Movie Reviews 2006
Around the globe, events are spinning out of control. In a Crash-like format - a format that brought Crash an Academy Award - seemingly unrelated events blend together to form an intense and gripping drama. A couple (wonderfully played by Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett) on vacation in the Moroccan countryside; two Moroccan goat-herding boys trying out their father's new rifle; an over-sexed (and deaf) teenaged Tokyo girl and her protective father; and a Mexican maid in San Diego in charge of two young children.
This film is dripping in tragedy, spread across several continents and cultures. Outstanding acting, from Pitt-Blanchett to the young Moroccans (and their family) to the Mexican maid (and her questionable son) to the authorities in Moroccan, ever concerned about American response to what may be a terrorist attack.
A must-see, especially before the Oscars. Remember when you waited to see the under-rated Crash until it actually won? Don't make the same mistake.
9 stars
Told from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers fighting to defend Iwo Jima (February – March 1945), Clint Eastwood’s account brings life to General William Tecumseh Sherman’s famous words, “War Is Hell.”
[Note: I have yet to see Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, the first of Eastwood's two Iwo Jima movies released, so perhaps this review is premature.]
This film humanizes Japanese soldiers whose purpose in life and in war seem to parallel that of their American counterparts: They are fighting an enemy, trying to survive and yearning to return home to their families. It shows compassion and brutality from both sides of the war. An epic film about an epic battle of the war – but it is not without its flaws.
I never got a sense of how many Japanese soldiers were on the island; there only seemed to be pockets of soldiers defending the island when, in fact, there were 20,000. While their island commander, General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, brilliantly played by Ken Watanabe, came off as an outstanding war tactician, the entire Japanese effort seemed disjointed. Kuribayashi, an American-trained soldier, didn’t seem in control, and the “honor” of Japanese soldiers committing needless suicide (as opposed to undertaking suicide missions) seemed overblown.
Also, there was no sense of time. This monumental battle, which took 19,000 Japanese and 7,000 American lives and lasted 36 days (note: the famous raising of the flag happened on the fourth day!), made it look as if the Japanese were short of food and water and barely able to survive from the get-go. Were they able to defend the island only because they were so well entrenched in labyrinths of caves and tunnels?
More than 50% of www.imdb.com viewers gave this film a 10; another 30% gave it an 8 or 9 – incredibly high marks. But 9% gave it a 1, so it’s certainly possible to hate this film.
Eastwood and the film are up for top awards, and it should be high on your list to see at a theatre soon.
8 stars
Forest Whitaker certainly deserved his Globe best acting award for his portrayal of Idi Amin in this intense drama about the bloody reign of the Ugandan dictator. And he may be odds-on favorite for the award come Oscar time, too. Whitaker was lovable, likable, charismatic – then vengeful, brutal and hateful. It wasn’t until the end of the movie when close-ups of the real Amin are shown that you are reminded that Whitaker is not Amin!
James McAvoy plays the young, well-meaning, humanitarian but politically-naïve and hormonally-driven Scot physician, Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, who turned out to be the wrong guy at the wrong place at the wrong time, becoming Amin’s personal physician and, thus, a close witness to the brutality that existed in Uganda during Amin’s regime.
[Note: While Amin did have a Scottish physician, the Garrigan role was created in the novel on which this movie is based. That was somewhat distracting, and you’d think they could have chosen a different – and more authentic – way of showing the brutality of the Amin years.]
This film came, left and is back in the theatres again – due in part to Whitaker’s award. You shouldn’t miss it on the big screen. But be prepared for graphic violence and a well-deserved R rating. (You’ll also witness one of the more unique renditions of “Me and Bobby McGee” you’ll ever see.)
8½ stars
Motown meets Broadway meets Hollywood. This is a fun musical-movie where it really is all about the music. Sure, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx do fine jobs as (respectively) a James Brown-like singer and a hustler-agent. (And they both sing, and sing well.) But it’s all about the singing, and the women rule the day (and night).
Jennifer Hudson (an American Idol has-been – sixth runner-up in the third season – what was that about? But she beat out the winner of that year for this role!) is amazing as the scorned sister in the Dreamers (a Supremes-like girl group), and Beyoncé Knowles is gorgeous (as a Diane Ross-like lead singer) and very talented.
If you liked the Motown rhythm and blues sound of the 1960s (when black music was homogenized to appeal to white audiences), you’ll love the music from this movie, most of which was in the Broadway musical, with added songs for the film. There is some social commentary – and scenes from the riots of the 1960s – but the film does not give us any look at what “other” black people were going through during these years; we only see and hear from the beautiful people.
It’s not a perfect movie. It was a bit long, and it lacked recognizable numbers. But it got you toe-tapping, hand-clapping and humming along with the group as they sing their lungs out. And when was the last time you saw an Eddie Murphy movie where he doesn’t need constant f-bombs to get through his performance? All this and Danny Glover, too, in a rather low-keyed role.
If you’re interested, don’t wait for the dvd.
9 stars
An intense drama about family, friendship, forbidden love, jealousy…and betrayal. Complete with Oscar-worthy performances by some of Hollywood’s best.
Judi Dench is masterful as the diabolical matron/teacher who befriends a first year art teacher, the beautiful Cate Blanchett. But what’s Dench’s motive after discovering Blanchett’s affair with one of her high school students? Bill Nighy plays Blanchett’s much-older husband and devoted father to their two kids (one played by a Down Syndrome boy) – and does so beautifully. Dench, Blanchett & Nighy all deserve award recognition.
Fine entertainment.
8½ stars
Admittedly, when this came out I wondered why I would be interested in seeing a film about a) Queen Elizabeth and b) her reaction to the death of Princess Diana. But then the Oscar buzz hit because of the performance of Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, so we went. And, frankly, it’s all that it’s cracked up to be.
Mirren may very well be the front-runner for the Best Actress award because of her portrayal of the Queen (a la Philip Seymour Hoffman in last year’s Capote). And she was surrounded by an excellent cast of characters, from James Cromwell as the haughty Prince Philip to Michael Sheen as a very believable Tony Blair. Although Alex Jennings was almost too likable as Prince Charles. (There’s no Camille Bowles to be seen – only heard of.)
The Queen’s subdued reaction to Diana’s sudden death – she first preferred a private burial because, after all, ‘she ceased being royalty last year’ – was an early test of Blair’s leadership, and he defused the situation well. But Mirren’s performance was far more than playing an ice queen; Elizabeth’s personality, sense of humor and sense of duty came through extremely well. She even let her dodgy “mum,” played by Sylvia Syms, steal some scenes away from her (‘But that funeral plan was meant for me!’).
This is worth seeing while still at the theatre, most likely at a local Indie film joint. You won’t be sorry.
9½ stars
A disturbing (and critically-acclaimed) movie about adultery, pedophilia, vigilantism…and family. An odd mix, that’s for sure.
Kate Winslet does an excellent job as a suburban housewife, burdened by a porno-addicted (but successful) husband, a spoiled-brat young daughter and self-righteous fellow suburbanites as friends. She becomes fast friends with Patrick Wilson, the local househusband who’s failed the bar exam twice (and doesn’t seem motivated to pass it on the third try) – and sparks fly. His unhappy marriage to Jennifer Connelly fuels the affair.
Intertwined in the story is Jackie Earle Hailey, who plays a creepy ex-con (for exposing himself to minors). How he ever survived prison and why he’s not back in jail after swimming at a local municipal pool jammed with kids are never explained. His aging, devoted mother is a hoot as she tries to hook him up on a date. The date, however, is not so much of a hoot. Mom and son are constantly harassed by a neighborhood - and one particular ex-cop - in fear of Hailey's mere presence.
Basically, in spite of the sleazy personal carnage, this is a well-acted indie film that, like it or not, draws you into the characters – even if there ain’t a role model among ‘em.
8 stars
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS [sic]:
This has to be the feel-good movie of the year, based on the true story of a San Francisco man who rises from homelessness to owning a brokerage firm. Will Smith is outstanding and intense - Oscar worthy - as the father of a five-year old (played by Smith's real son) trying to get it together after having made some poor choices in his life. His marriage falls apart, he's constantly behind in his rent (and parking ticket fines) and everything is going wrong. Even the word "happiness" is misspelled (with a y) on the front of his son's daycare, and he's not able to fix that either, even though it clearly bothers him (duh!).
Smith applies for a competitive internship with Dean-Witter, and it's clear he needs to overcome a lot more than his fellow interns to become the company's choice to be a new stock broker. Even when things are going right, there always seems to be another setback around the corner. The real Chris Gardner tells people that the movie is an excellent rendition of his life, although the hardships he endured could not be adequately expressed in a two-hour film. ("I never had a suitcase," for example," We only had bags.")
When life is feeding you lemons, consider what Chris Gardner had to go through to put his life - and the life of his son, who means the world to him - back on track. I'd highly recommend seeing this if you get a chance.
9 stars
You see the trailers and think, once again, Hollywood simply has run out of original ideas – it sounds an awful lot like Jumanji meets Ben Stiller and the New York Museum of Natural History. But in spite of its copycat nature, Stiller – with lots of help from Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, Owen Wilson as a miniature cowboy and the former museum guards, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney & Bill Cobbs – pulls this one off without coming off too corny. And, of course, there are love interests, including one that spans a century. Teddy Roosevelt and Sacagewea?
Maybe not worth an afternoon during your holiday vacation, but it’s worth adding to your Netflix queue when it’s released on dvd.
7 stars
Natalie Maines makes an off-handed comment at a London concert – that she’s embarrassed to say that the president of the United States is from Texas (while most of us are just embarrassed period) – which comes back to bite the Dixie Chicks financially and emotionally because, let’s be honest, a large percentage of country music fans are quite conservative and quite proud of their NASCAR-loving, grammatically-incorrect and poll-challenged president.
As a Chicks’ fan, I enjoyed this movie and its look at free speech – and its ramifications – although it got a bit schmaltzy as the directors wanted to make sure we knew that the Chicks are as family-oriented as the rest of America. OK. But I could have done with more music, more concert scenes and less kids.
The remarkable thing about the film is how early on after Maines’ comment the cameras started to roll. Watching the Chicks figure out how to weather the storm – without a entourage of high-priced agents and media spinmeisters around – was fascinating to watch. It’s also worth noting that Maines made her comment when the president was enjoying remarkably high approval ratings, so she wasn’t jumping on a bandwagon.
A good show, and a good way to support your local independent movie theatre.
8½ stars
James Bond is back. While there may never be another Sean Connery, Daniel Craig makes you believe he’s James Bond. This movie skips some ol’ Bond standbys – Miss Moneypenny & Q (with the gadgets!) – but the opening chase scene (on foot!) gets you in the right mood and takes you back to your teenage days of going to the movies to watch Connery out-cool the bad guys.
This is a pure escapist movie (as were all Bond movies, of course), telling the story of how Bond became a “double 0,” even though it skips past the Cold War and right into the terrorist era. Some wonderful supporting roles in this movie, including Judi Dench as M and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre.
Royale also erases bad memories of Peter Sellers, David Niven & Woody Allen in the 1967 misadventure with the same title. However, Bond playing Texas Hold ‘Em? Please!
Worth a Netflix queue listing if you miss it on the big screen.
8½ stars
OK, I admit: I was disappointed. I did not read the reviews beforehand because, duh!, I knew what the movie was about. It was about Bobby Kennedy.
Wrong!
While the best parts of the movie were about Kennedy (he played himself via newsreels), the movie actually is about the lives of people who found themselves around Kennedy the night he was murdered – from hangers-on to interns to the kitchen help.
Maybe if I were prepared for that, I wouldn’t have spent most of my time at the theatre wondering when it was going to get back to Bobby. But there’s excellent use of old film, old speeches and old photographs for you to remember back to those days when the country was at war – abroad and with itself – and there was some hope for America.
Check it out when it comes to dvd. But know what it’s about first.
7 stars
I never was a TV Miami Vice fan, so it’s tough for me to compare the TV and movie versions. But this was actually not bad for a good cop/bad drug pusher movie. If nothing else, it shows how ruthless, gritty and dangerous the underworld drug culture is.
Colin Farrell & Jamie Foxx play Crockett & Tubbs, the cop duo, looking for the bad guys while they’re always looking for love. There’s not much chemistry between the two, and you wonder if they’d really have each other’s backs at the right time.
Better than I expected, so if you’re in the mood….
7 stars
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST:
Johnny Depp is masterful – once again – as the lovable Jack Sparrow in part two of this three part series. But like Back to the Future, the second act falls flat. Clearly, they need something new in the third part.
This is a looong movie (2:30 hours) of non-stop action – and it gets a bit old. Glad I didn’t take the time to fall asleep at the theatre when I can rewind so easily at home.
7 stars
Another disappointment. Have I really outgrown kid cartoon movies?
I just didn’t see the reason for this movie, other than to constantly remind us that the ice age is ending – at a little bit more than glacial speed – and the inhabitants of the earth had better start figuring out how to get to high ground. But they must have left some stuff on the cutting room floor from the first Ice Age, so they figured, ‘what the hey.’
This got boring to me – and it might be scary to some younger children – and the jokes got stale as it neared its conclusion, which, fortunately, came quicker than the end of the aforementioned Pirates.
Again, an ok dvd rental so you can watch it between naps.
6 stars
I understand that the short-lived Vince Vaughn-Jennifer Aniston real life romance might have helped hype this movie. While that didn’t get us to make a trip to the theatre to watch, we did enjoy it at home. Certainly it was better than I expected.
A funny war of sexes, as the two try to live in their choice and jointly-owned Chicago condo as they break up – each trying to make the other jealous. We enjoyed the Chicago outdoor scenes as we have grown to love the city on our annual trips (learning again that it’s “the second city” for reasons other than it often plays second fiddle to New York). And, frankly, I liked the unpredictable ending.
It’s worthy of a rental.
7 stars
This was one of several spelling bee movies released recently, and this is a very good effort. Starring Laurence Fishburne as the seemingly cold professor who leads Akeelah toward a spelling bee championship (based on real life), this has some feel good, inspirational themes without being too over the top (well, mostly).
Try these words from the movie on for size: prestidigitation, ambidextrous, pterodactyl, pulchritude, pastiche, xanthosis, cabalistic, soliterraneous, grandiloquent, catastasis, endentulous, quinquevir, bioluminescent, objugatory, kookaburra, effervescible, quiddity, pyrophanous, mountebank, numismatics, arboriculture, argillaceous, serpiginous, and logorrhea.
Eight of these are picked up by Word as not being words. Shows how much smarter Akeelah is than Bill Gates!
8 stars
Now this was a fun film to watch – even as the plot became frustrating because you kept wanting to tell the characters, ‘that’s not what’s going on!’ But that’s a large part of the film’s allure. What really is happening, and does anyone know how this puppy’s going to end?
A great cast of Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Liu, Morgan Freeman and Ben Kingsley keep you wondering about this case of mistaken identity and money and crime bosses. Hartnett finds himself between the city’s two bosses – Freeman & Kingsley – and pursued by hitman Willis and the cops. Will he figure a way out?
A fine rental candidate.
8½ stars
This is a very graphic, violent movie that hits on all cylinders. It's long (152 minutes), but it keeps you interested as Jack Nicholson once again proves he's the master - playing a Irish mob boss (his "rat" impression is priceless!). Matt Damon & Leonardo DiCaprio are both young Boston cops - the latter undercover - and they're both out to figure out who's the rat...or rats. It might be DiCaprio's best role ever. Mark Walhberg is outstanding as the "bad cop" (as in good cop/bad cop), stealing every scene he's in; Martin Sheen plays the good cop role.
If you can handle the violence and the blood - and salty language - this one's terrific. It earned its R rating. IMDB.com readers give it an 8.5 (with 56% giving it a 10).
9 stars
Mark Wahlberg anchors this true story (with some fudging, of course) about a South Philly substitute teacher/bartender who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles after Dick Vermeil is hired by the Eagles (from UCLA) to take over a losing franchise -- and he challenges those in the area to attend a tryout at Veterans Stadium..
This is a gritty, feel-good, blue collar story about a bunch of Philly bar friends (and a NY Giant fan transplant) rooting on their local hero who is a long shot to make the team. Of course, there would be no movie if he failed -- and it's a pretty good one once he does the improbable. Like any football movie (see North Dallas Forty), this flick either gives you an appreciation for the toughness it takes to play NFL football or makes you not want to watch football again!
[Question for you football fan trivia buffs: Twice in the movie mention was made of the Eagles' 0-6 exhibition season start; teams only play four pre-season games today -- did they really play six in the mid-1970s?]
7½ stars
8½ stars (if you're a die-hard football fan)
9½ stars (if you're an Eagles' fan)
THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN (2005):
We meant to see this at the theatre, but we watched it on video instead -- and we're glad we did. Anthony Hopkins stars in this true story about Burt Munro, a New Zealander whose life ambition is to race his modified 1920 "Indian" (thus the title of the film) modified motorcycle (built in Springfield, MASS for you trivia fans) at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
Munro finally gets his chance in 1963 (when he's 64), and his adventures along the way keep this feel-good story moving. Burt's just a guy you want to help -- and he seems to need plenty of it as he makes his way from New Zealand to Utah. Hopkins is perfect for this role (it's as if he's been waiting for it his entire career).
A worthy candidate for your Netflix queue.
8 stars
Adrien Brody stars as a two-bit private eye who believes he's on to a good story: That George Reeves -- aka TV's Superman -- did not commit suicide but, instead, was murdered....for whatever reason.
The police are convinced it was a suicide, and the fact that Reeves was depressed after failing to get out of the Superman mold -- in spite of a Hollywood career of more than 20 years (beginning with Gone With the Wind in 1939) -- lends credence to the theory. But what's the true story? The movie throws out several scenarios -- but, of course, there is no conclusion, only speculation.
Brodie does an excellent job moving this movie through the post-death phase, while Ben Affleck does a fine job of portraying Reeves. Diane Lane (as Reeves' married girl friend) and Bob Hoskins (a Hollywood mogul and Lane's husband) are superb. The movie jumps back and forth between the two phases, but it's easy to follow. Lots of smoke in this seemingly realistic portrayal of Hollywood in the 1950s. Worth a look, if at least on dvd when it's released.
7½ stars
THE STATION AGENT (2003)
A delightful little film (no pun intended -- really!) about a dwarf, Finbar McBride (brilliantly played by Peter Dinklage: Find Me Guilty, see below), who inherits a small piece of rural New Jersey property that contains an unused train depot and two rail cars, a perfect spot for this train aficionado to get away to drown his sorrows after the death of his boss, a model train store owner. But no one wants to leave him alone!
Sure, Fin's always running into people with small minds who make fun of him -- "da plane, it's da plane" -- but now he's hounded by people who truly want to be his friend: From the talkative roach coach driver, to the woman with her own depression to deal with, to the persistent little African-American girl, to the cute librarian. How does he deal with this while all he really wants is to be left alone?
You are emotionally drawn to the characters -- and their quirky humor. A must-see dvd rental. You will not be disappointed.
9 stars
Excellent efforts by Ed Norton & Paul Giamatti make this film worth seeing. Wonderful sound track and cinemetography in this 19th Century piece about a young illusionist and his childhood -- now older -- love interest who is destined to marry thhe crown prince of Austria. Unless, of course, it's all an illusion. And when you deal with murder, mayhem and love, illusion is always a possibility.
Jessica Biel as Sophie is the sultry love interest of both the prince and the illusionist Eisenheim, and the sparks between Sophie and Eisenheim are as real as the disinterest between Sophie and the prince. Giamatti plays the chief inspector -- he, like Norton, was born of common stock -- and eventually finds himself caught between his deep loyalty to the prince and his sense of justice.
The only downside is the stereotypical evilness of the prince -- and his paste-on mustache. But perhaps that, too, is an illusion. But this film is all about Norton, and he nails it.
9 stars
A quirky movie about a dysfunctional family on a road trip from New Mexico to California to enter the less-than-pretty (but pretty darn cute) little sister in a beauty pageant.
Greg Kinear is the father (and hopes-to-be author) who tries to keep his family together with his upbeat nine-step program for success; Toni Collett is the frazzled mom who really is keeping the family functioning; Alan Arkin is the eccentric granddad who steals each scene he's in; Steve Carrel is Toni's brother just out of the hospital after a suicide attempt (after a botched romance with a male student of his); Paul Dano is the older son who has not talked for nine months and hates everybody; and Abigail Breslin (Signs, Raising Helen) is the precious little daughter who seems out-of-place wanting to be in a beauty pageant made up of JonBenet look-alikes.
R-rated, this movie has some unusual themes (and the timing with the Benet case in the news not the best) and can seem downright perverted at times (Arkin especially). Nonetheless, there are plenty of laughs and tears and the usual road trip screw-ups (this one featuring an old VW bus they found in a junkyard somewhere).
It's gotten good reviews and deserves to be seen -- if only as a future rental.
8½ stars
Now, here's a throw-away movie that did not seem to have too much potential -- until we went to see it and found ourselves laughing through most of it. The theme is familiar: A newlywed couple (the darling Kate Hudson and good-natured Matt Dillon) takes in the groom's best man (Owen Wilson), who's down on his luck and has no where to go. But Wilson plays his role so well (actually becomes endearing) -- and so not over the top -- that this movie works. Even if we had to endure the over-the-top Michael Douglas as the father-in-law from hell; it was a distraction this movie did not need.
This got bad reviews but is worth watching when it's time to put on your Netflix queue.
7 stars
You gotta go see this if for no other reason than to see one of the greatest actresses of our generation – Meryl Streep – nail yet another role: this time as an ice-cold fashion tyrant, editor of a hip fashion magazine.
“The details of your incompetence do not interest me,” Streep spits as Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries) tries to explain why she couldn’t complete a task. Hathaway was cute in her role as the inexperienced assistant to the assistant to Streep – although her quick transformation from dweeb dresser to fashion maven (with accompanying change in her personality) was a bit much. Her boyfriend's role certainly needed an upgrade.
Stanley Tucci, as one of Streep’s designers, adds comic relief – even as he is used and abused by Streep. “You bet your size 6 ass!” he tells Hathaway, explaining that while size two is the new size four, and size zero is the new size two – size six (Hathaway’s size) is "the new 14.”
If you can’t get to the theatre, make sure it’s near the top of your Netflix queue when it’s out on dvd.
8½ stars
I’ve been a Neil Young fan as long as I can remember, back to the first Buffalo Springfield album I bought in, when, 1966 or 1967? In 1968, I drove up with friends from Coronado to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles to catch Crosby, Stills & Nash, and how lucky were we that before the concert date came, Mr. Young would join the group to make it a real band, with real talent.
Neil and I may have lost touch over the years, and he might have gotten real old and ugly (as opposed to me, of course), but to me his voice is still golden – and quite unique. In this concert dvd, Neil goes back to Nashville and his Canadian prairie country musical roots. You won’t get “Cowgirl in the Sand” here, but he blends new and old songs (e.g., “I Am a Child,” "Old Man," "Heart of Gold") with acoustical help from 25 of his closest friends, including the ever beautiful Emmylou Harris.
It culminates with one of my favorite songs of all time, Ian Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds,” which Neil put on one of his albums in the late 1970s. He says he played it over and over again on the jukebox as a teenager, and I can certainly understand why.
I think I’ll go out to Alberta, weather’s good there in the fall.
I’ve got some friends I could go a’workin’ for.
Still I wish you’d change your mind, if I asked you one more time,
But we’ve been through that a hundred times or more.
Four strong winds that blow lonely, seven seas that run high,
All those things that don’t change come what may.
If the good times are all gone, then I’m bound for movin’ on.
I’ll look for you if I’m ever back this way.
If I get there before the snow flies, and if things are lookin’ good,
You can meet me if I send you down the fare.
But by then it could be winter, not too much for you to do,
And the winds sure can blow cold way out there.
The credits roll through a solo acoustical version of “Old Laughing Lady.” Perfect. This is an enjoyable disc to sit, watch and listen. Musical memories are the best.
9½ stars
A powerful (and scary) movie starring Al Gore as the man who brings you the story of global warming. Sure it’s tedious in places – there are lots of facts thrown at you – but Gore and Co. keep the story moving and interesting. Loved the occasional animation (poor little froggie).
If this movie doesn’t embarrass you to give up your SUV and your other wasteful energy habits, then you’re either not paying attention or you fell asleep or you’re watching too much Fox News. You may even have an urge to leave your car in the parking lot and walk home.
Gore takes an occasional shot at the Bush Administration, but this is not a Michael Moore movie. And he doesn’t spare taking hits at himself, either.
Serious stuff here. Go see it. And tell your friends.
9 stars
This much hyped – and largely dissed movie – is not as bad as I was expecting. Having read the book two years ago, I did not spend time wondering how much is true to the book (who really cares?). One more reminder that you do not go back and read a book just before seeing it interpreted on the big screen (see “Smoking” review next).
My biggest complaint was that Ron Howard had Tom Hanks overwhelming the beautiful and smart Audrey Tautou. Now that's something I know did not happen in the book.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it certainly can wait for dvd. But it deserves a place high on your Netflix queue.
7½ stars
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING (2005):
This is one of my favorite books of the last 20 years (and favorite authors, Christopher Buckley, son of William F; if you have not read any of Chris’ books, I strongly recommend each and every one of them). I’ve probably read this book three times, so I admit I was worried when I saw it coming out as a movie.
Having said that, they did a fine job in this satirical comedy about Nick Naylor, the spokesman for the tobacco industry (who, along with the spokespersons for alcohol and guns, form The MOD Squad – otherwise known as the Merchants Of Death), and Nick’s efforts to represent the tobacco industry during times when the industry is not exactly well loved. The movie keeps you laughing. How could you possible identify with the tobacco spokesman??
(Some of the story is perhaps too predictable, but I’m not a good judge of that.)
If you missed this at the theatre, it deserves a place high on your Netflix list, just above The Da Vinci Code.
8 stars
Vin Diesel does a superior job portraying mobster Jack DiNorscio, who defended himself in a two-year mass trial of New York mobsters in the early 1990s. Already in jail from a drug bust, DiNorscio has to find the fine line between defending himself (with no prior law experience except, as he says, having spent half of his life in jail) and upsetting his fellow defendants and attorneys -- and the judge, wonderfully played by Ron Silver.
The downside, of course, is you find yourself rooting for the bad guys - who probably are guilty of all sorts of meean, ugly and nasty things - especially when the chief prosecutor is portrayed by such a jerk. While the movie is made by Diesel's effort, he is surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, from the judge and prosecutor, to the lead mob attorney, little man Peter Dinklage, to many others. You'd think this huge cast would get too crowded too fast, but director Sidney Lument makes it work.
This is a true story, and much of the courtroom dialog is taken straight from the court transcripts. Worth a theatre visit.
8½ stars
Spike Lee directs this intriguing bank heist film that pits detective Denzel Washington (is he crooked?) against bank thief Clive Owen (is he nuts?) and - in an odd ménage a trois - Jodie Foster (can anyone be this ice cold?). Owen and his crew take a bunch of hostages in a New York bank heist while not trying to be in any hurry. What's up? And what secret does the bank chairman of the board, Christopher Plummer, need to hire Jodie Foster to protect?
This is an intense drama that's not without its sense of humor (Washington seems to have one as he interrogates the hostages). But did Spike really have to use the Jodie Foster role to unlock the Plummer secret?
A fun movie for a rainy spring day. Put it on your Netflix queue if you miss it at the theatres.
8 stars
In a surprisingly funny romantic comedy (in spite of its many and obvious flaws), Sarah Jessica Parker (The Family Stone) is hired by devoted parents Kathy Bates & Terry Bradshaw to get their gorgeous but egocentric and dependent son, 35-year-old Matthew McConaughey (People magazine's current sexiest man alive), to move out the house.
Generally panned by the critics (including 13% of the imdb.com viewers who gave it a one out of 10), this comedy - where for once the animals are the least cute - keeps you laughing even though the plot is as predictable as they come: Parents hire Parker, who is successfully moving McConaughey toward the door until he discovers her little ruse; they, of course, fall in love while pretending there is no chemistry. So why did we (along with the audience) laugh so hard?
Fact is, Parker's kooky roommate, Zooey Deschanel, steals almost every scene she's in, even after the irritating mockingbird joke becomes old; McConaughey's also-living-at-home friends play two believable wingmen; Bates & Bradshaw (the former the refined actress; the latter a loveable oaf, except when you have to endure his naked ass scene) are a fun sideshow; and Parker, who practically reprises her Sex & The City Carrie Bradshaw character, is charming. Unfortunately, McConaughey's character is less-than-charming, so he's mainly eye candy for the ladies.
This is not a movie you'll remember for years, but it should make you laugh. Good for a rainy spring day matinee - or a Netflix nominee down the line.
7 stars
ELIZABETHTOWN (2005):
Ugh! This came and went pretty fast in the theatres, and it's understandable why it didn't last long (although 22% of imdb.com viewers gave it a 10! - did they see the same movie as I did?).
Cutie Kirsten Dunst can't stop smiling for the cameras while playing a flighty flight attendant who has her claws into Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean) , who is sent out to Tennessee by his mom, Susan Sarandon, and sister to retrieve the body of his father - a hometown hero for reasons never made clear - so they can cremate him out west; his dad's side of the family, of course, considers that blasphemy. There's simply too much going on in this long romantic comedy, and nothing is done very well. Except, perhaps, for an exceptionally long phone call between Dunst & Bloom.
Rent at your own peril. I've seen worse, but maybe you're one of the 22 percenters.
5 stars
Now, how lucky is Kenya McQueen (played by Sanaa Lathan), a young, gorgeous, highly successful accountant about to become a partner in a hot shot firm in Los Angeles? She was raised by loving, upper-middle class parents, is surrounded by equally good looking and successful young black women as good friends and is being wooed by two good looking men: Simon Baker, a Caucasian landscape architect (bring your drool bags, ladies), who eschewed a desk job to be his own boss, and Blair Underwood, a charming and successful lawyer. The conflict comes, of course, because Kenya's heart seems stuck on Baker while her brain's telling her to go with her IBM: her Ideal Black Man.
This, as you know by now, is a story about interracial dating and racial prejudices as seen from both sides of the racial divide. It is predictable but smart; shallow yet substantative. It was cursed by too many trailers - but it is the sort of movie that when seen in a crowded biracial audience makes you realize that it hits home to so many people in the crowd. And it's the story of an intelligent, successful African-American family, rather than one about ganstra rap or beauty parlors or barber shops - even if there are a few warts in the family. Kenya's brother, for example, shows up every time her sister sees him with a new lady on his arm. And he has the right to criticize her dating habits?
You'll laugh and cry - and the ladies will ooh and aah - and you'll walk away feeling pretty good, trying to forget the film's clunkier moments. And there's even a gorgeous dog! A good date movie for the month of valentines.
(Note: It's directed by Sanaa Hamri, an African-American, female director in her debut; if it's not odd enough that she and her leading lady share the same unusual first name, it's one of the first studio films written, directed, produced and starred in by black women.)
7½ stars
DEAR FRANKIE (2004):
A Scottish film about an insecure mother, Lizzie, played wonderfully by Emily Mortimer (Match Point), who is protecting her 9-year-old deaf son, Frankie, from his past -- and hers. Lizzie invents a new dad for him and exchanges letters about his adventures at sea. But a new classmate calls him on his story when Frankie's dad's ship is headed home. What's an overly-protective mom to do?
This is a heart-warming story, beautifully filmed along the Scottish coast, with interesting characters (Lizzie's mom, her new friend/boss and a stand-in dad) and a simple story that seems ready to unravel at any moment. Definitely worth a dvd rental and a place high on your Netflix queue. Thanks to the person who recommended this to us (and I certainly appreciated the subtitles, which made the Scottish brogue a little easier to understand).
8½ stars
My Best of 2006:
*The Queen
An Inconvenient Truth
Neil Young: Heart of Gold
Dreamgirls
**The Departed [Academy winner]
*Babel
The Illusionist
Notes on a Scandal
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Last King of Scotland
*Little Miss Sunshine
The Devil Wears Prada
Find Me Guilty
Shut Up and Sing
Lucky Number Slevin
Casino Royale
*Letters From Iowa Jima
(*nominated for Best Picture, Academy Awards)
My Best of non-2006 films:
The Station Agent (2003)
Dear Frankie (2004)
