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All reviews by Loey Lockerby
No
Country for Old Men
 Joel
and Ethan Coen have never shied away from unusual, provocative material.
They especially love upending familiar genres, and with their adaptation
of Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel, they take a hybrid of western,
action film and chase movie and turn it into something wholly unique
— and wholly award-worthy, as a shelf-full of Oscars attests.
Set in the rugged landscape of West Texas, No Country for Old
Men follows three taciturn men trying to survive in an ever more
hostile world. Josh Brolin plays Llewellyn Moss, a good ol’
boy who sees the aftermath of a botched drug deal and impulsively
steals the money left at the scene. He soon becomes the target of
Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a calmly amoral hitman who will literally
stop at nothing to retrieve the cash.
Both are being pursued by Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), the local
sheriff who finds himself bewildered by the depravity around him.
The story is set in 1980, just as the cross-border drug trade was
escalating in both frequency and destructiveness, and Bell’s
dilemma reflects an entire generation’s sense of displacement
(hence the title).
Despite its dark tone, No Country for Old Men is simply too
good to be depressing. Even the most disturbing scenes carry the thrill
of great filmmaking, with a bleak sense of humor that eases some of
the tension. The lead actors are so ideal, it’s a miracle they
didn’t all win Oscars (only Bardem did).
The Coens have crafted a thoughtful meditation on violence and aging,
dressed up like a thriller, which explains why so many people didn’t
like the last scene, in which Bell relates a meaningful dream to his
wife. When you think about what came before it, however, it’s
the perfect way to end the film — not with a bang, but with
a slow, melancholy fade.
Extras: Three making-of features, which combine fluff
interviews with genuinely interesting discussions of the story’s
themes, the casting process and the Coens’ directing style.
(R) Rating: 5.
August
Rush
 It’s
hard to argue with the premise of August Rush. Kirsten Sheridan’s
fable is about the beauty and power of music, and how it can bring
people together in the most unlikely circumstances.
The execution is the problem. Sheridan (the daughter of director Jim
Sheridan) is great with actors and atmosphere, but she never quite
pulls all the elements together.
Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) plays
the title character, a young boy living in an orphanage in upstate
New York. Convinced that he can communicate with his long-lost parents
through his music, August runs away to the big city to find them.
Meanwhile, the parents themselves (Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys
Myers) go through their own journeys, leading them over closer to
the family they should have had before they were separated.
The cast is impeccable, especially Highmore, who is one of the best
child actors in the business (if not THE best). The movie’s
use of music is fascinating, and will certainly appeal to any musicians
who watch. Sheridan even manages to sustain the story’s sweet,
slightly magical tone, at least for a while.
Eventually, however, August Rush becomes so completely divorced
from reality, it turns into mushy nonsense. The spectacular plot holes
are bad enough — when Robin Williams appears, as a sort of Fagin
to August’s Oliver Twist, it’s like he wandered in from
a completely different movie. This inability to stay focused derails
August Rush in spite of its great soundtrack and good intentions.
Extras: A collection of deleted scenes, most of which
focus on Williams’ character. Strangely, there are no features
on the music, which is easily the most interesting element of the
film. (PG) Rating: 3.
Dan
in Real Life
 Given
Steve Carell’s popularity, it’s surprising that this likable
comedy wasn’t a bigger hit. It did all right, but it should
have been a success on the level of The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
Or maybe its modest, respectable box office is fitting, given its
low-key nature.
Carell plays Dan Burns, an advice columnist and single father who
takes his three daughters to a family gathering in Rhode Island. He’s
having a hard time with the kids, especially the middle one (Marlene
Lawston), who is launching headlong into a dramatic adolescence.
Dan’s large, boisterous family (headed by the great Dianne Wiest
and John Mahoney) assumes that he can follow his own level-headed
advice, so it comes as quite a shock when he falls for Marie (Juliette
Binoche), the new girlfriend of his brother (Dane Cook). Suddenly,
Dan goes from paragon of (occasionally self-righteous) virtue to unstable
hypocrite.
Carell finally gets the chance to play a relatable, grown-up character
here, and he gives one of the best comedic performances of the past
year. Dan can’t handle his own crises as well as he handles
everyone else’s, but he’s a decent guy who learns from
his mistakes. He also has loving relatives who won't abandon him,
even when he screws up in a major, hurtful way. Nearly every character
has at least one chance to shine, and the whole ensemble works together
as smoothly as if they really were a functional family.
Director Peter Hedges gives Dan in Real Life a rare warmth
and realism even if he sometimes makes the Burns clan a bit over the
top. These are people who have organized activities about every 10
minutes (doesn't anyone just sit by the beach and read a good book?).
Amazingly, no one ends up being truly annoying. Just human.
Extras: A lively, personable commentary from Hedges;
two making-of docs; several nice deleted scenes; a pretty average
blooper reel. (PG-13) Rating: 4.
Enchanted
 Everybody
else parodies Disney movies, so why shouldn't they get in on the fun?
That seems to be the motivation behind Enchanted, a clever,
if slight, riff on the studio's classic "princess" tales.
Amy Adams plays fairy-tale heroine Giselle, who gets whisked away
from her perfect cartoon world to the mean streets of (where else?)
New York City. Pursued by her handsome prince (James Marsden) and
his evil stepmother (Susan Sarandon), Giselle tries to find refuge
in a place where purity and innocence aren't exactly valued. She meets
Rob (Patrick Dempsey), a lawyer who helps her out at the urging of
his young daughter (Rachel Covey), and it soon becomes apparent that
her true love might not be the pretty boy with the castle.
Enchanted is full of winking references to past Disney efforts,
and director Kevin Lima has fun with the studio's famous clichés.
It's all done very gently, of course, as Lima carefully treads the
fine line between ridicule and homage. Can't offend the corporate
bosses, after all or the legions of princess-obsessed little girls
who pay for their yachts. This is still the kind of inoffensive fluff
Walt would approve of.
Adams exemplifies the film's title, making Giselle so adorable, it's
impossible not to fall in love with her. The other actors are fine,
but this is her movie all the way. She is totally convincing, whether
dancing gracefully with Dempsey or singing to a roomful of trained
rats and CGI pigeons. It's the kind of magic no animator could hope
to create — the magic of a truly star-making performance.
Extras: Three excellent features on the logistics
of the production numbers; a few outtakes and deleted scenes; a cute
little "pop-up" adventure starring one of the film's animated
critters. (PG) Rating: 3.5.
Loey Lockerby can be contacted at lrl94@aol.com.
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