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Next
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
As with all time-travel related stories, how much one enjoys it is in
direct proportion to how willing one is to suspend disbelief.
Next, based upon a short story by Phillip K. Dick, requires
that viewers leave their natural skepticism at the door. If you can do
that, then it might be just what you’re looking for.
Nicholas Cage (Ghost Rider) stars as Cris Johnson, a second-rate
magician working a lounge act at a Las Vegas casino. But his act is only
bad because he’s got no talent as a performer. You see…he
can perform some real magic.
Since childhood Cris has been able to see a couple of minutes into his
future. (This talent comes in very handy at the blackjack tables.) While
this vision has severe limits, it gives him a chance to avoid nearly every
imaginable pitfall.
But one vision has haunted him. He continues to foresee the image of
a woman that he believes is tied into his destiny. He knows only the place
and time of day when she’ll arrive, not the date. Every day, he
goes to a café at the same time to see if she’ll finally
walk into his life.
But things get more complicated for Cris when a savvy FBI agent named
Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore from Children of Men) figures out
that his abilities are real and not a trick. When a terrorist smuggles
an atomic bomb into the country, Callie figures that Cris’ talents
could come in handy.
But Cris doesn’t believe that he can help their cause and slips
away from them. When his dream girl, Liz (Jessica Biel from The Illusionist)
finally comes into his life, he tries to keep both of them beyond the
reach of the feds.
Of course, if he were successful (and his special talent would make that
a given) you’d have no movie. So, Cris and Liz get swept up in the
battle between the feds and the terrorists.
There are plenty of reasons to dismiss this movie as hogwash. Although
the premise is fresh and the limits that screenwriters Gary Goldman, Jonathan
Hensleigh and Paul Bernbaum place on our hero make it more intriguing,
there are still a few gaps in logic.
But director Lee Tamohauri (Die Another Day) has found some
visually interesting ways to depict the time travel conundrums while staging
some arresting action sequences. And Cage’s world-weary performance,
while it may be off-putting to some, is wholly appropriate.
So, if you turn your brain from “11” down to about a “4,”
Next may prove to be an entertaining popcorn flick. (PG) Rating:
3.5 (Posted 04/27/07)
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Year
of the Dog
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Year of the Dog’s protagonist, Peggy (Molly Shannon),
relates to animal lovers in the same way that Annie Wilkes, the deranged
literary groupie in Misery, relates to avid readers. Translation:
If mental health could be measured in marbles, some of Peggy’s would
definitely be missing.
Early in the movie Peggy seems harmlessly lonely. She loves her dog,
Pencil, like a close relative.
Mornings the two of them stare longingly at each other as she pulls her
car out of the driveway and heads down the street. Evenings the two of
them eat together and then watch television together. Nights they sleep
side by side.
At work, Peggy serves as a mostly silent listener to her strange and
inarticulate boss (Josh Pais as Robin) and her chatty and love-struck
coworker (Regina King as Layla). She also spends what seems an inordinate
amount of time just hanging out at her brother and sister-in-law’s
house.
After Pencil dies, Peggy throws her attentions into a relationship with
Newt, a vegan who works at the pet clinic. Somewhere along the way she
shifts her attentions to animal rights.
Sane animal lovers will find Peggy’s transformation troubling in
the same way that people who love children find dangerously overindulgent
parents disturbing. Peggy crosses the line from caring to obsessive.
Year of the Dog, which at first seemed destined for the feel-good
pet movie archives, takes an abrupt turn into Psychoville, U.S.A. That
might have been okay if the film’s writer/director Mike White (The
Good Girl) had taken a definite viewpoint and stuck with it.
Instead, White shows us a troubled woman doing terrible things and then
waffles about whether her actions are bad or good, about whether she is
emotionally disturbed or good intentioned but confused. Translation: If
movies are trips, Year of the Dog is an unplanned detour into
the land of the lost.
The movie’s only saving grace is that it passes some lovely scenery
(in the form of humorous dialogue, amusingly quirky characters, and atypical
situations) on the road to nowhere. (PG-13) Rating: 3 (Posted 04/27/07)
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The
Condemned
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
When a movie like The Condemned starts moralizing, one can’t
help but snicker. It’s almost as if the filmmakers are trying to
scold you for watching the very movie they’ve made.
When it comes to cinematic sleaze, at least Quentin Tarantino and Robert
Rodriguez (Grindhouse) know that what they’re indulging
in. They don’t make any apologies for the fact that the content
of their movie is amoral at best and depraved at worst. At least they
present their trash in an entertaining fashion.
But hypocrisy is only one of the many cinematic sins committed by the
makers of The Condemned.
Famed pro wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin stars in this unholy marriage
of The Most Dangerous Game and TV’s Survivor.
It exists solely to satiate the audience’s desire to see people
graphically brutalize one another.
Austin stars as Jack Conrad, a US military special operations agent left
to rot in a Central American prison. Awaiting his execution, he learns
that he may earn the chance for a reprieve.
A wealthy American producer named Ian Breckel (Robert Mammone from The
Matrix Revolution) has an idea for a profitable reality show. He
purchases 10 condemned inmates from prisons around the world and transports
them to a remote South Asian location. After attaching explosive tracking
devices to their ankles, he drops them on a jungle island rigged with
cameras. The inmates are instructed to fight to the death and the last
man alive will receive his freedom.
Breckel airs the live battle footage on the Internet, charging viewers
fifty bucks a pop to see people kill each other.
Naturally, there are some formidable and fiendish folks stranded together
on the island. The biggest obstacle to Jack’s survival is a British
military assassin named Ewan McStarley, played by former soccer star,
Vinnie Jones (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).
Director Scott Wiper (A Better Way to Die) is also responsible
for the screenplay, along with Rob and Andy Hedden (Clockstoppers).
While the plot is utterly derivative, it’s not the movie’s
worst feature. Nor is it the jerky handheld camerawork that makes it difficult
to see the fight action that makes up a large portion of the picture’s
113-minute running time.
No, the most annoying thing about The Condemned is the filmmakers’
sanctimonious attempt to inject moral platitudes into their opus. Near
the end of the film, a TV journalist lectures about media responsibility
and the moral consequences of violence as entertainment.
If the filmmakers want to preach to someone, they should start with the
man in the mirror. (R) Rating: 1.5 (Posted 04/27/07)
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Fracture
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Fracture features Anthony Hopkins as Ted Crawford, a geriatric
version of Primal Fear’s Adam Stampler. Like Stampler,
Crawford plays the space-case card to thwart the attorney with whom he’s
matching wits.
But the two movie plots differ in a major way: Stampler’s attorneys
spend most of the movie trying to figure out whether their client committed
the crime. But in Fracture, everyone knows Crawford shot his
wife.
The rub: he’s using his wit and legal loopholes to avoid prosecution.
He’s found the perfect opponent in Willy Beachum (played by Ryan
Gosling), an ambitious prosecuting attorney.
Beachum plans to make Crawford’s case his final victory before
he quits for a job at a prestigious private firm. After all, the man shot
his wife; it’s an open and shut case. Right?
Of course not. Beachum spends nearly two hours of screen time trying
to find the proof he needs to convict Crawford. In the process Crawford
toys with the young attorney, who has become accustomed to conning, cheating
and bluffing his way to victory.
This film has two big thrills: one, watching Beachum’s life unravel
as he discovers that Crawford is much smarter than he looks; and two,
trying to guess what Crawford’s going to do next.
Gosling’s boyish appearance and air of hauteur provide the perfect
counterpoint to Hopkins’ sophisticated manner and his deviant genius
act. Gosling smirks, and we’re on edge, waiting for his next act
of trickery.
Hopkins’ eyes still sparkle with life. His smile remains a mysterious
expression that can in turns signal anger, power or weakness.
These two wonderful actors make the film worth seeing. They add sheen
to a dull script that holds too few surprises and too many clues leading
to what’s supposed to be the big plot twist. (R) Rating: 3 (Posted
04/20/07) |
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In
the Land of Women
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
While nepotism flourishes in nearly every business, in filmmaking, it’s
nearly a requirement. In some cases, that’s not a bad thing.
Thankfully, the fruit of director Lawrence Kasdan (Body Heat,
The Big Chill) hasn’t fallen far from the tree. His son
Jake made the intriguing noir thriller Zero Effect and the affable
comedy, Orange County. His brother Mark wrote and produced Silverado,
among others.
Now it’s son Jon’s turn. His writing/directing debut, In
the Land of Women, is a smart, affecting comic drama that’s
doesn’t easily fall into any category.
Adam Brody (TV’s The O.C.) stars as Carter Webb, a conflicted
young man who is suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
Yeah, he got dumped.
Carter, a writer of soft-core porn movies, has just gotten the heave-ho
from his gorgeous actress girlfriend, Sophie (Elena Anaya from Sex
and Lucia). When his mom complains that Grandma (Olympia Dukakis
from Away From Her) is acting screwy, Carter decides to get out
of L.A. and visit the old gal at her Michigan home. After all, maybe he
can use the down time to write that novel he’s been putting off.
It doesn’t take long for Carter to realize that Grandma has become
a batty shut-in who can certainly use his help. Eventually, though, he
learns that she has more on the ball than he initially believes.
But Carter’s attention soon turns to the house across the street,
where the estrogen level is set on “11.” He meets Sarah, played
by Meg Ryan (Against the Ropes), while she’s walking the
dog. Estranged from her teenage daughter, Lucy (Kristen Stewart from The
Messengers), facing illness and dealing with a philandering husband,
Sarah latches on to Carter as a newfound friend.
Sarah and the much younger Carter, both emotionally needy, soon find
themselves attracted to one another. Trouble ensues when Carter also becomes
the object of Lucy’s romantic attentions and Sarah’s health
issues become more serious.
Kasdan handles all of this with a surprisingly light touch. His screenplay,
while sometimes overly slick, is quite funny and fresh. He also has the
good sense to populate his movie with a talented cast.
The ladies all give appealing performances, but this movie belongs to
Brody. Reminiscent of a young Tom Hanks, Brody manages to present his
character’s intelligence without smugness or condescension.
In the Land of Women is a strange bird. The latest contribution
from the Kasdan clan is a chick flick as seen from the male perspective.
(PG-13) Rating: 4 (Posted 04/20/07) |
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Raising
Jeffrey Dahmer
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Anyone who has attended local theatre in the Kansas City area over the
last couple of decades will see a lot of familiar faces in the disturbing
drama, Raising Jeffrey Dahmer.
The cast of this locally lensed feature is comprised of some of the finest
theatre performers the area has to offer. There is no question that these
talented individuals could deliver a terrific movie if given the right
circumstances.
Sadly, Raising Jeffrey Dahmer isn’t that film. Distressingly
slow, this story about the notorious serial killer’s family is oddly
edited and lacks consistent focus.
While the title implies that the story might be about the childhood experiences
that shaped Dahmer into an adult capable of murdering and dismembering
17 people, it’s actually about his father’s torturous feelings
of guilt.
Scott Cordes takes the lead role of Lionel Dahmer, a lab technician who
is seen at work when he receives the fateful call informing him that son
Jeffrey (Rusty Sneary) has been arrested. They then inform his wife Shari
(Cathy Barnett) who intuitively asks, “Is it child molestation?
Kiddie porn?”
As a crowd of media descends upon them, Lionel and Shari take refuge
with Lionel’s mom, Catherine (Jeannine Hutchings). While watching
the television coverage with horror, Lionel’s memory flashes back
to Jeffrey’s childhood.
Racking his brain in an attempt to comprehend the unfathomable, Lionel
remembers incidents that might have signaled the troubles to come. He
recalls Jeffrey poisoning goldfish, collecting road kill carcasses and
playing with the bones of dead animals. There were also the strange lockboxes
that Jeffrey kept in his closet.
As he got older, Jeffrey battled alcoholism and dabbled in the occult.
He served 10 months for child molestation and got booted out of the Army.
Yes, there were signs.
Grasping at straws in an attempt to explain Jeffrey’s behavior,
the media implied that his parents must have been guilty of child abuse.
While these charges proved to be false, the accusations added greatly
to the family’s pain.
Cordes, Barnett and Hutchings are all fine, delivering their lines like
the solid pros they are. The only “name” actor in the film,
Bo Svenson (Kill Bill Vol. 2) has a bit part as a police detective
with a guilt trip of his own.
While they kept it blissfully free of gore, writer/producer Wood Dickinson
(of the Dickinson Theatre chain) and co-writer Christopher Ryan aren’t
quite able to fine-tune their ideas. More problematic are the protracted
shots and lingering scenes that first-time director Rich Ambler engages
in.
While you have to applaud the effort behind this kind of homegrown independent
filmmaking, Raising Jeffrey Dahmer is a well-intentioned miscalculation.
(No MPAA rating) Rating: 2
(Posted 04/20/07) |
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Vacancy
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
If you think that the Bates Motel accounted for the most unpleasant accommodations
in cinematic hostelry, then you haven’t yet seen Vacancy.
A thriller calculated to keep your stomach in knots; Vacancy
is a fright fest that plays on the paranoia nearly everyone experiences
when staying in an unfamiliar low-rent roadhouse.
Kate Beckinsale (Underworld: Evolution) and Luke Wilson (My
Super Ex-Girlfriend) star as Amy and David Fox, a bickering couple
on a long road trip. Traveling back to their home in Los Angeles from
an uncomfortable family reunion where they pretended to be happy, they
take a detour on rural roadways when a traffic backup on the freeway slows
their progress.
After their BMW starts making some odd noises, they stop at a seemingly
abandoned gas station. (Mistake #1.) They then let a yokel tinker around
under the hood. (Mistake #2.) A mile down the road when their car conks
out, they decide to walk back to the seedy motel next to the gas station.
(Mistake #3.)
Told that there weren’t any mechanics available until morning,
Amy and David decide to check in. The cheery but slightly odd clerk named
Mason (Frank Whaley from World Trade Center) gives them the key
to a “suite” that looks like a reject from a 1960s episode
of the Twilight Zone.
Fumbling around with some VHS tapes sitting on the old TV, David discovers
something startling. They are snuff films that were shot in the very room
where he and Amy are currently staying! A quick look around the room reveals
hidden cameras apparently situated to capture a killing…and they’re
very likely the next victims.
Sure enough, some goons begin banging on the windows and doors in an
apparent prelude to a massacre. Amy and David must use some cunning to
escape this formidable trap.
Screenwriter Mark L. Smith (Séance) has come up with
a nifty gimmick for his creepy little thriller, but doesn’t bother
to close up some gaping plot holes that take away from the movie’s
overall impact.
Director Nimrod Antal (Kontroll) deftly squeezes some tension
from the setup, but also leaves some all-too-obvious flubs that will probably
nag at viewers. (If the villains manage to get into the bathroom through
a trap door, then why is the rug neatly replaced over it when they’ve
gone?)
But the most glaring defect is the lack of a clear climax. After the
obvious denouement, the movie lingers giving us false expectations of
something else to come.
Still, Vacancy delivers on its modest goal. It will give you
the creeps. (R) Rating: 2.5 (Posted 04/20/07) |
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Disturbia
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Nowhere in the credits for the new thriller Disturbia is there
mention of Cornell Woolrich or John Michael Hayes.
Their story and screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 classic,
Rear Window, has been co-opted by Christopher B. Landon (Another
Day in Paradise) and Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye). They’ve
taken the basic plot elements from Rear Window and made a few
clever changes to bring it into the 21st century.
Shia LeBeouf (Bobby) plays Kale, a troubled teen suffering from an emotional
loss. His father was killed in an auto accident while Kale was driving,
and he’s handling guilt along with sadness. (The opening sequence
featuring the wreck is beautifully staged and executed.)
When his Spanish teacher makes an offhand remark about Kale’s dad,
the lad reacts with a knockout punch. This act of anger gets Kale sentenced
to a few months of house arrest, confined to his yard by an ankle monitor.
Although disappointed in her son’s transgression, Kale’s
sympathetic mom (Carrie-Anne Moss from The Matrix) cuts him some
slack. She hopes that the time at home will give him time to heal.
During his confinement, Kale spends his time peeping at the neighbors
through binoculars from his bedroom window. To his delight, a pretty young
girl named Ashley (Sarah Romer from The Grudge 2) moves in next
door. Her bikini sunbathing provides Kale some welcome distraction, but
strange events across the street are more unsettling.
Kale comes to believe that his neighbor Mr. Turner (David Morse from
16 Blocks) may be a serial killer. After all, pretty young women
keep coming in…but they never seem to leave.
Director D.J. Caruso (Taking Lives) sets up the scenario very
well and the suburban atmosphere is ably captured. And, blissfully, he
eschews the graphic and exploitative gore that is the hallmark of most
contemporary thrillers.
But Disturbia’s greatest strength is Morse. This reliable
actor (Contact, The Green Mile, Crazy in Alabama)
is excellent as the suspected killer who is creepy even when he turns
on the charm.
While the movie adds some contemporary elements that weren’t around
in 1954 (camcorders and cell phones come into play), the basic plot elements
are completely ripped off from Rear Window. While workmanlike,
this derivative thriller fails to live up to its predecessor.
While Hitchcock and Woolrich are no longer around to sue, Hayes is still
with us. If he doesn’t see Disturbia as homage, then he
might want to consider calling his lawyer. (PG-13) Rating: 3 (Posted
04/13/07) |
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First
Snow
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Co-writers Mark Fergus and Hank Ostby (Consequence) obviously
love film noir. First Snow, which marks Fergus’ directorial
debut, is an ardent attempt to capture the feel of some of the greats
of the genre.
Guy Pearce (Memento) stars as a sleazy New Mexico flooring salesman
named Jimmy Starks. Smooth and cagey, he’s the sort of guy that
reeks of shmooze. His line of bull is as slick as his shiny shoes.
But, as any astute observer will easily deduce, he’s no saint.
In fact, he’s the kind of fellow that would sell his grandmother
for the right price. His past is littered with people he’s taken
advantage of in one-way or another.
But things begin to change for this obnoxious huckster when he decides
to take in a roadside attraction. At a dusty rest stop outside of a topless
bar, Jimmy sees the trailer of a fortune-teller and decides to give it
a go.
The old seer, played by veteran character actor J.K. Simmons (Spiderman)
makes some remarks about money coming his way from Dallas and warns him
not to bet against the local basketball team. Then, apparently struck
by a disturbing vision, the soothsayer refuses to say any more and gives
Jimmy back his money.
Although he initially scoffs at the old timer, when the predictions come
true, Jimmy returns to find out what it is that he wasn’t being
told. According to the fortune-teller, Jimmy will only live long enough
to see the first snow.
Now fraught with paranoia, Jimmy sees death around every corner. Will
is bad heart valve do him in? Will a former co-worker he screwed over
exact some revenge? Will his old friend, recently released from prison,
return to confront him over the fact that Jimmy sold him out?
Pearce, who is in virtually every scene of this movie, obviously relishes
the opportunity to tackle a character that undergoes some significant
transformations. In the course of the film’s first act, he goes
from the self-centered charlatan to self-centered paranoiac. By film’s
end, he has matured into someone quite different.
First Snow has a terrific supporting cast that not only includes
the splendid Simmons, but also William Fictner (Ultraviolet)
and Rick Gonzales (Pulse) as annoyed co-workers and Piper Perabo
(Cheaper by the Dozen) as Jimmy’s long-suffering girlfriend.
While not quite in the same class as the classic noir thrillers it attempts
to emulate, First Snow is an intelligent and unsettling addition
to the genre. (R) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 04/13/07) |
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Pathfinder
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
In the recent film 300, audiences were entertained with some
comic book historical revisionism about the battle between the Spartans
and Persians in 480 BC. Frank Miller, the creator of the original graphic
novel, defended his over-the-top vision with two words: “F*** history!”
Pathfinder also recreates a period of history with comic book
mentality. Unlike 300, it lacks the artistic vision to pull it
off gracefully.
As we’ve been taught in grade school, Christopher Columbus was
not the first European to land in the New World. Leif Erickson and his
band of marauding Vikings did so some 600 years earlier. But why they
didn’t stay and conquer this vast new territory is a bit of a mystery.
According to the disclaimer at the beginning of Pathfinder,
the movie purports to be about a legend of how the Vikings were turned
back. That’s an interesting claim given the fact that Pathfinder
is a remake of a 1987 movie from Norway that took place in Northern Scandinavia.
The plot from that movie has just been transposed to the Americas.
Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) plays
Ghost, a young man with some interesting emotional baggage. The son of
Vikings, he was the sole survivor of a boatload of sailors who shipwrecked
upon a Canadian shoreline. Raised by Native Americans, he still suffers
from a bit of an identity crisis.
Ghost is haunted by dreams of his childhood experiences. Unwilling to
take part in the wholesale slaughter of the innocent “savages”
they encountered, Ghost was shunned by his Viking father. He learned civility
and honor from his adoptive parents, but was never fully accepted by the
local tribes.
Naturally, another wave of Viking intruders has come to this pristine
land on a conquering quest. The stone and wooden weapons of the Native
Americans are no match for the forged iron swords and shields wielded
by the “dragon men.”
Most of the natives flee inland in search of sanctuary. Ghost stays behind
with the single steel blade that he recovered from his original shipwreck.
Knowing the territory, he’ll use his cunning and superior fighting
ability to protect his adopted family.
Director Marcus Nispel, responsible for the 2003 remake of The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre, concentrates on action and bloodletting as Ghost
does his best to take out the invaders.
Pathfinder is strangely reminiscent of the recent film, The
New World, Terrance Malick’s version of the story of Pocahontas…but
without the subtlety, beauty or artistic pretensions. So much for history.
(R) Rating: 2 (Posted 04/13/07) |
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Perfect
Stranger
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Halle Berry is more than just a stunning beauty; she is also a fine actress.
After all, she won an Oscar for her role in the searing drama Monster’s
Ball and an Emmy for the TV biopic, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.
She’s got the chops when handed intelligent, well-written material.
But Berry doesn’t always exercise the best judgment when choosing
scripts. Although she collected a huge paycheck for Catwoman,
she probably would have skipped that one had she realized that it would
become a touchstone in the history of bad cinema.
That brings us to Perfect Stranger. While it may have seemed
intriguing on the printed page, this convoluted thriller will undoubtedly
end up on a lot of “worst” lists for films released in 2007.
In this screwy opus from director James Foley (Confidence),
Berry plays Rowena, a hotshot investigative reporter for a big Manhattan
newspaper. She uses both her wiles and her beauty as tools of the trade.
After uncovering a congressional sex scandal story that was quashed by
some powerful friends of her publisher, Rowena resigns from the paper
in disgust. Shortly thereafter, a childhood friend is murdered. Rowena
goes undercover to try to flush out the killer.
The clues point to a powerful and scary advertising executive named Harrison
Hill, played by Bruce Willis (Grindhouse). Rowena’s friend
was having an affair with the slick businessman, and he had plenty of
motives to shut her up.
Rowena takes a temp job at the agency to get close to Hill…and
gets more than she bargained for. She calls upon a computer geek pal named
Miles (Giovanni Ribisi from Cold Mountain) for help, but Miles
has some unresolved romantic feelings toward Rowena that only complicate
matters.
Screenwriter Todd Komarnicki (Resistance), working from a story
by Jon Bokenkamp (Taking Lives), takes the movie’s tagline
(“How far would you go to keep a secret?”) quite literally.
His screenplay, chock full of twists, turns and red herrings, is designed
to throw us off track. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know when to quit.
A more appropriate tagline might have been, “How far would you go
to fool us?”
Director Foley, who manages to create a palpable amount of tension, doesn’t
help the cause when he telegraphs some clues early on. But it’s
the preposterous conclusion that makes Perfect Stranger laughable.
So, what’s a star like Halle Berry to do? The answer, most probably,
is finding a new agent. In Hollywood, making the right choice is 90% of
the work. (R) Rating: 1.5 (Posted 04/13/07) |
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The
Reaping
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Ever since Hollywood stopped making Biblical opuses, theology has been
depicted solely in horror films. The Omen, The Exorcist
and The Prophecy are just a few of the dozens of movies that
use apocalyptic passages of scripture as the jumping off point for varied
fright flicks.
Add The Reaping to that list. The plagues of the Old Testament
are resurrected in the contemporary Deep South as a small town struggles
to cope with some unusual occurrences.
Two-time Oscar-winner Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) stars
as Katherine Winter, a former Christian missionary who has lost her faith.
While working with the poor in Sudan, her husband and small daughter were
murdered. Since that incident, she has rejected the church, become an
atheist, taken a position at Louisiana State University and worked as
an expert on debunking miracles.
Having garnered a reputation for her ability to find a scientific explanation
for all of the so-called supernatural phenomena she encounters, Katherine
is continually sought out by people who have need of a skeptic’s
perspective.
One day, Katherine gets a phone call from a priest with whom she toiled
in Sudan. It seems that her face has spontaneously burned in all of the
photos he has of her. When placed together, the burn patters resemble
an inverted sickle…a satanic symbol. That can only mean one thing:
something bad is a-brewin’.
About that time, a science teacher from the small town of Haven (David
Morrissey from Basic Instinct 2) arrives in need of help. As
it turns out, their river has turned to blood after the death of a local
child.
So, Katherine and her associate, Ben (Idris Elba from Daddy’s
Little Girls) head for the tiny swamp town to figure out what’s
going on. Soon enough, they witness the bloody river, an infestation of
frogs and the deaths of livestock.
The local yokels put the blame for these plagues on some “devil
worshipers” who live in a shack out in the woods. Specifically,
they want to kill a little girl named Loren (Anna Sophia Robb from The
Bridge to Terabithia) to appease a vengeful God.
Director Stephen Hopkins (Under Suspicion) and writers Chad
and Carey Hayes (House of Wax) take a very literal approach to
the story by Brian Rousso. There is no humor, no tongue-in-cheek moments
or campy technique on display here. We’re supposed to take all of
this very seriously.
While it builds some suspense early on, the movie loses its way in the
final reel, becoming way too literal and effects-laden for its own good.
This previously eerie thriller morphs into an overblown spectacle.
In the end, The Reaping sows few chills. (R) Rating: 2.5
(Posted 04/06/07) |
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The
Hoax
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
In 1969, author Clifford Irving wrote the biography of an infamous art
forger named Elmyr de Hory called Fake! Perhaps Clifford’s
friendship with the notorious de Hory was inspirational. His next work
was the Autobiography of Howard Hughes in 1971, a work that created
a media firestorm. Of course, it turned out to be a fake.
The story of Irving’s grand deception is chronicled in the intriguing
new drama, The Hoax. If the events unfolded as depicted in this
film, then Hughes wasn’t only an eccentric billionaire, but he was
also a cunning master manipulator who played Irving and the press like
a virtuoso violinist.
Richard Gere (Chicago) stars as Irving, a talented but insecure
writer with financial stresses weighing heavily upon him. When his publisher
rejects his latest manuscript, the desperate Irving declares that he also
has the “book of the century”…and then has to make good
on that claim.
Putting his head together with his wife, Edith (Pollack’s
Marcia Gaye Harden) and associate Dick Susskind (Spiderman 2’s
Alfred Molina), Irving decides to forge Hughes’ handwriting to some
notes and begin his elaborate con game.
Once he convinces his publishers that the notes are authentic, he’s
able to get them to pony up a million bucks for a book…much of it
in advance. Irving then embarked on his tangled web of deception that
just kept getting more complex as time went on.
Just when Irving and Susskind are desperate for material to keep their
ruse alive, they manage to steal a manuscript from longtime Hughes associate
Noah Dietrich (Eli Wallach from The Holiday) that’s full
of insider info.
But things really get interesting when a box of files mysteriously shows
up on Irving’s doorstep, highlighting bribes that Hughes paid to
the brother of Richard Nixon!
Gere gives a strong performance as Irving; a desperate character you
can’t like but also can’t help but root for. Molina is solid
as always as his conflicted co-conspirator and Harden is terrific (and
nearly unrecognizable) as Mrs. Irving, sporting a blonde wig and convincing
Northern European accent.
Director Lasse Hallstrom (Cider House Rules) and screenwriter
William Wheeler (The Prime Gig) place us vicariously into Irving’s
shoes and we experience the ensuing tension he and his associates must
have felt as they were continually at risk of exposure.
While The Hoax is an interesting historical snapshot, it’s
also a compelling character study and cunning examination of the fine
art of prevarication. (R) Rating: 4 (Posted 04/06/07) |
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Grindhouse
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
“At some point in your life, you find a use for every useless talent
you have.”
Those words, spoken in the giddily goofy flick, Grindhouse,
could easily apply to the filmmakers themselves.
Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin
City) join forces in a loving homage to the sleazy movies that were
once the regular product of 1970s independent cinema. (The Screenland
Theatre, in their “Freakshow” series, shows actual examples
of the genre on Wednesday nights.)
“Grindhouse” was the name given to inner city theatres that
regularly showed cheap exploitation films, like the ones that formerly
lined New York’s 42nd Street. In Kansas City, these flicks usually
showed up at the drive-in.
The filmmakers go to such great lengths to recreate the ambience of the
grindhouse experience that you can almost smell the body odor and feel
the stickiness of the theatre seats.
The film is actually a three-hour double-bill, complete with phony “coming
attractions,” bogus ads and scratchy projection. The filmmakers
even leave out whole scenes, occasionally substituting a “Sorry,
Reel Missing” notice.
Rodriguez’s film is called Planet Terror, a horror film
dominated by strippers and zombies. Rose McGowan (TV’s Charmed)
stars as an exotic dancer who lives near a military base where some chemicals
have caused humans to mutate into flesh-eating fiends. She and her boyfriend
(Freddy Rodriguez from Bobby) wind up battling the creatures
and, when she loses her leg, she gets retrofitted with a machine gun on
her stump!
Tarantino’s contribution is Deathproof, a road kill fantasy
starring Kurt Russell (Poseidon) as a homicidal stuntman. The
movie features plenty of hair-raising stunt work, with noted stuntwoman
Zoë Bell, who plays herself, providing much of the action. (No CGI
involved here.)
Rodriguez’s entry easily fares best. It’s replete with loads
of tongue-in-cheek humor, over-the-top gore and exposed breasts. His cast
also includes Bruce Willis, Michael Biehn (Terminator), C-movie
staple Jeff Fahey and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.
Tarantino’s movie excels in its stunt work, but bogs down with
a lot of superfluous foul-mouthed dialogue. The masters of the genre would
never have let their characters drone on like this.
Three other filmmakers contribute to the amusing trailers. Rob Zombie
(House of 1000 Corpses), Eli Roth (Hostel) and Edgar
Wright (Shaun of the Dead) provide sneak peeks at sleazy movies
they’d undoubtedly like to make.
Grindhouse celebrates violence, perversity and the morally errant.
If slumming in sleaze sounds appealing to you, you’ll find it a
guilty pleasure. (R) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 04/06/07) |
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Firehouse
Dog
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Movies about dogs and children always have the cute factor. But sometimes
the cute factor is overrated. When filmmakers depend on it, the result
can be a shallow film with a rambling or incomplete story that utterly
fails to capture viewers’ emotions. Such was the case with the 2005
film Because of Winn Dixie.
Firehouse Dog, however, succeeds where other films of this type
have failed. The movie tells the story of a canine actor named Rexxx who
because of an accident gets separated from his owner. Another series of
events land Rexxx in the care of a fire chief’s son, Shane (played
by Josh Hutcherson).
Both the father and son, and the firehouse have big problems. Personal
tragedies have dropped the father (Bruce Greenwood as Connor) and son
into separate internal worlds. The two just can’t seem to connect
with each other. The boy skips school and lies to his father. The fire
chief is letting the fire station in his command disintegrate, and he
refuses to even sit in his office (for reasons that in time become clear).
The crew of Station 55 is equally dysfunctional, but at the same time
hilarious. The crew includes the stern Joe (Bill Nunn) who loves to cook
(but no one loves to eat the odd meals he prepares). Then there’s
Lionel (Scotch Ellis Loring) and Terence (Teddy Sears) who can’t
slide down the pole without colliding. A beautiful but tough lady, Pep
(Mayte Garcia), rounds out the crew.
Each character possesses entertaining quirks, but their antics never
go over the top. The actors (including the four dogs that play Rexxx)
make these characters more than mere types. We can relate to their woes,
and we want them to succeed.
This movie could have been no more than a caricature of reality with
its gimmicky premise about a super canine that seems almost human. But
far-fetched stunts involving the dog were kept to a minimum, and the story
focused on relationships, relationships to which most members of families
can likely relate. (PG) Rating: 3. (Posted 04/06/07) |
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Are
We Done Yet?
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Back in 1948, Cary Grant starred in a minor comedy classic called Mr.
Blandings Builds His Dream House. It detailed the series of disasters
that a city couple endures with a home construction project in the country.
(The theme was reworked for Tom Hanks’ 1986 fixer-upper opus, The
Money Pit.)
Now, Ice Cube hones his newly found family-friendly image with a direct
remake of Grant’s farce, Are We Done Yet? The Mr. Blandings
script has been adapted in order to serve as a sequel to Ice Cube’s
2005 hit, Are We There Yet?
While Grant’s film was hardly a landmark of sophisticated wit,
it seems like the work of the Algonquin Round Table in comparison to this
updated version.
Ice Cube once again plays Nick Persons, a sports writer who wed a divorced
mom named Suzanne (Nia Long) with two contrary kids, Lindsey and Kevin
(Aleisha Allen and Philip Bolden).
Tired of the hubbub of the big city (Portland, Oregon is an urban jungle?)
and expecting twins, Nick and Suzanne decide to move to the suburbs, finding
a large Arts and Crafts beauty on a rolling estate. The eager beaver realtor
they consult with is Chuck Mitchell (Scrubs’ John C. McGinley),
a bundle of energy who isn’t as forthcoming about the house’s
shortcomings as he should have been.
While minor problems start popping up, Nick tries to take care of them
himself. But as the troubles mount, he has to consult with the local contractor
(Mitchell) and the county inspector (Mitchell, again). Yes, it seems that
the fix is in…and Nick is either too stubborn or too dumb (or both)
to do the simple things to make his life easier.
Naturally, the house is plagued with dry rot, corroded plumbing, leaky
ceilings, bats and raccoons. Mitchell recruits a ragtag group of construction
workers (including a team of blind plumbers) to essentially rebuild the
entire structure. Nick’s angry outbursts at an ongoing series of
frustrations alienate his wife and kids.
The only people who will find anything remotely funny in this parade
of slapstick clichés and pratfalls are the very young and those
who, for whatever reason, haven’t seen too many other silly movies.
McGinley’s scene-stealing performance may be a case of grand larceny.
But in defense of the other actors involved, he’s the only character
who has been given anything interesting to do.
Sadly, this reinvention of Mr. Blandings could just have easily
have been titled, Mr. Bland. (PG) Rating: 2 (Posted 04/06/07) |
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Blades
of Glory
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
According to the Motion Picture Association of America, the studio-backed
body that gives movies their rating, Blades of Glory is rated
PG-13 due to “crude and sexual humor, language, a comic violent
image and some drug references.” That appropriate description is
nearly a review in itself.
In this comic send-up of the world of competitive ice-skating, Will Farrell
plays a leotard-wearing version of Ricky Bobby. But instead of a speedway,
his venue is the ice rink.
Farrell is Chazz Michael Michaels, a bad boy of the blade wearing set
who not only skates but also is a porn star and sex addict to boot. His
archenemy is Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder from Napoleon Dynamite),
the nice guy of the sport.
The two became mortal enemies when they tied for a gold medal. On the
medal stand, they started fighting and the ensuing brawl led to a lifetime
ban from the sport for them both. Chazz wound up in a low rent Ice Capades
rip-off and Jimmy was rejected by his billionaire adoptive father and
wound up selling ice skates.
One day, Jimmy’s stalker, Hector (Nick Swarsdon from The Benchwarmers)
suggests that they bend the rules. Technically, they’re only banned
from men’s singles competition. There’s no reason why they
can’t compete as a pairs’ team.
So, with the help of Jimmy’s coach (Craig T. Nelson from TV’s
Coach), the two try to bury the hatchet and come up with a compelling
routine. But their rivals, the Van Waldenbergs (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler)
try some underhanded tricks to thwart them. That includes attempting to
have their little sister, Katie (Jenna Fischer from TV’s The
Office) seduce both Jimmy and Chazz.
Although the idiotic screenplay is credited to the committee of Jeff
Cox, Craig Cox, Busy Philipps, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky (whew!),
much of the dialogue is pure Farrell. Anyone familiar with the comic’s
quirky style will hear his improvised contributions in nearly every line
he delivers.
Blades of Glory is the first feature film from directors Josh
Gordon and Will Speck, a duo nominated for an Oscar for their 1998 short
subject, Culture. For their sake, it’s a good thing that
the Academy doesn’t rescind nominations.
While much of the lowbrow humor is forced, there are some genuinely funny
moments that manage to break through. The cast makes the most of the material
and there is an amusing lineup of skating stars that show up in cameo
roles.
While dumb, Blades of Glory is unapologetically so. Turn off
your mind, and you’ll probably let the groaners skate. (PG-13) Rating:
2.5 (Posted 03/30/07) |
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The
Lookout
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Have you ever heard of the Kansas City suburb of Overland?
So, okay they left out the “Park.” And yes, they didn’t
film it in its Kansas City setting. Still, the folks behind the outstanding
new crime thriller The Lookout have concocted a sharp and provocative
drama that adds a few new and welcome twists to the noir genre.
Joseph Gordon Levitt (TV’s Third Rock From the Sun) plays
Chris Pratt, a former high school athletic star that suffered a severe
brain injury while joyriding with some friends. The accident left Chris
not only with mental difficulties, but also with severe guilt. Chris was
driving recklessly and two of his friends were killed.
He’s living with a blind man named Lewis (Jeff Daniels from The
Squid and the Whale) whom he met at a Kansas City rehab clinic. While
the road to recovering all of his mental faculties is painfully slow,
Chris copes as best he can. He works as a night janitor at a rural bank
in a small Kansas town. His fervent hope is to eventually be able to handle
a teller’s job.
One night at a local bar, Chris meets an old school acquaintance named
Gary (Matthew Goode from Match Point). Gary befriends the lonely
Chris and introduces him to a sexy stripper named Luvlee, played by Isla
Fisher (The Wedding Crashers).
As it turns out, Gary and his posse are planning a bank robbery. They
know that the bank that Chris works at will have a large haul of cash
on the evening that the farmers collect from their grain harvest. By involving
Chris, they’ll have an inside man that will make the heist go smoothly.
Although initially hesitant when he discovers their plans, Chris is seduced
by Luvlee and reluctantly decides to give them his aid. Naturally, things
don’t necessarily go as planned and Chris is forced to make some
difficult ethical decisions.
Local audiences will get a kick out of references to Raytown and some
of the dialogue about Kansas City “firsts” like Teflon and
M & Ms. Although filmed in Canada, they found a site that somewhat
replicates the Crown Center Ice Rink and the Mayor’s Christmas Tree.
For years, the script of The Lookout gained a reputation as
the best un-produced screenplay floating around in Hollywood. Eventually,
its writer, Scott Frank (Get Shorty, Minority Report)
got the green light to helm the flick himself.
Although it is his first directorial effort, Frank does a commendable
job of building tension and establishing believable characters. The only
downside is the movie’s occasionally awkward pace.
But that’s a minor quibble. The Lookout has something
going for it that far too many thrillers don’t: intelligence. (R)
Rating: 4 (Posted 03/30/07) |
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The
Namesake
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
When your humble critic interviewed filmmaker Mira Nair in Toronto a
few years back, she said that she found it startling that so many Americans
are surprised to hear that most Indians speak English quite fluently.
She wondered aloud, “Don’t they know any history?”
This story is pertinent to anyone who may be asking whether or not Nair’s
latest film is in English. While there are a few very short passages in
Bengali, the characters in this family saga speak the King’s English…and
do so better than many Americans.
Nair, best known for critical darlings like Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi
Masala and Monsoon Wedding, turns her attention to the story of a
couple of generations of Indian immigrants living in the USA.
Based upon Jhumpa Lahiri’s best selling novel, The Namesake
is a sprawling tale about a single family’s struggles and emotional
adjustments as they move between two cultures.
The tale begins in Calcutta as Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan) is about to
enter into an arranged marriage with a total stranger, the beautiful Ashima
(Tabu). Shortly thereafter, they relocate to New York where Ashoke takes
a professor’s job. Ashima has difficulty adjusting to this harsh
new environment, but copes thanks to Ashoke’s gentle support.
Eventually, they have a son whom Ashoke names for his favorite author,
Nikolai Gogol. But with the name Gogol Ganguli, the lad has some interesting
hurdles to overcome.
Once grown, the role of Gogol is played by Kal Penn from Harold and
Kumar Go to White Castle fame. Raised in a Bengali home but fully
Americanized, Gogol is a living culture clash. He decides to be called
“Nick,” dates a WASP (Jacinda Barrett) and in general finds
his family’s traditions to be stale and old fashioned. That goes
double for his sister, Sonia (Sahira Nair).
But things get very interesting for Gogol when he meets Moushumi (Zuleikha
Robinson), another Americanized Bengali. In her, he finds a kindred spirit
who is also trying to find her own identity.
But the most interesting dynamic in the movie is between father and son.
Gogol’s patient and understanding dad has more depth than anyone
in the family gives him credit for. In a heartfelt scene that changes
Gogol’s life, he and his father have a heart-to-heart talk about
a dramatic incident in Ashoke’s life and discuss the real reason
for Gogol’s name.
While the novel has been condensed, Nair allows enough time for the story
to unfold at a leisurely pace that suits the material. Patient viewers
will find themselves involved and caring about this family.
The Namesake is a delicate and deliberate saga that unfolds
like a good read. (PG-13) Rating: 3.5 (Posted 03/30/07) |
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Meet
the Robinsons
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
The eye candy of 300 may have appealed to the child in you,
but the content makes it unsuitable for youngsters. The eye candy of Meet
the Robinsons, on the other hand, should appeal to the child in your
child.
A visually stunning, family-friendly fantasy from Disney Animation, Meet
the Robinsons is a computer animated time travel adventure that is
also being released in “Disney Digital 3-D” in 600 theatres
nationwide. (The regular 2-D version will appear in many more venues.)
The story is adapted from William Joyce’s children’s book,
A Day With Wilbur Robinson, but has been substantially altered
for its big screen incarnation.
The focal character is an orphan named Lewis (voiced by two actors, Daniel
Hansen and Jordan Fry). Abandoned as in infant at the doorstep of an orphanage
run by Mildred (Angela Bassett), Lewis is a bit of an eccentric. Now an
extremely bright and inordinately creative 12-year-old, Lewis has difficulty
finding adoptive parents who aren’t overwhelmed by his scientific
inventions.
A budding scientist, Lewis is often up at all hours working on new contraptions
much to the consternation of his sleep-deprived roommate, Michael "Goob"
Yagoobian (Matthew Josten).
But before Lewis can demonstrate his innovative “Memory Scanner”
at a science fair, “The Bowler Hat Man” (a villain from the
future voiced by the film’s director, Steve Anderson), steals the
gizmo. Another traveler from the future, Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman),
comes to Lewis’ aid. In a time-traveling flying car, the duo races
after the dastardly fiend in hopes of thwarting him before he has a chance
to mess up the future.
The film’s first reel is zippy and amusing. But when Lewis flies
into 2037, he meets Wilbur’s bizarre extended family. At this point,
the movie nose dives as we are quickly introduced to an extended lineup
of quirky characters that we’re never given any time to get to know
or care about. This section is so manic that it annoys more often than
it amuses.
But the final reel pulls things back together in a satisfying way. The
kids may be a bit confused, but they’ll go along for the ride.
The real attraction of Meet the Robinsons is its impressive
3-D effects. The technology has advanced to the point that it is no longer
the headache-inducing gimmick it once was. The effect here is convincing
and blissfully subtle.
While Meet the Robinsons is a second-tier Disney offering, it
is still an arresting visual treat. (G) Rating: 3 (Posted 03/30/07) |
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