Movieguy

'Rachel Getting Married' is an engaging event

2008-11-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

*** out of ****

Anyone who has been to a wedding knows the endless preparation it takes before the bride and groom say their, “I do’s.” While wedding films are hardly original anymore, Rachel Getting Married is a refreshing, and most importantly – an intimate, look at the emotions before, during and after the nuptials. Walking down the aisle with grace, Rachel gets a bit disjointed along its rocky path.

As the title implies, Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) is getting married, but that is hardly the big event. Kym (Anne Hathaway), Rachel’s sister, is back from rehab to attend the wedding and can’t help but put the spotlight on herself.

Ready to see her family, halfheartedly making amends as a part of her 12-step program, Kym seems oblivious to the toll she has made on her relatives after multiple trips to rehab facilities. Temperamental, pessimistic, narcissistic and just plain unpleasant, Kym is not easy to like. Rachel who is sensible and forgiving to Kym is reluctant about her being the Maid-of-Honor and even more nervous what could happen if she isn’t.

Carrying a burden of a dark family secret, Kym, Rachel and their divorced mother Abby (Debra Winger) and father Paul (Bill Irwin) are about to face the harsh reality of their dysfunctional lives together. Arguing, bonding and accepting, Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) directs a gripping and binding film.

Jonathan Demme provides more intimacy to the event by filming with a handheld camera. Those scared off by this queasy camera technique should find comfort in the fact that Demme has a sturdy hand throughout the process.

The editing is done nicely, but Demme goes overboard with the toasts and wedding band montages. By the fifth toast and second dance you wonder when will they cut the cake.

Rachel Getting Married is Jenny Lumet’s (daughter of Sidney which is also the name of the groom subtlety played by Tunde Adebimpe) first screenplay. Jenny writes powerful conversation scenes that are excellently played out by the cast.

Rachel is one of those films where the performances outpace the movie itself, with outstanding acting by Anne Hathaway (Get Smart, The Devil Wears Prada), Rosemarie DeWitt (Mad Men) and Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment, An Officer and a Gentleman.)

Hathaway gives the best performance of her career as Kym. Between being steely and emotional, Anne makes Kym endearing, even though you wouldn’t want to be in the same room as her, much less a wedding.

Overshadowed by Hathaway, but nonetheless brilliant are DeWitt and Winger. Trying to be accommodating, DeWitt is not afraid to be contentious, not willing to sacrifice her big day for Kym. Debra Winger makes a welcome trip back to the big screen as the bickering girls’ passive but loving mother. Winger does have a shinning moment during a confrontation with Kym that could possibly earn both actresses Oscar gold.

Rachel Getting Married’s greatest achievement is breaking the banal dysfunctional family-wedding genre. This marriage will have a long reception with its audience.

Josh Brolin takes office in 'W.'

2008-11-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

**1/2 out of ****

President George W. Bush is the controversial subject for Oliver Stone's pretentious, gutsy and middling biopic "W."

This film with a simple title sets out to cover Bush's college years through his first term as president. Filmmaker Stone is no stranger to politics after driving his films "JFK" and "Nixon" all the way to the Oscars.

With "W." Stone makes an energetic and entertaining film, but drops the ball when it comes to giving a full view of the man the nation elected -- twice. Rather, he and screenwriter Stanley Weiser (who previously wrote Stone's Oscar-winner "Wall Street") pick an assortment of vignettes that chronicle the president's highs (the first time he meets his wife Laura) and lows, which in this film are plenty.

Stone spices up the conventional story telling, injecting interesting imaginary sequences that Bush uses as analogies, such as playing baseball to a cheering crowd as one-time owner of the Texas Rangers.

The main draw of "W." isn't the plot or the direction, but the film's first-rate actors and their impersonations of recent historical figures. Much like the excitement of Tina Fey portraying Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live," the whole film feels rather SNL-ish with more moments of laughter than one would expect in a historical drama.

Josh Brolin ("No Country for Old Men") goes beyond the call of duty as commander in chief, having everything from Bush's walk to his talk mastered.

Jeffrey Wright ("Casino Royale") does an amiable job as Secretary of Defense Colin Powell, but grows affected during his long monologues. Elizabeth Banks ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin") is a standout as Laura Bush in select scenes. Richard Dreyfuss nicely plays a subdued Richard Cheney, unlike the funny-yet-over-the-top Toby Jones ("The Mist") as Bush's right-hand man Carl Rove. James Cromwell ("24") gives a zesty performance as Bush's always expecting Poppy and Ellen Burstyn ("The Wicker Man") is convincing in a hammed-up portrayal of Barbara Bush.

With the cast's fine performances, it is easy to tell that the normally elegant Thandie Newton ("Norbit") gets the lowest approval rating. Newton falls flat on her face in an over-the-top caricature of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice that leaves you cringing at her voice and facial impersonations.

It is not hard to read between the lines to figure out director Oliver Stone's less-than-favorable opinion of our 43rd president. "W." is still a moderately fair portrait of the man.

'Eagle Eye' flys high

2008-11-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

**1/2 out of ****

What if the government is watching you read this review right now? Listening to your conversations through your phone’s speaker, looking at you from your webcam and following every move you make through your cell phone’s tracking device. This is the essence of the thriller Eagle Eye which lacks the anxiety of the idea that technology is surveying you everywhere.

Everyman star Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Indiana Jones 4) leads; reteaming with director D.J. Caruso (Taking Lives, Two for the Money) who put him on the map with the modern-day revamp of Rearview Window, Disturbia. Borrowing and modernizing elements again from Hitchcock (this time North by Northwest) and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Caruso makes a thoroughly entertaining thriller that dabbles more into action than smarts.

Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) is a Stanford dropout who works at Copy Cabana, living in the shadow of his identical twin, Air Force Cadet Ethan (LaBeouf, again).

Getting a call from his mother that his twin was killed in a traffic accident, it isn’t long after the funeral that Jerry gets another fateful call. Coming home to find his apartment filled with terrorist weapons, Jerry gets a phone call from a mysterious woman to flee his apartment and if he doesn’t obey, he will die.

Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) is an overworked paralegal who sends her son (Cameron Boyce) off by train to perform at the Kennedy Center. Shortly after, she gets a call from the mystery woman. Rachel is told if she disobeys, the train her son is on will be derailed.

Slacker Jerry and divorced mother Rachel get paired together on the mystery adventure by the phone calls. Realizing whoever is pulling their strings somehow sees every move they make. Making traffic lights go from red to green, surveillance cameras going blank and machinery operate robotically (that’s only the tip of the iceberg).

Shia LaBeouf once again gives an outstanding performance, showing that he can carry a movie, going the extra mile to make a fully-developed character. Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible III) has a motherly element towards Jerry while unselfishly going on with the requests to save her son.

Billy Bob Thorton is an FBI Agent and Rosario Dawson (Sin City, Rent), playing an Air Force Investigator, round out the talented cast, trying to track down Jerry and Rachel. Julianne Moore goes uncredited as the threatening monotone voice that stipulates the instructions over the phone.

D.J. Caruso fills Eagle Eye with edge-of-your-seat car chases and action sequences that have you enthralled. When the action stops, the plots ridiculousness seeps through and the hokey ending is disappointing for the film that started off strongly. Perhaps executive producer Steven Speilberg and the many people (John Glenn, Travis Adam Wright, Hillary Seitz and Dan McDermott) that wrote the film’s screenplay are to blame for the plot going from engrossing to unnecessarily dense.

Alive with fun, solid performances, adrenaline and intrigue Eagle Eye will certainly have your eyes glued to the screen.

'Nick and Norah' do New York

2008-09-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

**1/2 out of ****

Whoever said opposites attract clearly hasn't met Nick and Norah. After a summer of raunchy R-rated, laugh-out-loud comedies such as "Pineapple Express" and "Tropic Thunder," "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" turns down the volume a bit with a romantic high school comedy.

Michael Cera ("Superbad," "Juno") stars as Nick. Heartbroken by his girlfriend, Tris (Alexis Dziena), Nick becomes a recluse, but his band members (Aaron Yoo and Rafi Gavron) hope to cheer him up by convincing him to play at their New York City gig.

One girl at the gig is Norah (Kat Dennings), a straight-laced student who has been dragged there by her drunken friend, Caroline (Ari Graynor). After one of Norah's classmates teases her about coming to the club without a date, she grabs the first guy she sees and begs him to pretend to be her boyfriend.

The guy happens to be Nick and the classmate turns out to be Tris. With the rest of the night ahead of them, Nick and Norah hopscotch around the Big Apple trying to find drunken Caroline and their favorite band Fluffy, which is playing at a secret venue. While looking for Fluffy, they find love along the way.

"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" is based on a book by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. First-time screenwriter Lorene Scafaria has a knack for dialogue that's sweet and touching, but misses the funny bone. Director Peter Sollett does a hip job that surpasses most of the recent glop in this field. He also has a great ear for independent music, although you wish at points some other genres were explored. Unfortunately, the film falls prey to predictability and sloppy transitions.

Cera and Dennings ("The House Bunny") have a fair amount of chemistry between them, but it seems forced or missing at times. Dennings pulls off a convincing performance as a timid spirit, while Cera stars as a dejected musician.

The supporting cast helps the movie move along, but sometimes a little too bluntly. Yoo stands out as Nick's best friend, but there is not much depth to his character. Graynor steals most of the laughs stumbling around New York City, though she seems out of place, as if she's in a different slapstick movie. The film has a few quirky charms, but mainly remixes the same old tunes.

As far as romantic comedies go, should "Nick and Norah" pop up on your movie playlist, you'll be in for an enjoyable time.

'Burn' a hit for Coen brothers

2008-09-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

What happens when an amateur duo of dim-witted doofuses beats the head honchos of the CIA at their own game? The answer is found in "Burn After Reading," a smart film about not so smart people.

Hot off of their success from four-time Academy Award winner (including Best Picture) "No Country for Old Men," brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, do a 360 with their new absurd spoof comedy. After variable success in the genre with hits ("The Big Lebowski") and misses ("Intolerable Cruelty"), "Burn" is without a doubt a hit.

Part of an all-star cast, John Malkovich stars as the angry, foul-mouthed CIA analyst Osborne Cox. The movie begins with Cox getting fired for having a drinking problem, angrily retorting to his colleague, "You're a Mormon! Next to you, everyone's got a drinking problem."

With his newfound spare time, spent mostly drinking and lounging, he decides to write his memoir, to the indifference of his icy wife (Tilda Swinton).

The plot gains traction when a disk containing parts of Osborne's memoir is somehow left on the locker room floor at a gym named Hardbodies. Mistakenly taken as CIA secret information, gym employees Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), who is hankering for a plastic surgery makeover and the fitness-obsessed Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), see it as an opportunity for easy money.

As the two carry out their half-baked blackmail scheme, Linda starts to date a married Treasury Department employee, Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who is having an affair with Mrs. Cox. As all of their lives converge, the Coens create the perfect set up for chaos, murder and hilarity.

Instead of an all-out parody, this film is more of a briskly-paced CIA comedy caper -- Joel and Ethan take the typical craziness out of a spy movie and push it to the max with their imaginative screenplay.

Playing for laughs, not awards, John Malkovich, Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand are still at the top of their games and give some of the most entertaining performances of the year.

J.K. Simmons deserves a mention as the baffled CIA superior who tries to follow the blackmail-murder-love triangle situation. At the end of the film he asks, "So, what did we learn?" The answer is "nothing."

However, like a good episode of "Seinfeld," learning much about nothing is rewarding even on its own, as long as it keeps us laughing.

Comic book flicks to watch out for

2008-06-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Look up at the movie screen! Is it a comedy, is it a horror? No, it’s a comic book adaptation! Since the 70s, comic book adaptations of superheroes and mystical creatures have went from page to screen. However, this fad absolutely erupted in May of 2002 with a little film you might have heard of called, Spider-Man. The juggernaut film broke box office records, along with its sequels, and every studio wanted a page of the comic book action.

Flaunting off flashy special effects, the big-budget flicks attract even bigger audiences, turning the cinema into a comic book lover’s paradise.

Even B list characters have been made into fairly successful films like Daredevil, Ghost Rider, and the upcoming…Ant-Man (ever heard of him)?

According to IMDB (Internet Movie Database), an outstanding 80 some comic book adaptations are announced to be made, soaring into movie theaters, TV sets or DVD players. America’s obsession to watch their favorite superhero fight off their favorite supervillain better not wear off anytime soon.

Here is a look into this upcoming year’s hottest and most anticipated comic book adaptations that will come alive on screen.

THIS YEAR
The Incredible Hulk-It was half a decade ago when art-house director Ang Lee brought this 1962 Marvel comic character turned TV show to life in an underwhelming and underperforming flop. However, the giant green guy who you don’t want to get mad is making a reinvented comeback. The comic is about physicist Dr. Robert Bruce Banner who gets caught in an explosion by a Gamma bomb which he created turning him into “The Hulk”. Edward Norton plays our superhero in the upcoming remake with Liv Tyler as his love interest, Betty Ross.

Wanted-Published in 2003 by Top Cow, this violent miniseries makes its leap to the big screen. Forget superheroes, Wanted is all about the supervillains. The intriguing set-up circles around Wesley Gibson, a white-collar nobody with a boring life. Things hit the ceiling when Wes finds out that his father got assassinated and that he was a supervillain called, The Killer; a part of the villainous Fraternity. Rising star James McAvoy plays Wesley with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman as his mentors that try to bring out the murderer in him.

The Dark Knight-The beloved caped crusader is back in his 6th film under Christopher Nolan who revamped the series with Batman Begins. Bob Kane’s creation published under DC Comics debuted in 1939 and was turned into a TV show in the late 60s. Under the mask is rich playboy philanthropist, Bruce Wayne, who protects New York’s Gotham City after his parents were killed. With no superpowers, he does have a super utility belt. Gliding into theaters this July, Christian Bale reprises the role of the Dark Knight with the belated Heath Ledger (in his last full performance) as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart as politician turned villain Two-Face.

The Spirit-From the 1940 Will Eisner newspaper strip, Frank Miller brings the comic to the silver screen this Christmas in vein of the visual styling’s of his other work, Sin City and 300. Denny Colt is a rookie cop returned from the dead as a masked vigilante, the Spirit, protecting his city. Gabriel Macht will play The Spirit. Samuel L. Jackson plays the villain, The Octopus with Scarlett Johansson as his accomplice. Eva Mendes is Sand Saref, the Spirit’s love interest who ends up on the other side of the law.

2009
Barbarella-Originated in France in 1962, the raunchy science-fiction comic finds the busty Barbarella adventuring around the galaxy. It was made into a notorious 1968 flick starring Jane Fonda. Jean-Claude Forest’s comic might find new life as it is to be remade by Robert Rodriguez, starring his girlfriend, Rose McGowan. However, the big-budget is causing delays.

Justice League: Mortal-Super friends: Aquaman, Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman are to finally unite. The relatively unknown very young cast and director George Miller (Happy Feet) is an ominous sign. WB is hoping that this picture will jump-start separate series with the lesser known superheroes in the gang. However, shooting location disputes leave this picture hanging. Marvel Comics is pulling together a similar picture with its own line of superheroes, The Avengers, for 2011.

Watchmen-Alan Moore’s 12-issue series published by DC in 1986 is one of the most anticipated comic book movies coming out. The depiction of Superheroes as real people made it a success. The story follows a mysterious murder of a fellow superhero with shocking dark twists and turns. Zack Snyder (300) directs with the lesser known but talented cast that includes: Patrick Wilson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Billy Crudup and Jackie Earle Haley.

Y: The Last Man- The 2002 Vertigo comic book stars Yorick Brown, the only male left alive after a suspected plague kills every mammal on earth with a Y-chromosome. This critically acclaimed comic shows a post-male world while chronicling Yorick and his friends’ journey. D.J. Caruso (Disturbia) is set to direct with a rumor of Shia LaBeouf to star.

2010
The First Avenger: Captain America-Synonymous with American comics, Captain America will finally get a break and be made into a feature film. Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; Marvel Comics has published it since 1941. The alter ego of Steve Rogers, gains his powers by a serum to aid the US in the war effort. Director Nick Cassavetes is the son of John who directed Iron Man.

Also keep an eye out for the forthcoming follow-ups to our favorite comic book adaptations: Iron Man, The Punisher, Superman, Sin City, and X-Men. Other projects announced are: Barbarella, Buck Rogers, The Flash, Nick Fury, Shazam, and Wonder Woman.

These big-budgeted and special effects laden projects finally make our favorite heroes truly fly off the page.

"Indiana Jones" is back

2008-06-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

**** out of ****

Everyone’s favorite globe-trotting, artifact-digging, whip-cracking, fedora-wearing professor is back in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Harrison Ford graces the silver screen again as Indiana Jones, exactly 19 years after 1989’s Last Crusade; Crystal Skull is the franchise’s 4th installment.

Not quite the Indiana Jones we know from Raiders of the Lost Ark, there is still plenty of nostalgia from start to finish, appeasing the older generation as well as today’s, bringing out the excitable kid in all of us.

The year is 1957 and Indy is once again in peril, being captured by Russian radical sword-wielding psychic scientist Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). Spalko forces Jones to search for a mysterious magnetized artifact in a government warehouse, but just in the knick of time, Indiana escapes…temporarily.

Young greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf) meets up with Indy for his aid in finding lost colleague, Professor Oxley (John Hurt), who was previously kidnapped by Spalko to find the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. But the gold is not at stake, rather a crystal skull. The crystal skull is a supernatural object that grants its retriever unimaginable powers.

Setting off to South America and the deep, dark dangerous jungles of Peru, Indiana Jones, with Mutt in tow, fight off creepy-crawlers, hoards of ants, ancient tribes and the Soviets with non-stop action and adventure at every turn.

Harrison Ford is back in action as the adventure-seeking, wise-cracking Indiana Jones. Even though he is well into his sixties, Ford still can crack a whip. Also aging well is Karen Allen reenacting her role as Marion Ravenwood. Indiana’s tough-girl love interest in Raiders, Allen is pleasurable in her scenes next to Ford.

For today’s youth, Shia LaBeouf, who seems to be Speilberg’s favorite actor (producing most of his films), joins the crowd as the young spelunker. Cate Blanchett dons a heavy Russian accent as our villain, but probably is one of the weakest dastardly characters in the series with a underdeveloped part.

Steven Speilberg and George Lucas team up again and still have the magic touch. Lucas, who dreamt up Star Wars, also came up with idea for Indiana Jones. However, David Koepp (wrote Speilberg’s War of the Worlds, The Lost Word: Jurassic Park) pens the fun script that at spots gets murky.

Speilberg keeps up his outstanding credentials with stupendous sequences that you must see to believe. In particular, a jungle car chase with plenty of swashbuckling and bullet flying action that will keep anyone on the edge of their seats.

With plenty of familiarity too it, one reason why this Jones feels slightly different from the others is its CGI. Still with plenty of practical special effects (reportedly only 30% of effects were CGI), the graphics in some scenes can’t help but go unnoticed, though they are of course top-notch. Also, the extraterrestrial subject matter doesn’t feel too Jones-ish.

With exactly the perfect amounts of danger, humor, adventure, romance and swashbuckling, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is nearly impossible not to enjoy.

Battles around in "Narnia" sequel

2008-05-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

Based on C.S. Lewis' timeless book series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is the second installment and just as entertaining as 2005's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Taking place a year later, the Pevensie children are settling back into their normal life in London.
Older siblings Peter (William Moseley) and Susan (Anna Popplewell) seem to have put Narnia behind them, while younger Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and youngest Lucy (Georgie Henley) are aching to go back.

The younger ones get their way, being transported back to Narnia, only this time they travel through a subway station.

And the mode of transport isn't the only new thing to have happened since last visiting Narnia. Although only one year has past, 2,300 years have elapsed in Narnia time, and the once magical land is left in shambles.

The Narnians are near extinction thanks to the human Telmarines.

The Telmarine race is in chaos. Prince Caspian's (Ben Barnes) evil uncle, King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), tries to assassinate Caspian after his wife (Alicia Borrachero) bears a boy who will become his successor. Caspian narrowly escapes his uncle's deadly clutches and runs off to Narnia for help.

Caspian promises to restore peace in Narnia if he can get his place back on the royal throne.

With the help of the Pevensies, Caspian rounds up all of the surviving mystical creatures in Narnia to rebel against Miraz and bring civility back to the land.

Even with more spectacular scenery, thrills, battles, creatures and carnage, "Prince Caspian" is slightly less impressive than it's predecessor. In lieu of the magical mysticism, we get more action.

Director Andrew Adamson ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe") has become more tactful with his crafty camerawork, sweeping across the beautiful landscapes.

Almost two-and-a-half hours, the same length as the first film, "Prince Caspian" noticeably needs trimming.

The battle scenes are intense, epic and gargantuan. Edited superbly, one or two scenes could have been trimmed along with some dialogue and unneeded new characters.

The writing team of director Adamson, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely return. The script delves a little too deep into the hierarchy of the land, and some humor also is missing.

"Prince Caspian" has a much darker and savage tone compared to the first, focusing less on the characters and more on politics and battles.

Peter Dinklage ("Death at a Funeral," "Nip/Tuck") as new character Trumpkin, a dwarf with dry wit, is a welcome addition. Eddie Izzard ("The Riches") also visits the world of Narnia as the voice of the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep, who is reminiscent of Shrek's Puss In Boots (Adamson also directed the first two "Shrek" movies). Hopefully at least one of the two will return for the next installment, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," which is set to sail in 2010 and will be guided by new director Michael Apted ("Enough," "The World Is Not Enough").

The magnificent child actors that play the Pevensie children are marvelous and Castellitto is menacing as Miraz. Barnes, however, comes off too timid as the warrior Prince Caspian.

Not as perfect as the original, a faithful adaptation with rousing battles and likable characters makes "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" a summer blockbuster must-see.

'Speed Racer' runs out of gas early on

2008-05-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

*1/2 out of ****

"Speed Racer" is a candy-colored film that is more style than substance. Too long and confusing for young ones, too feverish and hip for most adults, "Speed Racer" runs off course.

Based on a Japanese cartoon series and popular comic, "Speed Racer" now takes a turn as a $100 million blockbuster.

In a film that possibly utilizes more green screen for its perfectly fine balance between cartoon and CGI than any other, "Speed" may go fast, but the film still is a drag.

Set in a futuristic society, Emile Hirsch is Speed Racer, a kid who has racing on his mind and in his blood. His Pops (John Goodman) builds race cars and his brother Rex (Scott Porter), one of the best racers in the world, drives them. However, things change when Rex dies in a tragic accident. Unfazed, Speed gets behind the wheel of his brother's car, the Mach 5, and vrooms-off.
One of the most precocious racers on the track, Speed catches the menacing eye of racing entrepreneur Royalton (Roger Altman).

Royalton shows Speed the dark truth about racing with a daunting ultimatum: Speed drives for Royalton or never races again.

With the help of the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) and Taejo Togokahn (Korean pop-star Rain), Speed is determined to bring down the evil Royalton and bring credit back to the sport he loves so much.

The kaleidoscope visuals are equivalent to having Starbursts bombard your cornea. Trying to recreate the sugar-rush cartoon effect, "Racer" succeeds in essence, but not as a whole, playing out like a video game that has you searching for a controller.

In their first non-"Matrix" directorial effort in years, the Wachowski Brothers sputter-out with "Speed Racer." The camera work and creativity is top-notch, but feels uncontained. The race scenes are a rollercoaster ride on the crazy tracks that you might find inside a Hot Wheels box, but in between not much transpires.

"Speed" is a film that focuses more on visuals than acting. The cast looks the part, but still acts like the one-dimensional characters they are portraying. Emile Hirsch squints in concentration in front of the green screen with the mega-pixels doing the rest of the work. Christina Ricci, who plays Speed's girlfriend Trixie, nicely compliments Hirsch.

Paulie Litt, who plays little brother Spritle, fails to be energetic, though his role is of a hyper, sugar-crazed kid. Matthew Fox is dead behind the eyes, delivering the most monotone performance of the decade as the highly secretive Racer X.

The most animated performance comes from the Racer family's pet monkey, Chim Chim, who even upstages a pro like Susan Sarandon. Still she can't make the childish dialogue fly off the page as caring Mom.

Perhaps the film is too far ahead of its time. "Speed Racer" might win all of the races, but by the time he completes the first leg, the movie is low on gas.

"Iron Man" ushers in blockbuster season

2008-05-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

***1/2 out of ****

All that glitters is iron as "Iron Man," the first summer blockbuster of 2008, starts off the season with a gigantic bang.

It was only a year ago that "Spider-Man 3" took theaters by storm in what was dubbed the "summer of the threequel," with the third installments of the "Shrek," "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Ocean's," "Rush Hour" and "Bourne" franchises. This summer could be dubbed the "start of a summer series" with the coming of "Get Smart," based on a TV show, "Mama Mia!," a musical and "Wanted," a novel. "Iron Man" comes from a comic series and is one of the best films of the year so far.

Stan Lee's creation, Iron Man first made his appearance in comic books in 1962. Unlike most of the superheroes of the time, Iron Man was one of the first to have no real superpowers other than an invincible suit. Always a second-tier Marvel superhero, it shouldn't be long until Iron Man becomes a household name.

Robert Downey Jr. plays the main character Tony Stark. Stark is a genius engineer/billionaire/playboy who lives in a futuristic house on the coast of Malibu. His fortune comes from Stark Industries, a company that sells high-tech military weapons capable of mass destruction.

On a return trip back home from showing weapons to an army in Afghanistan, a group of terrorists, led by Raza (Faran Tahir), kidnap Stark and hold him in captivity. They want him to build a Jericho missile for their group with help from fellow captive Yinsen (Shaun Toub). What Tony builds isn't a missile, but another weapon entirely. He manufactures a makeshift suit of iron equipped with flamethrowers and rocket technology to fly.

Eluding his kidnappers after an exhilarating shoot 'em up thrill ride, Stark arrives home with a conscience crisis from seeing his weapons being used against the people that they are supposed to protect.

After a snazzy red and gold paint job and some creative engineering adjustments, Stark suits up as Iron Man to protect the world from the harm that he created.

Downey plays the role with a slick ease, comical not cynical and has fun with the part while engaging the audience with enjoyment as he gets adjusted to the suit's gadgets.

The Oscar-caliber cast is exquisitely perfect. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Stark's breezy, sarcastic assistant/love interest Pepper Potts. Terrence Howard is Stark's right-hand man and military pal Jim Rhodes. Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane, Stark's shady business partner.

Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby ("First Snow," "Children of Men") along with newcomers Art Marcum and Matt Holloway wrote the screenplay that captures the drama and development that most films lack, and supply a dose of comedy and action. The ending, however, misses the same ingenious spark as the rest of the film.

The countless special effects are some of the best to date and extraordinarily seamless with the reality of the scene.

Move over Spider-Man and Superman, "Iron Man" is flat out an all-around crowd-pleaser.

Helen Hunt reappears with new film

2008-05-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

Academy Award-winning actress Helen Hunt seemingly has fallen off the movie map since 2000's "Cast Away" and "What Women Want." Hunt makes her comeback not only as an actress, but as a first-time feature film producer, writer and director with "Then She Found Me"

The film stars Hunt as April Epner, a New York schoolteacher who goes into a mid-life crisis after multiple hits of fate.

The first is her inability to conceive a child naturally with her biological clock ticking. The second hit catches April off guard when her husband, Ben (Matthew Broderick), who works at the same school, unexpectedly leaves her. The third hit is her adoptive mother, Trudy (Lynn Cohen), passes away and, if that isn't enough, April's birth mother, Bernice (Bette Midler), decides to re-enter April's life. Then, a gentlemanly Brit named, Frank (Colin Firth), a father of one of April's students, unexpectedly enters her life.

Well directed, the movie has both April and the audience feeling overwhelmed with all of this happening and on board for a charming ride.

April has a hard time believing the bouncy Bernice, a semi-famous morning talk show host, is her mother, a woman who never is entirely honest about the story of April's adoption and her birth father.

When April finally settles in with the idea of Bernice being her mother and her newfound romance with Frank, a new problem arises: April finds out she is finally pregnant, but with Ben's baby. Ben, trying to come back into the picture as the father, brings complications to her romance with Frank.

Sorting through life with the help of each of these characters and her non-adopted brother Freddy (Ben Shenkman), "Then She Found Me" is a realistic look into making the best of what life gives you, even if it appears to be the worst.

"Then She Found Me" boasts a fabulous cast of actors who rarely are seen in films anymore, including Bette Midler, whose last appearance was in the underwhelming 2004 remake "The Stepford Wives."

Colin Firth ("Bridget Jones's Diary") is fine as the single father Frank, but the role isn't much of a stretch from his previous work. Matthew Broderick gives a rare dramatic performance as April's husband, who is finally ready to accept responsibility. Two-time Oscar nominee Midler fits her role like a glove as the over-the-top Bernice, who generates the film's biggest laughs.

Hunt marvels as April in a difficult role that reconfirms her status as an Oscar-winning actress. As a director and writer she pulls it off. Starting as a comedy, the film is a little rocky, but the fairly smooth transition into drama is where it excels.

The brave screenplay doesn't feel like a studio product, like most films of its genre today. The movie provides a content down-to-earth ending that caps off a satisfying journey. One of the better movies of its class in a long time, "Then She Found Me" truly is a find.

"Baby Mama" is a bundle of joy

2008-05-03T12:08:00.001-07:00

*** out of ****

Baby movies seem to be all the rage in Hollywood. "Baby Mama" is a comedy that shows us the lighter side of pregnancy. While we confirmed this from last year’s "Knocked Up", "Waitress" and "Juno", unlike "Baby Mama" all of these films had a sober edge. "Mama" takes the sugary-sweet approach making it less memorable than the other films. However, it sure doesn’t skip on the laughs, providing many knee slapping moments.

From "Saturday Night Live"’s Weekend Update, the comedic duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have taken different career paths. Fey became a successful award-winning TV actress on NBC’s "30 Rock". Poehler stuck with "SNL" and took supporting scene-stealing roles in comedies like "Blades of Glory" and "Shrek the Third" to name a few.

In "Baby Mama" the laughable duo reteams again oozing with comedic chemistry.

Fey plays Kate Holbrook, a slightly altered version of her neurotic "30 Rock" character, Liz Lemon. Vice President at a Philadelphia organic supermarket chain; years of climbing up the corporate ladder, single Kate realizes all that is missing in her life is a baby. After many failed attempts at conceiving, 37-year-old Kate whose chances of becoming pregnant are one in a million, resorts to surrogacy.

When finding out that the hefty fee for a surrogate is $100,000, Kate wittily replies to clinic’s owner Chaffee Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver), “It costs more to have some one born than to have someone killed.” Chaffee casually rejoinders, “It just takes longer.”

Here is when Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler) a loud trailer park slob comes into play as Kate’s surrogate. While it seems hard to believe that a woman like her could pass the clinic’s screening process, Angie agrees to help Kate achieve her dream of becoming a mother.

But after Angie and her common-law boyfriend Carl (Dax Shepard) break-up, Angie, who has no clue on the rules of pregnancy, moves in with the welcoming Kate.

While living together, Angie teaches Kate how to let loose while Kate teaches Angie how to grow up; their clashing personalities provide many laughs in this female buddy comedy. Not serious or offensive to anyone, Baby Mama’s message shows that there are multiple ways of obtaining a child and no choice is the wrong one.

Lone writer Michael McCullers ("Saturday Night Live", "Austin Powers 2-3", "Undercover Brother") also makes his directorial debut. Predictable but fun, McCullers adds in some curveballs that you never see coming, that involve Angie not being entirely truthful with Kate.

A big strong supporting cast adds to the movies fun. Weaver is comical as the extremely fertile clinic owner. Shepard has his share of humorous one-liners. Romany Malco ("Weeds", "The 40 Year Old Virgin") is the amusing door-holder at Kate’s building who becomes Angie’s confidant. Maura Tierney ("ER") adds snarky quips as Kate’s sister along with Holland Taylor ("Two and a Half Men") as her mother. Siobhan Fallon also has a brief part as the teacher at a Lamaze class with an Elmer Fudd accent, one of the movie’s funniest scenes.

Gregg Kinnear is a big player in the film as Kate’s love interest who mixes in some drama. Steve Martin however, is the weakest actors as Kate’s over-the-top hippie boss with most scenes not fitting in with the rest of the film.

The pairing of two of the funniest women today, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, is what makes this movie an event to see. The scenes without them together are usually the frailest. Thankfully about 90% of the time they are side-by-side. Fey plays the same role type of a buttoned-up character with an everyday charm. Poehler on the other-hand is a loud-mouth, shrill, obnoxious character that somehow manages to find a place in our hearts.

A smart light comedy, "Baby Mama" is certainly a bundle of joy.

EXCLUSIVE Interview with "Trailer Park of Terror"'s Nichole Hiltz and Director Steven Goldmann

2008-05-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

(Stevn Goldman, far left, and Nichole Hiltz, center, at the Philadelphia Film Festival for their film "Trailer Park of Terror").

At the 17th Philadelphia Film Festival I got the chance to chat with the director, Steven Goldmann, and star, Nichole Hiltz, of the upcoming humorous horror flick "Trailer Park of Terror".

Part of the Film Festival’s Danger After Dark (aka DAD) series, "Trailer Park of Terror" is a countrified entertaining thrill ride. Goldmann who’s directed hit music videos for stars like Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain and Faith Hill, makes his second feature length film.

Nichole Hiltz plays the lead, Norma, a Southern Trailer Park killer. With numerous supporting roles on hit films and TV shows like the FX hit series, "The Riches" and is to star in the upcoming USA Network show, "In Plain Sight".

Based off of the popular comic book series that started in 2002, "Trailer Park of Terror" captures much of the comic’s essence.

Quite a leap from country music videos to comic book horror, Steven Goldmann was drawn to the film because, “After the Kelly Preston family film Broken Bridges and country music videos, my fear was that I was going to get pigeonholed. I didn’t pick music videos, they picked me. I wanted to take my career in a different direction.” He also added, “With this I was able to build something from the ground up and make it appeal to a wider audience.” Nichole Hiltz joined onto the project for most of the same reasons. In a role that would have most actresses’ running in the opposite direction, Nichole took the role of Norma saying, “I’m ballsy and not scared. Truthfully, at first, I didn’t want to take the role. It was risky and could have killed my career if it wasn’t done right. It was the teen Norma and her back-story, seeing where she came from, that really drew me in. The first draft was much darker and tragic. It is every actress’ dream to play a comic book character.”

Originally created as a horror anthology Goldmann said, “No one wanted an anthology. They have a history of not doing well. Exceptions are Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone which had bigger followings. Trailer Park only has a cult following of 500,000 readers an issue.”

According to Goldmann the filming took a brief 18 days, “On the last four days I was rushing through it on a golf cart going through the three sets that we had running. I would never want to experience something like this again because I am a perfectionist. I wish I had more time on some things, but overall I am happy on how it turned out.”

Nichole also felt the stress being a lead actress, “There is a lot more pressure to carry a film. You either go for it or not. As they say there are no small parts and you have to commit to everything.” Hiltz also took a lot away from the production. “This is the first time I had to stick up for a role. Being cast as a female horror character is different and difficult in an almost all male cast. I had to put my foot down. Norma is my baby.”

Finally when I asked if they had plans for us to see more of Norma and friends in the future? “I have every intention,” says Steven Goldmann, “This is the first movie in a while that has memorable and marketable monsters.” Nichole Hiltz already seems up to the challenge of reprising the role, “I hope for a sequel. I will fight anyone who tries to take her away from me.”

For more on the comic and film "Trailer Park of Terror" visit www.trailerparkofterror.com

17th Annual Philadelphia Film Fest Overview

2008-05-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

(L-R: William H. Macy, Fiona Glascott and Jason Ritter at Philly Film Fest for their film, "THE DEAL")

The place to see an outstanding number of 243 feature length films and 108 short films, wasn’t Cannes or Sundance, but at the 17th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival (April 3rd-15th). Adding close to 100 feature length films more than last year, the Philadelphia Film Festival has become the largest film showcase on the East Coast.

Housing independent films with unknown to well-known actors such as William H. Macy, John Leguizamo, Elle Fanning, Matthew Broderick, Meg Ryan, Bette Midler, Jason Ritter, Patricia Clarkson, LL Cool J, Saffron Burrows, Tyrese Gibson and Felicity Huffman are a few familiar faces you will see on screen during the festival. Festivals like these are an excellent opportunity to view amazing films on the big screen and spread the word for them to have a chance at theatrical release.

As an added bonus to going to film festivals, the attendees get the rare and unique opportunity to meet the director and stars after many of the films. There to help promote the movie, audiences are given the chance to ask questions during Q&A’s that are fun and insightful. Among other things such as parties and free promotional giveaways are events like educational seminars on how films receive funding as well as a critics roundtable where the professionals give their critique on the films playing.

This year I got to view some of the most talked about movies at the festival. Most lived up to the hype and hopefully will get the recognition that they deserve.

American Teen
**1/2 out of ****
USA, 2008, 95 minutes
Dir. Nanette Burnstein
"American Teen" is a documentary that gives an insightful but ultimately tired look on High School life, chronicling the lives of High School Seniors in small town Warsaw, Indiana. The film focuses on Hannah, an artistic outsider; Colin, a friendly basketball jock; Megan, the school’s popular bully; and Jake, the nerd, tackling peer, family and college pressures with some expected and unexpected outcomes.
Academy Award nominee director Nanette Burnstein gives each of the students an equal amount of face time and knows where and how to cut to the next High-schooler for a seamless transition. Periodic animated vignettes that attempt to paint an image of what the teenagers are saying are awkward. "Teen" has spark and reality, but the same message has been played out many times before.

Dangerous Parking
***1/2 out of ****
Great Britain, 2007, 109 minutes
Dir. Peter Howitt
Starring: Peter Howitt, Saffron Burrows, Sean Pertwee, Rachael Stirling, and Tom Conti
Director, writer, producer and star, Peter Howitt brings to us the dramatic and hilarious "Dangerous Parking"; a film dangerously close to perfection. Howitt is Noah Arkwright, a cynical drug and alcohol addicted filmmaker. Noah narrates the out-of-order visual film that gives the true feeling of Noah’s abstract thinking and personality. Following his marriage to cellist Claire (Burrows), detox, and his fight with cancer, eccentric Noah keeps us laughing with pessimism and internal thinking throughout.
Peter Howitt wonderfully adapts Stuart Browne’s novel in a stunning directorial. Howitt takes on the task and succeeds at making the audience enjoy such an unlikable character with quick wit and charisma. Burrows gives one of her best performances as Noah’s wife as well as the supporting Pertwee and Stirling as his friends.
The choice of going out-of-order works well, all coming together in the end. However, the beginning is quite confusing and some dramatic scenes are hindered by not fully understanding what lead up to them. Overall, "Dangerous Parking" is a success with no major violations.

Deadline U.S.A.
*** out of ****
USA, 1952, 87 minutes
Dir. Richard Brooks
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ethel Barrymore, Kim Hunter and Martin Gable
A blast from the past, "Deadline U.S.A." is a nostalgic noir from 1952. Bogart stars as Newspaper editor, Ed Hutcherson who tries to save his paper from being bought out in a matter of days while bringing down mobster, Thomas Rienzi (Gable) in a shocking expose. Dealing with layoffs and closings of newspapers, the message is still prevalent today in this exciting crime drama.

The Deal
*** out of ****
Canada, USA 2008, 100 minutes
Dir. Steven Schachter
Starring: William H. Macy, Meg Ryan, Jason Ritter, Fiona Glascott, LL Cool J and Elliot Gould
Based on the book by Peter Lefcourt, William H. Macy adapts and stars in this Hollywood comedy. Playing an out of luck producer, Charlie, who swindles an executive, Deidre (Ryan), at a troubled studio to green-light his nephew’s (Ritter) script on the Jewish English statesman Benjamin Disraeli. Changing the script from a serious drama into an action comedy, they cast black action star (LL Cool J), who recently converted to Judaism as Disraeli for funding. Numerous setbacks and delays including a terrorist kidnapping and other chaos provide abundant laughs.
Macy and Ryan are at the top of their comedic game. Ritter along with Fiona Glascott as the female lead add well to the script. LL Cool J is the deal-breaker as a dim-witted action star adding lots of Jewish humor as Elliot Gould guides him as his equally clueless Rabbi.

Phoebe in Wonderland
**** out of ****
USA, 2008, 96 minutes
Dir. Daniel Barnz
Starring: Elle Fanning, Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman
Fanning is brilliant as the titled character, Phoebe Lichten, an imaginative young girl who has trouble with following the rules. Phoebe is obsessed with Alice in Wonderland, having visions of the characters pop-out throughout her day, much like her mother (Huffman) who is writing a book on Alice. As coincidence has it, her school is putting on the play Alice in Wonderland, run by the eccentric new drama teacher (Patricia Clarkson). While Phoebe is fine during rehearsal, her behavior outside of the theater is worsening in this extremely moving picture on what is and isn’t “normal” from the perspective of children and adults.
Desperate Housewives star Huffman shines as Phoebe’s mother while Clarkson plays a strong supporting hand. Pullman skillfully undertakes the part of Phoebe’s father. Director and writer Daniel Barnz makes a powerful debut that will certainly leave viewers in marvel.

Son of Rambow
**1/2 out of ****
USA, 2007, 95 minutes
Dir. Garth Jennings
Starring: William Poulter, Bill Milner, Jules Sitruk, Jessica Stevenson and Adam Godley
Set in the ‘80s, "Son of Rambow" is a sweet and funny family film that is enjoyable for all ages. Milner stars as the 11-year-old Will who has never seen a film in his life due to his religion of the Plymouth Brethren and strict leader (Godley). When school bully Carter (Poulter) decides to enlist Will into making a homemade version of First Blood to enter into a young filmmaker competition, the two set off with their video camera to make an action film. Reminiscent of the recent Be Kind Rewind, "Rambow" falls into the same pitfall: building a film off of one joke. However, "Son of Rambow" handles the problem much more properly by adding a dramatic element of friendship and religion to aid the film.
Writer and director Garth Jennings ("Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy") who drew experiences from his own childhood adds a lot of heart to the film. Jennings draws fantastic performances from his young actors. Younger audiences certainly needn’t see Rambo to get the joke, but the older audiences will enjoy the references.

Summer Scars
½ a * out of ****
Great Britain, 2007, 75 minutes
Dir. Julian Richards
Starring: Kevin Howarth, Ciaran Joyce, Amy Harvey, Jonathan Jones, Darren Evans, Christopher Conway and Ryan Conway
"Summer Scars" is a suspense-less thriller and drama with little emotion and sense. Kevin Howarth plays Peter, a stranger that stumbles upon six fourteen year old friends that cut school to hang out in the woods. Deciding to help Peter find his dog, it isn’t until Peter takes out a gun that they realize he has a different agenda. Peter supposedly is trying to teach the kids life lessons as they are about to reach adulthood. The chance of escape comes multiple times, but the brain-dead kids make the worst possible decisions to propel the plot that in the end is pointless.
The kids have a long way to go in acting. Howarth is the highpoint to the film as the stranger. Director Richards never seems to know where to go with the film that would make a better short, than feature length, which it barely is at 75 minutes. Bad acting, plot, writing and ending makes "Summer Scars" one of the worst of the fest.

The Take
**1/2 out of ****
USA, 2007, 96 minutes
Dir. Brad Furman
Starring: John Leguizamo, Rosie Perez, Bobby Cannavale and Tyrese Gibson
"The Take" is about family man Felix De La Pena (Leguizamo) who’s held at gunpoint as a thug, Adell (Gibson), kidnaps Felix while on duty as an armored truck driver. After stealing the money, Adell shoots Felix, leaving him for dead. Felix miraculously survives albeit personality changes. The police (Cannavale) not being helpful in finding the culprit, the now violent Felix is hell-bent on finding the perp. Driving away his wife (Perez) and children in the process, The Take is a gritty and dark crime drama.
Leguizamo gives one of his best performances but seems to be trying a bit too hard. Academy Award nominee Perez, on the other hand, does a fine job with a natural aura. Cannavale plays the average cop figure and Gibson is dead weight.
The plot is contrived and far from original with one or two glaring plot holes. For a low-budget flick, Furman brings some style and nice editing to make it worth checking out.

Trailer Park of Terror
**1/2 out of ****
USA, 2008, 91 minutes
Dir. Steven Goldmann
Starring: Nichole Hiltz, Lew Temple, Brock Cuchna, Myk Watford, Matthew Del Negro and Trace Adkins
From the Reading, P.A. based comic books; "Trailer Park of Terror" stars Nichole Hiltz as the headstrong beauty Norma who’s to leave the trailer park life behind her with boyfriend Aaron (Cuchna). When things start looking up, they soon come crashing down when fellow trailer-parkers Marv (Temple) and Roach (Watford) kill him. Running away, Norma encounters, The Man (Adkins), fueling her rage, giving her a rifle to take revenge on her trailer park neighbors. Cut to twenty years later when a group of six troubled teenagers and their pastor (Del Negro) get in a car accident during a thunderstorm coming home from a retreat. Seeking shelter in the nearby trailer park, they meet a now awry Norma who offers them shelter for the night. This is if they survive the night as monster zombie rednecks start picking off the kids one by one.
This not-for-everyone B-movie, filled with dark humor, a country rock-n-roll soundtrack and blood is an entertaining ride. Famed country music video director, Steven Goldmann, certainly breaks away from his roots with the help of screenwriter Timothy Dalton in this Predictable but fun southern terror.

Young@Heart
***1/2 out of ****
Great Britain, 2007, 107 minutes
Dir. Stephen Walker
Hilarious and heartfelt, Young@Heart is a documentary following a choir of senior citizens that sing….Rock N’ Roll? Originated in Northhampton, MA, the choir has toured the world and the film documents them preparing for their next tour.

Laughs are inevitable watching these old folks (whose average age is 81) sing everything from Sonic Youth to Coldplay to James Brown. Heart strings are pulled in scenes when a couple of the choir members fall fatally ill, but ultimately "Young@Heart" is a feel good flick for any age. By the time the film is over it makes you feel, well, young at heart.

Last year the festival hosted the likes of hit films such as Away from Her and La Vie en Rose, both Oscar nominated and winning pictures respectively. While it is unsure what films this year will be lucky enough to reach such a broad audience, there is enough picks worthy enough to reach such a status. For the ones that don’t, many are still worth searching out for.

'21' falls short of winning hand

2008-04-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

** out of ****

"21's" winning slogan, "winner, winner, chicken dinner," is quoted quite often, but the movie is more of a turkey. The newest card playing movie since last year's Drew Barrymore-Eric Bana flop "Lucky You," "21" is definitely more entertaining, but still goes bust.

From across the pond, "Across the Universe" and "The Other Boleyn Girl" star Jim Sturgess puts on his best American accent as the film's lead, Ben Campbell. Ben is an Massachusetts Institute of Technology student who can do math faster than a calculator. He's in desperate need of a scholarship or $300,000 to achieve his dream of attending Harvard Medical School. Opportunity knocks on his door when his math professor Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) offers him a place on the school's secret card counting team, the "MIT Blackjack Club."

Ben reluctantly takes Rosa up on his offer, realizing his financial woes and the persuasion from seductive Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), his campus crush. The condition that he imposes upon himself is playing only until he can win enough money for Harvard -- "a means to an end."

Jetting back and forth from chilly Boston to glossy Las Vegas on the weekends, the team counts their cards and then their chips, raking in the dough.

As they change their names and wear disguises to masquerade their identities, their days become numbered with increasing security technology. The day arrives sooner than expected as the casinos see that their profits are slipping and vigilant security pro Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) starts to unearth Micky's elaborate system.

For blackjack novices, don't fear, the movie gives a brief tutorial on how the game works, as well as the intriguing team's hand gestures, body movements and word signals to indicate if a table is "hot," "cold" and other player codes.

"21" has exciting blackjack table scenes, though away from Las Vegas' glitter the film is stale. "21" does manage to be rousing enough to follow through, even at its most tedious points. Screenwriters Peter Steinfeld ("Be Cool," "Analyze That") and Allan Loeb ("Things We Lost in the Fire") capture the excitement of the game, but provide a failing hand with the rest of the story.

The ending is a slight disappointment. As the film progresses, the story becomes too unrealistic, which is funny, since the movie is loosely based on the true story of the real MIT Blackjack Team and adapted from the book "Bringing Down the House," written by Ben Mezrich.

Director Robert Luketic ("Legally Blonde," "Monster-in-Law") certainly has some style with fascinating aerial shots of Vegas and the fast-editing on the casino floors, but it's Something we've seen already in the superior "Ocean's 11."

Jim Sturgess does a fair job as Ben, but seems somewhat miscast. Kevin Spacey tries his best with the role, but gives up along the way becoming over-the-top without much depth. The same goes for Fishburne. The average Bosworth surprisingly works well in the role of Ben's love interest. Aaron Yoo ("Disturbia") and Liza Lapira ("Cloverfield") are affable as fellow teammates Choi and Kianna.

With a great concept, "21" folds on quality story telling. Not worth the gamble to see in the theaters, "21's" good enough to ante up $3 for a rental.

'Shutter' should click with horror fans

2008-04-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

**1/2 out of ****

Does the thought of another foreign horror remake make you shudder? Well, fortunately there is "Shutter," one of the best in recent memory. The profitable Asian horror-remake phenomenon took off in 2002 with the wildly successful "The Ring" and "The Grudge," but has since crashed with this year's "One Missed Call" and "The Eye."

"Shutter" manages to standout with a complete, sensible and suspenseful storyline, which makes up for the lack of scares. What's the common everyday technology we should fear this time around? A camera. Produced by the makers of "The Ring" and "The Grudge," Rachael Taylor from "Transformers" plays the role of Jane Shaw, taking the place of Naomi Watts and Sarah Michelle Gellar as our blonde leading lady. The movie starts on Jane's wedding day as she and her husband, professional photographer Benjamin (Joshua Jackson) prepare for a quick move to Tokyo, where he is renewing his career with a company he worked at two years ago.

After developing his first photo-shoot assignment, all of the pictures appear ruined by orbs of an unknown light source. The same quirk materializes on pictures from their honeymoon and tourism shots. While Benjamin thinks it is a camera problem, Jane believes it's a supernatural event after seeing a ghostly young Japanese woman (Megumi Okina) suddenly appear and disappear throughout her day. As Ben becomes immersed in his work, Jane tries to figure out why she is having ghostly hallucinations. The photos are "spirit photos" according to Ben's assistant, Seiko (Maya Hazen), knowing this because her ex-boyfriend, Ritsuo (James Kyson Lee), coincidentally operates a magazine featuring "spirit photos." This is one of the big plot-turning coincidences that occur in "Shutter."Learning from Ritsuo that the photos are trying to communicate, Jane tries to figure out what that message is before it is too late. Benjamin begins to see the woman, and his friends Adam (John Henley) and Bruno (David Denman) also detect her, with knowledge of who she might be.

As the mysterious light in the photos becomes a clearer image and the sightings turn into violent physical attacks, the newlyweds must find a way to end the manifestations before death do they part.

"Shutter" has a solid story with fairly reasonable explanations. Still, why the photo ghost can also appear physically outside of the pictures is a head-scratcher.

The young actors play their parts with intrigue -- though "Dawson's Creek" star Joshua Jackson seems absent and uninvolved in most of his scenes. Taylor does an effective job for the majority of the film but is static at times. The supporting cast holds up the film but does nothing spectacular to improve upon it.

Staying true to scary Asian remakes, writer Luke Dawson keeps the same imagery of the original 2004 Thailand version, but tones the plot down. Masayuki Ochiai directs the film with style but forgets how to leave the audience spooked. Even at the feature-length run-time of 85 minutes, it seems to drag a bit.

"Shutter" certainly works as a thriller, but not as a horror flick mainly because the camera shies away from gory parts and scenes that are too frightening to maintain a PG-13 rating.

For thrills without shrills, "Shutter" will definitely click for you.

It's a who's who of stars in 'Horton'

2008-03-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

"A person's a person, no matter how small." That is the lesson for us all, that walk down the theater hall, to see Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who!" -- a worthy Hollywood adaptation once and for all.

After the so-so "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and the dire "Cat in the Hat," a Dr. Seuss story has found the right form in animation instead of live action, capturing the true essence of the book. The cartoon-y animation, true to book form, helps the movie come to life with many of the scenes inspired by the book's drawings. The talented voice cast with top-rated comedians of old and new, along with the hilarious script, boost "Horton" to one of the best family and comedy films this year.

"Horton" starts off with the star of the film, Horton (Jim Carrey, who starred in "Grinch"), a lovable and eccentric elephant living in the jungle of Nool, dictated by Sour Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) who dislikes imagination and things out of order. While taking a bath, Horton hears cries for help coming from a speck of dust floating in the air and chases it down, catching it on a daisy. Trying to talk to the speck, he ends up communicating with the Mayor (Steve Carell) who, unbeknownst to him, oversees the mircoscopic town of Whoville. Dr. Mary Lou Larue, the town's scientist, says that if the town cannot reach stability it is doomed. The Mayor, not believing Horton, who he can only hear but not see, makes the task of survival that much harder.

The Mayor passes on the information to Horton, who is determined to find a stable place for Whoville. He decides to go to the top of the highest mountain in the jungle of Nool. When the resident of the jungle catch wind of the story and start using their imaginations, Sour Kangaroo is unyielding in her attempts to destroy the speck, saying "The only things that are real are what you can see, hear, or feel." The Mayor, too, is under pressure, unable to convince his wife (Amy Poehler), the wicked councilman (Dan Fogler) and the rest of the town of their impending fate.

Sour Kangaroo solicits help from an evil vulture, Vlad (Will Arnett), to destroy the speck. Horton must watch out for aerial attacks from Vlad and the vigilant eye of Sour Kangaroo on his journey to the top of mount Nool.

First-time directors Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino do an excellent job of recreating the imaginative landscape created by Dr. Seuss with gratifying colorful visuals. Screenplay writers Dan Daurio and Cinco Paul also find the quintessence of the book, not straying far from its many themes with jokes-a-plenty.

Jim Carrey has a wide vocal range for Horton, providing a great character voice, and Steve Carell also gives equally fine voice-work as the reluctant Mayor. Dan Fogler and Will Arnett make excellent villains and Seth Rogen gets some snickers as Horton's mouse friend. Jaime Pressly ("My Name is Earl"), Jonah Hill ("Superbad"), Jesse McCartney ("Alvin and the Chipmunks") and Niecy Nash ("Reno 911!") round out the superb supporting cast. However, it is Carol Burnett that creates the fullest character with plenty of personality that you can't help but love and hate.

From the animation team that brought us "Ice Age," "Horton Hears a Who!" is another magical hit.

No matter what, "Horton" is definitely for you, even if you are a Grinch.

Action-packed '10,000 B.C.' short on facts

2008-03-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

**1/2 out of ****

Woolly mammoths helped build the pyramids, dinosaurs hid in jungles, saber-toothed tigers were the size of cars and humans spoke English 12,000 years ago? Do not expect to walk out of the theater with historic knowledge by watching the timeline-twisted "10,000 B.C." What you should expect is a historically inaccurate thrill ride of pre-historic creatures and tribes with plenty of action.

"10,000 B.C." is set among a secluded mountain tribe of mammoth hunters that has managed to find the miracle of 21st-century dental care. The simplistic plot focuses on the young, unwilling leader, D'Leh (Steven Strait), who finds his tribe attacked by a marauding group on horse back, capturing much of the tribe for slavery. During the raid, D'Leh's promised wife, Evolet (Camilla Belle), is one of the many abducted, prompting him to go save her and the others.

The perilous journey cuts through the stunning CGI-landscape of high-peaked, snowy mountains, predator-infested jungles and blistering deserts. As D'Leh fights through the conditions, he also must conquer the tyrannical empire and its leader by uniting fellow clans to rescue his people. The story smoothly flows with periodic narration by Omar Sharif.

Roland Emmerich, the man behind "Independence Day," "Godzilla," "The Patriot" and "The Day After Tomorrow" certainly doesn't know the meaning of small scale, and "10,000 B.C." is no exception. Co-writing the screenplay with the film's composer, Harald Kloser, Emmerich masterfully crafts the computer-created world of "10,000 B.C." Scenes of woolly mammoth stampedes, dinosaur attacks and gigantic pyramids make "B.C." easy to enjoy.

You cannot help but feel as if the film pulled a page from the '06 Mel Gibson film "Apocalypto" or the '60s Raquel Welch movie "One Million Years B.C." where the pyramids and dinosaurs are a better fit, respectively.

If only Emmerich cared as much about his actors than his CGI, "10,000 B.C." could have been better received by audiences. While the performances from the relatively unknown actors are surprisingly sturdy, more than a few scenes are laughable, but for all the wrong reasons.

Leading man Strait ("The Covenant") gives a solid performance as an outcast (his father abandoned the tribe when he was young) turned leader, though never exuberates much charisma in battle for a savior role. Belle, known for being the victim in the 2005 horror remake "When a Stranger Calls," plays the damsel dimly without much sense of distress.

The battles on top of the pyramids with charging wooly mammoths are the type of moments when "10,000 B.C." are at its peak. The other scenes are just idle until the next grand battle, which thankfully are only about five minutes away. Watchable and at times admirable, "10,000 B.C." is still visually fascinating and entertaining one that the whole family could enjoy. For fun and excitement, this is a point in history worthwhile to look back upon.

"Semi-Pro" is only Semi-Decent

2008-03-11T15:30:00.001-07:00

**1/2 out of ****

Will Ferrell's latest comedic outing, "Semi-Pro," never becomes a slam-dunk, or a three-pointer for that matter. It does score a few points, but mainly just hits the backboard.

In the vein of Ferrell's other hilarious sports satires "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," "Kicking and Screaming" and "Blades of Glory," "Semi-Pro" drops the ball, taking it one too many with a stale been-there-done-that taste.

Funnyman Ferrell still generates enough sporadic laughs to make "Semi-Pro" a worthwhile venture for fans of the star and this genre.

Ferrell once again plays a superficial, self-absorbed and highly confident character, this time under the alias of Jackie Moon. Set in the mid-1970s, Jackie is a one hit wonder with his Barry Manilow-esque "Love Me Sexy" and uses the money from the song to acquire an American Basketball Association (ABA) team -- the Flint, Mich., Tropics.

Acting not only as the owner, but as a coach, player and promoter, Jackie learns that the ABA is to merge with the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the end of the season. The catch is that only the top four teams will be part of the merger.

At the bottom of the rankings, the sad-sack team gets a much-needed boost when Jackie recruits a former NBA has-been, Monix (Woody Harrelson). It isn't long after Monix clashes with the only promising player on the team, ball-hog, Clarence "Coffee" Black (Outkast's Andre "3000" Benjamin). As the team starts shaping up and the attendance increases, the Tropics look as if they are on their way to be a part of the NBA.

We all know that Will Ferrell can be funny, even in his sleep, with his comedic ability, but he doesn't bring anything new to the table in a film relying heavily on sight gags rather than dialogue. You can't help but laugh at the song "Love Me Sexy" and the promotions to bring in the fans.

To be noted, this film is rated R, unlike Ferrell's other sports films. Ferrell and crew never bother to go the extra mile in what could have resulted in a PG-13 rating, by editing a few words.

Woody Harrelson, who reached film stardom in his 1992 basketball comedy "White Men Can't Jump," shines in most of his scenes. Harrelson carries a majority of the funny lines that work, but a subplot with his ex, Lynn ("ER's" Maura Tierney), just slows down the poorly paced film thanks to first-time director Kent Alterman.

As random as "Semi-Pro" is, there are a number of subplots and scenes that should have wound up on the cutting room floor. A prime example is the scene of a drugged-out hippie fan who receives an un-cashable $10,000 check after scoring a free-throw, played by Jackie Earle Haley of sports comedy "Bad News Bears" fame.

"Saturday Night Live's" Kristen Wiig makes a brief appearance, as well as Patti LaBelle, Rob Corddry and Andy Richter. Andrew Daly ("MadTV") and Will Arnett are dependable for laughs as the wise-cracking sports commentators.

When the fourth quarter rolls around, "Semi-Pro" stays strong, but that isn't enough to win the game. While the film is worth a watch if you like Will Ferrell's previous work, but ultimately "Semi-Pro" is just a semi-decent flick.

"Be Kind Rewind" Short on Laughs

2008-03-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

** out of ****

"Be Kind Rewind" is one of those movies that would make a stellar short film, but stretch it to feature length and you're looking for the fast-forward button. The movie's simple idea is to take popular films and parody them on a shoe-string budget with YouTube quality. This is the concept for this relatively absurd film.

"Be Kind Rewind" has a lot of heart, but never delivers on the laughs. Set in Passaic, New Jersey, the film starts off strong. The opening scene focuses on a dumpy, corner brick-and-mortar movie rental store called Be Kind, Rewind. In this store you won't find a DVD anywhere, only VHS, and yes, this is set in present day.

The store owner is Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover), who leaves Mike (Mos Def), the only other employee, in charge of the store while he scouts out local competition. Mike is odd and shy, with a strong sense of morality that sometimes gets twisted by Jerry (Jack Black), his goofy friend who works in a junk yard.

Jerry hits the play button on this slow moving plot when he destroys a local generator claiming it was controlling his mind, sending magnetic waves through his body. Next morning when Jerry enters the store, he inadvertently magnetizes all the tapes, rendering them blank. In fear of upsetting Mr. Fletcher, and the survival of the store, Mike hatches an idea. Jerry and Mike remake short versions of all the films. In come the parodies.

"Be Kind Rewind" relies on its laughs to come from the parodies that rarely generate a chuckle. "Rewind's" biggest belly-busters are from the natural moments, but they aren't enough to carry the film. The parody highlights range from "Driving Miss Daisy," "Rush Hour 2," "The Lion King," "Ghostbusters" and "Boyz N the Hood" -- anything is fair game.

The director and writer is the Oscar-winning visionary Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Science of Sleep"). A Frenchman, Gondry shows his love for American cinema in his most mainstream film yet. Gondry shows his troubled writing skills with poor pacing, but manages to stir up natural, down-to-earth dialogue even for such a quirky film.

Jack Black ("King Kong," "Nacho Libre") again can't contain himself, but is more relaxed than in his past comedic outings. Black is the perfect fit for a character like Jerry who is obnoxious and unaware of his surroundings. Mia Farrow makes another trip back to the big screen as Miss Falewicz, a friend of Mr. Fletcher who keeps an eye on naive Mike. Melonie Diaz joins in on the fun as one of the actresses in the parodies.

Mos Def ("16 Blocks," "The Italian Job") is the one to keep an eye out for. He is excellent as Mike with his quirky mannerisms and shy behavior. Like Mark Wahlberg, Mos Def is one of the few rappers-turned-actors that manage to make a smooth transition to film.

"Be Kind Rewind" is one to watch on DVD. However, you won't find yourself hitting rewind when it is over.

The Fantasy of "Spiderwick Chronicles" Charms

2008-02-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

*** out of ****

"The Spiderwick Chronicles" is another book-to-screen outing, but unlike the rest, this one stands out. Fatigued after all of the fantasy novel adaptations from last year alone, high-profile films such as "The Golden Compass," "The Seeker: The Dark is Rising" and "Stardust" were all shunned by audiences. With rushed starts, abrupt stops and confusion all around, "Spiderwick" shakes things up by letting the viewers take a breath without skimping on the CGI warfare.

Rated PG, "Spiderwick" does have some genuinely scary moments, but this is one that the whole family can enjoy.

Based on the five-part, best-selling kids' series, the film is a faithful adaptation which combines all of the books into one presentation.

The story starts with Helen Grace (Mary Louise-Parker) moving the family to the dilapidated Spiderwick Estate after her divorce. The estate was inherited from her great-great uncle Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn). Oldest daughter Mallory (Sarah Bolger), who enjoys fencing, and her bookish, pacifist brother Simon (Freddy Highmore) are supportive of their distraught mother and the move. Simon's identical twin, Jared, (also played by Freddy Highmore) isn't as supportive. Adventurous, curious and headstrong, Jared is upset with his mother and would rather live with his father.

The action starts quickly when Jared finds Arthur's secret laboratory and discovers a strange old book. The book, which has a "do not open" note attached, turns out to be a field guide of the magical world around the estate and the secrets of the mysterious creatures in the surrounding woods. Jared soon becomes a believer after he meets Thimbletack (voiced by Martin Short), a small, hamster-like man who was Arthur's assistant.

Simon also becomes aware of this mystical world with strange occurrences, though Mallory and their mom are not yet convinced. The twins learn that the evil shape-shifting ogre leader, Mulgarath (Nick Nolte), will stop at nothing to retrieve the book to become even more deadly. Mallory and mom soon become believers when the house is attacked by frog-like goblins.

Unlike most fantasy films, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" doesn't hold back -- goblins not only chase the kids, but also claw and stab to the point of cuts and bruises. With many evil and hideous creatures, there are also helpful ones such as the hog-looking Hogsqueal (voiced by Seth Rogen), and flower-like fairies who help with the fight in an action-packed CGI sequence.

Known from his Lindsay Lohan hits "Freaky Friday" and "Mean Girls," director Mark Waters enters new territory and is just as successful. Waters has stunning and majestic imagery filled with CGI creatures and live-action actors intertwining beautifully making this one a must to see in the theaters -- or IMAX, where it also is being shown.

Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum and John Sayles wrote the welcoming screenplay from Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black's novels. It leaves no confusion and a longer exposition to create character depth, adding a much bigger impact when it comes time for the final result.

"Weeds" star Mary Louise-Parker takes the backseat playing the caring-but-unaware mom.

The real star of "Spiderwick" is the young and very talented British actor Freddie Highmore ("Finding Neverland," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") who sports a decent American accent. Highmore, who acts both roles, amazingly creates two very separate characters as if they were played by different performers.

The animation department deserves recognition for the stunning visuals, as do Short and Rogen for being the friendly and likeable voices of their unique characters.

Working as a stand-alone film, with a nicely closed ending, "Spiderwick" isn't the next "Harry Potter" or "Narnia," but there is still so much adventure and fun, you would want to go back for another round.

2008-02-20T19:09:00.000-08:00

It is the time of year when stars shine bright and the paparazzi line up at Hollywood's Kodak Theater while moviegoers sit in front of the small screen (TV), equally anticipating whose name will be read from the envelope and receive the golden statue at this year's 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.

Jon Stewart will host Hollywood's biggest award event, which is broadcasting live at 8 p.m. Feb 24. on ABC. There may be less glitz and glam due to the writers' strike, but the show must go on. If the strike is resolved, though, the red carpet may be as crowded as ever.

As the votes of the Academy members are being tallied, it is a year of many predictable nominees, but, as always, there will surely be some surprises. The Academy, which consists of over 6,500 individuals from every field of entertainment, will decide the nominees' fates on award night.

2007 has been a fantastic year for cinema, which is evident in the strong list of nominees. But for those who still are baffled about who will win, here is a guide to nominees that will help in one of the most competitive years in recent memory.

Best Picture
"Atonement," "Juno," "Michael Clayton," "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood"
The Best Picture category is one of the most coveted, and most of these films have a decent shot at having its name read on award night.

The frontrunner in this category is "No Country for Old Men," a story of a Texan who stumbles upon drugs and money with a killer in pursuit. In pursuit of "Men" is "There Will Be Blood," which could be a possible upset. The dark horse in this race is audience favorite "Juno," which tells the story of a pregnant teenager. The older members of the Academy, though, are less likely to embrace it.

Will win: "No Country for Old Men"
Should win: "No Country for Old Men"

Best Actor
George Clooney ("Michael Clayton"), Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood"), Johnny Depp ("Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"), Tommy Lee Jones ("In the Valley of Elah") and Viggo Mortensen ("Eastern Promises")

As a mad oil tycoon in "There Will Be Blood," Day-Lewis is so phenomenal, Clooney recently said that he has given up hopes of winning. While the win shouldn't be surprising, the nominations for this category certainly were.

Viggo Mortensen shocked audiences in a nude fighting scene as a ruthless London gangster, as Jones moved us as a patriotic father searching for his son who disappeared after returning from Iraq.

If there's any competition, it's going to come from Clooney as a smart attorney or from Depp as a murderous singing barber, but don't expect any upsets here.

Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis
Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age"), Julie Christie ("Away from Her"), Marion Cotillard ("La Vie en Rose"), Laura Linney ("The Savages") and Ellen Page ("Juno")

Best Actress is a three-way race that's sure to surprise. Christie brilliantly plays an Alzheimer patient, while Page seems to instinctively act the role as a smart-aleck pregnant teenager. Cotillard plays a memorable role as the late French singer Edith Piaf in a musical biography. All with an equal shot at winning, judging by precursor awards, Christie seems to have an edge over Page and Cotillard.

Will win: Julie Christie
Should win: Ellen Page

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck ("The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"), Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men), Phillip Seymour Hoffman ("Charlie Wilson's War"), Hal Holbrook ("Into the Wild") and Tom Wilkinson ("Michael Clayton")

If you thought I sounded sure that Day-Lewis will win Best Actor, then consider me 100 percent for Javier Bardem winning here. Playing the violent villain in "No Country," Bardem, who acted so naturally, gives us a character that should be remembered for some time.

Will win: Javier Bardem
Should win: Javier Bardem

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett ("I'm Not There"), Ruby Dee ("American Gangster"), Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement"), Amy Ryan ("Gone Baby Gone") and Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton")

Two actresses have a 50/50 shot at winning the statue here. One contender is Blanchett for playing, of all things, Bob Dylan, in the quirky biopic. The other is Broadway's Amy Ryan as a trash-talking Bostonian, grieving after the disappearance of her young daughter.

In a category that is more kind to newcomers, Ryan has won key precursors and has a more conventional role. However, Blanchett is an Oscar favorite, being nominated in two categories.

Blanchett has a slight edge as a seasoned actress, though Ryan could swoop in for the prize.

Nominated in a blink-it-or-you-miss-it role, Dee could spoil the night, as she won in a big upset at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in a film that was once to be a frontrunner.

Will win: Cate Blanchett
Should win: Amy Ryan

In other top categories, brothers Ethan and Joel Coen should grab Best Director for "No Country for Old Men."

Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" can fly in for the win in a visually fantastic film.

While "Juno" may not win in its other three categories, at least it should find an award as the Best Original Screenplay: Former dancer and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody deserves the win for her witty and smart dialogue.

The Best Adapted Screenplay category has a far less clearer picture of who the winner could be. Once a front runner, being left behind in other major categories, "Atonement" could find itself winning this nomination for the screenplay by Christopher Hampton, but the Coen Brothers can sneak in with "Old Men."

For every nominee there is always one that didn't make the cut. The biggest snubs went to "Talk to Me," "Zodiac," "The Simpsons Movie," "Crazy Love," "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," "A Mighty Heart" and "Waitress." These films didn't receive a single nomination.

Cate Blanchett stole the spot in the Best Actress category that belonged to Angelina Jolie for her amazing portrayal as Marianne Pearl, the wife of slain journalist Daniel Pearl in "A Mighty Heart."

Ryan Gosling should have received his second Oscar nomination for the comedy "Lars and the Real Girl," starring as a delusional that falls in love with a mannequin.

In the supporting categories, "Juno" should have dominated with Award-worthy performances by Jennifer Garner, J.K. Simmons, and Allison Janney.

David Fincher was robbed a spot as Best Director for the true-crime mystery "Zodiac" as well as a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination. Pie-comedy "Waitress" should have cooked up a nomination for Best Original Screenplay in a film written, directed, and acted by the late Adrienne Shelley.

The last and maybe biggest snubs come from smaller categories. "Crazy Love," an interesting and wild love story, should have received a nomination for Best Documentary. In the animated category, "The Simpsons Movie" got replaced by the mediocre-at-best "Surf's Up."

In a year of fantastic achievements in film, we'll have to wait another 10 days to find out who will go home with a golden statues in hand.

'Over Her Dead Body' gets some laughs

2008-02-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

**1/2 out of ****

While heaven isn't the most desirable place to be on your wedding day, the main character in "Over Her Dead Body" would definitely say it's hell.

Eva Longoria Parker, who plays the wickedly hilarious Gabrielle Solis on the hit comedy "Desperate Housewives," doesn't need to stretch far to play her ghostly role in this romantic comedy. "Over Her Dead Body" is quite charming on its own silly terms and is much better than you might expect.

The film begins with Kate (Longoria Parker), a "bridezilla," shouting commands at her wedding staff minutes before the guests arrive. "Knocked Up's" Paul Rudd plays the groom, Henry, a friendly, laid-back veterinarian.

Running around to inspect the final touches, Kate blows up when she finds that the angel ice sculpture is missing its wings. After a heated argument with the sculptor (Stephen Root), a mishap occurs and the angel falls over and, with an ironic splat, sends her to the heavens above.

Fast-forward a year later and Henry still thinks about Kate, not moving on with his love life. Henry's sister, Chloe (Lindsay Sloane), takes him to her psychic friend, Ashley (Lake Bell), who has been told to say that Kate wants him to move on.

To Chloe's joy the plan succeeds. Henry does move on -- with Ashley. Chloe isn't the only one upset. Kate is, too! Like two peas in a pod, Henry and Ashley hit it off. But Kate's ghost, only visible to Ashley, is hell-bent on destroying their relationship. Accordingly, Kate is stuck in limbo and can pass through the Pearly Gates only after she completes unfinished business, which she believes is to protect Henry.

While the audience quickly discovers what she must really do to finally pass on, we still have fun watching Kate as she tries to figure it out for herself in this comical, supernatural love triangle.

Amusing as it might be, "Over Her Dead Body" (originally titled "Ghost Bitch" and "How I Met My Boyfriend's Dead Fiancee") falls victim to the standard plot formula of its genre -- boy meets girl, loses girl, gains girl back.

Writer Jeff Lowell ("John Tucker Must Die") points out some witty observations with laugh-out loud moments that are too sporadic, turning the film's status to lifeless in between.

A twist involving Dan (Jason Biggs), Ashley's gay business partner, towards the end is very surprising, but too ridiculous and unbelievable to be clever. To be noted, Lowell is taking double duties, making his debut as director.

Longoria Parker, dressed in white throughout the film, is hilarious, but at times needs to take it down a notch making some moments obnoxious.

Lake Bell ("Boston Legal") gets the job done well and shines in a few scenes.

Biggs flails around in a slapstick role and is quite funny while doing it. However, Rudd acts as if he is the one passing on. The main problem with Rudd is he never appears to be the type of person to marry snobby perfectionist Kate and the on-screen chemistry never comes through.

With its many high points and some flaws, "Over Her Dead Body" never fully comes alive.

Cops Fight Cyber Killer in "Untraceable"

2008-02-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

** out of ****

Diane Lane dukes it out with a Web site and all its watchers in the new cop thriller "Untraceable."

Director Gregory Hoblit, who had the great Sir Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling fighting it out in the straight-laced "Fracture" last year, utilizes the same no-twist plot principle. This is an undeniably energetic film, but too often has the viewer being able to guess what will happen from scene to scene.

Lane gives a marvelous performance as Jennifer Marsh. Widowed with an 8-year-old daughter, Annie (Perla Haney-Jardine), Marsh works the night shift, alongside her friend Griffin Dowd (Colin Hanks), as a cop in a Cyber-crime division.

The events start to unfold when a Web site, http://www.killwithme.com/, starts streaming live. The site features people in contraptions that could have been stolen from the set of "Saw," providing live video of the person's eventual bleeding, frying, or acidic doom. The gimmick is that the more viewers the site gets, the quicker the person dies, thus making the visitors accomplices to murder as well as the killer (Joseph Cross), who is revealed way too early to prolong the suspense.

The problem? The Web site is somehow untraceable, confirmed by the cyber unit's computer lingo that only one with a Ph.D. in computer technology could understand. But, as the killer's body count grows, it is not long before Griffin and Jennifer, who are closing in on the killer's identity, may become the next victims in front of the Web cam.

"Untraceable" tries to comment on our violence-induced culture and asks would you visit such a site? But then again, curiosity killed the cat, literally, as the first victim of the site is a cat, before the viral-video killer moves up the food chain.

Hoblit ("Primal Fear," "Hart's War") directs with style and some impressive shots that go wider, straying away from the typical jump-shot angle tricks.

The highly talented Diane Lane gives us an intrepid performance while Hanks is an admirable co-star.

Previously starring in "Fracture," Billy Burke makes an entrance later in the film as Detective Eric Box and does a meaningful job. On the opposite end, Cross overacts unnecessarily with a menacing blank stare, as if we forget he is the mastermind killer.

Is "Untraceable" unwatchable? No. If you miss it in the theatre and are looking for a decent thrill with a satisfying ending, "Untraceable" should show up on your radar as a rainy day rental.

2008-01-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

*** out of ****

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to New York City after Will Smith fought off the zombie-inducing virus in December's "I Am Legend," the Big Apple is in peril again in the new monster flick "Cloverfield."

"Cloverfield" took America by surprise as a trailer screened before the mega-hit "Transformers." From there it has turned into an Internet sensation that will meet most expectations.

Shot entirely with a hand-held camera, "Cloverfield's" bouncy thrill ride will divide audiences. While it is steadier than "The Blair Witch Project," the first film to find success with this technique, take heed of this warning: Don't sit in the first row.

The story: We are watching a government classified tape found in Cloverfield, the code name for what was Central Park. The story centers on Jason (Mike Vogel) and his girlfriend, Lily (Jessica Lucas), who are throwing a surprise party for Jason's brother Rob (Michael Stahl-David). Rob is moving to Japan for a new job.

At the party, Rob's best friend, Hud (T.J. Miller), is taping testimonials from Rob's friends, but seems to be giving most of the camera time to Marlena (Lizzy Caplan), who is on the way out to meet other friends. She doesn't quite make it, as the building they're in gets jolted while Manhattan comes under attack by a skyscraper-size monster.

It's a straightforward story, but confusion sets in as these terrorist-like events unfold. Instead of evacuating the city, Rob enlists the partygoers to scavenge through the mayhem with the hope of rescuing his former girlfriend, Beth (Odette Yustman), who cut the party short with her new beau, Travis (Ben Feldman).

As Hud continues to document the journey, we feel part of the hunt. We get glimpses of the monster throughout the film and can piece together that it looks like a reptile that walks on all fours with a tail large enough to whack down anything. For added terror, it spawns giant spider-like friends as well.

The cast of relatively unknown actors adds to the reality of the film. Add to the mix terrific special effects and the low $25 million budget is surprising.

"Cloverfield" definitely has the J.J. Abrams touch and will have viewers glued to the screen.

Drew Goddard wrote, or at least outlined, the screen play for the largely improvised film. Matt Reeves takes his second stab at directing after his 1996 comedy debut "The Pallbearer."

A unique thing about "Cloverfield" is that unlike "Legend" or other horror flicks, the scares produce themselves with the high-tense realism of the situations. One scene that will certainly produce shrieks is the one at the subway station.

"Cloverfield" also plays up some fears reminiscent of 9/11, with clouds of dust billowing down Manhattan streets and an eerie scene where skyscrapers are crumbling in the distance. Another great scene to look for is the head of the Statue of Liberty rolling down the busy streets of New York City.

"Cloverfield" is a refreshing look at monster films and a reminder of Hollywood's originality. Next time, let's hope the director remembers to bring a tripod along for a smoother ride.

Strike Got You Down? Try these DVDs

2008-01-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Has your TV gone dark? As we approach the third month of the writers strike it may seem more like summer with big hit shows already in repeats.

Networks are scrambling to find programming, airing the few episodes written and made before the strike. Some midseason replacements include "Cashmere Mafia" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

Award ceremonies are suffering too; The Golden Globes became a press conference and the fate of the Academy Awards is still in limbo.

There seems to be no quick resolution or end in sight for the strike. New digital technology has led to new contract problems. The strike began because of unfair treatment to the writers with little or no residuals for internet streaming downloads.

You ask what's left on TV? Reality shows. As "American Idol" begins, we also get a mega-dose of dating shows: "Rock of Love 2," "Flavor of Love 3" and another round of MTV's "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila."

The umpteenth seasons of "Survivor" and "Big Brother" are in order, plus revivals of semi-hit shows "American Gladiators" and "The Mole." But the award for the most desperate attempt goes to the CW network for the upcoming reality series "Farmer Wants a Wife."

So, what are TV viewers to do? Stay in the comfort of your home and check out DVDs of some great movies you may have missed in the theaters. Whether you add them on your Netflix queue or pick them up at your local Blockbuster here are some suggestions for great viewing:

"Away from Her" (PG-13) -- Stars Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie, Michael Murphy and Olympia Dukakis. "Away from Her" is one of the saddest films of the year. Grant (Pinsent), an elderly man, deals with the fact his wife, Fiona (Christie), is now in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer's disease. When Grant comes back to the home he finds that Fiona has forgotten him and is now affectionate with another patient, Aubrey (Murphy). With Oscar talk around Christie's performance, this is one not to miss.

"Breach" (PG-13) -- Stars Ryan Phillippe, Chris Cooper and Laura Linney. "Breach" is the thrilling true story of an FBI recruit (Phillippe) who gets caught up in a dangerous game of espionage with his boss (Cooper), who is selling secrets to the Soviet Union.

"Eastern Promises" (R) -- Stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassel. "Promises" is a crime-drama mystery that follows Nikolai (Mortensen), a ruthless London gangster. He must retrieve incriminating evidence to protect his "family" from a midwife (Watts) who crosses paths with him. This is one to watch out for come Oscar time.

"Freedom Writers" (PG-13) -- Stars Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, April L. Hernandez, Mario and Imelda Staunton. One of the most inspirational and faithful book adaptations of the year, "Freedom Writers" tells the true story of a young English teacher, Erin Gruwell (Swank), whose first job is at a racially divided school in Long Beach, Calif. There she teaches her students tolerance and to educate themselves in this moving drama.

"Grindhouse" (R) -- Stars Josh Brolin, Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Marley Shelton, Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. "Grindhouse" blends B-movie action with sci-fi, horror and exploitation flicks in two films by directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodrgiuez. "Planet Terror," Rodriguez's film, is about a zombie outbreak and a rag-tag team of survivors trying to stay alive. Tarantino's film "Death Proof" is a slasher flick about a killer (Russell) whose favorite weapon is his car. Including one of the best car chases ever caught on film, this is an experience not to miss.

"Joshua" (R) -- Stars Jacob Kogan, Sam Rockwell and Vera Farmiga. "Joshua" is the psychological horror story of a young piano prodigy, Joshua (Kogan). When the attention is taken away from him by his new baby sister, he has a sinister plan for her and his parents (Rockwell and Farmiga).

"A Mighty Heart" (R) -- Stars Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman. Angelina Jolie gives a powerhouse performance as Marianne Pearl, the wife of slain journalist Daniel Pearl (Futterman), in this true story recounting the tragic events. With Jolie in consideration for a best actress Oscar, this is one to watch.

"Rescue Dawn" (PG-13) -- Stars Christian Bale and Steve Zahn. "Rescue" is another film that tells a real-life story. U.S. fighter pilot (Bale) is shot down and captured in Laos during the Vietnam War. This is the story of an amazing escape with a group of POWs.

"Talk to Me" (R) -- Stars Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofer, Taraji P. Henson and Martin Sheen. "Talk" is the biopic of Washington, D.C., radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con whose popular radio show rocketed him to fame. With laughs-a-plenty and a great story, this is one to "talk" about.

Let's hope these offerings are enough to get us through the strike before "Farmer Gets a Wife 2" makes it to TV sets.

Definitely miss this 'Call'

2008-01-14T11:53:00.001-08:00

* out ****

"One Missed Call" is the first film of 2008, but starts the year off with the wrong number.

Shannyn Sossamon ("Dirt," "Moonlight") gives an uninspiring performance as the fearless heroine, Beth Raymond, in a role that we've seen in horror films time after time.

The plot is simple: Beth's friends are all dying around her in tragic accidents after receiving a cell phone call. When her friends hear their missed call's voicemail, it is the sound of their death. The call is listed two days later at the exact time of their death sent from the cell phone of a person that died before them.

In the 48-hour doomsday waiting period, Beth's friends tell her how they start hallucinating, seeing insects crawling about and decomposed faces as a reminder of their end of days. When found dead they all have a red hard candy found in their mouths.

The cops don't believe Beth's claims, since after the deaths the messages are erased.

Police officer Jack Andrews (Edward Burns), our second hero, assists Beth after his own sister becomes a victim of the cursed call.

When Beth gets her own fatal call, however, she and Jack spelunk through eerie buildings and investigate through newspaper and police archives to find the origin of the voicemails and a way to save Beth before anyone else gets the killer call.

"One Missed Call" is dull and boring, failing to provide at least one genuine moment of fear. It also follows the patterns of similar themed films such as fellow Japanese remakes "Pulse" and "Dark Water" (both not much better). "Call" also raises many questions. Why listen to the message if you know the outcome? This question never dawns upon Beth and her friends. Instead the movie continues with their destiny, which leaves the characters and audience not very surprised with what happens next.

Since they can't cancel their phone plan (through Boost Mobile, the only company that lent its name and product), they do destroy their phones, but this doesn't seem to stop the vengeful spirit.

Giving the best performance of the film is the usually reliable Burns, who sleepwalks through his part as Jack.

This is the first American film for French director Eric Valette, whose directing style is either formulaic or got lost in translation with the common close shot angles for chilling jump scenes that got more of a laugh than a yelp. Screenwriter Andrew Klavan ("Don't Say a Word") has some good ideas but seems to have forgotten the elements of common sense and an ending.

The best moment of the film happens during the first few minutes when victim number one meets her fate by the ghoul, but seconds later the ghost reappears and takes the life of her cat.

This is when the cracks start to show -- did the cat also receive a voicemail?

With failed attempts for the film trying to explain itself, especially the connection between the characters and the curse, "One Missed Call" is definitely one to hang up on.

Katherine Heigl shines in "27 Dresses"

2008-01-04T19:24:00.000-08:00

*** out of ****

"27 Dresses" is the new chick-flick of '08, but, guys beware, this is one you can go to and still have a laugh.

We have seen some variation of the formulaic romantic comedy "27 Dresses" countless times. Does it give us any new insight on the subject of marriage? No. Does it offer anything remotely original? No. Does it make an enjoyable comedy? Yes.

Katherine Heigl, of "Gray's Anatomy" and "Knocked Up" fame plays late twentysomething Jane, a hopeless romantic. Jane's life is neat and organized, working as an assistant at an eco-friendly company. Her boss George (Edward Burns) is oblivious that Jane holds a secret love for him. Jane's love life, however, sits on the back burner while acting as her friends' go-to-gal for planning weddings.

Jane is the embodiment of "always a bridesmaid never a bride." She's been one 27 times and counting. Keeping all the dresses crammed into an overflowing closet provides many amusing flashbacks.

At a pre-wedding party for a co-worker, Jane finally works up the nerve to ask George out, but her younger sister Tess (Malin Akerman) beats her to the punch.

The news gets worse when the manipulative Tess becomes engaged to George, which devastates Jane.

When Tess asks Jane to plan her impromptu wedding, spineless Jane can't say no.

In the meantime, Kevin (James Marsden), writer for the commitments section of The New York Journal, is pessimistic about marriage. Meeting Jane at a wedding, Kevin's persistent for a date, popping up in her daily life after finding Jane's dropped planner.

They eventually start dating, but Jane can't stop being frustrated with planning the wedding of the groom who should have been hers.

Jane also can't stand to see George get hurt, being blinded by Tess' lies and fake persona.

"27 Dresses" is consistently funny throughout. The montage of Jane wearing the 27 dresses is hilarious and the drunken karaoke scene is a highlight of the movie.

Heigl is amusing as Jane and handles the dramatic scenes nicely with plenty of chemistry wtih James Marsden.

Newbie Swedish actress Malin Akerman ("The Heartbreak Kid") wasn't exaggerated enough for most of her scenes, causing them to be somewhat lackluster.

Edward Burns is suitable as George, but acts too aloof throughout the movie.

Judy Greer, who plays Jane's co-worker and best friend Casey, provides comic relief.

In her second attempt at directing after the hit "Step Up," Anne Fletcher, a long time choreographer, paces the film well with drama and comedy in the mix.

Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Devil Wears Prada") wrote the witty screenplay. Unlike most romantic comedies, the script is believable without relying on unrealistic coincidences.

In a sea of cute date movies, "27 Dresses" is certainly engaging (no pun intended).

A Bloody Good Show

2007-12-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

** out of ****

Premiering on Broadway in 1979, Stephen Sondheim's macabre musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (adapted from Christopher Bond's play of the same name), makes it to the big screen 28 years later -- just in time for Christmas.

Directed by Tim Burton, Johnny Depp plays the title role in his sixth collaboration with the director and fifth collaboration with female lead Helena Bonham Carter.

Revolving around the themes of revenge, murder, poverty and cannibalism, this sure isn't "Mamma Mia!"

Set in a dreary 18th century London, "Sweeney Todd" tells the infamous story of Benjamin Barker (Depp), a barber, wrongfully accused and sent away by Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) with the help of his sailor friend, Beadle Barnford (Timothy Spall). Turpin's motive is to get to Barker's wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly) for whom he longingly covets.

Returning 15 years later to London with the alias Sweeney Todd, Barker hopes to be reunited with his wife and daughter and to seek out revenge on Turpin and Barnford.

Sweeney Todd opens his barber shop above Mrs. Lovett's (Bonham Carter) Meat Pie Shop, which she sings about in "The Worst Pies in London." Lovett and Todd partner in a heinous relationship. Upstairs, Todd slits the throats of his customers, while downstairs she'll fillet their meat into her pies. Sweeney lures his customers with a guarantee of "the closest shave you'll ever know."

Being sidetracked from his main goal and with the body count piling up, Todd is driven to exact revenge with nothing to stop him in this dark musical.

While with most films you wish the second half could have been as good as the first, the opposite holds true for "Sweeney Todd."

Finally gaining momentum after a sleepy first act, the film maintains a high energy until the satisfying end.

Burton orchestrates the stylized, large-scale production, having the camera zoom up and down the streets of the gloomy London landscape to establish much of the film's mood in a way that is eye candy for the viewer. Many kudos go out to the cinematographer, set designers and costume and make-up departments. Most of the film looks black-and-white. Until, of course, the blood gushes out in Tarantino-like quantities, looking almost cartoonish, to create an outstanding visual effect.

Johnny Depp, looking similar to his "Edward Scissorhands" character (his first film with Burton), is magnificent as Sweeney Todd in an award-worthy performance. He displays a strong singing voice.

The big surprise is Bonham Carter with some of the best lines in the movie. Her voice is soft, elegant and tuneful, but can't overcome the comparisons to Angela Lansbury's performance on Broadway.

The supporting cast keeps the film afloat. One surprise is a small role played by Sacha Baron Cohen as a faux Italian shyster.

Barely a word not spoken in song, Sondheim's lyrics are clever and witty for the most part, but the lines played just for laughs fall flat.

While "Sweeney Todd" is a musical, it isn't one for the whole family.

Like Mrs. Lovett's meat pies, "Sweeney Todd" is an acquired taste.

Almost 'Legend'ary

2007-12-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

*** out of ****

Is it me or does every film set in the future have some sort of apocalyptic theme to it?

In "I Am Legend," the desolation is set in not-so-far-off 2012. From the first few scenes of the movie it is not hard to tell that something huge has happened to New York City.

Will Smith stars as Robert Neville, the last man alive in a deserted Manhattan. Weeds are growing out of the streets, the Brooklyn Bridge is dilapidated, lions and other zoo animals are prowling about, but everything else lies still. Come nighttime, however, the streets are alive -- or to be more precise, undead.

How did this come about? We cut to one of many appropriately placed flashbacks. It is 2009. While things look normal, there are some alarming changes taking place -- gas hitting a bit south of $7 per gallon and a cure for cancer has been found. The miracle cure's side effects, however, are more than just a headache.

The people given the revolutionary cure develop a virus, eventually turning into creatures that look like zombies with hairless pasty-gray skin and dilated pupils. Their vampire-like characteristics include feeding on blood and burning in the light. These primitive and aggressive people are called "dark seekers." The virus is transmitted through the air and during attacks from the monsters.

Neville, a scientist who helped with the cure, leads the chaotic evacuation/quarantine for New York City, aka ground zero. Events go terribly awry when his wife and daughter die along with others as the unstoppable virus wipes out humanity.

Immune to the virus, Robert's only companion is his dog Samantha. Living in a barricaded safe house, Robert works hard to find a cure for the virus using his immune blood when he's not out searching for survivors. He also broadcasts signals on the radio alerting possible survivors about where to meet up with him.

Racing against the clock to find a cure, with the dark seekers waiting for him to make a fatal error, the supposed "last man on earth" may not be alone after all.

Based on the 1954 novel by Richard Matheson, "I Am Legend" is the third film incarnation. The first was 1964's "The Last Man on Earth," starring Vincent Price, followed in 1971 by "The Omega Man," starring Charlton Heston.

The opening special effects are impressive. Seeing a deserted, rundown New York City with wild animals racing between abandoned cars is a spectacle. Later scenes are dicey at best. The dark seekers are effective but look as if they belong in a video game rather than a big-budget sci-fi horror film.

As far as acting goes, the one person that gets the credit (and there really only is one person to give it to other than a loveable dog), is superstar Will Smith. Smith is brilliant and makes "Legend" captivating. Showing paranoia, fear, loneliness and the willingness to survive and strive for a cure, Smith captures the audience's hearts as the hero, but also as a villain for having taken part in the virus' creation.

This is the second feature film for music-video-directing star Francis Lawrence. His first film was the passable comic book adaptation of "Constantine." While "Legend" is an improvement (Lawrence shows that he can create effective atmosphere full of many heart-racing, seat-jumping scary moments that leave shivers), Lawrence still needs to work on covering plot holes.
Most of the questionable consequences of a disaster you can shrug off, but you can't help wondering how there's electricity with no generators.

Not quite legendary, "I Am Legend" does make a name for itself.

'Golden Compass' dazzles with its cast and effects

2007-12-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

**1/2 out of ****

The holiday season is upon us, and to the fray of fantasy book adaptations comes "The Golden Compass."

The film is New Line's latest attempt at making another lucrative franchise like "Lord of the Rings," "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Harry Potter."

"The Golden Compass" tells the first part of the popular "His Dark Materials" trilogy written by Phillip Pullman.

"Compass" is set in a 20th-century-ish England, one of many worlds in a parallel universe. In this mystical world, every human has an animal companion called a daemon that bears it's owners soul. As children grow up their daemons can change to different animals, while adults stay the same.

Twelve-year-old orphan Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is the center of the story. With a strong-headed personality, she lives among scholars in Jordan College under her distinguished uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig).

The main events ensue when Asriel shocks the Magisterium, a big-brother-like hierarchy that rules the country, by finding a golden dust in the Arctic Circle that is believed to connect the universes together.

Before heading back to the Arctic, Asriel secretly gives Lyra an alethiometer, better known as a golden compass. The last one remaining, the alethiometer is a device that can tell the truth to any question.

After Asriel leaves, Lyra's friend Roger (Ben Walker) is kidnapped by a group called Gobblers who take children to the north for experiments to control their souls under the Magisterium.
Wanting to go after Roger, Lyra jumps at the opportunity to go north to the Arctic with the elegant and mystifying Miss Coulter (Nicole Kidman), a member of the Magisterium who has a knack of getting what she wants. While Miss Coulter is friendly to Lyra, she does have hidden agenda.

Flying to the north in a ship that resembles a blimp-submarine hybrid, Lyra quickly learns of the Magisterium's plans that Miss Coulter will carry out -- the power of the alethiometer, the fate of the children kidnapped and the war that is brewing.

Sound like enough? We are barely an hour in!

While Lyra seems to be nearing her doom, she learns of her secret allies -- a group called the Gyptians. The Gyptians are a group of freedom fighters looking for the location of the kidnapped kids.

On their journey, a cowboy-like character, Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliott) joins Lyra's campaign, which also included a giant armored polar bear, Iorek (voiced by Ian McKellen) and a flying witch, Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green) along with her fellow witches.

With both sides' forces rising, the unlikely heroes, Lyra and her friends, prepare for an epic battle.

While "The Golden Compass" has its flaws, it isn't without its high points -- such as the talented cast and spellbinding special effects.

Pulled out of 10,000 girls in an open casting call, newcomer Dakota Blue Richards is the highlight of the movie. Perfect for the role, Richards has a surprisingly commanding presence and understanding of the character's emotions.

Last seen together in the thriller "The Invasion," Kidman and Craig add to the all-star cast. Talented Kidman shines again, giving an icy, villainous performance that is memorable. Craig is suave as Asriel, but his fans will be disappointed for his minor part. However, he is expected to have a much bigger one in the upcoming sequels.

With talking animals, flying witches, innovative worlds and attention-grabbing aircraft, the computer-generated effects are flawless, along with the CGI backdrop for most of the scenes. What will amaze audiences are an exhilarating fight scene between two giant polar bears and the final battle sequence that is sure to keep eyes glued to the screen.

Director and writer Chris Weitz ("American Pie," "About a Boy") gives an great attempt at his first big-budget action film.

While it is fairly well-executed, it isn't too inviting for ones who haven't read the book, with a confusing first half and too much story crammed in just under the two-hour running time. These problems will likely have some audiences not wanting to return for the sequel, "The Subtle Knife," expected in 2009.

Overall, "The Golden Compass" points in the right direction, but it is still far from "golden."

'Juno' finds comedy in serious subject

2007-12-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

**** out of ****

Winning major acclaim at this year's Toronto Film Festival, "Juno" serves up a comedic look at the rather unfunny topic of unplanned teen pregnancy.

The film opens with Juno MacGruff (Ellen Page), a 16-year-old high school junior, finding out she's pregnant. Over the course of several days and taking many pregnancy tests that keep turning up positive, the store clerk (Rainn Wilson) gives Juno these foreboding words as she shakes her pregnancy test: "That ain't no Etch-A-Sketch. That's one doodle that can't be undid, homeskillet."

Her geeky boyfriend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), becomes the father after their first sexual encounter. When Juno breaks the news to her best friend, Leah (Olivia Thirlby), she is offered the options of abortion or adoption. She picks the former, but at the clinic decides she can't go through with it and plans to have the baby and give it to a loving family.

Juno's vacuum-salesman father, Mac (J.K. Simmons), and stepmother, Bren (Allison Janney), a dog-obsessed nail salon owner, aren't quite thrilled with the prospect, but are supportive nonetheless.

With Leah's help they find a married couple seeking a child in the local paper. Living in a gated community, the wealthy couple turns out to be the immaculate Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) and her husband, Mark (Jason Bateman).

Vanessa is thrilled at the prospect of being a mother, but Mark, a composer for commercial jingles with dreams of being a rock star, isn't as ecstatic. However, Mark finds a connection with Juno, who shares the same interests in music and guitar.

"Juno" is quite the ride through a high schooler's ordeal of dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of being pregnant and the tribulations of carrying a child. Twenty-year-old Canadian actor Ellen Page is phenomenal as Juno, delivering her lines with great comedic timing and the ability to display emotion with ease. Breaking out in 2005's acclaimed thriller "Hard Candy" and then in "X-Men: The Last Stand," Page certainly has made a name for herself.

"Superbad" star Cera is charmingly funny as Paulie, but is slightly underused, not having much of a role during Juno's pregnancy, until the movie's end. Simmons and Janney deliver some of the funniest lines while supporting Juno throughout the film.

Bateman adds lighthearted comedy to his supportive role and Garner gives some of her best work as a mother-to-be.

Sophomore slump isn't a phrase you would use to describe Jason Reitman's second outing at a feature film. His first was the highly regarded comedy "Thank You for Smoking."

"Juno" is the first screenplay written by Diablo Cody (her real name is Brook Busey), a 29-year-old whose previous occupation was, oddly enough, as a stripper. Diablo certainly has proven she can write and her name will come up again soon with Showtime's "The United States of Tara," created by Steven Spielberg and starring Toni Collette, and an adaptation of her book "Candy Girl: A Year in the Unlikely Life of a Stripper."

With laugh-out-loud scenes every moment, a writer, director and actress who you can't wait to see what they'll do next, and a heartfelt ending, "Juno" is a film you need to see.

An "Enchanting" Tale

2007-12-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

***1/2 out of ****

"Enchanted" is a classic Disney fairytale from the moment Julie Andrews begins narrating with the line "Once upon a time" to the closing "happily ever after."

A sugary-sweet family treat, "Enchanted" begins as a cartoon in the land of Andalasia, where people break out in song, animals do daily chores, and an evil queen rules the land.

The story starts with Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who's in fear of losing her royal throne if her stepson, Prince Edward (James Marsden), marries. Edward's "friend," Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) is in on the Queen's plan of thwarting Edward's attempts at love.

While hunting for ogres in the woods, Edward hears a woman singing. The woman is Giselle (Amy Adams), a mash-up of every classic Disney princess. She is so jovial that she can't stop dreaming, smiling or singing to her animal friends. When they meet, it is love at first sight and quickly they are off to marry.

Determined to foil the wedding, Narissa, similar to the queen in "Snow White," transforms herself into an old hag, luring Giselle to a wishing well. But before Giselle has a chance to make a wish, Narissa pushes her down the well, only for Giselle to find herself in a new world. Ours.
Narissa's plan isn't without flaw, though, as Giselle's smart-alecky chipmunk friend, Pip (Jeff Bennett/Kevin Lima) sees it all take place.

Turning now into a live-action film, we see Giselle crawl out of a manhole in New York City.
Frazzled, confused, yet still extremely optimistic, Giselle hustles and bustles her way through the city in her full-flowing princess gown to find her way home with amusing outcomes.

It isn't until she is mugged and wandering through the rain that she meets Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a divorce lawyer who's, ironically, a divorcee himself on the verge of engagement to another woman, Nancy (Idina Menzel). Robert's young daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) convinces her reluctant father into taking Giselle in for the night.

While Morgan believes Giselle is a real princess, Robert doesn't believe in this fairy tale until he sees his home being cleaned by rats, pigeons and fleas -- the New York version of woodland creatures.

Back in the cartoon world Andalasia, Pip the chipmunk tells Edward and Nathaniel of Giselle's fate, and they too go down the well and through the manhole arriving in New York City.

The dashing but dimwitted Prince Edward wanders around the city to rescue Giselle. This is where the adventures begin with many laugh-out-loud sequences. Nathaniel adds to the comedy while in cahoots with the Queen to thwart the Prince along the way.

Harkening back to classic Disney cartoons, director Kevin Lima ("Tarzan"), keeps a whimisically brisk pace during the 107 minute running time.

Set to Bill Kelly's ("Premonition," "Blast from the Past") clever screenplay, "Enchanted" pokes fun at fairytales, which is a comedic pleasure for both kids and adults. The script loses steam during the finale, opting for a semi-entertaining CGI extravaganza.

Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Junebug," Amy Adams could get her second nomination here, playing the role with bubbly charisma. Adams elevates her role, and the movie, as a few great actresses can.

With a heart-warming message, hilarious songs, and something for everyone, "Enchanted" is nothing short of enchanting.

"Bee Movie" is 'Bee'-Rated

2007-11-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

**1/2 out of ****

Among talking ants, fighting insects, dancing penguins, partying cows, zoo animals running amok in the wild and cooking rats, a new member of the critter kingdom gets a chance to be animated. This time it's a bee.

"Bee Movie" is Dreamworks' latest animated film and one of the most "buzzed" about for the past few months. Though the animation isn't as detailed as "Shrek" or "Ratatouille," it is simple and glossy like "Meet the Robinsons," it does a good job making an insect with bad conduct cute enough to stick in a McDonald's Happy Meal.

"Bee Movie" starts off with Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), an idealistic bee, who just graduated from his three days of school, a clever joke about the short life span of a bee. He and his conservative bee friend, Adam Flayman (Matthew Broderick), now must pick a job to do for the rest of their lives.

Barry decides to become a pollen jock, a bee that leaves the hive to collect nectar, spreading around pollen to give other plants life.

On Barry's first trip out of the hive into New York City, he encounters a few pratfalls. Getting separated from the group, Barry finds shelter in the home of florist Vanessa Bloome (Renee Zellwegger). Vanessa's husband, Ken (Patrick Warburton, a frequent guest star on "Seinfeld"), tries to kill Barry, but Vanessa saves him.

Wanting to thank Vanessa, Barry deliberates whether or not to break bee law number one -- no talking to humans, or giving in to friendliness and curiosity. Affable Barry decides to befriend Vanessa. After the initial shock, Vanessa quickly warms up to Barry and the two become friends. When Barry and Vanessa hint at being more than friends, the movie flies off into act three, as if all this weren't enough.

On a supermarket trip with Vanessa, Barry learns that humans are collecting honey from the bees. Barry is repulsed and so is his hive when he tells them. This leads Barry to sue the human race.

Vanessa and his best friend Adam are his lawyers. But in court, one of the funniest parts in the film, Layton T. Montgomery (John Goodman), a Southern attorney for the honey companies, may be too much for the unlikely team to handle.

The film is created, produced, co-written and stars comedian Jerry Seinfeld in his first major role since "Seinfeld" ended in 1998. "Bee Movie" lacks that extra "sting" to make it rise above the recent animation fare. The extensive cast includes Oprah Winfrey as the judge at the trial, Kathy Bates and Barry Levinson playing Barry's bee parents, fellow "Seinfeld" alumnus Michael Richards, Rip Torn, Chris Rock as a mosquito, Megan Mullally, Larry King as a bee version of himself and Ray Liotta as the label of an evil honey-making company. Even the real Sting makes a cameo, being sued for the rights to his name.

Jerry Seinfeld is goofy, but personable and charismatic, as Barry. With a few jokes that fly over the heads of kids, "Bee" still is a kiddie-flick that can hold the younger crowd's attention, but lacks in keeping older kids entertained, unlike "Shrek."

With all the buzz, this is still a "bee"-rated movie.

Boy Meets Girl?

2007-11-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

**** out of ****

Amidst an overflow of serious films in the multiplexes, you can find relief in the light-hearted comedy, "Lars and the Real Girl," one of the gems of 2007.

Ryan Gosling stars as the title character Lars Lindstrom, a lovable loser, who is socially inapt. Lars' rare trips out are either to go to church or to his job, where his new co-worker, Margo (Kelli Garner), is attracted to him. He lives in a sparsely furnished garage off of his brother Gus' house. Gus (Paul Schneider) and his wife, Karin (Emily Mortimer), are expecting their first child.

Gus insists to Karin that Lars likes to live alone. Karin, however, is persistent in her attempts to socialize with Lars.

The events change quickly when Lars actually knocks on Gus and Karin's door to have dinner with them saying he has a girlfriend, Bianca. Gus and Karin want to meet her, but are shocked when they find out that Bianca is a custom made life-size doll.

Lars treats Bianca as if she were real. He even gives her a life story -- that she is a Brazilian missionary with nurse training whose parents died at birth, among other various things.

Gus thinks Lars is crazy and Karin also has her doubts. But family doctor/psychiatrist, Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), says he is fine but delusional, slowly letting out his bottled up feelings. The doctor recommends that they should treat Bianca as if she were real and Lars will eventually stop using her when he has come to terms with his issues. Easier said than done.

The movie progresses as Lars and Bianca step out and the snowy, small town accepts Bianca. She and Lars actually become minor celebrities.

Taking the place of last year's "Little Miss Sunshine," "Lars" is a subtle comedy with laugh-out-loud moments. At times it is a sad film about loneliness and the kindness of others, which is inspiring at the end.

After "The Notebook" and coming off his first Academy Award nomination for "Half Nelson," Ryan Gosling is a smart guy when it comes to films, and this only adds to his near perfect resume. Gosling is phenomenal as Lars. In a role with spare lines, he pours his emotions out on screen.

Indie-film star Emily Mortimer shines on screen. Playing a natural do-gooder, Mortimer is memorable in one of the few tear-jerker scenes towards the end where she confronts Lars.
Patricia Clarkson also stands out. Her character connects with Lars with their mutual loneliness in heart-touching conversations.

This is director Craig Gillespie's first film (his second "Mr. Woodcock" was released in September), and is a marvelous attempt. The same goes for screenwriter Nancy Oliver -- this is her first feature film screenplay.

'The Game Plan' Fumbles

2007-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

* out of ****

"The Game Plan" is the newest Disney family comedy romp, though there aren't many X's and O's on the chalk board.

The Game Plan is about ace pro-NFL quarterback, Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), who plays for the fictional football team, The Boston Rebels. While Kingman is a national sensation, closing huge endorsement deals left and right, he is also an idiotic, self-absorbed playboy and portrays this behavior pretty much through the whole movie.
He never throws to his open receivers and runs the ball himself no matter how much it hurts the team, kind of like Terrell Owens.

While he throws huge parties in his lavish penthouse with his multiple girlfriends, he is also lonely. That is the cue to bring in Peyton Kelly (Madison Pettis), Joe's 8-year-old daughter that he never knew existed. And her arrival happens at the worse time imaginable, of course, because Joe is about to lead his team to the football championship.

While there are certainly many question marks such as: Would a mother really leave her child on a man's doorstep that she hasn't seen since she got divorced from him? Isn't there a better suitor for the job? Is emergency humanitarian work in Africa an excuse to leave her child for a month without a phone number or means of contact?

However, this is Disney so don't expect much to be answered.

The rest of the film focuses on Joe learning that little girls don't like protein shakes or workout regiments but ballet and dolls. Peyton acts equally as dumb as Joe, turning a blender on with the lid off, and putting two bottles of bubble soap into a bath tub. These comedic scenes, though, don't leave the audience laughing.

When Peyton convinces Joe to take her to ballet school, he falls for her ballet teacher, Monique Vasquez (Roselyn Sanchez), where he gets the ballet-is-a-sport-too nuance and she gets a crash lesson in football.

If Disney's game plan for "The Game Plan" was to make it as cute as possible, they scored a TD, but not really anywhere else.

Director Andy Fickman ("She's the Man") provides a certain level of originality, though it seems hackneyed and contrived; trying to please all demographics.

Wrestler-turned-actor Johnson is a decent in dramas ("The Gridiron Gang") and comedies ("Be Cool"). You see him genuinely trying to be funny, but he is so over exaggerated, when he first sees Monique, you think his eyes and heart would actually pop out and start thumping.

Ultra-cute, tinkering on being fake, Madison Pettis, who you might recognize from the Disney Channel, is funny, but starts to annoy halfway through when she's in one too many scenes.

Kyra Sedgwick is wasted as Joe's ice cold agent, Stella Peck, being too cartoonish -- like Cruella De Vil -- to pose a threat.

Meanwhile the best actor could be Spike (Tubbs), Joe's bulldog who gives off some funny sight gags thanks to a tutu and nail polish.

The movie's biggest problem is you probably saw it all before with titles like "Kindergarten Cop," "Father Hood," "Mr. Nanny" and "The Pacifier."

"The Game Plan" is silly, fun and harmless if you are 10 and younger. However, it's not so cringe-worthy you can't sit through it, and you'll probably get a laugh or two. "The Game Plan" is a weak one, but it's not a complete shut-out.

'Fracture' just can't be healed

2007-07-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

** out of ****

Fracture plays it straight, among a realm of thrillers with twists that don’t make much sense (Premonition, The Reaping, Perfect Stranger). Though, playing it straight all the way through may not be a good idea either.

Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson, The Notebook) plays Willy Beachum, a young hot shot assistant D.A. on the fast lane, who takes the case of Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins). Crawford, a construction engineer, attempted to kill his wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz) sending her into a coma, after finding out that she was having an affair. With a signed confession the case seems like an easy win for Willy, who has an outstanding 97% conviction rate.

When Ted reveals, during trail, that his arresting officer, Rob Nunally (Billy Burke), was the man having an affair with his wife the case goes into a dramatic tailspin. The confession can’t be used and the gun that Ted used against his wife can’t be found, therefore he walks off a man free.

Beachum and Nunally know that Crawford killed his wife and they won’t stop until he is behind bars. Providing for a soul searching balance of truth or justice.

Although the audience knows what is happening every step of the way, the thrill is supposed to be how Beachum will find evidence to convict Crawford or how Crawford will get away with it. The thrill however gets old lessening the suspense and the final impact of the film. If Fracture were a 60-minute TV show it would be a nail bitter, but one thrill and no twists aren’t enough to carry a 112 minute movie.

Gosling does a great job verbally sparring with Anthony Hopkins, but Hopkins steals the show. Playing Crawford with the same intense charisma and wit as Hopkins own, Hannibal Lecter, every scene he is in is enticing.

Director Gregory Hoblit does a pleasant job, but doesn’t do anything that makes Fracture notable. Writers Daniel Pyne and Glenn Gers make a wonderful screenplay that is both witty and clever with snappy dialogue.

Fracture has a good premise but has nothing that makes it stand out among must-see films.
Starting off good Fracture gets worse and the “cast” can’t heal it either.

'Perfect Stranger' is far from perfection

2007-07-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

** out of ****

According to Perfect Stranger, actions have consequences, if that is true then everybody involved in this film should never be able to step foot on a movie set again. Halle Berry, still recovering from 2004s ultra-flop Catwoman, and Bruce Willis star in one of 2007s many disappointing suspense-thrillers, ranking in the with Premonition and The Reaping.

Perfect Stranger is centered on Rowena (Halle Berry), a strong-headed investigative journalist for a New York newspaper. Waiting for a subway she runs into her childhood friend Grace (Nicki Aycox). Grace is a woman scorned, out to find the married rich top ad executive, Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis). Grace claims to have met him online, having an affair with her. Grace hasn’t heard from Harrison for days, leaving messages, and is out to tell his wife about the whole thing.

Soon after their encounter Grace shows up dead, Rowena thinking Harrison did it. Isn’t that a pretty big conclusion?

Rowena goes undercover at Hill’s ad agency, with help from her computer savvy co-journalist Miles (Giovanni Ribisi), to find the truth about Grace’s murder. As the movie progresses, Hill, known for his interoffice flings, seems to become more and more likely to have committed the crime and his wife more suspicious about his whereabouts.

Perfect Stranger is pretty much a game of cat-and-mouse. Full of red herrings and plot twists Perfect should be a nail-bitter. The thing is, you aren’t even clenching on the armrest. The tension is nowhere to be found, mainly because it is hard to have plot twists when there isn’t really a plot to twist.

Every character in Perfect Stranger has dark secrets. Though they are so dark you really don’t care about the characters, whether if they are guilty or innocent, live or die.

The ending is completely implausible, no matter what way you look at it and the more it is being explained the worse it sounds.

Willis gives a half-decent performance and Ribisi gives one of his best. Berry did a decent job, but due to poor editing, which also hurt the story, it seems as if she is having a mood-swing in almost every scene.

The end contradicting the movies message about “actions have consequences”; Perfect Stranger is a notch above Berry’s Catwoman and Willis’ The Whole Ten Yards, but that doesn’t say much either.

'Thirteen' is a lucky number for 'Ocean's'

2007-07-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

***1/2 out of ****

A-List gang is back for comedy heist flick, Ocean’s Thirteen, the third installment in the Ocean’s franchise. Minus Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones but adding Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, and Eddie Izzard the cast doesn’t miss a beat.

The thirteen that make up the Ocean’s gang are led by Danny Ocean (George Clooney): one of the master minders behind the heists along with, Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), the rookie, Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), the machinery expert, Basher Tarr (Don Cheadle), a casino dealer, Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), Danny’s rich mentor, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliot Gould), con-artist, Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner), brothers that have knowledge in all fields, Virgil Malloy (Casey Affleck) and Turk Malloy (Scott Caan), expert in technology, Livingston Del (Eddie Jemison), acrobatic master, Yen (Shaobo Qin), the rich casino-owner that the gang robbed in the first two Ocean’s films, Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), and another connoisseur in technology, Roman Nagel (Eddie Izzard). These thirteen make up a tidal wave of action.

Returning back to Las Vegas, Thirteen isn’t about getting the, money, but revenge. The victim? Willy Bank (Pacino), famous for his hotels winning the ‘Five Diamond’ award. Willy cheated Reuben out of his money and ownership in his new ultra-luxury hotel/casino in Vegas appropriately named, ‘The Bank’. The stress caused old man Rueben to have a heart attack.
The plan for revenge? To rig everything, from the blackjack tables to the slot machines by opening night so all of the gambling patrons will win, setting Willy back half a billion dollars, bankrupting him in the process.

Ocean’s Thirteen is back to its original glossy form, a slight notch below Ocean’s Eleven, but a vast improvement from the utterly disastrous Ocean’s Twelve whose heist was ripping off us American movie-goers $125 million.

The acting is first-rate like the first two, with the cast pulling in the audience having an extremely fun time. Ellen Barkin is great as the icy Abigail Sponder, Willy’s right-hand man. Pacino’s acting job as Willy Bank could be a dub for the Donald, but is too light in some scenes for a villainous character.

Directed again by Steven Soderbergh, Thirteen has a lickety-split pace, but never seems rushed. Soderbergh manages to give each of the cast members their own scene, a rare directing quality that keeps you involved throughout the film, though the presence of Pitt, Clooney, Damon, Barkin, and Pacino command most scenes.

New writers, Brian Koppelman and David Levein do a fine job, with an easy to follow enjoyable script, being taken along as if part of the heist. But in some scenes the lingo gets to technical to the point where you just say “Huh?”

So far out of this summer’s disappointing threequels, Ocean’s Thirteen beats the odds and comes up a winner.

'Mr. Brooks' is a killer thriller

2007-07-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

'The Hunger Has Returned to Mr. Brooks' Brain. It never really left'. These chilling words start off the creepy dramatic thriller that is Mr. Brooks.

Kevin Costner stars in the title role as Mr. Earl Brooks. Earl leads two lives. On one side he is a husband to Emma (Marg Helgenberger) and father to his high-school daughter Jane (Danielle Panabaker). He is also named ‘Man of the Year’ in his community and well off, owning a successful box company. However, the other side of Mr. Earl Brooks is much darker and sinister than anyone can imagine, he is an elusive serial killer, nicknamed by the media, ‘The Thumbprint Killer’. Though he doesn’t like to murder strangers he is urged by his imaginary counterpart, Marshall (William Hurt) to do so.

Holding off temptation of killing from his alter ego for two years he breaks down and murders a couple (Megan Brown and Ross Francis) in their bedroom.

The next day Earl discovers someone caught him in the act and has pictures to prove it. He is Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), who lives in the apartment complex next door to the couple. However, Mr. Smith doesn’t blackmail Earl or threaten him that he is going to the cops, but rather wants to go on the next murder with him. Without a choice Earl accepts.

At the same time, Detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore), who is going through a bitter divorce, is on Earl’s trail. Devoting herself to this long-running case she thinks she is closer than ever before. However, as a side plot, escaped serial killer, Thorton Meeks (Matt Schulze), put away by Tracy, and his girlfriend, Sunday (Yasmine Delawari), are out to kill the Detective for vengeance.

Mr. Brooks is wildly original with many unexpected plot twists that actually make sense and lead up to a shocking revelation. However, Brooks never takes itself very seriously with laughs strewn about.

Good guy Costner is terrific as the sinister Brooks, a role that audiences are not familiar with him playing. Hurt playing Costner’s alter ego is marvelous and Moore adds direction throughout. Though the most surprising performance comes from funnyman Dane Cook, in his first dramatic role, stands his ground with the award winning trio.

Director and writer Bruce A. Evans gives the film style and terrifically manages to build up tension and releases it in short action filled bursts of time.

A great movie to see: Mr. Brooks is a killer of a thriller.

'Shrek the Third' isn't a king

2007-07-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

** out of ****

Shrek the Third proves that, the third time isn’t always a charm. Back with Shrek (Mike Meyers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and the rest of the old gang, Shrek the Third, an animated fractured fairytale, looses much of its charm, appeal, and originality.

Shrek the Third is different from the first two films of the trilogy by having multiple story lines, trying to appeal to each demographic, even at a brisk 92 minutes. Opening up with the first storyline, Fiona’s father, King Harold (John Cleese) is on his deathbed and tells Fiona and Shrek that they are next in line to rule the Kingdom of Far Far Away Land. Shrek, unsure of his King-like abilities, sets off to Worchestershire (a medieval high school) with Puss and Donkey to find another rightful ruler, Arthur “Artie” (Justin Timberlake), the class whipping boy. But just before they set off on their adventure Fiona reveals that she is pregnant and like in any sitcom, Shrek is unsure of his father-like abilities too.

Storyline two is probably the weakest because it should have ended with Shrek 2; it starts with Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) who now is reduced to working at a dinner theater. Charming soon devises up a sinister plan to take over Far Far Away Land and murder Shrek in the process, in cahoots with other fairy-tale villains.

The final story line and the most compelling and funny is with Fiona, her mother, Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews), and the princesses, Rapunzel (Maya Rudolph), Snow White (Amy Poehler), Cinderella (Amy Sedaris), and Sleeping Beauty (Cheri Oteri). All together to celebrate Fiona’s baby shower, they morph into Charlie’s Angels in an attempt to thwart Charming’s plans when he invades the kingdom.

Like Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third’s problems are too many stories crammed into one movie, one of the underlying problems are the new directing and writing team. Many of the jokes fall flat and not one makes you keel over in laughter. Justin Timberlake gives a mediocre voice performance and Shrek is less of an ogre but more like a cuddly Winnie the Pooh type character.
I tried to like Shrek the Third, after the excellent Shrek, and the fantastic Shrek 2, but a smile became excoriating while watching, a film below mediocrity. The only plus is its improved stunning animation.

However, with its satisfying ending this would be a nice place to leave off. But, for this DreamWorks/Paramount cash-cow you won’t see the end anytime soon. With a holiday special on ABC this December, Shrek the Halls, a Shrek 4, in the works along with the spin-off, Puss in Boots (both set for 2010) and a Broadway musical adaptation in the process, Shrek’s last note hopefully doesn’t have to be of mediocrity.

Waitress serves up fresh

2007-07-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

***1/2 out of ****

In a summer of big-budget action flicks, sequels, and remakes Waitress is a fresh tart comedy with a strong plot, heart, and plenty of laughs.

Keri Russell (Mission: Impossible III) plays the extremely lovable small-town waitress Jenna, who has a knack at making pies suited for every mood. Jenna works in Joe’s Pie Diner, with her fellow waitresses; the saucy Becky (Cheryl Hines) and the shy Dawn (Adrienne Shelly)
Jenna is unhappily pregnant with her husband’s, Earl’s (Jeremy Sisto), baby. Earl is an over-controlling, rude, sleaze ball that is sucking the life out of Jenna. Wanting to leave him, Jenna doesn’t know what to do if she does.

Jenna soon develops a relationship with her new, married, gynecologist, Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion) who is infatuated with Jenna. They soon begin to have an affair, finding happiness with each other.

The plot is simple. Everyone is trying to find happiness for themselves and for someone to love back.

Andy Griffith (Matlock, The Andy Griffith Show), gives a side-splitting performance as Joe. Joe is a grumpy old man who owns the diner and most of the town, giving advice to Jenna.
Waitress is hilarious, sad, dramatic, and heartwarming. The cast is terrific, Keri Russell showing her star-power. Cheryl Hines, Andy Griffith and Adrienne Shelly give funny performances. Jeremy Sisto does a tremendous job as Earl making you hate him even after the movie is over.
Waitress was also fantastically written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. Shelly was sadly murdered at the age of 40, November 2006. The Indie film actor was just beginning her directing and writing career. Waitress though is a fabulous film to end on, showcasing her magnificent acting, writing, and directing skills.

Nothing fancy or extravagant, Waitress is a realistic film with a terrific cast and crew. When the film is over, you aren’t asking this Waitress for a refund.

'Reign Over Me' reigns

2007-07-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

Adam Sandler playing a straight-forward character seems like a preposterous idea, though he proves us wrong and will certainly be in the running for awards for Reign Over Me (after The Who song, Reign O’er Me, the original title of the film). Reign is a soul searching tear-jerker about what’s important in Life.

Reign starts off with Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), seemingly in a perfect family, a well-off dentist, owning a cosmetic dental firm, married with two daughters. Alan talks to a psychiatrist in his office building, Angela Oakhurst (Liv Tyler) on his uneasy-marriage to Janeane (Jada Pinket Smith), attributed to having no “guy” friends. While driving home Alan runs into his old dental college roommate Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) who looks like a Bob Dylan impersonator. To Alan’s surprise Charlie doesn’t remember him. Alan hasn’t seen Charlie since he lost his wife and three young daughters in the plane crash during 9/11, causing Charlie to shutdown. Charlie gives up on a responsible life, acts like a child ready to snap at any remembrances of the tragedy wearing headphones to tune out the world.

Alan tries to help the mentally unstable Charlie get over the grief that he doesn’t want to think about. While helping Charlie, Alan’s own unhappiness is addressed; together their friendship helps them forge ahead for the better.

A big subplot in Reign is of Alan’s patient, Donna Remar (Saffron Burrows), being sexually attracted to him in an indiscreet way. We later learn that this was just a way of acting out, in a similar grief of a broken heart like Charlie’s.

By no means is this movie like United 93 or World Trade Center; Reign Over Me only uses 9/11 to show how others continue to be effected by their losses.

Don Cheadle proves again his terrific acting ability like those in Crash and Hotel Rwanda. Liv Tyler and Jada Pinket Smith in supporting roles are also a great addition to the cast. Comedian Adam Sandler, turns the table and becomes a dramatic star of the film with an amazing portrayal of Charlie Fineman. He acts flawlessly and brings depth to the character.

Reign has a terrific 70s rock soundtrack with Bruce Springsteen, The Who and The Pretenders along with newer bands, The Fray and The Killers.

Directed and written by Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger); Binder showcases his talent and has a small acting role as Charlie’s Financial adviser, Bryan Sugarman. His directing style caused some unanswered transitions.

Reign is a retrospect on life, mental health, and friendships, ending with an opening for happiness, which leaves a teary eye for everyone.

'Notes on a Scandal' is something to take note on

2007-07-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

***1/2 out of ****

Everyone likes to play devious, and the two actresses in Notes on a Scandal have a field day with it that can earn each of them an Oscar nomination. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett have had quite a year. Dench being in Casino Royale, Blanchett in Babel and The Good German. This film is a great way to conclude 2006’s cinematic year and for most of America, who haven’t seen it, a great start for 2007.

Notes on a Scandal is based on the fictional book, 'What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal' by Zoe Heller. Taking place in London, we first meet History teacher, Barbara Covett (Judi Dench). Barbara doesn’t have many friends and confides in her diary, which she reads, narrating the movie. At the start of a new school term Barbara is fixated with the new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). Sheba is married to the much older Richard (Bill Nighy), and has two children, Polly (Juno Temple) a high school teen and a 10 year old son Ben (Max Lewis) with down-syndrome.

Barbara helps Sheba with the frustrations of a first year teacher and during this time they become friends. Sheba has Barbara over to her house for socializing with her family. Barbara however becomes a little to obsessive over Sheba. But, Sheba seems to have also become chummy with her 15 year-old student, Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson).

After school Barbara catches the two having sex (ala Mary Kay Letourneau). Barbara realizes that this secret can be her power. She has Sheba agree that she will end the affair. Though, aren’t you also in a person’s debt for them keeping a secret that can end up meaning jail time? Barbara holds this secret over Sheba’s head. Barbara invokes herself into every aspect of Sheba’s life.

Steven though is persistent, still wanting to be with Sheba and she gives in. Barbara finds out with Sheba replying, “It is like having a drink, knowing that you had enough, but can’t stop.” Now, she is in real debt. It is the day of Sheba’s sons play but Barbara’s cat dies and wants Sheba to be with her. Sheba however has to be with her family and son. This is where Barbara let’s the ‘cat’ out of the bag, to the faculty and where the scandal begins with media-a-plenty.

Notes is a steamy thriller that keeps you gripped to the very end; never knowing who to root for. Should you root for Sheba who is under Barbara’s wrath? Or, should you root for Barbara who knows that Sheba is having a predatorily affair with a fifteen year-old?

The superb Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give a great performance with heavy emotions that carry the picture itself. Bill Nighy gives a terrific performance, though is overlooked by the work of the actresses. Scandal’s dark script, written by Patrick Marber who also wrote Closer, has great flare and spice throughout the picture.

Director Richard Eyre also directed another Judi Dench film, Oscar-winner Iris. In Notes on a Scandal, Eyre never misses a beat and gives depth to the story with explanation but it never gets boring, just better.

A movie that leaves us satisfied, Notes on a Scandal is a superb dramatic thriller that should find itself being nominated more than once at this year’s Academy Awards. Whether, it is for Blanchett’s, Dench’s, or Nighy’s acting, Eyre’s directing, Marber’s script or for Best Picture. Notes on a Scandal is to be highly recommended.

Eragon Flys Low

2007-07-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

*1/2 out of ****

Last holiday season, we were treated to some terrific big-budget action films which were The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and King Kong. However this year we weren’t so lucky only receiving Eragon, a Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings hybrid which is flawed at best and nothing more than a special effects extravaganza that soon become tiring; something we learned this year from Mission: Impossible 3.

Stefen Fangmeier, a special effects master who helmed such hit projects as Terminator 2, Twister, Jurassic Park, and even 2004s holiday hit Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, makes his directorial debut with Eragon. However he brings little to the screen and his style of filming is so mish-mashed that it seems like your watching a tennis match.

Eragon is an adaptation of the book Eragon, written by Christopher Paolini, the first-part of the Inheritance trilogy.

The movie begins with a voice-over telling us how the land of Alagaesia once was a peaceful land of dragon riders and the Varden, a community of people who now live in secrecy in the mountains. However, one rider turned on all of the others, King Galbatorix (John Malkovich), and took over the land, killing all of the riders and their dragons.

The story starts when Arya (Sienna Guillory) steals a dragon egg from Galbatorix who sends his evil-doer, Durza (Robert Carlyle) a sorcerer possessed by demons to regain its possession. Joining Durza there are the Razac, a type of mummy looking creature, and the Urgals who look like WWE zombie wrestlers. But, just before Durza gets the egg Arya transports it before being caught as Durza’s prisoner.

Cut-to, Eragon (Edward Speleers), who goes hunting and finds the sapphire dragon egg, but thinks it, is a stone. To Eragon’s surprise it hatches into a sapphire colored dragon named oddly enough, Saphira (voiced by Rachel Weisz) who in a matter of days turns gargantuan. When Saphira hatched an E shaped scar formed on Eragon’s hand, the insignia of a dragon rider. Saphira is a mother-like figure to Eragon to whom they communicate to each other through thoughts.

Eragon soon meets a fellow villager, Brom (Jermey Irons) who is secretly a dragon rider, however his dragon got slaughtered. Brom soon becomes Eragon’s mentor. Galbatorix finds out about this and sends his army to kill both Eragon, Brom and Saphira.

Brom and Eragon now have to save Arya, go to the Varden to help fight their war against Galbatorix’s army, kill Durza, and end King Galbatorix’s reign of terror.

The acting in Eragon seems robotic and Edward Speelers, making his cinematic debut, seems more like a California Surfer than a Dragon Rider. Also making an acting debut is Grammy nominee Joss Stone, who plays a fortune-teller, but should stick to singing. The story is choppy and the ending is abrupt. Eragon would take flight better if it stay detailed to the book.
The saving grace in Eragon is its special effects which are great and Saphira looks breath-taking. The action scenes for a PG film were well-staged but could have been extended; they will probably show up though on the DVD release.

In the end, instead of paying $10 to watch Eragon I would prefer to buy the book.

Bobby Wins the Vote

2007-07-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

***1/2 out of ****

Bobby is an up-lifting and at times heart-breaking semi-fictional drama focusing on 22 people, played by some of Hollywood’s most famous actors, showing their affection for Senator Robert F. Kennedy; a man that was being called President even before he was elected.

The story begins June 6th, 1968, the day of Kennedy’s assassination. It takes place at the Ambassador Hotel a.k.a. election headquarters and the story ends up at the point of Kennedy’s assassination.

The first piece of the story is with John Casey the Hotel Greeter (Anthony Hopkins) reminiscing about the past with his friend Nelson (Harry Belafonte). The next story is with Kennedy campaigners Wade (Joshua Jackson) and Cooper (Shia Labeouf) who decide to blow off campaigning for the day to do LSD with hippie/drug-dealer Fisher (Ashton Kutcher).

We then meet the kitchen staff, (Laurence Fishburne, Freddy Rodriguez, Jacob Vargas) who talk about the death of Martin Luther King and how Kennedy is the future to continue his path against discrimination, racial equality and about ways to get along with the ruling white majority.

The next story-line is with the hotel’s beautician Miriam (Sharon Stone) who is in a position to meet many of the Hotel guests, married to the hotel Manager Paul (William H. Macy), whom is sleeping with the switch-board operator Angela (Heather Graham). Miriam meets Diane (Lindsay Lohan) who is frivolously marrying her classmate William (Elijah Wood) so he doesn’t have to go to Vietnam in fear for his life. Miriam also meets the aging-booze-hound-cigarette-in-one-hand singer Virginia Fallon (Demi Moore) who often says hurtful things from fear of losing her audience. Virginia’s husband Tim is played by Emilio Estevez, who produced and directed the film.

The next story is of Czechoslovakian journalist Lenka Janacek (Svetlana Metkina) who wants to interview Bobby but has a hard time securing a meeting because she is representing a Socialist country.

The final story is with Samantha (Helen Hunt) a woman who finds “happiness” only in shopping for the latest fashion trends and her depressed husband Jack (Martin Sheen) who points out to Samantha that finding true happiness is their love for each other.

In the end all of the characters come together at Bobby’s assassination, showing their sorrow and the good that they found in his beliefs and what they could have done for us all.

All of the scenes with Robert F. Kennedy are archive footage of him; including the assassination. The ensemble of 22 actors and actresses, all are superb and give compelling emotional performances. However it seems as if the younger cast members steal the show such as Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, Nick Cannon as Dwayne the head poll-counter at Campaign central, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Susan, a waitress at the Ambassador aspiring to become an actress.

Bobby is a film to see for all age groups. It is a tribute to those that remember what Robert F. Kennedy stood for the day he was assassinated and an engaging history lesson for the rest of us showing why Robert F. Kennedy was undeniably a person to be remembered.

Poseidon stays afloat

2007-07-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

Let me start off by saying Poseidon reminds me of last years hit, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, they are both remakes but, are different at the same time.

Poseidon is a $160 million film directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Troy, The Perfect Storm, Air Force One). This is the second remake (first was on NBC last year) of the 1972 The Poseidon Adventure, however, I think they dropped the “Adventure”, because, this isn’t an adventure. It is a thriller!

Unlike the first Poseidon movie this one wastes no time getting to the action. Poseidon which is the name of the luxury cruise ship opens with a brief 10 minute montage of the ships magnificence and of the main characters. There’s Robert Ramsey (Kurt Russell) former firefighter and mayor of New York, his teenage daughter, Jennifer (Emmy Rossum) along with Christian (Mike Vogel) who are secretly engaged, suicidal gay architect, Richard Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss), stowaway, Elena (Mia Maestro), and single mother and son, Maggie James (Jacinda Barrett) and Conor James (Jimmy Bennett). Lastly there is the independent Hero, Dylan Johns (Josh Lucas) who reluctantly leads the group to safety. What a colorful group!

It is New Year’s Eve when suddenly, a “rogue wave” hits the ship flipping it over. All is chaos and the only way out is up, or down, or… well… you get the point. With the water rising this ragtag team must find a way out. Poseidon plays out like a videogame, just trying to get through obstacle after obstacle with dead bodies strewn about.

Poseidon is short for a disaster film, clocking in at only 95 minutes. There was great acting and a half-decent script but no character development; making the plot paper thin. I am sure though on the DVD extras there will be a lot of deleted scenes. Speaking of things being left out of the remake there is no “Morning After” song, and no Shelly Winters character. Also, unlike the first movie where most of the characters are trying to sabotage the others to save themselves, these characters get along all to well.

With amazing sequences of special effects that look superb you will always be on the edge of your seat. All of the actors did their own stunts which is rare for a thriller of this magnitude give the film more of a realistic feel.

This is a film to see in theaters, or, better yet on an IMAX for the amazing special effects. Poseidon is an entertaining film and easy to follow. Just sit back relax and enjoy. Bottom line: Poseidon is an enjoyable ride but nothing to flip over.

The Grudge 2 scares!

2007-07-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

*** out of ****

Remember two years ago when The Grudge was first released? When horror movies and remakes and sequels were new and fresh? Now fast forward two years. This year most of the movies released are sequels, remakes and horror films; The Grudge 2 being all three. We ask ourselves when will they end? However, The Grudge 2 brings something new to the table which we haven’t seen for quite sometime, a fresh idea. And it is back with blind fury.

First, let’s recap, in the first Grudge, Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar), is a nurse who takes care of an elderly woman, Emma (Grace Zabriskie) who is in a catatonic state. She later finds out that the woman’s house bares a curse, and that she is now haunted by it, with everyone around her dyeing. Karen burns down the house yet the curse doesn’t stop. Remember now?

In The Grudge 2 the curse continues in three different story lines. The first story begins right off where the last one ended. Aubrey Davis (Amber Tamblyn) finds out from her ill mother (Joanna Cassidy) the news that her sister, last Grudge’s heroin, Karen Davis, is in the hospital. She is told to go to Japan to bring her back home.

When Aubrey arrives at the hospital she sees Karen being treated as a mental patient. Karen only has enough time to tell Aubrey, “Do not go into the House!” before she dies from the curse. But, does Aubrey listen? No.

We then cut to story number two, involving three school girls (Sarah Roemer, Teresa Palmer, and Misako Uno) who go into the House for fun but instead end up with the curse. However, like Aubrey they also need to find a way to stop it.

The third story involves the family of one of the school girl’s neighbors who end up with the curse because it follows and surrounds her. And like the other two stories they need to find how to stop the curse before it is too late.

In The Grudge 2 the curse can strike anywhere and at any time since it is no longer contained in the partially burnt down house. Back and scary as ever are the ghost boy who has the cat’s meow (Yuya Ozeki) and his ghost mother Kayako (Takako Fuji), with the long stringy black hair who makes her presence known with the creepy gargle sounds. All of the characters in each story must defeat and end the curse; even though they never really connect, they do help each other in the end. The Grudge 2 ends with an unexpected outcome that is frightening.

The Grudge 2 by far surpasses the first Grudge and did what The Ring 2 could not, still scare you. It is less as a sequel, but more of a beginning, getting to the roots of The Grudge and how it all started. The Grudge 2 is more satisfying then the first because all of the loose ends are tied up. For the average teenage horror fan which the Grudge is geared to, this one takes you hand-in-hand explaining what is happening, while diminishing some of the atmosphere and mystery which helped make the first one a hit. Otherwise you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Amber Tamblyn a horror alumni (The Ring) gives a great performance and proves that she has moved on from her hit TV show Joan of Arcadia and is ready for mainstream film. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s short appearance is well acted along with the rest of the cast.

The Grudge 2 is a scary film that will make you bite your nails, jump and scream. Unlike the first movie this one doesn’t leave much room for a third installment so maybe Kayako will take my advice, forgive and forget.

'Little Children' is a Winner

2007-07-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

**** out of **** stars

This week there was a movie faithfully based on the phenomenal book by Tom Perrota, Little Children. Tom Perrota (who wrote Election which was also made into a movie) co-wrote this fantastic screenplay. Little Children is a New York Times best seller and has gotten praise from everyone everywhere. Likewise so should the movie.

Little Children however falls into a new phase that has been sweeping Hollywood. Other than original screenplays this phase is based on books, plays or “true” stories. But the movies usually don’t stay faithful to the book at all, like last month’s The Black Dahlia. Last year there was the some-what faithful but majestic The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Also there is the faithful Harry Potter franchise and the superb Rent and In Her Shoes. However their was the horrible Memoirs of a Geisha, Zathura, Just Like Heaven, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Robots just to name a few.

This year alone there was The DaVinci Code, The Devil Wears Prada, The Lake House, and more. I am not implying that these films are bad, in fact quite a few of them were good; but I would like to see something original and leave what I have just read to my imagination.

The movie and the book Little Children is about a typical suburban neighborhood with thirtyish parents raising ‘little children’. We start off by meeting the frumpy Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet). She has a three year-old daughter Lucy (Sadie Goldstein) and a husband in advertising, Richard (Gregg Eldelman). However Sarah is bored with her marriage and Richard is addicted to his on-line fantasy life involving a pornographic site starring Slutty Kay aka Clara (Sarah Buxton). But in Little Children it seems as if all of the characters have their own secret fantasy life.

Sarah goes to a playground with Lucy; however the three super-moms there make Sarah feel like she is worthless. That is until Brad (known to the other woman as “The Prom King”) Adamson (Patrick Wilson) shows up. Brad is an at home parent who is also bored with his marriage and is looking for something more without commitment.

Sarah soon finds a quick liking to Brad and on one rainy day they start an adulterous affair. Brad who is married to the beautiful, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), and he have a son the same age as Lucy, Aaron (Ty Simpkins), who quickly become friends.

Soon the neighborhood is turned upside down when a convicted pedophile, Ronald James McGorvey (Jackie Earle Haley) comes back to town to live with his elderly mother, May (Phyllis Somerville). The neighborhood wants him to leave, especially Larry Hedges (Noah Emmerich) who is ‘friends’ with Brad.

Little Children is a superb heart-breaking story which has you captivated till the end. All of the performances are terrific and Kate Winslet is a surefire nomination for Best Actress and possible winner. The portrayal of the characters in the movie and book are extremely realistic and leaves one feeling sad that their lives are on a path to a figurative train crash.

In the end I would highly recommend everybody to read and see Little Children, I think you will be pleasantly surprised on what you will find.