The Great Debaters starring director Denzel Washington tries so hard not to emphasize its black vs white subtext that it's story, about an extra-ordinary debate team from a segregated college that rises to debate the great Crimson tongues of Harvard, didn't ignite for us. Black audiences will find much to cheer about.
In Bruges (ltd) stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two hit men sent to Belgium after one screws up an assignment. Gleeson is dead on perfect. Farrell over acts and the four letter words almost get in the way of caring about what happens as the surprises unspool at the end of the film, thanks to the decisions of boss man Ralph Fiennes ($5.50/10)
Day Zero is a poorly written story about the reinstatement of the military draft to build forces for another (or maybe the continuing) war in Iraq after an under described attack on LA kills 1100 civilians. 3 friends (Chris Klein, Jon Bernthal, Elijah Wood) get the call up. Each deals, or doesn't, in different ways. One uses family connections to a Senator to avoid service. One is gung ho. One makes a list of ten things to get done before he is potentially killed... and makes a mess of most of the things on the list (that's the attempt at comic relief).
27 Dresses is the femme skewing dateflick of the week. Katherine Heigle stars as an eternal bridesmaid (27 times, thus the title) always looking for love. Though the film gets off to a rocky start, it quickly settles down while a fairly predictable yet nonetheless popcorn sharing worthy rom-com (X-Man James Marsden co-stars as the catch). There's at least one twist ending to keep everything fun and interesting. Thus we recommend it for daters.
Mad Money stars Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes as ex-middle class types whose economic turn for the worse forces them back into the workforce as janitor level workers at the Kansas City Federal Reserve. There they figure that 'marked for destruction' US currency is really just being thrown out so . . . finders keepers let's spend it all, okay? A truly despicable story idea is made more than watchable (and downright enjoyable) by an over-the-top perf by Ms. Keaton. Her character is about as close to maniacal/ insane as you can get, but the logic of her criminal activities makes perfect sense. Sorta Kinda. Ted Danson is a grounding element (as Keaton's hubbie) and, based on our past gut reactions, this is going to be a great rental 6 months from now.
Be Kind Rewind is this season's Jack Black comedy, co-starring the eminent Daniel Glover as the owner of a vid store doomed to destruction by the forces of urbanization in Passaic, NJ. Said site was birthplace to jazz great Fats Waller and JB leads the fight for historic preservation. It's only an average comedy and you'll forget all about it in 24 hours. That makes it a fair dateflick. So, take one. ($3/10)
Juno stars Ellen Page as a teen who plans her own pregnancy and adoption of the resulting baby. Everything then spirals out of control. Clever and Smart and incredibly Funny, Juno is the best written film of year. Again, the funniest-for-grownups films we've sat for in a very long time -- and we saw it in the middle of the December crunch and just couldn't write anything more than SEE THIS MOVIE!!
There Will Be Blood won star Daniel Day Lewis the Oscar. For the few that haven't seen it, his character seeks out black gold (oil) and isn't too careful whose feet he tromps on, or whose blood he spills, to find that black gold and reap his fortune. Three hours feels like two -- a good thing. While other critics we know feel this is a successor to Citizen Kane, we feel you should just sit and enjoy.
Cloverfield, whose studio banned online critics from advanced screenings to "keep the secrets off the Web." Yeah, right. You know what that means...
We haven't seen such a commercially successful, over hyped waste of time in the dark since The Blair Witch Project. There's nothing more to this "monster the size of a skyscraper goes stomping on Manhattan" movie than special effects. The story is so lacking it makes the rehash of the rehash of Godzilla look like Gone With The Wind . . . what a bloody waste of time.
Then again, our niece (age 17) and her friends looooved it. We still love her <g>.
Rambo stars Sylvester Stallone as a pacifist (!) shuttling missionaries up the river (heh) somewhere between Thailand and Burma. Burma's been in a 60 year civil war and it isn't a safe place. Guess who needs saving? It's not a good movie -- the story is weak, the script is weaker but body parts fly all over the place. Isn't that what you really want? You know it!
Stop Loss is a story which, depending on your side-of-the-aisle, will either infuriate you or make you pound your fist in anger. The story? It seems the Army has fine print in its volunteer contract that, essentially, won't let "volunteers" go at the end of their agreed upon term. It used to be called conscription but that's so last century.
Snow Angels is a confusing tale of kid life which becomes a lost kid mystery and then maybe a murder mystery and then again maybe a serial murder mystery lost kid whole mess a movie ideas crammed into one mess of a film. Ultimately, it's one of those films you wish you'd never paid to see in the first place. Film student geeks will rejoice! but just about everyone else (meaning: us "normal" folks) should stay away.
Married Life stars Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Pierce Brosnan in a story set in the 1950s when all people were WASPs whose marriages last forever (or whose extramarital affairs were conducted oh so discreetly..) and suburbia is king. So what happens when long time stable marriages hit the rocks? Why hubbie just knows that his beloved will never be able to live without him so he plans her murder!! We can see how this could've been major drama in the 1950s but the culture has changed so radically that clever twists and surprising turns don't pack the "oomph" they would have if they were still relatively new (and not done to death in other films over the last 50 years...)
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day stars Francis McDormand and Amy Adams, the former a down on her luck governess who sneaks into high society as a social secretary for a perky American actress (Adams) -- the setting is London, 1939 and war is about to come crashing down, y'know. The film looks like the great musicals of the 1930s, lacking only the nonstop song and dance numbers [meaning? our gay friends, may they rest in piece, would have totally adored the film.
The Bank Job stars Jason Stathan. The title tells you just about all you need to know, though there's so much more to the rhyme and reason of why this true Brit bank heist came into being that, once you work through the thick as a brick Brit accents, you should greatly enjoy your romp through the criminal underpinnings of last century London. Seriously, the film is a tremendous bit of fun and greatly recommended.
Flawless stars Michael Caine and Demi Moore in what would have been a great (men) against the system diamond heist except that the film fails to build any suspense as the payoff approaches. zzzz
Run Fat Boy Run stars Simon Pegg as a man who ran from his bride at the altar and now wants her back. But he needs to get back to that sexy shape that won her heart and, gee if there is something funny in this no one at our screening got it either. Thandie Newton co-stars.
Sleepwalking was produced by Charlize Theron, who has a small part in an otherwise unfocussed film; just the first of a one two punch that sent yours Cranky down for the count. Strictly arthouse in a miniscule release. That should tell you all you really need to know.
The Other Bolewyn Girl stars Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson as sisters whose parents aim them at King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) as prospective bedmates. As enraptured with the story as we are, this version falls flat. A very dull sit.
U2 3D is a one song short of perfect set of hits by the Irish rockers recorded live in concert during a tour of South America. Cranky's movie review
The Band's Visit (ltd) stars nobody but offers up the most intriguing story we'd seen in a while: an Egyptian police band gets lost while on the road to a performance in Israel (!) and stuff happens. Great for those that prefer the art house (the film is mainly in English) with one scene that is easily worth the price of admission for all those 20 and up. Cranky's movie review
Definitely Maybe is a cute dateflick in the mode of "daddy tell me about who my mommy could have been..." -- since daddy (Ryan Reynolds) is getting divorced. A clunky setup featuring the always adorable Abigail Breslin leads to three intertwining stories (Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks and Isla Fischer co-star) that are charming. TAKE A DATE! Cranky's movie review
Untraceable stars Diane Lane with Billy Burke, Colin Hanks. Kinky, gruesome Murders broadcast live on the internet. Those wanting blood and guts slice 'n' dice will be disappointed. Everyone else will be on the edge of their seat, squirming by the time the film is done. We were. Cranky's movie review
Penelope stars Christina Ricci as a cursed young British Lady (whose features are that of a pig) with Catherine O'Hara and Richard E Grant as the parents searching for her genuine, authentic blue-blood love -- for only he can break the curse. James McAvoy appears as said blue-blood dude with Peter Dinklage as the paparazzi who hounds them all and Reese Witherspoon as Pen's smart-mouthed American best friend. Once you get past an incredibly awkward setup, the film becomes a fairly enjoyable sit. Like most fairy tales, the story is all the fantasy of some depraved writer but this is a good dateflick, skewing to the femme half of those dating couples.