IN BRUGES

Pictures courtesty of Focus Features

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson flee their hometown of London following a messy assignment in the crime caper, IN BRUGES. Farrell is Ray, and Gleeson Ken, two hit men who are assigned to take a vacation in Bruges after Ray botches a killing in London. During their stay in Bruges, Ken seems intent on enjoying the scenery, while Ray just wants to return home. Their boss Harry has other ideas, but has kept the two in the dark for the time being.

Mixing elements of humor, intrigue and drama, IN BRUGES attempts to define itself outside of the ordinary expectations for a crime caper. First time writer-director Martin McDonagh crafts a well-thought out script with well-rounded leads, and in spite of a grisly finish, is ultimately rewarding. Coming on the heels of his performance in Woody Allen’s CASSANDRA’S DREAM, Farrell is again terrific. Both Allen and McDonagh allow Farrell’s characters to evolve throughout their pictures. At the beginning of IN BRUGES, Farrell reveals a brash, cocky and funny Ray, but as the screenplay exposes more and more about Ray, Farrell is allowed to dig deeper and deeper into the dark confines of his character. Gleeson is also very good, illustrating a man resigned to the fate that his profession has led him to. In addition to these performances, the city of Bruges becomes a character of its own. Whether it’s the quaint, charming and atmospheric Bruges that Ken sees, or the dull, old fashioned surroundings that Ray is tired of, we get a wonderful sense of Bruges and its citizens. IN BRUGES is a different type of crime caper, anchored with rich characters and originality.

Grade: B-

SEMI-PRO

Pictures courtesty of New Line Cinema

Will Ferrell riffs another sport in the comedy SEMI-PRO. Following up on the success of TALLADEGA NIGHTS and BLADES OF GLORY, Ferrell teams up with director Kent Altman and writer Scot Armstrong to seek laughs at the expense of the ABA, a 1970’s professional basketball league. Ferrell is Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder on the pop charts, who turns his singing success into basketball stardom. He buys the Flynt Tropics, and enlists himself as the head coach and starting power forward. The ABA is going through a financial crisis, and its competitor, the National Basketball Association has offered a buyout of the league, with the top four teams merging with the NBA. The Tropics are near the bottom of the ABA standings, but that won’t stop Moon and crew from reaching for the top.

In spite of the pulled-up tube socks, groovy 70’s soundtrack and funniest hairdos since KINGPIN, SEMI-PRO fails because it relies too heavily on its star player to deliver all of the comedic scoring. The opening moments of SEMI-PRO are its best, serving up Moon’s catchy, hilarious and vulgar number one hit, “Love Me Sexy”. If the rest of the film were written as silly and on the mark as “Love Me Sexy”, SEMI-PRO would have been a laugh-fest. Ferrell can perform in these roles in his sleep, and that appears to be what Altman and Armstrong were relying on. Although not as painfully bad as KICKING AND SCREAMING, the writing in SEMI-PRO leaves little to be desired. A certain nostalgia for the 70’s may be warranted, but many of the jokes are derived from lame references and outlandish fashions. Additional lazy scripting comes in the form of an underdeveloped and unnecessary love story between mid-season Tropic acquisition Monix, played by Woody Harrelson, and his ex-girlfriend played by Maura Tierney. SEMI-PRO doesn’t even live up to its title, attempting amateurish jokes which often miss the mark.

Grade: C-

PERSEPOLIS

Pictures coutesy of Sony Pictures Classics
The life and experiences of an Iranian women post 1979 Iran are detailed in the Oscar nominated, PERSEPOLIS. PERSEPOLIS is nominated for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Academy Awards and follows the life of protagonist Marji, a twenty-something Iranian recollecting back to her upbringing. She recalls basic childhood memories, unique family members and the political uproar surrounding her country.

Make no bones about it PERSEPOLIS believes it’s an important portrait of Iran during the tumultuous decades of the 80’s, 90’s and the new millennium. This self-aware animated feature wears its importance on its sleeve, while delivering a fairly straightforward personal and political drama. Marji is an intelligent, sharp-witted woman who is also very cynical and downbeat. Part of her personality traits are no doubt defined by her rugged encounters in Iran, but are not limited to her experiences. The fact that the central character in a personal, coming-of-age story is ultimately unlikable hurts the central conceit of PERSEPOLIS. Add an anti-American slant, and several tame jokes centered on Marji’s grandmother’s unsupportive bosom, and PERSEPOLIS can be chalked up as an ambitious, but failed exercise in the world of animation. Oscar voters undoubtedly were taken in by the serious nature of the subject matter, but failed to notice that the execution in telling the tale was off.

Grade: C

JUMPER

Picture courtesy of 20th Century Fox

A teen finds out he can travel anywhere at anytime in the action movie JUMPER. David Rice, played by STAR WARS alum Hayden Christensen, discovers through a near tragedy that he can teleport himself to various locations around the globe. David nearly drowned after falling through a thin sheet of ice, but thanks to his unknown skills, he inadvertently teleports himself to the local library. With his newfound powers, and troubles at home, David decides to become a runaway and funds his excursion and subsequent life, by teleporting himself to and from bank vaults. Years later David discovers he’s not the only one with such skills, and that he is identified as a Jumper by a policing body dead set on eliminating his kind.

Attempting to provide a synopsis for JUMPER is not an easy task, mainly because the script reveals little about the Jumpers, and even less about the Paladins, the policing body previously mentioned. The film runs rather short at 90 minutes, and one can tell by the lack of background, not to mention the Diane Lane performance that amounts to a cameo, that JUMPER left a lot of film on the editing room floor. I suppose one could forgive the film for not providing nary an explanation if it had provided the thrills and excitement that it’s trailer had promised. Despite teleporting David from scenic locale to scenic locale, JUMPER fails to entertain on a fundamental level. The CGI is passable, in comparison to its teleporting predecessors, but little excitement is derived from the technique. Christensen and Paladin pursuer Samuel Jackson add little tension in performances that seem destined towards Razzie nominations. Again, a lot of the blame goes to a collection of screenwriters and director Doug Liman. By not establishing the ground rules for Jumpers or their pursuers, one is left with constant head shaking and shoulder shrugging. JUMPER is a nonsensical and nearly unexplainable picture.

Grade: D+

The American (Gangster's) Dream

Frank Lucas lived the American dream. Lucas grew up in the tough streets of New York, served as an apprentice in a profitable trade, put forth the necessary effort, persistence and sacrifice to turn him into a thriving entrepreneur. Unfortunately this business was the drug trade.

Lucas's story is told through the eyes of director Ridley Scott in the gritty, rough and realistic drama AMERICAN GANGSTER. Denzel Washington plays the aforementioned Lucas, a bright-eyed youngster from Manhattan who grew up under the tutelage of drug kingpin Bumpy Johnson. Following Johnson's death, a vacancy opened in Manhattan's drug world, and Lucas took full advantage of the opportunity.

While Lucas was gradually building his business from the ground up, including personal visits to Vietnam to obtain his product, Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) was having a tough time of his own as one of New York City's finest. Although Roberts struggled with marital honesty, he never strayed from integrity in his profession. On the outs with fellow officers, due to his high moral stature, and inability to turn the other cheek, Roberts found himself in charge of mounting a case against Lucas.

Much of AMERICAN GANGSTER operates with the two acting titans apart from one another. Part of Scott's task is to show the two men in their own worlds, contrast their trades, and then show how each trade mirrors the other in many facets. Lucas is the more interesting of the two, and Scott tackles the drug trade both logistically and sensationally. The day to day grunt work that Lucas often handles helps to display the hard work and good business sense that Lucas exhibited. The sensational side is displayed when Lucas, often times in a calculated manner, must flex his proverbial muscles. As he did in TRAINING DAY, Washington shows that he's as good at being bad as he is playing the hero. Intensity is a strong suit in all of Washington's performances, and again serves him well.

Crowe is also very good, but in a much less showy role. In the midst of a divorce, Roberts is failing in his personal life, specifically with infidelity, but still stays on high moral ground with the force. If Washington's performance demanded intensity, Crowe's demands focus. Much like mathematician John Nash from A BEAUTIFUL MIND, Crowe's Roberts is always adding variables and possibilities to situations that arise, or may arise, concerning his case. Without utilizing dialogue, Crowe is able to convey Roberts' intentions. Watching the wheels churn within Roberts is a credit to Crowe's acting prowess.

After much build-up, suspense and cat and mouse games, AMERICAN GANGSTER finally delivers what everyone has come to see, Washington and Crowe, mono y mono. The exchange between the two is classic, and amounts to one of the more memorable toe to toe confrontations seen in recent cinema. The last great meeting between acting icons I can recall was between Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in HEAT. Much like that encounter, Washington and Crowe deliver a tenacious and intelligent discussion, revealing their characters motivations, cleverness and persuasiveness.

AMERICAN GANGSTER is an authentic piece of Americana, even if it's one our country would rather forget.

Grade: B

AMERICAN GANGSTER becomes available on DVD and HD DVD on Tuesday, February 19th.

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2007

As I mentioned before, I thought 2007 was a terrific year for movies. Here are the ten films that I felt were a cut above the rest...

#10 - 3:10 TO YUMA
This Western remake is as much a character study as it is a gun-slinging shoot’em up. Christian Bale is a determined rancher dead-set on delivering outlaw Russell Crowe to the gallows. The force of each of their performances is moving, as two men learn who they really are by matching wits against each other.

#9 - BRIDGE TO TERRABITHA
Although marketed as the next CHRONICLES OF NARNIA picture, BRIDGE TO TERABITHA was so much more. Two childhood misfits find refuge in each other’s company and their imagination in this wonderfully realized and authentic adaptation of Katherine Patterson’s novel, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSohia Robb make charming and likable counterparts who learn how to overcome some of life’s toughest lessons.

#8 - HOT FUZZ
HOT FUZZ was the most fun I had in the theater last year. This British picture is everything GRINDHOUSE had hoped to be and more, an oft-beat and silly tale about a gung-ho cop re-stationed in a supposedly quaint London suburb. Whether you’re looking for a hysterical comedy, an exciting action movie or a silly mystery, HOT FUZZ delivers all three.

#7 - ATONEMENT
The Oscar nominated picture ATONEMENT deserves all of the acolodes it's received. The best crafted and told yarn of the year revolves around a misconception a young girl has regarding her older sister’s boyfriend. Saoirse Ronan is perfect as young Briony Tallis, demonstrating a maturity beyond her years. Spanning several years, and told through the eyes of the film’s antagonist, ATONEMENT makes for a dramatic, mesmerizing and stunningly surprising tragedy.

#6 - GONE BABY GONE
Ben Affleck’s directorial debut is an impressive work, a purposefully morally murky drama set around a young child’s abduction. Ben’s younger brother Casey gives, by-far, his best performance to date as a driven private-eye convinced he’ll make the right choices. There’s no easy ending for GONE BABY GONE, but a difficult and powerful conclusion that leaves the viewer with plenty to think about.

#5 - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Daniel Day-Lewis gives the performance of a lifetime as turn-of-the-century prospector Daniel Plainview. Day-Lewis’s intensity personifies a man obsessed by greed, power and his hatred towards mankind. Director Paul Thomas Anderson gradually builds the madness brewing within Daniel, and between Daniel and his rival, Eli, a colorful and passionate preacher. Both men are blinded by their selfishness, but nevertheless results in a clash of two titans, with a result that is magnificently troubling.

#4 - ONCE
ONCE redefined movie musicals for a new generation. John Carney’s soulful and romantic drama follows the lives of two starving artists in modern-day Ireland. The spark and charm created by co-stars Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova is matched only by their musical talents. Both composed and performed the music for ONCE, expertly impassioned songs that reveal all we need to know about the two destined pair.

#3 - JUNO
Maybe the best teen comedy of all-time, JUNO creates a quirky, clever and hilarious world surrounding a unique and impregnated teenager. Screenwriter Diablo Cody scripted the film’s original and funny dialogue, and star Ellen Page delivers it with well-deserved sincerity and sarcasm. Director Jason Reitman finds just the right beat between the films performers, the script and the low-key, but catchy independent songs that connect with the characters emotions.

#2 - THE LIVES OF OTHERS
Last year’s Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language film is a meticulously calculated and fully rendered look into Weisler, a German surveillance officer and the two German artists, one a writer and one an actor, that he is probing. You may think you know where this story is headed, but as Weisler begins to delve more and more into the artists lives he becomes emotionally attached and begins to manipulate the situation. This outstanding drama is an accomplished character study, a nail-biting thriller and a morality tale wrapped around the tense atmosphere of Germany before the fall of the wall.

#1 - LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
And the best film of 2007 is the carefully crafted, well acted and compassionately written original, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL. This gentle tale of a reclusive young man and his anatomically correct doll as his girlfriend sounds like a gimmick, but it’s original conceit is really a clever comedic tool to lure us into a tale of personal redemption and supportive family dynamics. Ryan Gosling’s Lars never veers towards lunacy, and its in large part to due the fine young actor’s calm touch with Lar’s fractured soul. Director Craig Gillespie handles Nancy Oliver’s screenplay with just the right feel, building a realistic and positive depiction of middle-class Midwesterners and Christians. LARS AND THE REAL GIRL left me feeling refreshed not only about the prospects of our country’s heartland, or the inherent goodness abundant in us all, but most of all that one movie could inspire such humor, heart and originality, and that is why LARS AND THE REAL GIRL is my selection for the best film of 2007.

WORST FILMS OF 2007

Although due to a slowed production schedule for "Now Playing", and the birth of my daughter Grace, I missed out on such instant classics as GOOD LUCK CHUCK and CODE NAME: THE CLEANER. That said, I still saw enough garbage in 2007 to construct a worst list.

#10 - HALLOWEEN
Director Rob Zombie continues to make contributions to my annual worst list, and in 2007 he delivered the unremarkable remake HALLOWEEN. It’s hard to improve upon John Carpenter’s horror classic, but Zombie barely puts forth an effort, replacing Carpenter’s perfect timing and tone with raw gore and gruesomeness.

#9 - FACTORY GIRL
Speaking of horrific, FACTORY GIRL was part bio-pic, part party film, but mainly a mess. This rendering of former Warhol, “It” girl Edie Sedgwick didn’t deliver any insight into Sedgwick or Warhol’s world of eccentrics. FACTORY GIRL was rather tame for a purposefully edgy film.

#8 - SMOKIN' ACES
There was nothing hot about SMOKIN’ ACES in the eight spot. This character-actor driven work thinks it’s a lot cleverer and hipper than it actually is. A gang of mobsters attempt to assassinate a Vegas magician before he can testify against them, and the mess that ensues is neither logical, humorous or thrilling.

#7 - CATCH AND RELEASE
Jennifer Garner elicits no empathy and much eye-rolling in CATCH AND RELEASE. Despite losing her fiancé, Garner’s Gray comes off as self-centered and sour, while her love interest played by Timothy Olyphant is uncomfortably cocky. The performances are matched by a screenplay that knows little about grief or loss.

#6 - BUG
BUG is appropriately titled at number six. Not only did the over-the-top performances by Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon bug me, but Tracy Letts screenplay, adapted from her own stage play, veers overboard in its execution of paranoia, schizophrenia and mind control.

#5 - DEATH SENTENCE
Speaking of over-the-top, SAW director James Wan lost all sense of realism, and humanity, in the revenge flick DEATH SENTENCE. Kevin Bacon goes from mild-mannered executive to raging lunatic after losing his son to a murderous gang of thugs. DEATH SENTENCE is so loony it may have played for laughs if it hadn’t been so brutal.

#4 and #3 - GEORGIA RULE and BECAUSE I SAID SO
Two annoying chick-flicks are number four and three with GEORGIA RULE and BECAUSE I SAID SO. A trio of family members from each film goes from grating to unbearable in these misplaced, slice-of-life morality tales. Jane Fonda and Mandy Moore are expectedly bad, but the talented Dianne Keaton and Lindsay Lohan are remarkably irritating. Keaton’s Daphne is a crude, snobby and immature version of Annie Hall, and Lohan’s Rachel is an example of art mimicking life.

#2 - ALPHA DOG
My runner-up for worst of the year is ALPHA DOG. This two-bit rendering of a real-life story plays like a suburban version of pretty boys gone wild. Teen heart throbs Emile Hirsch and Justin Timberlake try to convince us they’re hardcore hoods, but come off as pansies in this tasteless, true story. The film is predictable, off-kilter and offensive, particularly with its inconsiderate and uncompassionate portrayal of the Mazursky family.

#1 - NORBIT
My worst film of the year is the surreally bad, NORBIT. I didn’t think it could get worse for Eddie Murphy following THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH, but NORBIT has proved me wrong. Murphy and elder-brother and co-writer Charles Murphy deserve all the credit for this debacle. As if playing one mean-spirited character wasn’t bad enough, Murphy plays two, and kicks in an exasperatingly nerdy third character for good measure. Eddie’s performances in NORBIT are the equivalent to nails on a chalk board, but it’s the writing that earns the film the dubious honor at the top of my list. Alarmingly offensive stereotypes, misplaced moral grandstanding and disgustingly descriptive dialogue leave little doubt as to why NORBIT is the worst film in 2007.

2007 HONORABLE MENTIONS

Overall, I thought 2007 brought several good films to the cinema scene, maybe the best crop of films in the last ten or eleven years. Here are some films I thought were worth noting, even if they couldn't creep into my top ten...

Despite contrasting styles of animation and tone, RATATOUILLE and THE SIMPSONS MOVIE were both terrific. RATATOUILLE took animation to the next level, executing brilliant action sequences and subtle humor into a tale of a rat who aspires to be a French chef. As with all Pixar pics, the subtext of RATATOUILLE is as enriching as the dazzling technical aspects. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE’s animation is simplistic, as it is on television, helping to create its own charm and sense of humor. Clever wordplay, a satirical tone and its standard silliness made THE SIMPSONS MOVIE one of the funniest films of the year.

Another of the funniest movies of 2007 was SUPERBAD. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill try to get lucky for the first time during their high school days, but it’s the hilarious Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin who scores the most, both in laughs and the bedroom. In addition to laughs, SUPERBAD is really a sweet study of two best friends who must go about their separate lives.

Sweetness is at the heart of Disney’s ENCHANTED. This wonderful family film hits all the right notes, both musically and thematically, in a tale of an animated princess transported to real-life New York City. Amy Adams gives an Oscar-worthy performance as the naïve, heartwarming and optimistic Princess Giselle.

On the darker side, SWEENEY TODD and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN examine the threatening nature of mankind. Johnny Depp and Helen Bonham Carter elicit moments of both horror and humor in SWEENEY TODD. The talented actors are assisted by Burton’s twisted touch, and a screenplay with a knack for the absurd. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN marks a return for the Coen Brothers, a brilliant examination of our society’s propensity towards violence. Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin are good, but this film belongs to the Coens and Javier Bardem. Bardem’s Anton is one of the most memorable and menacing men to inflict punishment in recent memory.

Two of the best independent films of the year were THE KING OF KONG and THE ORPHANAGE. As a documentary, THE KING OF KONG views an engaging competition between two men attempting to set the world record for the arcade game Donkey Kong. What would seem trivial isn’t, as the films delves into the participants past failures, successes and their hopes and dreams. THE ORPHANAGE is a chilling horror film in the same mold of THE SIXTH SENSE and THE OTHERS. Great tension and anxiety are elicited thanks to director Juan Antonio Bayona’s touch, and an intense and passionate performance from Belen Rueda.

INTO THE WILD was an engaging escape from writer director Sean Penn. This intriguing look into the real-life story of 20-something vagabond Christopher McCandless was both poetic and maddening. Emile Hirsch is outstanding as the lost soul attempting to find freedom, peace and spirituality, and Hal Holbrook is equally effective as a wise, old codger.

And rounding out my honorable mention list is THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. The third, and presumably final, installment is the best of the three BOURNE films. Director Paul Greengrass’s non-stop action spectacular is truly an edge-of-your-seat thriller, with exhilarating action sequences, dark secrets and a surprising finish.

THE EYE

Jessica Alba receives more than she bargained for with a cornea transplant in THE EYE. Alba is Sydney Wells, a blind concert violinist who elects to have a cornea transplant to regain her eyesight. The surgery goes well, but the aftereffects seem a bit peculiar. In addition to regaining her eyesight, Sydney also begins to see things that others aren’t able to.

In comparison to more recent horror fare, THE EYE is refreshing from a plot perspective. The film is more intent on telling a story, and revealing certain points and mysteries instead of mutilating bodies. If it’s technique is rewarding in comparison to the seemingly weekly torture porn flicks, it’s execution is unfortunately not. The screenplay, written by Sebastian Gutierrez and based on the Hong Kong film JIAN GIU, takes an overly long time to establish the fear and horror that Sydney encounters, and an evener longer time in piecing together the mystery. Part of the problem is Alba herself. She brings little conviction, and a very false sense of angst to Sydney’s predicament. The depth of frustration that a person would be feeling under these circumstances is lost in Alba’s performance. The odd relationship she has with her poorly shaved, loose tie-wearing eye specialist also limits the picture. This sub-plot tinkers with a romance, but never does, and creates several awkward moments. In spite of it’s inadequacies, THE EYE still delivers a fairly strong finish. It’s unfortunate that much of the movie was a slog.

Grade: C-

THE SAVAGES

A pair of siblings attempt to find a nursing home for their ailing father in THE SAVAGES. Wendy and John Savage, played by Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, receive a phone call stating that their father has lost the capacity to function on his own, and that their step-mother has passed away. Each flies cross country to the sunny skies of Arizona to tend to their father’s needs. While there, they discover that their father not only has lost mental capacities to dementia, but also financial support.

THE SAVAGES is a more sane, reasonable and realistic portrait of a dysfunctional family in comparison to its equally independent counterpart MARGOT AT THE WEDDING. Both study family dynamics, but where MARGOT AT THE WEDDING only saw distaste, frustration and angst, THE SAVAGES finds distaste, frustration, angst and love. In spite of their differences, Wendy and John attempt to find a solution for their father, whom from all intent and purpose, did not find a lot of healthy solutions for his kids. Linney and Hoffman are very good, conveying not only their thoughts, feelings and annoyance with their characters’ paternal situation, but also in attacking their own personal battles. The film was written and directed by Tamara Jenkins, who also wrote and directed THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS. Although not as wildly funny as SLUMS, THE SAVAGES still retains an authentic and original family make-up, making the characters outcomes much more rewarding.

Grade: B-

THE ORPHANAGE

A woman returns to the place she once called home in the Spanish fright fest, THE ORPHANAGE. Laura and Carlos have moved back to the home where Laura was raised as an orphan with their adopted son Simon. Laura has fond memories of her upbringing at the orphanage, and plans on developing new ones by re-opening the orphanage for special needs children. One of these children is Simon, who is suffering from a disease, and a vivid imagination. Laura and Carlos believe Simon has imaginary friends, but Simon believes something quite different.

The careful and creepy touch that director Juan Antonio Bayona uses in THE ORPHANAGE reminds one of the masterful M. Night Shymalan’s work in THE SIXTH SENSE or to a lesser extent, Alejandro Amenabar’s touch to THE OTHERS. The tone, structure and characters are all similar in each of these films, but so are some of the storytelling consistencies, which lend greatly to the suspense, drama and horror. Screen writer Sergio Sanchez employs two games throughout THE ORPHANAGE, both of which add a great deal of tension and anxiety. Imagery is also a strong suit of the film, as masks, dolls and pictures play an integral part in establishing the film’s uneasy atmosphere. If Kidman and Willis were important to THE OTHERS and THE SIXTH SENSE, Spaniard Belen Rueda is crucial to THE ORPHANAGE. Rueda’s Laura is a tenacious mother, hell-bent on saving her boy and preserving her family. Rueda gives a tense and intense performance that is about as good as any from 2007. THE ORPHANAGE is a real find, a suspense-filled horror film that leaves you with chills through the closing credits.

Grade: B+

CLOVERFIELD

A surprise going-away party is interrupted by a monster mash in downtown New York city in the creature feature, CLOVERFIELD. Rob, a successful twenty something, is headed to Japan, so his friends throw him a farewell bash the night before his departure. Rob is not only fretting about his career decision, but also the fractured relationship with his friend turned girlfriend, Beth. Even greater worries lie ahead for Rob, Beth and their friends, as an unexplained monster has begun to terrorize Manhattan.

The storytelling technique and experimental filmmaking employed by director Matthew Reeves and executive producer JJ Abrams in CLOVERFIELD is an ambitious one, but one which would have been more successful as a short film. The point of view is told directly through the eyes of six young New York adults, and the uneasy camerawork of the goofy Hud. Initially this technique gives CLOVERFIELD a fresh appeal, but even at a short 84-minute run time, the nauseating hand-held camerawork leaves little to be desired. The hand-held approach was quite a risk, especially for a mainstream picture, and when it comes to application, this technique’s blemishes are easily identified. The camerawork is either too rambunctious, leaving the viewer disoriented, or too steady, leaving one to wonder how Hud can be so calm under such dire circumstances. Occasionally the technique works perfectly, giving CLOVERFIELD an authentic and realistic feel. Watching the monster swoop through Manhattan, and an effectively eerie subway scene mark the film’s best moments. CLOVERFIELD is a missed opportunity, and a disappointment from the normally clever Abrams.

Grade: C

JUNO

A teenager finds herself knocked up at the sweet age of 16 in the comedy JUNO. Juno, played by Ellen Page, is the aforementioned teenager, a smart, cute and independent-minded girl who lets the heat of the moment get the best of her. After attending an abortion clinic, and electing to go through with the pregnancy, Juno decides to find two worthy parents to adopt her unborn child.

Some movies operate in their own world, and seem too far removed from reality. JUNO operates in its own world, but contains an immense amount of humor, compassion and cleverness, that in spite of its eccentricities, works on a basic human level. The personality of the picture is manifested in the film’s dialogue, which develops Juno’s world perfectly. As SWINGERS had it’s own original dialogue for 20-somethings in Hollywood, and GOODFELLAS for Brooklyn gangsters, JUNO finds the right wordplay for smart, silly and sassy 16-year old girls. Screenwriter Diablo Cody deserves all the credit for writing the lines, but Page deserves all the credit for making them sound natural, and equally hilarious. Page left a lasting impression in the flawed HARD CANDY, and she does so again as Juno. Her supporting cast is terrific as well. Michael Cera is type cast well as her part-time lover and full time friend, JK Simmons makes an ideal dad and Olivia Thirlby deserves credit for bouncing off Cody’s zingers as Juno’s buddy. Not to be forgotten is director Jason Reitman, who manages to find just the right beat between the films performers, the script and the low-key, but catchy independent songs that connect with the characters emotions. JUNO is an original, funny and smart teenage comedy that is one of 2007’s best films.

Grade: A

SWEENY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

Johnny Depp cuts off more than the hairs of his customers’ chinny, chin-chins in Tim Burton’s dark musical adaptation of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. Depp is Benjamin Barker, a dark and lonely soul, who returns to his native England with an alter ego following his banishment for a crime he didn’t commit. He assumes the identity of Sweeney Todd, a renowned barber. Todd lurks in the dark corners of downtown London, but is hell bent on seeking revenge against the local justice system who took his wife and daughter from him.

If there was ever a match made in heaven, its director Tim Burton and the darkly gruesome and tragic SWEENEY TODD. Burton’s films have always been dark, offbeat and funny, so the content, tone and humor of SWEENEY TODD are right up his alley. SWEENEY TODD falls right in the middle of comedy and tragedy, mixing the wry off-setting humor of Burton, the zany antics of co-star Sasha Baron-Cohen and two eerie, humorous and soulful performances by Depp and co-star Helen Bonham-Carter. This is the sixth Burton-directed film for Depp, and fifth for Carter, and it’s no wonder why they’ve been featured in many of his films. Each is appropriately somber eliciting moving musical renditions, yet both are abnormally humorous, bringing plenty comedic moments. Their performances are matched only by Burton’s wonderful eye for the material. He lavishes the use of blood in the picture, not as much for gore as for depicting the destruction of these two troubled individuals who are spilling the final remains of their humanity. SWEENEY TODD is not for the faint of heart, or weak of stomach, but for those who enjoy an original concept, and the wonderfully peculiar talents of Burton, Depp and Carter.

Grade: B+

THE KITE RUNNER

A former Afghan returns to his native country for the first time since the Soviet invasion in THE KITE RUNNER. Amir, a writer now residing in the United States, receives a call from an old family friend from Afghanistan. Upon receiving the call, Amir reflects back on his Afghan upbringing, specifically the relationship he had with his best friend Hassan, the son of one of his father’s hired hands.

THE KITE RUNNER is an earnest and seemingly honest portrayal of the danger that encompassed Afghanistan just before the Soviet invasion and more recently, during the Taliban’s rule. Although THE KITE RUNNER effectively conveys these times, it is as much concerned in detailing the intimate story between two childhood friends. Much of the film is set during the boys childhood in Afghanistan. This is the heart of the movie, revealing a great deal about the boys’ character and the men they will become. It also successfully outlines the fragile structure between Amir, his father and others connected to their family. Pressure from his father, everyday bullies and general youth angst are weaved expertly by director Marc Forester and screenwriter David Benioff. Both have adapted Khaled Hosseini’s compassionate story into a moving and personal picture.

Grade: B

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR

A womanizing, socializing and boozing congressmen leads a covert war effort against the Soviet Union in Mike Nichols dramatic comedy, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR. Tom Hanks is the title character, a Texas congressman who loved booze and women as much as he did his country. Following a trip to Afghanistan, where Afghans were being invaded by the Soviet Union, and being a member of the Defense Appropriations Committee, Wilson saw an opportunity and a need to stop the invasion. He enlisted the help of CIA officer Gus Avrakotos, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who helped to lay the groundwork for the Afghans defense.

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR has many similarities to Mike Nichols most recent political, dramatic comedy, PRIMARY COLORS. Both are funny and colorful portraits of womanizing politicians, one’s which struggled with their personal lives, but believed strongly in their causes. Another similarity between the two would be the liberties Nichols takes with the historical accounts. PRIMARY COLORS was under attack by the left for its depiction of former president Bill Clinton, and now conservatives are upset with the arguments against the Reagan Administration. I tend to believe both sides have a legitimate beef. That said, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR is an engaging slice of entertainment. Hanks is wonderfully sleazy and funny in a role that marks a return to his comedic roots, Julia Roberts, as socialite Joanne Herring, is equally effective playing off-type and Hoffman is deliciously salty. Despite being drenched in the political landscape, these three actors liven up the material, and make Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay work.

Grade: B

BOURNE, again

Although I didn't have a chance to write something up for "Now Playing" on THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM this summer, since the show was on hiatus, the release of the film's DVD has inspired me to crank something out for my blog.

I often see critics describe summer action blockbusters as non-stop action thrill rides. Such statements always scream cliched, but I can honestly say that THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM is probably the first summer action blockbuster to earn the distinction of being a "non-stop thrill ride".

The film, just like the first two BOURNE films, races through multiple countries and various popular, international landscapes. I enjoyed the first two films, which provided fairly exhilarating action sequences and a decent plot to paste together Jason's running escapades. This third, and presumably final, installment in the BOURNE series is a notch above it's predecessors. It's concern is not as much with Jason revealing clues to reach his final destination, but rather to race him at hyper-speed, running him through everything and everyone like a buzz-saw, set on reaching his final dark and revealing conclusion.

Damon is on the mark again as Bourne, and Julia Stiles is given a greater role than window dressing (see past BOURNE roles, which amount to cameos). Albert Finney and Joan Allen turn in solid performances as Dr. Albert Hirsh and Pamela Lindy, but the real star of THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM is director Paul Greengrass. Greengrass took over the directorial duties of the BOURNE series with THE BOURNE SUPREMACY and seems much more comfortable with THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. His signature hand-held camera action is still present as it was in SUPREMACY, but not to a nauseating extent. It's mixed in with other techniques which heighten the level of thrills, intensity and drama.

What's refreshing, particularly as an action film, and makes the film so rewarding is the fact that I was generally and legitimately thrilled. Almost every big Hollywood blockbuster is predictable, in the sense that we know that are hero will be standing from the first to the last frame, but what is not predictable is whether or not the director can divert and subvert our attention in an instant (or several instances) and make us lose our sensibility for that moment (or moments). All the great suspense and action directors perform this feat, whether it's Spielberg, Hitchcock or even M. Night Shymalan. With THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, Greengrass steps into this league with an exhilarating, suspense-filled and nearly exhausting (in a good way) action spectacular.

Grade: B+

FYI, the film is being released on DVD today (Tuesday, December 11) and I'll be picking it up for someone for Christmas.

FRED CLAUS

Vince Vaughn takes a trip to the North Pole to visit his brother Nicholas in the holiday comedy, FRED CLAUS. Vaughn is the title character, the distant brother of Santa, or as Fred refers to him, Nick. The brothers had a falling out during their childhood, as Nick grabbed all of the spotlight and praise from his older brother Fred. Years later, the same song rings true, with Santa as popular as ever, while Fred lives in Chicago as a repo-man, with dreams of opening a downtown casino. Fred needs a loan in a hurry to make his casino dream come true, so he makes a wish to Santa, and Nick agrees with one stipulation: Fred must come to work for Nick at the North Pole.


FRED CLAUS plays much like the modernized materialistic celebration of Christmas: superficial, loud and mildly amusing. This latest Christmas comedy is attempting to be more ELF than BAD SANTA, featuring an odd-mix of sugar sweet sentimentalism with a touch of naughtiness. This is the result of having WEDDING CRASHERS director David Dobkin take the reins of an apparent family comedy. The general gist of FRED CLAUS is in line with family fun, with a Santa storyline, an orphan sub-plot and a North Pole that visually stacks up with any of its celluloid predecessors. Dobkin, and more importantly, screenwriters Dan Fogelman and Jessie Nelson, must not have been confident writing broad, family humor, because many scenes play strictly for adults, none of which work. Each ensuing scene targeted for adults falls flat, whether its Fred being beaten by a group of Salvation Army Santas, Santa being audited by an uneasy Kevin Spacey or a Siblings Anonymous group with some truly lame cameos. Vaughn’s rapid wit still lights up the screen a few times, and he and Giamatti make a fairly comedic odd-couple, but the burden of the screenplay weighs down both talents, and the rest of the high-profile cast.

Grade: C-

MICHAEL CLAYTON

George Clooney begins to unravel the sordid details of a class-action lawsuit in the thriller MICHAEL CLAYTON. Clooney is Michael, a former attorney who is now a “fixer” for the law firm of Kenner, Bach and Ledeen. Michael’s value as a man who can fix problems and major obstacles for the firm is even greater than an attorney, according to the firm’s partner, Marty Bach, played by Sydney Pollack. Michael’s latest fix is Arthur Eden, one of the firm’s attorneys, who’s been getting to close to a plaintiff who’s seeking damages against U/North, the company Kenner, Bach and Ledeen are defending.

Despite the impressive, yet slowly developing screenplay from first-time director, but successful screenwriter Tony Gilroy, and with all due respect to his fine work here, MICHAEL CLAYTON is George Clooney’s movie. The film lives and breathes through the calculated, mannered, complicated and determined character that Clooney crafts. The screenplay allows Clooney to be seen in several different lights: as a manipulative attorney, a problem solver, a self-sacrificial brother, a flawed father and more than anything a deeply troubled individual. Although the film works as a somewhat conventional thriller, the depth and mystery which lurks beneath are a credit to Clooney’s portrayal. Each move Clayton makes is based on a number of variables from his standing with the firm, the debt that he owes, the relationships that he’s built and the ones which have fallen apart. As events unravel in MICHAEL CLAYTON it isn’t the plot’s outcome which peaks one’s interest, but rather the impact the outcome will have on one man’s decisions.

Grade: B

GONE BABY GONE

The Affleck brothers team up in the morality thriller, GONE BABY GONE. Ben Affleck steps behind the camera to direct his brother for the first-time in the story of a missing girl. Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan are Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, two young private investigators who are called on to find Amanda McCready, a missing child from downtown Boston. As Patrick and Angie dig deeper into the case, the more complex it becomes, with variables including Amanda’s doped-out mother, red-tape from the police and a media circus surrounding the girl’s disappearance.

The cleverness in GONE BABY GONE’s screenplay is matched only by its morally-complex and challenging conclusion, one which does not conform to convention, but is dead-set on creating conversation. Ben Affleck returns to his GOOD WILL HUNTING roots, penning a Boston-area screenplay that absorbs the bean town atmosphere into the characters and events, providing an authentic and realistic feel. Casey Affleck, who had yet to impress me on screen, delivers a powerful performance, with grit, fortitude and depth. Casey’s Patrick is no more complex than many of the other characters, but through his eyes we view the areas of gray that form in crime and punishment. The film is a tremendous work for Ben Affleck in his directorial debut. Outside of a fairly contrived latter fourth, GONE BABY GONE poses some serious questions, and several answers through its murky characters. Affleck and co-scribe Aaron Stockard have created several conflicted characters, willing to bend the law at certain times, and at other times willing to follow it by the book. There’s no easy ending for GONE BABY GONE, but a difficult and engaging finish that will leave you with plenty to talk about.

Grade: A-

Summer Movie Drought

I thought I'd post a few thoughts about the summer movie season for several reasons, the main one being that "Now Playing", the film review program I co-host and co-produce, is on hiatus for the time being. WOCC-TV 3 is in the midst of a move, and until all of the wires, cameras, record decks, etc. are all set up in their new home, my blog is the only means of conveying my thoughts on current cinema.

The title for this post not only reflects my less than usual attendance at the theatre this summer, due as much to the birth of my beautiful daughter Grace as to the show's summer hiatus, but also the lack of much summer fare that really delivers.

The first three blockbusters for the summer were all third films of trilogies, and all disappointments, in SPIDERMAN 3 (B-), SHREK THE THIRD (C) and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END (D+).

SPIDERMAN 3 (B-) is the only film worth seeing of the bunch, and it's worth a viewing more for its ambition, and the film's strong latter third, than anything else. SHREK THE THIRD and AT WORLD'S END seemed intent on merely mimicing their predecessors. SHREK THE THIRD had very few inspired moments, added only one (and very weak) character and felt more or less like it was spinning its wheels. If SHREK THE THIRD was spinning its wheels, AT WORLD'S END is like a car that's out of control. The film gets tangled in several storylines, double-crosses and mixed motivations, and it's difficult to distinguish the heroes from the villians. Verbinski and co-writers felt that adding a few more Johnny Depps, in the form of several Jack Sparrows, would liven up the bloated seafest, but instead feels contrived and obnoxious.

Not trying to be a contrarian, I found EVAN ALMIGHTY (B) to be much better than Carrey's BRUCE. The first ALMIGHTY was a gimmick film, intent on watching Carrey play God with his newfound powers. Although not as deadset on being a straight comedy, EVAN ALMIGHTY works as solid family entertainment, with enough laughs for the kids, and a family friendly spiritual message that transcends the genre. I don't want to hold director Tom Shadyac to the level of legendary (and one of my all-time favorites) director Frank Capra, but at times EVAN ALMIGHTY provides a taste of Capra's corn. Steve Carrell overdoes it a few times in some of the childish, slapstick moments, but overall provides an everyman performance, which many films have strayed away from presenting. Morgan Freeman is also given more to work with in EVAN, as opposed to BRUCE. One of our best living actors, Freeman is given a couple of scenes to wave his air of wisdom over (with Evan and Evan's wife), and these scenes provide the ground work for the film's message.

Marking a stark contrast from the family film, are two thunderous blockbusters in LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (C+) and TRANSFORMERS (B-). Although not a big difference grade-wise, TRANSFORMERS earns a recommendation almost entirely based on its eye-popping special effects. In spite of some well-placed humor, and a terrifically quirky performance from Shia LeBeouf, TRANSFORMERS is much like other Michael Bay overly-edited action films with robots instead of humans. In this case, watching robots instead of humans is exactly what makes TRANSFORMERS worth watching. I'm normally not one to give films a pass based on their special effects, but TRANSFORMERS is the first time in 14 years that my jaw has dropped from a mere visual aesthetic. TRANFORMERS executive producer (Steven Spielberg) provided the last one when T-Rex and velociraptors graced the silver screen.

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD is amazingly more ridiculous than watching giant, alien robots wage war on earth. This fourth DIE HARD installment is a wreck of a script, but the ludicrous action and Willils' playful nature make LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD very watchable. The tech-infused script isn't nearly as engaging as either of the first three DIE HARDs, and the enemy's surveliance techniques make the TV series 24 seem grounded and down to earth. The film is designed to throw lavish action stunts, and they are actual stunts, not CGI, at us continuously. Some stunts don't make any sense, especially when using a sedan as a heat seeking missile, but one is fairly impressed how over-the-top LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD goes.

I'll try to catch up this weekend, but no promises. I'm looking forward to revealing my thoughts on the latest POTTER film, HAIRSPRAY and the much anticipated big screen blow-up of HOMER SIMPSON and crew.

See ya soon...

HOT FUZZ

The team that created SHAUN OF THE DEAD returns for some cop comedy with HOTT FUZZ. Writer/director Edgar Wright, and co-writer and star Simon Pegg, center their comedy on Nicholas Angel, a brilliant London police officer. After a successful stretch of patrolling London’s streets, Angel is reassigned to an outlying community where crime is nearly nonexistent. His by-the-book antics served him well in the big city, but seem out of place in the quiet, quaint town of Sandford. After a tragic traffic collision claims two Sanford residents’ lives, Angel believes that the collision wasn’t an accident, but murder. No one believes Angel, including his bumbling partner, Danny Butterman.

HOT FUZZ is everything that Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez had hoped GRINDHOUSE would be, and more. This satire and homage to cop action flicks provides plenty of oft-beat and silly British humor, thrilling and action-packed gunplay and hand-to-hand combat and several comic-book style deaths. With Wright as writer-director, and Pegg as writer-actor, the two have carved out quite a cinematic niche, by both mocking and honoring certain genres. They’ve essentially found a way to have their cake and eat it to. The comedic timing works in HOT FUZZ thanks to Wright’s patience and willingness to let the jokes and plot unravel, and Pegg is terrific in yet another dead-pan role, allowing the manic nature of the film to run its course. As in SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ greatly benefits from a strong supporting cast. Whether its in a supporting role or a cameo, Timothy Dalton, Paddy Considine, Steve Coogan, Bill Nighly and Jim Broadbent leave their marks in wonderfully humorous ways. Whether your looking for a hysterical comedy, an exciting action movie or a silly mystery, HOT FUZZ delivers all three. It’s the most fun I’ve had in the movie theater this year.

Grade: A-

SHOOTER

Mark Wahlberg is a fugitive on the run in the action picture SHOOTER. Wahlberg is former marine marksman Bob Lee Swagger. Swagger lost his spotter, and best friend, during a failed mission overseas and has since retired away to the mountains in the western United States. Enter U.S. Colonel Isaac Johnson, played by Danny Glover. Johnson has discovered a plot to assassinate the president and asks Swagger to assist him in catching the would-be assassin. Swagger’s better judgment gives way to his sense of patriotism, but little does he know he’s being set up. Swagger becomes Johnson’s fall guy, in an apparent assassination attempt, leaving Swagger on the run with no where to hide.

If you’re a cynic of the United States government, and a believer that one man’s innocence is worth the lives of tens of innocent men, SHOOTER might just be the movie for you. This overly contemptuous action thriller views our country through tainted glasses and serves up a collection of preposterous, G.I. Joe moments. Director Antoine Fuqua, an adept action director, requires one to suspend their disbelief one to many times in order for SHOOTER to hit the mark. This extremely poor man’s THE FUGITIVE fails by not keeping the back story straightforward. The premise is simple, the performances standard, but the screenplay, written by Jonathan Lemkin and based on the novel by Stephen Hunter, feels compelled to provide puzzling explanations for the governments actions. These reasons are lame and detached, providing little depth or understanding. After a lengthy and incoherent explanation in the film’s final moments, SHOOTER ends with a bloody and unsatisfying taste of vengeance.

Grade: D+

IN THE LAND OF WOMEN

Adam Brody learns a thing or two from the opposite sex in IN THE LAND OF WOMEN. Brody is Carter Webb, a second-rate screenwriter from Los Angeles who leaves California after his gorgeous, actor girlfriend dumps him. He heads to Michigan to watch over his ailing grandmother, but more importantly, to leave the pains of the break-up behind him. While staying with his grandmother, Carter meets the mother and daughter tandem of Sarah and Lucy Hardwicke. Soon Carter finds himself in the middle of a family squabble between the two.

IN THE LAND OF WOMEN was written and directed by first-time director Jonathan Kasdan, the son of writer-director Lawrence Kasdan. I mention the relation, because Jonathan treads over some of the same emotional territory that his father has with his films. IN THE LAND OF WOMEN doesn’t have a conventional beginning or end but briefly ventures into three individuals’ tangled lives. Brody’s Webb is trying to rebound from a love lost, Sarah, played by Meg Ryan, is trying to rediscover life and a relationship with her eldest daughter, and Lucy is just beginning to learn life’s lessons. Kasdan’s calming touch behind the camera, and careful nature with his characters, enables us to feel for these troubled suburbanites in spite of the writer-director’s accelerated emotional connection between Carter, Sarah and Lucy. The three actors, Brody, Ryan and Kristen Stewart, provide compelling and unique individuals, ones easy to connect with. Their close interaction seems natural, despite the short duration of their relationships. IN THE LAND OF WOMEN is a slice of life drama that tackles emotional recovery from a different angle.

Grade: B-

BLACK SNAKE MOAN

A former Southern blues-man tries to tame a wild-at-heart woman in director Craig Brewer’s BLACK SNAKE MOAN. The HUSTLE AND FLOW director pits Samuel Jackson as Lazarus, an Old Testament Christian, against Christina Ricci’s promiscuous vixen Rae. Rae’s army boyfriend Ronnie, played by Justin Timberlake, has just left for the war in Iraq, and Rae begins to fall into her old, wild ways. After Rae is beaten and dumped on the side of the road, Lazarus discovers her and decides some strict rehabilitation is in order.

Mixing both sexuality and spirituality, BLACK SNAKE MOAN is a strange film, one which may have a hard time appeasing audiences seeking the spiritual or the sexual content. Oddly enough, on its own terms, the film succeeds. The film’s blend of the Bible and bare-breasted Ricci, is in many ways the same trick and treat that THE LEGEND OF BETTIE PAGE pulled. Both baited in viewers with an alluring beauty, only to sell a religious tale of forgiveness and redemption. Ricci’s performance is good, but is upstaged by a terrific turn by Jackson. Jackson’s familiar intensity is on display again, but he also brings a rare peacefulness to Lazarus. His performance should be remembered come awards season. Just as he did with HUSTLE AND FLOW, Brewer establishes the community as a character. The Deep South blues gives BLACK SNAKE MOAN its personality, and the church folk give the film its soul. In spite of BLACK SNAKE MOAN’S peculiar nature, it works.

Grade: B

BLOOD DIAMOND

A South African civil war centers on a shiny rock in the Edward Zwick thriller, BLOOD DIAMOND. Diamonds serve as a power source in the economically struggling country. South African rebels obtain the rocks, sell them to London jewelers, and use the profits to purchase semiautomatic weapons in which to overthrow their government. Leonardo DiCaprio is Danny Archer, a South African diamond dealer who serves as the middle man between buyer and seller. Archer learns of an extremely large diamond that was buried by Solomon, a captive of an extremist rebel group, and he’s determined to uncover the whereabouts of the valuable stone.

Director Edward Zwick is known for mixing politics and action, and does so again with BLOOD DIAMOND. THE LAST SAMURAI AND COURAGE UNDER FIRE director, mixes the profitability of the diamond trade with the economic and political turmoil of South Africa, and conjures up a fairly thrilling picture. Although the action scenes are well orchestrated, the real thrills come from the dealings between Archer, Solomon, and an American journalist played by Jennifer Connelly. Each character has their own agenda, and each must use the other as a means to their ends. Watching DiCaprio, Connelly and Djimon Honsou, as Solomon, work within the confines of the screenplay was a real treat. Working with their own character’s complications, restraints and leverage, the threesome create an interesting dynamic of calculation, compassion and courage. Zwick’s skill in directing action sometimes leads to an excess and BLOOD DIAMOND is no different. These scenes are well choreographed, but often run a hair too long. BLOOD DIAMOND offers an action thriller with some thought.

Grade: B-

A GOOD YEAR

Russell Crowe comes to a crossroads in his life in Ridley Scott’s drama, A GOOD YEAR. Crowe is Max Skinner, a successful, but immoral London stock broker, who inherits his Uncle Henry’s vineyard in France. Max initially plans on selling the property to the highest bidder, but after returning to the vineyard and recollecting back to childhood memories, he begins to have second thoughts.

After watching Crowe as a gladiator, a big-tobacco snitch, a schizophrenic mathematician and a depression-era boxer, I didn’t feel there was a role the Aussie couldn’t handle. Ridley Scott has proved me wrong. Crowe’s Skinner is a tough character to get a handle on. Crowe plays Max as a successful, cocky and chauvinistic playboy who’s more worried about dollars than common sense. He plays this part just fine, but has a hard time with Max’s transformation. Despite the well-detailed flashbacks, Crowe isn’t able to win over our hearts. His charm-less Max pales in comparison to Tom Cruise’s Jerry Maguire, despite the two characters obvious similarities, and Scott isn’t able to recognize his star performer’s deficiency. Crowe and Scott aren’t the only ones to blame, as writers Marc Klein and Peter Mayle script a completely unlikable character, and even the costume design team struggles with Max. A GOOD YEAR is a character driven film, with little character.

Grade: C-

L'ENFANT

A young man struggles to come to terms with adulthood in the foreign language film, L’ENFANT. Translated as THE INFANT, the French film follows a couple who is prepared neither financially, mentally or emotionally for a child. That doesn’t stop Bruno and Sonia from conceiving, but does create a problem for them as parents. Their only source of income comes from Sonia’s welfare benefits, and Bruno’s petty theft earnings. Eager to earn more money, and rid himself of the burdens of parenthood, Bruno sells his child to a black market group that profits off orphans.

Co-writers and directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s resume is full of darker –themed pictures, and gritty documentaries. L’ENFANT follows in this same vein, effectively depicting a seedy and immature young man, and the sleazy streets that he inhabits. The Dardenne’s writing allows one to view a realistic, but rarely seen segment of France, and their docu-style camera work is affecting, without seeming pretentious. The key to the picture is the character of Bruno. Bruno is far from sympathetic or even emphatic, but is an engaging figure that lives for the moment, throwing all caution and care for tomorrow aside. Jeremie Renier, as Bruno, creates a young man who would seemingly be despicable, if it wasn’t for his immediate need and eagerness to please Sonia and himself. The Dardenne’s script allows us to dislike Bruno, yet not despise the man, and wisely enables us to forgive him after viewing his transformation.

Grade: B-

SUPERMAN RETURNS

Nineteen years, several scripts and a handful of directors later, the Man of Steel has made is resurgence in Bryan Singer’s SUPERMAN RETURNS. The latest Superman installment picks up five years after SUPERMAN: THE QUEST FOR PEACE, as Superman, aka Clark Kent, has returned from a half-decade hiatus following his abrupt departure after learning of Krypton’s destruction. He returns to Metropolis, but much to his surprise and dismay finds Lois Lane with a child, a steady boyfriend and a Pulitzer prize from her editorial titled, “Why We Don’t Need Superman”. Oh yeah, and there’s the little matter of Lex Luthor and his latest diabolical scheme.

Superman has indeed returned, reviving, rehashing and reinventing comic book’s most storied hero. In spite of some questionable casting choices, and a half-baked replay of Superman’s childhood/self-discovery period, director Bryan Singer stirs up enough imaginative and gripping moments to make SUPERMAN RETURNS soar. An underdeveloped, but still slow start threatens to dismantle the newest installment, but Singer adds some nice touches, from Superman’s updated x-ray vision to his and Lois’ descent upon Metropolis, and benefits from an ideal performance from Christopher Reeves successor Brandon Routh. Routh, in his big screen debut, proves to be the ideal choice for the Man of Steel and the odd-ball reporter. His Kent, much like Reeves, is lovable, clumsy and wise, but apprehensive in his romantic interludes with Lois Lane. As Superman, it’s all image, and Routh delivers an iconic figure who’s confident, charismatic and comedic at just the right moments. Spacey is deliciously devilish as Luthor, while Kate Bosworth is surprisingly miscast as the head-strong Lane. SUPERMAN RETURNS takes off rather sluggishly, but surges with a uniformly strong cast, and well-written climatic moments.

Grade: B

AKEELAH AND THE BEE

A Los Angeles youth spells her way to success in AKEELAH AND THE BEE. Akeelah is an inner city Los Angeles middle school student who hasn’t been motivated since the passing of her father. After receiving another 100% on her spelling test, Akeelah’s teacher encourages her to compete in the school’s spelling bee. After initially declining, her principal makes Akeelah an offer she can’t refuse. She breezes through her school spelling bee, and then lands UCLA professor Dr. Larabee as a tutor in order for her preparations for the district bee, and hopefully more.

AKEELAH AND THE BEE appears to be a standard underdog story. The film is so much more, a wonderful demonstration of how a familiar storyline can be enriching by establishing unique characters, and stirring emotions. Akeelah, played wonderfully by newcomer Keke Palmer, and Dr. Larabee, are two emotionally fractured individuals who find the art of spelling to be both an escape from their problems, and part of their rehabilitation. The interaction between the two is not only heartwarming, but also intelligent and competitive, as each utilizes their intellect to verbally joust with one another. Doug Atkinson, who writes and directs, not only works magic between professor and pupil, but also creates a collection of colorful supporting characters that are original, realistic and endearing. AKEELAH AND THE BEE is much more than your standard underdog tale.

Grade: A-

ACCEPTED

A high school senior creates a college of his own in the comedy ACCEPTED. Bartleby Gaines has applied to several colleges, but has been accepted by none, much to the dismay of his mother and father. Faced with parental denunciation and public embarrassment, Bartleby invents the South Hampton Institute of Technology, with his friend Sherman creating a website to fool Bartleby’s parents. The lie begins to spin out of control for Bartleby, as his dad begins to question where the college is and wants to view the campus for himself. One thing leads to another, and Bartleby ends up creating the pseudo-college, South Hampton Institute of Technology.

Bartleby Gaines is a poor man’s version of Ferris Bueller. The main difference between Matthew Broderick’s Ferris and Justin Long’s Bartleby is that Ferris never bit off more than he could chew. ACCEPTED is an occasionally fun and harmless college romp that loses all resemblance of reality once the pseudo-college is created. South Hampton Institute of Technology is a college students dream of with unlimited partying, unlimited eating and most importantly, unlimited slacking. I admired the spirit of ACCEPTED, and felt Long’s performance was on-key, funny and likable. The movie’s downfall lies in the fact that Bartleby has pulled off serious fraud, and that despite his ornery nature, we cannot root for him to succeed. A collection of screenwriters try to have it both ways, ending the film with a clichéd and completely unconvincing courtroom scene reminiscent of ANIMAL HOUSE. ACCEPTED doesn’t pass or fail, but resides in the school of mediocrity.

Grade: C

BABEL

A couple’s tragic vacation becomes an international incident in director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s latest, BABEL. Just like Inarritu’s last two pictures, 21 GRAMS and AMORES PEROS, BABEL’S tale is told in non-linear fashion with several storylines. The main storyline involves Richard and Susan, a married couple on vacation in Morroco. While traveling via bus, Susan is hit in the neck by a stray bullet, which comes from a young Morrocan boy who foolishly decides to use a commercial bus as target practice. Not only does the incident begin rumors of terrorism, but Richard and Susan’s predicament creates further complications back home with their children in San Diego.

BABEL plays like an internationally attuned version of CRASH. Both films involve issues of prejudice, miscommunication and mankind’s self-centered nature. Where CRASH spoke to these issues in the microcosm of Los Angeles, California, BABEL addresses these problems through multiple countries, cultures and languages. It twists conventional storylines, including teen angst, a family wedding and a couple’s vacation, into an emotionally gripping, riveting and unconventionally thrilling picture. The direction and performances are dead-on for the material. Inarritu expertly weaves three storylines in four different countries and three different languages, and Pitt, Blanchett and a cast of relative unknowns provide the necessary realism and intensity. Pitt’s Richard is the heart and soul of BABEL, providing us with a face and understanding of these issues. His good looks are hidden behind a rough beard and chiseled face, displaying a man distraught by his wife’s injury. BABEL is one of the best films of 2006.

Grade: B+

THE QUEEN

Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Tony Blair deal with the loss of Princess Diana in the drama THE QUEEN. This fictional account follows the aftermath of Diana’s death in her home country of England, specifically from the perspectives of its two most powerful citizens, Queen Elizabeth II and recently elected Prime Minister Tony Blair. While the two confront their country’s mourning, both the queen and the prime minister must weigh England’s customs, politics and the emotional weight of the situation.

The tone and texture of THE QUEEN is much like it’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, refined, intriguing and sympathetically distant and detached. The film’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness, a calculated and mannered style which lends itself towards admiration rather than emotion. The core of this picture deals with the Queen’s internal struggle in deciding between England’s past and its future. Mirren is very good, providing a character rather than a mere impersonation, finding the complexity of the situation, without overreaching or dramatizing it. Sheen is just as good. With Blair just taking office, Sheen reveals the natural apprehensiveness anyone would feel in dealing with a British icon like Queen Elizabeth, but also a gentle fortitude that stems from a great leader. The interaction between the queen and the prime minister is a real treat, watching two refined individuals dance with their differing perspectives, while finding common ground.

Grade: B-

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS

A group of kids are marooned at an airport on Christmas Eve in the children’s film UNACCOMPANIED MINORS. Charlie, Spencer, Grace, Timothy and Donna, kids from differing backgrounds and regions of the country, meet in an unaccompanied minors waiting area at Chicago’s Hoover International airport. After being stuck in the waiting facility longer than they’d like, the five kids elect to sneak out of the area, despite the airport’s stringent child care policy.

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS steals the playbook from another modern Holiday favorite, but doesn’t have either the sense of joy, or players to pull it off. This HOME ALONE at the airport, substitutes one child for five, and allows the kids to have an entire airport to wreak havoc on instead of one lonely house. This may sound like a good time, at least if you’re between the ages of eight and twelve, but UNACCOMPANIED MINORS never seizes the spirit of a rambunctious kid in the proverbial candy store. There’s little joy or fun to be had, and the young actors and actresses reflect this. Outside of Tyler James Williams, who played a young Chris Rock on EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, none of the other adolescent thespians appeared to be enjoying themselves. The writing doesn’t allow for much fun, which includes two lame sub-plots involving a tormented little girl, and her environmentally-conscious father who is forced to drive a Hummer to reach his kids. UNACCOMPANIED MINORS could have used a little more writing supervision, and a little less acting supervision.

Grade: D+

LITTLE CHILDREN

Suburbanites struggle to keep their childhood tendencies at bay in the drama LITTLE CHILDREN. Kate Winslet is full-time mom, and part-time writer, Sarah Pierce. Sarah and her daughter Lucy travel to the park regularly for lunch and play time, and are often joined by a group of other mothers and children. Brad, played by Patrick Wilson, is a stay-at-home dad who takes his son Aaron to the park on occasion, and has the group of women very interested. On a bet from the other mothers, Sarah approaches Brad for his phone number, and gets a whole lot more. In addition to Sarah and Brad’s relationship, the neighborhood remains unsteady upon the arrival of child predator Ronnie McGarvey, played by Jackie Earle Haley.

"Growing up is hard to do" is the mantra for this original, compelling and thoughtful picture from writer-director Todd Field. Field’s uncompromising, yet delicate filmmaking shines through with a script that understands that all adults retain certain childlike qualities, and not often the most admirable ones. LITTLE CHILDREN is framed like a storybook, initially outlining the characters in simple terms, before revealing a more complex and humanistic point of view. Fairytale narration aids in underlying the inherit adolescence that each character is challenged by. Despite the film’s strong direction and writing, LITTLE CHILDREN succeeds in large part due to the talented ensemble cast. Winslet and Wilson both provide likable, intelligent and flawed characters, who cast their inhibitions, and better judgment aside, for a relationship that appears to be more an escape than love. Haley and character-actor Noah Emmerich are also strong, as two distinctly objectionable men, turning in two emphatic performances. LITTLE CHILDREN proves that maturity is a lifelong struggle.

Grade: A

THE NATIVITY STORY

The real Christmas story is told in Catherine Hardwick’s THE NATIVITY STORY. The THIRTEEN director presents the story of Christ’s birth, detailing the events leading up to the coming of Christians’ savior. Although the main storyline details the events surrounding Mary and Joseph, a good deal of time is also focused on King Herrod’s fear of Christ’s birth and of the three wise men’s prognostication and discovery of Jesus.

To my knowledge, this is the first major Hollywood production completely focused on the actual Christmas story. It’s a shame that THE NATIVITY STORY doesn’t seem to have the soul and spirit that such a religious tale requires. All of the events are well-detailed, the locales are wonderfully captured, but the performances and crucial moments in THE NATIVITY STORY draws out little emotion and power. The performances by Keisha Castle-Hughes and Oscar Isaac, as Mary and Joseph, are workman-like in nature. This is quite a surprise for Hughes, who won many hearts over with her emotionally-stirring and inspirational performance as a young girl fighting pre-conceived notions in WHALE RIDER. In THE NATIVITY STORY, Mary has the greatest burden and most wonderful event occurring within her, but Hughes and Hardwick tackle the situation rather routinely. Ciaran Hinds, as Herrod, is the lone acting standout. His Herrod wrings of passion, albeit misguided, and elicits a strong and worthy response. The birth of Christ is a wonderful story, and one which deserves a wonderful presentation of it.

Grade: C

TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY

Jack Black and Kyle Gass bring their real-life success story to the big screen with TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY. The dynamic duo, known for their mock-rock style on stage, has brought this same approach to the movies. Black stars as JB, a youthful rocker who flees an overbearing Christian upbringing for the sunny skies of California. In Cally, JB meets up with Kyle Gass, a free-spirited and money-mooching guitarist who plays on Venice Beach for change. The two begin to jam, and after discovering the secret to all great guitarists, the same pick, JB and Gass head for the Rock and Roll Museum for this pick of destiny.

Tenacious D has reached cult status in the musical world, and with TENACTIOUS D THE PICK OF DESTINY they are destined towards cult status in the movie world. This rock star version of DUMB AND DUMBER, hits just enough right notes to overcome it’s essentially plot-less and meaningless storyline. This is all thanks to the energetic and charismatic performance from Black, and the wonderfully deadpan work by Gass. As good as their quirky performances, Black and Gass also teamed up on the goofy and terrifically silly screenplay. The duo’s wordplay is dead-on and the crude humor has just the right touch. The dialogue had to be strong to overcome the detours the storyline takes. Potheads nationwide will hail TENACIOUS D THE PICK OF DESTINY as the next great “high” comedy, but I think anyone with a goofy streak and appreciation towards Black could enjoy this slapstick, rock-n-roll joke-fest.

Grade: B-

THE ANY BULLY

A small boy gets to know what it’s like to really be small in the animated feature, THE ANT BULLY. Lucas, who’s always been picked on by the bullies because of his small size, takes his frustrations out on an ant hill in his front yard. He constantly dismantles the hill with his super-soaker, and the ants have had enough. Zoc, an aspiring ant innovator voiced by Nicolas Cage, has been working on a chemical breakthrough that will reduce the size of human beings. Lucas is Zoc’s first victim.

THE ANT BULLY treads over the same territory that its insect predecessor ANTZ did eight years ago, but lacks the charm, humor and well-integrated message that the Dreamworks picture did. This underground go-around does introduce a human into the equation, enabling the ants to depart from their dirt haven, but their trek into a human’s home is nothing more than a poor retread of HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS! The talented voice cast has a hard time leaving their mark, due in large part to the lackluster personalities and make-up of the ants. A cast featuring Cage, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Paul Giamatti bring little life to their voice work, while writer-director John A. Davis and a host of animators fail both visually and verbally with the characters. The dull characters are equally matched with a heavy-handed social message attempting to add weight to a lifeless picture.

Grade: C-

CASINO ROYALE

Daniel Craig takes over where Pierce Brosnan left off in the latest James Bond picture, CASINO ROYALE. The new OO7 finds himself in the high stakes game of poker, as James Bond poses as a wealthy gamesman, in order to receive an invite to a multi-million dollar poker tournament. The stakes are high, with the poker favorite having ties to a terrorist network, and the fear of the winnings being funneled to this organization.

When Bond is asked by a bartender, “Shaken or stirred?”, and Bond quickly retorts, “Does it matter?” I knew we had a different James Bond on our hands. The tone and pathos is both darker and richer than the most recent OO7 installments, and Craig’s super agent is worthy to his predecessors, but much like other James Bond films, CASINO ROYALE’S Achilles heel is it’s excess. Typically packed with overblown action scenes, intense sexual encounters and clever wordplay, this film’s overindulgence comes in the form of its length. At nearly two and a half hours, CASINO ROYALE’s poker-centered plot can’t withstand its demanding run time. If not a poker player or fan, the repeated gambling scenes will wear thin on you, and they pale in comparison to either of the high adrenaline action scenes that precede it and the intense moments between Craig and co-star Eva Green. CASINO ROYALE has some interesting and compelling new elements for OO7, and I hope to see them exercised in a more invigorating picture.

Grade: C

THE PRESTIGE

Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman attempt to outdo one another in the craft of magic in Christopher Nolan’s turn-of-the-century thriller, THE PRESTIGE. Bale is Alfred, and Jackman Rupert, former partners, now competitors following a disastrous magic act the two men assisted in. Alfred and Rupert are both extremely devoted to their craft, but are just as driven with their disgust towards one another.

With a tagline reading, “Are you watching closely?” THE PRESTIGE challenges its audience to unravel a mystery. Despite the outward challenge, Nolan disguises this thrilling piece of magic as a character study of two dark and brooding men. The key to any successful magic trick lies in the ability of the magician to distract his audience, even if just for a moment, to what is actually occurring in front them. Nolan pulls this same trick on his audience. As much as I was trying to piece together the puzzle, I found myself engaged in the passion and angst that both Alfred and Rupert experience. Bale and Jackman are very convincing as determined and deranged magicians. In spite of their characters mad actions, both provide grounded, yet colorful performances. THE PRESTIGE is an interesting puzzler, but is just as rewarding as yet another dark and compelling study of human nature from Nolan.

Grade: B+

OPEN SEASON

A domesticated bear learns what life is like on the wild side in the animated feature OPEN SEASON. Boog, voiced by Martin Lawrence, has always had it made. His owner Beth has trained him as a show bear, with Boog entertaining children with tricks and acts on stage. He also enjoys many of the same comforts as a pet, with a cozy bed, treats and some occasional television. Boog’s world gets a serious shake-up when a wild dear named Elliot arrives. Elliot tests Boog’s temperament, and Beth believes its time for Boog to return to his natural habitat.

OPEN SEASON is a reversal of sorts from this summer’s OVER THE HEDGE. Where OVER THE HEDGE showed wild animals exploring domestication, OPEN SEASON takes a domesticated animal into the wild. Both films come to the same conclusion, but OVER THE HEDGE does so in a much more joyous, exciting, and most importantly, humorous way. OPEN SEASON mimics the antics of better films from OVER THE HEDGE to FINDING NEMO, but doesn’t know the beat quite as well. The sassy squirrels and dry-humored ducks fall flat, and seem like rip-offs of better, more thought out Disney characters. Surprisingly, OPEN SEASON does get some good voice work. Lawrence brings a warm nature to Boog, Ashton Kutcher’s goofy inflection works to perfection as Elliot and Debra Messing’s sweet and calming voice is ideal as Beth. OPEN SEASON isn’t a failure, just a poor copy of better animated fare.

Grade: C

APOCALYPTO

Mel Gibson tackles the fall of the Mayan empire in the epic APOCALYPTO. Within the Mayans own civilization, unrest is underway. Fearing that the apocalypse is upon them, rulers of the Mayan kingdom determine that human sacrifice is necessary to appease the gods. Jaguar Paw, played by Rudy Youngblood, is one of many rural Mayan villagers ravaged, seized and marked for death. Unwilling, Jaguar Paw seeks to break-free from his oppressors and return home to save his expecting wife and son.

For all of the media exposure Gibson has been receiving for APOCALYPTO, one would think that a cinematic apocalypse is upon us. Despite all of the hype, APOCALYPTO is more or less a strikingly visceral, standard action picture. Thematically, the film has little, if nothing to offer, but the thrills of the non-stop adrenaline fueled action sequences make for exhilarating cinema. Youngblood may not have a future as an action star, but he embodies the role of Jaguar Paw with a stern, yet impassioned disposition. Gibson served as co-writer on the film, and his knack for wordplay leaves little to be desired. Many of the phrases the Mayans use seem more suited for Lethal Weapon, than an ancient civilization. What Gibson lacks in writing, he almost makes up for in directing. The jungles of Mexico create a frightening and mysterious locale, and the center of the Mayan Kingdom is majestic in spite of the barbaric scenarios occurring within its walls. APOCALYPTO is an often thrilling, good-looking picture that doesn’t amount to much.

Grade: C+

HALF NELSON

Ryan Gosling teaches youngsters by day, and smokes crack by night, in the drama HALF NELSON. Gosling is Dan Duanne, a junior high school history teacher whose methods in the classroom are questioned by his principal, despite his success with the students. His success in the classroom hasn’t translated to his personal life, as Dan can’t beat his drug addiction. His addiction begins to spill into his work, as Dre, a student of his, catches him in a nearly comatose state following a basketball game.

Dan Duane teaches history unconventionally, explaining that history is a series of changes that occur over a certain period of time. What spurs the change is the minority opinion, group or mindset eventually overtaking the majority. Dan explains this in mainly political terms, but this same struggle is being waged within Dan and his student Dre. The film was written by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, and the two expertly intertwine what Dan teaches into his and Dre’s lives. Gosling, who has shown a knack for playing a wide array of characters, does so again providing a unique individual who is hard to get a grasp on. Shareeka Epps, as Dre, is also terrific creating a character with as much depth as Dan. The two’s relationship is an odd-one, but proves to be mutually enriching, maybe more so for Dan than for Dre. HALF NELSON sounds more controversial than it is. In spite of the excessive drug use, it ends up being an oddly moralistic tale with two terrific performances.

Grade: B

CARS

NASCAR meets Pixar in the latest animated feature CARS. Rookie racing sensation, Lightning McQueen, a blazing red stock car has been lightening up the racing circuit with success. After a three-way tie for first with competitors Chick Hicks and The King, Lightning must compete in a race-off with the two other cars in California. During Lightning’s trip from the east coast to the west coast, he veers off the freeway and into the small town of Radiator Springs. While in Radiator Springs, Lightning runs into some trouble with the law, and must perform community service on the town’s main road. Lightning will have to work fast if he plans on making the big race.

Although not as overtly clever, spectacular or funny as most of Pixar’s films, CARS does take us on a detour into a charming, lovable and welcoming world of automobiles. In this four wheels only world, humans do not exist, which presents an interesting and effective change of pace for TOY STORY, MONSTER INCORPORATED and FINDING NEMO director John Lasseter. Lasseter, along with co-director Joe Ranft, finds an appealing nature to this unique culture, and wrings some solid personalities out of the well-cast voice talent. Owen Wilson is on target as Lightening, reflecting an aura of cockiness, charisma and charm, while Paul Newman and Bonnie Hunt’s calming and rugged voices bring an air of wisdom and experience behind their automobiles. The biggest surprise and best voice work, comes from Dan Whitney, better known as Larry the Cable Guy. Whitney’s presence as tow-truck, Tow Mater is the key ingredient of CARS. His character is not only the funniest and most likable, but he becomes a vehicle through which Lightning learns his life lessons. CARS doesn’t rev up any animated breakthroughs like past Pixar works, but it does continue the company’s solid streak of formidable family entertainment.

Grade: B

MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND

Luke Wilson dumps the wrong woman, one with a mean streak and super powers in Ivan Reitman’s MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND. Wilson is architect Matt Saunders, an apprehensive guy, who lands a date with Jenny Johnson, played by Uma Thurman, a mysterious and odd woman he meets on the subway. Johnson is an art dealer by day, and superhero “G” girl by night. Matt and Jenny begin to date, but Jenny is moving faster emotionally than Matt, so Matt calls things off, a poor decision considering “G” Girl’s brute strength, lightning speed and raging hormones.

Ivan Reitman’s choice in scripts and tack with direction are beginning to show his age. The humor in MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND is obvious, tame and about a decade or so past its time. As with all things, comedy changes throughout the years, and Reitman has failed to adapt. Not only are the jokes old, but Thurman’s Jenny/”G” Girl comes off as a raging psychotic, making The Bride character from the KILL BILL series look emotionally stable by comparison. Her actions provide sympathy for Matt, but turn a light-hearted comedy into a pain-staking revenge picture where our rooting interest is decidedly lopsided. Wilson and his other love interest, Hannah Lewis, played by Anna Farris provide MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND with some fairly charming romantic moments to lighten the mood. Farris is surprisingly lovable, alluring and cute, attributes typically reserved for her female co-stars, while Wilson is welcoming with his average, nice-guy persona. MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND is an off-kilter romantic comedy that isn’t super at all.

Grade: C

LASSIE

America’s favorite collie becomes Britain’s favorite canine in the family drama LASSIE. This version of LASSIE is set in pre World War II England, with Lassie being owned by the lower class Carraclough family. Struggling financially, Sarah and Sam Carraclough are compelled to sell the border collie to The Duke, a wealthy Brit who pays a handsome sum for the dog, in order to bring joy to his granddaughter Cilla. In spite of Lassie’s new ownership, the pooch continues to return to his owner Joe Carraclough, the young son of Sarah and Sam.

Animal movies are a dime a dozen, be it animated or live action, but rare are the animal movies which can authentically convey the love that many of us have for our pets. This latest version of LASSIE is just that kind of film. Writer-director Charles Sturridge transfers Eric Knight’s American dog to England, adds quite a bit of dramatic weight to the human character’s lives, and in the process accentuates Lassie’s importance to the Carraclough family. Sturridge’s England is reminiscent of many film, pre WWII landscapes, but still formulates an authentic and dreary atmosphere for Lassie’s owners to inhabit. LASSIE appeals rather simplistically at times, on an emotional level, with abuse to the dogs, but more often than not earns our sympathy through terrific performances by Samantha Morton, Peter O’Toole and young Jonathan Mason. LASSIE is a genuinely heartfelt family picture.

Grade: B+

LASSIE

America’s favorite collie becomes Britain’s favorite canine in the family drama LASSIE. This version of LASSIE is set in pre World War II England, with Lassie being owned by the lower class Carraclough family. Struggling financially, Sarah and Sam Carraclough are compelled to sell the border collie to The Duke, a wealthy Brit who pays a handsome sum for the dog, in order to bring joy to his granddaughter Cilla. In spite of Lassie’s new ownership, the pooch continues to return to his owner Joe Carraclough, the young son of Sarah and Sam.

Animal movies are a dime a dozen, be it animated or live action, but rare are the animal movies which can authentically convey the love that many of us have for our pets. This latest version of LASSIE is just that kind of film. Writer-director Charles Sturridge transfers Eric Knight’s American dog to England, adds quite a bit of dramatic weight to the human character’s lives, and in the process accentuates Lassie’s importance to the Carraclough family. Sturridge’s England is reminiscent of many film, pre WWII landscapes, but still formulates an authentic and dreary atmosphere for Lassie’s owners to inhabit. LASSIE appeals rather simplistically at times, on an emotional level, with abuse to the dogs, but more often than not earns our sympathy through terrific performances by Samantha Morton, Peter O’Toole and young Jonathan Mason. LASSIE is a genuinely heartfelt family picture.

Grade: B+