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Sicko
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Few people in the public eye have endured as much universal scorn from
the Far Right as Michael Moore. The rabble-rousing filmmaker rankles conservative
pundits because of his impudent use of irreverent humor to skewer many
of the things they hold dear.
Of course, everyone knows that Moore views the world from the Far Left.
As demonstrated in previous documentaries like Bowling for Columbine
and Fahrenheit 911, Moore stacks the deck to make his case. In
that respect, he’s the Ying to Rush Limbaugh’s Yang.
Accepting that going in even skeptics will find a lot to learn in Sicko,
Moore’s funny and informative examination of the ailing American
health care system. He takes on a lot of villains but saves most of his
bile for insurance companies. While his methods are sometimes outrageous,
no one can deny that he makes his point in an entertaining and thought-provoking
way.
The film begins with a hilarious clip of President Bush making an unintentional
blunder while addressing the problem of health care. From there, we’re
offered a number of nightmare examples of a system that is seriously out
of whack. He gets most of his mileage out of comparing the US system to
those in other nations.
In a damning sequence that any Star Wars fan will appreciate,
a scroll begins, featuring a seemingly endless list of illnesses that
insurance companies can deny coverage for. As Moore states, his movie
isn’t so much about the “uninsured,” it’s about
how the “insured” really aren’t.
One sequence filmed in Kansas City focuses on the story of Julie, a worker
at St. Joseph’s Medical Center. Fully insured and a hospital employee,
she believed that her family would receive the best care possible. When
her husband needed a bone marrow transplant, the insurance company balked.
They said that this kind of treatment was “experimental” and
refused to cover him. He died.
This is just one of many horror stories Moore provides. In a sequence
sure to raise the hackles of conservative apologists, Moore shares the
story of a handful of 9/11 rescue workers suffering from ailments related
to their efforts. They have not been able to receive proper care, so Moore
takes them to Cuba…where they’re treated for “free.”
Although he conveniently neglects to say what the out-of-pocket tax costs
are for citizens of countries with socialized medicine, he focuses on
the fact that in England, France and Canada, everyone gets treatment without
fear of being turned away or bankrupted by expenses. By contrast, he shows
a harrowing sequence where indigent patients are systematically dumped
on LA’s Skid Row.
Love him or hate him, Michael Moore skillfully forces us to focus on
yet another controversial issue that many would rather ignore. For that,
he deserves our rapt attention. (PG-13) Rating: 4 (Posted 06/29/07) |
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Live
Free or Die Hard
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
It’s been nearly 20 years since Bruce Willis first became an action
hero in the blockbuster thriller, Die Hard. But like Sylvester
Stallone demonstrated in the latest installment of the Rocky
saga, Willis can still take a few more punches.
Live Free or Die Hard is the fourth over-the-top extravaganza
featuring John McLane, a tough as nails New York cop who has a knack for
winding up in the middle of a lot of mayhem.
This time out, McLane finds himself battling a group of highly trained
and well-funded Internet terrorists who are using technology in an attempt
to cripple the US economic system.
After an incident of destructive hacking and the deaths of some accomplished
nerds, the FBI orders that a group of known hackers be rounded up. Detective
McLane is ordered to bring in a techno-wizard named Matt Farrell, played
by the very well cast Justin Long, best known from ubiquitous Mackintosh
commercials.
But Farrell is merely a pawn in the machinations of another greedy and
unbalanced fellow,
It seems that a disaffected Defense Department computer expert named
Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant from TV’s Deadwood) has
decided to seek revenge after being rebuffed by officials. He’d
been warning them that their network was vulnerable to hackers but was
publicly humiliated for his efforts. Now he’s out to prove that
he was right.
There is another new element to McLane’s saga. He’s got a
rebellious teenage daughter named Lucy, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
(Grindhouse), who Gabriel uses as a human shield when McLane
gets too close.
As in all of the previous Die Hard adventures, the emphasis
is on fast-paced and elaborately staged stunts and action sequences. The
movie gets steadily less credible as these scenes become more and more
spectacular. If there was any film that required checking your brain at
the door, this is it.
All of that is irrelevant, of course. What fans want are to see Willis
put through the paces and tossing off sly wisecracks along the way. ”Yippee
Ki Yay Mo!”
Director Len Wiseman, the man behind the hit contemporary horror thrillers
Underworld and Underworld: Evolution, pulls out all
the stops. The special effects and stunt work are top-notch.
And Willis, bless him, manages to exude the cool indestructibility that
has become his trademark. He looks like could take even more punishment
and still thwart the bad guys.
Who knows, maybe Stallone and Willis can team up. Rocky Dies Hard,
anyone? (PG-13) Rating: 3 (Posted 06/29/07) |
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A
Mighty Heart
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
On Jan. 23, 2002, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl
disappeared. He was in Pakistan digging around for information about the
accomplices of Richard Reed, the man who failed in his attempt to ignite
his shoes and bring down a US airliner.
In the new movie A Mighty Heart, filmmaker Michael Winterbottom
(Tristam Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story) takes a look at the
story of Pearl’s disappearance from the viewpoint of his wife, Marieane,
played by Angelina Jolie (Mr. and Mrs. Smith).
Adapted by screenwriter John Orloff (Band of Brothers) from
Marieane Pearl’s book, this harrowing account gives viewers a well-detailed
and thoughtful look at the attempts by Pearl’s friends, associates
and the Pakistani authorities to locate him and his captors.
Although the film is told mostly in chronological order, Winterbottom
and Orloff engage in flashbacks that help to flesh out the relationship
between Pearl (Dan Futterman from The Birdcage) and his wife,
who was also a reporter.
Most of the film’s running time is dedicated to the search. Once
Pearl steps into a cab on that fateful day, the focus turns to Mariane
and her tireless efforts to locate her husband. She enlists the aid of
the editorial staff of the Wall Street Journal, the US Consulate
in Pakistan, the local police as well as government authorities.
Among those who help out are a coworker (Archie Panjabi from Bend
It Like Beckham), a police captain (Irrfan Khan from The Namesake),
a US Embassy official (Will Patton from Remember the Titans)
and a newspaper executive (Kansas City native and Tony Award-winner Denis
O’Hare).
The film follows the many leads and dead ends these investigators track,
giving us a real sense of the agonizing frustration they felt, as well
as their waning hope.
As with Winterbottom’s other politically inclined work like The
Road to Guantanamo and Welcome to Sarajevo, A Mighty
Heart uses techniques that give the narrative a documentary-like
quality. The hand-held camerawork and choppy editing help create a sense
of immediacy and urgency that gives the film a realistic edge.
But it is Jolie’s portrait of a fiercely intelligent but understandably
distraught woman that carries the movie. While the Oscars are still many
months away and Academy members have short memories, Jolie might just
be remembered for her solid, emotionally charged performance.
Involving but eschewing sensationalism (the infamous video of Pearl’s
execution is avoided), A Mighty Heart is both a tribute to Pearl
and to those who worked so hard to find him. (R) Rating: 4 (Posted
06/22/07) |
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1408
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Over the last couple of decades, the horror film has evolved from a genre
that formerly intended to give us a few scares, into an utterly disreputable
category that intends to titillate us with gore. The term “horror
porn” or “torture porn” has been used to describe the
works of many filmmakers working in the milieu.
Thankfully, there are exceptions. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
and The Others had more on their minds than pandering to our
more base instincts.
1408, based on a short story by Stephen King, is one of the
smarter horror entries to come along in recent years, a psychological
thriller that serves up the chills while also having something to say
about the human condition.
John Cusack stars as Mike Enslin, a once promising writer who, for the
sake of financial stability, now writes throwaway books about “haunted”
places. But he isn’t a believer in paranormal phenomenon…or
God for that matter. He writes his paperbacks to make ends meet. After
all, nobody wants to read about life when there are other things to be
afraid of.
One day, Mike gets a postcard telling him about room 1408 at the Dolphin
Hotel on Lexington Avenue in New York City. Reportedly, many people have
died in that room and now the management refuses to allow anyone to stay
there.
Mike is tempted and has his publisher (Tony Shaloub) check the law regarding
the hotel management’s position. It seems that they cannot legally
refuse his request to stay in the room.
Despite warnings from the Dolphin’s manager (a throwaway role played
by Samuel L. Jackson) about the deadly nature of the room, Mike is adamant.
He’s insistent in spite of the fact that he hasn’t been to
the city since the death of his young daughter, a loss that has left him
estranged from his wife (Mary McCormack).
Reluctantly, the manager allows Mike to occupy the evil room and, as
you would expect, all hell breaks loose. Not long after checking in, Mike
discovers that many strange things occur in this room. It doesn’t
take long before he’s realized what a colossal mistake he’s
made, but he can’t get out.
Swedish director Mikael Håfström, whose last English language
picture was the Hitchcockian thriller Derailed, delivers a solid
chiller that doesn’t dictate how the audience should interpret it.
Is Mike going mad, has he been doped, is the place actually haunted? These
questions are left up to us to figure out.
The movie is all Cusack and special effects. Fortunately, both are very
good, making 1408 a horror flick that stands out for its intelligence.
(R) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 06/22/07) |
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Evan
Almighty
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Morgan Freeman returns as God in the second film of the “Almighty”
franchise. The franchise features God in human form doling out life lessons
to a human who desperately needs them.
In the first film, Bruce Almighty (2003), angry TV reporter
Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) gets to be God for a while. Not only does he
find out that being God is not such an easy job. He also creates some
hilarious comedy in the process.
This time around, writer Steve Oedekerk (who co-wrote Bruce Almighty
with Steve Koren and Mark O’Keefe) and director Tom Shadyac (Bruce
Almighty and Liar, Liar, 1997) have modernized the biblical
story of Noah. Steve Carrell (The Forty Year Old Virgin, 2005)
plays Evan, a recently appointed congressman who starts getting messages
from God right after he moves to the DC area for his new job.
On the first morning in his new house Evan’s alarm goes off at
6:14. He’s surprised because he’d set it to go off at 7:00.
But he shrugs and goes about his daily hygiene regime, which includes
an extensive nose-hair obliterating routine.
He soon starts getting other messages: A messenger delivers a box of
odd tools to his house and the Alpha and Omega Company drops off a truckload
of wood that he didn’t order.
Before long, Evan (who was a reporter with Bruce in the first movie)
has become the town weirdo who is building a huge boat and is constantly
accompanied by animals that appear out of nowhere.
Unlike Jim Carrey (who often relies on physical comedy and over-the-top
displays of emotional expression), Carrell mostly uses facial expressions
to convey an overwhelmed cluelessness. He’s basically the butt of
what appears a cruel joke.
The supporting cast (including Wanda Sykes, John Michael Higgins and
Jonah Hill as his congressional team) adds to the hilarity by reacting
to Evans transformation. Sykes’ deadpan delivery of her lines makes
her observations about Evan even funnier. She fears that her boss preparing
for a journey to loony land, and she wants him to get it together with
the quickness, so she won’t lose her sweet gig.
Evan Almighty has an obvious message, but the filmmakers have
reserved the hammers for ark building. The message is spooned to viewers
with lots of sugary humor and slapstick cherry on top. The light-hearted
story will elicit laughter from many children and their parents. It’s
good family fun with lessons about loving and the rewards and challenges
of trying to change the world (one random act of kindness at a time, as
God tells Evan). (PG) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 06/22/07) |
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Fantastic
Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Reviewed by Deborah Young
The second time’s a charm for this franchise. Less talk, more action
and eye-catching effects boost Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
Surfer above its predecessor.
This time around, meteor-like objects start creating strange changes
on earth. Suruga Bay in Japan solidifies, and two inches of snow falls
in an Egyptian desert.
But these drastic changes in nature don’t deter media coverage
of the upcoming wedding of Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) and Reed Richards
(Laon Gruffudd). The couple (along with the other two members of the Fantastic
Four) has become A-list celebrities.
As one might expect, Johnny (Chris Evans) loves the media attention.
He arrives at his sister’s wedding in a shiny black sports car with
a model by his side. He hops out with a huge smile on his face and informs
the audience to calm down and respect his sister’s wedding. Then
he says, “just kidding,” and says they’ll be selling
souvenirs later.
The big guy, Ben (Michael Chiklis) seems to be taking his celebrity in
stride. He has a woman (Kerry Washington as Alicia) by his side. He’s
simply lumbering through the celebrity experience with people constantly
gawking at him.
The strange phenomenon interrupts Susan and Reed’s wedding and
introduces the Silver Surfer to the gang. Johnny winds up chasing the
Silver Surfer and losing a scuffle with him. This gets the ball rolling,
and the gang joins the military to catch the Silver Surfer before he destroys
earth.
At times John Ottman’s score sounds like soap opera music, as the
orchestra plays softly to the melodrama of Susan’s wedding talk.
And, of course, there are the obligatory (and over-the-top) fight scenes,
which come mostly in the last 30 minutes of this 92-minute film.
Still, Silver Surfer exceeds the quality of last year’s
Fantastic Four film because it relies less on stunts, lame jokes
in dialogue and self-conscious humor, and more on the charm of the characters.
For the life of me, though, I can’t figure out why Jessica Alba’s
eye makeup was different in almost every scene. Unfortunately, the focus
is more on the actress’s looks than the character’s role.
Such is the life of a super heroine! Fortunately, the film provided enough
laughs and thrills that most viewers will be able to grin and bear this
unfortunate fact. (PG) Rating: 3 (Posted 06/15/07) |
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Once
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Whenever someone pronounces the movie musical a dead genre, a film comes
along to change that notion. Most recently, Chicago and Dreamgirls
achieved both critical and box office success.
Now comes Once, a winning musical from Ireland that shakes the
mothballs out of the format by indulging in a bit of reinvention. Unlike
the previously noted extravaganzas, Once is a small movie that
eschews the showy glitz of Hollywood in favor of a credible sense of gritty
reality. In spite of its modesty, it manages to cast a powerful romantic
spell.
The winner of the World Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival,
Once focuses on the relationship of two pop musicians…played
by two pop musicians.
Glen Hansard of the Irish band The Frames stars as a threadbare street
musician (called a “busker”) playing his guitar on the working
class streets of Dublin. Although he harbors a desire for a career in
music, he also works in his father’s vacuum repair shop to make
ends meet.
One day, a pretty young woman from the Czech Republic (Marketa Irglova)
stops by to listen to our hero’s melancholy tunes. (In an unusual
twist, the names of these characters are never uttered.) A street vendor
selling roses, this young woman is also musically inclined and is drawn
to the young man’s melodies.
Eventually, the duo winds up in a piano shop jamming together on the
outline of a tune that the guitarist offers. They then begin a collaboration
that may or may not lead to romance, but the social dance they engage
in feels undeniably real.
Both of these characters are dealing with personal matters that complicate
their relationship. He’s nursing the wounds of a recent breakup
with girl who has moved off to London while she is the mother of a toddler
and is waiting to see if her husband is going to be able to leave the
Czech Republic to join them in Ireland.
There is never a false moment in this low-key tale that is infused with
a lot of extremely appealing music and an equally likable cast. Its nearly
documentary-like feel is softened tremendously by the movie’s easygoing
charm.
While the songs and the performers give the movie an emotional lift,
a lot of credit also has to go to writer/director John Carney (On
the Edge) who steers the story in an unpredictable and emotionally
involving direction.
Heartfelt and honest, Once is a movie worth seeing twice. (R)
Rating: 4 (Posted 06/15/07) |
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Nancy
Drew
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Back in 1930, a fictional teenage sleuth first appeared that youngsters
couldn’t get enough of. The Nancy Drew mystery novels by an author
named Carolyn Keene were a publishing hit. Of course, Carolyn Keene was
just a pseudonym for any number of authors who cranked out these pulp
novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate.
The stores were later developed into series of four movies starring Bonita
Granville and in the 1970s; there was a TV series that starred Pamela
Sue Martin.
Although these attempts at bringing Nancy Drew to the screen have had
mixed results, the books have remained popular. Naturally, Hollywood is
giving it another shot.
The new kids’ flick Nancy Drew is a feeble attempt to
resurrect and update the character. Even though the idea has plenty of
potential, this tepid attempt is so poorly written and clumsily directed
that it should shove the character back into mothballs for the foreseeable
future.
Emma Roberts (daughter of Eric, niece of Julia and the star of TV’s
Unfabulous) takes on the title role, that of an unusually precocious
and inordinately intelligent lass who happens to have a knack for solving
crimes.
In what is either the result of budget constraints or an attempt to add
some glitz to the project, the film is set in Hollywood. Writer/director
Andrew Fleming (The Craft) and co-writer Tiffany Paulsen (an
actress seen in Runaway Bride) have contrived a plot that has
River Heights’ Nancy spending some time in Tinseltown because her
clueless father, Carson (Shooter’s Tate Donovan) is on
a business trip there.
Once they’ve temporarily rented an old Beverly Hills mansion, it
becomes clear that Nancy is about to become embroiled in another adventure.
It turns out that this seedy residence is the former home of a deceased
movie star named Dehlia Draycott, played in flashbacks by Laura Elena
Harring (Inland Empire).
Free to roam the decrepit but sprawling home, Nancy uncovers clues that
lead her to believe that the actress was the victim of foul play.
The filmmakers are obviously targeting young girls, but they make the
mistake of playing down to the audience and not respecting the intelligence
of youngsters who enjoy mysteries. There is an unwelcome tongue-in-cheek
attitude that undermines the whole venture.
Roberts is quite winsome in the title role, but the labored attempts
a humor and lackluster pacing prevent the movie from ever taking off.
In the end, Nancy Drew plays like an episode of Scooby Doo…but
without the loveable dog. Zoinks! (PG) Rating: 1.5 (Posted 06/15/07) |
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Ocean's
13
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Hollywood would like us to believe that the third time is the charm.
So far this year, we’ve had Spiderman 3, Shrek the
Third and the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean
franchise, At World’s End.
Now we have the third appearance of a group of slick con artists led
by Danny Ocean (George Clooney) called Ocean’s 13.
This time out, George, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and friends are out to bust
a sleazy Vegas casino owner named Willie Banks, played with over-the-top
relish by Al Pacino. He’s taken advantage of their friend Ruben,
played by Eliot Gould, and they’re out for revenge.
After Banks cheats Ruben out his rightful share of a new mega-casino
on the Strip, Ruben suffers a severe heart attack and a debilitating bout
of depression. Danny and the boys try to get Banks to make amends but
when he balks, they devise yet another elaborate scheme to fleece his
entire casino on opening night.
The script by Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Rounders) barely
tries to be credible. In fact, from the likes of the contrivances in their
screenplay, it appears that they’ve been watching too many old James
Bond movies. (The con men are able to get their hands on not one, but
TWO of the mechanical tunnel diggers used to make the Chunnel and then
burrow under the Vegas Strip…without anybody noticing!)
The affable supporting cast includes Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott
Caan, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Andy Garcia, Shaobo Qin and Eddie Izzard.
Ellen Barkin has an amusing role as Pacino’s horny assistant. (It’s
her first appearance with Pacino since 1989’s Sea of Love.)
Back in 1963, legendary filmmaker John Ford took some members of his
usual repertory company of actors (including John Wayne) and carted them
off to Hawaii for a lightweight comedy called Donavan’s Reef.
It was more like a vacation with friends than a movie.
With the Ocean’s franchise, director Steven Soderberg
(Traffic) appears to be doing the same thing. It seems like the
whole enterprise serves as an excuse for a group of friends to enjoy a
little getaway. It’s too bad that the audience can’t enjoy
it as much as the cast.
There isn’t a believable moment in this silly enterprise that derives
much of its appeal from the undeniably likable cast. But it conveys a
sense of 1960s-style Vegas cool that makes it lightweight fun. (PG-13)
Rating: 3 (Posted 06/08/07) |
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Surf's
Up
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Lots of fidgeting and whining went on during the Surf’s Up
screening I attended. The audience’s youngest viewers just didn’t
seem captivated, particularly during the movie’s first half. But
that doesn’t mean the film doesn’t have virtues.
The animated mockumentary captures the story of Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf),
a 17-year-old penguin who aspires to become a championship surfer. Like
the protagonist of Happy Feet, Cody is an outsider in his community.
His brother Glen (Brian Posehn) considers him a hopeless slacker. His
mother worries that his surfing aspirations won’t be realized.
Cody’s big opportunity comes when a surfing scout visits Shiverpool
(Cody’s hometown) to scout Cody for the Big Z Memorial surfing competition.
Cody follows the scout back to the scene of the competition.
Unfortunately, the young surfer discovers that he’s a definite
underdog. He gets injured during a pre-competition match with the reigning
champ, Tank Evans (Diedrich Bader).
But Cody’s injury turns out to be a blessing in disguise. After
his accident, a female lifeguard (Zooey Deschanel as Lani Aliikai) drags
him to a penguin that can treat his wounds and help him to become a better
surfer.
Surf’s Up has wit and a unique approach. It’s a
great (although often predictable) parody of the sports world where players
are commodities and promoters manipulate athletes and their fans. The
movie even has a Don King look-alike in the character Reggie Belafonte,
a beaver who promotes penguin surfers.
The downside: Surf’s Up’s lack of action and slow
moments will probably lose many little viewers (and some big ones). It’s
cute and smart but not gag-packed and never uproariously funny. Next to
competitors like The Incredibles and Shrek, this movie
seems minor league. (PG) Rating: 2.5 (Posted 06/08/07) |
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Mr.
Brooks
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
In a hilarious scene from Madonna’s 1991 concert film Truth
or Dare, actor Kevin Costner (The Guardian) briefly visits
the singer in her dressing room after a performance. He tells her that
the show was, “Neat.” After Madonna answers with the obligatory,
“Thanks,” Costner exits. Madonna then looks to the camera
and sticks her finger down her throat.
Audiences laughed at what a square Costner seemed to be. Strangely, it
is that very quality that makes his performance in the new thriller Mr.
Brooks work as well as it does.
Costner plays Earl Brooks, an appropriately staid pillar of the community.
The owner of a box manufacturing company in Portland, Earl seems to be
as square as they come. A hard working businessman with a wife and teenage
daughter, his only hobby appears to be pottery making.
But Earl has another pastime. He’s a serial killer.
He is an addict who gets a thrill from the kill. Because he plans his
adventures carefully, no trace of evidence is left behind. He’s
been able to reign in his bloodlust for a year thanks to the friendly
counsel he receives at AA meetings. (Hey, he just says, “I’m
an addict.” He doesn’t say what he’s addicted to.)
But Earl has a demonic subconscious that constantly prods him to kill.
This character is played by William Hurt (A History of Violence)
as a kind of satanic version of Harvey.
One night after giving in to the urge to kill, Earl notices he’s
made an egregious error, leaving the blinds open during a murder. Sure
enough, an amateur photographer named Mr. Smith (played by stand up comic
Dane Cook) snaps Earl’s photo and blackmails him. Mr. Smith doesn’t
want money, however. He wants in on the next kill.
So what’s a poor serial killer to do? He wants to stop, but he’s
got his personal devil and a nosy amateur pressuring him to continue.
If you can get past the artifice of using William Hurt as a devise to
personify Earl’s evil side, there are some chills to be had in this
thriller from writer/director Bruce A. Evans (Kuffs). But there
are a lot of other things that are hard to swallow. (Demi Moore is a cop
with $60 million in the bank??)
Mr. Brooks is a sleazy opus that lacks the depth of Silence
of the Lambs or Se7en. Still, it is produced and performed
with utter conviction. Its aim is to creep us out. On that count, it certainly
succeeds. (R) Rating: 2.5 (Posted 06/01/07) |
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Gracie
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Is Gracie the American version of Bend It Like Beckham?
Definitely not.
Instead, Director Davis Guggenheim’s latest effort mixes teen soap
opera, inspirational sports flick and a struggle-against-the-status-quo
story. It’s sort of a Lifetime girl-in-crisis flick meets
Rocky meets Footloose.
Dedicated to William Shue (actress Elizabeth Shue’s deceased brother),
Gracie reincarnates the story of Elizabeth’s struggle to
play on her high school’s boy’s soccer team in the late 1970s.
During that time soccer was considered a boys’ sport. So Shue must
have received much flack from peers and school administrators.
In real life, Elizabeth’s brother William, an accomplished soccer
player, lived through her groundbreaking struggle. But in the movie, the
death of Gracie’s brother, Johnny (Jessie Lee Soffer), provides
the impetus for Gracie’s desire to play on the school’s soccer
team.
After Johnny’s death, Gracie’s father, Bryan (Dermot Mulroney),
shuts down. At the same time, Gracie (Carly Schroeder) tries to deal with
her grief by turning to the sport her brother loved. Bryan, however, wouldn’t
hear of it … until Gracie begins acting out (letting her grades
slip and hanging with the wrong crowd).
Then, the father and daughter channel their energies into preparing Gracie
for tryouts with the boys’ team (although it’s uncertain whether
the school board will approve a girl on the team). Gracie encounters the
expected obstacles and undergoes the training that’s a staple in
these kinds of movies.
But Schoeder’s stellar performance and the movie’s time-tested
theme about the rewards of perseverance entertain, despite the clichés.
Gracie is not the American version of Bend It Like Beckham,
because Gracie is all seriousness and melodrama. In contrast,
Bend It Like Beckham showed us a girl’s love of soccer
with the humor of a family’s idiosyncrasies.
Still, Gracie will likely bring a smile and warm feeling to
many viewers. (PG-13) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 06/01/07) |
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Knocked
Up
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
So, how do you make sex and drugs humor palatable for a wide audience?
How do you turn an overweight slacker a hero to millions?
Well, amazingly, the makers of Knocked Up have found the way.
These alchemists have taken ingredients of different genres and mixed
them together in a creative way, producing a flick that should cut across
many demographic lines. They’ve combined lowbrow, frat boy humor
with the sentimentality of a chick flick. Even Dr. Frankenstein would
have had a hard time sewing those pieces together and bringing the creation
to life.
Writer/director Judd Apatow, who earlier worked his box office magic
with The 40-Year-Old Virgin, figured out that you could heap
a lot of crass material into the audience’s lap as long as you give
it heart.
Seth Rogen, best known from TV’s Freaks and Geeks, plays
Ben Stone, a pudgy, twentysomething nerd sharing a house with a group
of like-minded friends. For years, they’ve been tinkering on a website
featuring celebrity nude scenes.
One night at a bar, he meets a stunning beauty named Alison Scott (Katherine
Hiegl from TV’s Grey’s Anatomy). An upwardly mobile
on-air personality for an entertainment news TV show, Alison is Ben’s
polar opposite. Thanks to the power of alcohol, the unlikely duo engages
in a one-night stand.
Naturally, Alison gets pregnant. Rather than pursue other options, she
decides to have the baby and tracks down Ben to see if he’d like
to be a part of their lives.
While this setup is fraught with opportunities to turn deadly serious,
Apatow and his cast never allow that to happen. Hey, this is a movie and
reality doesn’t necessarily play a major role.
But that doesn’t mean that the movie lacks substance. It has some
sharp points to make about modern relationships, one of which is played
out by supporting players Leslie Mann (Orange County) and Kansas
City’s own Paul Rudd (Anchorman). As Alison’s bickering
sister and brother-in-law, they provide a chilling cautionary example
of contemporary marriage.
The performances are just right, making this unlikely romance seem almost
credible. Rogen brings an affable, hangdog sensibility to his character
and is blessed with excellent comic timing. Hiegl is sweetly open-minded
as Alison. Although Ben has more than his share of personality defects
that would turn most women off, Hiegl manages to convey a tolerant mindset,
giving their relationship a chance.
If raunchy humor isn’t your thing, then the appeal of Knocked
Up may be lost on you. But thanks to a genuine infusion of heart,
it may just win you over. (R) Rating: 4 (Posted 06/01/07) |
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