List of Films Reviewed by Dan Hudak

Film Capsules by Dan Hudak

A genuine must-see ****
Entertaining ***
Mediocre but not worthless **
A wretched waste of time *

Added 2,22,07

The Number 23 *1/2

(Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen) The Number 23 tries desperately to be a murder mystery and psychological thriller, and fails painfully at both. Instead, it’s a dreadfully inane mess of a movie that tries to find emotional depth and entertainment in one man’s paranoia. He believes the number 23 is ruining his life. It is. And not once are we given a reason to care. Walter’s (Carrey) obsession starts after he’s late for a date with his wife, Agatha (Madsen). He finds her in a bookstore while she peruses a book called “The Number 23,” and soon he’s reading it and finding connections between the book’s main character, Fingerling, and himself. He then begins to imagine himself as Fingerling and allows the book’s obsession with the number 23 to take over his life. There’s some humor here, but it’s obvious that another actor would’ve been a better choice for the role. Rated R.

The Astronaut Farmer **1/2

(Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Willis) A former NASA astronaut named Charles Farmer (Thornton) builds a rocket in his back yard with the intention of launching himself into space. Government officials and locals think he’s crazy, but he has the support of his wife (Madsen) and family, which to him is all that matters. The film is subversive but not as unusual as other efforts from the Polish Brothers (Twin Falls Idaho, Northfork), making it a family-friendly nice time with sweetness to spare. That said, there’s not much here beyond the fluff. Rated PG.

Amazing Grace **1/2

(Ioan Gruffud, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon) In late 18^th century England, slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce (Gruffud) tries to convince his colleagues in Parliament that slavery is inhumane and must be stopped. The origins of the song Amazing Grace lie within the story, which is noble and tries very hard to be deep and moving but never elevates above the level of a made-for-TV movie. Rated PG.

Ghost Rider **1/2

(Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda) Stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze (Cage) sells his soul to the Devil (Fonda) and, per the Devil’s bidding, now must fight the angry spirit Blackheart (Wes Bentley). Faustian allusions (in which deals are made with the Devil in return for one’s soul) often make for fun cinema, and true to form the movie is an entertaining but generally unremarkable visual effects extravaganza. Based on the Marvel comic. Rated PG-13.

Breach **1/2

(Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney) Based on the biggest security breach in the history of the United States, prospective agent Eric O’Neill (Phillippe) is assigned to assist senior agent Robert Hanssen, who’s suspected of being a Russian spy. It’s an interesting story that often falls flat because: 1) we’re told how it will end in the opening moments, making everything after that anti-climactic, and 2) neither Cooper nor Phillippe has enough screen presence to make the film resonate. Cooper is especially great as a supporting actor (Adaptation, American Beauty) but has yet to prove he can carry a movie. Rated PG-13.

Factory Girl **

(Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Hayden Christensen) The teenage Edie Sedgwick (Miller) moves to New York City in the mid-’60s and becomes enamored with the bohemian lifestyle in Andy Warhol’s (Pearce) “factory.” She also falls for a folk singer named Billy Quinn (Christensen), a.k.a. Bob Dylan before his name was changed in the movie for legal purposes. Poor Sienna Miller: This was supposed to be her breakout role, and she pours her heart and soul into Edie, almost convincing us to feel sorry for her despite the fact that she had no will power and brought everything upon herself. Because everything revolves around her, the movie falters as well. Rated R.

Music and Lyrics **

(Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett) An ’80s pop star (Grant) is recruited by a Christina-esque sensation to write a new song, but writer’s block and an inability to write lyrics impede his progress. Enter Sophie Fisher (Barrymore), the girl who waters his plants with a gift for rhyme. Everything from the dialogue to Grant’s singing is flat and uninspired, leaving a movie that gives you very little reason to watch. And you would expect two of the best romantic leads in the last 20 years to have a bit more chemistry, but Grant and Barrymore make the ill-advised early ’80s pairing of Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly (remember Xanadu, anyone?) look Oscar-worthy. Rated PG-13.

Hannibal Rising ***

(Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Rhys Ifans) Young Hannibal Lecter (Ulliel) vows revenge on those who killed and ate his sister during World War II in this tense, fulfilling drama. Newcomer Ulliel ably steps into the big shoes of Anthony Hopkins in the title role, and succeeds in conveying Lecter’s viciousness and humanity. Rated R.

Breaking and Entering **

(Jude Law, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn) A landscape architect (Law) has an affair with the mother (Binoche) of the boy (Rafi Gavron) who burglarized his office in the seedy Kings Cross area of London. Writer/director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) has a lot going on here, which makes it odd when it feels like so little is happening. Law and Binoche do what they can to spruce things up, but the movie ultimately has no urgency or intrigue. Rated R.

Norbit **1/2

(Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Cuba Gooding Jr.) Orphaned, nerdy Norbit (Murphy) is unhappily married to the rotund Rasputia (Murphy in a fat suit) when his childhood sweetheart (Newton) returns to town. If you want to see Murphy play multiple characters with great success, rent The Nutty Professor. If you’re interested in seeing him try something new that’s decent but not as funny, give this a shot. Rated PG-13.

Because I Said So **

(Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham) An overbearing mother (Keaton) is so desperate to marry off her youngest daughter (Moore) that she signs up for an online dating service so she can screen potential suitors. Aside from being a standard and formulaic romantic comedy, it’s just not funny. Keaton does as much with the material as possible, but it’s the Moore who’s the movie’s lone acting highlight. Rated PG-13.

Smokin’ Aces **

(Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven) F.B.I agents and bounty hunters try to stop a variety of mafia-hired hit men from killing Buddy “Aces” Israel (Piven), a mob snitch who could expose an entire crime family if he’s allowed to testify. It’s a cool, slick movie that’s hyper-violent and full of twists to keep you guessing. Still, the story doesn’t come together very well, and after a while it feels like violence for the sake gratuity rather than artistry. Rated R.

Miss Potter **

(Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson) Renee Zellweger once again dons an English accent in the story of author Beatrix Potter, the creator of Peter Rabbit and other children’s characters. Director Chris Noonan’s (Babe) film focuses on Beatrix’s peak creative period in the early 1900s, which was also her most emotionally turbulent. Although the earnest charm of the story and Zellweger’s performance slowly win you over, the film lacks energy and is more boring than inspirational. Rated PG.

Catch and Release *

(Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith) After the death of her fiancé, Gray (Garner) moves in with his three best friends (Olyphant, Smith and Sam Jaeger) and learns sordid secrets about her former fiance’s past. Unbearably long and without any semblance of a plot, Garner whimpers her way through a movie that’s sure to appear on “Worst of 2007” lists eleven months from now. It’s a sad story when a noted writer/director like Smith is the lone acting highlight in a movie full of seasoned veterans. Rated PG-13.

Venus ***

(Peter O’Toole, Leslie Phillips, Jodie Whittaker) Maurice (O’Toole) and Ian (Phillips) are cantankerous old actors who believe Ian’s visiting grandniece, Jessie (Whittaker), will make their lives easier. Although she drives Ian crazy, Maurice develops an intense infatuation with the 20 year-old, and isn’t shy about showing it. The film is funny with very nice comic delivery from O’Toole and Phillips, but at times is dragged down by its melodrama. Rated R.

The Hitcher **

(Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton) A young college couple (Bush and Knighton) on spring break pick up a hitchhiker (Bean) with murderous intentions. Here’s yet another movie in which the heroine has countless opportunities to kill the bad guy, but doesn’t because she’s, well, an idiot. This is a standard slasher pic that’s for those who enjoy blood squirting and violent, creative deaths. Rated R.

Letters From Iwo Jima ***1/2

(Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Ryo Kase) The Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II is told from the Japanese perspective in director Clint Eastwood’s companion film to Flags of our Fathers. The emotional grace and candid, informative flashbacks make Letters the superior film of the two, and also mark an incredible technical (the language is Japanese) triumph in Eastwood’s already illustrious career. Rated R.

Alpha Dog ***

(Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis) Based on the recent real-life tabloids of Jesse James Hollywood, Johnny Truelove (Hirsch) kidnaps his rival’s (Ben Foster) younger brother (Anton Yelchin) after he’s not paid for a drug deal. When the ransom still isn’t paid and the kidnappers realize they could be facing life in prison, the situation only gets worse. This is an engrossing movie about stupid decisions and the dangers of loyalty when the bond of friendship crosses unthinkable boundaries. In his screen debut, pop star Timberlake gives a solid performance as one of Johnny’s trusted friends. Rated R.

Pan’s Labyrinth ***

(Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu) A young girl (Baquero) uses her imagination to escape the harsh reality of Franco-era Spain, circa 1944. There are two storylines at work here: one is a fantasy-filled, effects driven extravaganza and the other is a harsh and gritty war drama. The two don’t connect very often, which causes an imbalance from which the film never recovers. Rated R

Curse of the Golden Flower ***

(Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou) An empress (Li) and her son (Chou) in 10th Century China plot revenge on the emperor (Yun-Fat) after she learns he’s trying to kill her. The always lush visual poetry of director Zhang Yimou (Hero) is on full display once again, but this time the story is more of a drama than an all-out action picture. The emotional moments are nice, but the film doesn’t shine until the action sequences, which are startling. Rated R.

Thr3e **

(Marc Blucas, Justine Waddell, Laura Jordan) A serial killer with a link to Kevin’s (Blucas) past gives him nearly-impossible riddles to decipher in short amounts of time. If he can’t do it, he dies. This is a toned down (as is evident by the PG-13 rating) horror thriller in the vein of Saw, but not nearly as clever as it thinks it is. Still, the ending will take you by surprise and there are many worse horror movies out there. Rated PG-13.

Freedom Writers ***

(Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey) A naïve young teacher (Swank) ventures into a racially divided high school and connects with her students by allowing them to vent their thoughts and frustrations in a diary. You may have liked this movie better when it was called Dangerous Minds, Stand and Deliver or any of the other incarnations this formula has utilized. Still, the movie (which is based on a true story) is well done and sufficiently moving. Rated PG-13.

Happily N’ever After **1/2

(Voices of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddy Prize Jr., Sigourney Weaver) Fairy Tale Land is in upheaval after the wicked stepmother (Weaver) throws off the balance of fairy tales’ happy endings. Now Ella (Gellar), as in Cinderella, must stop her before an unhappy ending can occur. It’s clearly a children’s movie, but the reliance on the viewer to be well-versed in a variety of fairy tales will inevitably leave some kids (and parents) lost on what’s being spoofed. Otherwise, it’s good clean fun. Rated PG.

Code Name: The Cleaner **

(Cedric the Entertainer, Lucy Liu, Nicollette Sheridan) A janitor named Jake (Cedric) has short-term memory loss and believes he’s a government agent ready to unveil a top secret conspiracy. Liu and Sheridan look nice and it has some funny moments, but it’s also a frivolously strained comedy that goes nowhere. “Harmless idiocy” is the best way to describe it. Rated PG-13.

The Painted Veil ***

(Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber) Walter (Norton) and Kitty (Watts) are never in love, get married, she cheats, there’s a lot of hatred and spite, and then they fall in love for the first time. It may not be what you expect from a movie that takes place in 1920s China, but the story grows on you and Watts’ conflicted heroine is endearing. This is a moving, effective drama. Based on the W. Somerset Maugham novel. Rated PG-13.

Children of Men ***1/2

(Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine) In the year 2027, women are infertile and a disgruntled former activist (Owen) has given up hope for the future of mankind. Things change, however, when his former lover Julian (Moore) asks him to transport the miraculously pregnant Kee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) through a war zone to safety. Owen’s captivating performance drives the strong narrative along, and director Alfonso Cuaron’s (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) gloomy visual style perfectly accentuates the story of a dystopian future in desperate need of a glimmer of hope. Rated R.

Notes on a Scandal ***1/2

(Dame Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Billy Nighy) Pottery teacher Sheba (Blanchett) is blackmailed into an overbearing friendship with colleague Barbara (Dench) after Barbara learns she is having an affair with a 15 year-old student (Andrew Simpson). Dench is fiendishly awesome as the cunning and manipulative schoolmarm who offers comfort with very thick strings attached. And in what must be the most discomfiting role of her career, Blanchett handles Sheba with an uneasy quiet and ethereal beauty — we have sympathy for her even though we know what she’s doing is wrong. Rated R.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer ***

(Ben Whishaw, Simon Chandler, Dustin Hoffman) In 18th century Paris, a man (Whishaw) with an enhanced sense of smell tries to create the perfect perfume by killing women and capturing their scent. Imminently appealing with visual panache to spare, Patrick Suskind’s controversial novel has been given a spirited interpretation by director Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run). But at 147 minutes it’s also a bit overwhelming, including the grand conclusion, which features an orgy that would put the porn industry to shame. Rated R.

Dreamgirls ****

(Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson) Loosely based on the career of the Supremes, three girls (Knowles, Hudson and Tony winner Anika Noni Rose) from Detroit dream of a singing career and get their wish when they’re signed by manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Foxx). Great songs, great acting and a wonderfully constructed story by writer/director Bill Condon make this the best musical since Chicago, and one of the best movies this year. Amid a cast with stars named Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Knowles, American Idol outcast Hudson steals the movie and America’s heart once again. This film will win many, many Oscars. Rated PG-13.

Night at the Museum **1/2

(Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams) The new night watchman (Stiller) at the Museum of Natural History gets quite a surprise his first day on the job: the wax figures of Teddy Roosevelt (Williams), westerns tough guys (led by Wilson), various animals and more come to life thanks to an ancient Egyptian spell. It’s good, clean fun for kids, but parents will likely grow bored with the silly story. The best bet is to have the grandparents take them — screen legends Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney are the lone highlights for adults. Rated PG.

The Good Shepherd **1/2

(Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Angelina Jolie) The history of the CIA is traced through the career of Edward Wilson (Damon), who was there when it was founded until the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. The grand intentions are admirable, but director Robert De Niro (behind the camera for the first time since A Bronx Tale in 1993) never quite gets his arms around the sheer scope of Eric Roth’s script, which had been in development for at least ten years. A flat performance by Damon also doesn’t help, although he’s picked up by a solid ensemble cast. Rated R.

The Good German **

(George Clooney, Tobey Maguire, Cate Blanchett) American journalist Jake Geismer (Clooney) tries to get former lover Lena Brandt (Blanchett) out of post World War II Berlin. Director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) deserves credit for trying to make a traditional WWII movie with only the technology available in the 1940s, but unwelcome modernisms such as violence and vulgarity never allow the experiment to work. A convoluted script by Paul Attanasio (working from Joseph Kanon’s novel) seals the fate of this thoroughly mediocre project. Rated R.

Volver **

(Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Duenas) Raimunda (Cruz) and her sister Sole (Duenas) believe the spirit of their dead mother (Maura) lives on, especially after the death of their Aunt Paula (Chus Lampreave). There are many layers to writer/director Pedro Almodovar’s (Talk to Her, Bad Education) latest, but the story never finds the energy or coherence to match the devious cleverness to which it aspires. It’s as though someone has taken over the mind of Almodovar and put forth this lackluster, desperately uneventful film that’s redeemed only by Cruz’s enchanting performance. Rated R.

The Pursuit of Happyness ***

(Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandie Newton) Chris Gardner (Smith) struggles to provide for his son (Jaden Smith) after his wife (Newton) abandons them. The elder Smith suppresses all his natural charm and gives one of the best performances of his career, while his real-life son Jaden is adorably effective. The movie, however, is slightly maudlin but succeeds in its tear-jerking aspirations. Rated PG-13.

Blood Diamond ***

(Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly) The greed of the unscrupulous diamond trade in Africa is exposed as a smuggler (DiCaprio), local fisherman (Hounsou) and journalist (Connelly) trek deep into dangerous rebel territory to find a priceless diamond. It’s a bloated epic that mixes action and pathos reasonably well, and in doing so keeps you off-guard and interested. Connelly may be underused, but DiCaprio once again displays his incredible range by ably sporting a South African accent, and Hounsou finds passion and poignancy in a role that could’ve easily been one-dimensional. Rated R.

Casino Royale **1/2

(Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench) On James Bond’s (Craig) first mission, he must stop a banker named Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) from winning a poker tournament that would allow him to continue to finance terrorism all over the world. Craig has re-invented Bond with less charisma and more grittiness, making him more human (and effective) than his predecessors. His success aside, the film is unreasonably long at 144 minutes, and becomes quite tiring to sit through. Rated PG-13.

The Queen ***

(Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell) Newly anointed Prime Minister Tony Blair (Sheen) helps HM Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren) and the royal family look past tradition and find the needs of its people after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. Magnificent performances by Mirren and Sheen powerfully bring the centuries-old royal customs into modern times, and director Stephen Frears paces the film to show that it was mostly stubborn tradition — and not necessarily the highly speculated dislike of Diana among the royal family — that led to the monarchy appearing so distant immediately following the unthinkable tragedy. Rated PG-13.

Added 2.15.07

Hannibal Rising ***

Breaking and Entering **

Norbit **1/2

Because I Said So **

Smokin’ Aces **

Miss Potter **

Catch and Release *

Venus ***

The Hitcher **

Letters From Iwo Jima ***1/2

Alpha Dog ***

Pan’s Labyrinth ***

Curse of the Golden Flower ***

(Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou) An empress (Li) and her son (Chou) in 10th Century China plot revenge on the emperor (Yun-Fat) after she learns he’s trying to kill her. The always lush visual poetry of director Zhang Yimou (“Hero”) is on full display once again, but this time the story is more of a drama than an all-out action picture. The emotional moments are nice, but the film doesn’t shine until the action sequences, which are startling. Rated R.

Thr3e **

Freedom Writers ***

Happily N’ever After **1/2

Code Name: The Cleaner **

The Painted Veil ***

Children of Men ***1/2

Notes on a Scandal ***1/2

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer ***

Dreamgirls ****

Night at the Museum **1/2

The Good Shepherd **1/2

The Good German **

Volver **

The Pursuit of Happyness ***

Blood Diamond ***

Casino Royale **1/2

The Queen ***

Added 1.25.07

Venus ***

(Peter O’Toole, Leslie Phillips, Jodie Whittaker) Maurice (O’Toole) and Ian (Phillips) are cantankerous old actors who believe Ian’s visiting niece, Jessie (Whittaker), will make their lives easier. Although she drives Ian crazy, Maurice becomes intensely infatuated with her and isn’t shy about showing it. The film is funny with very nice comic delivery from O’Toole and Phillips, but at times is dragged down by its melodrama. Rated R.

The Hitcher **

Letters from Iwo Jima ***1/2

(Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Ryo Kase) The Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II is told from the Japanese perspective in director Clint Eastwood’s companion film to Flags of our Fathers. The emotional grace and candid, informative flashbacks make Letters the superior film, and also mark an incredible technical (the language is Japanese) triumph in Eastwood’s already illustrious career. Rated R.

Added 1.16.07

Alpha Dog ***

(Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis) Based on the recent real-life tabloids of Jesse James Hollywood, Johnny Truelove (Hirsch) kidnaps his rival’s (Ben Foster) younger brother (Anton Yelchin) after he’s not paid for a drug deal. When the ransom still isn’t paid and the kidnappers realize they could be facing life in prison, the situation only gets even worse. This is an engrossing movie about stupid decisions and the dangers of loyalty when the bond of friendship crosses unthinkable boundaries. In his screen debut, pop star Timberlake gives a solid performance as one of Johnny’s trusted friends. Rated R.

Added 1.11.07

Pan’s Labyrinth ***

(Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu) A young girl (Baquero) uses her imagination to escape the harsh reality of Franco-era Spain, circa 1944. There are two storylines at work here: One is a fantasy-filled, effects driven extravaganza and the other is a harsh and gritty war drama. The two don’t connect very often, which causes an imbalance from which the film never recovers. Rated R.

Curse of the Golden Flower ***

(Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou) An empress (Li) and her son (Chou) in 10th century China plot revenge on the emperor (Yun-Fat) after she learns he’s trying to kill her. The always lush visual poetry of director Zhang Yimou (Hero) is on full display once again, but this time the story is more of a drama than an all-out action picture. The emotional moments are nice, but the film doesn’t shine until the action sequences, which are startling. Rated R.

Thr3e **

Freedom Writers ***

Happily Never After **1/2

(Voices of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddy Prize Jr., Sigourney Weaver) Fairy Tale Land is in upheaval after the wicked stepmother (Weaver) throws off the balance of fairy tales’ happy endings. Now Ella (Gellar), as in “Cinderella,” must stop her before an unhappy ending can occur. It’s clearly a children’s movie, but the reliance on the viewer to be well-versed in a variety of fairy tales will inevitably leave some kids (and parents) lost on what’s being spoofed. Otherwise, it’s good clean fun. Rated PG.

Code Name: The Cleaner **

The Painted Veil ***

Children of Men ***1/2

Notes on a Scandal ***1/2

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer ***

Dreamgirls ****

Night at the Museum **1/2

The Good Shepherd **1/2

The Good German **

(George Clooney, Tobey Maguire, Cate Blanchett) American journalist Jake Geismer (Clooney) tries to get former lover Lena Brandt (Blanchett) out of post-World War II Berlin. Director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) deserves credit for trying to make a traditional WWII movie with only the technology available in the 1940s, but unwelcome modernisms such as violence and vulgarity never allow the experiment to work. A convoluted script by Paul Attanasio (working from Joseph Kanon’s novel) seals the fate of this thoroughly mediocre project. Rated R.

Volver **

(Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas) Raimunda (Cruz) and her sister Sole (Dueñas) believe the spirit of their dead mother (Maura) lives on, especially after the death of their Aunt Paula (Chus Lampreave). There are many layers to writer/director Pedro Almodovar’s (Talk to Her, Bad Education) latest, but the story never finds the energy or coherence to match the devious cleverness to which it aspires. It’s as though someone has taken over the mind of Almodovar and put forth this lackluster, desperately uneventful film that’s redeemed only by Cruz’s enchanting performance. Rated R.

The History Boys **

(Richard Griffiths, Stephen Campbell Moore, Clive Merrison) Director Nicholas Hytner (The Crucible) and playwright Alan Bennett adapt this Broadway and West End hit for the big screen, but they never get far enough away from theatrical histrionics for the story to play well on film. The plot follows students at a British boarding school as they prepare to take college entrance exams with the hope of going to either Oxford or Cambridge. Some individual moments work, but on the whole the movie is somewhat immoral and not quite bold enough to say or do anything of consequence. Rated R.

We Are Marshall ***

(Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie) Coach Jack Lengyel (McConaughey) tries to rebuild the University of Marshall football team after a fatal plane crash in November 1970 kills almost all of its coaches and players. Sports movies often beat us over the head with the idea that “winning isn’t everything,” but through the watchful and humble eye of McConaughey’s Coach Lengyel, the Marshall football program brings life and joy back to a hesitant community that lost far too many of its favorite sons. It’s an effective, moving film that works even for those who despise sports movies. Rated PG.

Rocky Balboa ***

(Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Antonio Tarver) With Adrian now deceased, Rocky (Stallone) runs a modest Italian restaurant in Philadelphia and tries to mend his relationship with his son (Milo Ventimiglia). He also has a nagging urge to fight again, and commits to an exhibition with the current champion (real-life boxer Tarver). Most of the film is a sentimental look down memory lane with a heavy dose of post-career malaise thrown into the mix, but it’s also well-written and warmly effective. Then the training montage begins and damn if you don’t find yourself chanting “Rocky! Rocky!” one last time. Rated PG.

Eragon *1/2

(Edward Speleers, John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons) After finding a spherical blue stone in the forest, Eragon’s (Speleers) life is changed forever after a dragon (voiced by Rachel Weisz) hatches from it and he becomes immersed in a war against the land’s evil king, Galbatorix (Malkovich). This cheap rip off of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings has no ideas to call its own, worse acting (except for Irons) than an after-school special and visual effects that are a mere notch above those in Battlefield Earth. Rated PG.

Apocalypto ***1/2

(Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Raoul Trujillo) As the end of the ancient Mayan civilization draws near, Jaguar Paw (Youngblood) secures his wife (Hernandez) and young son (Carlos Emilio Baez) in a ditch before being captured by a rival tribe and taken to the gods to be sacrificed. This is a hyper-violent and captivating film from director Mel Gibson, who has succeeded in doing what many thought unthinkable: he’s made an action movie that’s also a period piece told in a foreign language, and has done so remarkably well. The film is a truly unique experience that you’ve probably never seen before and will likely never see again. Rated R.

The Holiday ****

(Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black) Lovelorn career girls Amanda (Diaz) and Iris (Winslet) swap their respective homes in Los Angeles and England for two weeks in the hopes of getting as far away from men as possible. Something magical must have been in the air when they crossed the Atlantic, though, as Amanda is soon infatuated with Iris’ brother Graham (Law) and Iris finds comfort in an aging screenwriter (Eli Wallach) and kind composer (Black). This graceful, funny and warm romantic comedy is the best the genre has offered since “Love Actually” three years ago. The story takes place around Christmas time, and is so elegantly made that even the surliest scrooge is bound to leave the theater with a smile. Rated PG-13.

Blood Diamond ***

Turistas (No Stars)

(Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Olivia Wilde) This vacation-gone-awry gore fest follows young and attractive twenty-somethings lost in the outskirts of Brazil who meet some not-so-nice locals. It’s an average slasher pic for the first hour, but then a gory scene of unthinkable, nausea-inducing discomfort ruins the little the movie had going for it. This is the first movie I’ve ever walked out on because it made me physically ill. Rated R.

The Nativity Story **

(Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, Shohreh Aghdashloo) This faithful retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ follows Mary (Castle-Hughes) as she’s impregnated by the Holy Spirit and travels with Joseph (Isaac) to a little manger in Bethlehem. The story is given a Sunday school interpretation by director Catherine Hardwicke (“Thirteen”), whose film may appeal to the “Jesus Camp” crowd but offers little to anyone else. Arguably the most important birth in the history of mankind deserves better. Rated PG.

Deck the Halls *

(Matthew Broderick, Danny DeVito, Kristin Davis) Steven Finch’s (Broderick) status as “the Christmas guy” in his small Massachusetts town is challenged by new neighbor Buddy Hall (DeVito), an irrational jerk who’s trying to have his house seen from outer space. An unhealthy and unfunny competition ensues between the two, the likes of which is not even childish enough to be amusing. This is no Surviving Christmas (remember that Ben Affleck bomb?), but it does leave you with a lingering feeling of contempt. Rated PG.

For Your Consideration **

(Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy) As the production of a World War II melodrama entitled “Home for Purim” begins to generate awards buzz, everyone from the ditzy producer (Jennifer Coolidge) to the clueless agent (Levy) is overcome with Oscar hysteria. The film has it moments, but co-writers Levy and Christopher Guest have led their company down much funnier paths (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show), and never quite find a rhythm here. Anyone with high expectations will be substantially disappointed. Rated PG-13.

Bobby ****

(Martin Sheen, Helen Hunt, Anthony Hopkins) The goings-on at the Ambassador Hotel on June 4, 1968 — the day Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated — is the subject of writer/director Emilio Estevez’s touching and nostalgic look at this era in American history. By focusing on the people and only showing Kennedy’s face through archival footage, Estevez allows the beliefs that Kennedy stood for to resonate with the hope for a peaceful, prosperous America. Rated R.

The Fountain *

(Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn) From the director of Requiem for a Dream comes a story about eternal love, a mysterious fountain of youth, and a monkey with a brain tumor. Jackman and Weisz play lovers whose bond lasts for more than 1,000 years, but is never a happy one. For the first half hour absolutely nothing makes sense. For the next hour things take a vague shape, but you’ve stopped caring long ago and are just hoping for something interesting to happen. It doesn’t, so for the last six minutes of the 96-minute movie you desperately yearn for the credits to roll and end your misery. Rated PG-13.

Déjà Vu ***1/2

(Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, James Caviezel) After a devastating bomb kills hundreds of innocents on a New Orleans ferry, ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) agent Doug Carlin (Washington) investigates. With the help of federal agents, his starts by tracing the actions of a dead woman (Patton) prior to the explosion, and becomes smitten with her in the process. He then learns he may be able to travel back in time to save her. Trust me, you’ve never seen a movie like this before. Between director Tony Scott’s thrilling visuals, Washington’s stellar performance and a wonderfully intriguing script by Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio, this is a very fun movie that’ll keep you guessing. Rated PG-13.

Happy Feet **

(Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman) Poor, poor Mumble (Wood). Although his parents (Kidman and Hugh Jackman) found one another through song, as all Emperor penguins do, he has a terrible singing voice and is shunned by his peers. Mumble’s musical prowess instead lies in tap dancing, which isn’t acceptable until he meets Ramon (Williams) and his four friends. There’s a little too much ecological concern for a movie that’s ostensibly a silly good time, though some impressive visual sequences and fine voice work make it tolerable. Rated PG.

Casino Royale **1/2

Babel ***

(Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal) Four storylines from different parts of the world intersect in director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and writer Guillermo Arriaga’s third collaboration after Amores Perros and 21 Grams. This time the pair don’t reach the same emotional heights, but the film is a triumph of editing and acting, particularly Pitt as a desperate husband and Adriana Barraza as Amelia, Pitt’s babysitter who foolishly takes his two children into Mexico for her son’s wedding. Kudos also go to Rinko Kikuchi as a deaf-mute teenage girl in Japan who wants nothing more than to be accepted. In the end, though, it’s hard to tell where the concurrent happenstance ends and anything meaningful begins. This is a sublime work of art signifying nothing but chance, coincidence and horrible luck. Rated R.

Stranger Than Fiction **

(Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson) Harold Crick (Ferrell) is a straight-laced IRS auditor who keeps hearing a strange woman’s voice in his head. For help he turns to a literature professor (Hoffman) who helps him discern that the woman’s voice is that of novelist Karen Eiffel, a reclusive writer who always kills off her leading men. Tension abounds as Harold learns he’s a character in her latest novel and must fight to stay alive. This is an example of a cool idea getting lost in its own cleverness. Sure, it’s fun to watch fiction melded with reality, but given that the movie ostensibly takes place in the real world there’s too much implausibility for it to gel. To his credit, Ferrell is very restrained as the beleaguered Crick, and the dramatic performance shows that he’s capable of more than the silliness of Talladega Nights. Rated PG-13.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan ***1/2

(Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Pamela Anderson) A television reporter from Kazakhstan named Borat Sagdiyev (Cohen) tours the U.S. in an effort to learn values and customs that can improve his native country. According to him there are three main problems in Kazakhstan: “economic, social and Jew.” Anti-Semitism is just one of the many offenses Cohen and director Larry Charles (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) commit in this riotously-funny movie. There is no ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religious belief at which Borat doesn’t poke at least a little fun, and every time he does it it’s funnier than the last. Rated R.

The Queen ***

The Pursuit of Happyness ***

Comments? E-mail dhudak22@yahoo.com.

Best of 2006

You’d never think the former Brat Packer and Mighty Ducks star, could have written and directed a movie this good.

Emilio Estevez pulls off Bobby. Photo by Sam Emerson/The Weinstein Company

By Dan Hudak

This was a decent but not altogether great year at the movies, with some blockbusters fizzling (The Da Vinci Code, X-Men: The Last Stand) and others dazzling (Pirates of the Caribbean 2). Emerging from the mediocrity is a nice variety of comedy, drama and action, as exemplified by this list of the 10 best movies of 2006.

10. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Sacha Baron Cohen’s television reporter from a Third World country (no, we’re not talking about Miami, Mr. Tancredo) who brings his values to the states worked as both a satire on American culture and a perverse, no-holds-barred comedy that will stop at nothing for a laugh. This was by far the raunchiest, most vile and uproariously funny movie this year.

9. Children of Men

A stirring drama with a bold premise and a wonderful performance by Clive Owen makes this one of the must-sees of the holiday releases. The film takes place in London in the year 2027, by which point women are infertile and much of the world has been destroyed. What’s appealing about this dystopian future is the bold visual style of director Alfonso Cuaron, which is both startling and depressingly gloomy.

8. A Prairie Home Companion

The recent death of Robert Altman hasn’t dampened the exuberance of the film, which is one of the best of the director’s extensive career. The funny, fresh and lively story was inspired by the radio show of the same name hosted by Garrison Keillor and features some notable characters from the program. The overlapping dialogue and chaos of the live show is perfect fodder for Altman, and he brought it all to life as well as he ever has.

7. The Holiday

This is the best romantic comedy since Love Actually. Maybe I’m a sucker for the mix of Christmas and romance, but writer/director Nancy Meyers’ splendidly funny and sweet movie is good enough to melt the heart of even the surliest scrooge among us.

6. Apocalypto

Personal issues aside, Mel Gibson is one of the most talented filmmakers working today, and his ability to find emotion in a period piece and action film told in an all but extinct language is remarkable. Yes, it’s violent, but it’s also great drama.

5. Bobby

You’d never think Emilio Estevez, the former Brat Packer and Mighty Ducks star, could have written and directed a movie this good. Yet here is a smart, layered drama that follows more than 20 characters on the day presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy was shot in the Ambassador Hotel in 1968. Estevez effectively finds the essence of Bobby Kennedy’s importance through the goings-on at the hotel and his speeches, which are used throughout the film.

4. Dreamgirls

Great songs, solid performances by Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy and a wonderfully constructed story by writer/director Bill Condon make this the best musical since Chicago. Talented as the cast is, it’s “American Idol” outcast Jennifer Hudson who steals the movie with her explosive performance. Expect it to dominate on Oscar night.

3. Little Miss Sunshine

This year’s best independent film is a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family on a road trip to take its optimistic young lady to compete in a beauty pageant. The dazzling writing of Michael Arndt and strong performances by an ensemble that includes Steve Carell, Toni Collette and Greg Kinnear make this a smart, brutally honest and side-splittingly funny movie. It also features an ending you will never forget.

2. United 93

Two 9/11 movies (the other was Oliver Stone’s very solid World Trade Center) were released this year, but this one came first and was more powerful and affecting. Kudos to writer/director Paul Greengrass for not sensationalizing something that is still very difficult for many to bear, and for finding an indomitable human spirit aboard the flight that landed in a Pennsylvania field on 9/11.

1. The Departed

Martin Scorsese has dispensed with noticeable Oscar aspirations and made a sensational suspense story and crime thriller rolled into one. The premise is ingenious: Matt Damon plays a Mafioso sent to infiltrate the Massachusetts State Police, while Leonardo DiCaprio plays a state police officer sent to infiltrate the mob. Soon the situation spirals out of control and they must find one another before they end up dead, which leads to great tension and exhilarating action as the film gradually builds to its unthinkable climax. With a cast that also includes Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg, everything that could’ve gone right with the project has. This is vintage Scorsese at his best.

Honorable mentions include: Half Nelson, which should earn star Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination; Clint Eastwood’s one-two combination of Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima; a comedy from Spain titled Only Human; the deliberately un-sexy Miami Vice; a documentary called Cocaine Cowboys, which tells the real story behind what we get a taste of in Miami Vice; the little-seen Fast Food Nation; Notes on a Scandal, which will earn Dame Judi Dench her sixth Oscar nomination; and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, which came in second only to Borat as the funniest movie released this year.

Next week we’ll discuss 2006’s worst.

Comments? E-mail dhudak22@yahoo.com.

Apocalypto ***1/2

The Holiday ****

Blood Diamond ***

Turistas (No Stars)

The Nativity Story **

Deck the Halls *

For Your Consideration **

Bobby ****

The Fountain *

Déjà Vu ***1/2

Happy Feet **

Casino Royale **1/2

Fast Food Nation ***1/2

(Greg Kinnear, Bruce Willis, Paul Dano) Director Richard Linklater has taken a fictional twist to Eric Schlosser’s book about the fast food industry, but hasn’t lost any of its zest. The industry is dissected on every level, from the naïve cashier just trying to pay her bills to the illegal immigrants working for below minimum wage in a meat factory to the highly-paid corporate execs and everywhere in between. When the environmental, social and political consequences are thrown in for good measure, we begin to see just how alarming, shocking and, we fear most of all, truthful the film aspires to be. Think of it as Traffic for the fast food industry. Rated R.

Little Children **

(Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly) Bored suburban domestics (Winslet and Wilson) are ignited at the thought of a forbidden affair, and resist temptation for as long as they can. Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, the film has an unnecessary third person narration that distracts from the seemingly innocuous boredom of these people’s lives. Much credit to Winslet and Wilson for taking the daring roles, and for the brave ending, but on the whole the film lacks style and is too slow. Rated R.

Harsh Times **1/2

(Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, Eva Longoria) Former Army Ranger Jim Davis (Bale) and his best friend Mike (Rodriguez) blow off job hunting to drink, smoke weed and chase women. As Jim’s psychotic episodes grow worse and Mike’s girlfriend (Longoria) badgers him to find a job, the friends spiral down a path of destruction and despair. Bale plays Jim with a scary ferocity that’s more unleashed than his disturbed portrayal of Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho.” Writer/director David Ayer’s (writer of Training Day”) film matches this energy, which ironically makes it a little too discomforting to be enjoyed. Rated R.

A Good Year *1/2

(Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, Freddie Highmore) London-based bonds trader Max Skinner (Crowe) inherits his uncle’s (Finney) vineyard in southern France, and unexpectedly falls in love with the place — and a local waitress — upon visiting. It’s hard to believe that Crowe and director Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”) would make such a sappy and hapless picture, but given that seeing is believing, go only if you’re interested in watching very talented artists fail miserably. Rated PG-13.

Babel ***

Stranger Than Fiction **

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan ***1/2

Running with Scissors ***

(Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Cross) Before the age of 15, Augusten Burroughs (Cross) learns he’s gay, has a legitimately crazy mother (Bening) and alcoholic father (Baldwin), is sexually abused by a 35 year-old man and is sent to live with his mother’s shrink. There’s a strong sense of “this cou