera.      

X FILES: I WANT TO BELEIVE

 2 1/2 STARS

As much as I wanted to beleive in X Files: I Want to Beleive, by the end I just wanted to get the hell out of the theater. This is one of the dullest and dryest experiences I've had at the movies all year long. After years since the show's end, Chris Carter is back to bring you an over extended episode of the X Files.

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are back as ex-FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Scully is now working as a surgeon who is trying to save a boy with a rare brain disease, and Mulder is isolated at his home clipping newspapers about unexplained phenomenen. When a young FBI agent is abducted, the two are called back into service because... well actaully I really don't know what the abduction had to do with aliens. The FBI is now following the evidence of a pedophile priest played by Billy Connelly. Its never really clear if the priest is actually having psychic visions or if its all just a hoax, but what I do know is that none of it was interesting enough to actaully care about.

I Want to Beleive is a decent rental, if that. The story wasn't thought provoking and the lines are delivered in the same monotone throughout the whole movie. There was one exceptional scene between Anderson and Connelly in his apartment which was very well written and acted. The only other factor worth watching in this is Gillian Anderson, who gives a first rate and feisty performance. Many will say that Billy Connelly was the true star here, but I really didn't like the performance. The way he reads his lines, it feels like the vision thing really is a hoax and I'm left wondering, how could the FBI really not suspect him? Everything that was going on pointed to him. 

I was never a fan of the series, so maybe I can't really judge this film, but from a bystander's point of view, it really is quite dull. I Want to Beleive wasn't terrible, maybe borderline okay, but its  really not worth your money at the theater so wait to rent it.

NIM'S ISLAND

3 STARS

Abigail Breslin stars in the light hearted, sweet, and goofy girl fantasy movie, Nim's Island. As usual, Breslin is adorbale playing some witty and clever kid. Here, she plays Nim, who lives on an undiscovered island with her dad, played by Gerard Butler. The two are happy living together in their own private universe. The animals on the island teach Nim and she basically loves her life.

The real story starts off when Nim's dad decides to go out to sea for a scientific expedition and leaves Nim on her own for a few days. After a storm leaves him shipwrecked, there is absolutely no way to contact Nim, who herself is getting more and more worried. The parallel story features Jodie Foster as an agoraphobic. She writes "dashing" adventure novels about a "striking" and "fearless" hero, while she herself is to afraid to go out and grab the mail. When she contacts Nim, she feels obligated to get out of the house and go to the island.

Nim's Island is chessy and formulaic, but then again, a movie like this plays by the rules instead of setting them, and I really didn't feel like watching this be its own kind of flick. The best thing about the movie is Jodie Foster. She is excellent as this hero on paper but obssesive nut case in the real world. Abigail Breslin is glowing as usual and Gerard Butler is charming as the father. Then there is another back story of these consuming tourists, and that's where the movie loses interest, but its still a decent solid rental. 

The visuals here are obviously pretty bad, but I doubt kids seven or eight will really be effected by it. Kids around Breslin's age will probably be bored, but the younger ones might have a good time at it, and I'm sure the adults will appreciate Foster's performance. Its a lot better than some of the garbage circualting on the shelves now so spend a few bucks at Blocbuster and have a good time.  

TRANSSIBERIAN

5 STARS

One of the best movies I've seen all year isn't a big budget action thriller, its the fairly low budget drama, Transsiberian. The story takes place on the infamous railroad leading from Beijing to Moscow.

Roy and Jess, played by Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer, are church missionaries who find themselves on the train. The locomotive is crawling with cops trying to sniff out drugs, even if they have to use inhuman tactics to get what they want. When Roy and Jess get new cabin mates, Carlos and Abby, played by Eduardo Noriega and Kate Mara, they are charmed. After a series of events, Roy and Jess see another side to their otherwise pleasent bunk buddies.

Transsiberian is a compelling human drama about what happens when a person with a dark past is searching for a brighter future but is put back into old ways by desperation. The movie is at times hard and painful to watch to the point where you want to avert your eyes from the screen, but the film plays with the viewers emotions and doesn't seize its grip until hours after its over. Does a person lie to protect those they love or sacrifice everything by telling the truth? What question doesn't Transsiberian attack? Never was I bored through this almost two hour thriller. The performances are first rate from Emily Mortimer, Woody Harrelson, and Ben Kinglsey, who plays a shady cop with a dark secret of his own.

Transsiberian was very close to being perfect. The story takes a slight down turn in the third act, but even then I was still on the edge of my seat. The cinematography is gorgeous and there are some very beautiful shots of the train from a distance. All of these characters are flawed but are so real that you feel like a fly on the wall in almost every scene.

Transsiberian is a rarely flawed masterpiece that is deserving of a wider audience and hopefully it won't continue to be overlooked.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

4 1/2 STARS

SMART PEOPLE

4 STARS

THEN SHE FOUND ME

2 STARS

Helen Hunt's writer-director-actress experiment, Then She Found Me, delivers drastic results. Some actors can do the whole triple play thing, but Helen Hunt proves she is not one of them, or at least she doesn't prove it with this one. When the movie started, I was thinking: Do I really want to sit through this Helen Hunt mid-life crisis story?
 
Hunt stars as April. She is an adopted 39-year old woman who wants a child more then anything. Her husband, played by Matthew Broderick leaves her, her adoptive mother dies, she meets another man, and she finds out who her real mother is all in the same day. I didn't buy any of it. Bernice, played by Bette Middler, strolls into her abandoned daughter's life and wants a relationship. At the same time, April starts seeing Frank, played by Colin Firth. And then she is trying to have a baby. How complicated can her life get?
 
Then She Found Me is a mess from start to finish and its a very sort of mean story for no reason. The Colin Firth character is a jerk, Bette Middler is a modern evil, and Helen Hunt is really pathetic here. There were some sincere moments, and just when I was starting to mildly get into these characters, another dark and unnecessary thing happens that just makes the story even colder. The screenplay tries to be quick witted but it just ends up being quick noise because they talk so fast and try to make it quirky that it just fails like everything else here. The performances are shallow and bland and the direction looks like the budget for this thing was fifty dollars.
 
As I was watching this I felt like I was watching the Lifetime channel. The whole thing is one long, cold, dull soap opera that should be avoided.

STEP BROTHERS

3 STARS

 The latest to roll out of the Apatow factory and into theaters is non-other then Step Brothers. While this one may not be as funny or as good as some of Apatow's previous achievements such as Knocked Up, The 40-Year Old Virgin, or Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I still found Step Brothers to be a good time. The team that delivered Talladega Nights returns to bring you the story of two forty year old men who still live at home with their parents.

Will Ferrell plays Brennan and John C. Reilly plays Dale. When their parents, played by Richard Jenkins and Mary Steenburgh, get married, the two are forced to move in together and become step brothers. This leads to a lot of raunchiness which I found really funny. Eventually they become friends and sure its predictable, but who cares?

Many are already saying that Talladega Nights is superior and that this is disappointing, but I totally disagree. I found Step Brothers to be a lot better than Talladega Nights, which I never liked. The movie starts declining drastically in the third act and comes close to wearing out its welcome, but for two thirds of this I was laughing out loud.

The performances from Richard Jenkins and Mary Steenburgh are both equally good and Ferrell and Reilly are also very funny in this. The Pineapple Express is coming out in a week, also from Apatow, and that should be the real comedy highlight of the summer, but this is still a good rental so don't miss out.   

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR

3 STARS 

 The newest installment in an overall mediocre franchise is the best of the bunch and is way above mediocrity. I just couldn't deny how much fun Tomb of the Dragon Emperor really was. Its certainly cheesy but its also one of the most enjoyable times I had this year at the movies.

Brendan Frasier is back as Rick O'Connell joined by Maria Bello who unfortunately replaces Rachel Weiz as Evelyn O'Connell. When their son Alex finds the mummy of an ancient Chinese Emperor, he accidentally awakens and the O'Connell family embarks on a new adventure. Jet Li plays Emperor Han who was cursed two thousand years ago and is now back to reclaim his rule over China and you guessed it: the world.

I just couldn't help admitting that I was entertained from start to finish by Tomb of the Dragon Emperor despite a few things working against it. The main problem I had with the movie is Maria Bello. I've liked her in a few things but her performance is awful here and she has my vote for worst actress come the Razzies. The screenplay also doesn't help Mummy win over audiences and critics, but it was so much fun that I can't imagine anyone not being entertained by it.

Brendan Frasier is good here, Jet Li has his own fun with his role, and mainly, this doesn't try to be something its not. Plain fun, not an action thriller. But like I said, Maria Bello is horrible here. I also really don't buy that Luke Ford is Brendan Frasier's son and they could've made that a bit more believable, but who really cares? After you've seen The Dark Knight for about the tenth time, go and give this one a chance because while it isn't anywhere close to The Dark Knight, you just get a kick out of the goofy special effects and the enjoyable action. 

 

MEET DAVE

1 STAR 

I definitely was not in shock when I came out of Meet Dave and felt like I just wasted an hour and a half of my life, I just didn't think it would be that horrendously bad. I honestly have to say that I would rather go back and Meet Bill again then sit through this one more time. It seems that Eddie Murphy and Mike Meyers have become pals and are both trying to ruin their careers. Now even though Meet Dave is not as bad as Meyer's "The Love Guru" or Murphy's own "Norbit", it comes very close.

 

Eddie Murphy is in another one of his annoying dual roles, as if Norbit wasn't enough. Here he plays Starship Dave and the inch tall captain inside his head. After making an unwelcome crash landing into theaters, he hooks up with Gina Morrison, played by Elizabeth Banks. She is a clueless painfully dull single mom who arouses Dave even though he is a robot. The mini people inside him navigate Dave through New York City and how to appear to be normal, well that didn't work out too well. The movie is only about an hour and thirty minutes, but I felt as though it dragged on for days.

 

Watching Eddie Murphy further kill his career is not worth your eight or ten dollars at the movies nor is it worth your time. The acting is bad, the writing is awful, and the plot constantly fails. Now if you're thinking why not take the kids to this, here is my answer: Sometimes there's a movie like The Spiderwick Chronicles which is not great but not that bad, and the kids enjoy it, but the kids are going to grow restless very soon at this.

 

What's mainly sad in this is Elizabeth Banks. Why would a talented rising actress such as herself put Meet Dave on her resume? I expected the movie and Eddie Murphy's performance to be crap, but I was hoping she would bring some light to the whole thing, but she fails along with the movie.

 

Its already done horribly at the box office and will do bad on DVD and it should. I've met Dave, I hate Dave, I never want to see Dave again, and I would not recommend meeting Dave to anyone else.

DECEPTION

1 1/2 STARS 

RECOUNT

4 1/2 STARS

THE WACKNESS

4 STARS

The Wackness is the newest indy coming-of-age story, and while it may not win any Oscars like Little Miss Sunshine or Juno, its sure to win the hearts of audiences.

 

Josh Peck stars as Luke Shapiro, an upset struggling young drug dealer in 1994 Manhattan. He gets therapy from Jeff Squires, played by Ben Kingsley, an older version of Luke who trades him weed for sessions. After graduating from high school, Luke feels even lonelier, until his shrink's stepdaughter Stephanie, played by Olivia Thirlby, comes into his life. She goes along with him selling marijuana while teaching him how to live in a more laid-back style.

 

The Wackness sometimes plays as part afterschool special, part midlife crisis story, and part coming-of-age story. And while all of the elements may not work, I found the story sort of charming in its own way. The film also does a very good job of capturing the cultural feel of mid-90's New York, including smart details like Forrest Gump posters on buses, the growing trend of hip-hop music, the appearance of the Nintendo system, and, of course, all of the Guliani references.

 

I didn't completely buy the Josh Peck performance but it was still decent, and I thought the performances from Ben Kingsley and Olivia Thirlby were very strong. The Wackness is a hit in its own way and deserves a wider audience, so keep an eye out for it.  

 10,000 B.C.

 1 1/2 STARS

RAMBO

2 STARS 

HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY

3 STARS

The best comic book movie summer ever just got dragged down a bit by the release of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Guillermo del Toro's follow up to his far superior 2003 original. Ron Perlman is back in red as the title character supported by Selma Blair as Hellboy's girlfriend Liz, Doug Jones as sidekick Abe Sapien, and Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame as the newest addition to the pack, Strauss.

In this adventure, an ancient artifact belonging to an underground civilization is discovered. Prince Nuada, heir to the freaky fairy throne, comes to stake his claim. So, Hellboy and his frat pack come in to save the day. Now, if I were to rate this movie solely on its dazzling visual effects and fantastical creature design, this would be a five star film. But since I'm rating this mostly on plot, acting, and screenplay, this is just a mediocre fantasy film that is just a notch below enjoyable.

Guillermo del Torro, who directed Pan's Labyrinth, one of my favorite movies of the decade, has directed one fo the cheesiest screenplays all year, cheesy acting, and a weak plot that suffers more of poor execution. The visuals here are breathtaking though, and that's mostly the only reason I am recommending this. The creatures and visual effects are a prime example of truly untamed imagination. And as much as I really don't care too much for the movie itself, I think it deserves the Oscar for best special effects. But the acting here is weak and triesome, and unlike some of this year's other comic book adaptations, such as The Dark Knight which is the best movie I've seen all year, the characters don't seem real enough for any rooting interest. This isn't even trying to be something like The Dark Knight where you forget that it's a comic book adaptation and think of it as a real crime drama.

If you're going to the movies for first rate visuals, see Hellboy 2, but otherwise, skip the corny acting and the even cornier screenplay. 

MEET BILL

2 STARS 

Meet Bill is the latest movie that shows Jessica Alba has absolutely no talent and is just in front of the camera being one of the hottest stars in Hollywood right now, well can she do that and actually act? After meeting Bill, I wish Tarantino had done the job right the first time and killed him.

Aaron Eckhart is the star here though, a man going through a mid life crisis. Bill is stuck in a loveless marriage and a depressing job working for his father-in-law. After discovering that his wife is cheating on him with the local newsman, he goes totally nuts, as if he wasn't for the first 30 minutes of this thing. Logan Lerman comes in as a pot smoking 15 year old who wants to improve Bill's life with aid of Jessica Alba's Lucy. I really don't understand the point this movie is trying to make, or why this whole thing was even made.

While Meet Bill isn't a total train wreck, it's certainly very bad. I did think Aaron Eckhart was pretty good in this but this is far from his best work that we've seen in movies like Thank You For Smoking or even a decent sort of good movie like No Reservations, and of course The Dark Knight.

The writers would like you to think that Eckhart is going for the same kind of character here, but Bill is just a creepy depressed jerk. He and Elizabeth Banks, who plays the unfaithful wife, are portraying characters about ten years older then themselves. Not only does the script make absolutely no sense, the movie is very disturbing. When I say that, I'm mainly referring to Bill's relationship with the 15 year old kid where they're getting high together, picking up girls together, and sleeping in tents overnight.

We've seen the story of the man in mid-life crisis over and over again, and most of those movies were executed in much superior fashion. Eckhart has even played men like those before. There were some sort of genuine moments every once in a while but I would rather sit through all three Lord of the Rings movies eight times in a row than having to sit through this again. You can practically hear this movie crying out to be an Indy hit like Little Miss Sunshine or Juno, those movies got Oscars, the only awards this will be getting will be Razzies. 

Like I said, Alba is gorgeous, but has no talent, or at least none that she's shown audiences yet. So, while it's not absolutely horrible, it comes quite close. And it's really sad because this movie has some really great actors. And Jessica Alba.

Well I just got back from the midnight preview of the most anticipated movie of the year, and to call it mind blowing is an understatemnet.

 

But to call it a comic book adaptation, would be undermining it's effect and power over the audience. Even though I myself love comic books, the movies they've made on them so far, except for some, haven't had a strong effect on viewers, such as Spider-Man. Batman Begins was the first Batman to truly capture people. What you have been hearing about this movie isn't hype, it really is that good, along with the best performance I've seen all year, from the late Heath Ledger. This movie is his legacy and left him as one of the most memorable screen villains of all time.

 

Christian Bale returns even better this time around as Bruce Wayne aka Batman. He has now attracted a new breed of criminals to Gotham, like the Joker. Batman along with Lieutenant Jim Gordon and new Gotham D.A Harvey Dent, are trying to sweep the streets of the mob and other crime. Heath Ledger comes in as the Joker, a demented, psychopathic and terrifying clown. He is like the Javier Bardem of comic book movies. Joker has no empathy whatsoever and will kill anyone. Harvey Dent is played by Aaron Eckhart and Katie Holmes is replaced by Maggie Gyllenhal as Rachel Dawes.

 

Christopher Nolan deserves numerous awards for his direction as well as the visually stunning cinematography. The fight sequences are mostly real with no CGI which only adds to the realism of a comic book fantasy. And one of the smartest moves the director and writers made were to replace Katie Holmes, because Maggie Gyllenhal is wonderful here unlike Holmes who got nominated for a Razzie for Begins.

 

Of course there has been much talk of a posthumous nomination for Heath Ledger, and  by all means I think he deserves it, but unfortunately it's all just talk because the Academy would never nominate a comic book movie, as sad as it is. Every actor here is on their A-game, no performance here I think needed improvement except for maybe Eckart. I have a few mild reservations with the movie, such as the fight sequence with Batman and Joker on the street could've been better and I also think they could've done a better job with the makeup for Harvey as Two Face, and Eckarts sudden burst of anger were a little corny, but to give this movie anything less than five stars would be a crime. This is one of the best movies of the year.

 

For The Dark Knight Showcase Review, click here

MAMA MIA!

3 1/2 STARS 

Mama Mia! is a pleasant surprise and will most likely please audiences and maybe some kids who are tolerant of musicals. The movie is based on the Broadway hit of the same name.

 

The story is of Sopfie, played childishly by Amanda Seyerfield. She is getting married and wants her father to give her away, there is only one problem... she has three possible fathers. After stealing her mom's diary, she invites all three of them to the wedding hoping to figure out the mystery. Donna, played exceedingly well by Meryl Streep, is shocked when her three ex-loves show up. First is Sam, played very well by Peirce Brosnan. He is an American Architect, then Harry, a British banker, played by Colin Firth, and lastly there is Bill, played again very well by Stellan Saskegard.

 

What I really like about the film, besides Meryl Streep's stellar performance, is that all the music is tied in with just the right scenes and none of the musical numbers are boring such as some other recent musical adaptations. You do sometimes get the feeling that the songs are shoehorned into this, but once the music gets going you forget about it. Another great thing is, you never start to not like any of these guys. You can root for all three of them. Like I said, Meryl Streep is the heart of this whole thing. She does a good job of making people forget about her age and see her as kind of a free wild girl. And even though I like Peirce Brosnan in this, the guy can't sing to save his own life. Amanda Seyerfield acts as though she just came out of shooting of Mickey's Playhouse.

 

Obviously this weekend, me and the rest of man kind are going to see the Dark Knight, but maybe in a week or two, go see Mama Mia! It'll leave you in ABBA karaoke mode for a few hours though.

 

4 STARS

 

 

 

Flawless is certainly not that but it's one of the best movie I've see so far this year, and it's sure to please many others.

 

Michael Caine is astounding here as Albert Hobbs, a janitor who works at the London Diamond in the 1960's. For years he's been wanting to rob a vault full of the precious stone. He enlists the help of the only female manager at the company, Laura Quinn, played I think intriguingly by Demi Moore, who is doing her best work in years. Mrs. Quinn is constantly overlooked by her male co-workers and even though she is well qualified, doesn't get her desired promotion. After Hobbs sees a vengeful side in her he includes her in his ingenious plan. At first Quinn is obviously skeptical, but after thinking over the harsh way she has been treated in the company, reluctantly helps. The plan is flawless, unlike the movie, but like I said, well worth your time.

 

The film is done really well, capturing the time frame as well as the growing trends. I also really admire the way the very first security cameras are introduced here. Now about Mrs. Moore, this really is her best work in years, but a lot of it is done carelessly. After the writers realized that she can't do an English accent, they decided to add in that she was raised in America but educated in Oxford. There are no complains about the fascinating work from Michael Caine though.

 

The movie I think was very good up until maybe the last 30 minutes. A few of the problems I have with the last half hour of this film is that, there is one scene where Demi Moore is going down a drain, and there seems to be no extras around. In scenes where they need extras, the set is full of them, but when she's going down the drain it looks like the set from I Am Legend. I just think they could've done the scene in a more clever way.

 

The second reservation is that the overall conclusion was a bit weak after a big build up. Michael Caine's secret motive for doing this is vaguely understandable, and quite unnecessary. Flawless is sort of a second rate thriller, that won't redefine or do anything new to the heist genre, but it shouldn't be overlooked at the theater or at the local video store. 

NEVER BACK DOWN

1 1/2 STARS 

Never Back Down has to be the silliest and most contrived story about "misunderstood" teens since possibly John Tucker Must Die. This cast is made up of basically good looking people that are well built but have no actual talent.

 

Sean Faris, who looks as though they cast him coming out of the doors from an Abercrombie shoot, plays Jake Tyler, a depressed and angry young man who feels guilty over the death of his father. This kid constantly fights and gets arrested, and his widowed mother just can't take it anymore. When Jake's little brother Charlie gets a scholarship to a tennis academy in Florida, his mom doesn't hesitate to accept the offer. In his new school, Jake is almost automatically popular after the student body sees a YouTube of him fighting at his old school. It seems the only way to get popular in that school is to pound on someone's face until they're practically dead. After seeing the video, one of the students challenges Jake to a brawl. Ryan, played by Cam Gigandet, brutally beats Jake and makes remarks about his late father. In anger Jake continues to fight but is then knocked unconscious. Desperate for revenge, he enlists the help of mixed martial arts veteran Jean Roqua, a cheesy Mr. Miyagi stand in, played by Djimon Hounsou. He becomes even more violent, in the end he beats Ryan practically dead and guess what, the next day he's the most popular kid in the entire bloodthirsty school.

 

I tell you this in complete honesty, sitting through this I actually started to wonder if this was made by twelve year olds on crack. Midway through the movie, I thought "okay, it's really cheesy but maybe I can have fun with it" but it doesn't even work as a so -bad-it's-entertaining type film. Not only is the movie ridiculous on so many different levels, it's incredibly violent and unpleasant to watch. Sitting through young students beaten to a pulp isn't entertaining to me and I really don't think it would satisfy many others. The movie is like some teen knock off of Fight Club, a movie which I was never a big fan of but did somewhat enjoy, but this is just barbaric.

 

I have just about had it with these popularity teen movies where adults pretty much don't exist and even when they do they are always clueless extras in the film. In one scene the sadistic bully's father even comes in and supports this idea to fight with no end. Then in the same scene there is a type of brief ten second back story where we're suddenly supposed to sympathize with this crazy kid because his dad slaps him and that's like what you generally see in this type of what bully film, where they have a bad home life. So, if I haven't made my self clear yet, no, I'm not recommending this silly garbage to anyone, because it is simply too violent for kids and way too ridiculous for adults.

WALL-E

 4 1/2 STARS

One of the best movies so far this year happens to practically have no dialog and is animated, that movie is the beautifully made Wall-E. After last year's disappointing Ratatouille, which I believe was tremendously overrated, Wall-E whips Pixar back into shape. The story has the same basic overall theme as every cartoon, but unlike Kung Fu Panda, this is creative and unlike any animated feature, or live action movie, you've ever seen. This is a prime example of how animation can sometimes be much stronger and say a lot more than a live action film.

 

The story is set 700 years in the future. Earth is now literally a dump and is too toxic to support human life. Humans are now living in a giant spaceship out in the middle of the universe. Back on Earth, Wall-E is like the Will Smith of robots, being the only one on Earth. He is a tiny little recycling bot who has developed emotions and wants over seven centuries. His only friend is a cockroach. Wall-E carries around a lunchbox which he puts knickknacks in such as a rubix cube and carries them back to his cozy little shelter which he has made into a home. One day a feminine robot name EVE arrives and startles the tiny bot. He falls inlove with her and starts to follow her around. After he gives her a plant she stores it inside herself and deactivates. When a spaceship retrieves her Wall-E clings on and is taken into space. There he discovers true love and what he is truly meant for. Yeah, it's a cartoon.

 

The animation here is just gorgeous along with a great scene of Wall-E and EVE dancing in space which is absolutely amazing and beautiful. The romance in this film is so real unlike crap like What Happens in Vegas with real people, but the characters in this film are real people. This has a strong chance of winning for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars this year and it's well deserved. The movie is also a serious message about what we're doing to the planet that I think has a bigger voice than any documentary Al Gore could make.

 

Wall-E is probably just about the most lovable character of any animated or live action film that I think can one day become the mascot of Pixar. This amazing movie will surely join the list of Disney Classics and will influence filmmakers in the many years to come.

KUNG FU PANDA 

2 1/2 STARS 

I was very surprised when I came out of Kung Fu Panda and not liked it too much. The movie was praised, I don't really understand why. I found the story promising at first, but it became boring and way too silly, even for a cartoon.

 

The theme of the story is basically the same as all cartoons, "Don't give up", "You're meant for something greater", and all that nonsense. I do however applaud the voice acting from Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, and Ian McShane, and I found the shots and artwork fantastic. But other than that I don't see where all this praise is coming from. I do admit, it had it's moments, and don't get me wrong, I am recommending this film, it's just I don't understand why it is so highly praised. It's not a bad film, it's just not exactly a good one either. Like I said, I am recommending this, but it's only worth a rental and not $10.00 at the theater when there are better movies out there.

 

The plot is basically a flabby panda who works at a noodle shop with his dad, who happens to be a goose, has a secret dream of joining the Furious Five. They are an elite group of silly animals who look like stuffed animals. Po the Panda, voiced by Jack Black, go's to the "tryouts" for the Dragon Warrior, who is said to be so strong that he defeated all his enemies without even trying and blah blah blah. Po gets chosen, everyone is skeptical, in the end he's a hero, the end. Like I said, typical cartoon.

HANCOCK

3 1/2 STARS 

One of the biggest surprises I've seen all year, probably the biggest is Hancock. When I was walking into the theater for this movie, I was bitching and whining about how I didn't want to sit through some dumb kid's soccer mom film. Well I came out fairly satisfied with what I had seen, even if it isn't a masterpiece.

Will Smith stars as John Hancock (There is a reason for the name if you're wondering). Hancock is an alcoholic and depressed so called superhero. Every time he does what he calls being a hero, LA only hates him more. Now if you're going to sit through this and wonder why even though he hates everyone so much why he keeps doing "heroics" or why everybody hates him so much or just why he's such a jerk, then this movie isn't for you, because I'll agree with you, it doesn't make much sense. No matter what he does, nobody likes him, why? I don't know. One day after saving Ray, a PR executive, he feels obligated to make Hancock a lovable public figure. And he becomes a hero who was just "misunderstood" the whole time and all of that nonsense.

The movie has a long long list of problems, but thanks to the considerable charm of Will Smith, he was able to make the movie enjoyable and fun, and nothing more than that. Jason Bateman as Ray and Charlez Theron as Mary, Ray's wife, also have a lot of fun here, and are good as well. The story is promises in the beginning, then sinks, then is picked up by a really good twist, and just ends on neutral ground. I never thought I'd say this, but go to theater for the hobo superhero.

FINDING AMANDA

2 STARS 

Finding Amanda is a dark, stupid, disturbing, and wildly off-putting film. The acting here, except from Matthew Broderick, is bad, the story is lurid and incredibly unbelievable.

Broderick stars as Taylor Mending, an alcoholic gambler who is having troubles with his wife. Taylor finds out one day that his 20-year old niece Amanda, played by Brittany Snow is a pill popping hooker in Vegas. He really doesn't care at first but after fighting with his wife, he decides to go to Vegas and get Amanda into rehab to make it up to her.His wife of course knows that the only reason he is going is to gamble. You stop caring for the guy after about the tenth time he lies to his wife for no apparent reason. In Vegas, Taylor finds his niece. The entire story is extremely disturbing and very off putting.

Amanda is buying drugs with her uncle, and talking about hooking and he really doesn't seem to mind. Brittany Snow is really bad here as Amanda, she is a slutty addict outside but in her house she is some weird obsessed housewife. I just can't believe that this script could be taken seriously, this is like a live action cartoon, the characters are 2 dimensional, totally dry, and quite frankly not that smart. The constant swings of Amanda's personality become overwhelmingly annoying, like the entire movie. I did think though that Broderick did try in this thing, but in the end there is only so much you can do with material that is just total crap. The movie did have it's moments, but in the end it is a very sick and disgusting film, and you should stay away from it at all costs.

WANTED

4 STARS 

 Wanted is a film that will satisfy even the most hardcore of action junkies, it might even impress groups of women who piled up at the theater for Sex and the City. This is truly a stylishly entertaining film. Fans of the Matrix will also really appreciate this (Yes I did).

James McAvoy is really good here as Wesley Gibson. Wesley is basically a down on his luck loser, being pushed around by his boss and his friend who happens to be sleeping with his girlfriend. Wesley knows that his girlfriend is sleeping with his friend, but thinks of himself as too much of a wuss to do anything about it, so he simply doesn't say anything. One day while in a store getting his anti-anxiety meds, Fox, played by the gorgeous Angelina Jolie, pops up. She tells him that his father was a great assassin and that the man who killed him is right behind him. This leads to one of the best car chases I've ever seen, and some great special effects. Wesley is taken to the Fraternity, an ancient group of super assassins who get their assignments from a loom. Morgan Freeman plays Sloan, the leader of the Fraternity. They tell him of his father and the supernatural abilities he has to curve bullets and other weird fantasy stuff. They also tell him that what he thinks are panic attacks are actually a heightened adrenaline level that can make him do amazing things. Wesley obviously runs away at first, but the next day after standing up to his boss and smashing a keyboard on his friend's face he goes back to the Fraternity and tells them he's ready.

Now I don't really buy the whole overnight transformation from dork to super assassin, but hey, it's a movie. Soon enough he's killing and liking it. I loved the movie , I think it was great, you want to disagree with me, go ahead. The movie definitely isn't one of the deepest movies ever, but its mindless fun, action packed, one of the most enjoyable movies I've ever seen, and it grasps your mind the second it starts and doesn't let go until hours later after it's over.

The performances were very good, and Angelina Jolie controls this material only for the better. Let me tell you, the R-rating for this movie tremendously helped the marketing campaign for this thing. When I first saw the trailer, I thought it was going to be some dumb PG, most likely PG-13, corny action flick. It's not anything like that, and after I saw that it was R, I couldn't wait for the thing to come out.

The special effects are amazing here. The bullets flying through the air never got old and was always enjoyable to watch, especially how they collided together. The mix of live action and slow motion, and everything going slowly through the air is fascinating to watch. Kazakhstan director Timur Bekmambetov, has a long and hopefully winning future as a director. This is one hell of a film. Cancel dinner plans anything else in your schedule and drive as fast you can to get to the theater for Wanted.

BABY MAMA

3 1/2 STARS 

Baby Mama is this year's biggest surprise. I walked into this film expecting it to be trash, but came out really happy from the really strong acting and a really funny screenplay. Tina Fey and Amy Phoeler have non-stop chemistry on screen, and are both really good here.

 

Fey stars as Kate, a 38 year old woman who aspires of becoming a mother. When a doctor informs her that her chances of getting pregnant are one in a million, she decides to seek a surrogate. What Kate wasn't expecting on her plate is the handful Angie, played really well by Phoeler. The two first are at odds with each other but eventually become buds.

 

The film is at times predictable, but then there are some darker elements here that were as predictable, I was just hoping the writers would take a different road for a light comedy. I also really liked the performance from Romany Malco as the doorman. He takes on the role of kind of being the funny and likable doorman who occasionally pops in from scene to scene to give advice. These are some really likable characters who you can actually care about. The romance between Kate and Rob, played strongly by Greg Kinnear, is nice, the relationship between Kate and Angie is like the equivalent of a great buddy film for women.

 

The ending was a little too fairytale-ish for me but I had a great time at this film and I hope people will check it out in theaters or rent it when it comes out on DVD.

THE HAPPENING

4 STARS

 

A Virus is making people go nuts in "The Happening"! Who needed a virus?

 

The latest M. Night Shymalan film is propably one of the better films I've seen this year. Why the movie is so hated remains up in the air effected by the virus. If there's one thing I've learned from this movie, is stay as far away from trees. Though this movie has it's share of problems, I really did love this movie, and it did keep me at the edge of my seat.

 

Mark Whalberg gives a so so performance as Elliot Moore, a science teacher. He soon becomes involved in a natural disaster where the trees are supposedly rebelling against humans in large groups. People start to lose words, become paralyzed, and kill themselves. Elliot tries to escape the danger zone with his wife Alma, played fairly well by Zooey Deschanel, his best friend Jullian, played very well by John Leguazamo, and Julian's eight year old daughter Jess. Julian leaves the group to go looking for his wife and I think everyone knows the sad fate he meets. When communication has been lost with most of the north eastern border, Elliot, Alma, and Jess survive on theory.

 

The film does start to falter drastically in the third act, and starts getting to nuts like creepy old ladies and depressed cowboys who shoot kids, but I still really enjoyed and was satisfied by the film. The screenplay here is really bad, and definitely isn't winning any awards, but the direction is really good here. M. Night Shymalan in my opinion, and apparently not so many other's, is back in shape.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

2 1/2 STARS 

One of the most annoying phrases becomes the title of one of the most annoying movies ever made. With a long list of bad movies so far this year and more to come, this certainly isn't breaking far from the pack. I'll admit, there were some scenes that cracked me up, but I just couldn't buy the whole thing.

 

Asthon Kutcher and Cameron Diaz, two good looking people who really haven't shown any talent in films, star as Jack and Joy. After being laid off, and after being dumped, the two head to Vegas and meet up. After a long night of drinking the two get hitched. The next day they win the $3,000,000 jackpot. Jack says it's his because he put Joy's quarter in and pulled the lever, and Joy says the money is hers because it's her quarter. Back in New York, the two take each other to court for a divorce and the money. This is where the real unbelievable stuff begins. What judge in the world would sentence two of the most hostile people to live together for six months. Everyone must be really dimwitted in this thing to buy the scam, but it's a movie.

 

All romantic comedies are predictable, but this takes predictability to a whole new level. You pretty much know what is going to happen in every single scene. These character's are two dimensional, and I really didn't care about what happens to them or in Vegas for that matter, I just wanted to get out of my seat and run far far away. I may never go to Vegas again.

SEMI-PRO

3 1/2 STARS

I can't believe that I actually enjoyed a Will Ferrell comedy, even though I did love Anchorman. Semi-Pro might not be as good as Anchorman, but this movie was really enjoyable and pretty downright funny.

Will Ferrell is really good in this as Jackie Moon, a player, owner, and coach of an ABA basketball team, you remember those guys. When there is a chance to get into the NBA, Moon gets really excited and hires Ed Monix, played very well by Woody Harrelson. Monix teaches the team how to play real basketball and they soon become really good.

The ending isn't predictable which I like. This could've taken the obvious road, which is put the team in the NBA, but the film stays mostly true to NBA history. Of course the movie is flawed but I really really enjoyed this, and I hope people won't be discouraged from seeing this because of some of Ferrell's failures, such as Blades of Glory.

I went into this film whining and came out of it really happy. It won't be on any top ten lists at the end of the year, and you might forget about it come Oscar buzz, but all in all it's a way to kill two hours.

THE LOVE GURU

1/2 STARS

The Love Guru is a strong contender with 88 Minutes to be the worst movie so far this year. Mike Meyers blows the laughs out of comedy as well as his career with this unforgettably bad film.

 

Watching the movie I could clearly imagine Mike Meyers having a conversation with Eddie Murphy. "Eddie, lately you have absolutely killed your career with the biggest piece of crap of 07, Norbit. I'm wondering, how can I run my career down into a hole so deep, it will never come out of it again?"
"Well, first you should do disgusting hairy fat man James Bond spoofs, then you should move on to doing racial Indian expressions, that should just about kill it. And I guess after that you can do cooking channel infomercials and masturbate to a Hitler poster hanging up in you one bedroom apartment."

 

This movie was just so unbelievably bad, that it made me wonder if I would ever laugh again. Going into this, I expected it to be crap, but not this bad. In the year 2008, do they really think that audiences still find temperamental midgets, silly Indian stereotypes, French guys with big Kajones, and knees to the groin funny? I certainly don't. Fart jokes and booger jokes haven't been funny since even before the 90's, I guess Guru missed the memo.

 

Jessica Alba continues her streak of looking gorgeous but having no actual talent in the worst movies since Halle Berry in Catwoman and Jennifer Lopez in Gigli. Well to conclude my incredibly negative of the worst kind of human torture since the dawn of time, I just want to say one more thing: MIKE MEYERS SUCKS!

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES

3 STARS 

 

The Spiderwick Chronicles is a nifty little kid's film that parents alike may find enjoyable. The film is based on a pretty good series of books, each only 100-150 pages long. The five books in the series were divided into one film, but it didn't make the same mistake as A Series of Unfortunate Events, that movie clogged three films into an hour and a half.

 

This mostly takes the basic story and makes it into one day of adventure for Jared, Simon, and Malorie Grace. After moving in with their mom to the old run down Spiderwick estate, owned by their great great aunt, the three youngsters discover that there are magical creatures all around them. The "goblins" and "ogres" in this film aren't scary at all, and are just annoying ugly creatures, but I suppose that's good since this is just a kid's storybook fairytale film.

 

Nick Nolte is more just like a cameo in this film, he's only in it for a few minutes, he plays the supposedly scary Mulgrath. Mary Louise Parker is pretty good here as the mom and David Straithan is impressive as Arthur Spiderwick. The "kryptonite" to these goblins is pretty stupid, what happened to silver bullets? Even with the large amount of tomato sauce in this movie, it's pretty good and parents will probably be able to stand it, and the kids will have a good time, so why not?

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

4 1/2 STARS 

The Incredible Hulk is much more violent, much more darker, and much much better than it's 2003 predecessor. Don't let the 2003 film discourage you from going to this, because this is not a sequel, more like a reboot.

 

The story basically starts over in a series of flashbacks in the first few minutes of the film. Edward Norton is phenomenal here as Bruce Banner aka The Hulk. He is now a fugitive hiding out in Brazil as a worker in a soda company. When General Ross, played fairly well by William Hurt, finds out Bruce's location, he sends a team of soldiers led by Emil Blonsky, played by Tim Roth. After escaping a pretty long chase sequence, Bruce reconciles with Betty Ross, played by Liv Tyler. She is Bruce's former girlfriend and also happens to be the daughter of the general. The two head to New York to find Bruce a cure from Samuel Sterns, played by Tim Blake Nelson. Eventually Sterns ends up helping Blonsky turn into a bony giant monster, who becomes the enemy of the Hulk. The conclusion is pretty spectacular and breathtaking.

 

The fight sequences are first rate as is the special effects. There is also a really clever cameo here from Tony Stark from last month's Iron Man and from Lou Ferringo from the TV Series. The Incredible Hulk is almost as good as Iron Man if it weren't for Liv Tyler's underacting and Tim Blake Nelson's over the top acting, and some pretty ridiculous scenes including a drop of blood and a soda bottle and Hulk putting out a fire by slamming his fists. Other than that this is a great film.

 

The Academy would never nominate Norton for his amazing work here, but he is well deserving of it. With a year full of superhero movies, and many more to come this year and in the next few years, Iron Man and Hulk are starting what is hopefully to be the rebirth of comics and The Golden Age of comic book movies.

IN BRUGES

5 STARS 

 

In Bruges has to be without doubt one of the best films of 2008. So far this year has been quite disappointingly, but this is one of the few years that even though the majority of the movies suck, there are a few that you just love. This is the first year for me that I've actually given five stars to three films, Definitely, Maybe, Iron Man, and now In Bruges. Even though most of the movies so far are really bad, there are a few that make up for it.

 

Colin Farrel gives the best performance of his career as Ray, and Brendan Gleeson does a fine job as Ken. The two are buddy hit men, like Vincent and Jules in Pulp Fiction way back in 1994. After a botched hit in London, their boss Harry, also played great by Ralph Fiennes, tells them to hide out in Bruges until he calls them. While in Bruges, Ken and Ray's friendship is tested as well as their morales.

 

Not only is this a true human drama, it is also really funny. To truly love this film you have to love black comedy. The last three minutes or so could've been a bit more realistic but I honestly could not give anything less than five stars to this amazing film. The dialouge is really witty and funny and the relationships of these men with each other and personally are really fascinating.

 

With an award winning screenplay and Oscar worthy acting, In Bruges is a hit with a bigger deserving audience. I really loved this film.

MAD MONEY

2 STARS 

Mad Money is one of those movies that gets you thinking why the studio couldn't find another project to pour their money in today's economy, or maybe they actually thought that this would make "mad money". The characters in this film are so uninteresting that you can't really root for them.

 

Diane Keaton is Bridgette, an elderly upper class woman who for some reason becomes a janitor in a bank. Ted Danson plays her eccentric husband. Her co workers are the even more eccentric Jackie, played by Katie Holmes, and annoying and whiny Nina, played by Queen Latifah. Out of nowhere Bridgette gets the idea to rob the bank. The system has never been beaten but somehow these dimwits pull it off and eventually get caught.

 

The acting is fourth rate, the screenplay is amateruish, and the overall story is tired. The only thing that really got me through this was Ted Danson's performance. In 2008, could they really not come up with anything slightly better that two aging women and an amature kid to show audiences. Their whole plan didn't even make any sense and I really don't see why anyone should waste their time with this. Go enjoy yourself at an actual worthy film.

MADE OF HONOR

3 1/2 STARS 

Another romantic comedy has arrived in theaters with the same cheesiness as all of them and a predictable ending, but to great surprise, I had a pretty good time at Made of Honor.

Tom, played by Patrick Dempsey, and Hannah, played by Michelle Monoghan, are so obviously perfect for each other but are just best friends, well of course or there wouldn't be a movie. When Hannah goes to Scotland for six weeks, Tom realizes that he loves her and plans to tell her that when she gets back, but to his disappointment, she brings back Colin, a royal Scotsman. Not only are they in love, they're getting married. Just as Tom thought he couldn't get pissed of anymore, Hannah asks the poor guy to be her maid of honor. A woman with half a brain would understand that no man would want that, but then again, we wouldn't have a movie. He accepts, only because he's planning to destroy the wedding and "steal the bride".

The ending is predictable, as with all romantic comedies of this sort, but it's still a decently enjoyable hour and a half.

YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN

3 1/2 STARS 

 

Just after a week of debate on Adam Sandler's talent, those who said he wasn't were proved wrong by the release of "You Don't Mess With the Zohan". I can honestly say that it is one of the funniest movies I've seen so far this year, besides Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

 

Adam Sandler is Zohan, an Israeli soldier who fakes his death to go to New York City and make the world "silky smoothe". Adam Sandler is very, very funny in this. After he gets to New York he sees that Israelis and Palestines are also fighting in America, not just back in the Middle East. Then there's the corny happily ever after ending with peace between Jews and Muslims, and talk of corrupt businessmen and racist rednecks.

 

Of course the movie is idiotic, and I wouldn't even call it a film, more like a sketch on Saturday Night Live, but I just had a really good time laughing out loud for practically two hours.

SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE

3 STARS 

After two years since the series ended, four of New York's most sexiest women are back in designer fashion in a surprisingly decent movie.

 

Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Catrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kirsten Davis are all back as Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. The movie starts off four years from where the series left off. Carrie is ready to marry Mr. Big played by Chris Noth, Samantha lives in sunny California, Miranda is having marital problems, and Charlotte is her same old self. The themes are the same as were in the show, so there is nothing new in this reunion. I am recommending this film even though it falters practically every ten minutes or so.

 

These women have orgasms over clothes and every time there is a problem in their love lives it is treated as some great tragedy that no one can recover from. At some points we do see how this movie could have been much better, but then it falls back in corny romantic comedy mode. Jennifer Hudson comes along in one of the dullest, driest, and corniest roles ever as Louise, she takes on the part of being Carrie's assistant. She doesn't provide enough rooting interest, and she's nothing more than a name in the credits.

 

Hardcore fans of the show will probably like it but from a bystander's view it's nothing more than an average chick flick.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

2 STARS 

 One of the biggest disappointments of the last five years is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The fourth installment in one of my favorite franchises of all time doesn't have the spirit or wit of the first three, not even close. 

 After 20 years, Harrison Ford is back in fedora which just looks old and unwelcome. With some ridiculous sequences including a town full of manicans, a refrigerator scene, and a monkey swinging scene, this might be more than just bad film. This was the first film I've ever fallen asleep through, no joke. I can't even explain what was going on most of the time because I was asleep. The whole story was just too much, aliens and crystal skulls, what happened to boulders and golden artifacts.

 

Nothing made sense in this painfully dull pull down from a great trilogy. The screenplay is awful and I can see the DVD features of this film where Spielberg Lucas and the cast are going to be talking about how much fun it was to make this film, well trying having to sit through it. Maybe it wouldn't have been as a big a let down if the first three weren't so great and if Lucas and Spielberg hadn't made some of my favorite films.

 

This one is just a silly money scheme that could've been entitled "Indiana Jones and the Incredibly Cheesy Rip-off of Doom". They could have at least tried to make this semi enjoyable. Lucas, Spielberg, and the rest of the gang should have just left moviegoers with their memories.

ZOMBIE STRIPPERS

3 STARS

Zombie Strippers is in the spirit of Grindhouse, Grindhouse is certainly better and this could have been to if it were in the hands of Quentin Tarrantino and Robert Rodriguez, but there's enough in Jay Lee's work to appreciate this for. The only actor anyone might know in this is Robert Englund from Nightmare on Elm's Street. Here he plays a strip club owner who sees his strippers turning into zombies but likes it because it brings in a lot of money, that is until things start getting out of control. The movie takes place in the near future where Schwarzenegger is vice president and public nudity is banned. The acting isn't supposed to be good, and it isn't, or is it that the acting is good because it's supposed to be bad. I enjoyed it throughout, and this could've worked as one of the faux trailers in Grindhouse or part of it. Soon enough the movie became repetitive but in the end I still found it enjoyable, and I had a pretty good time at this film.

DEAL

1 1/2 STARS 

Deal is the latest movie from 2008 to revolve around gambling, the others were 21 and The Grand, both extremely better than this. Deal follows more or less the storyline of 21, different but the same basic idea.

 

Burt Reynolds and his unmovable face star as Tommy Vinson, a legendary poker player who had to give it up 20 years ago due to his wife. Maybe Burt Reynolds should have given up acting 20 years ago if he was going to be in movies like this. As usual some hotshot young man who is good but has no technique has to take lessons from Mr. Miaki, oh excuse me I meant Burt Reynolds. Brett Harisson plays Alex Stillman, a guy straight out of college who has the typical mother and father in these type of movies. His mom is willing to support Alex in his dreams of becoming a poker player, but as usual dad is against it and believes he should pursue a normal career. Within 30 minutes of the movie Tommy and Alex completely trust each other and start taking trips to Vegas. There Alex meets Michelle, who is played by Elizabeth Shannon, who is actually a hooker that is hired by Tommy, so doesn't that kind of make him an asshole, but then he would take Kevin Spacey's road in 21. Instead he just wanted to help the kid out with the ladies, I don't buy it, just like I don't but the whole movie. I don't buy the relationships between Vinson and his wife, the relationship between Vinson and Alex, or Alex's relationship with his family.

 

The film is predictable and we've seen this story a million times before, but executed in much superior fashion. The scenes when they were playing poker were extremely dull and all of this material is just dead. In 21 we see the characters evolve, here its just bang bang. This is also the type of film that you dislike more and more the more you think about it. When I first saw it I wasn't a fan but I was willing to give it a mild recommendation within an hour I basically hated it. So I say skip it and don't look for it on DVD.

HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY

4 STARS

Harold and Kumar was so hysterical that I can't even review it because the dialog was inaudible. There were parts that were actually so funny that you could not here what the characters were saying. I really loved this film.

The second Harold and Kumar picks up maybe 30 minutes from where the first one ended. Our unlikely heroes, played by John Cho and Kal Penn head off to Amsterdam to chase Harold's (Cho) dream girl. Kumar (Penn) wants to smoke unlimited amounts of pot. When they're on the plane, Kumar decides he can't wait until they reach their destination of the "Weed Capital of the World", so he lights up a bong, misinterpreted as bomb, on the plane. They are deatained and questioned by Rob Corrdry, who is hilarious in this movie. the two end up in Guantanamo bay instead of Amsterdam. About 2 minutes later they escape and embark on an adventure.

I COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING! Non-stop laughter! All the performances are considerably good, especially from Rob Corddry who's never really done any work to show his talent as a comedian. And Neil Patrick Harris was also unforgettable playing himself. I don't want to over sell this or repeat myself but THIS MOVIE IS HYSTERICAL!!!! 

IRON MAN

5 STARS 

Iron Man can be described in one word: Perfect. I honestly could not find anything not to like about a pitch perfect film. This might very well be just about the best movie so far of 2008.

 

Robert Downey Jr. gives an Oscar worthy performance as multi-billionaire weapons manufacturer Tony Stark. After demonstrating a new missile in Afghanistan, him and the the soldiers he is with fall under attack and Stark is kidnapped and put in an off the map base in the mountains. The terrorists who capture him order him to build a missile. Luckily, he's good with scraps. He builds the ultimate weapon of destruction, a suit of iron with some pretty cool gadgets and gizmos. He escapes the base and goes back home to his technologically advanced mansion. There, his assistant, played by Gwenyth Paltrow who does her best work in years, helps him get back on his feet. Back in Malibu, Stark stuns everyone, including his power hungry business partner, also played excellently by Jeff Bridges, by announcing that Stark industries will no longer be manufacturing weapons and will be helping people. Tony goes on to build a sleek version of his suit that looks as though god carved it, and begins helping people out.

 

The climax is great along with the performances from Robert Downey Jr. Gwenyth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard. I've been reading comic books since I was about seven years old so I can truthfully say, this lives up to one of my favorite superheros of all time, and finally they make a movie about him. Yep, that's right, I'm one of those comic book geeks. I really hope this is a lasting franchise and Robert Downey Jr. is amazing in this film. Probably the best comic book superhero movie since Batman Begins. If there's one movie to rush to the theater for this summer, that's Iron Man.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL

5 STARS

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is one of the funniest movies I've seen all year and also has great performances, an amazing screenplay, and it's romance is much more real than anything you can see in some corny romantic comedy starring Mathew McCounaghy and Kate Hudson.

 

Peter, played exceedingly well by Jason Segel, was just dumped by his TV star girlfriend Sarah Marshall, played by Kirsten Bell. After many unsuccessful one night stands, Pete decides to go to Hawaii to clear up his head. There he runs into Sarah and her new guy, rock star Aldous Snow, played by Russell Brand. He stays at the hotel though and continues in his self pity which never wore out it's extremely funny welcome. Peter notices Rachel at the front desk, played by Mila Kunis in a breakthrough performance, and starts to develop feelings for her. This raunchy comedy also has a big heart. Peter befriends the people at the resort and it's just non-stop laughs.

 

The acting here is exceptionally good along with the incredible writing. I especially loved these flashback scenes that at first Peter has when he compares Rachel to Sarah, and then when the tables are turned, Sarah starts to have them and realizes what a better guy Pete was than who she is now currently with. Another thing I love is that, you never start to hate Sarah, you can kind of root for Pete in both relationships and you can kind of see what he likes in Sarah even though she is definitely flawed and it is impossible not to see the on screen chemistry of Jason Segel and Mila Kunis.

 

Judd Apatow is back on track after the disappointing Drillbit Taylor which is not even close to how funny this is. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a great time at the movies and something to wait for on DVD.

STREET KINGS

3 1/2 STARS 

Street Kings basically reassures everyone that every damn cop you see is a corrupt bastard. That may not be true but that's what the movie wants you to believe. Street King stars Keanu Reeves in a pretty good performance as Detective Tom Ludlow, who bends rules so they serve him in a good light. Forrest Whitaker, a very good performance, plays Capitan Jack Wander who only helps Ludlow do this. I'm not exaggerating, every cop in this movie is corrupt. After Ludlow's ex-partner dies, he is the first suspect. He destroys the evidence but still wants to catch the real killers. All of his colleagues advise him against doing so and tell him to let it go. Before he knows it, Internal Affairs, headed by Capitan Biggs, played by Hugh Laurie of House, is crawling around him. Now Ludlow must look out for himself as every cop is after him.

 

The first hour or so of Street Kings was very good and the rest doesn't really live up to it but it's still worth your time. The film features fine performances from Keanu Reeves, Hugh Laurie, and the best of all from Forrest Whitaker.

A film with this kind of ambition can never be perfect and Street Kings certainly isn't but it's still a good and satisfying picture. The ending was really stupid, mostly because nothing changes and no character sees that what they are doing really is bad, so what was the point of the film. They all remain the same and just look out for themselves. Of course it does over exaggerate on the subject of corruption, and it gets pretty annoying after a while, but the rest is really intriguingly and well worth your time.

UNTRACEABLE

2 1/2 STARS 

Untraceable is a nifty little thriller about online wackos with a morale agenda. This is a kind of cyber version of torture porn. Now I'm not saying I loved this movie because I certainly didn't, but it's okay for a Saturday night rental.

 

Diane Lane plays FBI agent Jennifer Marsh, who one day stumbles upon a website that's too much for her too handle. The website features abducted people being tortured and closer to death the more viewers it gets. According to this movie practically every American is a bloodthirsty animal and enjoy watching people suffer.

 

The acting isn't the problem because you got a good performance from Colin Hanks and Diane Lane among a few others. My main problem with Untraceable is that it takes way too long to get going and when it finally does it sinks down again. There are moments of genuine suspense but then it starts to reek again. The movie is "edible" but certainly not the best of these type of movies but definitely not the worst.

 

The torture scenes are way too graphic especially a lamp scene which looks like all CGI, so this is not for the faint of heart. The relationships that Lane has with Colin Hanks and her family are nice, so some parts were enjoyable and this is a mild film so see it with an open mind.

FUNNY GAMES

1 1/2 STARS 

88 MINUTES

1 STAR 

I cannot even begin to explain how unbelievably bad 88 Minutes really is, it would take 88 hours just to list half the reasons of why this movie is so horrible. And unfortunately, this thing was not just 88 seconds. I hated it so much I might've just stopped loving Al Pacino as well.

 

He stars as Dr. Jack Graham a tough and demented forensic psychiatrist who has the vindication of a crusading cop. This character seems like the older version of Keanu Reeves in last weeks Street Kings. 7 years ago he put away Jon Forster, played annoyingly by Neal McDanough. Forster is now a day away from death row which leaves old Jacko in the spotlight of doubt as many believe Forster is indeed innocent, or is he? For some reason, every woman in this movie either wants to sleep with Graham or is a lesbian, and all these women are quite young. First chick up is Shelley, played terribly by Amy Breneman. She is Jack's assistant and she also happens to be gay and this is done to fit in with the incredibly ridiculous conclusion. After a copycat murder of Forster's earlier kills, everyone is starting to believe that Jack may have been wrong seven years ago. Now he is getting threatening calls on his cell saying he has 88 minutes to live, hence the title. He quickly starts being paranoid and thinks that everyone he knows is in on this. What happens in this movie could not in any world take place in 88 minutes.

 

So much is jammed into only two hours that I wish they'd leave Al Pacino alone and just kill me. Every enemy Jack has ever had is coincidentally chasing him on the exact same day. Graham calls up his FBI buddy and tells him a random person he met looks suspicious so they get a warrant and arrest the guy, just because Jack said so, which is obviously not realistic. Pacino's character is more like a crusading cop than just a meesley professor. Every woman in this film gives outstandingly bad performances, Amy Breneman, Alicia Witt, and worst of all Leelee Sobieski.

 

The year is still pretty young but this movie has a 99.9 and a half % chance of being one of the worst movies of the year. Pacino looks like a homeless bum in this film with the messy hair and the goatee, and he is so demented that I can't believe that he's be an even semi-successful psychiatrist. Then there's an awkward conversation about seamen. This has to be just about one of the worst 5 movies I have seen in my lifetime, and I've seen a lot.

21

4 STARS 

  21 is a young sexy story of struggling MIT student Ben, played by Jim Sturgess who just came back to planet Earth after his really bad trip Across the Universe.

 

Ben is a wiz kid whose good with numbers, practically unbelievably good. When his professor, Mickey Rosa, played excellently and villainously by Kevin Spacey, sees Ben's gift he knows that he'll be good on a top secret Blackjack Team. Ben is reluctant to join but eventually gives in knowing he needs the money. When they reach Vegas you are glued to this movie just as you're glued to the even better book entitled Bringing Down the House. Ben eventually gets full of himself and screws up and runs into Laurence Fishbourne, only adding to the great performances throughout this film.

 

The very last shot of that movie was a little too much of a cliche but the rest is pure genius. This film does a great job of capturing the neon and pure sex of Vegas. I loved the movie almost as much as I loved the book. Some really great stuff, especially Kevin spacey in his best role in a quite a few years.

CHAPTER 27

3 1/2 STARS

Chapter 27 is a dark and disturbing story of Mark David Chapman and what could've led him to the encounter of the legendary John Lennon on the fateful weekend of December 8, 1980.

 

Chapter 27 stars pretty boy Jared Leto as the overweight Chapman. The transformation from Leto to Chapman is startling and amazing all together. Leto himself gives an outstanding performance and if this film were to come out more near Oscar season he would most certainly receive a nomination.

 

The movie is incredibly disturbing and hard to watch. The movie runs for an hour and forty minutes which is not too long and not too short but just perfect enough to capture the true feel of what happened on that weekend and how easily Chapman could've wrestled down his demons and gotten back on the plane to Hawaii. But unfortunately, we all know how this sad story ends.

 

Now there were some things about Chapter 27 that frustrated me. For instance, the story becomes too repetitive and doesn't expand on the psychological motivation of Mark David Chapman. With just a little more insight on the thoughts of his psyche, Chapter 27 could've even been better. This is a deserving and respectful story of the infamous murder of one of the most famous singers and activists of all time.

PROM NIGHT

1 1/2 STARS 

Prom Night only proves that if you've seen one of these crappy teen high school torture porn movie, you've see em' all.

 

Donna's (Snow) teacher slayed her family three years ago, but shes managed to move on and is living with her aunt and uncle. The teacher has now escaped from jail with the intent on crashing the students' prom night and find Donna. All he has is one little knife but the cops think thats reason to cause panic and evacuate the whole place.

A piece of "crappolla" like this offers nothing but the usual cheap thrills. People popping out of nowhere, like she goes to the bathroom opens the mirror and closes and BOOOOO!!! How many freakin' times have you seen that one pulled before. Then shes sleeping near her boyfriend who seems to be sleeping but if you give him a little nudge BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! And how many times have you seen that. Tense moment and then she bumps into something AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Oh never mind it's just a lamp. Try to be original maybe. This has been shown a million times over and over again. And correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the whole point of this is that they're trapped in a hotel but they're only in the damn hotel for less than 15 minutes. Then they're at her house because this teacher managed to outwit the clueless cops again. HOOOOORAAYYYYYY!!!! NOT!!!

THE BANK JOB

4 STARS 

The Bank Job is the best heist movie I've seen since Ocean's 11. Well this one is inspired by a true story, and is a lot of fun to watch and it's quite suspenseful. Jason Statham proves he actually has talent in the best performance of his not so good career, I'm referring to crap like The Transporter when I say not so good career. He stars as Terry, a used car dealership owner. One day, an old flame of Terry's comes to visit him and offers him a proposition. A bank won't have alarms for a week... Well Terry can't resist and hires his buddies to help him. The uber story of the film isn't exactly them getting into the vault, but it's dealing with what they find in there, royal members in brothels, corrupt policeman, and intimidatingly violent porn kings. After being discovered they are on the run and try to figure out what to do with this information. There is also sort of a back story which feels more like the main one, about a pimp who has information about the royal family in the vault. The film is one of the second tier must sees of 2008.

 SUPERHERO MOVIE

3 STARS

Superhero Movie is the first parody in a few years that hasn't left me really pissed off that I just wasted half an hour of my life. After Meet the Spartans I though the genre was dead but Superhero Movie was mildly enjoyable and in some bizzare parallel universe this film can be considered mildly serious. I really don't want to write a full review for this because it's not really worth it, but I am recommending Superhero Movie because it's not that bad and it's only an hour and ten minutes.

DRILLBIT TYALOR

2 1/2 STARS 

Drillbit Taylor is the latest flick from the Appatow factory, only this is not in the same league as Knocked Up or the 40 Year Old Virgin. This is a much more low scale comedy and it's the last thing from a sex comedy. I guess you can call Drillbit Taylor a disappointment compared to Appatow's other successes, but to even mildly appreciate this film you have to not compare it. It stars Owen Wilson as a homeless weirdo who apparently was in the army. He is hired by three kids to be their bodyguard and defend them against school bullies. Now these "bullies" are supposed to be regular assholes roaming the school and picking on the younger kids, but the bullies in this movie are more like future felons and killers. The main problem with Drillbit Taylor is it's lack of realism. Every scene in this movie leaves you in disbelief, especially the incredibly violent fight scene in the end that will remind most of Fight Club. Leslie Mann comes in to the picture who for some reason can't keep her clothes on while near Drillbit. For some reason these kids accept Drillbit into their home not knowing anything about him and trust him and then he starts to care and it's incredibly annoying but this one's worth a rental. A note is that these characters are practically the equivalent of the older Superbad characters.

RUN FAT BOY RUN

3 STARS 

Run Fat Boy Run stars Simon Pegg in another one of his unlikely hero roles, movies such as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. I'm happy to report that Run Fat Boy Run is far better than those two. It tells the story of Dennis, a down on his luck security man for a women's clothing store. 5 years earlier he left his pregnant bride, played by Thandie Newton, at the altar, and he's never stopped regretting it. Now he is trying to get her back while bonding with their young son. She, on the other hand, has found a new boy friend from America, played by Hank Aziria. Wit (Aziria) tries to look better than Dennis by giving the kid gifts and taking him places. Wit also runs marathons and is soon hosting one. Dennis decides to run the marathon to prove to Libby (Newton) that he can change. The movie isn't anything new but the message is sweet. The film of course is predictable that Wit is an asshole and Libby can't see it but she's still in love with Dennis. It's the classic love triangle story with some added detail. I would definitely recommend this because even though it won't be on anyone's top 10 lists, it's a truly sweet movie that you'll forget about come next month. And I hope you know that this movie has been out for about a year and is already on DVD in England.

DEFINITELY, MAYBE

5 STARS 

I can't believe I'm giving five stars to a romantic comedy but there it is. I loved Definitely, Maybe! Ryan Reynolds gives a very good performance in this. I've never liked Ryan Reynolds because he usually plays creepy jerks who are only appealing to themselves. Well finally Reynolds shows his talent as a young charming guy who you can really feel for. The movie also stars Little Miss Sunshine Oscar Nominee, Abigail Breslin. This is a new twist on the classic boy meets girl story. One day when Will's (Reynolds) young daughter Maya (Breslin) asks him about his love life he decides to tell her. But there's a twist, he's going to tell her about the three big loves in his life, but he's going to change the names so it will be up to Maya to guess which one is her mother. So as the story begins, we see Will leaving his college sweetheart, played by Elizabeth Banks, to go to New York to work on the Clinton campaign in 1992. He then meets April, played by the charming Isla Fisher. A few years later he falls in love with Sommer, played by Rachel Weisz. What I especially love about this film, besides it being the first romantic comedy in years that actually isn't lame, is that you can root for all of these women. The director, Adam Brooks, is very careful so that you don't think one of them is the one and the others are bad and you should stay away from them. You can see what he likes in all of them. This is about as perfect as a movie can get, every scene rings true and is perfect. And in the end we will find out which of these women is the one.

VANTAGE POINT

1 1/2 STARS 

BE KIND REWIND

3 STARS

Be Kind Rewind is the screwball comedy of two friends, Mike (Mos Def)and Jerry (Jack Black) who run an old fasioned VHS video store, owned by Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover). One day when Jerry is electrocuted by accident, he becomes magnatized and eveything metal sticks to him. When he enters the video store and touches the tapes they all become erased. Not knowing what to do, the two buddies refilm every movie, called sweding, and sell them. These two refilm evrything from Ghostbusters to 2001: A Space Oddysey, and eventually their own film. Practically overnight they become filmmakers and actors and the whole town is playing along with their scheme. The whole town, instead of getting angry and understanding they've been ripped off, help Mike and Jerry. Ofcourse a movie like this is stupid but sincere, and that's exactly what Be Kind Rewind is. I'm mildly recommending this mainly because it wasn't too long. Most of the time you get stupid buddy comedies, like Blades of Glory, that drag on, but this movie wasn't too long which is a plus, because nobody wants to sit through something like this for more than an hour and a half. My main problem with this film is that it's one of the movies where the whole town are a bunch of idiots and play along and become a part of it, for example like Lars and the Real Girl. Also, Mos Def is really good in this and I think eventually, just maybe, he can become a star, because the guy is really tallented and knows how to pick up a film. So there is my mild recommendation for Be Kind Rewind.

JUMPER

3 STARS

Jumper is the story of David (Christinsen), a young man who can teleport himself anywhere around the globe in a second. Samuel L. Jackson plays Rowland, leader of the Paladins, a group of religious fanatics who hunt down and kill Jumpers which is what David is. David has no idea of this but uses his powers to rob banks and live the good life. Jumper started off very intrigungly and I liked it. About 30 minutes in, it starts to movie too fast and it gets too plastic. For example, when you think someone is dead for eight years, and they suddenly show up, you don't go to Rome with them within a day of finding out he's really not dead, see the movie, you'll know what I mean. I'm stil recommending this though because despite it's long list of flaws I thought it was an entertaining film. To much just happens right away in a very short period of time. So I say, go see Jumper, just don't get expect to get blown away. I do understand those who feel like "jumping" to another movie, but all in all it's worth it. So "jump" to the nearest theater for Jumper.

FOOL'S GOLD

1 STARS

Let's cut to the chase, Matthew McConaguhay is in another one of his pretty boy roles, and you guessed it...as usual the guy won't put it on a damn shirt. He plays Benn Finnegan and Kate hudson plays his ex-wife, Tess. When a new clue is discovered about a long lost treasure the two team up to find it with the aid of the millionare played by Donald Sutherland, and his bimbo Paris Hilton-esque daughter. along the way they run into Moe, played by Ray Winstone of Beowulf. When the treasure hunt starts to get deeper the whole gang of ding-bats become cautious of Big Bunny D, a rapper, murderer, gangster and you guessed it...idiot. The movie is lame on so many levels, not to mention corny. The movie drags on for a whole two hours, KILL ME NOW! It is way to long for a romntic comedy, and it just drags on. This could've been the sequal to Hudson's and McConaughey's first colloaboration entitled "How to walk out of the theatre in 10 minutes". I found nothing funny or original about it, and the way I see it, the studio has to make money some how so they send this crap to occupy the theater. There are no twists it is just a boring supposedly funny comedy. And for all of our sakes, someone get Matthew McConaghey a shirt.

OVER HER DEAD BODY

3 STARS

Over Her Dead body stars Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, and Lake Bell, with funny scenes from Jason Biggs. Parker plays Kate, a ghost who died on her wedding day to Henry (Rudd). A year after the tragedy, Henry still hasn't moved on. In an attempt to make her brother happy, Chloe sends her brother to a pshycic (Bell). Yet unconvinced of her powers, Henry falls for Ashley, the pshycic. Unfortunately for Ashely, she actually does have powers. Kate's ghost starts haunting Ashely in an attempt to break up the couple. A truly nice romantic comedy that we haven't seen in a while. A real treat you can say. Jason Biggs is really funny in this, as is Parker. Over Her Dead Body and Cloverfield are the only films I can really recommend in this really early year.

CLOVERFIELD

4 1/2 STARS

Cloverfield is the epic story of 5 young New Yorkers trying to escape the city while something is attacking it. It is done in an original hand held camera way. But don't let that fool you, this is not a low budget film. I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy that this early in the year, there is already a great movie to see. Most of the movies of 2008, haven't been that great, 27 Dresses was forgettable, Meet the Spartans is already one of the worst of the year, Untraceable is unwatchable, Over Her Dead Body was a treat but Cloverfield had me in applause. The only minor problem I have with this movie is that this is post 9/11 in Manhattan, and myself being a New Yorker, was a little emotional at the thought that 9/11 was nothing compared to this. Definitely see this though, great, amazing movie.

MEET THE SPARTANS

1 STARS

Groan, another parody. As if the first two tragic comedowns from the Scary Movie franchise hadn't been enough, now we gotta deal with this crap. After Epic Movie, I was just about fed up with this "partnership" of 2 of the 6 writers of Scary Movie. Now I'm just really pissed off. Meet the Spartans gets only a few laughs, some I'll admit, laigh out loud, but I hated this movie. And you know what, leave Brittany Spears alone, sure a parody is funny, but she's been through enough. The year is still so young that I can't surely say if at the end of the year, this will still be one of the worst, but so far, it is the worst movie of 2008.

27 DRESSES

2 STARS

27 Dresses stars Ketherine Heigl, who gives new meaning to the term always a bridesmaid never a bride. Heigl plays Jane, a depressed creepy woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 TIMES!!!!! If that doesn't alert the loony bin I don't know what will. Her selfish jerk sister, played by Malin Akerman, comes into town and starts dating George, played by Edward Burns. Now, the movie would like you to believe that Jane is in love with George and that it's really romantic, but Jane is a creepy stalker who keeps wedding reports from the newspapers. As I was watching this, I was thinking 'No wonder she isn't married, she's a weird cat lady who has no life'. C'mon guys, at least don't try to sell her as a romantic soul destined for love. Now of this plot couldn't get any stupider, Heigl now must plan the wedding of her sister to the man she loves. And then James Marsden comes out of nowhere. After what I just wrote I can't believe I'm recommending this film. I'm well aware of the problems with 27 Dresses as I'm aware of that every single character is a freakin' jerk, but I can still find a little tiny space in my heart to recommend this. I can tell I'm practically apologizing for this positive review, but...what the heck, if you're gonna' have a gals day out go see it.