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Added 3.8.07
The Ultimate
Gift
**1/2
(Drew Fuller,
James Garner, Abigail Breslin) After the death of his
grandfather (Garner), the 20-something Jason Stevens (Fuller)
must complete a variety of tasks to earn his inheritance. The
premise alone makes the movie worth watching, but you know
things have gone too far when the hero is imprisoned by drug
lords in the middle of the South American jungle. As for the
Oscar-nominated Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), she
struggles with a precocious character who’s stricken with
leukemia but surprises people with her bold personality. Rated
PG.
Zodiac
**
(Jake
Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo) Based on the true
story of the infamous “Zodiac” killer who terrorized northern
California for more than 20 years starting in the late ’60s, the
film follows San Francisco Chronicle employees (Gyllenhaal
and Downey Jr.) and police officers (Ruffalo and many others) as
they search for the murderer. It starts off well, but evolves
into a long, tedious bore that becomes consumed with minute
details such as who drew a movie poster and accurate handwriting
analysis. Rated R.
Black Snake
Moan ***
(Samuel L.
Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake) From the
writer/director of Hustle and Flow comes the story of a
symbiotic bond between a sexually abused, nymphomaniac teenager
(Ricci) and the drinking and swearing religious man (Jackson)
who tries to help her. Ricci (who wears nothing but a skimpy
T-shirt and underwear during the first half of the movie) gives
the best performance of her young career and Jackson is touching
and effective as the patriarchal caregiver. Rated R.
The Lives of
Others ***1/2
(Ulrich Muhe,
Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck) Shortly before the fall of the
Berlin Wall, an agent (Muhe) for the East German Stasi (secret
police) spies on a writer (Koch) and his girlfriend (Gedeck) who
are believed to be anti-Socialist. This Oscar-winner for Best
Foreign Language Film is a stark and unforgiving tale of
political oppression and the human beings who made drastic
decisions in an effort to fight the system. It’s extremely
powerful, wonderfully acted and very worthy of its Academy Award
for Best Foreign Language Film. Rated R.
Wild Hogs ***
(John Travolta,
Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy) Four men (Travolta,
Allen, Lawrence and Macy), each facing a mid-life crisis, hit
the open road on their motorcycles and find trouble along the
way. This is a genuinely delightful comedy with the four actors
playing off of one another remarkably well, which gives the
movie enough charm to make it a real winner. Rated PG-13.
Reno 911!: Miami **
(Ben Garant,
Mary Birdsong, Cedric Yarbrough) The cast of the Comedy Central
show hits the big screen in a movie that feels like one long
episode of the popular series. Fans of the program will get
their money’s worth, but if you’ve never seen the half-hour
sketch comedy show this isn’t going to inspire you to check it
out. Still, there are some genuinely funny scenes and a few
cameos to keep things interesting. Rated R.
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 18th 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.
Added 3.1.07
Black Snake
Moan ***
(Samuel L.
Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake) From the
writer/director of Hustle and Flow comes the story of a
symbiotic bond between a sexually abused, nymphomaniac teenager
(Ricci) and the drinking and swearing religious man (Jackson)
who tries to help her. Ricci (who wears nothing but a skimpy
T-shirt and underwear during the first half of the movie) gives
the best performance of her young career and Jackson is touching
and effective as the patriarchal caregiver. Rated R.
The Lives of
Others ***1/2
(Ulrich Muhe,
Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck) Shortly before the fall of the
Berlin Wall, an agent (Muhe) for the East German Stasi (secret
police) spies on a writer (Koch) and his girlfriend (Gedeck) who
are believed to be anti-Socialist. This Oscar-winner for Best
Foreign Language Film is a stark and unforgiving tale of
political oppression and the human beings who made drastic
decisions in an effort to fight the system. It’s extremely
powerful, wonderfully acted and very worthy of its Academy Award
for Best Foreign Language Film. Rated R.
Wild Hogs ***
(John Travolta,
Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy) Four men (Travolta,
Allen, Lawrence and Macy), each facing a mid-life crisis, hit
the open road on their motorcycles and find trouble along the
way. This is a genuinely delightful comedy with the four actors
playing off of one another remarkably well, which gives the
movie enough charm to make it a real winner. Rated PG-13.
Reno 911!: Miami **
(Ben Garant,
Mary Birdsong, Cedric Yarbrough) The cast of the Comedy Central
show hits the big screen in a movie that feels like one long
episode of the popular series. Fans of the program will get
their money’s worth, but if you’ve never seen the half-hour
sketch comedy show this isn’t going to inspire you to check it
out. Still, there are some genuinely funny scenes and a few
cameos to keep things interesting. Rated R.
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 18th
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.
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 18th 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
***
(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 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
**
(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, 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
**
(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 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
**
(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 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
***
(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.
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
(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.
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
***
(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.
The Pursuit of
Happyness
***
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