Author: crunchonthis

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, and Jaden Smith
Directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose)
Rated PG-13 for some sci-fi disaster images and violence
Appropriate for ages 10+

A large celestial body is hurling towards Earth, but rather than a meteor, an Alien (Reeves)arrives instead.  His goal: to take mankind out of the picture before they destroy the much-needed planet and all of its resources.

If you’ve ever seen Tropic Thunder or any other film spoofing Hollywood, you should remember the clips they show of other movies within that movie.  This is like a 100-minute-long version of one of those clips.  From start to finish, it feels like a joke.  I understand the message and I agree that we need to be more responsible for the planet with which we live.  But between this film and Shyamalan’s The Happening, I am not pleased with the way the studios are trying to teach us a lesson.  While The Day After Tomorrow wasn’t brilliant by any stretch of the imagination, it is Citizen Kane compared to this tripe. 

While the special effects were decent enough, and Jennifer Connelly is always easy on the eyes, I have to warn you that what you get here is not a cutting edge sci-fi flick like it’s original, but rather a preachy commercial on going green.  D-

Australia

Starring Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, and David Wenham
Directed by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge)
Rated PG-13 for some violence, a scene of sensuality, and brief strong language
Appropriate for ages 13+

    In Australia, on the brink of World War 2, an English aristocrat (Kidman) travels to the land down under to discover what her cattle baron husband has been up to while he’s been away.  Upon her arrival, she discovers that her husband is dead and she is now in charge.  When she hires a rough-and-tough local (Jackman) to aid her on a huge cattle drive, she finds passion on the range, along with a country at war both externally and internally.

    One thing that director Baz Luhrmann is good at is creating a beautiful and unique looking film.  Australia, the movie, is full of color and life with great sets and terrific aesthetics.  There are many hauntingly beautiful scenes here including an amazing set piece involving a sabotaged cattle drive.  And speaking of beautiful, you can’t ask for a better looking couple than Jackman and Kidman.  If it were as simple as just putting these two together with a few big scenes, then this could be an A+ film.

    Unfortunately, there are many things wrong with this film.  First and foremost, this is a confusing movie to watch.  I finally got it towards the end, but the first act merely introduces the main characters when it should be setting up the story so that we as an audience can clearly understand what’s going on.  For about 45 minutes, I was completely lost.  To make matters worse, the film was much longer than it needed to be, leaving us to stare at slow-moving scenes that brought the pacing to a droll.  

    I was also disappointed with the overall story.  Not only was it confounding at times, but the dialogue was over-the-top as were the characters.  I’ll choose now to say that I really hate that Jackman’s character, the drover, was simply named Drover.  There is such little intimacy between the romantic couple that she never calls him by his real name, like she doesn’t even know it, and rather just refers to him as Drover for the entire movie.  There are many other little annoyances throughout that just made me roll my eyes rather than enjoy the film.  

    Also, in a film such as this, there should have been a strong villain to sustain the tension, but instead we get a cowardly bully that should have been killed off in the first act.  
   
    Finally, I want to give away a spoiler here, but I won’t.  Let’s just say that there was a huge error in sequencing in the third act that could have possibly saved the film, but instead it appears that Baz didn’t even see the possibility.     C-
    

Slumdog Millionaire

Starring Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, and Irfan Khan
Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting)
Rated R for some violence, disturbing images, and language
Appropriate for ages 13+

    When Jamal, a young man from the slums of Mumbai, makes it to the final round of the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, he is tortured and interrogated by the police who are trying to discover how he cheated.  While he is not book smart, he tries to convince the authorities that each question asked holds specific relevance to his life.  Through the course of the game show, we discover Jamal’s journey from his childhood to present day, and what has really driven him to want to be on the show.

    When I first heard about this film several months ago, I wasn’t too terribly interested.  Most descriptions I saw, as well as the trailer, suggest a cheerful, happy film about a kid trying to prove himself to his love by going on a game show.  This film is far from that terrible description.  It turned out that this is an epic motion picture, masterfully directed by one of the greatest directors in the world, Danny Boyle, and beautifully written by Oscar nominated screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (The Full Monty).  Sitting in the theater you never once get the hint of a frivolous Bollywood love story, but rather a coming of age film reminiscent of City of God (Boyle actually told me that they were so concerned with this parallel that they almost considered giving one of the young actors a different haircut because of the resemblance to one of City’s main actors).  What gives this film an even greater depth is the quality of the romance and the dynamic between Jamal and the game show host.

    Even though only Khan has appeared in American films, and many of the actors were very inexperienced, the performances were perfect.  If you expect over-the-top Bollywood acting, you will be very much surprised.  Danny Boyle has always been able to get great performances out his relatively unknown casts, and this film is no exception.

    I think that it’s more than apparent that I really loved this film.  I’ve seen it twice now, and can’t wait to go back again once it is released into theaters.  I truly believe that this little film has the potential to score a big audience.  At the very least, it should be a huge hit during the awards season.     A+

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Starring the voice talent of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith
Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath (Madagascar)
Rated PG for some mild, crude humor
Appropriate for all ages    

    The zoo escapees from the first film are back and ready to leave Madagascar.  Their makeshift plane doesn’t make it too far though, and when they crash land in an animal preserve in the heart of Africa, Alex the lion discovers that he is the long lost son of the aging king.  

    After watching the first Madagascar film I was in pure misery.  Sure the animation looked OK, but the story and production were just plain bad.  So you can only imagine the anticipation I had for this sequel.  Maybe it was the low expectations, or maybe it was just the fact that the film makers raised the bar, but I found myself feeling a sense of enjoyment rather than the dread I expected.  

    First off, the back story following Alex as he is abducted from Africa and his long journey to America was a brilliant touch.  It gave a depth to the story that it was sorely missing.  On top of that, the other characters had real development and weren’t just there for the scenery like in the first film.  On my review of the first film, the only positives I could think of were the Hogan’s Heroes penguins and the British chimps.  These character still provide big laughs, but overall, there is a lot to chuckle at here.  I can easily say that the improvements here make this a truly entertaining picture that adults should enjoy as much as the kiddos.

    All that being said, the film still doesn’t live up to the work of Pixar, or even Disney.  You get the sense that there was an attempt to copy or at least pay homage to The Lion King, but the story is never elevated to that level.  Even with all of the great little touches, the film will never be considered an animated classic, but then again to just overcome its obstacles is saying something and I can honestly recommend this as a fun movie for the entire family to enjoy.    B+

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Starring Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, and Craig Robinson
Directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks)
Rated R on appeal for strong sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity, and pervasive language
Appropriate for ages 18+

    Zach and Miri, best friends since grade school and current roommates, are underpaid barristas that struggle to make ends meet.  In order to try to get ahead financially, the two decide to make a porno together, hoping that it will get them out of the hole they are in.  
    
    For over a decade now, writer/director Kevin Smith has excelled at making the dirty adult comedy.  Some were funnier than others, but over and over again, he has proven that he can push the line of decency.  With Zack and Miri now, I am pretty sure he doesn’t even see the line.  This is a crass, crude comedy that has more potential to offend than any movie that has hit theaters in recent memory.  That being said, if you think it might offend you – it will.  TV commercials have done a great disservice to audiences by only allowing the movie to be advertised as Zach and Miri.  After all, Zach and Miri, for the uninformed consumer, can sound just as cute as Nick and Norah, or even Harry and Sally.  Put Make a Porno in the title, however, and immediately the viewer knows – “maybe this film is or is not for me.”

    But enough about the title.  While a perverse pic on the outside, this is just a cute love story at heart.  While telling the story of two friends with a great deal of sexual tension might not be original, the backdrop most certainly is.  And only in a movie about porn could Smith deliver what will perhaps be the biggest sight gag of the year (sorry – too awful to tell you about, or even hint at).  

    The characters are all fun and while the script lacks a natural feel, there are still many laughs to be had throughout.  I especially loved the very talented Craig Robinson as the co-worker/porn producer.  Just like in The Office, and the recent Pineapple Express, he steals every scene he’s in and I can’t wait to see him in bigger roles.  

    Smith’s films all have the same problem in that they read better than they sound.  Sure, the lines are funny, but much of the time they just don’t sound right.  Also, just as in Clerks 2, many of the jokes are dirty, but not funny.  While this is a huge improvement upon that horrible little sequel, at times during the film I wished that the focus would have been on making the movie more hysterical, rather than just more revolting.    B-

Happy-Go-Lucky

Starring Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, and Alexis Zegerman
Directed by Mike Leigh (Vera Drake)
Rated R for language
Appropriate for ages 15+

    Pauline “Poppy” Cross (Hawkins) is perhaps the happiest person to walk the face of the earth.  No matter what happens to her or what people think of her, she has a natural smile, a funny anecdote, and a good attitude.  Someone steals her bicycle early in the film and her comment is “I didn’t have the chance to say goodbye.”  Nothing makes her angry and she only wants to help everyone around her, whether she knows them or not.  

    What I found most interesting about Poppy is that she may be happy, nice, and pleasant, but she is far from simple.  Hollywood might have made her into a dim-wit, but British writer/director Mike Leigh made her very smart.  You can really see the wheels turning throughout.  And while her brain/mouth filter isn’t always functioning correctly, she definitely knows how to turn it on when it is needed.  I really thought I might really grow tired of her quickly, but by the end I had nothing but admiration.  

    Notice I didn’t say anything about the plot of the film yet.  That’s because there really isn’t one.  What the film lacks in story, though, is more than made up for in a fascinating character study.  The lack of a story here would usually bug me, but because of Hawkins terrific performance, I didn’t really mind.  I do think Leigh could have fit this character into an actual tale that revolves around more than just a series of driving lessons, but even without this typical movie ingredient, Happy-Go-Lucky still provides for a very entertaining film-going experience.    B-

Pride and Glory

Starring Ed Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, and Noah Emmerich
Directed by Gavin O’Connor (Miracle)
Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, and brief drug content
Appropriate for ages 17+

When four officers are killed in New York City, a family of cops attempts to uncover the truth of the night’s event and catch the killer.  When one of the sons (Norton) discovers that his brother-in-law (Farrell) might be somehow responsible, he must make the choice between turning a blind eye or revealing the truth that might bring shame to his family and the entire police department.

If anyone thinks that the above synopsis gives away too much, just watch the trailer.  In fact, if you want to save yourself the cost of admission/concessions and two hours of wasted time, just watch the trailer.  It tells you the whole story and doesn’t put you to sleep.  I really wanted to like this film and thought that if Norton and Farrell signed on for a cop movie like this, that it must be worth watching.  Once again, I was wrong.  While it’s not as bad as some of the cop dramas of recent years (cough, cough, Street Kings), it proves itself to be nothing special rather quickly.  There is the good cop and the bad cop and the cop that allows the bad cops to be bad cops as long as they don’t cross over the line too far.  I think I’ve heard that one before.

What’s really missing in this family cop drama is the family dynamic.  Despite it’s many tries, the film fails to establish any kind of family chemistry and thus fails to make the audience care about it’s characters.

The performances here by Norton and Farrell were good but the rest of the cast seemed either far too excited or completely underwhelmed by the material.  You can probably blame these uneven performance on the director, but that wouldn’t have helped the script problems. 

Lastly, the title is incredibly generic.  It could describe police, fire, military, sports, religion, politics or any number of subjects.  I will say this though, the boring generic title does say a lot about the film.    C-  

Rachel Getting Married

Starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemary DeWitt, and Debra Winger

Directed by Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs)

Rated R for language and brief sexuality

Appropriate for ages 17+

When you first hear that legendary director Jonathan Demme’s latest film is a hand-held movie about an ex drug-addict one conjures the images of Cloverfield and Blair Witch, but that could not be farther from the case here in this beautiful family story.  Anne Hathaway, in what is sure to garner an Oscar nomination, is Kym, an ex junkie that manages to get out of rehab for a weekend to attend her sister’s wedding.  The low-budget, hand-held look of the film here is not used to make it’s audience nauseous, but rather to give the look of a home-made family video that we are fortunate enough to get a chance to watch.  The excitement is getting to share in the family’s joy as they watch the wonderful couple get married, and a magnificent and unique wedding weekend it is.  The pain comes in Kym’s handling of her disease, her secret past, and her constant trouble-making, whether intended or accidental.  And while the pain will make you shed a tear, it’s the happiness that will require the most hanky usage.  I would have never thought that a drama about a wedding would have me this engaged, but due to Hathaway’s electrifying performance, the brilliant directing by Demme, and the gentle yet powerful script by Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married had me engrossed from beginning to end.     A