THE IMPOSSIBLE: An intense drama of survival about the tsunami that hit the northeast portion of the Indian Ocean - affecting Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India & Thailand - in 2004 and how it literally tore apart a British couple and three sons, who were on a Thailand vacation over the Christmas holidays.
More than 230,000 people died from the tragedy - the book is about a Spanish family that was hit by the huge wave, although Hollywood decided that a British, Caucasian family might make for better drama?
When the tsunami hits, the family is enjoying the resort’s outdoor pool - and when they come up for air Naomi Watts (who’s up for Best Actress) and the oldest son are separated from hubby Ewan McGregor and the two younger sons. Devastation is everywhere, and the recovery effort is slow, not surprisingly.
Well-filmed, you get a feel for the hurt....and human spirit.
8 stars
LES MISERABLES: Never having seen this on stage, I admit my limitations in reviewing it. But the buzz about the film - and the talk of Anne Hathaway’s Best Supporting Actress performance - made me curious enough. So except for an awkwardly-singing Russell Crowe as the ruthless policeman Javert, the cast did an excellent job singing their way through the despair of post-revolutionary France. Hugh Jackman clearly earned his Best Actor nomination as the movie’s protagonist, Jean Valjean.
Oh, and Hathaway nailed it.
8½ stars
JACK REACHER: Lee Child’s Jack Reacher is 6’5”, 250 pounds, so it’s a stretch to envision Tom Cruise playing the bruising former military cop. But he pulled it off, whimsically in places.
Reacher’s out minding his own business, as usual - if you’ve read any of the Reacher books (17 so far), you know that Jack’s an under-the-radar type of guy - when he finds out a former Army man is being accused of killing five people from a sniper position in Pittsburgh. From past experience, the arrogant Reacher knows the guy’s guilty, so he shows up in Pittsburgh to help them bury the bloke.
Reacher gets entangled with the guy’s lawyer, Rosamund Pike (a Laura Dern look-alike), who’s up against her father, the city’s DA (Richard Jenkins), as they start to investigate the case. The fun picks up from there. Robert Duvall has a good (and limited) role as the owner of a shooting range - until he becomes a bit too comical.
Worthy of a place on your Netflix queue; no need to rush out to see it though.
7 stars
BROKEN CITY: In this fairly shallow political thriller, Russell Crowe plays the incumbent mayor of New York locked in a tight re-election fight. He calls on ex-cop Mark Wahlberg (forced by the mayor into early retirement seven years earlier) to figure out with whom his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, is having an affair. His quick investigation turns up evidence that leads to violence that Wahlberg didn’t expect, so he starts to dig deeper into the mayor’s motivations.
Slow in parts, silly in others, it’s an okay thriller that can wait for DVD.
6½ stars
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD: A very young (six years old when film shot; nine years now) African-American girl lives with her ill father (another first time actor) among the “bathtub” people of Southern Louisiana, eking out a living with other poor whites and blacks, all of whom are dedicated to their subsistence living standards. There’s a constant threat that storms and heavy seas will inundate their bayou shacks, which lie unprotected from any of the levees.
Young Hushpuppy (beautifully played by Quvenzhane Wallis - but an Oscar nomination?) is an independent young cuss, still hopeful that her mother will reappear and haunted by the specter of prehistoric creatures, melting glaciers and rising storm waters. In spite of her nightmares, she’s fearless as her father’s condition worsens and the local authorities move in to evacuate the bathtub denizens.
This Academy Award nominated film (Best Picture, Direction, Screenplay and Actress) - now available on DVD - appears like a documentary, shot through the eyes and mind of young Hushpuppy. It’s a sad movie in many ways, but an eye-opener nonetheless.
7½ stars
ZERO DARK THIRTY: Another you-know-the-story movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat regardless. Kathryn Bigelow (the one not nominated for Best Director) does an excellent job building the story to its climatic conclusion.
My one complaint was there were no subtitles early in the film when you were trying to figure out what the prisoners were saying (most of whom were being tortured), so it got somewhat confusing as the movie builds. The final raid was far messier than I had imagined - or read about - and it was as if it was filmed in real time. Amazing that there were no American injuries or casualties.
Going in, I figured that Jessica Chastain’s role - as the lead CIA investigator on bin Laden - would be a weak part of the film, but I was wrong. She won the Golden Globe and may have the inside track on the Oscar.
Something to be seen; I recommend your seeing it on the big screen. Mark Boal’s screenplay has to be the favorite in the Adapted Screenplay category. There will be intense competition between this and Lincoln for the Academy Award for Best Movie.
9 stars
DJANGO: UNCHAINED: Now this was one violent movie - most of it gratuitous, I thought.. Then again, it is Quentin Tarantino, so you should know that going in.
Spike Lee was quoted as saying, “Slavery was no spaghetti western,” and he’s right. Much in the film simply could not have happened - and parts even pay homage to Blazing Saddles, and you know that slavery was not a comedy! But Tarantino also showed the ugliness and brutality of slavery, making the Lincoln movie that much more powerful.
Jamie Foxx, Christoph Walsh (Supporting Actor nominee), Kerry Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio make the movie watchable (Samuel Jackson was brilliant as DiCaprio’s Uncle Tom man servant), although I simply cannot recommend that anyone see it. It’s that brutal.
8 stars
BRAVE: This was a watchable animated film that’s been nominated this year for an Academy. A different story line than you expect, and a nice tale of a young, independent girl whose wishes far exceed what she expected. Oops!
One thing I liked about this one is you don’t seem to care who provides the voices. It did get a bit tedious, though.
7 stars
RUBY SPARKS: A novelist (Paul Dano) who saw huge success as a teenaged writer struggles 10 years later trying to get anything down on paper. Then his psychiatrist, Elliot Gould, suggests a writing assignment, and Dano writes about his dream girl. And then she magically appears (in the form of Zoe Kazan).
The problem Dano faces is by now he’s become even more introverted (basically friendless), and he’s instantly jealous and unsure of his ability to hold on to such a woman (see John Cusack in High Fidelity with Catherine Zeta-Jones).
Sweet in parts, but spooky in others.
6½ stars
LA VIE EN ROSE (2007): A haunting biopic of the legendary French singer, Edith Piaf (1915-1963), who lived a short, tragic life. Raised in a brothel by her grandmother, then later by her father in a circus, Piaf began to sing on street corners - and her voice came to mesmerize her Parisian (and New York) audiences from the mid-1930s to the early 1960s.
Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress award in 2008, a deserving honor.
Piaf’s life bounced from singing brilliance to drug and alcohol addiction to debilitating illness. She died at age 47, looking more like a woman in her 80s. Surprisingly, the film was not nominated for best foreign film.
A worthy addition to your Netflix queue if for no other reason than to appreciate Cotillard’s performance.
8½ stars
LINCOLN: In spite of the over-dramatics that Steven Spielberg is known for, this movie is an outstanding dramatic representation of the ugliness of political compromise. Daniel Day-Lewis nails the role of our 16th president; by the end of the film you forget that it’s an actor playing the role.
Based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, the film narrows on the president’s effort in January 1865 to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery. James Spader leads the consulting group to try and nail down 20 Democrat votes, some from lame ducks who just lost re-election; what did they have to lose?
You should see this before the Academy Awards show so you'll understand why Lewis will walk away with the Oscar for Best Actor.
9 stars
GANGSTER SQUAD: A brutal film made watchable by performances by Sean Penn (portraying the ruthless gangster Mickey Cohen), Josh Brolin (the leader of the good-cop, anti-gangster squad) and Ryan Gosling (Tracy’s eye-candy, a reluctant member of the good-cop squad). Emma Stone, Cohen’s moll, seems miscast, however.
The chief of police of Los Angeles (Nick Nolte) forms an off-the-record squad to go after Cohen’s efforts to own LA, and their tactics are highly questionable. Did the squad really liberate LA from a gangster influence that permeated Chicago and New York?
This also could be called the Gang That Can’t Shoot Straight, as it rivals the Star War series for most bullets used and least number of hits. Some bad moments of film-making hidden amid wonderful depictions of 1949 LA, constant action on screen and likable characters (except for Penn, of course, but that clearly is intentional!).
8 stars
THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR (Les femmes du 6ème étage) (2010): A French businessman and his social-climbing wife fire their long-time maid after the Frenchman’s mother dies. Her replacement, a young Spanish maid, changes their lives in ways they clearly do not expect. The Frenchman, for example, a relatively cold and stodgy personality, finds himself drawn to the fate and living conditions of all of the maids who live on the top floor of their tenement.
This is beautifully acted and worthy of a place on your DVD list. French (and Spanish) with subtitles.
8 stars
ELF (2003): Saw this on DVD while in Chicago; missed it when it was released 10 years ago. A fun Christmas story about Buddy (Will Ferrell), the elf who wasn’t an elf, being raised by Bob Newhart at the North Pole. Buddy ventures to New York City during the holidays to search for his real parents. Ed Asner plays a great Santa Claus. Worth watching to see an earlier (and blond) version of Zooey Deschanel before she decided that ditzy was the way to go.
If you have never seen this film, put it on your Netflix calendar for next December
7 stars
BENNY & JOON (1993): Johnny Depp did this quirky film almost 20 years ago - and it explains a lot of what we’ve seen from Depp ever since.
Benny (Aidan Quinn) is taking care of June (Mary Stuart Masterson), his mentally ill sister, and hires Sam (Depp) to watch her during the day while Benny works as a mechanic. But Sam seems as odd as June, and it’s not surprising that the two begin to bond. What’s also not surprising is how Benny reacts to their relationship.
Odd film, but interesting characters.
6 stars
MAGIC MIKE: Tracy, naturally, put this on our Netflix queue, then proceeded to sleep through most of it. Matthew McConaughey is the lead male stripper teaching younger performers the art of his craft - and how to make money making women happy. Better than I expected, but don’t expect too much.
6 stars
SECRETARY (2002): Here’s one to skip (unless real kinky sex amid good acting interests you). We put this on our Netflix queue because we like both James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal; how could we go wrong?
Maggie leaves a mental health facility and gets a job as a secretary for lawyer James Spader, and the job entails more than she expected: Putting up with Spader’s sadistic sexual desires. This is not your typical office love story.
Be warned; it’s rated R for a reason.
4 stars
LIFE OF PI: We did not see this in 3-D, but it was magnificently filmed and computer-generated nonetheless. An epic story of young Pi Patel (wonderfully portrayed by Ruraj Sharma - and Irrfan Khan) ship-wrecked in the Western Pacific and surviving for, well, some time. In the midst of high, stormy seas, Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with a Siberian tiger, an orangutan, a zebra and a hyena. Then natural selection takes over, and the story flows from there as Pi struggles to survive.
(Perhaps gets you ready for the film version of Unbroken, which will be released next year.)
This is worthy of a theatre visit, whether in 3-D or not. I wouldn’t wait for the dvd release.
9 stars
BRIDE FLIGHT (2008): A dvd rental that was sitting next to our TV for two months or more - but worth it when I finally watched it. It’s the story of three young Dutch women who meet on a flight from Europe to New Zealand as brides-to-be in 1953. On board they encounter a young and dashing rancher, Frank, who intertwines in each of their lives - then and at his funeral 50 years later.
Beautiful New Zealand scenes. Interesting people. Different times. Worthy of a spot on your Netflix queue.
7½ stars
KILLING THEM SOFTLY: As much as I complain about seeing too many trailers, perhaps seeing a trailer or two from this one would have convinced me to spend two hours contemplating my navel rather than sitting through this mess. Please, save your money and your time.
This movie starts well, as several lowlifes plan a heist of a private poker game with 80 grand or so in cash sitting around (sure beats the multi-gazillion dollar heist movies of the day). It’s tense, and you’re conflicted as to whether or not you want them to get away with it. Then in steps Brad Pitt, an enforcer who works with mealy-mouthed mob lawyer Richard Jenkins to figure out how to pay the culprits a lesson. He enlists James Gandolfini to help with the hits (Pitt being ‘too sensitive’ to knock off one of the guys he considers a friend), and he turns out to be a drunken pervert who adds nothing to the film. However, around him the scenes make The Sopranos almost Mary Poppins-like. This movie is about as brutal as you can get, and the director decides that slow motion death is more fun to watch.
A good edit job, and this might have been a half decent film. Otherwise, shame on Brad Pitt.
4 stars
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: Bradley Cooper is certifiable - having just been released from a Baltimore mental health facility for fits of violence (well, he did catch his wife in the shower with another man) - and he is living at home with his protective parents while trying to stay positive and not to hook up with another crazy, the irrepressible Jennifer Lawrence (star of The Hunger Games). Well, he would like to get back together with his estranged wife, Nikki, and Lawrence seems to be the ideal conduit to make that happen (her sister and Nikki are best friends).
This is an excellent movie, provided you can handle dysfunctional families. Cooper & Lawrence are a fun, yet odd couple. Robert De Niro, as the crazed Eagles fan dad (little wonder where Bradley gets his anger issues), and Jackie Weaver, as the go-with-the-flow concerned mom, are terrific as Bradley’s parents. Nice supporting roles by Julia Stiles, Lawrence’s sister, and Anupam Kher, Bradley’s therapist.
This creative movie builds from the start, and you never quite know where it’s headed. But it’s an enjoyable ride with an eclectic musical accompaniment.
9 stars
FLIGHT: Denzel Washington is quite convincing as an alcoholic in denial - as he also takes kudos for landing a commercial jet under impossible circumstances.
This is a bumpy ride in more ways than one. They did a great job on the flight simulation, and it seems as real as it appears. But along the way you have to get by a clownish performance by John Goodman as Washington’s drug dealer and on-going, in-your-face moralizing (combined with an early gratuitous full frontal scene courtesy of Nadine Velazquez). Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood give the movie extra heft.
Worth a visit to the theatre.
8½ stars
SKYFALL: There’s little argument that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond since Sean Connery - and he shows it once again in this film. The cool Mr. Craig battles forces out to discredit M (Judi Dench) by directly attacking M16 headquarters in London. The diabolical Javier Bardem continues to prove his worth as one of the baddest bad men of all time (in spite of a painful-to-watch campy gay scene).
Having said that, this one didn’t jump like other, good Bond films: lots of down time between action sequences. And, frankly, it seemed less Bond-like and more Batman-like (see Bardem channeling Jack Nicholson’s Joker). Some story lines were stale (a stolen secret agent list), some silly (no one can control a captured bad guy?) and others simply sick (the seduced “Bond girl” was a recent sex trafficking victim?). The chase scenes were as good as usual, but some of the battles were over-the-top silly, including the finale.
This one’s good in places, but there are plenty of holes - and not just your typical suspend-belief moments.
6 stars
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER: Effervescent Emma Watson (Hermione Granger of Harry Potter fame) nails this role as a Pittsburgh high school senior misfit as she and her half-brother, Ezra Miller, take a introverted freshman - played perfectly by Logan Lerman - under their wing and ingratiate him among fellow wallflowers and misfits. Granted, these misfits are far cooler than your ordinary wallflowers, but the story percolates along quite nicely regardless.
Of course, things don’t go exactly as planned, and even friends can turn on each other. It is, after all, high school. Then it gets dark. Mental illness, sexual abuse, homophobia and drugs and alcohol. It’s remarkable how easily it seemed to meld together.
This unusual coming of age film is far deeper than similar high school flicks, and the acting is excellent. It’s directed by the author of the book (same title), a semi-autobiographical novel released in 1999 (on my reading list). Worth a visit to the theatre to catch it before it leaves.
9 stars
ARGO: While the eyes of the world were on the 50 hostages at the American Embassy in Iran in 1979, six staffers had made their way out the side door as the attack on the Embassy was in full swing. They bounced around a few places until they were taken in at the residence of the Canadian ambassador. Ben Affleck, playing the CIA operative in charge of the mission to free the six while also directing the movie, brings the chilling rescue alive.
Realism abounds as the hostages struggle with a seemingly outlandish plan for them to act as if they are part of a Canadian film crew. John Goodman and Alan Arkin bring comic relief back home as they set up the ruse (shades of Wag the Dog). Bryan Cranston continues to shine (see Breaking Bad); he plays the CIA agent in charge of the operation from D.C.
Definitely worth a trip to the theatre.
8½ stars
LOOPER: A very worthy science fiction piece that combines mafia hitmen and time travel. The story is rather simple. The setting is in the future, where time travel does not exist; however, 30 years hence, time travel does exist, but it is impossible to get rid of dead bodies. So the very future mafia sends their victims back in time - alive - only to be handled by the “loopers” awaiting their arrival.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues his outstanding performances, this time playing a looper who comes face to face with his future self - played by Bruce Willis - who is sent back in time to be killed. It’s every looper’s worst nightmare, knowing they have but 30 years to live. Emily Blunt plays JG-L’s love interest; she’s consistently good, too.
This could easily be a confusing movie, but it is not. Definitely a brutal film, so beware.
8½ stars
CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER: We saw two romantic comedies back to back about couples struggling with their lives - with a decidedly large gap in their ages.
In this one, bubbly Rashida Jones (daughter of Quincy Jones; Parks & Recreation, The Office) and goofy Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live) live in the same house in semi-contentment as a separated couple, still double dating with friends and acting like best friends. But that’s gotta end, and both do an admirable job as their relationship sours and their lives move in different directions.
You don’t need to rush out to catch it before it’s gone, but it’s worthy of a high place on your DVD queue once its theatre run is over.
7½ stars
HOPE SPRINGS: Here’s another one (see Marigold Hotel) in which the entire movie is not quite up to the performances from its stars. Meryl Streep plays a frumpy, stay-at-home wife of an in-a-rut CPA, well played by Tommy Lee Jones. Jones seems content, but Streep needs more in their relationship (sex, at least!) so she books a marriage counseling week with a well known counselor, Steve Carell - in perhaps the most understated performance of his career. Jones is trapped into joining her, but it’s clear that he’s none too happy about it.
The relationship scenes here fall just short of awkward, but these pros pull it off, and it’s worth a look-see, whether at the theatre or when the DVD is released. Lots of laughs and nice Maine scenery, too, as the Nebraskan couple trek off to the sea coast.
7½ stars
PREMIUM RUSH: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock from the Sun, 500 Days of Summer, 50/50) is fast becoming an acting rock star. Here he plays a legally-trained, gonzo bike messenger in New York City, who lives fast and furious in the traffic that defines the Big Apple - and he and the movie leave us entertained even if it has no great aspirations.
JG-L has a new girlfriend - a fellow messenger who doesn’t share his on-the-edge biking methods, played by the very sexy Dania Ramirez (Entourage) - and a rival messenger who has his eyes both on Dania and JG-L’s reputation as the city’s top bike messenger.
JG-L picks up an envelope at Columbia University (from Dania’s about-to-become-ex-roommate, one of the movie’s silly coincidental flaws) for delivery to Chinatown, and he gets involved with a dirty cop who needs to get his hands on that envelope.
Bicycle chase scenes and crashes abound as you’re kept on the edge of your seat, which helps mask the weak parts of the story line and dialog. But I liked the flashbacks (very similar to 500 Days of Summer), the action and the film-making. A very different romp. Plus, one of my favorites from The Daily Show, Aasif Mandvi, plays the owner/dispatcher for the bike messenger service.
7½ stars
THE BOURNE LEGACY: Contrary to popular thought, Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker, best actor nominee, 2010) does not play Jason Bourne in this movie - you see Matt Damon as Bourne in ID photos - but he plays a new character, Aaron Cross. But he continues the excitement that the Bourne series has brought to the screen.
This one is confused a bit by the little green and blue pills that the black ops agents take to increase their physical and mental skills (as opposed to the yellow pill that kills them), but when the CIA decides they need to start taking out their own agents, Renner teams up with lab tech Rachel Weisz (who’s also under threat) and they make their escape.
Plenty of gunfire and chases - car, motorcycle, foot - to keep the action moving at a fast pace. And, of course, in the end, they sail off into the sunset together to get ready for yet another sequel.
Fun if the Bourne series is your thing.
8 stars
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: Frankly, I’ve enjoyed the Batman and Dark Knight series up to this point, but I gotta say that in spite of the high ratings that other imdb.com reviewers give this film (8.9 stars), this one didn’t do it for me.
I know this is a comic book series, but I swear the characters are all made of Gumby-like material. Nothing phases them. So the action sequences got to be a bit silly after a while. How many times CAN you bash someone in the face or into the wall, yet they still get up? And the plot was confusing.
Don’t believe me if you’re a fan (if you’re a true fan you would have gone already, I know), but I wouldn’t go to this one if you haven’t seen (or liked) the previous Batman movies.
5 stars
THE LIVES OF OTHERS (2006): Set in 1984 East Berlin (the Wall fell in 1989), the lives of a successful playwright and his leading lady/main squeeze are turned upside down when the German secret police (Stasi) starts an undercover look at the playwright. Spurned on by a high German mucky muck who has eyes for the actress, the nationalistic playwright and his not-so-loyal friends are forced to become increasingly secretive as they suspect something is awry. And what about the creepy captain who’s assigned to oversee the operation?
In German with subtitles, this is an on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller without car crashes, explosions and special effects. Definitely worth a watch on DVD.
9 stars
MOONRISE KINGDOM: This is nothing short of quirky as Bruce Willis heads a search party to rein in two underaged scouts who have run away from their respective scouting camps. Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel and others give this movie heft.
My feeling is if you liked A Christmas Story (“You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!), you’ll like this. The rest of us...
7 stars
INTOUCHABLES (2011): This is a must-see movie (in French, with subtitles) about an interesting relationship between an African immigrant in Paris and the man he's caring for, a rich quadriplegic aristocrat.
Omar Sy (we'll see more of him) applies for the position of caregiver to Francois Cluzet just so they'll sign his card to allow him to get unemployment benefits. The trouble is Cluzet sees him as the best among the other applicants, all professionals who felt pity toward him. So Sy - against the wishes of the others around Cluzet - is hired on a day-to-day contract to see if he is up for the job. What they learn from each other as they delve into each other's world is worth the price of admission.
See it at an independent theatre near you.
9 stars
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2011): Occasionally there's the movie that doesn't add up to the sum of its parts. This is a classic example of that. Great acting by all - Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) & Tena Desae (how come Dev gets all the great looking females?) - but the movie drags a bit. I doubt it will be up for any editing awards.
Each of the hotel's British "visitors" come to live their golden years at an exciting-sounding resort in India. Some embrace the Indian culture; others refuse to fit in. Wonderful moments abound as the retirees don't find what they expected - and yet some make do with what they find.
Put in on your Netflix queue if you missed it in the theaters.
8 stars
BERNIE (2011): Jack Black shines as an assistant funeral director in this very worthy (and non-fictional) independent film. Black is a positive thinking, helpful and committed servant of the people of Carthage, a small east Texas town, but he appears to have met his match when he befriends (platonically, not befriends as in Harold and Maude) the town crank, the recently widowed Shirley MacLaine.
The more intertwined their lives become, the more MacLaine ups the ante. But how much can poor Bernie take? And what does the town sheriff, Matthew McConaughey, suspect?
Check it out to find out an an indie theatre near you.
8½ stars
IN BRUGES (2008): Colin Farrell is a beginning hit man in London, but his world blows apart when in his first hit, he also kills an innocent young boy. He and his partner, Brendan Gleeson (you’ll recognize him), are sent to hide for two weeks in Bruges, Belgium, a most picturesque European city.
Gleeson, the sophisticate, is please to bide his time acting a tourist; the younger Farrell. however, is bored and wants little to do with the old city. Until he meets a beautiful young lady, of course, and an actor-dwarf.
This is not really a comedy - far too much violence, blood and swearing for that - but Farrell’s life becomes somewhat comedic. Then, toward the end, when you throw in their London-based boss, Ralph Fiennes, who is unhappy that Gleeson won’t do what he’s asked to do, the farce gets even crazier.
Netflix it; you might be surprised. Believe the R rating, however. As long as you don’t get offended, the extras on the DVD include, “F**cking Bruges,” which is pretty funny. Love the punchline.
8 stars
GET LOW (2009): An understated film starring Robert Duvall as an irascible and friendless old man in Tennessee in the 1930s, who wants to throw a funeral party for himself so he can listen to the stories that everyone keeps whispering about him behind his back. And it’s up to the funeral director, Bill Murray, to help make it happen.
But before the party, Duvall has secrets that need to be discovered. His old friends, Bill Cobb and Sissy Spacek, help bring out the true stories of his past.
Underwhelming, but a worthy candidate for a Netflix rental.
7 stars
THE HUNGER GAMES: Much better than I expected - although Tracy and I did listen to and enjoy the book as we drove across Nevada and Utah recently - because I expected a Twilight-type movie, which is not an unfair comparison. Both book series are geared toward teenaged girls: unrequited (and G-rated) love, a love triangle and a strong, young female lead.
But Jennifer Lawrence does a fine job portraying the post-apocalyptic Katniss Everdeen as she is forced to defend herself to the death in the annual “Hunger Games,” a real life survivor spectacle forced on the “districts” because of their failed rebellion 74 years earlier.
The biggest problem I had was we saw the movie too soon after we’d read the book (same thing I did with the first Harry Potter movie), which means I spent too much time making comparisons and less time enjoying the effort. But clearly the movie was not as intense as the book, which was too bad. And, sure, there were groan moments, but fewer than I expected.
Stanley Tucci was made to play the Hunger Games emcee; Woody Harrelson was unexpectedly good as a former Games winner and Katniss’ trainer (even though they had to tone his book character down to appeal to the movie’s audience); and Elizabeth Banks was perfect as the effervescent chaperone. Donald Sutherland also seemed right as the country’s president.
Now that the hordes have come and gone, it’s a good time to sneak in for an uncrowded matinee.
7 stars
ARCTIC TALE (2007): It’s hard to go wrong when the subject matter is polar bears and walruses, but Queen Latifah didn’t help with the corny dialog. But the photography is remarkable.
Worthy of a family DVD rental.
6½ stars
HUGO (3D) (2011): It’s little wonder why the Academy bestowed five of its golden statues to this film - Art, Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects - even though it fell short on six others. The movie has almost everything Hollywood loves, from Martin Scorsese, cute kids, dogs, a Paris setting, fantasy and mystical adventure to a story line that tugged at Tinseltown’s heartstrings: The preservation of old film and honoring one of its own.
Asa Butterfield plays the wide-eyed boy living among the old clocks of the Paris train station - he’d clandestinely took over for his missing uncle, keeping them functioning, always on the lookout (in a Disney-like manner) for his arch-enemy, the cruel station security guard (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his Doberman watch dog. He tangles with a toy shopkeeper (Ben Kingsley) and falls for his god-daughter. Asa knows he has a purpose in life other than to keep the clocks running, but the film takes its time to reveal its secrets. In the meantime, you’re mesmerized by the setting, the mechanical robot, clocks and the people scurrying about the station.
Hugo was playing at only one theatre when we finally got around to seeing it. Believe me, it’ll lose a lot in translation if you wait to see it on DVD. Catch it before it’s gone for good.
9 stars
CHRONICLE: A surprisingly good film with a group of unknown, young actors. Three high school kids - two of them cousins, the other an African American student leader who gloms on to the other two at a party - explore a sink hole and become imbued with telekinetic powers after their freaky experience.
They test their newly-acquired powers with simple tricks until one of them forces a tailgating truck off of the road (now that’d be a superpower worth having). They discover their mind-over-matter powers can be fun - until, of course, things spiral out of control.
Most of the film is shot from one of the kid’s perspective - he carries a camera around to chronicle his life - so take Dramamine or Bonine before you watch if you get motion sickness. Some characters are stereotypical (the camera kid’s dad, for example), but this is not your normal superheroes-with-superpowers movie.
It works becomes it seems real - by real I mean these kids act like I might have if I discovered a similar superpower at that age: not to fight crime, but to have fun! It’s an under-rated, low budget film that’s worth your time. Good call, RK!
8 stars
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011): I assumed that Michelle Williams was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar because she’s popular, and she was playing a nostalgic Hollywood icon. Then you see the film, and you realized that Ms. Williams seemed to be channeling Ms. Monroe as we’ve come to know her. She was outstanding in the role. If I’d seen this before the Oscars were handed out, I would have given her a better chance to win (however, see the next review).
Through the eyes of Colin Clark (played by Eddie Redmayne), the young third assistant to the director (read: gofer) who gains Marilyn’s trust, this film chronicles a week on set with Monroe and Laurence Olivier (wonderfully played by Kenneth Branagh, who was up for Best Supporting Actor). Young Mr. Clark said it best when he told Marilyn: “It's agony because Olivier is a great actor who wants to be a film star, and you're a film star who wants to be a great actress. This film won't help either of you.” So it’s not just the personality quirks of Marilyn Monroe that are on display.
Williams & Branagh were so good that you hardly noticed Judi Dench in a minor role. Emma Watson (Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series) was cute in a limited role.
Much better than I expected. Michelle Williams will wrap you up in Monroe’s good looks, charm and idiosyncrasies. Worth a look, at least when it comes out on DVD.
8½ stars
THE IRON LADY (2011): Meryl Streep was a supposed underdog to Viola Davis (The Help) for Academy’s Best Actress award this year, but after watching this film, you wonder who was doing the handicapping. Obviously, Streep did not play the young Margaret Thatcher (done well by Alexandra Roach), but when she was on screen as Margaret Thatcher in her prime and during her later years you thought it was Thatcher!
This movie jumped around a lot - too much I believe - mostly between Thatcher in her later Alzheimer-fueled years as she deals with her personal demons (personified by the appearance of her dead husband, exceptionally played by Jim Broadbent) and during her rise to power as the iconic Conservative leader of Great Britain from 1979-90.
This film is less of a political study of Thatcher than it is a character study. But no matter your opinion of Thatcher’s leadership - and you see her through the Falklands War, the end of the Cold War and battles with the IRA and British labor unions - you tend to forgive this herky-jerky and flawed biopic because you’re mesmerized by Streep. Don’t miss it on DVD.
7½ stars
BEGINNERS (2010): Imagine going back almost 50 years in time to the set of The Sound of Music, walking up to Captain Von Trapp and telling him he wouldn’t win an Oscar (for Best Supporting Actor) until he was 82 years old - and that it would be for playing a widower who comes out of the closet after a 45-year, two-child marriage to enjoy a very open and gay lifestyle during his golden years.
He’d probably punch you in the nose!
But that’s exactly what Christopher Plummer does so well in this independent film. He almost makes you forget the film’s star, Ewan McGregor, who does a fine job as Plummer’s son, trying to deal with his father’s search for himself while he’s trying to start a relationship with the darling Melanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds). Cosmo makes his film debut as Plummer’s Jack Terrier, Arthur; not to be confused with The Artist’s Uggie, who has more film credits to his name.
Worthy of a DVD rental.
7½ stars
SAFE HOUSE: If an electrifying spy thriller - with car and foot chases, spitting firearms and plenty of action - is your cup of tea, then this one’s for you.
Denzel Washington plays a rogue CIA agent who for some unknown reason (I’m still confused by this) turns himself in to the US Embassy in South Africa, only to be transported to a “safe house” for, um, er, “debriefing” (read: torture). The caretaker of the safe house is bored CIA agent Ryan Reynolds who finds himself in the middle of a firefight between the debriefing team and a team of bad guys who are there for Washington. He follows his instincts and escapes with Washington in tow.
But, now, whom to trust? And who are the bad guys?
Both actors do great jobs and are at the heart of the story. Most of the other actors - Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard - play formulaic but critical roles in the drama.
Leave your rational thoughts at home, fasten your seatbelt and try not to need a bathroom break. There’s rarely a dull moment.
8½ stars
THE HELP (2011): An Oscar-worthy film enhanced by excellent acting and historical authenticity of the early 1960s. It’s tough to watch in spots - not for violence or brutality, but for the realism of the racist Southern housewife; in particular, as play by Bryce Dallas Howard, the evil, young high society leader.
Emma Stone, the young college journalism grad writing a book about ‘colored’ maids of the South, and Viola Davis, the first willing to talk to Emma, were outstanding in their lead roles. Davis is up for a Best Actress nomination. The other maid helpful to Stone’s research, Octavia Spencer, is up for Best Supporting Actress (she won the Golden Globe), as is Jessica Chastain, a white woman ostracized from her social group by the aforementioned evil Bryce Howard. Sissy Spacek and Allison Janney provide even more heft to an excellent ensemble cast.
There have been plenty of movies made about the violence and brutality suffered by Blacks in the South, but few made about the subtle racism that these women faced at their workplace every day - as they made the beds, cooked the food and raised the white children. While they touched on the violence - Medger Evers death, for example, and some police brutality toward one of the maids - this film is about nuance. And Jim Crow.
Note: I have not read the book. I am told, however, that the book is better than the movie. As good as the movie is, I’m not surprised.
Worth a look before Oscar night; it’s a contender.
9 stars
A BETTER LIFE (2011): A touching, simple film that works despite its ofttimes sappy appearance. Demián Bichir, whose greater success has been as an actor in Mexico (although he was in Weeds - playing the dirty mayor of Tijuana/spouse of Nancy Botwin - and as Fidel in the two Che movies), was nominated for an Academy Best Actor award. And it’s one thing you take from the film as it moves along....he’s good!
Bichir plays an undocumented immigrant who’s not only trying to better his life, but, more important to him, to better the life of his 14-year old American citizen son, teaching him the value of hard work over the “easy life” of gang membership. And he attempts this as a single father, working 6-7 day weeks while always looking over his shoulder to keep from being deported.
Worth a look on DVD. We’ll definitely be seeing more of Señor Bichir!
7½ stars
TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY (2011): Once the end credits began to roll, I knew what the high-brow critics would say about this slow-moving, Cold War, espionage film. It fits the genre of movies that critics love, but leaves the rest of us too embarrassed to admit we simply didn't get it. But I will.
Sure, it was no Bourne Identity, but you don't need special effects, martial arts moves and unrealistic chase scenes to make a good spy thriller. You just want viewers to know what's going on and why. For me, this one didn’t do either.
3 stars
THE ARTIST (2011): It’s clear why this film has an edge in this year’s Oscar race: It’s original, clever, funny - and it works (and, frankly, there’s so little competition at the top this year). Who would have thunk that a movie about a silent screen star hitting an invisible wall that separates him from talking films - and done almost entirely silently - would have a chance?
Jean Dujardin is the handsome silent screen star, George Valentin; Dujardin is raking in Best Actor nominations and wins - and rightfully so. Valentin’s unlikely competition is a former fan of his, Berenice Bejo, who plays a darling Peppy Miller. And who can forget the real star of the show: Valentin’s trusty pet Jack Russell terrier, Uggie, who steals more than one scene.
The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, and I expect it’ll win more than half of them, including Best Picture. Definitely worth a look before the Oscar show.
9½ stars
SHAME (2011): This is a dark, disturbing (NC-17) film about sex addiction and family. Michael Fassbender plays sex addict Brandon Sullivan, who’s constantly feeding his habit when his needy but talented younger sister, Carey Mulligan, crashes on his New York City apartment sofa. Needless to say, she cramps her brother’s style.
Carey does a very sexy and very slow version of Liza Minelli’s (and Sinatra’s) hit song, New York, New York, before she takes her brother’s boss up to Brandon’s apartment to, well, do what Brandon likes to do. That makes Brandon’s life that much more confining.
Believe the NC-17 rating if you can even find this at an independent theatre near you. But Mulligan, especially, continues to impress.
8 stars
MAN ON A LEDGE: If you’ve seen a trailer - and/or looked at the title of the film! - you’ll know the basics: A man goes out on a hotel ledge in New York City, threatening to jump. By the time he gets there, we know he’s a former cop who’s been in jail for stealing a large diamond, had his last appeal denied but still insists on his innocence.
So how did he get out of jail, onto the ledge, and what are his intentions?
Without giving anything away, you know from the trailers that he’s out there as a diversion for something else. Another heist perhaps?
This one keeps you on the edge in spite of some clunky dialog and groan-inducing antics, especially at a critical spot toward the end. Elizabeth Banks plays a credible cop-psychologist who tries to talk Sam Worthington (Jake Sully in Avatar) off of the ledge; Ed Harris is the creepy magnate whose diamond was stolen.
A better than average action flick that can certainly wait for DVD.
7½ stars
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (4): GHOST PROTOCOL: Or as my Vancouver roommate liked to call it when we used to watch the TV series: Mission Ridiculous. And this one is, much like the others. But it's fun to watch, and Tom Cruise seems perfectly suited to play Ethan Hunt, as much as Sean Connery was James Bond and Bruce Willis was John McClane.
It starts with a Russian jailbreak of Tom Cruise - to the beat of a Dean Martin song - and cruises through Moscow, Dubai and Mumbai. Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Simon Pegg & Paula Patton join Tom in the IMF-goes-rogue band of brothers, all trying to stop global nuclear destruction.
If over-the-top, black-bag spy hijinks is your thing, this one will entertain you.
8 stars
Mark Wahlberg is very good as a laid-back tough guy who’s “retired” from the smuggling business - he’s now a legit businessman with a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two boys - but is forced back in when Kate’s screwed-up younger brother is targeted by the bad guys after he messes up a drug smuggling deal.
It’s clear that Wahlberg misses the action life of a smuggler, but everything seems to go wrong as he and his motley crew (who appear as members of the ship’s crew without knowing Mark was going to be on board?) try to smuggle in a load of counterfeit bills from Panama. This is a very good action film with good characters - from Wahlberg’s New Orleans partner, Ben Foster (a Ryan Gosling look-alike); to Beckinsale as Wahlberg’s tough, somewhat skanky wife; to J.K. Simmons, the ship’s captain who knows something’s up when he sees Mark as part of his crew; to Giovanni Ribisi, the bumbling head bad guy who threatens everyone around him (and whom they try to humanize with a young daughter?).
Great cinematography in and around New Orleans (the gritty part) and the Panama Canal. It’s cookie-cutter in places (with its share of “Huhs?”), but if this sort of action film is what you like, go for the ride.
8½ stars
WIN, WIN (2011):
Paul Giamatti stars as a somewhat boring, ethically-challenged family law attorney who coaches the lame high school wrestling team on the side - and is suddenly blessed with a talented young wrestler.
A not-so-bad independent film that works for a while, then trundles off to a cliche-laden finish. Those of you who watch Two and a Half Men will get to see “Rose” (Melanie Lynskey) in a different role - that of the neglectful mother of the wrestling star.
You can do worse with a DVD rental.
6½ stars
My Best of 2012
*Lincoln - (9 stars)
*Zero Dark Thirty - (9)
*Silver Play Linings (9)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (9)
*Life of Pi (9)
*Les Miserables (8½)
Contraband (8½)
*Argo (8½) - Academy Best Picture 2012
Looper (8½)
Flight (8½)
Safe House (8½)
Bernie (8½)
(*Academy Award nominated films)
My Best of non-2012 films:
**The Artist (2011) (9½) - Academy Best Picture 2011
Intouchables (2011) - (9)
The Lives of Others (2006) - (9)
**The Help (2011) (9)
**Hugo (2011) (9)
My Week With Marilyn (2011) (8½)
(**Academy nominee for Best Picture, 2011)
Movie Reviews 2012
