• Movie Preview •

Mongol

2008-06-10T23:50:00.001-07:00

Tadanobu Asano. Foreign action/bio from Russian director Sergei Bodrov.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world, including Russia, in 1206.

Based on scholarly accounts and written by Sergei Bodrov and Arif Aliyev, Mongol delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the Mongolian ruler. As it follows Temudgin from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the film paints a multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror. The film shows us the foundation on which so much of his greatness rested: his relationship with his wife, Borte, his lifelong love and most trusted advisor.

PREVIEW REVIEW: For such a long film (126 min.) it leaves out such details as how Temudgin (later dubbed Genghis Kahn) became a warrior with the combined skill of Bruce Lee and Patton. Much of the film he is seen as a captured slave, often with a yoke around his neck. Suddenly we see him in battle behaving like a Marvel superhero. Then there’s the slow pacing, so out of step with the sensibilities of today’s targeted audience, and the slow-mo battle sequences containing blood spraying and bodies twisting ala Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. These are turnoffs and setbacks which may cause a quick death at the American box office. A shame, because despite these shortcomings, it’s the best film I’ve seen so far this year. Reason: the visceral and poetic nature of Sergei Bodrov and Arif Aliyev’s storytelling. It’s simply mesmerizing, and fascinating to look at, with its Doctor Zhivago-like cinematography.

The technical and artistic achievements are award-worthy, filmed in the very lands where the world conqueror became legend. Director Sergei Bodrov, who won Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his acclaimed drama Kavkazsky Plennik/Prisoner of the Mountains in 1996, transports us to an exotic locale and period in world history, filming what reportedly is to be the first in a Genghis Kahn trilogy.

DVD Alternatives: El Cid. Charlton Heston as the legendary hero who drove the Moors from Spain. Great spectacle (without being too gruesome), with a literate script and lovely score. A newly remastered edition features commentaries and featurettes.

Or:

Spartacus. Kirk Douglas stars as a slave who heads a rebellion against the tyranny of Rome. It contains terrific acting, score and theme, and in Spartacus, when you see legions of soldiers on the battlefield – they are real, not computer generated.

Distributor: Picturehouse

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

2008-06-10T23:49:00.001-07:00

William Moseley, Georgie Henley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Ben Barnes as Caspian, and Tilda Swinton as the evil witch. Fantasy/adventure. Written by Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely. Directed by Andrew Adamson.

FILM SYNOPSIS: One year after the incredible events of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the kings and queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1300 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct, and Narnia has been conquered by the Telmarines and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz. Narnia's rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, has been forced into hiding as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in order to place his own newborn son on the throne.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I object when fantasy films such as the Harry Potter series require you to first study the novels in order to comprehend the movie. A film should stand on its own. So, I’m pleased to tell you that although reading the classic series by C. S. Lewis would add to the enjoyment of this cinematic adaptation, it is not required. And where the Harry Potter series is dark, muddled and stale, the Narnia tales are vibrant, clear and fresh. Wardrobe’s follow-up offers witty dialogue and doses of clever humor, swashbuckling derring-do, a magical spellbinding look, and lessons reminding of the spiritual and practical need for a Christ-centered life.

Co-writer/director Andrew Adamson (who helmed the first installment, as well as Shrek and Shrek 2) has constructed a well-told good-vs.-evil parable that is enhanced by computer-generated effects rather than overshadowed by them. The atmosphere and look of the production are reminiscent of the magic good old Walt himself brought to his best screen stories. Indeed, there’s an optimism hovering around every allusion the adolescent leads face.

Though this sequel is more action driven than the first episode, character development has by no means been abandoned. Between the many arm-chair-grabbing battle sequences, the intricate plot and the growth of the main characters will likely serve to open a rewarding dialogue between parent and child. The Christ-like symbolism found in the pivotal character Aslan and the meaning of God’s seeming silence at times in our lives are addressed with transparency.

Now, about those arm-chair-grabbing battles; this aspect of the feature does require a warning. The book tells of warfare, but it’s one thing reading about such tumult, while quite another viewing such combativeness in graphic and lengthy detail. The studio and director worked closely with the MPAA folks to ensure a PG rating, the filmmakers carefully avoiding too much blood, gore and guts. But there is a graphic visceral style that bombards the viewer with one video game-like fight scene after another. While I’m no psychologist, it can’t be argued that moviegoers are ensnared in a cinematic culture today that assaults the human psyche. Though we seem capable of adjusting our nervous systems to the amount of aggression special effects departments can produce, is this metamorphosis an evolution God intended?

This is a four-star production, but I would hesitate to subject children under ten to its seamless magical illusions. It can be difficult for little ones to tell what’s real and what isn’t. For instance, seeing a huge bear nearly attack little Lucy may be too disturbing for little ones. That said, for older children and their parents, this is an action-packed, fun and spiritually rewarding addition to the film series.

Lavish, Inspirational and Fun.

Distributor: Disney/Waldon Media

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-06-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, Shia LaBeouf. Written by David Koepp. Directed by Steven Spielberg.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Older and slower, our intrepid hero is now on a quest to find a mythical ornament that may contain mystical powers. Of course, there are always others seeking what Indy seeks. Thus begins another Saturday morning action adventure, with some old faces and some new adding to the excitement.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Recently I screened an Indiana Jones-like film coming out later this summer. I gave it a positive review, all the while knowing it didn’t have the same panache as a Spielberg/Lucas treasure exploring adventure. And the reason is not just that Mr. Spielberg’s company has more money or more know-how. That goes without saying. But there’s an added ingredient – a love of film. Oh, I suspect most filmmakers love their work, but George Lucas (here, producing) and Steven Spielberg have an all-consuming love affair with cinematic storytelling. Here’s how they display that affection. Both look at each aspect of the job and fine-tune it. Then they stand back and ask, “Now, how can we make it even better?” Then they do.

There is one small problem with their most recent action love fest. There’s nothing new in it. Indy (Harrison Ford) is now a sexagenarian, so except for the sequences dominated by Mr. Ford’s body double/stunt man, the action is just the teensiest bit slower. He uses that whip a lot and each derring-do feat seems a replay of those already done time and time again.

I’m grateful that the filmmakers have allowed older actors such as Mr. Ford and Ms. Allen to play central characters in a summer blockbuster. But they don’t do anything or say anything they didn’t 25 years ago. That said, the attending audience didn’t seem to mind that it was a mere retread of exploits past. Nor did they object to the convoluted, somewhat silly premise, or the film’s Titanic-like length. They were nostalgic and delighted with the humor and the magic as if seeing it for the first time.

Best scene: Indy finds himself in the middle of an atomic bomb testing site – with seemingly no place to hide before the blast.

Best death-defying stunt: Indy and his young charge are on a motorcycle, having to defend themselves against a carload of Russian spies. The sequence has Indy pulled off the back of the bike into the car, then escaping by exiting the opposite window back onto the fleeting cycle. It drew applause.

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Redbelt

2008-05-14T00:25:00.001-07:00

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alice Braga, Max Martini, Tim Allen. Written & directed by David Mamet.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Set in the west-side of the Los Angeles fight world, a world inhabited by bouncers, cage-fighters, cops and special forces-types, Redbelt is the story of Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a Jiu-jitsu teacher who has avoided the prize fighting circuit, choosing instead to pursue an honorable life by operating a self-defense studio with a samurai’s code.

Terry and his wife Sondra (Alice Braga), struggle to keep the business running to make ends meet. An accident on a dark, rainy night at the Academy, between an off duty officer (Max Martini) and a distraught lawyer (Emily Mortimer), puts in to motion a series of events that will change Terry’s life dramatically-introducing him to a world of promoters (Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna) and movie star Chet Frank (Tim Allen). Faced with these challenges, and in order to pay off his debts and regain his honor, Terry must step into the ring for the first time of his life.

PREVIEW REVIEW: The substantial nature of this martial arts film, a true morality tale, one of the most absorbing I’ve seen in quite some time, is due both to the writing/direction of David Mamet and his formidable cast. Mamet doing a martial arts film? That’s right. He uses the genre to tell a tale of an honorable man surrounded by corrupted people who see little reason for life other than the accruing of money – no matter the destructive nature of their agendas. It may not be a masterpiece, but wisely and interestingly addresses principles that govern the human condition.

Of course, along with his well-structured dialogue, Mamet peppers his story with the f-word, a tradition of this filmmaker. But here, the writer seems to use objectionable language to relay the corruption of those whose pursuit of wealth has indeed become evil. Still, be warned, Mamet never met an obscenity he couldn’t use.

DVD alternative: The Winslow Boy. (1999) Nigel Hawthorne, Rebecca Pidgeon. Writer/director David Mamet (best known for his salty dialogue in most productions) has sensitively adapted Terence Rattigan's play about a barrister defending a youth accused of school theft. Genteel look at a father's determination to see justice done. A superb screenplay by Mr. Mamet, proving a story can be told without bombarding the viewer with profane and offensive material. G (I found nothing objectionable).

Or:

Requiem for a Heavyweight. A solid drama from Rod Serling about a fighter (Anthony Quinn) whose career in the ring is nearing its end as he faces corruption in the sport. Good performances from Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Julie Harris.

Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

Baby Mama

2008-05-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, Maura Tierney, Holland Taylor and Sigourney Weaver. Written and Directed by Michael McCullers.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Successful and single businesswoman Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) has long put her career ahead of a personal life. Now 37, she’s finally determined to have a kid on her own. But her plan is thrown a curve ball after she discovers she has only a million-to-one chance of getting pregnant. Undaunted, the driven Kate allows South Philly working girl Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler) to become her unlikely surrogate. Simple enough…

After learning from the steely head (Sigourney Weaver) of their surrogacy center that Angie is pregnant, Kate goes into precision nesting mode: reading childcare books, baby-proofing the apartment and researching top pre-schools. But the executive’s well-organized strategy is turned upside down when her Baby Mama shows up at her doorstep with no place to live.

An unstoppable force meets an immovable object as structured Kate tries to turn vibrant Angie into the perfect expectant mom. In a comic battle of wills, they will struggle their way through preparation for the baby’s arrival. And in the middle of this tug-of-war, they’ll discover two kinds of family: the one you’re born to and the one you make.

PREVIEW REVIEW: When attending a screening, the professional film reviewer must remain open, an exponent for the “promise of movies” theory. He must leave all prejudice at the boxoffice. The trailers for upcoming releases are a different matter. That’s when we can go all Addison DeWitt (the cynical critic in All About Eve). And that’s just what I and my colleagues in criticism did when we saw the commercial for Baby Mama. We could see every joke coming and cringed at the bevy of crude visuals, such as Amy Poehler crouched upon the bathroom sink, declaring that the toilet doesn’t work. But I couldn’t take my hastily formed opinion into the screening. Of course, by now, I’d have to be an idiot to think that former members of Saturday Night Live would do a movie comedy sans crude humor.

Tiny Fey is as sharp as a comic writer can come and Amy Poehler astounds with her sketch characterizations. These are two funny women (cynical, coarse and irreverent, but funny). The movie is not. Funny, that is. Cynical, coarse and irreverent, yes, but funny, no. Both Fey and Poehler are overworked, doing everything from credit card commercials to hit TV series to supporting cameos in all their buddies’ movies. They grab every project, knowing their days in the glow of Hollywood’s spotlight are limited. But their choices are not always wise.

Oh, sure, there are some laughs, but the humor never strays far from the bathroom. And when it does, it seems nearly as tired as the expressions on the leads’ faces. But worse yet, Tiny Fey is just not a very good actress. I understand that this time of the year is not yet reserved for Oscar attention. But this one couldn’t even get MTV’s attention.

DVD Alternatives: The Odd Couple. A very funny Neil Simon comedy about two very different men (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau) sticking together out of necessity.

or

Enchanted April. A delightful fable about four women in 1920s London escaping inattentive husbands and repressed lifestyles by renting a castle in Portofino. They soon discover the estate has a magical effect on all those who stay there. Witty dialogue, dreamy cinematography, and savory performances from Joan Plowright, Polly Walker and the rest of the cast.

Distributor: Universal

Son of Rambow

2008-05-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Neil Dudgeon, Jessica Stevenson, Jules Sitruk. Comedy. Written & directed by Garth Jennings.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The story takes place in 1980s Britain, where young Will Proudfoot is raised in isolation among The Brethren, a puritanical religious sect in which music and TV are forbidden. Accidentally, he sees a bootlegged copy of Rambo: First Blood and it blows his imagination wide open. Now, Will sets out to join forces with the seemingly diabolical school bully, Lee Carter, to make their own action epic, devising wildly creative, on-the-fly stunts, all the while hiding out from The Brethren.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Both sensitive and amusing, the film is about friendship and the willingness to put others first. Though it takes a shot at the piousness of some religious folk who put the law before Christ’s love, the film is not antagonistic toward biblical matters. It just states that spiritual devotion is most effective when practiced by caring for others. At least that was my interpretation. I may be honoring the filmmaker more than he deserves.

Alas, the film is peppered with objectionable language, including a disrespectful use of Christ’s name, and mostly by a kid.

Though it is a tenderhearted movie, the misuse of our Savior’s name is just too abundant to be overlooked.

You may wish to try the following DVD alternatives to get the same message:

To Kill a Mockingbird. Horton Foote's winning screenplay of the Harper Lee novel about rural life, justice, honor and bigotry as seen through the eyes of a nine-year-old girl.

Or:

The Sandlot. The new boy in town struggles to become a member of the neighborhood baseball team. PG (a few mild expletives, one graphic scene where the kids get sick after chewing tobacco).

Or:

One Foot In Heaven. A devout minister (Fredric March) and family deal with the community and church life during changing early 1900s America. Fun scene has the good Reverend attending his first movie.

I would like to suggest Millions from 2005 since it is fairly new and that seems to be a prerequisite for some movie viewers. Alas, I can’t. Starting anew after the death of their mother, 9-year-old Anthony is ever practical, while his 7-year-old brother Damian uses imagination, fantasy, and faith to make sense of his confusing world. When a suitcase full of money falls out of the sky at Damian’s feet as he plays near the railroad tracks, it sets the boys on the adventure of a lifetime that leads them to realize that true wealth has nothing to do with money. The little boy believes so strongly in saints that he envisions them and has conversations concerning the directions he should take in life. I see this engaging PG film as morality play but for one scene. In it, Damian visualizes Saint Peter. During their discussion, the ever earthy Peter blasts out with an irreverent use of Christ’s name. So unexpected, it demanded a reaction from the startled audience, one that expressed itself through laughter. The actor portraying Peter continues by applying a humanistic explanation for the feeding of the 5,000. Turns out the miracle was not done by Jesus, but by the giving spirit of the people. It’s a subtle deflection from the godliness of Jesus. The filmmaker got his laugh, but he lost me.

Distributor: Paramount Vantage

Iron Man

2008-05-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub and Gwyneth Paltrow. Written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway. Directed by Jon Favreau.

ILM SYNOPSIS: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment's big screen adaptation of Marvel's legendary Super Hero Iron Man will launch into theaters on May 2, 2008. Oscar(R) nominee Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the story of a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Smart and witty writing (considering the genre), involving direction, perhaps the best special effects I’ve seen, and actors doing what good actors do best, make this one of the best of the Marvel comics screen adaptations. True, the last third becomes top heavy with the standard combativeness we’ve already seen with the Fantastic foursome, the mutating Transformers and the go-go Power Rangers, but by then Mr. Downey and his supporting players have cast their spell, drawing us into a mesmerizing action adventure that’s also a morality tale.

I do have a concern. While it has a comic book feel, the amount of visceral violence gained the film a PG-13 rating. Because of the amount of violent imagery already aimed at kids by the world’s entertainment community, I question this film’s suitability for younger moviegoers. Indeed, when our protagonist found himself in a bad way, a traumatized child (way too young for such a movie) started screaming.

I was also disappointed, but not surprised, by the inclusion of several obscenities and even a couple of profane uses of God’s name. Is that language now appearing in the action comic books?

Distributor: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment

The Visitor

2008-05-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbass, Haaz Sleiman , Danai Gurira. Comedy/drama. Written and Directed by Tom McCarthy.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A college professor becomes embroiled in the lives of a young immigrant couple living in New York City and stumbles into an unexpected romance as a result. As these strangers struggle to deal with their individual lives in a changed world, their shared humanity is revealed in awkward, humorous and dramatic ways.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Here’s what I loved about this film. It was a gentle character study about a man shut off from the world suddenly opening up to those around him. And the film points out that different nationalities can actually complement one another. That’s not a conservative or liberal consensus. Or shouldn’t be. We are like pieces of a puzzle designed to work together in order to make a living, breathing picture. I know, it sounds like I’m going to start handing out daises. But when we get past the barriers of politics we start coming together, appreciating the gifts God has given all of us.

The film is well cast down to the smallest roles, the direction seamless and though the pacing will be slow to those more accustomed to action thrillers than dramatic character studies, still there is a rhythm and a rhyme to the story that maintains an interest.

Alas, though I understand the filmmaker’s agenda – to tell a personal story that will aid in changing our immigration system - still it’s a pretty one-sided argument. We see a good man deported, separated from his family and his dreams of a better life here in the U.S. The filmmaker may be asking us to examine alternatives, or perhaps he’s just condemning us. But it must not be forgotten that while this is a good man, he is here illegally.

I’m always amazed at which laws people will uphold and which they will ignore. I don’t consider myself an authority on immigration, but shouldn’t laws be changed rather than just ignored. That said, at least this filmmaker is opening the question to debate. Debate is good. True art makes you think and feel. This film does both.

Distributor: Overture Films

Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay

2008-05-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

John Cho, Kal Penn. Comedy. Written & directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg – and maybe Jack Daniels.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The same morning that Harold and Kumar eat at White Castle, Harold learns that Maria, the girl he lusts after, has set off for Amsterdam. The pair decide to pursue her so Harold can proclaim his love. However, an overzealous airline passenger mistakes Kumar for a terrorist, and the plane is diverted as the duo get stuck in a case of mistaken identity.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I’m trying to find something new to say about this recent adolescent comedy. Let’s see, I’ve already used the following words and phrases to describe today’s direction in film comedy: crude, vulgar, exploitive, cheap, easy, irreverent, offensive, profane, stupid, inane and frat-mindedly base. Now, I could open my Roget’s Thesaurus, but I feel nearly as lazy as the filmmakers, so let’s just use the same words to describe this attempt at cashing in on slacker/stoner humor.

Though I hadn’t seen the first film, I was aware that it was about stoners. And knowing the sensibilities of today’s comic filmmakers, I knew this sequel wouldn’t be filled with the wit and wisdom of Noel Coward. But I had noooooo idea what I was getting myself into.

It’s not that there aren’t some laughs, or that the two stars don’t have comic chops. It’s just that since the main moments that brought laughter from the audience weren’t generated from scatological and anatomical activities, why base the entire film around them? Those visuals and vocals seemed to just bring moans or startled reactions (“I can’t believe I just saw that”). Again, I ask, why rely so heavily upon gross-out gags? Because there is an audience for such amusement. While most “stoner” movies don’t do all that well at the box office, they often generate big revenue once put on DVD. Could this possibly be because real-life stoners enjoy these movies best when they themselves are home alone, partaking of forbidden substances? Nah, no one would do that. That would be illegal.

Please read the attached reasons for the rating. Though I normally attempt to be discreet with my content descriptions, I’ll be rather graphic here in order to let you understand just how far these filmmakers are willing to push the envelope of bad taste.

Though my description of the film’s nudity may be enticing to adolescents (of all ages) I would hope they would keep this in mind. The media is bombarding you with sexual images. Indeed, it’s difficult to avoid all the sexual imagery in our culture. Aren’t you feeling manipulated by moviemakers? You should be. These films aim at our baser instincts. They are ultimately unfulfilling and merely aid in setting back social behavior. Keep in mind, whenever we try to avoid temptations and self-gratification at the expense of others, it honors God, the opposite sex and ultimately that one special person destined for your life. I know, that sounds corny. What’s right often does.

Distributor: Warner Bros

EXpelled: No Intelligence Allowed

2008-05-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

FILM SYNOPSIS: This investigative documentary probes the snubbing of scientists and teachers who teach the theory of intelligent design. Ben Stein, who’s had an eclectic career ranging from presidential speech writer to droning actor (he played the blaze teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), hosts this outing of those determined to prevent the creationist hypothesis. Mr. Stein interviews respected scientists and teachers who have lost their jobs and/or careers because of their desire just to be open to ideas other than evolution.

PREVIEW REVIEW: With touches of cynical humor and moments of thoughtful reasoning, the filmmakers take on a system that has long since said that there is no place for the concept of intelligent design outside Sunday morning worship. Indeed, in the halls of prejudicial academia, spiritual matters have become archaic. And when someone has the nerve to test the theory that man came from fish in the sea or apes in the trees or a big cosmic bang, not only are they ridiculed by many in the field of science, they are also ridiculed by the media (hence the overwhelming negative reviews from the secular press).

What an eye opener this has been. Movie critics, so proud of their liberal and objective stances, are clearly dominated by personal views and agendas. After reading some of the poisoned-pen smears of this film by many of my colleagues in criticism, I have come to the conclusion that they demand not only separation of church from state, but of church from anything. Their so-called open-mindedness only extends so far as to the boundaries of their own beliefs.

I must point out that there are exceptions to that previous statement. I know people in the press who are positive role models for the term “liberal,” in that they debate, but also listen to the views of others. They are, however, few and far between.

Admittedly, the film has an agenda. It mocks the narrowness of man’s all-knowing, all-seeing intellect conceit. Stein and his team use any means to make cartoons of evolutionists, including the actual use of cartoons to do it. Stein attacks them much the way Michael Moore does everyone else. Of course, Moore’s tactics are generally accepted as filmmaking tools to make an entertaining point. Stein’s, however, are mocked as amusement and denounced as disingenuous and deceitful.

The makers of Expelled are using the very stratagem documentarians have used to puncture Detroit, McDonald’s and church hierarchies. Ah, the evolutionary worm turns. The film is thought-provoking, amusing and scary because it points out that our nation’s schools, which once embraced a reverence for God and spiritual concepts, are now manned by those who don’t.

Distributor: Premise

Forbidden Kingdom

2008-05-02T15:12:00.001-07:00

Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano. Action/adventure/sci-fi. Written by John Fusco. Directed by Rob Minkoff.

FILM SYNOPSIS: An American teen is transported back in time to ancient China, where he joins a crew of warriors to help free the king, who has been placed under a spell and turned into stone.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Jackie Chan and Jet Li, both in the same kick-action thriller! If only Bruce Lee was still with us and in this one, that would make it the trifecta of what’s respectfully referred to as “kick-suey” action fantasies.

You don’t have to worry about any faux-literate verbiage or deep social messages. This film is just pure escapism, filled to the brim with martial arts kicks and flips and lighthearted absurdity. I suppose you could find some symbolism and perhaps the characters are representative of good and evil, but I think it’s stretching it a bit to find our young hero to be a messianic figure. This is just a fine example of the genre, with Mr. Li and Mr. Chan doing what they do best. Both actors display a good sense of humor and both choreograph the martial arts battles with all the aplomb of a Fred Astaire dance sequence. (That’s a compliment, for those who don’t know Fred Astaire.) It lacks the artistry and substance of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and though the plot does little more than a cameo, still it generates whimsy and the leads are likeable.

The fly in the dim sum, however, is the incessant violence. While it is supposed to be whimsical, and though we come to expect one martial arts battle after another in these films, there are also some jolting acts of brutality that detract from the playful tone. An old man is shot by a gang of modern day teens, while others are killed by sword, knives and slings and arrows. I suppose your level of acceptance will rely upon your appreciation for the genre. If you like martial arts movies, I’d say this is a pretty good one. If you see very few of them, you may object to the amount of physical pummeling.

Distributor: Lionsgate

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?

2008-05-02T15:11:00.001-07:00

Skewering comic documentary from Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me).

FILM SYNOPSIS: Witty documentarian Morgan Spurlock has recovered from the overeating he did at McDonald’s for his Super Size Me. Now he’s taking on the political world. He trains like a secret agent and travels to the Middle East to do what the FBI, the CIA and all of America’s military might can’t do: find the world’s leading terrorist. Throughout his mission he talks to political and military leaders as well as ordinary citizens of Egypt, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, seeking their views of America and Osama. It’s flippant at times, poignant at others, as Spurlock himself questions America’s political strategy.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I suppose there are two ways of perceiving this film. It could be seen as a biting satire of the ineptness and corruption of our government, not just in its handling of Iraq, but with almost every other American intervention. Or, perhaps the film can be seen as an indictment of all nations in general. Either way, such films – and there have been a bunch of them in the past two years – wallow in America’s faults and foibles without suggesting its strengths. Overall, they give the impression that our enemies have more soul, while we are the devils.

Here the filmmaker says he loves his country, yet I see no indication of that affection. Perhaps he does. So, why not relay some positives to the world concerning our agendas and our makeup. Both our people and our government have been there countless times to feed and inoculate those in need of food and medicine. We’ve sacrificed countless lives in order to stabilize the world and defeat tyranny. And once we defeated those who attempted to destroy us, we turned around and helped rebuild their land and generate their economy. I can’t remember when a filmmaker attempted to remind the world of those facts.

After WWII, when Russia was exacting revenge upon Germany by closing off Berlin from the rest of the world, literally starving that city to death, America and England revealed their Anglo compassion. We came to Berlin’s aid by having our flyers drop supplies at their own peril, including candy for kids. In order to not be confrontational with Russian military, our planes were unarmed. Hmmm, never saw a film about that.

A couple of years after Iran held Americans hostage, that country underwent a devastating earthquake. Who was the first to send aid? Oh, yeah, America. Hmmm. Never saw that movie, either.

Mr. Spurlock’s comedy is amusing, but his perspective is limited and naïve. Though he takes a few swipes at the ignorance and hostility of some in Muslim nations, he seems accepting of anyone’s on-camera quotes concerning America or Osama. Right now when U. S. citizens are most confused about our presence in Iraq, Spurlock’s position seems justified. But does this perspective include all the facts – or has he chosen just those that give strength to his agenda?

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

2008-05-02T15:10:00.001-07:00

Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis. Comedy. Written by Jason Segel. Directed by Nicholas Stoller.

FILM SYNOPSIS: From the producers of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up comes a comic look at a sloppy slacker’s arduous quest to get over the heartbreak of being dumped by his fiancée. After an unsuccessful bout of womanizing and an on-the-job nervous breakdown, he sets out to clear his head by vacationing in Hawaii. But the nightmare continues when he discovers his ex and her hip new British-rocker boyfriend have checked into the same hotel.

PREVIEW REVIEW: One step at a time, one film at a time, a young generation has become consumed by the crassness, vulgarity and bad taste that masquerades as comic entertainment. Teens and twenty-somethings must assume by now that all humor comes from jolting shock value, because, with few exceptions, that’s all they’re presented at the local cineplex. In Roget’s Thesaurus, behind the word comedy, nineteen synonyms are listed, including comedy of manners, farce, satire, slapstick, play of wit and burlesque. None of these terms honestly describes the efforts of many of today’s comic filmmakers. Most funnymen of today mine their gags from below the surfaces of bawdy and burlesque.

The easiest way to make someone laugh is by surprising them with a visual that counters public decency. We are told from childhood that we shouldn’t pass gas in front of someone or discuss the functions of the male penis in front of the opposite sex. So, when someone does these things on screen, it evokes a stunned reaction, which is then released through involuntary laughter, much like a sneeze. This sort of visual is not generated from clever wit, but rather, from sophomoric startlement. Frankly, it bugs me. Writers of whimsy are either told by studio honchos to write down (which should insult moviegoers) or they just don’t have the imagination to come up with a humorous view of the human condition without the aid of scatological coarseness. And that’s my problem with this film. Its humor never strays far from the bathroom.

Jason Segel, who displays a gentle side on How I Met Your Mother and a buffoonish Neanderthal in Knocked Up, has written the screenplay, giving himself the lead. Not that he should be proud of that achievement. We’ve seen this same boorish man-child dozens of times in the past few years. He’s a slob, like most of Will Ferrell’s man-childs. Indeed, ever since The Odd Couple’s Oscar Madison declared “I got brown sandwiches and green sandwiches,” the screen perception of the male bachelor has been that of an unkempt, uncouth slob. Well, not in my house. Felix Unger is my hero. But I digress.

Austin Power’s Mike Myers has confessed that there are no limits to where screen humor should be mined – high or low brow chuckles are all the same. So, along with his clever concept of Dr. Evil guesting on a Jerry Springer show, musing over the difficulties of being a super villain, he has also created Fat Bastard, an obese antagonist who spends much of his screen time describing his need to defecate. Will Ferrell adheres to this anything-for-a-laugh philosophy by running around in what seems nearly every film covered only by dingy underwear. And now Jason Segel follows in this mindset, by shedding his boxers to display his hind quarters, and on several occasions also revealing the man-child’s favorite organ. (That visual resulted in lots of giggles from an astonished screening audience – the first time. By the third exposure, we began to wonder if Mr. Segel supplemented his income by doing porno.)

Now, don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that viewing a bared private part will lead us all back to cave-dwelling. I am suggesting – with the evidence of each proceeding envelope-pushing comic movie to back up my theory – that film humor is getting more prurient and less smart. You’re being insulted and cheated by filmmakers who get rich by aiming down.

This may seem more a critique of our culture than of this movie. But how else do you review this film? Universal Studios has enough money to hire a competent cameraman and enough loot to take cast and crew to pretty locations. And because they’ve been making comedies for a hundred years, they know how to tickle the funny bone. Today’s producers just give ticket buyers what they want. Or at least what they are willing to accept.

DVD alternatives: The Awful Truth. This classic screwball comedy has Cary Grant and Irene Dunne as a divorced couple sabotaging each other’s new relationships. Grant reveals his expert touch with physical and verbal comic timing. Forget its age, it’s a perfect comedy.

Or:

I.Q. (1994) Walter Matthau, Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins. Albert Einstein has fun putting aside his physics to play Cupid for his pedantic niece and the local good guy/car mechanic. Romantic, literate and downright funny. PG (one scene features sexual double entendre and there are two mild expletives, but I caught no sexual situations, violence, or obscene language).

Distributor: Universal

Leatherheads

2008-04-04T16:49:00.001-07:00

George Clooney, Renée Zellweger, John Krasinski, Jonathan Pryce. Romantic comedy. Written by Duncan Brantley & Rick Reilly. Directed by George Clooney.

FILM SYNOPSIS: This quick-witted romantic comedy is set against the backdrop of America’s nascent pro-football league in 1925. Clooney plays Dodge Connolly, a charming, brash football hero who is determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums. But after the players lose their sponsor and the entire league faces certain collapse, Dodge convinces a college football star to join his ragtag ranks. The captain hopes his latest move will help the struggling sport finally capture the country’s attention.

Welcome to the team Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski), America’s favorite son. A golden-boy war hero who single-handedly forced multiple German soldiers to surrender in WWI, Carter has dashing good looks and unparalleled speed on the field. This new champ is almost too good to be true, and Lexie Littleton (Zellweger) aims to prove that’s the case. A cub journalist playing in the big leagues, Lexie is a spitfire newswoman who suspects there are holes in Carter’s war story. But while she digs, the two teammates start to become serious off-field rivals for her fickle affections.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Just one fly in the ointment. We’ll get to that in a moment. First, the positive. George Clooney is incredibly gifted. His looks and persona resonate with those of the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era. (Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable had nothing on this guy.) He’s a true movie star and a talented actor as sly with comedy (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) as he is provocative with drama (Michael Clayton). What’s more, he seems to have spent time watching the work of the masters, from John Ford and Orson Welles to Lubitsch and Cukor, (not to mention the Coen Brothers), for he now applies the same sparkle to the films he directs. To top off his gifts, he’s wise. He surrounds himself with cinematographers, art and set decorators and other technicians who make him look brilliant. He knows when to rein in actors and when to give them screen space. Indeed, performers like working with him because he makes them feel important and they trust his judgement. And from all indications, Mr. Clooney is a nice guy. Man, he’s got it packaged, doesn’t he? When it comes to making movies, he’s as good as you get.

And so is this film. With more than a wink and a nod to His Girl Friday, handsome Clooney and hubba-hubba Zellweger banter with zesty repartee seldom seen in today’s movies. With its brassy score, golden hue look, and award-worthy art and set decoration, plus a witty script that incorporates the right touches of zaniness, whimsy and heart, the production is the best film of the year – well, so far.

Now for that ointment-covered fly. Mr. Clooney uses the expression “G..D…” in nearly every film he stars. He does it here, as well. And to prove that women are just as emancipated as men, Ms. Zellweger also uses the profane term. Now, I’ve gone on about this misuse of God’s name a great deal in the past. You know where I stand. Don’t have to say anymore. I realize that. But if the world’s biggest movie star uses it in every film, no matter the genre, I intend to rebuff its use and the actor’s ignoring of the fourth Commandment as often as he brakes God’s rules. (By the way, the film is all about the fun of breaking all the rules.)

All right, so profanity is irreverence toward God, big deal. In the grand scheme of things, profanity falls short as one of the great no-nos. Right? Wrong! Showing reverence toward the Almighty, which includes not taking His name in vain, is right at the top of the list of Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20. This ruling comes before covetness, adultery and, yes, killing. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:4 NIV).

Every time I hear George Clooney take God’s name in vain I wonder if he knows it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard to Believers? Would that fact make him more circumspect concerning its use?

Distributor: Universal

Nim’s Island

2008-04-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin, Gerard Butler. Action/adventure/sci-fi/comedy.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A young girl’s imagination rules the island she and her dad call home. It is an existence that mirrors that of her favorite literary character, Alex Rover - the world's greatest adventurer. But Alexandra, the author of the Rover books, leads a reclusive life in the big city – just her, her quirks, and the imaginary protagonist of her bestsellers. When Nim's aquatic scientist father gets lost at sea, the ten-year-old (played by the much older Breslin) gets spooked by a suddenly smoking volcano, the scrape on her knee and the approaching ship with the name Buccaneer. With the aid of a laptop and a twist of fate, Nim is about to be rescued by the phobic author of her favorite books.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Rather than a love/hate response to the screening, my emotional reaction is more of a like/ho-hum response. For non-discriminating children, it’s passable entertainment. After all, it’s a kid ruling an island surrounded by adoring sea lions and smarter-than-the-average pelicans, and a volcano to explore. But once they get to the point where children ask questions about credibility, I think even they will become disenchanted.

As for accompanying adults, most will become fidgety after the promising beginning begins to remind them of TV’s Flipper. Ms. Breslin is nearing that awkward age, when cuteness takes a backseat to adolescent awkwardness. As for Ms. Foster, well, her performance explains why she doesn’t do more comedy.

Nim sleeps with her head resting on the back of a walrus that never seems to get into the water, and her pet pelican squawks and honks communication to his (or her) humans with all the reasoning ability of Bullwinkle’s Mr. Peabody, the pedantic dog who traveled through time. Alexandra Rover displays every neuroses of TV’s Monk, without the comic prowess of Tony Shalhoub, and Nim, who’s supposed to be bright and helpful to her scientist father, doesn’t know how to care for a scraped knee. And the invading pirates turn out to be non-threatening tourists from a cruise ship, disappointing as there is no climatic battle scene. Then there’s that volcano that threatens to erupt. By film’s end, it’s quickly forgotten. Not a phrase studio publicists want to hear – “quickly forgotten.”

But it’s not a bad film. Like I said, kids may get a kick out of it. Parents, bring a book.

Distributor: Fox/Walden

Drillbit Taylor

2008-03-28T18:21:00.001-07:00

Owen Wilson, Leslie Mann, David Dorfman, Danny McBride and Josh Peck. Written by Kristofor Brown & Seth Rogen. Directed by Steven Brill.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Ryan (Troy Gentile), Wade (Nate Hartley) and Emmit (David Dorfman) attend their first day at high school and they’re pumped…until they meet up with Filkins (Alex Frost), a school bully who comes off like a little Hannibal Lecter. Before they become completely engulfed in Filkins’ reign of terror, they seek out some protection by placing an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine. Their best response – and the cheapest – comes from Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson), a down-on-his luck soldier of fortune who lives a homeless – he likes to say “home-free” – existence on the beach. He enrolls them in some physical and mental training, while planning on ripping off their parents.

PREVIEW REVIEW: There are moments of amusement, but it lacks any punch either as a comedy or as a life lesson. The audience laughs while the overweight kid stuffs an entire Twinkie into his mouth, the skinny kid tries to find a muscle as he stands in front of a full-length mirror, and the writers vomit out every teen theme we’ve already been forced to digest from the past twenty years. While these caricatures could have represented adolescent angst, here they are used only as comic fodder. Trying to find humor in any other aspect of this charmless scrapyard of a comedy is more of a chore than doing high school homework.

I think everyone involved has talent, it’s just not well represented here. Everything is forced, from the portrayal of the demonic bully who has all the adults fooled, to the quirky charm of the film’s star. It’s not the worst movie of the year. But by the time we critics begin making such lists, this film will be completely forgotten.

Distributor: Paramount

Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns

2008-03-28T18:20:00.001-07:00

Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, Jenifer Lewis, David Mann. Comedy. Written, directed, produced and floors swept by Tyler Perry.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A working mother who’s just lost her job suddenly learns that the father she never met has just passed away. Desperate for help, she attends the funeral in Georgia and gets to know her bizarre and sometimes crude Southern family. While there she also meets a man who may change her life.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Mr. Perry doesn’t like nor feel a need for film critics. Why should he? They usually find fault with his work and his fan base is loyal every opening weekend. It’s a frustration for this reporter as Mr. Perry is one of the few filmmakers who manage to inject some spirituality into his films. He’s not afraid to show a character pray or show people attending church services. Of course, he never allows such themes to override crude humor, but at least he unapologetically states that we are spiritual beings as well as mental and physical.

While we reviewers could nitpick concerning his filmmaking skills, my main problem with his work is that he tries to do it all. Some great filmmakers can, some can’t. Charlie Chaplin could. Jerry Lewis couldn’t. (Mr. Lewis was always at his best when others wrote, directed and produced his films – The Nutty Professor being the rule’s exception.)

There’s a dose of faith here, and several discussions about doing the right thing there, but as with all of Mr. Perry’s productions (he’s played Media, the granny with an attitude, in several of his films), the characters are more stick people than fully realized, and the story excessive where I think the filmmaker meant to be profound. Had he allowed others to take control of his script and directing chores, the faults may have been corrected.

Allow me to explain why this review was so late. Mr. Perry does not like critics and because of the opening support his productions get, he doesn’t feel required to allow us to preview his work. While this seems logical (he is very wealthy and attendance is high), still, critiquing films is a part of the movie-releasing mix. Moviemaking is an artistic endeavor; therefore it must be examined. While few filmmakers pay heed to the reviewer’s insights, they owe their audience the right to be informed. What’s more, Mr. Perry needs to start listening to others. Oh, he can stay on this same coarse, but to take his abilities to a higher plane, he needs to let other pros do their jobs.

Though a filmmaker has a vision of how he or she wants the film to look, it’s a communal artistry and functions best when professionals are allowed to apply their trade by doing what they do best. Though egocentric moviemakers end up wealthy, their petulance and egomania do the art form a disservice.

Don’t let studios and egocentric moviemakers dictate to you what you will see or not. Wait until the reviews come out so you can get an idea of what the film is about and read the content (the reason for the rating), usually supplied by Christian reviewers, in order to judge its suitability. ‘Cause once they have your bucks, they win.

Distributor: Lionsgate

Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A

2008-03-26T09:26:00.001-07:00

Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Carol Burnett. Kids/Family Animated. Written by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio. Directed by Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The imaginative elephant Horton hears a cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Suspecting there may be life on that speck and despite a surrounding community that thinks he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to help.

PREVIEW REVIEW: It has a great look, and certainly it is family friendly, but the whimsy of Dr. Seuss is missing in this version of the Doctor’s classic. Far better than the previous two live-action Dr. Seuss stolen classics (How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat), these filmmakers wisely chose to do an animated version and Mr. Carrey gives us a gentler, less manic side of his persona as Horton, but the metaphoric tale has been stretched just a little beyond its welcome. New dialogue has been added, the rhyming removed (mostly), and the melodious narration of Hans Conried in the 1970 TV cartoon is nowhere to be found. Updated to include references to global warming in order to satisfy those who believe Manhattan will soon be drenched in melted glaciers, the CG heavy feature becomes a hypnotic eco message – a long one.

Kids may enjoy the movement, the color and the manic humor, but I suspect some will get nearly as fidgety by the third act as accompanying adults. My choice would be to buy the recently released animated TV version (make your own popcorn). The remastered DVD came out March 4 and contains three bonus episodes from the best of Dr. Seuss, including Butter Battle Book, Daisy-Head Mayzie and Horton Hatches the Egg! Also included: a kid-friendly sing-a-long music video and an Emmy nominated 90-minute documentary hosted by actress Kathy Najimy. The documentary tells the story of Dr. Seuss’ life through celebrity skits, music and animated clips from his best-loved stories.

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Sleepwalking

2008-03-20T02:27:00.000-07:00

AnnaSophia Robb, Charlize Theron, Nick Stahl, Dennis Hopper, Woody Harrrelson. Drama. Written by Zac Stanford. Directed by William Maher.

FILM SYNOPSIS: When her boyfriend is arrested, a woman and her 11-year-old daughter move in with her brother. Disgusted with herself for not providing a stable home life for her daughter, the woman takes off in the night, leaving the unqualified bachelor uncle to care for the girl. They begin to bond, but more trouble awaits. He loses his job, that same day he receives an eviction notice, and the county shows up to place his niece into foster care. Of course, she’s unhappy about this, because the other kids are mistreating her. So, the two sneak off, road-tripping, hoping for a better life. But here comes another obstacle to the happy-ever-after. The young man, also emotionally wounded by an uncaring father, takes his niece back to his father’s farm. The father is abusive, always has been, always will be. This leads to violence before the ending credits.

PREVIEW REVIEW: The deep moral lesson: today is the first day of the rest of your life. But before the girl gets a hug from her mother and the uncle drives off into the sunset, they go through an endless array of indignities, injustices and emotional energies. I mean, these people go through a plague of problems. My first reaction to this excess was that it was overdone, heavy-handed, melodramatic and false. But to be fair to the filmmaker, some people are beleaguered by life’s travels. Indeed, problems seldom come in ones for any of us. So I underwent the bleakness of the entire film in hopes of a positive ending message. SPOILER ALERT: The father, played with venomous abandon by Dennis Hopper, has beaten his son down mentally, treating him with disdain and without the slightest indication of love. He begins doing the same to his granddaughter. And when he starts slapping her around, well, his son has had enough and beats the old man to death with a shovel. Now, here’s why I give away this plot point. Watching the Dennis Hopper character slapping the girl after he has humiliated his own son, I was right there picking up that shovel along with his son, beating that monster to death. As I left the theater, I felt uncomfortable with my violent reaction – even toward such a villainous screen character. The movie managed to illicit an emotional reaction from me. But was it a reaction I should be having?

There’s much pent-up rage in each character and never do any of them seek a spiritual healing. Towards the end, he tells his niece that she has awakened him, that he has spent his life sleepwalking. But I didn’t see a formidable resolution. I mean he murders his father and feels nothing but relief. When he tells the niece that “today is the first day of the rest of your life,” the truism seems rather anemic. The filmmakers (Charlize Theron is one of the producers) offer no satisfying conclusion to life’s difficulties.

If anything, the film points out that we continue to make the same mistakes. I assume that’s a deliberately placed theme. As I say, there doesn’t seem to be a real resolution. The young man leaves in a truck, with no driver’s license or money. The girl and her mother reunite, but the woman still has no job or place for them to live. What’s been addressed? They missed each other? Things could be worse? The filmmakers go out of their way to avoid the happy Hollywood ending, which most “artists” hate. But there doesn’t seem to be a legitimate path given as an example how to better your circumstances. I suppose the filmmakers would disagree with my conclusion.

I understand Ms. Theron underwent a nightmarish childhood. Fortunately for her, she was endowed with great looks and an equal amount of great talent. These tools helped her rise above her circumstances. But I don’t see how her example is helpful to those not so blessed.

I found the film frustrating and dispiriting. Heck, it would dispirit Tennessee Williams.

DVD Alternative: Tender Mercies. Robert Duvall stars as a country western singer on the skids until a religious widow and her little boy take him in. The film addresses many of the same topics, but includes a spirituality missing in Sleepwalking. Rated PG for some objectionable language in the beginning. But when the Christian woman has an effect on his life, out goes the profanity. Oscars went to Duvall and writer Horton Foote.

Distributor: Overture Films/Paramount

College Road Trip

2008-03-17T21:09:00.001-07:00

Martin Lawrence, Raven-Symone. Family comedy. Written by Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Emi Mochizuki. Directed by Roger Kumble.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Melanie (Raven-Symone) is eagerly looking forward to her first big step towards independence when she plans a “girls only” road trip to check out prospective universities. But when her overprotective police chief father (Martin Lawrence) insists on escorting her instead, she soon finds her dream trip has turned into a frustrating nightmare adventure full of comical misfortune and turmoil.

PREVIEW REVIEW: This is one of those films that must be graded on a curve. Credit must be given to the filmmakers for their desire to make a clean comedy. Martin Lawrence in a G-rated movie? Points for that. But it’s also a comedy where mugging, eye-rolling and a whole lot of slapstick pass for wittiness.

It’s nice to see a gentle comedy, but the soul of comedy demands some bite. Alas, though everyone’s heart was it the right place, this one is toothless. There, that’s said for adults looking for satire or bawdiness. Now for the analysis most useful for little ones and accompanying parents.

What a pleasure to see a comedian such as Martin Lawrence, renown for his sharp-tongued, but often crude wit, aim an entire movie at the family. Though much of the film’s humor depends on excessive behavior, Mr. Lawrence manages to give his over-protective father a charm and warmth. And the story doesn’t just use the father-lets-his-daughter-go plotline as a source of humor, but also manages to poignantly examine how parents feel when their child leaves the nest. Fathers will relate to the film’s protective papa, nodding their head as Mr. Lawrence deals with his daughter’s obliviousness to her dad’s distress.

Raven-Symone is a competent co-star, letting Mr. Lawrence do all the heavy lifting, yet supporting the comedy structure. She plays the straight man, if you will, much like Dean Martin did for Jerry Lewis for ten years before audiences realized Dean was funnier.

Added to the main storyline, there’s the other child, a Poindexter type genius-in-training who plays chess with a pet pig and sends offers of assistance to the Secretary of Defense. And of course, Pops and the pig don’t get along. But, they are family, so even they stick together when problems arise.

It’s all silly. And to enjoy the silliness, it helps to be in a lighthearted mood, being open to silly antics. It also helps to have little ones in tow. Children in the screening audience quickly took to the movie’s characters. The parents next to me seemed to enjoy the film based on their little girl’s reactions. She loved the mugging, the eye-rolling and, yeah, the chess-playing pig.

Funny, family fun, it’s slapstick with a heart. Folks, we’re always complaining that Hollywood doesn’t provide family entertainment. Here’s one. I’m guessing Martin Lawrence makes more of them if this one does well.

Distributor: Disney

10,000 B.C.

2008-03-17T21:07:00.001-07:00

Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis. Epic Adventure. Written by Roland Emmerich & Harald Kloser. Directed by Roland Emmerich.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The story takes place during a fanciful, mythical age of prophesies and gods, when spirits rule the land and mighty mammoths shake the earth. In a remote mountain tribe, the young hunter, D’Leh (Steven Strait), has found his heart’s passion – the beautiful Evolet (Camilla Belle). When a band of mysterious warlords raid his village and kidnap Evolet, D’Leh is forced to lead a small group of hunters to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. Driven by destiny, the unlikely band of warriors must battle saber-tooth tigers and prehistoric predators and, at their heroic journey’s end, they uncover a Lost Civilization. Their ultimate fate lies in an empire beyond imagination, where great pyramids reach into the skies. Here they will take their stand against a powerful god who has brutally enslaved their people.

PREVIEW REVIEW: There’s no swearing in this movie. They could barely speak, let alone come up with satisfactory invectives, and obviously no one could misuse Jesus name – it’s B. C. Not even Hollywood could overlook that fact. And the trailer (the theatrical commercial) was solid. It was exciting seeing all those hairy elephants stepping on falling cave folk. Unfortunately, those are about the only qualities contained in Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser script, or director Roland Emmerich completed production. For despite all the special effects (it’s laden with them), and the battle-saturated action, the film is, well boring. I don’t know, maybe I’ve outgrown my enthusiasm for dinosaur movies, but this film goes nowhere and takes a lot of our time attempting to get there. The anachronistic dialogue, the uninteresting leading couple, and the film’s pacing are unsatisfying. King Kong (the 1931 version) was a morality play, and contained armchair-grabbing original effects for its time (still holds up). Jurassic Park was funny and energized (no expense was spared). 10,000 B. C., however, is devoid of humor (well, intentional humor), originality, or excitement.

As for the Voodoo-like priestess or the film’s “spiritual” leanings, I wouldn’t worry that this will mislead youngsters. Frankly, it’s difficult to take anything here seriously, especially its take on early religion. I doubt many are going for its depiction of spiritual matters. They want to see primitive man up against prehistoric beasties. And there will also be those hoping for cave women in fur-lined bikinis. They will be disappointed. All the cave chicks wear dreadful-looking dreadlock wigs and layers of body concealing mammoth skins.

DVD Alternatives: Journey to the Center of the Earth (silly, but fun), King Kong (the original).

Distributor: Warner Bros./ Legendary Pictures

The Bank Job

2008-03-11T02:17:00.000-07:00

Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows. Comedy/drama/thriller. Written by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais. Directed by Roger Donaldson.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A used car dealer is persuaded by a beautiful woman to participate in a bank heist. What they don’t count on is that, along with all the jewels and dough, there are secrets hidden in the safe deposit boxes that thrust them into a deadly web of corruption and illicit scandal that spans London's criminal underworld, the highest echelons of the British government, and the Royal Family itself. Supposedly based on a true story, there are incriminating photos in the vault that could bring down a Malcolm X type, a porn king and a royal princess.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Fast paced, intense and well acted, it’s a good action/adventure/drama. But in keeping with today’s heist-film capers, we find ourselves rooting for the thieves. While they inadvertently expose other villains, their goal is to steal from others. In most bank robbery movies, the victim is the bank, as if that makes the crime more acceptable. Here, if you look beneath the varnished story, the fact that thieves don’t care that they are stealing from others is brought home. And Hollywood doesn’t care that they make heroes out of them. At one point, the male lead says he’s afraid of living and dying without something to show for it. It’s a good line and a great sentiment. But is stealing from others so that you can have an oversized house and a boat a worthwhile legacy? I know, I know, it’s just a movie. I’m sure it won’t really give others lawless ideas.

DVD Alternatives: (For a serious heist job gone wrong) The Asphalt Jungle. This is a gripping tale of a robbery that slowly falls apart. Yes, it’s old; yes it’s in B&W. But if you can put away a prejudice for films in those categories, you’ll most likely be swept up in its quiet intensity.

(For a comic alternative) It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Wrongdoing is not rewarded in either of these films. Rather, greed is exposed for what it is – soul sucking.

Or: Larceny, Inc. Edward G. Robinson stars in this comic caper of ex-cons using a luggage store as a front for their nefarious activities. Again, it’s old, but it’s an amusing morality tale. And besides, can someone explain to me why we can’t watch old movies?

Distributor: Lionsgate

The Other Boleyn Girl

2008-03-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jim Sturgess. Historical Drama. Written by Peter Morgan. Directed by Justin Chadwick.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The Other Boleyn Girl tells the story of two beautiful sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn, who, driven by their family’s blind ambition, compete for the love of the handsome and passionate King Henry VIII (Eric Bana). While both women eventually share the king’s bed, only one will ascend to the throne for a brief and turbulent reign that ends tragically with a swing of the executioner’s sword.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Is it a sign of the times that the telling of English history must be done with a soap opera treatment and star two American babes in order to draw today’s movie crowd? Okay, maybe calling Ms. Johansson and Ms. Portman babes is unfair. I like both and both are very talented. Short, but talented. And they are what hold this melodrama together. Without their intense effort, the script would become laughable. As it is, the screenplay is more like a condensed year’s worth of All My Children. Indeed, there are moments when Portman’s Anne is more Erica Kane than historical figure.

I’m sure Shakespeare took many themes from the tales of good King Henry. The life of the portly sovereign is not a mere page in history; it’s an entire set of annals. But as we have seen from other treatments (Anne of the Thousand Days, or Shakespeare’s play King Henry the Eighth), it was rife with decidedly dramatic detail. Here, it’s lavish, but lightweight. And while the eyes of the female leads constantly fill with tears, a true emotion never spills forth.

As we all know from high school history, or in my case, movies, Henry was a bit of a glutton. Before he was even done with his mutton leg, he was on the phone to Domino’s. And when it came to the ladies, well, they were as disposable as “finger-lickin’ good” chicken bones. And because he feared excommunication for the act of divorce, he just had their heads whacked off. To further hedge his bets, he formed his own church, one that didn’t frown so much on divorce or the whacking of wives.

The film is colorful, the attempt sincere, but I suspect the presentation will be more satisfying to devotees of daytime serials than students of history.

Distributor: Columbia

The Eye

2008-02-12T21:18:00.001-08:00

Jessica Alba, Parker Posey, Alessandro Nivola. Suspense/horror. Written by Sebastian Gutierrez. Directed by David Moreau & Xavier Palud.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Remake of scary Japanese film has a young blind woman seeing visions and dead people after she undergoes eye surgery. Haunted by one particular specter, our heroine is soon convinced that her anonymous eye donor has somehow opened the door to a terrifying world only she can now see.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Hey, this actually has a moral. It’s scary, with smoky demonic beings protruding from walls and hovering over people about to die, but it also contains an adage; it’s best to see life from a spiritual perspective. But you have to undergo a great deal of jolting imagery, not to mention faux-literate dialogue, less than inspiring direction, and a misleading look at the spiritual world. And Jessica Alba, though determined to be a good actress, is just too hampered by the incredulous script and her limitations as a thespian, to give her character or the story much depth.

Studios wisely refrain from inviting press to prior screenings of films they know will meet with little but negative comment. Such is the case with this film. However, even if people don’t read reviews, they should be leery of a film the studio made sure reviewers couldn’t see. Beware, there’s a reason.

DVD Alternatives: Awakenings. A man is brought out of a catatonic state after 30 years. Although rated PG-13 for 4 obscenities and the use of an Ouija board in two scenes, it does carry a message of hope and a reminder that the soul needs to be nourished. Robin Williams, Robert DeNiro.

Or:

The Canterville Ghost. A parable about finding courage within, this classic fantasy has a cowardly ghost bound to his ancestral home until a descendant does a brave deed. This film teaches a life lesson rather than seriously promoting the existence of ghosts.

Or:

The Enchanted Cottage. Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire star in this heart-warming fantasy about a scarred war vet and a homely woman, both made beautiful by their love. Like way old, and in B&W, but a very romantic film that teaches love looks beyond the superficial.

Or:

The Ghost & Mrs. Muir. A gothic romance without promiscuity, starring Rex Harrison, Gene Tierney and George Sanders. No, I don't believe in ghosts (angels and demons, yes), but the serene love affair is difficult to resist. It contains, you should excuse the expression, a “haunting” score by Bernard Herrmann. I know, it’s also old, but man, great filmmaking. And folks, it’s difficult to find more recent films with a positive message that don’t reflect today’s acceptance of objectionable material.

Distributor: Lionsgate

How She Move

2008-02-04T22:10:00.001-08:00

Rutina Wesley, Dwain Murphy, Tracey Armstrong. Drama/dance musical. Written by Annmarie Morais. Directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Raya Green is seventeen-years-old, bright and full of promise. She attends a prestigious private school outside her tough, crime-ridden neighborhood. When a family tragedy leaves her family unable to pay her tuition, Raya is forced to return to the old community she so desperately wants to escape. She soon finds herself drawn into the world of underground dance competitions and smells an opportunity to win some money, get out of the neighborhood, help her family and return to her old school. But as the dance tournament unfolds, Raya realizes that real success only comes to those brave enough to tackle it on their own terms.

Featuring a fresh cast of new discoveries, this Sundance Film Festival hit marks the feature film debut of the electric Rutina Wesley, with street-style step sequences by top choreographer Hi Hat and special appearances by R&B singer-songwriter Keyshia Cole and comedian DeRay Davis.

PREVIEW REVIEW: It’s not original, and you have to be open to rap and “stepping” to get the most out of this film, but the cast is sincere and able in their chosen music field, the director keeps the pacing lively and involving, and the messages are clear and positive. The story rests on one prominent line – “One moment changes a million after it.” The filmmaker obviously wants to send a positive message to urban audiences that despite ordeals, travail can be overcome. And without sermonizing, there is a gentle nudge to steer clear of drugs.

Distributor: Paramount Vantage

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

2008-02-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Max Von Sydow. Drama. Written by RONALD HARWOOD. Directed by JULIAN SCHNABEL

FILM SYNOPSIS: Based on a true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), a successful and charismatic editor-in-chief of French Elle, whose sudden stroke leaves him in a life-altered state. Unable to move, he is trapped in his mind, where he begins to find solace reexamining his rich memories. After getting over self-pity, he uses his newfound imagination to escape his physical boundaries and, with the assistance of a patient aide, even to write a book.

PREVIEW REVIEW: It’s a masterpiece! But as with all masterpieces, it will not be appreciated by all audiences. It’s deliberately paced (translation – it’s often slow), it’s subtitled, and the subject has to do with a man paralyzed from head down due to a stroke – not exactly Friday night escapist fare. Another drawback for us Christians is the fact that the lead is anti-religion and the content is peppered with objectionable language and casual sex (though nothing is included in order to be titillating, but merely to reveal his outlook and lifestyle).

The lead character is not just a man with little use for religion; he’s downright hostile to the concepts of Christianity and the Hereafter. He’s uncomfortable with being in the presence of spiritual images and reflections, as if a hidden awareness of his guilts are being smothered by ego and self-centeredness. This becomes disturbing, for his rejection of spiritual matters leaves him with little more than his limited time left in a world where he is scrubbed and tended to by others.

Despite these PG-13 deterrents, the film remains, as I said, a masterpiece. Julian Schnabel (Rockets Redglare, The Million Dollar Hotel) directs like a baroque painter – using thoughts that reflect underlining tension and images that demand attention with their violent movement and strong emotion. It’s almost a classical movie. But what makes the film so powerful, so worthwhile, is the lesson that lingers once we leave the theater. We are reminded that our health and place in this life can change instantly. We are reminded to live every moment, enjoy every day as a gift, and to realize that our limitations and struggles often pale in comparison to the true afflictions of others. By film’s end, this viewer thanked God for His blessings and prayed for a merciful end when that time comes.

Distributor: Miramax

Alvin and the Chipmunks

2008-02-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

Jason Lee, Jane Lynch, Cameron Richardson, David Cross. Kids comedy. Written by Jon Vitti, Chris Viscardi, Will McRobb. Directed by Tim Hill.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A wannabe songwriter’s house is invading by three precocious chipmunks. And to his surprise, they talk. And to his astonishment – they sing! Soon a record deal is signed and the trio of rodents find themselves beloved rock stars. But is life on the road what the little guys are looking for? And is the songwriter about to learn that it’s a lonely life without family – even if family consists of three talking, troublemaking tree-dwellers?

PREVIEW REVIEW: If you’re looking for a sparkling satire on the music industry, what are you doing at this movie? This one’s slapstick and poop-humor fueled. Though baby boomers may have a nostalgic warm spot for these cartoon critters, their generational appeal is as outdated as the Slinky. What grownup wants to see a live-action/computer-generated kiddie film about high-pitched speaking squirrels? Not even those who bought Alvin’s two biggest hits, The Chipmunk Song and The Witch Doctor, are going to be first in line for this one – surely.

That’s not to say the film is a stinker. It has some positives. Basically, it’s aimed at little ones. And that’s where the grownup appreciation will come in. Sitting amid a matinee audience (I missed the press screening, darn), I got a charge out of the reaction of little ones in the theater. Their laughter helped make it an enjoyable experience for this critic. I assume that’s the greatest aspect for a parent having to sit through such films, as well.

There are some funny moments, some positive messages about needing to be loved and belonging to family, the special effects are satisfactory, and despite some gyrating dancers, and the requisite poop joke or two, it’s a clean movie – mostly. Entertainment wise, well, it’s better than 27 Dresses. But don’t expect me to go buy the soundtrack.

Wondering about the PG rating? Please read the content section.

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Over Her Dead Body

2008-02-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

Eva Longoria Parker, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Jason Biggs. Comedy. Written & directed by Jeff Lowell.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Devastated when his fiancée, Kate (Eva Longoria Parker), is killed on their wedding day (crushed by a falling ice sculpture), Henry (Paul Rudd) reluctantly agrees to consult a psychic named Ashley (Lake Bell) at the urging of his sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane). Despite his skepticism over her psychic abilities, Henry finds himself falling hard for Ashley, and vice versa. But there is a big snag. Ashley is being haunted by Kate’s ghost, who considers it her heavenly duty to break up Henry and Ashley’s fledging romance, if it is the last thing she does on this earthly plane...

PREVIEW REVIEW: I am grateful when a studio delivers a film during the first two months of the year that catches the imagination and tickles the funny bone. I’ve come not to expect it. Alas, Over Her Dead Body is not one of those welcome surprises. Despite the promise of the title, this is one of those films studios stuff into movie theaters in January and February while talented movie makers and real movie stars complete summer blockbusters and year-end award contenders.

The concept of ghosts haunting numbskulls has been around since Topper. Here, that concept and the story structure suffer from what I call TV-itis. TV-itis is an ailment which numbs the part of the brain that distinguishes between wit and sit-com klutziness. The writing may be okay for home entertainment, where phone disruptions and children’s needs don’t necessarily cause viewers to lose sight of the storyline. Once these projects are given the big screen treatment, however, audiences can clearly see through the plot holes and the absurdity that’s meant to pass as comic calamity.

Here’s a symptom of TV-itis found in Over Her Dead Body. The comic sidekick is thought to be gay. But maybe he’s not. Maybe he just pretends to be for five years so he can be the best friend of the woman he secretly loves. Oh, I know that doesn’t make since. That’s TV-itis at its most insidious.

Here’s another example of how TV-itis has stricken writer/director Jeff Lowell. When the sidekick’s arm catches on fire during a cooking mishap, he plunges it into a huge pot of boiling water, then rants around the room like Ralph Kramden. That’s what I said, his arm catches on fire. Seeing a human being on fire – that’s always classic.

Much of the film’s humor runs in that vein. The ghost causes one embarrassing situation after another, making everyone in the story think the other female lead is nuts. And how does the victim of this supernatural harassment handle these embarrassing moments? Well, think back to each episode of I Love Lucy. Trouble is, Ms. Lake is no Lucy. And I suspect the crudeness of the situations here would have been discarded by Lucy’s writing staff.

As this review is already more time consuming than the film deserves, suffice it to say, my theory that no one sets out to make a bad movie has once again been tested.

DVD Alternative: Topper with Cary Grant, Constance Bennett and Roland Young, and directed with style and class by Norman McLeod. Unsettled ghosts return to earth to dominate then befriend a meak businessman. I realize it’s really old (made in 1937), and in black and white to boot. I mention it because a few weeks ago a young publicist told me she loved it. So, maybe there are those who will watch a clever and funny film despite its age.

Want a stupid one, but funny due to its star? Try The Ghost and Mr. Chicken with Don Knotts. Remember, I told you it’s stupid. Or Ghostbusters. The first one has some objectionable material, but there are also a few positives – there’s a reverential discussion about Jesus and the movie is funny.

Distributor: New Line Cinema

Alvin and the Chipmunks

2008-01-25T16:33:00.002-08:00

Jason Lee, Jane Lynch, Cameron Richardson, David Cross. Kids comedy. Written by Jon Vitti, Chris Viscardi, Will McRobb. Directed by Tim Hill.

Wondering about the PG rating? Please read the content section.

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Cloverfield

2008-01-25T16:33:00.001-08:00

Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan. Written by Drew Goddard. Directed by Matt Reeves.FILM SYNOPSIS: Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the surreal, horrifying event as the gliding Gorgon smashes well-know edifices and mashes insignificant people.

PREVIEW REVIEW: One colleague described it as Godzilla meets You-Tube. I can’t beat that description of this apocalyptic monster movie. This is one instance where a hand-held camera works to energize and center us within the action. That said, the constant motion of the shaky cam is used to dizzying effect and the cell-phone toting, self-absorbed characters refer to everyone as “Dude.” (That term just won’t go away.) It’s a horror movie for iPod people.

Cloverfield is an armrest-grabbing thrill ride (containing a few truly scary moments), but with no one explaining how this flying prehistoric-looking destroyer came about. We’re not to ask questions, just watch with “awesome” fascination as Manhattan buildings come tumbling down. There are elements of Godzilla, The Day the Earth Stood Still, King Kong and The Blair Witch Project to be found in this salute to the “B” horror flicks of the 1950s. The difference is, Godzilla (Gojira) was an indictment of those who use atomic bombs; The Day the Earth Stood Still was a warning for mankind to make peace before it destroyed itself; King Kong was a love story; and The Blair Witch Project was an experiment in eeriness. Cloverfield has no such high-minded agendas (though maybe it’s supposed to be seen as a metaphor for 9/11). It’s just meant to excite and sell popcorn to a generation unfamiliar with Blair Witch, let alone Godzilla.

Now, I certainly can’t wish this for those in real life, but for anyone who still says “Dude” in the movies, well, they deserve to be monster-mashed.

Distributor: Paramount

Starting Out in the Evening

2008-01-16T23:25:00.000-08:00

Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose, Lili Taylor, Adrian Lester. Drama. Written by Fred Parnes, Andrew Wagner. Directed by Andrew Wagner.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A young post graduate, taken with a once renown writer, sets out to write a thesis about the intellectual and his work. Soon she forms a romantic attachment to the elderly man, who is flattered by the attention, yet cautious about such an arrangement. The writer is already dealing with several problems. He is frustrated with an inability to finish his latest novel or to find a publisher still interested in his style. He is also concerned about his daughter Ariel, a 39-year-old woman who is struggling with failed romance and the desire to have a baby. On top of that, the author is dying.

PREVIEW REVIEW: It is a thoughtful, revealing look at intellectual New York life, with the main characters examining good work and thoughtful ideas, but alas, without much regard for spiritual matters. Solid performances, especially from Mr. Langella, and contemplative dialogue make for interesting viewing for those more pleasured by wit and revelation in movies than by things that go boom. But though fascinated by characters who are moved by great literature, and pleased that their intricate conversations are devoid of crude or profane language, still, I found the characters shallow and the production aimless. This is not a snipe at the performers or the filmmaker’s intent. But while the film concerns a man facing his own mortality and this is a tale of people seeking peace and purpose, God is never a part of the equation. Can people who spend so much time examining the world around them really be completely impassive about spiritual matters? These folks are.

True, there probably are some who dismiss the possibility of God while facing death, but this film refuses to even acknowledge Him. Like a puzzle missing a key piece, I found the ending incomplete and frustrating. For me, it wasn’t a film that concluded with people finding redemption, but ultimately, missing it.

DVD Alternative: Places in the Heart. A literate script presents a determined widow (Sally Field) bent on saving her farm during the '30s Depression. Contains perhaps the greatest ending to a film this buff has ever seen. A repentant adulterer is finally forgiven, when his wife, moved by the pastor's sermon, takes her husband's hand during the service, signifying the restoring of a relationship through Christ's love. Just as we put our hankies away after that moving moment, another symbolic healing occurs. I won't give that one away. Trust me, it's powerful! Rated PG (some mild language, implied adulterous affair – but it furthers the story and it is not explicit).

Distributor: Roadside Attractions

The Great Debaters

2008-01-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

By Bill Fentum
Staff Writer for The United Methodist Reporter

In the mid-1930s, Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, had already come a long way on faith. The historically black school, founded by Northern Methodists after the Civil War, was graduating hundreds of students. The Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools had recently ranked it an “A” class institution. But outside Wiley’s halls, the country was still struggling through the Great Depression. And in the South, Jim Crow laws kept black Americans locked in a world of forced segregation and racial bigotry.

James Farmer Sr. (Forest Whitaker) says a prayer for that world in the opening scene of The Great Debaters. He greets Wiley’s 1935-36 freshman class and assures them that education is “the only way out of our present darkness, into the glorious light.” Farmer, a Methodist Episcopal deacon and theology professor, worries especially about one of those students, his own son James Jr. (Denzel Whitaker). Viewers may know James Jr. is destined to be a leader in the U.S. Civil Rights movement. But here, he’s just a 14-year-old prodigy, auditioning for a place on the Wiley debate team that is led by English teacher Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington).

Tolson, a modernist poet, insists on writing the team’s arguments himself, but he also wants passionate speakers who won’t buckle down in heated competition. James wins a spot, and is joined by classmates Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett), Henry Lowe (Nate Parker) and Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams). They first go up against teams from other black institutions—Fisk University in Nashville, Howard University in Washington, Paul Quinn College in Dallas—and win every time. Next up, interracial debates with several Ivy League schools. And there, too, they remain undefeated. Then comes a fateful cross-state trip, and the end of easy self-confidence.

Driving late at night, they encounter a rural lynch mob that has just finished hanging and burning a black man to death. For James Jr. especially, the experience is paralyzing. He falls silent during the next day’s debate. The team loses, and he can’t wait to get home. We know, of course, that he’ll overcome his fears. Later in life, Farmer credited his time at Wiley with inspiring him to fight the evils of racism and segregation. Tolson, he often said, “awakened my soul.” For a while, though, he’s torn between allegiance to Tolson and his father, both natural leaders whose tactics differ greatly. Tolson, in his off-hours, works as an organizer for the Southern Tenant Farmers Union, sparking trouble with the local sheriff (John Heard). James Sr., however, believes in striving quietly for justice through his ministry, and he’s afraid his son may go astray under Tolson’s influence. Their conflict comes to a head in a lively scene—an informal debate, let’s say, between Mr. Washington and Mr. Whitaker. It’s all resolved when circumstances call for one man to stand up for the other, and James Jr. sees that both are heroes.

Robert Eisele’s screenplay is based on research, but it’s also fictionalized—most characters except for Tolson and the Farmer family are composites of several people. Events are altered too, with the team facing Harvard in a national championship instead of their real-life opponent, the University of Southern California.

OK, so The Great Debaters isn’t a documentary. But it is dynamic, with vivid performances not only from the two veteran stars but also the young unknowns. And as a director, Mr. Washington proves that his fine debut with Antwone Fisher (2002) was no fluke. He’s a good storyteller, never relying on showy camerawork when simple dramatic tension will do the job.

A word to parents: The MPAA hadn’t rated the movie at press time, but besides the lynching, it also includes a brief, inexplicit scene of sex, some strong language and a suggestion of underage drinking. If children 13 and over want to go, don’t keep them away, but be sure to go with them.

Discussion Questions

1. Like James Jr., did you ever receive conflicting messages from mentors when you were growing up? What did you do?
2. Before the advent of television, public debates drew large audiences across the country. What was lost when the art of debating declined in popularity?

Bill Fentum is a staff writer for The United Methodist Reporter. This review was published in the December 21 issue of the Reporter, and is posted on Preview with permission from UMR Communications, 1221 Profit Drive, Dallas, Texas 75247. 1-800-947-0207.

Distributor: Harpo Films

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

2008-01-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox. Fantasy Adventure. Written by Robert Nelson Jacobs. Directed by Jay Russell.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The Academy Award®-winning producer and special-effects team behind The Lord of the Rings join with Revolution Studios, Walden Media (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Beacon Pictures to bring to the screen the magical motion picture The Water Horse. Rooted in legend, the story begins with a lonely boy finding an enchanted egg on a Scotland beach. The hatchling is a mythical sea serpent that quickly outgrows the bathtub, setting the stage for the superstition known as the Loch Ness Monster.

The boy and his monster become the best of friends. But uh-oh, the military has moved in. They’re stationed there in order to keep Hitler’s submarines out of the bay. Sadly, most of the soldiers aren’t aware that this huge seaside Cecil is no threat – and they have a big gun. This could cause problems.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I was awed by the CG effects. This creature and its environment are absolutely life-like. Equal to the special effects are the engrossing fantasy, the professionalism of those before and behind the camera, and the locales, which are breathtakingly photographed. It is a film that will captivate older kids (though it might spook their younger siblings). Entertaining, clean and imaginative, it may be the best boys’ film of the year. That said, there is a small problem.

Nowadays, we are so accustomed to violent imagery in movies that it has become almost passé for reviewers to remark on such content. Indeed, most don’t. But while this film opens with a cute baby sea dragon befriended by a friendless child, the storyline becomes intense as the family deals with the death of the father and the destructive nature of the soldiers who have stationed themselves in the family’s home. Once again, we have a movie that pictures the military in a bad light. Perhaps more subtle than, say, In The Valley of Elah, but the film has a distinct message aimed at children – war is bad and so are most soldiers. This takes place during WWII, in Europe, where entire countries were traumatized by Hitler’s invading armies. It is doubtful that the lead female, a Scottish woman, would have made negative remarks concerning protecting servicemen. Nor would such an attitude have been slipped into a movie at that time.

But aside from its vague anti-military slant and the intensity of the later action sequences, the film contains several positive themes. And in defense of the filmmakers, the foolish army captain eventually does the right thing.

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

2008-01-01T16:48:00.001-08:00

Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren. Action/adventure. Written by Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Sellek Wibberley. Directed by Turteltaub.

FILM SYNOSPSIS: In this follow-up to the box-office hit National Treasure, treasure hunter Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) once again sets out on a new global quest to unearth hidden history and treasures. When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben’s great-great grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s death. Determined to prove his ancestor’s innocence, Ben follows an international chain of clues that takes him on a chase from Paris to London and ultimately back to America where he has to…kidnap the President in order to get a clue (I kid you not).

PREVIEW REVIEW: I can’t believe how many people have asked me about this film. I don’t get it. There’s nothing dirty in it. Nothing risqué. I guess people just like to see a good Raiders of the Lost Ark-type action adventure once in a while and are willing to forgo the usual movie content of dysfunction, cynicism and profane language in order to see it. Go figure.

If you can leave all reasoning power at the ticket booth, you will have a fun time with this lively, witty, clean and often exciting adventure. ‘Course, if you begin to use logic, well, let’s not go there. The film has a great look, the direction is focused, and once again, Nicolas Cage gives a likable performance.

Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures

I Am Legend

2007-12-15T04:27:00.001-08:00

Will Smith, Alice Braga, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Willow Smith, Charlie Tahan. Sci-fi Action Adventure. Written by Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman. Directed by Francis Lawrence.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Robert Neville (Will Smith) is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable…and manmade. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City…and maybe the world. But he is not alone. He is surrounded by “the Infected" - victims of the plague who have mutated into carnivorous beings who can only exist in the dark and who will devour or infect anyone or anything in their path. For three years, Neville has spent his days scavenging for food and supplies and faithfully sending out radio messages, desperate to find any other survivors who might be out there. All the while, the Infected lurk in the shadows, watching Neville’s every move, waiting for him to make a fatal mistake. Perhaps mankind’s last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus using his own immune blood. But his blood is also what The Infected hunt, and Neville knows he is outnumbered and quickly running out of time.

PREVIEW REVIEW: “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” So learn the scientists who attempt to eliminate all illness from the earth. The vaccine used to inoculate everyone against cancer goes so wrong that everyone except Will Smith (maybe others) becomes a flesh-eating member of Night of the Living Dead. It contains moments of cacophonous thrills, others of philosophical profundity, with a continuous intensity. Computer trickery is so impressive these days that Manhattan can be turned into a Mad Max wasteland and monsters can become the things that nightmares are made of.

Though the story has its roots in such films as On the Beach, The World, the Flesh and the Devil, and every zombie movie ever conceived, it is so well done by its technical crew and injected with such a bravura performance by its star that it becomes a satisfying seat-grabber of a movie.

There are several moments that show regard for the Creator. When Neville’s wife and child board a helicopter, there is a family prayer. At another point, the lead character is quick to let someone understand that this catastrophe was not the fault of a Supreme Being: he unequivocally states, “God didn’t do this, we did.” And though at one point at his most desolate, the character in anger yells out there is no God, the ending reveals that not only is God still among us, but the character was being used by the Almighty to aid mankind.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

The Golden Compass

2007-12-15T04:26:00.000-08:00

Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Ian McShane, Dakota Blue Richards. Sci-Fi/action/fantasy. Written & directed by Chris Weltz (About a Boy, Antz).

FILM SYNOPSIS: Taken from Philip Pullman’s bestselling trilogy, His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass is set in an alternative world where people’s souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. At the center of the story is Lyra, a 12-year-old girl who sets out to rescue a friend who’s been kidnapped by a mysterious Big Brother-like organization known as the Magisterium.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Throughout this film I felt a depression, something discouraging my spirit. Was that because nearly all the adults portrayed seemed sinister? Was it because I was suspicious of the direction the story was going, only to be right when in the final scenes of the film it is declared by the child that freedom of will is everything? Was it due to the fact that according to everything I’ve read, the author of the series is an avowed atheist? Was it because I was concerned that the author’s anti-religious agenda might truly become apparent? Is it because the author wants to kill off God later in the series? Is it because secular critics and moviegoers think we Christians are a bit silly at being alarmed at a sci-fi fantasy? Was it because all the characters of the film call the manifestation of their soul a daemon (demon)? Or was my depression due to the fact that while the film never mentions God, I suspected that the film was simply a part of a larger picture that threatens the relevance of the Almighty in our culture? Or is it because one of my fellow reviewers was so excited that there would be the antithesis of The Chronicles of Narnia, a film whose characters and storylines symbolize all the themes important to C. S. Lewis, including the clear-cut retelling of Christ’s love and our need to be His ambassadors. Was it because The Golden Compass is so well made that it will no doubt be alluring to audiences even though it was filled with deception and violence?

Was it because of all of the above?

Director Chris Weltz and his camera crew have given the film a golden, mesmerizing look. The CG whiz department has filled it with Oz-like magic, the effects staggering the imagination. And the story, though confusing as most of these sci-fi trilogies tend to be if you haven’t read them five or six times, makes for fascinating viewing. But there’s just something unsettling about this film, which points to sequels that will further Mr. Pullman’s book series.

Here’s how the series is perceived by most in the church community: The themes of these books concern reason, truth, self-awareness, and free will. Those are important, but only until they become idols replacing God’s authority. (I suspect that’s where the debate begins.) In the series, the Authority is the enemy, a mythological and false God. And in the second and third books, with the aid of demons and witches, Lyra is determined to defeat the Magisterium, and God is killed in the last book.

Many in the secular community and some in the church, those who rallied around Harry Potter because of the hypnotic hold that series had on adolescent readers, may find themselves defending Mr. Pullman’s trilogy for the same reason – they like the idea that kids are reading, even if the characters the kids relate to are defiant of authority.

Those who seldom frequent church services or even know which room hides their family Bible may not be able to grasp our hesitance to be supportive of an atheist with an agenda. Because I’ve been asked about this production more than any other release this year, allow me to offer these humble thoughts concerning the overall frustration Christians have with the film’s themes.

As I grow closer to God through Christ I find myself awed by His love for us. This love became profound to me as I read about the night Christ served the last supper to his disciples. Jesus knew what lay before Him. It wasn’t just physical torment, or even the sins of the world that overwhelmed Jesus as He later prayed in the garden. It was the realization that for the first and only time in eternity, the Son would be separated from the Father. The pain God felt is symbolized in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. As the audience is looking down on Golgotha, the three crosses prominent, hangers-on still in attendance, the camera’s bird’s-eye view takes in the tableau, briefly becoming distorted, as if looking through water. Suddenly that optical illusion converts into a single teardrop falling to earth, signifying God’s anguish.

Because our Savior was willing and able to overcome this humanly unfathomable emotion and make that crucial sacrifice, we never have to go through such anguish. We never have to be separated from the Father. This is a love I’m not sure we will completely comprehend until the day we stand before Him. As I seek to draw closer to God, I sense His compassion. Along my spiritual walk I become more aware that God deserves our passion and demands our reverence. So to knowingly support one who wants to diminish God and religious authority seems counterproductive to that destiny. And it saddens Believers who truly care about the souls of those around us when artistry is defended at the expense of spiritless content.

To me, the saddest thing is that there will be those who smirk while reading this or those who pat me on the back but fail to connect with the message. If I’m wrong, what do I lose? Isn’t living a life based on the teachings of Christ worthwhile? But if they are wrong, won’t they regret their rebellion?

Unbelievers think we Christians just want to be right. The truth is, we’re just afraid they’ll discover too late that they’re wrong.

Distributor: New Line Cinema

Juno

2007-12-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons. Comedy/drama. Written by Diablo Cody. Directed by Jason Reitman. Opens in limited release 12/5/07

FILM SYNOPSIS: A smart teen becomes pregnant after her first sexual encounter and decides to have the baby, giving it up to an adoptive “perfect” couple.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Starting out with the same cynical attitude we’ve seen in a jillion teen angst movies, intermingled with lots of biting humor, the film soon reveals a perceptive look at today’s high school crowd, with the lead rather blasé about her world until grownup situations take charge of her emotions. As soon as Juno discovers she’s pregnant, her first notion is to have an abortion (tells you where the society is at, doesn’t it?), but without the filmmakers attempting a flagrant pro-life statement, the sanctity of unborn life quickly becomes apparent.

Ellen Page comes across as a young Janeane Garofalo, sharp tongued and quick witted, but the actress, who last year starred in Hard Candy, as a Lolita type who traps a pedophile in his own home and ruins his life, here allows a vulnerability to shine through her New Millennium toughness. Ms. Page gives a three-dimensional performance as a teenager smarter than her peers in many ways, yet still unaware of the complexities of adulthood. Juno is funny, moving, and completely engaging. That said, it does contain some objectionable material now common in theatrical releases. Please read the content (the reason for the rating).

If you do not wish to support a film with this content, try my suggested DVD Alternative: March of the Penguins. In the Antarctic, every March, the quest begins for penguins to find the perfect mate and start a family. This courtship begins with a long journey – a trek that will take hundreds of the tuxedo-suited birds across seventy miles of frozen tundra to a location where the courtship will begin. It’s rated G and though it depicts harsh life and death struggles, it does so in a family-friendly way. It’s full of impressive, almost unworldly locations and amazing cinematography, and most importantly, it sends a powerful message concerning the importance of life. Nature is telling us about the sanctity of life. In a time when audiences are subjected to pro messages concerning euthanasia (Million Dollar Baby, The Sea Inside), the need for abortion (Vera Drake), and desensitizing images of violence toward our fellow man (most films), here is a film that reveals creatures in the wild sacrificing all in order to preserve life. This may sound like a strange alternative, but it is a film that shows the sanctity of life.

Distributor: Fox Searchlight

August Rush

2007-11-29T22:20:00.000-08:00

Freddie Highmore, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard, Robin Williams. Music-driven Drama. Written by Nick Castle and James V. Hart. Directed by Kirsten Sheridan.

  FILM SYNOPSIS: A charismatic young Irish guitarist (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and a sheltered young cellist (Keri Russell) have a chance encounter one magical night above New York’s Washington Square, but are soon torn apart, leaving in their wake an infant, orphaned by circumstance. Years later, performing on the streets of New York and cared for by a mysterious stranger (Robin Williams) who gives him the name August Rush, the child (Freddie Highmore) uses his remarkable musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth.  

PREVIEW REVIEW: Ever see An Affair To Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr? Or Sleepless in Seattle with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? This new release has much in common with those two classics. Mainly, you have to set aside how life and love reality work. But if you are able to suspend reality, you are a romantic, one who believes that justice and love will triumph. If you are one of those folks, and despite the fact that I’m a film critic and therefore must be a cynic, I am one of you, because I found August Rush to be one of the best films of the year.

Interestingly, Keri Russell, who plays the female lead, also starred in Waitress, my other frontrunner for best film of this year. Not only are these two films pro-life themed, but they ultimately celebrate life. Ms. Russell does a lot to make them believable and interesting. A fine actress, she’s equally famous for her curly golden locks. She also possesses soul-revealing eyes, which just so happen to be lovely. (Yeah, I got a little crush.)

The elements of technology and artistry come together, as if magically, in this production. Even Robin Williams, who has disappointed with most of his recent film choices, gives the film’s main bad guy dimension as a Fagin-like hustler who uses kids to score a living. And certainly music is a main component of the film’s success. We are reminded by both the male lead and the film’s villain that we are all connected by music. The dialogue also manages to amuse and stimulate thought. When the journeying boy is asked what he’d like to be most, he answers with a profound, “Found.”

Most importantly, the one responsible for the casting of Freddie Highmore as August deserves pats on the back, awards, whatever. We are indebted to that person, for young Highmore lights up the screen with a role that could have been limited by blandness, as has happened in many a film concerning Oliver Twist-like protagonists. This kid is a fine actor, able to portray emotion of every kind, and possesses perhaps the most engaging smile I’ve seen in a long time. When this kid smiles, you feel joyous.

To top it off, the film contains spiritual themes, including the need for faith, scenes taking place in a church, church folk singing a song about not giving up, and someone saying that music is God’s reminder that we are all connected. The boy, who interprets the sounds of life as music, asks, “Only some of us can hear it?” The response: “Only some of us are listening.” The delivery of those two lines gives them a profundity. The lad is rescued at one point by members of a church. The minister asks a concerned little girl if she’s prayed for August, to which she responds positively. The minister himself is portrayed as a good guy, not poisonously pious or fundamentally hypocritical, but real, a man involved in doing God’s work. And the final shot (no, I’m not giving anything away other than the film has a happy ending), the boy looks up to Heaven as if saying thank you. I get teary just thinking about it.

It’s a wonderful film, because like most of the great films, from It’s A Wonderful Life to Casablanca, August Rush makes you feel hopeful and good. I’ve seen so many Oscar contenders this year, but most of them deal with the dark nature of man. This one looks to those things that unite us – the music around us, the hope of love, and the adventure of life. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to see August Rush again.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Enchanted

2007-11-29T22:19:00.000-08:00

Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Susan Sarandon. Comedy/musical. Original songs from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame). Written by Bill Kelly (Blast from the Past). Directed by Kevin Lima (Tarzan, Eloise At Christmastime).

FILM SYNOPSIS: The film follows Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) as she is banished by the evil queen (Susan Sarandon) from her magical, musical, animated land and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this strange new environment that doesn’t operate on a “happily ever after” basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce lawyer who has come to her aid, she begins to wonder if a storybook view of romance can survive in the real world.

PREVIEW REVIEW: There’s nothing really wrong with this production other than sometimes it struggles to be charming. Everyone does his or her job with a robust effort to bring family-friendly storytelling to the holiday season. Somehow, though, the Disney magic is missing. I’ll see The Little Mermaid again. And Beauty and the Beast. Maybe even The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But I have no desire to re-see this one. Mermaid had me with the witty and memorable Under the Sea, as did Hunchback with the spiritually enlightening God Help the Outcasts and the whimsical Be Our Guest in Beauty and the Beast. With the exception of the theme-revealing, mood-setting number True Love’s Kiss, the music here is like cotton candy: bright and fluffy, but with no lasting substance.

My personal disenchantment shouldn’t be misconstrued as a denouncement of the picture, and despite my picayune letdown, I grant that it is one where both kids and their older companions can find engaging themes or laugh-out-loud antics. And if you consider yourself a Disney trivia buff, you’ll find yourself amid a treasure trove, as the film is loaded with Where’s Waldo-isms (pardon, Hidden Mickey-iconics), including a glass slipper and poisoned apples and recognizable names that pop up with amusing frequency. Disney’s past glories are constantly being saluted with cameos and tips-of-the-hat, such as the appearances of Jodi Benson, the voice of The Little Mermaid, appearing as Robert’s assistant, Sam, Paige O’Hara – Belle of Beauty and the Beast – portraying an actress on a soap opera, and clever moments such as the scene where Giselle encounters a very short, very angry business man, whom she mistakenly calls Grumpy.

It just made me long for the days of Mary Poppins, 101 Dalmations (the original) and Beauty and the Beast. In fact, I may borrow my nieces and nephews just so I can watch those Disney treasures again!

Beowulf

2007-11-19T23:27:00.001-08:00

Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, Angelina Jolie. Written by Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary. Directed by Robert Zemeckis.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Robert Zemeckis offers a 14-year-old-boy’s alluring vision of the legendary saga of the mighty warrior Beowulf, who battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast’s ruthlessly seductive mother.

PREVIEW REVIEW: To look at, this rendition is awesome, if you’ll allow me the use that now corrupted word. Much of this awesomeness is due to the 3D trickery (do not see this film without the 3D effect). As with The Polar Express, a process known as “performance capture” has been used to excite our senses. It’s not live action, it’s not animation, it’s a hybrid visual technique done because, well, because they can. Like a camera in a cell phone or an ipod capable of recording every song known to ASCAP – there’s really no legitimate reason for performance capture, but they can do it. It’s like, cool. The look is the cinema’s equivalent to the comic book.

The film has been sexed up, what with a seemingly nude Angelina Jolie prancing around as a fetching demon, complete with stiletto heels. And the special effects-driven dragon will entertain those who live for CG magic. But will this updated fable satisfy those who actually read the tome while in high school? Well, literary appreciators are not the intended audience. The story is condensed and refocused, but it does deal with the sins of pride and giving in to temptation. Somewhat. The legendary poem has as much to do with man’s destiny and his foibles as with his conquests. But here man’s nature takes a backseat to the action and special effects. What will no doubt draw repeat business is the hypnotic visual conception. It is a production where backgrounds become potent characters, the look of the film doing as much to propel the story as the dialogue or performances. Actually, more.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Dan In Real Life

2007-11-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Emily Blunt. Comedy/romance. Written by Pierce Gardner, Peter Hedges. Directed by Peter Hedges.

FILM SYNOPSIS: An advice columnist/widower takes his three daughters to Rhode Island for a family reunion. There, at a bookstore, he meets and falls for a lady. She also likes him, but there’s a problem. When he gets back to the family, she shows up – with his brother. Soon, Dan realizes he isn’t taking his own advice.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Remember when comedies were charming, funny and clean? Wow, you must be old! Well, this is one of those kickbacks to the good old days. Dan In Real Life is sublimely charming, lightheartedly funny and explicitly clean. I don’t want to overbuild this thing, but I left the theater feeling good. When’s the last time moviegoers got to do that? Too often this year, I’ve left a screening feeling depressed, guilty, horrified or grungy. The comedies of this year, for the most part, have relied on the I-can’t-believe-I-just-saw-that factor. You know, gross-out humor. I suspect a generation has come to believe that’s where all humor stems from. Satire and wit, for many moviegoers, are unexplored regions.

Not that this is the next His Girl Friday (a comedy classic), but it’s a sweet, relaxing, entertaining movie. There’s depth, not a cavern of depth, but just enough profundity to give the humor dimension. There’s grownup romance, just enough to give us singles hope. And despite the teen angst of the lead’s two girls, they emerge as fully dimensional, real people. I got a kick out of the 13-year-old daughter – she’s so dramatic. Full of passion, she thinks she’s discovered the greatest love since Romeo pursued Juliet. This, as you can imagine, unnerves her father. Her Romeo has hitchhiked all the way to the family reunion in order to see his Juliet. But the lead will have none of that. The boy is soon on his way home. As the anguished daughter runs after the car with all the unbridled drama only a adolescent experiencing first love can muster, she hysterically cries out to her dad, “You murderer of love!” I nearly fell out of my chair.

There are several positive messages in the film and father and daughters grow closer by film’s end. Dan’s parents and siblings are both supportive and loving, and there’s an underlining morality to the film. When the brother brings his new love home to meet the folks, for instance, the parents make sure they have separate rooms, indicating there will be no hanky panky going on under this roof. It’s a thoughtful message in an era when sex between unweds is the norm in movies.

As good as the writing and the supporting cast are, the film belongs to Mr. Carell. The star of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Evan Almighty is developing into a strong screen presence. He proved in Bruce Almighty

Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures

30 Days of Night

2007-11-08T22:09:00.001-08:00

Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster. Thriller. Written by Steve Niles and Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson. Directed by David Slade.

FILM SYNOPSIS: For 30 days every winter, the isolated town of Barrow, Alaska is plunged into a state of complete darkness. It's a bitter time when most of the inhabitants head south. This winter, a mysterious group of strangers appear: bloodthirsty vampires, ready to take advantage of the uninterrupted darkness to feed on the remaining town residents. Barrow's Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett), his wife Stella (Melissa George), and an ever-shrinking group of survivors must do anything they can to last until daylight.

PREVIEW REVIEW: A cross between vampire and an evolved zombie, these creatures are a nasty bunch, but dumber than a bagful of hammers. For example, there’s the snow; if you’ve ever lived around snow, you understand that footprints are easily detected in the snow. Yet, the blood-drinkers can’t seem to follow their prey despite the fact that there’s a foot of snow wherever you walk! Inconsistencies bug me. Stupid writing bugs me. A filmmaker’s contempt for his audience bugs me. Graphic torture and brutality in place of eeriness in horror movies bugs me. This film bugs me.

When Bela Lugosi’s Dracula was made in 1931, it was scary to filmgoers because they hadn’t seen such imagery. It’s no longer as frightening, though still atmospheric and eerie, a testament to the fact that we’ve become somewhat desensitized to things that spook us in the movies and, like junkies, we need more gruesomeness to satisfy our spine-tingler factor. The 1930s horror movies were in actuality morality plays, good vs. evil tales. In them evil was eventually defeated by good. What’s more, the makers of these movies were prevented from showing contempt for God. Oh, how Hollywood’s ghouls changed.

In Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Bram Stoker’s Dracula, his monster was an omnipresent creature who contemptuously burned a crucifix with a stare, rather than turning away from the significance of the cross – something the vampire had done ever since Bela Lugosi first put on a set of fangs. This new spin changed the entire theme of the Dracula legend. No longer was God the conqueror of the devil; now man alone was in control of his fate. Before you remind me that the Count was only a work of fiction, I want to point out that it’s not the movies that disturb me so much as the messages contained in those movies. Coppola’s Dracula is humanism in its most monstrous form. It denies the supremacy of God and perhaps His existence all together. So does this recent vampire flick.

Over the decades horror masters have continued to find a spin for their scary creations. The 1950s were mostly goofy with prehistoric lizards breathing fire and trampling over Tokyo; the ‘60s gave us Britain’s candy apple blood fests from Hammer Films; and the ‘70s showed promise with Jaws, Night of the Living Dead and… All the President’s Men. (Hey, if that guy wasn’t a vampire, I’ll eat wolfbane.) But audiences were beginning to find graphic depictions of the destruction of the human body to be more acceptable and somehow more satisfying. In the ‘70s and ‘80s, horror films became little more than gruesome showcases for studio special effects departments. Good vs. evil themes were replaced with personifications of evil. Malevolent and apparently indestructible ghouls such as Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddie Kruger, Halloween’s Michael Myers and Friday the 13th’s Jason returned sequel after sequel to kill as many randied teenagers as possible in 96 minutes. But now the murderers have taken on a decidedly more torturous zeal.

Certainly, there have been exceptions to that rule. With 1999’s Sixth Sense, director M. Night Shyamalan returned to suspenseful Hitchcockian elements in order to unnerve the audience. Psychological tension was used in that film rather than pelting viewers with sadistic brutality. The strength of Shyamalan’s chiller lay in what is suggested rather than seen. Besides being an arm-grabbing suspenseful thriller, Shyamalan’s other great fright flick Signs, contained a subtext about a man losing, then regaining his faith. That film also had an intriguing take concerning coincidence in our daily lives. It asked questions such as, “Are the details of life governed merely by happenstance, or are they a part of a great plan? Do things happen by chance or do they purposely serve to develop our nature?” Signs was the thinking man’s horror film.

Thinking man’s films are limited in any genre. And that term could in no way be applied to 30 Days of Night. It’s spooky and action-filled, but it’s also gruesome, dumb and dreary. Gory and full of blood and f-words, it also shows disdain for God. In one scene, the head demon says there is no God. And that is the one and only mention of the Creator in the entire film. No one even wears a cross. You’d think somebody would be praying, considering their entire town’s populace is being eaten alive by children of the night. It’s as if the filmmaker goes out of his way to exorcise God from our consciousness. And that is the scariest element for me concerning today’s horror genre. It’s horrifying what many filmmakers want to believe in and what they don’t.

Like all living things, the spirit of man needs to be nourished. I couldn’t say it any better than the following quote from the film I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing. You might keep it in mind when attending any new release, let alone horror films. “Your head is like a gas tank. You have to be really careful about what you put in it, because it might just affect the whole system.”

Distributor: Sony Pictures

The Seeker

2007-10-11T01:48:00.001-07:00

Alexander Ludwig, Ian McShane, Gregory Smith. Sci/Fi action adventure. Written by John Hodge. Directed by David L. Cunningham.

FILM SYNOPSIS: This parable concerns a teenage boy who discovers he is the last of a group of immortals who must battle the forces of darkness. Going back and forth in time, our hero discovers clues, some dating back to biblical times that will lead to a climatic confrontation.

PREVIEW REVIEW: My first reaction was that this good vs. evil action adventure was a nightmarish muddled mess: too scary and complex for little ones, too simplistic and boring for adults. But on further reflection, the allegorical aspects, along with having a teenager as its main protagonist, may appeal to adolescent males.

The folks at Walden Media (The Chronicles of Narnia, Because of Winn Dixie, I Am David) have a track record that attests to the fact that story and a significant message should still be the essential special effects when making a fantasy. I suspect that the producers here are betting on the intended audience having read the book series, much like the Potter people did before they went to see those movies. The extra information the books would no doubt supply may give a deeper meaning to the goings-on in the movie. Without that info, however, many of us find it difficult figuring out the film’s symbolism.

The Seeker gains special abilities as he finds each of the six hidden magical mysterious buttons needed to save the world from dark forces. The Rider is a combo of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse bent on destroying the Seeker, then our world. So why doesn’t he destroy the kid before he gets all the powers?

Both our hero and the villain have their helpers. While the rest of us fill our lives with the business of living, these devils and angels look diligently for these prizes that will conquer evil and bring peace on earth.

The young hero has just turned fourteen, a difficult age, which the film points out –several times. As I recall, though it’s been 100 years, a 14-year-old boy is going through many changes. He discovers that he has some powers, but also discovers that 14-year-old girls have more powers. This may be the real revelation in this boy-bent actioneer.

Warner Bros. gave 14-year-old females Nancy Drew a few months ago, a movie that promoted a self-thinking young lady as a positive role model for preteens and up. Walden Media has now given boys of the same age the equivalent male counterpart.

The film contains lessons, family is lifted up, as is church-going and self-sacrifice, and it is a clean movie, devoid of crudity and objectionable language. The pacing is stilted and slow in the beginning, but as the action gears up, it becomes more involving. It’s far from the quality of the Narnia film, but the intended audience may find it somewhat satisfying.

Distributor: 20th Century Fox and Walden Media

Michael Clayton

2007-10-11T01:47:00.001-07:00

George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack. Drama/thriller. Written & directed by Tony Gilroy.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work at the behest of the firm’s co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack). Though burned out and hardly content with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed business venture and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) rests on the multi-billion dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton’s firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach’s brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.

PREVIEW REVIEW: With its insightful, nonlinear script coupled with trenchant dialogue, engaging directing and masterful performing, Michael Clayton is a masterpiece. That is said from an appreciation of the film’s artistic and technical merits. Alas, my appreciation is dampened by the film’s often abusive language. Don’t worry, for once I won’t take up your time with my frustration with the profane use of God’s name, Christ’s name and the ever present F-word, which dominates the palate of nearly every Hollywood artiste. Suffice it to say, the script is peppered with obscenity and profanity. What a shame, because I thoroughly enjoyed the other elements of this film. The lead is drifting, finding no solace in his work or life, then suddenly finds himself head on with a dilemma whereby he can find a sort of redemption.

Mr. Clooney has never been better. Though I’m often frustrated with his political bent and the fact that he manages to follow God’s name with a curse in nearly all of his films, he is truly a movie star. A throwback to old Hollywood, George Clooney reminds me of Burt Lancaster in that he has rugged good looks, a strong persona, a moving talent and a regard for social issues. What’s more, I hear he’s a nice guy. And he is in fine form here. But doggone it, it’s hard to get past that constant misuse of God’s name. I know that saying, “Pray for George Clooney” sounds pious to some and corny to others, but to me he represents all of those in Tinseltown who have been blessed with looks, talent and success, yet seem to disregard a need for Christ’s salvation. I don’t want to think of him or Britney Spears or Barbra Streisand or anyone else who has entered our consciousness via the entertainment mediums having to face eternity without our Lord’s redemption. Again, may this not sound sanctimonious, but perhaps when we see their flagrant disregard for spiritual matters, we should be reminded of those in our daily life who also need spiritual discovery. And then offer up a prayer of gratitude that we have been forgiven for our own misdeeds.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Feast of Love

2007-10-08T06:31:00.002-07:00

Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair, Radha Mitchell, Alexa Davalos. Drama. Written by Allison Burnett, Charles Baxter. Directed by Robert Benton.

FILM SYNOPSIS: From venerable, multiple Academy Award winning director Robert Benton (Kramer Vs. Kramer, Places in the Heart), comes a kaleidoscopic ode to life and love. In a coffee shop in a tight-knit Oregon community, local professor Harry Stevenson (Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman) witnesses love and attraction whipping up mischief among the town’s residents. From the unlucky-in-love, die-hard romantic coffee shop owner, Bradley (Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear), who has a serial habit of looking for love in all the wrong places, including with his current wife Kathryn (Selma Blair) who leaves him for a lesbian lover; to the edgy real estate agent Diana (Radha Mitchell), who is caught up in an affair with a married man (Billy Burke) with whom she shares an ineffable connection; to the beautiful young newcomer, Chloe (Alexa Davalos), who defies fate in romancing the troubled Oscar (Toby Hemmingway); to Harry himself, whose adoring wife (Jane Alexander) is looking to break through his walls of grief after the wrenching loss of a beloved son, they all intertwine into one story in which no one can escape being bent, broken, befuddled and ultimately redeemed by love’s inescapable spell.

PREVIEW REVIEW: With its erudite script, masterful directorial detail, and outstanding cast headed by the superb Morgan Freeman, Feast of Love is a potent, hard-hitting tale of love, betrayal and the resilience of the heart. Alas, the “grownup” themes of lesbianism and adultery are handled with even less shyness than the many actors who depict various sexual activities as if they were making an adult video. Indeed, most everybody is seen without clothes and enacting sex in explicit detail.

I was moved by characters dealing with betrayal and the loss of love, as people discover the need for forgiveness, but the abundant sexual activity and the profane language drenched the lessons with a flood of decadent hedonism. Simply put, it is excessive. And once again the new morality is reinforced with depictions of people going to bed with each other on the first date, marriage vows broken with all the guilt of one who constantly runs red lights, and spiritual “insights” often falling outside biblical teaching.

Distributor: MGM

In the Shadow of the Moon

2007-10-08T06:31:00.001-07:00

Documentary from ThinkFilm. Opened 9/7/07 with a wider release scheduled.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The incisive documentary features the accounts of the surviving members of the Apollo teams who walked on the moon.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I was teenager, working a summer job as a performer at an amusement park, on July 20th, 1969, the day the first man walked on the moon. The management allowed me to make the announcement to the folks at the park’s Opera House that the Apollo team had landed. What a roar of applause. This was really something. I mention this personal experience because it demonstrates how we were all united by NASA’s endeavor. It was one of those defining moments when all of America stood together and was proud of being American. This documentary gives a fresh perspective of those achievements, allowing for the spiritual implications that affected the men on those explorations. At one point, we even hear Charles Duke from the Apollo 9 mission give his testimony. I couldn’t believe my ears; a man was declaring his faith in Jesus Christ and there were no snickers from audience members. Indeed, my fellow moviegoers were moved, realizing that there is something far bigger than man, or even space itself.

One of the best film-going experiences of the year, In the Shadow of the Moon engages, uplifts and unites.

Distributor: ThinkFilm

The Game Plan

2007-10-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

The Rock, Kyra Sedgwick. Comedy.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The Game Plan tells the story of rugged superstar quarterback Joe Kingman (the Rock), whose Boston-based team is chasing a championship. A ‘serial bachelor,’ Kingman is living the ultimate fantasy: he’s rich, famous and the life of the party. But this dream is suddenly sacked for a loss when he discovers the 7-year-old daughter (newcomer Madison Pettis) he never knew he had – the product of a last fling before parting years ago with his young wife. Now, during the most important time in his career, he must figure out how to juggle his parties, practices and dates with the newfound ballet classes, bedtime stories and dolls that come with his daughter.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Okay, when it comes to acting, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is no Van Johnson. Or Don Johnson. Or Arte Johnson. Still, he has a screen presence. And following Vin () Diesel’s lead, the former wrestler is edging his way out of the invincible gladiator roles and into the family friendly genre. This latest is corny but cute, devoid not just of bad language and exploitive sexuality, but cynicism as well. Indeed, it pulls at the heartstrings. Actually, it plucks them with moments of sweetness that begin to gnaw at your teeth. But both the Rock and the film hold our attention. The Game Plan reminds kids and adults alike that happiness is found when we get outside ourselves. And how nice it is to view a film dads can take their little girls to. Is it a great comedy? No. But somehow, it’s a satisfying one.

Distributor: Walt Disney Studios

Trade

2007-10-01T00:57:00.000-07:00

Kevin Kline, Cesar Ramos, Paulina Gaitan, Alicja Bachleda. Crime drama. Written by Jose Rivera. Directed by Marco Kreupaintner.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Adriana (Paulina Gaitan) is a 13-year-old girl from Mexico City whose kidnapping by sex traffickers sets in motion a desperate mission by her 17-year-old brother, Jorge (Cesar Ramos), to save her. Trapped and terrified by an underground network of international thugs who earn millions exploiting their human cargo, Adriana’s only friend and protector throughout her ordeal is Veronica (Alicja Bachleda), a young Polish woman tricked into the trade by the same criminal gang. As Jorge dodges immigration officers to track the girls’ abductors, he meets Ray (Kevin Kline), a Texas cop whose own family loss to sex trafficking leads him to become an ally in the boy’s quest.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Recently we have learned that a famous football player who made millions of dollars at his chosen profession, who wanted for nothing, still wanted to make more – at the expense of animals. The monstrous training and the torture of dogs for the purpose of a gambling sport meant nothing to the associates of Michael Vick. Or, evidently, Michael Vick himself. There are people bent on harming other living things to satisfy something deep inside them. Even worse are the men and women who traffic in human beings in order to satisfy a deviance that has corrupted their souls. Is it just the acquisition of money that motivates them? Can you really destroy another person’s life merely to gain wealth? Or is there some other deep-seated objective behind controlling another person’s destiny?

Though both Cesar Ramos and Kevin Kline are compelling in their roles, as are Paulina Gaitan and Alicja Bachleda, and while I congratulate the filmmakers for addressing this subject without the inclusion of titillation or exploitation, still the production might have been more effective without the typical Hollywood treatment, with the good guys eventually besting the bad guys. In real life, that’s not happening. The bad guys are still profiting from this illicit activity and the good guys seem to be looking the other way. What would have haunted our dreams would have been the image of 13-year-old Adriana seen led away, never to return. For, except for a few lucky ones, that is the fate of many sucked up by this “industry.” Perhaps that horrifying image would have galvanized us into action. Instead, everyone gets to go home as if the evil had been defeated.

Of course, in this film it’s George Bush, his administration and the rest of us gringos who are doing all the looking in the other direction. Once again, America is censured by a filmmaker for not policing the entire world, while other nations go unscathed. The resentment for the United States by other countries is beginning to bug me. It’s always portrayed that those nations have just a bit more soul than we do. Yet, most of the human trafficking – even that which exists in our country – is being organized by foreigners, illegals who go undetected. Are Americans uncaring about human slavery in the world? Some are. Some are too busy trying to care for their own. And some don’t know what to do. But I suspect that the majority of America’s citizens despise the concept of human trafficking. We also detest dog fighting, bull fighting and the clubbing to death of baby seals. But until the governors of foreigners do their job, there’s not much ours can do.

There are those who don’t want us to remove Hitler-like dictators who govern the way things are run in plighted countries, but these same folks want us to feed the hungry of the world and police bad doers such as slavers and drug pushers who reside in other nations. Though this desire to end such indignities is well meant, it has become clear that such attempts are merely treating the symptoms, not the actual ailment. We’ve been feeding the world for years, yet it remains hungry. And every so often, the importers of narcotics are seized with record loads. Yet, corruption in other countries assures that industry a luxurious survival. The truth is, until the leaders of other nations see the evil in their indifference and our legal system returns to protecting victims more so than criminals, no amount of American enforcement will be effective.

Well, that’s about as controversial as anything I’ve written in a review. I expect to get clobbered for it. But I just can’t believe that our nation alone is guilty for all the adversity around the world. And I find the detractors of the U.S. more concerned with the downfall of America than the building up of other lands. They seem to justify the ignorance of others, as if conscience was regulated by culture or finances.

The film has many powerful moments, ones that hit you in the gut. When you see one of these slavers punch a woman in the face, or an escaping girl hit by a car, or a young woman raped, or a 13-year-old girl crying, wanting to go home to her mom, or a young boy held down while a man injects him with heroine in order to control him, you’ll wish you were anywhere but at that theater. That said, if these enactments cause a motivating concern, then perhaps we should see this film. The visuals of these brutalizations drive home the fact that such an institution still exists. It thrives.

In the film we see people bidding to buy a young girl on the Internet. From what I understand, this is actually possible, that such transactions actually occur via the information superhighway. My God.

Distributor: Roadside Attractions

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

2007-09-25T23:08:00.001-07:00

Brad Pitt, Mary-Louise Parker, Brooklynn Proulx, Dustin Bollinger, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Jeremy Renner, Sam Shepard. Western. Written & directed by Andrew Dominik.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A take on the life of outlaw Jesse James and…well, I guess the title pretty much says it all.

PREVIEW REVIEW: This slow-paced and poignant character study gives viewers a three-dimensional look at what it must be like to ride with death, which is what outlaws did when they followed the likes of Jesse James. The desperate desperado had caught the imagination of many in his day due to the penny dreadfulls (booklets surrounding his escapades – usually made up) who thought of him as a sort of Robin Hood, a man going up against corruption. Indeed, there are writings that maintain the James brothers turned to a life of crime because of injustice done to their family. In this adaptation, that view is mainly ignored. Here he is portrayed (incisively by Brad Pitt in one of his best roles) as a manic depressive who could laugh along with his men one minute, then turn violent toward them the next. Jesse is presented as mentally unstable, and his men either got killed due to his leadership or betrayed him for money and fame.

The look is authentic; the script, though too long due to unnecessary subplots, is nonetheless revealing, and the performances are riveting. And director Andrew Dominik makes use of an actor’s greatest tools – his eyes. Instinctively, the performers expose volumes of inner emotions with a few mere expressions.

In one scene, Jesse, who was the son of a minister, is seen reading the Bible. But Jesse chose a road of rebellion and revolt, which led to a spiritual and physical death. Church, prayer and the Bible are displayed, showing us a time when men were brought up on such reverential tools. Sadly, these men didn’t adhere to scriptural teaching.

While I appreciate the grandeur of the production and the artistry displayed, still I left depressed. I had just spent 2 hours and 40 minutes with a story that, while insightful and even metaphorical, did nothing to feed my soul. After sitting through its graphic depiction of the true nature of criminals, I now needed something to raise my spiritual spirits.

Interesting fact: Neither Jesse nor any of his gang is heard profaning God’s name in this production. Alas, a supporting player is heard in the final act using God’s name followed by a curse three times. I can handle rough language or brutal violence when it is done to expose the inner character or promote the film’s theme, but when a “GD” is uttered in a movie, for me it says the actor has little regard for the Third Commandment. He is forthrightly stating, “I don’t believe in God and I don’t care if you do.” I feel sad for him, because one day he will care.

DVD alternative: Jesse James. Though it is steeped more in Hollywood glamour than historical fact, the 1939 version (it’s in color) with Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda and John Carradine, is genuine western fun. That said, this newer version doesn’t try to exempt the James boys from their outlaw ways, where the older film furthers the myth that they were just put-upon and misguided. The earlier version doesn’t have the excessive violence or offensive language, but it also prefers legend over fact.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Across the Universe

2007-09-25T23:07:00.001-07:00

Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson. Musical. Written by Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais. Directed by Julie Taymor.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A whimsical musical/love story set against the backdrop of the turbulent anti-war protests of the 1960s, the film moves from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, from the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the killing fields of Vietnam. The star-crossed lovers, Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up into the emerging anti-war and counterculture movements, with “Dr. Robert” (Bono) and “Mr. Kite” (Eddie Izzard) as their guides. Tumultuous forces outside their control ultimately tear the young lovers apart, forcing Jude and Lucy – against all odds – to find their own way back to each other.

PREVIEW REVIEW: It’s a psychedelic salute to the hippy-dippy, turn-on, tune-out ‘60s generation whose Mecca was Haight-Ashbury and mantra was “Hell no, we won’t go.” Driven by the Beatles songbook (it seems like the actors sing every song the Fab Four ever conceived), the film has a stylish look and sincere performances, but director Julie Taymor (Frida, Titus, and the Broadway smash hit musical The Lion King) and writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais (The Commitments) glorify the cartoonish behavior of that time with little regard for its disastrous naiveté.

But I won’t write-off the filmmakers’ ability. They have a point of view and express it with earnestness. In the press notes, director Taymor says, “You constantly have to revisit these stories in order to reflect upon your present and really think, ‘What is it that’s different now?’ That era is explicitly important to our time now.”

True. If we ignore the past, we are doomed to relive it. But comparing the battling in Viet Nam with our situation in Iraq may be misguided. As usual filmmakers only present one perspective, a dangerous prerogative when dealing with world issues. Sometimes evil must be faced and fought, not placated. And having lived through that time, I’m just not sure all the radical discourse of that era was truthfully done with pure motives. The revolution wasn’t just against man’s authority, but God’s, as well.

It was a troubling age as the youth of America found little satisfaction in the complicity of its elders and sought profundity anywhere but at the feet of their folks. Added to a dawning awareness of unequal rights and the disillusionment with political authority, the 1960s were dominated by an unpopular war. Alas, whatever righteousness the youth movement found in fighting injustice became sickened by a cancerous rebellion for rebellion’s sake. Ultimately, the peace/love generation proved to be no more enlightened than any other. All the revolt against the system and all the self-exploration imaginable are eventually found to be disillusioning when Christ-awareness is denied. And the comparison these filmmakers attempt with today’s social dissatisfaction is colored by rose-tinted granny glasses, like those once worn by the Honky Tonk Women of whom many a young man said, “She blew my nose and then she blew my mind.” Oh, sorry, that’s the Stones, not the Beatles.

Long (2 hrs 14 min.), excessive (too many musical numbers that bemoan the status quo), dreary (lots of distress due to the war-is-hell theme and countless unsettled relationships), and I suspect it’s only metaphorical if you’re stoned. And I don’t recommend that.

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Sydney White

2007-09-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

Amanda Bynes, Matt Long, Sara Paxton. Comedy. Written by Chad Creasey. Directed by Joe Nussbaum.

FILM SYNOPSIS: In this college comedy that puts a modern-day twist on an age-old storybook tale, Sydney White tells a tale of a tomboy freshman (Bynes) who ditches her conniving sorority sisters and finds a new home with a group of dorky outcasts. Fed up with the way they’ve all been treated, she’s off to war against the reigning campus queen (Paxton).

PREVIEW REVIEW: Innocuous and overly familiar, yet enjoyable due to Amanda Bynes. A veteran of TV and film, the young actress knows how to apply timing and toning to a comic line much the way a good singer shades a note. She looks like a cute chipmunk and radiates a quality that could only be perceived as – and I mean this in the nicest way – nice.

Trashed by the evil sorority sister, Rachel Witchburn, our plucky Ms. White moves into the dilapidated cottage just down the street, where seven male outcasts from the school – geeks all – live in harmony. They’re her pals, but she has a crush on the handsome Tyler Prince. You see where this is going, right? It’s Sydney White and the Seven Dorks. Now, the more cynical among us might call the concept and its subsequent handling insipid and shallow, but I think girls between the ages of pubescence and high school entrance will enjoy the themes – fitting in, being yourself, and witches never win.

It’s interesting, however, that while the filmmakers seem to be aiming this production at preteen girls with its non-threatening presentation of college life, today’s take concerning what’s acceptable language and behavior is far more lax than when Gidget frolicked on the beach with Moondoggie. Today, the term “pissed off” is no longer considered objectionable parlance for the good-girl lead, beer-chugging is depicted without consequence, and to be truly open-minded means to not only embrace the gay lifestyle, but the transdressers subculture, as well.

The film is rated PG-13, the studio evidently believing that Ms. Bynes’ fans are now of an age capable of handling the leering presence of the camera (this cameraman never met a short skirt he didn’t like) and open-minded enough to consider transdressers as everyday folks.

Suggested DVD Alternatives: Joan of Arc. The 1999 TV presentation about the French martyr starring Leelee Sobieski, Neil Patrick Harris, Jacqueline Bisset, Peter O’Toole, and Peter Strauss is entertaining, educational, and uplifting.

Or:

For those looking for a bit more substance, Beauty and the Beast (1946 French version with Jean Cocteau). In order to save her father, a beautiful girl agrees to live with a feared wolf-like beast. But after time passes, they learn to love one another. This moody, atmospheric B&W rendition of the classic tale is a masterpiece. In French, with subtitles, it is both beguiling and fanciful.

Distributor: Universal

The Brave One

2007-09-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Naveen Andrews, Mary Steenburgen. Psychological thriller. Written by Cynthia Mort and Neil Jordan. Directed by Neil Jordan.

FILM SYNOPSIS. New York radio host Erica Bain (Jodie Foster) has a life that she loves and a fiancé she adores. All of it is taken from her when a brutal attack leaves Erica badly wounded and her fiancé dead. Unable to move past the tragedy, Erica begins prowling the city streets at night to track down the men she holds responsible. Her dark pursuit of justice catches the public’s attention, and the city is riveted by her anonymous exploits. But with the NYPD desperate to find the culprit and a dogged police detective (Terrence Howard) hot on her trail, she must decide whether her quest for revenge is truly the right path, or if she is becoming the very thing she is trying to stop.

PREVIEW REVIEW: A more conflicted Death Wish, with Jodie Foster filling in for Charlie Bronson, The Brave One is superb filmmaking. With intense performances from Ms. Foster and Terrence Howard, plus a well-structured script that points out the frustrations of victims of crime and the judicial system, The Brave One holds our attention throughout. Alas, as with most films that will be vying for the Motion Picture Academy’s attention this year, it punctuates its story with R-rated content. Everybody gets to use the f-bomb – many times – in order to express their frustration and fear. And why imply when you can depict? So we see many graphic close-up shootings, one dastardly dude getting it in the eye, another in the mouth, one chick three times in the chest by her peeved boyfriend.

It’s a well-made film, but a rough one; not just because of the violence or the language, but because of its reminder that brutality lurks around the corner and touches lives otherwise involved in everyday living. The movie haunts us as it suggests tragedy may suddenly disrupt our lives. By film’s end, the main victim has found no solace, no peace of mind. Ironically, she wears a cross throughout the film, but never do we see her praying for God to intercede. For me that was the most disturbing aspect, this physically and mentally wounded woman trying to find resolve from within, yet never seeking a spiritual assist.

The ending is just as morally repugnant as the one in the original Death Wish where Charles Bronson was seen in a new town aiming a finger like a gun at delinquents, implying his reign as vigilante had not ended. While I won’t give away this picture’s climax, suffice it to say, though it appears our heroine has been reprieved, in reality, she has not truly been helped.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Mr. Woodcock

2007-09-14T15:49:00.001-07:00

Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon. Comedy. Written by Michael Carnes, Josh Gilbert. Directed by Craig Gillespie.

FILM SYNOPSIS: John Farley is a self-help author who returns to his hometown only to discover that his mother has fallen in love with his old high school nemesis, Mr. Woodcock – the gruff, no-nonsense gym teacher who had put him through years of mental and physical humiliation. Determined to prevent history from repeating itself, the frustrated author sets out to stop his mother from marrying the man who had made life miserable for him and his classmates.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Nobody plays barbaric bullies better than Billy Bob and he manages to hold our attention throughout this lame comedy with that same satanic gusto. But his character is not amusing fodder for humor as there are such people who dominate and make the lives of others miserable. I can understand why the Seann William Scott character would not want this man to marry his beloved mother. These types can become violent and usually are – both in demeanor and physicality toward the women they marry. Of course, Mr. Scott’s John Farley isn’t much more likeable. He’s written a self-help book, which he ignores, and manages to make every dumb move possible when attempting to expose Woodcock for the monster he is.

The humor has about the same consistency as most of the comic efforts from this past summer, the writer’s quiver being equipped mainly with arrows of vulgarity or crudity or obscenity. To be fair, these are talented people and the script does contain some chuckles, even a guffaw or two, but overall, I found it mean-spirited and tedious.

Distributor: New Line Cinema

3:10 To Yuma

2007-09-08T17:13:00.001-07:00

Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Gretchen Mol, Peter Fonda. Western. Written & directed by Cathy Konrad and James Mangold.

FILM SYNOPSIS: In this modern take on the classic western by Elmore Leonard, the setting is 1800’s Arizona, where infamous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) and his vicious gang of thieves and murderers have plagued the Southern Railroad. When Wade is captured, Civil War veteran Dan Evans (Christian Bale), struggling to survive on his drought-plagued ranch, volunteers to deliver him alive to the 3:10 train to Yuma where the killer will face trial. On the trail, Evans and Wade, each from very different worlds, begin to earn each other’s respect. But with Wade’s outfit on their trail the mission soon becomes a violent journey.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Here’s something I’d like to convey to Hollywood concerning the western: the main supporters of that genre are mostly traditionalists. While today’s filmmakers are looking for the “spin,” lovers of westerns are looking for John Ford. Over the past few decades, the makers of movies have attempted to either put a new take on Ford’s values or, worse yet, attempt to update them with more graphic realism. But even the few that have met with critical and box office success (Open Range, Unforgiven) did little to inspire a rebirth of the legend of the West. Too much profanity and too much profundity have replaced the simplicity of structure and character.

Now, listen Tinseltown, we are living in a time when it is obvious that moviegoers are looking for the familiar (most films this year are sequels or salutes to the familiar). Think: A return to the once traditional view of the Old West might generate a return of popcorn buyers now shy of that genre thanks to Brokeback Mountain.

I’ll back this theory up with an example. John Wayne is still voted in poll after poll as one of the most popular movie stars, ever. His films constantly run on most cable movie stations and the DVDs of nearly all his 200 films continue to be money makers. True, there will never be another John Wayne, but besides his persona, people supported his films because of the principles he honored with his roles.

I won’t go further, because even if they should read it, the Hollywood Elite wouldn’t pay attention. But rather than delete my rant, I’ll pass it on to you in order to further explain my disappointment with the latest rendering of the Old West. Before I go into the negatives, however, I’ll state my enjoyment with several elements of 3:10 to Yuma.

First, good performances by all. A good actor takes your mind off a film’s deficiencies. Both Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are able to direct your attention off this film’s faults with their fleshed-out characterizations. Second, there’s lots of action, lots of well-choreographed shootouts that highlight the drama. And besides all the well- choreographed gunplay, the film attempts to add suspense and psychological drama.

Alas, it doesn’t come close to the original in its effectiveness. Oh, you didn’t know it was made before? Come on, other than Waitress, Hollywood hasn’t made anything new all summer; just familiar. In the 1957 version, directed by Delmer Daves (Broken Arrow, Dark Passage), Van Heflin played the struggling farmer and Glenn Ford the murderous outlaw. It was a bit more wordy than the remake, but it was also more captivating with its High Noon-like western clichés and Mr. Daves’ intense and tautly structured direction.

Both films reveal complexity of character, with men tested to the limit and both discovering their true character, but in this newer one, directors Cathy Konrad and James Mangold seem more in tune with the spaghetti western than the works of American filmmakers such as Hathaway, Hawks or Ford. The opening scene is off-putting with its copycatting of Ennio Morricone’s use of music and Sergio Leoni-like overbearing visual style, punctuated by today’s jittery close-ups and excessively violent structure.

The westerns of long ago were films the entire family could attend. Though injustice reared its ugly head, the valiant sought and brought about retribution. While that quality is in this updated version, so is the gruff and gritty R-rated content that has become commonplace. Exploitive sexuality, the profane use of God’s name and the superfluous use of violence that includes a man being burned alive while trapped in a cage and another being stabbed to death in the throat with a dinner fork (a gruesome use of sound effects) make it undesirable for those who weren’t assaulted by Hathaway, Hawks or Ford. Do the filmmakers think this brutal realism is necessary to satisfy today’s audiences? Is it?

DVD Alternative: Ride The High Country. This nearly flawless film depicts the ending of a way of life for two westerners, one a lawman, the other his outlaw friend. Joel McCrea, Randolph Scott. Directed by Sam Peckinpah before his films became filled with extremely violent images.

Special Note: If you’d like to compare the original 3:10 To Yuma with the latest version, the 1957 western has just been released on DVD.

Distributor: Lionsgate

Balls of Fury

2007-09-02T01:47:00.001-07:00

Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez, Maggie Q, Thomas Lennon, Robert Patrick. Action/comedy. Written by Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant. Directed by Robert Ben Garant.

FILM SYNOPSIS: An outrageous new comedy. In this secret society, the competition is brutal and the stakes are high. It is the unsanctioned, underground, and utterly unhinged world of clandestine ping-pong tournaments. Down-and-out former professional Ping-Pong phenom Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) is sucked into this maelstrom when FBI Agent Rodriguez (George Lopez) recruits him for a secret mission. Randy is determined to bounce back and win, and to smoke out his father’s killer – arch-fiend Feng (Christopher Walken).

PREVIEW REVIEW: I want to take it easy on these filmmakers. This type of comic spoofing is so difficult to pull off. Woody Allen did it brilliantly in What’s Up Tiger Lilly, as did Christopher Guest with his Best In Show and Waiting For Guffman, while others have often disappointed. It’s magic when it happens, but such magic is illusive. You can have a great concept, great visuals such as Christopher Walken dressed as Fu Manchu, and you can have a bouncy fat guy in the lead, just like John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley and assorted other zaftig practitioners of outrageous physicality, and still the film won’t work. Here, many jokes fall flat, while others just never seem to arouse more than titters. The fat guy sweats a lot but never really makes us feel or laugh. And Christopher Walken never generates that other-worldly humor that he so often makes look effortless.

Now, nobody sets out to make a bad movie. But since this film is so inconsequential, with little on its mind, you’d think the gags would be funnier. But the plot does a cameo, the lighthearted absurdity is toothless, and there’s nothing new in the way of puns or wisecracks. There’s the old guy making with prickly observations and the little girl who kicks the lead in the groin and the occasional passing-wind bit. But just how many times are audiences expected to laugh at a man grabbing his crotch in pain?

It’s not really satire or parody or madcap. It’s just lame. Oh, rats, I was going to take it easy on these guys.

Distributor: Rogue Pictures

King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

2007-09-02T01:46:00.001-07:00

Documentary from Picturehouse. Written by Ed Cunningham, II, and Seth Gordon. Directed by Seth Gordon.

FILM SYNOPSIS: In 2003, 35-year-old family man Steve Wiebe, after losing his job at Boeing, found solace in Donkey Kong. He began perfecting his game every night after his wife and kids went to bed, and not only surpassed Billy Mitchell (“Gamer of the Century” and Donkey Kong Champion), but ended up with a thought-to-be-impossible 1,000,000 points. In the months that followed, Steve and Billy engaged in a cross-country duel to see who could set the high score that would be included in the 2007 Guinness World Records’ book and become “The King of Kong.” Along the way, both men learned valuable lessons about what it means to be a father, a husband, and a true champion…discovering that you don’t always need to win to be a winner.

PREVIEW REVIEW: So well conceived, I thought for a while, “Are we being punked?” But no, even though it has a mockumentary feel, it’s the real deal. Despite the title, which, as a colleague pointed out, is the best film title this year, this is not a Christopher Guest (Waiting For Guffman, Best In Show) comic satire, but an honest appraisal of a cult of obsessed people who take video game playing very seriously.

Searching for an outlet to nurture their energies or artistic nature or just a venue where they can succeed above all others, these geeky gamesman are tunnel visioned and a picture of obsessive-compulsives. While many people apply such efforts and time to activities that aid others, the people who spend their time in front of arcade machines tend to be less social, more in tune with their own desires. They appear to be selfish and self-centered. Even the “good” guy here, the man we root for, is so possessed by being the highest scorer that when his four-year-old boy calls from the top of the stairs, “Daddy, come wipe my butt,” daddy dearest refuses to budge.

Now, there will be those who defend this “sport,” and I’ll admit that -- like anything done well -- it demands discipline and expertise. But what does it say when the most astute person in the room is a preteen girl who suggests to her father, who wants to enter the Guinness World Records, “Some people ruin their lives to be in that book.” She’s wise in her generation.

King of Kong is not mean spirited or belittling. It is, however, a taunting exposé that masterfully reveals the makeup of these two advocates of the arcade. The biggest surprise of the summer; I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful concept.

Distributor: Picturehouse

Eye of the Dolphin

2007-08-31T16:18:00.001-07:00

Carly Schroeder, Adrian Dunbar, Katharine Ross, George Harris, Jane Lynch, Christine Adams. Drama/adventure. Written by Michael Sellers, Wendell Morris. Directed by Michael Sellers.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Alyssa is a troubled fourteen-year-old who has been living with her grandmother Lucy since the sudden death of her mother. Unable to control her granddaughter, Lucy decides it’s time for Alyssa to go to the Bahamas to live with Hawk, a dedicated dolphin researcher and the father she never knew she had. Alyssa’s arrival comes just as Hawk is battling the greedy developers determined to turn his research center into a tacky tourist attraction. A prickly relationship between Hawk and Alyssa begins to develop as they come together to save the center.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Young Carly Schroeder (Gracie, Firewall) is developing from cute screen presence into a talented actress. Through much of the film she brandishes the sulky stare that has come to represent screen teenage-hood, but suddenly she allows a captivating smile to beam across her face and you realize that there is depth to this young actress. Also athletic, Ms. Schroeder trained for several months with former Los Angeles Galaxy player Dan Calichman to prepare for her role in Gracie and has performed her own underwater stunts, including swimming with the dolphins.

We do see Alyssa in a rebellious stage, smoking, drinking and making herself up to look like a wild child, but it doesn’t take long for her true self to emerge. She is a caring person, one full of character. The film subtly points out the need to nurture children. They need to feel loved and understand that they have importance. Along with this development, the film gives us an entertaining look at underwater life. Indeed, there’s nothing cynical about the production. It’s a straightforward story that takes us into a world most of us don’t get to explore – the undersea of the Bahamas.

Along with the involving performances and storyline, the film contains a pretty musical score and lovely cinematography. The themes concern bringing family together, learning to listen to others, keeping our hearts open. I must, however, warn parents that some content may confuse little ones. The film has a friendly Hallmark feel, so the inclusion of PG-13 content seems unnecessary and out of place. Along with showing Alyssa’s rebellious stage by including drinking smoking, even marijuana use, we also learn that her father lives with a woman outside marriage. Though this has become an accepted lifestyle, is it the example you want your young children constantly confronted with in movies?

There are no graphic sexual situations and the main characters grow into giving, self-sacrificing people. So, if you can enjoy a film despite a few lifestyle choices you may not agree with, then I think you’ll find the film an entertaining outdoor adventure.

Distributor: Monterey Media

The Last Legion

2007-08-31T16:17:00.001-07:00

Colin Firth, Thomas Sanger, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai. Action/adventure. Written by Jez and Tom Butterworth. Directed by Doug Lefler.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Barbarians overtake Rome and kidnap the newest Caesar, a 12-year-old boy. The surviving captain of the guard sees Rome completely destroyed and goes after the abducted emperor with the aid of a handful of assorted warriors, including a beautiful martial arts expert from India. Once they have the boy back, and this really big sword, they find themselves in battle after battle as they search for a new kingdom.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Twelve-year-old Romulus Augustus, the newest Caesar, learns quickly that the barbarians truly are at the gate. His legions are off somewhere and soon he’s without an empire, left with only a handful of warriors who look like they’re out of a Conan movie rather than members of the Roman army. Together they search for sanctuary as they cross rough terrain and battle everybody but Conan. I mean there’s a lot of sword play. Trouble is, the battle sequences are so ineptly staged and filmed that it feels more like a TV-made movie. And that’s about all there is to this movie. Some masked villain is determined to kill off the boy king and take his place, ruling the known world. He’s got a lot of henchmen willing to do his bidding and, though fierce warriors themselves, they’re no match for our small band of killer elites.

With probably the most absurd take on the Excalibur legend yet brought to the screen, aided by functional performances that do little to inspire (listening to Colin Firth’s speech to the troops before the final battle, one wonders why they didn’t all go back to their farms) and listless direction and blah cinematography, it’s easy to understand why critics weren’t invited to an early screening. The studio knew the job was blown, and so they hoped to get a little back on their investment from those hearty first weekenders who must see attractions that first Friday and Saturday night come hell or high water.

Well, nobody got hurt. Moviegoers have survived many a poor theatrical offering and filmmakers have botched other action pictures even worse (audiences should have sued over last year’s Stealth). But there are a lot better films on DVD concerning Rome, or sword battles or dangerous journeys. Heck, there’s many a home movie that would be more inspiring.

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

My Best Friend

2007-08-30T00:33:00.001-07:00

Daniel Auteuil, Julie Gayet, Dany Boon, Julie Durand. Written by Patrice Leconte, Jerome Tonnerre. Directed by Patrice Leconte. 94 min.

FILM SYNOPSIS: François is a middle-aged antique dealer. He has a stylish apartment and a fabulous life, but at a dinner with a group he considers his dearest acquaintances, he is blindsided by the revelation that none of them actually likes him. He’s arrogant, self-centered and harsh, and they don’t believe he knows the meaning of friendship. His business partner Catherine makes him a bet: if he can produce his best friend, she will let him keep the massive Greek vase he acquired that afternoon on the company tab. If not, it’s hers. Having accepted the wager, François naively tears through his address book, trying to shoehorn an increasingly unlikely series of contacts into the all-important role. Moving through Paris, he keeps encountering a trivia-spouting, big-hearted cabbie named Bruno. Bruno’s chatty, lowbrow ways grate against François’s designer temperament, but he covets the other man’s easy way with people. He convinces Bruno to teach him how to make friends and sets about learning the “three S’s” – being sociable, smiling and sincere – though they don’t come easy. Ultimately, François victory will depend on Bruno's naiveté in playing along, but what's the cost of cheating at friendship?

PREVIEW REVIEW: The lead has been so caught up with self and a goal of possessing things that he has never attempted to learn how to develop friendships. By film’s end however, he, like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, discovers that “…no man is a failure who has friends.” I had a nice time with this good-natured fable. It’s an interesting foreign film, one with subtitles, but unfortunately, it contains some PG-13 content, which, had it not been there, no one would have missed it. Still, the moral (true riches are found in friendships) is pleasant, even if today’s mores dominate (premarital sex, the gay lifestyle and stealing are accepted), the performances are engaging and the script is thoughtful.

Distributor: IFC Films

The Nanny Diaries

2007-08-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney, Donna Murphy, Chris Evans, Paul Giamatti, Alicia Keys. Written by Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini, Jenny Bicks. Directed by Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The Nanny Diaries tells the story of Annie Braddock (Johansson), a young woman struggling to understand her place in the world. Fresh out of college, she gets tremendous pressure from her nurse mother to find a respectable position in the business world, although Annie would prefer to trade in her blackberry for an anthropologist's field diary. Through a serendipitous meeting, Annie ends up in the elite and ritualistic culture of Manhattan's Upper East Side -- as remote from Annie's suburban New Jersey upbringing as life in an Amazon tribal village. Choosing to duck out of real life, Annie accepts the position as a nanny for a wealthy family, referred to as simply "the X's." She quickly learns that life is not very rosy on the other side of the tax bracket, as she must cater to the every whim of Mrs. X (Linney) and her precocious son, Grayer, while attempting to avoid the nasty Mr. X (Giamatti).

PREVIEW REVIEW: Containing a subtle, involving performance from the magical Ms. Johansson, some good comic satire from the writers, and a stressed message that money is not the end all, it’s Mary Poppins for grownups. Indeed, there are several not so faint tributes to Disney’s Poppins, including the lead’s flight of fantasy as she sails above the city with the aid of an umbrella, and the film’s message: true riches are found in one’s own children. In place of a spoonful of sugar, Nanny convinces her little charge that peanut butter and jelly makes the medicine go down. She even finds an opportunity to repeat the world’s longest word, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (can you say it backwards?). Well, it lacks the class and classic-ness of Mary Poppins, but it is an enjoyable outing with its Erma Bombeck-like witty narration and humorous satire of parents who treat their children like possessions. That said, read the content before you decide to attend.

Distributor: MGM

Resurrecting the Champ

2007-08-29T00:23:00.002-07:00

Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Hartnett, Alan Alda, Kathryn Morris, Terri Hatcher, Dakota Goyo. Written by Allison Burnett, Michael Bortman. Directed by Rod Lurie.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A struggling reporter finds a scoop – a onetime boxing champ now homeless, living on the streets. His slight detective work and his trust in the man’s retelling of his life leads to a disastrous outcome when the printed story in the LA Times is found to be false. Though it sullies his name and reputation, the humbling experience causes the reporter to reevaluate his character and the importance of truth in journalism and in personal relationships.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Fine performances from all (the best I’ve seen from Mr. Hartnett) and a message concerning the importance of honesty and how one lie leads to another, highlight this well-constructed, entertaining film. Alas, our Lord and Savior’s name is misused often, as the lead struggles to convey frustration and fear by shouting Christ’s name. I know I go on and on about the profane use of God’s name in movies, but it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. It’s not only irreverent, but though many people misuse it in real life, including most actors and writers, still it’s offensive and uncreative.

Distributor: Yari Film Group

September Dawn

2007-08-29T00:23:00.001-07:00

Jon Voight, Terrence Stamp, Taylor Handley, Lolita Davidovich, Tamara Hope. Period drama. Written by Christopher Cain, Carole Whang Schutter. Directed by Christopher Cain.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Supposedly based on actual events, the film tells of a wagon train bent on settling in Utah during the 19th century. A romance begins, but the group is attacked and slaughtered by…Mormons.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Except for the graphic massacre at the end, September Dawn felt like a Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie. A kind of Romeo and Juliet /Hatfields and McCoys love story, with the Mormons not wanting their young men soiled by the female Missouri pioneers. The actors, with the exception of Jon Voight and Terrence Stamp, were less than electrifying, probably destined to star in TNT sit-coms. And Voight and Stamp were trapped by one-dimensional roles and limited production values. Veteran writer/director Christopher Cain (The Stone Boy, Where the River Runs Black, Young Guns) – and the adoptive father of actor Dean Cain – seemed constrained by an insufficient budget and his own stodgy screenplay and rhythmless pacing. (Ouch. For the record, I’ve seen very capable work from this filmmaker.)

What’s more, I wasn’t sure of the film’s intent. In these politically correct times, it seemed confusing that a Hollywood production would point a negative finger at anyone’s faith (other than mainstream Christianity, of course). Here, they have made a very deliberate statement concerning the Church of Latter Day Saints. The world in general sees the Mormon church as a family-orientated group, one that dominates the goings-on in Salt Lake City, but this film wants us to know that there is much sinister activity in its history, and perhaps its leadership of today.

Then I thought for a moment that the filmmakers were using this episode in history (one denied by the church’s hierarchy, by the way) as a metaphor, stating that there are indeed religions to be feared. Perhaps it’s even meant as an indictment against the zealots who have declared war on Judaism and Christianity. But that doesn’t sound like anything that would come out of Hollywood, does it?

By film’s end, we are left with a bunch of dead people, an unrepentant Brigham Young and probably a very frustrated Mitt Romney.

Distributor: Slow Hand Releasing, Black Diamond Pictures

Death at a Funeral

2007-08-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Matthew MacFadyen, Peter Dinklage, Ewen Bremner, Rupert Graves. Comedy. Written by Dean Craig. Directed by Frank Oz.

FILM SYNOPSIS: This English dark comedy concerns a gay guy showing up at the funeral of a family man he claims was his secret lover. This causes tension among members of the dysfunctional family, who take drastic measures when he threatens blackmail.

PREVIEW REVIEW: At first I was reminded of the staid but outlandish English comedies of the 1950s, those satirical films released by Ealing Studios, which usually starred Peter Sellers and/or Alec Guinness. Like those pictures, Death at a Funeral contains a premise ripe for understated, mocking humor. Alas, it’s a different time and filmmakers and many filmgoers are more entertained the more a film becomes obsessed with crudeness. The humor quickly dwindles into lazy R-rated rudeness, much of it generated from shock value (“I can’t believe I just saw that.”). For instance, there’s the casket falling, the body tumbling out before an astonished group of mourners; a man accidentally getting stoned and taking off his clothes in front of said mourners; and the enfeebled old man needing help onto a toilet. That scene leads to the most graphic depiction of excrement I can remember seeing in a movie. As gross as that sounds, a pretty, stylish-looking young woman sitting behind me laughed with the intensity of one who has just heard Abbott & Costello’s "Who’s On First". Different strokes.

Video Alternatives: Each of the following was made by Ealing Studios in the 1950s and contains irreverent but understated sophisticated humor and reminds us that comedy need not come solely from anatomical and scatological graphicness. Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Lavender Hill Mob, and The Ladykillers (the 1955 version – not the Tom Hanks remake of a few years back).

Distributor: MGM

Superbad

2007-08-20T23:00:00.001-07:00

Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, Jonah Hill. Comedy. Written by Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen. Directed by Greg Mottola

FILM SYNOPSIS: From producers Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), and screenwriters Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen (Da Ali G Show) comes Superbad, a coming-of-age cautionary tale about two socially inept teenage boys about to graduate high school. Theirs is a ridiculously dependent friendship -- but now they've gotten into different colleges and are forced to contemplate life apart. Evan (Michael Cera) is gentle, smart, and generally terrified. Seth (Jonah Hill) is foul-mouthed, volatile, and all-consumed with the topic of human sexuality. This is the story of their misguided attempts to reverse a lifelong losing streak with the ladies in one panic-driven night.

PREVIEW REVIEW: It must be difficult for those unfamiliar with movies made pre-today’s rating codes to comprehend comedy without crudity. Indeed, today’s comic films give evidence that crudity simply isn’t a turnoff to moviegoers anymore. For example, I recently saw a film where even a classy-looking lady sitting behind me roared at the sight of a man splattered with human feces. Sensibilities have changed, but I can’t help but think that audiences are being cheated by the excessive amount of bad behavior on the movie screen. You see, anatomical and scatological humor are the easiest ways to elicit a response that passes for merriment. It’s the shock value causing the response, because we aren’t supposed to say or do certain things in public. Make no mistake; a flatulence sound effect is not wit. It causes a response from the viewer due to the uncontrolled behavior, but Noel Coward it ain’t. But that’s what constitutes the vast majority of humorous situations in today’s comedies – inebriants passing wind or people puking on somebody’s shoes. So when I attend a film aimed at a young audience, such as Superbad, I can expect a certain degree of rude conduct. And Superbad doesn’t disappoint.

The leads have good timing, there’s actually a sturdy story structure and beneath the excessive coarseness, there’s a sweet spirit, a lesson about friendship. But the key word in that sentence is excessive. Not a scene goes by that the s- or f-words don’t appear or there isn’t a sophomoric reference to the female form. And in each act, someone vomits. It’s not the crudest movie I’ve seen. Last year’s Clerks 2 has that distinction. But, it’s a close runner-up.

It amazes me that there just doesn’t seem to be a limit to the offensive things that can be done or said on screen, or that producers continue to be paid enormous amounts of money to make products that further desensitize a generation. Look around – people are getting more uncouth with the aid of each round of summer teen pleasers. I swear, in another decade, Generations X, Y, and Z will all be back in caves.

But if you see this one, you’ll laugh. I guess that’s all that counts.

I will attempt not be overly graphic in my content descriptions. I think, however, when you read the reasons for the rating, you’ll agree that when your teens ask to go to the movie (and make no mistake, despite the rating, teens are the target audience), you’ll have only one recourse. Beat them.

Video Alternative:Dancer, Texas Pop. 81. This engaging comic drama from 1998 concerns four graduating high school chums set to leave their teeny, tiny town due to a vow they made in grade school. Good technical aspects, fine performances by unknown cast, and it is a pleasure to see a film about teens without the usual crudity, exploitation and profane language. It is rated PG (a few mild expletives & 1 obscenity, but no misuse of God’s name; muted sexual innuendo as a ne’er-do-well father brings home a date, but no sex scenes). Hard to find. There’s a reason for that. It’s good.

Distributor: Sony Pictures

Rush Hour 3

2007-08-13T23:05:00.003-07:00

Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan. Action/comedy. Written by Jeff Nathanson. Directed by Brett Ratner.

FILM SYNOPSIS: This time around, the two odd-couple detectives travel to Paris to battle a Chinese organized-crime family. Comic insults, car chases and martial arts battles ensue.

PREVIEW REVIEW: After a summer load of “three-quels” I’m convinced that the majority of moviegoers are no longer looking for new and inventive, just familiar and formulaic. By now no one is going to see this franchise looking for story, or even character development. They just want to see another coupling of Tucker and Chan. Well, the Abbott and Costello of the martial arts genre have returned. Chan looks older and Tucker thicker, but everything else remains the same: super thin plot, comic buddy formula, and crude and profane language mixed with death-defying stunts. Implausible, even silly.

Distributor: New Line Cinema

Becoming Jane

2007-08-13T23:05:00.001-07:00

Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Maggy Smith, Julie Walters, James McAvoy, James Cromwell. Dramatic biography. Written by Sarah Williams, Kevin Hood. Directed by Julian Jarrold.

FILM SNYOPSIS: The romantic drama gives an account of Jane Austen’s early years.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Though it was pointed out to me that this is not a true depiction of the author’s life, still Becoming Jane is filled with witty dialogue and a thoroughly engaging performance by its star, leaving us with a rich tribute to the romantic nature of Jane Austen. Not as sharply written or as passionate as Austen’s own Sense and Sensibility or last year’s testimonial to Beatrix Potter (Miss Potter), nonetheless, it is a pleasant respite from the den of this summer’s busy but nonsensical group of bust-up blockbusters. Here filmmakers dazzle with those other special effects: story, dialogue and performance. With attention paid to detail, director Julian Jarrold orchestrates his production with deliberate pacing and allows us a look into a time when propriety masked an outhouse world. It was a time when social graces were the rage, but alas, often used to disguise bad behavior.

Insightful, it reminds us that there was an age when decorum was demanded, yet marriage was entered into more as a financial security than as a romantic solution. And pity the young couple who dared enter into such a venture without a loving trustee willing to dole out a handsome monthly endowment. Our heroine is admonished several times concerning poverty. “Affection is desirable. Money is indispensable.” Authors such as Jane Austen helped her countrymen and later the world see the importance of love fulfilled. (Thus speaks the romantic.)

Last year Renee Zellweger portrayed Beatrix Potter (Miss Potter). Now we have the life (fictionalized) of Jane Austen. Can a biopic of the Brontes be far off?

Also worth a viewing: Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson, Miss Potter starring Renee Zellweger, or last year’s Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley.

Distributor: Miramax FIlms

Arctic Tale

2007-08-13T23:04:00.001-07:00

Made by National Geographic Films, the producers of March of the Penguins. Narrated by Queen Latifah. The film features music from Cat Stevens, Ben Harper, Aimee Mann, and The Shins.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A tale of love, family, friendship and loyalty, and a tribute to everyday miracles, Arctic Tale has to do with Seela the walrus and Nanu the polar bear, on their journey from birth to adolescence to maturity and parenthood in the frozen Arctic wilderness. Once a perpetual winter wonderland of snow and ice, the walrus and the polar bear are losing their beautiful icebound world as it melts from underneath them.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Like March of the Penguins, it has humor and drama and a bottom line message that stresses the importance of life. Unlike March, this film stresses what many consider to be a clear and present danger, the heating up of our planet.

Global warming has become a political football, mostly embraced by tree huggers and Al Gore. Well, Global Warming is the film’s theme and the producers’ agenda is to emphasize that if this phenomenon does not changed by 2040, our planet will be an altogether different looking place. Is this film just a political tool to aid in securing a democratic presidency? Is it fueled by disinformation? Is this change in weather conditions a normal cycle or is man responsible for the change in temperature? Is there really a change in temperature? Unlike most who write about the subject, I confess to not be an authority. There are, however, two sides to this debate, and depending on your leaning, you can find a speaker whose viewpoint seems right. But not here. Right or wrong, Arctic Tale states matter-of-factly that Global Warming is a reality. And it’s never too early to get the message across to kids that, “We’re doomed.”

Arctic Tale is rated G and though it depicts harsh life-and-death struggles, it does so in a family-friendly way. It’s full of impressive, almost unworldly locations and amazing cinematography, and it sends a powerful message concerning the importance of life. Indeed, nature is telling us about the sanctity of life. In a time when audiences are subjected to pro messages concerning euthanasia (Million Dollar Baby, The Sea Inside), the need for abortion (Vera Drake), and desensitizing images of violence toward our fellow man (most films), here is a movie that reveals creatures in the wild sacrificing all in order to preserve life. A great outdoor film for the entire family.

Distributor: Paramount Vantage

The Bourne Ultimatum

2007-08-07T00:25:00.003-07:00

Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez. Espionage thriller. Written by Tony Gilroy, Tom Stoppard, Scott Burns, Paul Attanasio. Directed by Paul Greengrass.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Matt Damon returns as the trained assassin Jason Bourne for the latest showdown in The Bourne Ultimatum. All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was.

Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne, all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their crosshairs.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Excessive, paranoid and noisy. That said, a fan base may enjoy the further adventures of Mr. Bourne and may also be hypnotized by the chase scene, which begins at the opening and continues until the end.

Director Paul Greengrass did one of my favorite films of last year, United 93, and he brings the same production skill to this Bourne sequel. He also brings my least favorite photographic gimmick – the handheld “unsteady” cam. It’s used to add tension to a scene, as the camera constantly bobs up and down, jitters sideways and twirls all around. Here, he even shoots people seated, drinking coffee, using this technique. Suddenly, the camera is close on one eye, then swings to a close-up of the other person’s face. The constant movement nearly causes nausea.

And where would today’s action/thriller be without the ever present cell phone and the all-knowing computer? Good heavens, they use those two tools to death.

Those are my two hang-ups with this film. Well, those and the profane language. Still, Mr. Damon is terrific, bringing dimension to an under-written character, and the action is ceaseless and kinetic for those who like their movies to look like MTV videos.

Video Alternative: The Ipcress File. Michael Caine. Although it suggests some sexual activity, it doesn't bombard your senses with a lot of rough language or sexuality like much of today's cinema, but rather focuses on a great espionage caper.

Distributor: Universal

El Cantante

2007-08-07T00:25:00.001-07:00

Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony. Musical/bio. Written by David Darmstaedter, Todd Anthony Bello, Leon Ichaso. Directed by Leon Ichaso.

FILM SYNOPSIS: The film celebrates the life and music of the legendary Puerto Rican salsa singer Hector Lavoe, a pioneer of the sound and sensibility that redefined Latin music in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning the 1960s to the 1980s, El Cantante charts Hector Lavoe’s rapid rise to success as an artist whose music combined Puerto Rican tradition with streetwise modernity and unabashed emotion with straightforward realism. It reveals the singer not only as an architect of Salsa but as its soul – the kind of artist, like Billie Holliday, Edith Piaf or La Lupe, who forges an uncanny emotional bond with his audience.

PREVIEW REVIEW. Hector Lavoe died of AIDS, contracted from drug use. His son was accidentally killed by a gun shot, and shortly after an extensive interview concerning her late husband’s life, Lavoe’s wife died tragically in a car accident. It’s almost as if some force was eliminating them from this world before their time. Excess ruled the Latin’s personal life (according to the film) then destroyed it. Earlier this year, the same messages concerning fame, excess and rebellion to God’s instruction was intertwined within the story of Edith Piaf (La Vie En Rose). Indeed, we have seen numerous lamentable bios concerning the rich and famous and unlucky.

One can’t watch such a film without realizing that life is full of challenges and bitter-sweetness. Even the gifted and blessed are unable to escape problems. And no matter how much they obtain, there’s just a little more outside their reach. Conclusion: Life is about more than gaining the whole world – or even the little cottage with the white picket fence. Life is a fleeting moment in time, an obstacle course filled with peaks and valleys. And each obstacle we face has to do with character development and faith.

Now, I’m not suggesting that message was the director’s intent. It’s just something I’m reminded of whenever I see characters on the silver screen dealing with adversity. No matter who you are, problems are unavoidable. They’re meant to be a part of the life experience and give evidence that there is more to our stay on this planet than obtaining self-glory.

Trying to exorcise his destructive inner demons, the film portrays Lavoe being treated by some sort of Hispanic shaman, a sort of witch doctor who combines Christianity along with voodoo-like practices. Wanting to defeat the monkey on his back, Lavoe is seeking a spiritual healing. But since I do not know enough about his actual religious beliefs, I can’t tell why he met defeat. I can say this: drug addiction is an insidious one that’s difficult to defeat even for those who seek spiritual healing through the Great Physician, Jesus Christ. But to seek cleansing with the aid of demonic sources, well, the Bible makes clear that those folks are defeated before they even start.

Despite its rough language and the tragic depiction, El Cantante is a powerful cautionary tale. Dynamically acted and well paced by a sincere director, it is a thoroughly engrossing production. One of the best films of the year.

I’m wondering, and I’m not being flippant, just how long before we see such stories concerning Paris Hilton, Britany Spears and Lindsay Lohan. To those given much, much is required.

DVD Alternative: If you do not wish to support a film with R-rated content, try this suggested video: Funny Girl. This 4-star musical production of the life of singer/comedienne Fanny Brice stars Barbra Streisand. Ms. Streisand won the Best Actress Oscar of 1968 (actually, a first that year – she shared the win with Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter.

Distributor: Picturehouse

Hot Rod

2007-08-04T15:03:00.001-07:00

Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Jorma Taccone, Bill Hader, with Sissy Spacek and Ian McShane. Comedy. Written by Pam Brady. Directed by Akiva Schaffer.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Amateur stuntman and professional slacker Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) has a problem – his step-father Frank (Ian McShane) doesn’t respect him. And despite his efforts to win his favor, Rod can’t seem to penetrate Frank’s hard shell. But when Frank falls ill, it's up to Rod to stage the jump of his life in order to save his stepfather. The plan: Jump 15 buses, raise the money for Frank's heart operation, and then best him in a martial arts battle. Of course, nothing goes right for the ne’er-do-well.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Anybody remember Super Dave Osborn? He was the stone-faced comic who made his way playing a not-so-successful Evil Knievel. His dry wit was hysterical and he played his role with great intensity and sincerity. You’d see him begin some stunt that no one could possibly survive. And he never did. It was so obvious that he had been replaced by a dummy just before a pummeling collision. This added to the humor. Well, Rod Kimble and Hot Rod are kind of an update of this loser daredevil concept. It is also very funny. Keep in mind, however, that today dry wit is overshadowed by sophomoric crudity. Super Dave never swore, almost never made lewd remarks, and mostly steered clear of vulgar sexual terminology. So be forewarned. You will laugh, and ultimately there is a sweet spirit to the character and the production, but it is peppered with a coarseness that has replaced wit and inventiveness.

DVD Alternative: The Party. Peter Sellers stars as a good-hearted bumbler who accidentally destroys a movie set, and then manages to do the same to a fancy party given by the film’s producer. There are a few risqué moments, but it is pretty tame by today’s standards. And extremely funny and good-natured. Sellers is terrific.

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

I Know Who Killed Me

2007-08-04T15:01:00.001-07:00

Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough, Brian Geraghty. Psychological thriller. Written by Jeffrey Hammond. Directed by Chris Sivertson.

FILM SYNOPSIS: An idyllic small town is rocked when Aubrey Fleming (Lohan), a bright and promising young woman, is abducted and tortured by a sadistic serial killer. When she manages to escape, the traumatized girl, who regains consciousness in the hospital, insists that she is not who they think she is and that the real Aubrey Fleming is still in mortal danger.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Of all the pop tarts manufactured in Hollywoodland, Lindsay Lohan is the one with real potential. She has timing, charisma and shows signs of depth. But to become a great actor, one needs to focus. In this era starlets are allowed the opportunity of skipping the dedication and training needed to move past lightweight screen persona and into a full understanding of their craft. In other words, Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda and Katherine Hepburn didn’t become legendary by squandering their gifts. They nurtured and developed them.

All that to say, Ms. Lohan’s new film, I Know Who Killed Me, offers her a chance to grow, to show a fully developed characterization. Alas, the actress is not yet up to the challenge. Though I’m sure she’s a tortured soul, the performance is only skin deep.

As for the film, it’s hopefully the last in a recent line of movies labeled torture-porn: films that show excessive brutality for no other apparent reason than to fill a void for off-duty psychopaths. (I will be graphic in the content section to drive the point home of just how vile this movie is. And, for the record, people left in droves as the slicing and dicing began, with even more leaving as the flashbacks became even more graphic. Had I not been obligated to see this film as part of my job, I would have joined them.)

It has a few moments of interesting psychological drama, but all that falls apart by film’s end. This should give you an idea of just how moronic the ending is, and just how stupid the filmmakers think we are. After being chased through a dark house (nobody ever turns on the lights in these movies), our heroine manages to cut off her attacker’s hand (by sawing it off). But a scene later, she is seen bound tightly to a chair with rope. (Somehow, the villain got the upper hand – sorry, I couldn’t resist). I’m sitting there, watching Lindsay struggle with sailor knots and thinking, how did the nutcase with only one hand tie her up? Even if it’s possible, do you really want to tie someone up when your other hand has just been sawed off?

I have a hard time watching a film like this, because on the nightly news we learn of young women being kidnapped, brutalized, tortured and the rest. I don’t like hearing that on the news, so why would I want to be entertained by such depictions? Of course, there are people who enjoy the visualization of agonizing torment inflicted upon a human being – especially if it’s happening to a pretty girl. Isn’t it nice to know that Hollywood makes movies for everyone?

Video Alternatives: Alan & Naomi. A young girl witnessed her beloved father’s execution by the Nazis. Vanessa Zaoni and Lukas Haas give solid performances as the traumatized girl and the sensitive teen who helps come out of her shell. Not yet on DVD, but keep your eyes open for this one.

Or:

Anne Frank Remembered. This poignant documentary works on several levels: a true-life coming of age; the insight of a wise young girl; the human capacity to survive and look out for fellow human beings. Filled with many intuitive moments, the film reminds us that soon no one will be here to tell the personal events associated with that horrific time.

Or:

Down In The Delta (1998). A Christian mother sends her substance-abusing daughter to relatives down South. There, she learns about responsibility and the importance of family. Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Wesley Snipes, Loretta Devine.

Distributor: TriStar Pictures

No Reservations

2007-08-03T15:49:00.001-07:00

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson. Written by Carol Fuchs, based on the original screenplay entitled "Mostly Martha" by Sandra Nettelbeck. Directed by Scott Hicks.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Master chef Kate Armstrong has her perfectionist nature put to the test when she inherits her nine-year-old niece Zoe (her single mother is killed in a car crash), while contending with a brash new sous-chef who joins her staff. High-spirited and freewheeling, Nick Palmer couldn’t be more different from Kate, yet the chemistry between them is undeniable. Rivalry becomes romance, but Kate will have to learn to express herself beyond the realm of her kitchen if she wants to connect with Zoe and find true happiness with Nick.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I call it an uneven production because it contains some positives, but with an equal amount of negative. The good: the actors. Ms. Zeta-Jones is lovely, Mr. Eckhart is suitably antic, and little Abigail Breslin is touching. Also, no car chases and nothing blows up, (a nice change of pace).

Most films avoid scenes with people eating, let alone the making of meals. That’s a shame as that communal activity is both esthetic and theraputic. Indeed, I suspect God gave the world music and food in order to unite us. Well, the action here revolves around a hoiti toiti resturant, where we see exotic dishes being conjured while the relationships simmer. All that’s good.

Alas, the negatives are just as annoying as Catherine and the food are sumptuous. First, the filmmaker gets a case of the cutes. It becomes too saccharine, especially when Aunt Kate and little Zoe have a pillow fight. Suddenly, my teeth began to ache. Added to this shortcoming, the film is also predictable. Oh, is it predictable. Midway through the film, I uttered the name of the resturant the lead twosome would eventually own. And I was right.

There are three things that annoy me most in today’s comedies, each of which has been incorporated into this production. One is the presence of the hand-hand camera, a technique that began in action films to make a scene more frantic. Now, it is just a gimmick. Next, is my distaste for the use of “comic” montages. If the film is about dating, we get a montage with “funny” wannabe suiters. If it’s about running a resturant, the montage is about hiring “funny” wannabe chefs. And thirdly, there’s no easier way to keep the rating out of “G” territory than to throw in either the f-bomb or profane God’s name. Here, the choice was to have a minor character use a profanity. She’s a waitress, studying to do an acting scene while standing in the food locker. Fumbling with the dramatic scene, out comes God’s name followed by a curse. The harshness of the expression changes the mood of a romantic comedy. Or, at one time it did. Now, both film makers and goers are desensitized to its true meaning.

There are some funny moments, it is diverting, and director Scott Hicks (Snow Falling on Cedars, Shine) mixes the ingredients of tragedy and comedy together sufficently, but everything seems lightweight, it’s premise overshadowed by candied superficiality. Ultimately, the film is like tiramisu with too much coffee liqueur – just too sweet.

For better food films, try these video alternatives: Eat Drink Man Woman. This Chinese film takes as much care in developing the characters and their struggles as it does with its depiction of culinary delights. It is an insightful look into the importance of sex, religion, honor and, yes, food. And in the film, one of the sisters has become a born-again Christian. While she is a bit overzealous, she is never ridiculed. She is sincere in her beliefs and her family, though not yet taking that spiritual path, respects her choice. Caution, Eat, Drink, Man, Woman is rated R.

If you would rather not support an R-rated movie, allow me to suggest: Babette’s Feast. This 1987 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film centers around two devout Danish sisters who show kindness to a homeless woman. When she wins a lottery, the woman shares her good fortune in a most lavish manner. Based on a short story by Isak Dinessen, it is a beautiful tale of devotion and sacrifice, as well as a healing parable where quarreling friends and acquaintances are brought together once they shed their pious austerity. The film urges us not to hide behind our religion, but to put it into action.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

The Simpsons Movie

2007-08-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

Voices: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, and Tress MacNeille, Albert Brooks. Animation. Written by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder, and Jon Vitti. Directed by David Silverman.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Homer creates a catastrophe for Springfield, and only he can fix things. Matt Groening, help us!

PREVIEW REVIEW. The TV series has lasted eighteen years, with a remarkable 400 episodes. So the question is: will moviegoers want to pay for something they’ve been seeing for free for eighteen years? Knowing that question would arise, the writers address it during the opening sequence. It's an amusing moment as Homer makes fun of the audience for paying to see the film. Amusing is the word for this movie. Not fresh or hip. Not even edgy. Just amusing. Somewhat.

As with the TV series, any and every subject, from politics to church-going is ripe for skewering. But, like the series, most of it is lighthearted and I never felt the quips were mean-spirited or sacrilegious (though Granpa speaking in tongues at church comes very close). The movie merely allows Homer the PG-13 ability to give us the finger in one scene, and for Marge to profane God’s name in another. Marge, of all the characters, is the one who yells God’s name in frustration, followed by a curse. Oh, and we see Bart’s penis as he skateboards nude about town. This is what we waited eighteen years to see?

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Hairspray

2007-07-30T15:05:00.001-07:00

Nicole Blonsky, John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Amanda Bynes, Allison Janney, Brittany Snow, Zac Efron. Musical comedy. Written by Leslie Dixon. Directed by Adam Shankman.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Based on John Waters’ 1988 cult classic, this new version concerns a local teenage Baltimore dance show coming to terms with integration. A salute to those who don’t fit in, this nostalgic satire is set during the backdrop of the early 1960s, when racial inequality was about to meet its doom by a new generation of whites who found hypocrisy in the treatment of America’s blacks.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I’m not a fan of men in drag movies, and the trailer to this one focused so much attention on John Travolta in a female fat suit that I found it a chore attending the screening. I had not seen the original and have always found the bizarre John Waters more antagonistic than talented. There just didn’t seem to be anything in this film’s favor. Then the first number was sung by the exuberant new kid on Hollywood’s block, Nicole Blonsky. Her character’s hopeful, positive nature is captured in the amusing song that touts “every day is an open door.” Full of personality and gifted with a more than satisfying musical voice, the novice movie actress (this is her first film) is a treasure.

The film addresses racial issues, but never sacrifices its lighthearted nature. The supporting cast is up to the script and the musical numbers are lively and enlightening. Christopher Walken stands out as the lead’s dad, a sensitive man who owns a magic store called the Hardy Har Hut. And then there’s Mr. Travolta. Move over Dame Edna, Travolta is the new girl in town. Funny, touching, Travolta meets the task. Not sure why this part needs to be played by a man, but it was first handled by Divine, a gay man who played women whenever possible. Perhaps the reasoning is to subtly let viewers know that this film is about all those who feel ostracized by society.

The biggest surprise of the summer, Hairspray is engrossing, touching and joyous. Of course, this is a cosmetic treatment of integration, but it successfully stresses that the differences in people help complement us as a species. (Think that’s what God had in mind?)

The only letdown for me is the treatment of Christians. To show a generation slow to change, a stuffy, matronly mother becomes the caricature of narrow-mindedness. In one scene, she ties her teenage daughter to a bed in order to keep her from going out with a black youth. This being a comedy, the mother hurls holy water on her bound daughter while calling her “devil child.” It’s funny, admittedly, but there’s an underlying hostility. The story spotlights the evil of bigotry and the silliness that separates races, but the filmmakers use a cartoonish representation of a Bible-reader as the picture of villainy. In far too many movies, including this one, Christ and His church are becoming symbols of ignorance and intolerance.

Distributor: New Line

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

2007-07-30T15:04:00.001-07:00

Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Ving Rhames with Steve Buscemi and Dan Aykroyd. Comedy. Written by Lew Gallo, Barry Fanaro and Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Directed by Dennis Dugan.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Chuck Levine (Sandler) and Larry Valentine (James) are the pride of their fire station. Grateful Chuck owes Larry for saving his life in a fire, and Larry calls in that favor big time when civic red tape prevents him from naming his own two kids as his life insurance beneficiaries. All that Chuck has to do is claim to be Larry’s domestic partner on some city forms. Easy. Nobody will ever know. But when an overzealous bureaucrat becomes suspicious, the new couple’s arrangement becomes a citywide issue and goes from confidential to front-page news. Forced to improvise as love-struck newlyweds, Chuck and Larry must now fumble through a charade of domestic bliss under one roof.

PREVIEW REVIEW: The message: the gay lifestyle should be accepted and respected in today’s America. And in case you missed the message due to the comic pratfalls and the immature humor that ranges from fat jokes to gay jokes to juvenile daydreams about scantily clad twin sisters kissing one another, the stars repeat the message over and over.

There’s some funny stuff, these two guys being proven talents, but most of the wit is based on sophomoric or crude humor, and the message becomes not only the central theme, but one accompanied by a subtle threatening.

There’s a scene where a religious group is picketing a gay club. The hostile minister calls one of the leads a “faggot.” (There are some zealots who actually behave this way.) He is rightly punched in the mouth for his disrespectful name calling. My problem with the scene is that it is the only one having anything to do with Christian behavior. Gay groups have been verbally attacked by church groups more concerned with America’s culture than Christ’s teachings. And now it’s payback time. It’s as if those involved in this production are saying “We are gunning for you, Christians.”

We Christians blew it when it came to reaching out to the gay community. There are haters in religion, for sure, but most of us just simply don’t know how to express our perspective without it appearing to be pious finger pointing. Now everybody lives by a perspective. Everybody. But if your perspective is that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, you are perceived as intolerant. Of course, there are a couple hundred different denominations, with lots of takes on the Christian perspective. Therefore, I hate to offer mine, knowing it won’t sit well with some. But it just seems to me that if the two most important commands are to love God and to love one another, as Jesus instructed, shouldn’t we be attempting to satisfy those two directives? Won’t all the other commands fall into place if we keep our thoughts on those two? “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” Matthew 22:36-40. And won’t the desire to follow His leading be our most effective witness?

Watching this pivotal scene is unnerving. For it slyly depicts an anti-Christian conviction. It states that we followers of Christ are the enemy – not just the haters with a disguised objective, but all of us. In this one scene, in this rather silly movie, it becomes clear that in the eyes of those who seek the rights of the downtrodden, we Christians are the threat to American justice. We are the Hitlers. And since we are seen as a jeopardy to the pursuit of homosexual happiness, we must not only be challenged but vanquished. I think things are going to get a little tough for the faithful in America’s future. Is it because we showed too much of Christ’s concern, or not enough?

Distributor: Universal

Joshua

2007-07-25T23:42:00.001-07:00

Sam Rockwell, Vera Farmiga, Celia Westson, Dallas Roberts, Jacob Kogan as Joshua. Thriller. Written & directed by Geroge Ratliff.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A young couple has a perfect, well-heeled Manhattan life, with a new baby girl and the male prodigy born to them nine years earlier. But with the arrival of his newborn sister, Joshua begins to display a disturbing side. Not just jealous of his sibling, he begins to display a psycho side bent on destroying his entire family. Alas, no one else sees the demonic behavior until it’s too late.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Earlier that day, I had viewed an uplifting, gentle film, then had a nice meal with a friend, returning later to the same theater where I regaled studio publicists with tales of past adventures at the movies, to which they kindly responded with chuckles. It had been a very pleasant day. I was…happy…when I sat down and waited for Joshua to begin. It didn’t take long, however, before the film began to drain that joy out of me, much like a vampire sucks the life’s blood out of his victims. It quickly became apparent that this film was going to be the opposite of edifying.

It’s always unsettling when an infant is endangered in movies. Too often, we hear horror stories on the news concerning abused infants. So I’m not quite sure who would enjoy this theme as entertainment. Well, it’s implied that Joshua, who walks around arms at his sides, his shirt buttoned to the neck like Adrian Monk, sneaks into his sister’s room late at night and somehow gets her to cry. Soon the baby is crying all the time, until the mother loses her mind and has to be institutionalized. Then it’s Dad’s turn. Methodically, the boy disassembles his family’s life, skillfully aiming the blame at others. He even knows how to get a child psychologist to think the boy’s father is abusing him.

Joshua is brilliant, demented and creepy. He seems to be the spawn of The Omen’s Damian and that spooky chick from The Bad Seed. If seeing injustice go unpunished is disturbing to you, then consider yourself forewarned. But there’s an added ingredient that made this storyline unsettling for me; Christian bashing.

Joshua’s parents have rejected any kind of religious upbringing, claiming they will let their children decide for themselves about church going. The husband’s folks are zealous Christians, determined to bring Jesus into their son’s home. This, as you can imagine, doesn’t sit well with Joshua’s Jewish mother. And oh what a tirade she vents upon discovery that her mother-in-law has sneaked Josh off to a religious service.

The mother-in-law is portrayed as good-hearted, but over-zealous in her approach. Even more troubling for this Christian moviegoer was the screening audience’s reaction as soon as the woman declared her faith (with clumsy pronouncements and a cardboard-ish portrayal). They began to snicker, the entire theater taken over by an anti-Christian bias. The Christian in the film was portrayed as close-minded. This the audience rallied behind, seemingly glad to see a person of the Christian faith ridiculed on screen. (Why is it that the word phobic is used to point out prejudice, except when that close-mindedness is aimed at the entire Christian community?) I found myself conflicted, with a touch of hostility tempered by a sorrow for those in the audience who seemed to lump the Son of God among his foibled followers. And exactly when did Evangelicals become America’s bad guys?

Distributor: Fox Searchlight

You Kill Me

2007-07-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

Ben Kingsley, Tia Leoni, Luke Wilson, Bill Pullman. Dark comedy. Written by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely. Directed by John Dahl.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Frank Falenchzyk (Ben Kingsley) is a hit-man for his Polish mob family in Buffalo, New York. But Frank’s got a drinking problem and when he messes up a critical assignment that puts the family business in peril, his uncle (Philip Baker Hall) sends him to San Francisco to dry out. Frank is not a touchy-feely kind of guy, but things begin looking up for him. He starts going to AA meetings and gets a job at a mortuary, where he falls for the tart-tongued Lauren (Tea Leoni) who is devoid of boundaries and clearly not mourning her step-dad’s sudden passing. Meanwhile, things aren’t going well in Buffalo where an upstart Irish gang is threatening the family business. When violence erupts, Frank is forced to return home. With an assist from Laurel, he exacts vengeance for his recently murdered uncle.

PREVIEW REVIEW: So, I get to the theater and rather than stating that I was there for the screening, I looked at the ticket taker and said, “You Kill Me.” She was a bit unnerved by my declaration. Guess I wasn’t her type.

The film’s off-beat humor is darker than night, yet executed with such skill by its stars that you can’t help but laugh - often. He’s an assassin who needs to sober up in order to do a better job killing people. He enters AA and eventually takes the 12-step program so seriously that he forthrightly reveals his profession to fellow addicts. They are a bit chagrined, but nonjudgmental. Remember, the story takes place in San Francisco, where they are very open-minded.

Frank doesn’t mind killing people, mind you, he just feels bad when he’s sloppy at it. He tells of attempting to slit a woman’s throat, but is so bombed that he slips and knifes her in the eye. “No one should have to die like that,” he tight-lipped-ly states. Eventually adhering to the 12-step program, Frank seeks to make amends by sending gift certificates to his victims’ families. And one of the steps has to do with acknowledging a higher being. Not being able to conceptualize the loving sacrifice of Jesus on a cross, Frank, instead, aims his prayers at the Golden Gate Bridge.

The script, the acting and direction are so droll we actually find ourselves rooting for this killer with a heart. Clever, with a low-key wittiness, the film is an appreciated exception because it doesn’t garner its laughs from bodily functions or crude visuals. It does, however, base its eccentric premise on a reformed morality. You see, Frank believes the crime lies in the indifference to your calling, not the calling itself.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2007-07-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson. Fantasy adventure. Screenplay by Michael Goldenberg, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Directed by David Yates.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and finds he must teach fellow students how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts and a teacher bent on replacing Headmaster Dumbledore.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I object when films such as the Harry Potter series require you to study the novels in order to comprehend their movie counterparts. A motion picture should stand on its own. So, if you are a devotee of all things Potter, this is probably a well-told good-vs.-evil parable. For those whose only exposure to Hogwarts comes every couple of years when a new movie sequel is released, the story and dialogue may be a muddled, bleak mess. I am in that latter category and must be content with the wizardry of the Warner Bros.’ special effects department.

The film feels more like a bridge between installments four and six than a stand-alone sequel. Normally, I would like how the action adventure is subdued in this episode, allowing exposition to take center stage. That usually leads to character development, where people become more human, less cartoonish. But there’s not much new in anyone’s development, here, other than everyone is a bit taller. Though Ron has a few nice moments where he defends both Harry and Hermione, overall, the leads seem cardboard-ish, placed in scenes like props. The portrayals are one dimensional and the mood throughout is gloomy (but then what would you expect from a community dominated by witchery). The confusing names, places and theories that must have been more clearly defined in the books, here are muttered too casually by youngsters who talk at 45-rpm while the rest of us remain at 33-speak. Emma Watson is especially guilty of this quick-blurting. She needs to slow down and enunciate, because, it would be nice to understand anything she says.

This pop culture phenomenon is both fantastical and controversial. The books draw adolescent readership much the way catnip seduces felines. The movies have the same effect, as they invite viewers into this adventurous alternate world. But, the concern persists for those leery of the thematic foundation contained in the series: should we be sending young minds off to see stories infused with witchcraft? Revelation 22:15: “…Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” In both the Old and New Testaments, we are warned to steer clear of witchcraft.

There are millions of practicing witches worldwide. Members of Wicca teach a philosophy that embraces no absolute truth, and replaces the patriarchal male creator God of the Bible with a belief in both male and female gods. The cult instructs members to embrace spirits and teach how to use spells and curses to control their lives and the lives of others.

Okay, maybe there are no hidden agendas; maybe author J.K. Rowling is just a brilliant storyteller. But I hope that thinking parents would want to examine any phenomenon that has catapulted a once poverty-ridden writer to the status of richest female in the world. Good or bad, Rowling is a Pied Piper. So what exactly is the allure?

Arguably, perceptive children can view such material without succumbing to the snare of the occult. But there are those who view films such as The Craft or TV shows such as Charmed and find themselves drawn to experimenting with the occult. Unhappy at home, unpopular at school, frustrated with the trials of life, many young ones seek solace in something supernatural. And since Christianity and Judaism often seem an established part of their parents’ organized world, they rebel by delving into the opposite. Then, once ensconced in the dark nature of the occult, they find it governing their lives and ultimately destroying their souls.

In a television special entitled Hollywood Spirituality, which aired several years ago on E! Entertainment, Raven Mounauni, a professing witch and owner of an occult paraphernalia store, credited the 1996 movie The Craft with inspiring young women to explore the world of witches. “I get a lot of teenage girls in here. You can always tell when The Craft has been on TV, ‘cause we get a big influx of girls looking for supplies.”

Mysticism shouldn’t be considered just diverting amusement. Ouija boards, psychic readers, and other forms of misleading supernatural entertainment should not be taken lightly. In Leviticus 19:26 we are instructed, “Do not practice divination or sorcery.” So, if God is instructing us to avoid occult practices, how can we justify using it to entertain ourselves? God’s Word doesn't apply to just parts of our lives, but to the sum total - including how we entertain ourselves.

I am suggesting several video alternatives that might be of interest to members of your family. Check with your local Christian bookstore first. They may also have some interesting fantasies/fables.

For Little Ones…

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. (Public Media Video). A group of children discover a closet that leads to a far-off land called Narnia. The tale is full of Christian analogies and symbolism. This is truly a 4-star adaptation of the C.S. Lewis classic tale. It is complete with terrific special effects, animation, as well as live action, musical score, and costumes.

Adventures from the Book Of Virtues. (1996) Based on the best-selling book by William J. Bennett, this superbly animated series is filled with exciting adventures and inspiring messages for little ones. It has been designed to cultivate the best in human qualities: loyalty, courage, honesty, perseverance, self-discipline, respect, etc. Two children, Zach and Annie, face everyday challenges and issues with the help of Plato, a wise and friendly buffalo, Aristotle, a feisty but loyal prairie dog, and Aurora, a warm and caring red-tailed hawk.

For Older Siblings...

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Not since Dorothy landed on the yellow brick road have young and old alike entered such an enchanting world. Its story and dialogue are witty for adults, its magical look spellbinding for kids. PG (Though there is no blood and the filmmakers attempt to avoid excessive brutality, this good vs. evil tale does include violence – from bombs exploding, to a wicked witch slapping a youngster, to wolves attacking, to an all-out Braveheart-like battle. There are a few jolting scenes and several scary moments; parents should attend with little ones in order to reassure. The kids learn life lessons, the film is pro-family and the spiritual insights are distinctly biblical).

Fairy Tale: A True Story. (1997) Florence Hoath, Elizabeth Earl, Peter O'Toole. Paramount. Fantasy. Two young girls discover a village of fairies at the bottom of a garden. It contains a wonderful message about believing in things unseen. PG (one mild crude expression; concerns a belief in fairies and guardian angels).

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Transformers

2007-07-05T23:51:00.001-07:00

Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Rachael Taylor, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Jon Voight. Sci-fi. Written by John Rogers, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman. Directed by Michael Bay.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Our world becomes a battleground for aliens who come to face off. As the forces of evil seek the key to ultimate power, Earth’s only chance for survival rests in the hands of young Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf).

PREVIEW REVIEW: Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Transformers, they are beings from another world who are able to change into various objects such as cars, planes and other technological wonders. The Transformers are the good guys. They are careful of us puny Earthlings and do their best to protect us from the Decepticons (they can also turn into cool cars), who want to rule the galaxy. With the aid of high schooler Sam Witwicky and the tough hottie Sam has a crush on, the Autobots battle to prevent the evil Decepticons from getting a device that will give them unlimited power. The humans duck and cover a lot, while the giant metal beings from other worlds break up a lot of buildings and roadways as they wrestle for ultimate control. Sound like your kind of movie? I have to tell you I kinda got caught up in the intense action (incredible special effects and never-ending action sequences – no expense was spared). Action packed, witty and with a heart, Transformers is a winner for the 14-year-old boy in all of us. Couple this feature with the new Die Hard film and you’ll be buzzed all week.

That said, I have a concern. While it has a comic book feel, and I just assume the concept was designed for a younger audience, the amount of visceral violence gained the film a PG-13 rating. Because of the amount of violence already aimed at kids by the world’s entertainment community, I question this film’s suitability for the audience it was made for.

In so many action films out this summer, the lives of minor characters are cheap. This one opens with US soldiers getting blown-up and tossed around by the Decepticons. The film’s background characters serve no purpose but to get whacked by the bad guys. This was also true for the recent Live Free or Die Hard. These are throw-away people. We don’t know them so it doesn’t matter that these “extras” are killed to further the story. I’m concerned that this is desensitizing. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s just a release. But when these minor characters are killed on screen, they are given no more thought by the audience. We only care about the main players. Again, I’m not sure if this is a legitimate concern, but the special effects and action sequences seen in summer blockbusters becomes more chaotic and noisy in each new release. Is this harmful on young psyches? Or anyone’s for that matter?

I can just hear some of you – “Lighten up, Phil. It’s only a movie.” Okay, okay. They’re your kids.

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Ratatouille

2007-07-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

Patton Oswalt, Brian Dennehy, Brad Garrett, Janeane Garofalo, Ian Holm, Peter O'Toole, John Ratzenberger. Adventure, Animation, Comedy. Written by Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg, Jan Pinkava. Directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava.

FILM SYNOPSIS: In this new animated adventure from the folks who gave us Cars and The Incredibles, a rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the city of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen at one of Paris' most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy's amazing talents. Remy finds himself torn between following his dreams or returning forever to his previous existence as a rat. He learns the truth about friendship, family and having no choice but to be who he really is, a rat who wants to be a chef.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Pixar Animation Studios is difficult to beat. The artists and business associates seem to represent the same fun-loving spirit once found at Warner Bros./Loony Tunes. Ratatouille displays the same inventiveness and whimsy of the best cartoons. The short that comes before it is hysterical and the main feature is witty, involving and tops in animation. But, there’s just one little drawback with this otherwise classy comedy.

The film is about a rat who moves about a restaurant – touching food. Well, we accepted Mickey Mouse, why not Remy the rat, right? Sorry, but my sensibilities will only allow my imagination so much latitude. Come on, this is a rat – in a restaurant! Touching food!!

Of course, Charlotte’s Web made us feel for a pig and a spider. That story was full of symbolism, a parable about finding worth in diversity. But that was only one pig. And one spider. Not hundreds of rodents invading where we eat. Sometimes, a spider is more than a spider. But a rat is always a rat. A disgusting rat.

There are positive messages contained in the storyline and the filmmaking is top drawer. And I think today’s film-going kids are so used to disgusting imagery in movies that a food-cooking rat probably won’t be all that disgusting for them. We’re becoming more tolerant, evidently, even of rats. Well, I’m as against prejudice as next guy. But, please, leave me with something to hate – Hitler, the films of Paulie Shore and – rats!

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios

Live Free Or Die Hard

2007-07-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Bruce Willis. Action. Written by Mark Bomback. Directed by Len Wiseman.>[?FILM SYNOPSIS: A detailed terrorist plot threatens America’s infrastructure. The country’s brains are baffled. But not to worry, old pro Rudy Guiliani, I mean, John McClane, is on the case.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Nobody does tongue-in-cheek action drama better than Bruce Willis. Furthermore, his original Die Hard was a redefining of the actioneer. The wisecracking actor freshened the face of that genre. Now, after all these years, Willis still proves to be the essential Good Guy movie hero. And what a beginning to Live Free or Die Hard! The edgy plot is terrifying. It has the threat of a terrorist hacking into America’s most sensitive security systems and bringing our country to an abrupt standstill. What makes the story so spooky is that while you’re seeking comfort in thinking that surely this can’t happen, one character points out that it took FEMA five days just to get water to the Superdome after Katrina. In other words, while some details are pure Hollywood, overall, this opening awakens us to the reality of how impermanent life as we know it in the good old USA has become. Throughout this first act, the word catastrophe seems not only possible, but imminent.

The premise is nightmarish, making this a cut above the standard hero-saves-the-world summer film treat. This first half twists your gut and causes you to grab the armrests as if you’re on an out-of-control roller coaster. Soon we’re thinking how lucky we are to have a super cop like John McClane to deal with such calamities. Well, make that “hope there is.”

Sadly, the second half becomes ludicrous, with the star’s tongue stuck as far into his cheek as it will go. At one point, he actually escapes a life-threatening situation by jumping off a crumbling freeway and toppling onto the rear end of a hovering fighter jet.

Suddenly, it’s the typical bang-bang-punch-punch chase blockbuster we’ve come to expect each summer.

Though he began the franchise in 1988, Willis is still the right man for the role and every spare dime found at 20th Century Fox has been put into the production as if that will guarantee a following. And I’m sure it will. But, although the stunts, special effects and action are as good as Bruce Willis is amusing, the subplot of estranged daughter being taken captive by the head evildoer is a tired scenario, and the free world being attacked and saved by countless scenes in front of a computer keyboard has also been done to death. Then there’s the dialogue, which is peppered with profanity, several characters throwing Christ’s name around like a useless expletive and God’s name being followed by a curse at least 10 times. Why doesn’t this bother moviegoers any more? And lastly, the twist in plot direction is inane and the overall feel of the film is brutal and senseless.

Video Alternative: Dr. Strangelove. Very dark comedy about a military commander who goes, well, a little funny in the head, and launches an A-bomb aimed at Russia. Stanley Kubrick’s brilliant comedy pokes fun at politicians and the absurdity of war. Peter Sellers, George C. Scott head intrepid cast. (Caution: Adult subject matter).

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Evan Almighty

2007-06-28T15:20:00.001-07:00

Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, John Goodman, Wanda Sykes, Molly Shannon, Lauren Graham. Comedy/fantasy. Written by Steve Oedekerk. Directed by Tom Shadyac.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Steve Carell, reprising his role as the preening newscaster Evan Baxter of Bruce Almighty, is the next one anointed by God to accomplish a holy mission in the comedy Evan Almighty. Newly elected to Congress, Evan moves his family to suburban northern Virginia, whereupon the freshman Congressman asks God to help him “change the world.” The prayer is heard, and suddenly Evan’s life turns upside-down. God (Morgan Freeman) appears and commands Evan to build an ark. Like his biblical predecessor, this new life direction does not sit well with his co-workers, his community or his wife.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Those suspicious of the film industry using a biblical parable to fuel a movie comedy may be nervous with this concept, and may even see sacrilege where none was intended. But the comedy achieved here does not mock spiritual matters, nor is it in any way covertly used to denigrate the book of Genesis. Director Tom Shadyac (The Nutty Professor, Patch Adams, Liar, Liar) and star Steve Carell (Bruce Almighty, TV’s The Office) have simply set out to make a funny movie. It’s meant to entertain, not proselytize, and not signal the world’s end. That said, one of Tom Shadyac’s strengths as a comic filmmaker (Bruce Almighty, Liar, Liar), is to ridicule man’s folly by placing man’s goals alongside biblical principals and principles.

Its themes are universal in flavor (the need for faith and standing side by side). The film’s elements of pacing, characterizations, and the incorporation of live animals along with super CG effects all come delightfully together, resulting in a successful effort to keep young and old glued to their cinema seats. Keeping in mind that the same filmmakers assembled Ace Ventura with Jim Carrey and The Nutty Professor with Eddie Murphy, the absence of anything crude is not realistic. In an effort to capture the attention of the adolescent male, the movie contains several doses of potty humor (a dog sniffing a crotch, lots of bird droppings). However, it is devoid of the sexual imagery found in Bruce Almighty, the producers seem more family-friendly this time around. The production makes us laugh and occasionally gives us a case of the warm fuzzies.

Morgan Freeman is this reviewer’s favorite movie star of this generation. He inhabits an authority, sincerity and believability few actors possess. I’ll go so far as to say that not since Marlon Brando has an actor represented the craft of play acting with such unflinching significance. When I saw him as the President in Deep Impact, I remember thinking, “I’d vote for that guy.” His performance here is also extraordinary. He respectfully mimics the Supreme Being’s love and command in a way that pays tribute to the one God. His portrayal may even get audiences to thinking about how we were created and what lies beyond this life.

Director Shadyac proclaims himself to be a Believer, and though he is not sermonizing with this production, he does use it to address the care of this planet and loving one another. And faith. He makes it quite clear that faith is important, even inescapable. There is a moment where Evan’s faith is displayed through love for his fellow human beings. Like Noah, Evan is mocked by the community for his conviction. But when their scoffing turns to fear at the sight of imminent doom, Evan reaches out with forgiveness and a way of salvation. It was just one of the film’s touching moments. There are others.

As for laugh-out-loud moments, the star and his equally gifted supporting cast members handle the quips and visual gags with equal aplomb. It’s a family pleaser. Indeed, so far, it is the best family film of the year. But before I conclude my thoughts, a word must be said about…poop.

In nearly every film aimed at the adolescent male, you are going to find anatomical and scatological humor well represented. Indeed, bodily functions have been so associated with movie comedy of late that its mere mention tends to raise the eyebrows of those who feel such crudity should remain where it belongs – on the baseball diamond.

Now, toilet humor is my least favorite. I associate it with lazy writing. But there is almost always an exception to the rule. This is a movie filled with animals two by two, and animals are not inhibited by bodily functions. The filmmakers take advantage of this uninhibited release, occasionally using birds to, how should I put this, dump on man’s pomposity. It’s still not in the best of taste, I grant you, but if you have ever worked on a farm or built a patio under a telephone pole, you know poop is inescapable.

It’s a production that embraces kids and adults alike with its humor and its message. What’s more, Evan Almighty may cause discussion among children and their parents concerning Noah and the flood or forgiving people who have wronged you, or maybe just about poop.

Distributor: Universal

La Vie En Rose

2007-06-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

Marion Cotillard, Sylvi Testud Pacal Greggory, Emmanuelle Seigener, Jan-Paul Rouve, Clotidlde Courau, Gerard Depardieu. Written & directed by Oliver Dahan. Biography.

FILM SYNOPSIS: An impressionistic portrait of legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf, the film explores the singer’s rise to fame, despite tragedies and drug addiction. Known as La Mome Piaf (The Little Sparrow), Piaf’s life mirrored that of Judy Garland and Billie Holiday. Piaf remains, however, one of France’s icons, her voice one of the indelible signatures of the 20th Century.

PREVIEW REVIEW: A powerful performance from the diminutive Marion Cotillard highlights this otherwise overwrought production of Edith Piaf’s life. Born into poverty, raised in a bordello, yanked away from a loving surrogate mother, forced to perform as a child to earn eating money, injured in a car accident that leaves her bent over and addicted to pills, finally finding true love, alas with a married family man who is killed in a plane crash, Piaf suffered a life with more ups and downs than Garland and Holiday combined. The nonlinear story is so wrought with tragedy that by film’s end, one wishes for the days of such musicals as The Sound of Music or even Funny Girl.

At one point as a child, Edith sees a vision, a Saint Theresa, who promises to look after her. This seems to be her main connection to spiritual matters, until she seeks a psychic in order to make contact with her dead lover. This, as you can imagine, doesn’t do her much good.

One can’t watch the film without realizing that life is full of challenges and bitter-sweetness. Even the rich and famous are unable to escape problems. And no matter how much they obtain, there’s just a little more outside their reach. Conclusion: Life is about more than gaining the whole world – or even the little cottage with the white picket fence. Life is a fleeting moment in time, an obstacle course filled with mountains and valleys. And each obstacle we face has to do with character development and faith.

I’m not all that sure many will discern that philosophy as I’m not all the sure it was the director’s intent. It’s just something I’m reminded of whenever I see characters on the silver screen dealing with adversity. No matter who you are, problems are unavoidable. They’re meant to be a part of the life experience and give evidence that there is more to our stay here than obtaining self-glory.

Distributor: Picturehouse

Sicko

2007-06-24T23:28:00.001-07:00

FILM SYNOPSIS: A documentary written, directed and produced by Michael Moore (Fahrenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine), Sicko sets out to investigate the dysfunctional American healthcare system. Using his trademark dry, caustic humor, Moore compares U.S. medical care plans to those of existing ones in Canada, England, France and Cuba.

PREVIEW REVIEW: With his confrontational, often controversial approach, Michael Moore is a guy you either respect or find offensive. Over the years, beginning with Roger and Me, the portly propagandist has taken on the car manufacturing industry, President Bush, gun control, Republicans, an ailing Charlton Heston and now the business of health. It’s difficult to look upon him the same way as when he tenaciously tracked down then General Motors chairman Roger Smith in 1989. It is reported that he earned $25 million for this latest production, and by his girth, it would appear that Mr. Moore has since learned to accept the bounty of capitalism, if only during meal time.

Many believe that Moore has always blended his essay on corporate America with supposition and opinion, often using his political bent and savvy style to cover his version of the facts. That said, it cannot be denied that sickness is big business, run by conglomerates just as powerful as the oil industry or Capital Hill. Whatever your opinion of Mr. Moore, his latest filmed effort raises questions and encourages debate. That’s healthy in a society that seems manipulated by the greed and avarice of powers that be.

Distributor: Lionsgate

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

2007-06-24T23:27:00.001-07:00

Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon. Sci-fi action adventure. Written by Don Payne, Mark Frost. Directed by Tim Story.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Besides having to deal with their returning nemesis, Dr. Doom, the fearsome foursome must now contend with a new threat, an intergalactic being known as the Silver Surfer. Lots of havoc ensues as an alien force threatens to destroy Earth.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Marvel’s first family of superheroes returns, perhaps to redeem themselves for the 2005 installment almost as much as to cash in on the comic book genre. Director Tim Story’s first attempt at bringing the blue-suited super-crime fighters to the silver screen was uneven. It had some humor, but the special effects were so-so and the dialogue less than. Due to sloppy writing, that production had little heart. The heroes didn’t seem to do much for others, the story constrained to their own desires to return to normalcy. Surly, narcissistic and charmless, the foursome was not so fantastic. All that has changed. The effects here are as good as I’ve seen. And the pacing, the humor, the action, and even the dialogue are superior not just to the first installment, but to many action/adventure wannabes. Quite simply, 2 is Fantastic!

My only complaint is the casting of Jessica Alba. Oh, I love her. She’s talented and a beauty, but Hollywood is full of blue-eyed blondes who could fit the look made famous in the comic book. So what do the producers do? They cast a dark skinned woman, going as pale as possible on the Max Factor, cover her striking brown eyes with blue contacts, and helmet her gorgeous brunette hair with wigs that look like they were made from Trigger’s tail. Go figure.

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Nancy Drew

2007-06-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan. Family Mystery Adventure. Written by Andrew Fleming and Tiffany Paulsen. Directed by Andrew Fleming.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Based on characters created by Carolyn Keene, Nancy Drew follows teenager Nancy (Emma Roberts) as she accompanies her father, Carson Drew (Tate Donovan), to Los Angeles on one of his business trips and stumbles across evidence about a long-unsolved crime involving the mysterious death of a beautiful movie star. Nancy’s resourcefulness and personal responsibility are put to the test when she finds herself in the middle of the fast-living, self-indulgent world of Hollywood.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I liked everything about this movie, mainly because it’s smart. And witty. For example; after nearly being run down, Nancy asks her friend, “I wonder who tried to kill us?” The filmmakers are spoofing B-film dialogue, but lovingly. The line was purposely corny, but delivered with an affection that caused a lighthearted giggle from young and old. Another moment is equally entertaining. Nancy finds a bomb in her car. Surrounded by unknowing teens, she grabs the ticking device and nonchalantly moves off, calmly offering this reason for the rudeness, “Excuse me, I have to defuse this bomb.”

Nancy’s pension for sleuthing is explained by the death of her mother years before. Mom remains a mystery, one Nancy can’t solve, so she tries to decode other puzzles. And though the world is now populated by world-weary adults and children, Nancy is her own person and prefers a different time and attitude. She’s encapsulated herself in a sort of retro-cocktail hour, constructed by Bossa Nova music and all things mid-1960s, perhaps the world her mother had lived in. She seems out of step with her new schoolmates, but Nancy sees no need to fit in if it means not being herself.

Nancy wears knee socks and penny loafers and drives a vintage roadster, not because she’s stuck in a time warp like those movies that mocked TV’s Brady Bunch, but because she finds them a good fit. Her style is not predicated on the fickle flair of girls afraid to try anything outside the limited mindset of their peers.

Most everything about the production is geared to adolescent females, giving them an instructive message about being true to yourself, while also caring for others. And Nancy understands that to achieve a goal, you have to work for it, not merely expect it to be given. It’s a kind of lesson in character building, but subtly incorporated into the comic adventure so that youngsters never feel they are being preached to.

Emma Roberts, niece of Julia, has a good screen presence. It takes skill to handle tongue-in-cheek humor and she manages everything the script and her director toss at her. As for the director, he is nearly as brave and chichi as the lead character. He paces the film deliberately, allowing for character-revealing moments and taking his time to show Nancy dealing with predicaments, then wisely speeding up the action before today’s music-video generation can lose interest. That assumption is based on the fact that all the preteeners at the screening remained glued to their seats as Nancy went about her business much like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and television’s MacGyver.

The film has a chic look, taking advantage of colorful Southern California locales. And there’s even a surprise cameo. No, it’s not Aunt Julia, but it’s a friend with whom she’s co-starred a couple of times. I won’t give him away, but I wouldn’t be surprised if in real life, Emma calls him Uncle Bruce. Oops.

Nancy Drew is clever, stylish and downright fun.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Once

2007-06-17T02:17:00.000-07:00

Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova. Romantic musical drama. Written & directed by John Carney.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Struggling with life’s obstructions, an Irish vacuum repairman who yearns to sell his music and an Eastern immigrant meet and find their love of music draws them into a romantic relationship.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I have a great deal of positive to assert concerning this film, but allow me to get the negative stated first. The film has a limited budget feel, with an unsteady camera movement throughout that drives this reviewer crazy. This particular camera gimmick started out in the action/adventure genre then spread throughout the industry as if filmmakers had found the Utopian way of shooting pictures. It’s supposed to give a scene movement, energy. It should however, be used sparingly. Like the abundant use of obscenity in a screenwriter’s pallet, this use of moving camera has lost its originality and only serves to say the artist is limited in his abilities. As for obscenity, the f-word is used throughout this film. Evidently, the Irish poor use it even more than Americans. It’s excessive, though I’ll grant it does reveal the characters’ inner frustrations in this film. The other dialogue is crisp, involving and helps give full dimension to the people on screen.

Okay, here’s what I liked about this film. It is a musical, but both the main characters are musicians and the music doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s part of their lives as they find themselves creating music together. As for the music itself, it’s not hummable like the score of My Fair Lady or The Sound of Music, but it is extremely soulful. The male lead sings from his gut, not his throat. And what are they singing about? Not politics – yea! (Used to love Nora Jones until she decided to set us all straight concerning how we are governed.) Both sing about life and how the loves of their lives have affected them. It’s still the most powerful emotion that can be set to music - unrequited love. Anybody remember Sinatra’s One For My Baby? Or his Angel Eyes? That’s what they’re singing about here.

Here’s another positive about this film. It’s not about going to bed together. They don’t do that here. Like Bill Murray’s Lost in Translation, Once is about two people connecting. Lonely, the man does make the suggestion after only one day with the girl, but she makes it clear that’s not going to happen. She’s already made that mistake, leading to childbirth. Though she adores her little girl and is a responsible mother, she has no intention of having another out of wedlock. And she is concerned about the little one having a father.

The man is sensitive to others. When he catches himself using some raunchy language in front of a lady, he apologizes. Both have positive relationships with their parents. Indeed, these are good people.

Lastly, there’s the film’s ending. It is exceptional. A bit melancholy, but very moving. This is a film that will draw attention come Oscar time.

Distributor: Fox Searchlight

Ocean's Thirteen

2007-06-11T00:44:00.001-07:00

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Ellen Barkin, Al Pacino, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould. Action adventure. Written by Brian Koppelman & David Levien. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

FILM SYNOPSIS: In the fanciful sequel to Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve, Danny Ocean and his gang reunite for their biggest heist yet. Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin join the cast in this elaborate caper.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Though the script is non-linear, sometimes challenging to follow, director Steven Soderbergh maintains a lively pace incorporating a gleeful sense of humor with funny gags and several edgy twists. Sadly, while the film avoids most crudity, there are three profanities (the misuse of God’s name, or Christ’s). And lest you think I’m condoning a movie about thievery, let me assure you that the scenario is so far-fetched, it can’t be taken seriously. That said, these are characters who live outside the law, and in the last two outings, they pulled off an elaborate crime, as well as other felonies, without paying a price. And they're all really cool while doing it. If you find a movie that glorifies crooked behavior objectionable, even if it is done so tongue-in-cheek, you might want to pass on this one.

Video Alternative: To Catch A Thief. A reformed burglar (Cary Grant) must capture a copycat or go to prison. Beautiful Grace Kelly aids him. I use this film as an alternative to a lot of caper films of today due to the fact that although the lead character had been a thief, he now sees the error of those ways. But even more than that, my suggestion comes from the fact that it is one of the most elegant movies ever made. Not only are Mr. Grant and Ms. Kelly about as good-looking as humans can get, but the film itself is quite stunning. The look, the sound, and the use of Monaco’s location are elements each superior to just about any film I can think of. Add to that Hitchcock’s tight, sophisticated direction and the audience finds itself totally immersed in the story. While Hitchcock presents some rather sexy encounters between his stars, he’s suggestive but never vulgar. It proves more alluring than today’s graphic handling of screen sexuality. There’s something more captivating here, more mesmerizing than any other of Hitchcock’s films. I’m not saying it’s a better film than Vertigo or North By Northwest, but it is certainly one of his most hypnotic efforts. A few minutes and you’re hooked, unable to click the remote. This hasn’t come from just the fine performances. Nor from the camera work. It is that indefinable something that makes an auteur superior to a mere director.

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Surf’s Up

2007-06-11T00:43:00.000-07:00

Animated comedy from Columbia Pictures. Voices of Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jeff Bridges, Jon Hedder, James Woods, Mario Cantone, Jane Krakowski. Directed by Ash Brannon, Chris Buck.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Surf’s Up profiles teenage penguin Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), an up-and-coming surfer, as he enters his first pro competition. Followed by a camera crew to document his experiences, Cody leaves his family and home in Shiverpool, Antarctica to travel to Pen Gu Island for the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Along the way, Cody meets surf nut Chicken Joe (Jon Heder), famous surf promoter Reggie Belafonte (James Woods), surf talent scout Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone), and spirited lifeguard Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), all of whom recognize Cody’s passion for surfing. Cody believes that winning will bring him the admiration and respect he desires, but when he unexpectedly comes face to face with a washed-up old surfer named Geek (Jeff Bridges), Cody begins to find his own way, and discovers that a true winner isn’t always the one who comes in first.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Remember Chicken Run? You know, the claymation comedy set at a chicken farm where a flock of hens are determined to fly the coop before meeting a fowl fate. With enough visually going on to keep little ones enthralled, it also contained sly, pun-riddled humor to keep the most anti-animation adult amused. And let’s not forget the sight gags. Picture a rooster in solitary, ala Steve McQueen’s Cooler Joe in The Great Escape. The expressive faces (chickens with teeth – is that great?), the pacing, adventure and witty dialogue make for a fun family movie outing. Well, Surf’s Up is no Chicken Run.

Now, I admit, I’ve seen enough animated animal movies – especially ones about penguins. What’s up with all the penguin movies? You want to see a penguin movie – see March of the Penguins, which is an insightful and humorous look at life for these creatures in the Antarctic. It’s fascinating for kids and adults, alike. But enough with movies about penguins surfing or dancing. Surf’s Up is not clever or witty enough to be an inspirational parable. And with the distinct lack of laughter among the youngest crowd members at the screening, I have to say it’s not much of a kid’s comedy, either.

The animation is top drawer, there are a few funny moments and the lesson of putting others first is clear and poignant, but considering how the studio has been putting its trailer in front of our captive eyes in theaters for the past year, I expected it to be at least as funny as Happy Feet. It isn’t.

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Gracie

2007-06-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

Carly Schroeder, Elisabeth Shue, Dermot Mulroney. Sports drama. Written by Lisa Marie Petersen, Karen Janszen. Directed by Davis Guggenheim.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Set in 1978, Gracie is an inspirational film about a teenage girl who overcomes the loss of her brother and fights the odds to achieve her dream of playing competitive soccer at a time when girls’ soccer did not exist. Based on true events from the lives of the Shue family (producer and co-star Andrew Shue, Academy Award-nominated actress Elisabeth Shue, the film is directed by Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), who happens to be part of the family, being married to Elisabeth Shue.

Fifteen-year-old Gracie Bowen (Carly Schroeder) is the only girl in the family of three brothers. Their family life revolves almost entirely around soccer: her father (Dermot Mulroney) and brothers are obsessed with the sport, practicing in the backyard’s makeshift field every day from morning ‘til night. Tragedy unexpectedly strikes when Gracie’s older brother Johnny (Jesse Lee Soffer), star of the high school varsity soccer team and Gracie’s only protector, is killed in a car accident. Struggling with grief over her family’s loss, Gracie decides to fill the void left on her brother’s team by petitioning the school board to allow her to play on the boys’ team in his place. Her father, a former soccer star himself, tries to prove to Gracie that she is not tough enough or talented enough to play with boys. Her mother, Lindsey Bowen (Elisabeth Shue), already an outsider in the sports-obsessed family, is no help either. Undeterred, Gracie proves herself and manages to bring her family together in the face of their tragedy.

PREVIEW REVIEW: There have been several female celebrities of late in trouble with the law and seemingly lost emotionally. My theory, for what it’s worth, is that if a young girl has a supportive, healthy relationship with her dad, she won’t be looking for love and acknowledgement in all the wrong places. This movie points that out. The lead’s father, more comfortable with his sons, doesn’t know how to talk to or show affection for his daughter. And when her beloved older brother dies, she feels adrift. So, the movie is about more than a girl wanting to play a man’s sport. It’s about fathers and daughters. The film has a lot to say and it handles the subject not with much subtlety, but certainly with sincerity.

The only trouble for me is that I don’t get soccer, period. Let alone why a girl would want to play it. I guess I’d have a difficult time sending my little girl out to play a sport I knew would injure her. I’m afraid I’d have been one of the bad guys, I’d have said no. But, as I said, the film isn’t really about this sport, but about communicating your love for your child.

Carly Schroeder (Firewall, Prey) shows spunk and determination and though I’m not an expert, her ability with a soccer ball seems genuine. The pacing is good, but the filming of the actual “big” game is less than convincing. It’s not a great sports film, but the filmmakers have made a solid goal with its message.

Distributor: Picturehouse

Mr. Brooks

2007-06-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Danielle Paabaker, Marg Helgenberger, Dane Cook. Written by Bruce Evans, Raynold Gideon. Directed by Bruce Evans.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Earl Brooks is a loving family man and local business icon, a hero to all. But Mr. Brooks has one small character flaw. You see, he enjoys murdering complete strangers. And while committing one of his clandestine killings, spurred on by his devilish alter ego (William Hurt), the crime is witnessed by a voyeuristic neighbor. And this is where Mr. Brooks’ life becomes a bit more complicated. It turns out the spying neighbor has an unusual blackmail demand – he wants to go along for the ride.

Also dogged by tenacious detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore), who’s battling her own demons and a vengeful ex-con bent on killing her, Mr. Brooks soon discovers that his college dropout, pregnant daughter has her own sick secret – she too enjoys the thrill of the kill.

PREVIEW REVIEW: This may be Mr. Costner’s best performance. It’s intense, controlled, and mesmerizing. The story, though over the top (three serial killers for the price of one), is nonetheless suspenseful, even terrifying. And the premise is unnerving – an upper crust, praying, pro-lifer breaks into locked houses with the mastery of a Mission Impossible regular and shoots people in their beds. Doesn’t get any creepier than that.

Although it is well made, I have a couple of problems with Mr. Brooks. Along with having to sit through the usual R-rated explicit content, which is neither creative nor soul satisfying, the movie stirs up a paranoiac fear that each new person met may harbor a dangerous secret side. And of course, the maniac is a hypocrite who prays and believes in the rights of the unborn.

From years of studying movies and their makers, I get the feeling that some in that industry relish the exploitation of a religious person who is discovered to be a wrongdoer. Now, to be fair, perhaps this film’s intent is not so covert. Maybe the character is written as a man of prayer and a pro-lifer merely to give him dimension, and not meant as a swipe at religious folk. But have you noticed, these found-out hypocrites are never followers of Buddha or Gandhi? In the movies, it’s always a conservative Christian who turns out to be the real threat. Why is that?

Video Alternative: HARVEY. Here’s a story about another guy with a secret. James Stewart stars as a gentle soul by the name of Elwood P. Dowd who likes everybody–including his invisible six-foot rabbit, Harvey. Funny and heart-warming.

Distributor: MGM

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007-05-25T00:08:00.001-07:00

Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush. Written by Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio. Directed by Gore Verbinski.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Will and Elizabeth (Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley) align with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to save Jack (Johnny Depp) from Davy Jones (Bill Nighy). Betrayals, battles and buffooneries ensue.

PREVIEW REVIEW: I admit it, I preferred the Disneyland ride that spawned this swashbuckling franchise. (I think what I really enjoyed about that attraction was the anticipation of dinner afterward in the attached Blue Bayou.) The ride was re-formed as an outrageous blockbuster-series with Johnny Depp portraying the Paul Lynde of pirates. It was an interesting characterization at first, but three films worth of this guy preening and prancing? Depp unapologetically plays his swishing seafarer as if he were a cross between Dudley Moore’s inebriated Arthur and England’s Dame Edna. A little of that goes a long way.

I knew these movies would be loud and long. And I was right. Lots of “Yh, maties” and other pirate jargon shouted over the roar of a swirling sea would be supported by battle scenes laced with swordfights, things that go boom, and enough special effects to, well, sink a ship. Again, I was right. But all this clamorous cacophony seemed strained by the end of the second installment. Make that the endless second installment.

Despite, or because of, this latest sequel’s multitudinous explosions and countless characters and ceaseless yak-yak-yaking (the girl even gives us a speech about freedom ala Braveheart while standing on the rail before her scurvy crew), I was bored to death.

Okay, the curmudgeon has spoken. The audience at the screening was more accepting. There was no clapping at film’s end, but the moviegoers, there on a free pass, seemed to enjoy all the activity. It cost a great deal of money to make this movie and every doubloon spent is visible on screen. It has a spectacular look and the special effects guys must have put in a lot of overtime, giving the audience a treasure chest of eye-popping visuals. And if you like your pirate movies full of battle scenes – you got it.

Hint to ye hearty souls, should you attend this nearly three-hour movie, sit through the ending credits, despite their seven-minute length. There’s one more scene. And it would suggest, oh Lord, Pirates of the Caribbean Part Four!

Distributor: Walt Disney

Shrek The Third

2007-05-22T23:04:00.001-07:00

Voices: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett, Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, John Cleese. Animated comedy. Written by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman and Chris Miller & Aron Warner. Directed by Chris Miller.

FILM SYNOPSIS: When Shrek married Fiona, the last thing he had in mind was becoming the next king. But when Shrek’s father-in-law, King Harold, suddenly croaks, that is exactly what he faces. Unless Shrek (with the help of his trusted companions) can find a suitable king for Far Far Away, the ogre could be stuck with the job.

PREVIEW REVIEW: There’s comfort in familiarity. And I’m convinced that third films in a series don’t have to be good, just familiar. That was my impression of Shrek the Third. The script was either under- or overwritten, the author’s jokes mostly just missing the funny bone. Oh, kids laughed at the screening, usually at flatulence jokes and the like, but they also got antsy more than once. For them and for me, there was what we in the movie reviewing trade call “moments of tedium.”

It’s fairly clean, there are some positive messages about loyalty, but it lacks the creativity of the first installment and the charm and funniness of the second. It’s not a bad film; it’s just one that passes the time. It’s a case where animated moviemakers have gone to the pixel-well once too often.

Video Alternative: Shrek 2. I could spend time focusing on the artistry, the look, the story and the pacing of this film. Certainly these areas deserve the attention as they all work together beautifully. But I am going to keep this one simple. It’s funny. There are a few jokes based on crudeness, such as an ogre flatulating here and a princess belching there, but the crudities have been toned down from the original. The majority of humor, both visually and in the dialogue, stems from clever references to pop culture icons and creative parodies. What’s more, the creators have seen to it that the film amuses children and adults alike.

Distributor: DreamWorks

The Ex

2007-05-22T23:03:00.001-07:00

Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Charles Grodin, Jason Bateman. Written by David Guion, Michael Handelman. Directed by Jesse Peretz.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Tom Reilly (Zach Braff) is a bit of an underachiever when it comes to his career (or lack thereof), but his adoring wife, Sofia (Amanda Peet), a formidable lawyer, has always been happy to act as the breadwinner. With the birth of their first child, Sofia decides she wants to be a stay-at-home mom so Tom needs to step up and take care of his growing family. Unfortunately he gets fired from his job in New York City and is forced to start working with his father-in-law (Charles Grodin) in Sofia’s hometown of Ohio. Tom soon clashes with his work colleagues, especially the outrageous Chip (Jason Bateman), who still carries a torch for Sofia from their high school days, and Sofia becomes increasingly uncomfortable staying home with their new baby.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Loaded with a lot of family strife ala Everybody Loves Raymond (indeed, Mr. Braff looks and acts like a younger version of Ray Ramono) the film grates on the nerves. There’s nothing worst than having someone covertly alter your life by saying and doing things to make you look foolish, corrupt or inept. The lead goes through this from opening to nearly the end, with the last few minutes turning around much like a TV situation comedy.

The film is just not smartly written. From all I could learn, this was the first film script for the writers and it looks like silly slapstick TV comedy. That said, many people in the screening room enjoyed the slapstick silliness. That would explain why King of Queens and Life According to Jim have lasted so long.

Distributor: MGM

Georgia Rule

2007-05-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Dermot Mulroney, Cary Elwes, Garrett Hedlund. Drama. Written by Mark Andrus. Directed by Garry Marshall.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Rebellious teenager Rachel (Lohan) is taken by her mother to stay with her grandmother. It becomes apparent quickly that these are all members of a dysfunctional family. Granny is distant, mom’s an alcohol who hates her mother, and the little rebel is promiscuous and reveals that her stepfather began sexually abusing her when she was twelve.

Is this true or is the teenager making up the story to get back at her mother? You have to stick around to the end, putting up with incessant bad behavior before learning the truth. The film has all three women revealing family secrets before they bond and find redemption.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Incest is at the core of this production. It’s hinted at, not just with Rachel and her step-dad, but it is also ever-so slightly implied that the dead grandpa may have been a child abuser, as well. It’s kind of an R-rated Lifetime for Women movie – you know, where men are bad and woman are confused.

While the arts should be used to explore human relationships and expose wrongdoings, incest is a difficult subject to sit through on a date, while eating popcorn. And though the actresses do a nice job, and it is witty with occasional insight, how many films do we have to sit through where quirky and dysfunctional families are the source of comic and melodramatic strife? In the last two years, we’ve been subjected to family strife in countless theatrical releases, including Babel, Click, Deck the Halls, Firehouse Dog, Flicka, A Good Year, Keeping Mum, Little Miss Sunshine, Miss Potter, Nanny McPhee, Pearl Diver, The Quiet, Running with Scissors, RV, Santa Claus 3, The Shaggy Dog, Madea’s Family Reunion, Winter Passing, Are We Done Yet?, Because I Said So, Curse of the Golden Flower, Daddy’s Little Grils, Disturbia, The Ex, In the Land of Women, The Lookout, The Last Sin Eater, Norbit, TMNT, The Ultimate Gift and Vacancy. Enough with the family strife, already. “Hollywood, let’s get another genre to beat to death. How about comic book superheroes?” Oh, right.

Distributor: Universal