I'm Not There

“I’m Not There,” directed by Todd Haynes and written by Haynes and Oren Moverman about the life and music of Bob Dylan, is a puzzle of a movie. If you’re expecting another “Ray,” think again. Haynes mixes myth and reality, deconstructing the life of a musical icon and reconstructing a loose narrative told in different styles by different actors. There’s plenty of Dylan’s music, but you’re never sure who the real Dylan is. Is he the young child (Marcus Carl Franklin) who rides the rails in the late 1950s and calls himself Woody Guthrie? Is he a singer (Christian Bale) in the Greenwich Village scene? Is he a musical spokesman (Cate Blanchette) for the hippie generation or a pill-popping rock ‘n’ roller? Is he an actor (Heath Ledger)? Haynes seems to think so. When you’re finished with “I’m Not There,” you’re left with impressions, pieces you must put together to determine who Bob Dylan is. But you never know for sure and that’s part of the charm of this movie. It certainly requires a second – maybe even a third – viewing. (11/26/07)

Hitman

I don’t ask much from a B level action flick because I pretty much know what to expect going in: lots of action, lots of violence, not much character development, straightforward plot. And that’s what I got from “Hitman,” a movie based on a video game. Timothy Olyphant plays 47, an assassin raised by monks and sent around the world to wreck havoc. His early training obviously did not address issues of right and wrong, good and evil. However, as the plot moves forward, 47 begins to understand that there is a difference. A focus on the hitman’s character development would have made this a better movie, but director Javier Gens is more interested in blowing things up and increasing the body count. As I said, a typical B action flick. If you don’t expect too much, you won’t be disappointed, but you have to be a hardcore action fan to see this movie. (11/22/07)

Spider-Man 3 - Available on DVD

“Spider-Man 3” wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. However, it wasn’t that good either. This time around, Spidey fights three bad guys: New Goblin, Sandman, and Venom plus his own dark side (the black Spider-Man) caused by goo from outer space. Does that make four villains? Why it is with superhero movies that directors think that if one villain is good, then three will be spectacular? It certainly makes for a complicated plot. And there’s way too much Mary Jane angst. So if you’re a fan of the Spider-Man movies, you’ll probably see “Spider-Man 3.” But if not, you should probably wait until the DVD comes out. (5/4/07)

Enchanted

When I first saw the previews for “Enchanted,” I wasn’t impressed, mainly because the clips seemed to emphasize slapstick humor. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the clever script and Amy Adams’ acting. The screenplay for “Enchanted,” written by Billy Kelly, counts on audience familiarity with Disney staples like “Snow White,” “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty” and then pokes gentle fun. The movie opens in the animated world of Andalasia, where Giselle (Amy Adams), a heroine in the best Disney tradition, waits for her prince. When Prince Edward (James Marsden) finds her, he falls instantly in love and wants to marry her, which upsets his stepmother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who fears losing her power. She devises a spell to send Giselle to a land ‘where there are no happy endings’ – New York. Once in Times Square, the animation is gone, but Giselle retains her cartoonish characteristics of being constantly cheerful and optimistic. She is rescued by Robert, a cynical divorce lawyer and his young daughter Morgan. Robert doesn’t believe Giselle’s story, but he can’t leave her stranded. But who is Giselle’s real prince – Edward or Robert? Giselle handles situations in the real world the way she would in Andalasia. When she needs help cleaning Robert’s apartment, she sings out a call to her animal friends and birds, rats, and cockroaches come running to do her bidding. She breaks into song in the middle of Central Park and everyone around her sings, too. On a darker note, Giselle doesn’t realize that Narissa’s evil henchman is out to get her to eat a poisoned apple – in the form of an appletini, of course.

Amy Adams is “Enchanted”’s biggest asset. She plays Giselle with straightforward sincerity without any condescension and her development into a multi-dimensional character is a pleasure to watch. Patrick Dempsey provides the obvious foil to James Marsden’s prince who may be good looking, but is not overly bright. And Susan Sarandon takes pleasure in chewing up every scene she’s in. “Enchanted” is definitely a family film; it is enjoyable for adults as well as children. (11/23/07)

August Rush

Despite most critical reviews that condemn “August Rush” as too sweet, too unbelievable, I found the movie thoroughly enjoyable for those very reasons. Eleven-year old Evan Taylor ( Freddie Highmore), living in a group home, is convinced that his parents are out there and if he can play his song, they will hear it and find him. After running away, Evan finds himself in New York and in the company of Wizard (Robin Williams), a sinister Fagin-like character who is the father figure to a group of run-away panhandlers. When Wizard discovers Evan’s musical abilities, he changes Evan’s name to August Rush and immediately sets out to exploit his talent. When August demonstrates his musical genius in a church, the minister enrolls him at Julliard and within six months he is to conduct a concert in Central Park. Is the plot credible? Of course not. There are too many coincidences and the characters are fairly one-dimensional. But Highmore’s sincerity shines through and you want August to be reunited with his parents. Sometimes you just want to see a film that makes you feel good, to escape into a world where positive thoughts can result in happy endings. (11/24/07)

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

“Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” starring Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman, contains all of the wonder and magic a child can want – even an adult. However, this adult would have preferred a stronger narrative and a more convincing resolution to the conflict. The story, narrated by winsome 9-year-old Eric Applebaum (Zach Mills), is divided into various chapters of a book, which means the plot line is not as strong as it could be. The concept, though, is a good one: The 243-year-old proprietor of a magical toy store, Mr. Magorium (Hoffman) is, like King Lear, ready to name his successor. He intends to leave the store to his manager, Molly Mahoney (Portman), an aspiring classical pianist. Molly refuses his bequest, believing that she cannot keep the magic alive once he is gone. The resolution is not really developed and seems superficial. Nonetheless, when you are in this ‘Wonder Emporium,’ you are just as fascinated as any child. (11/18/07)

Beowulf

“Beowulf,” an action-packed animated recreation of an epic poem, is most effective for those who do not know the original story. For those that do, a major disappointment is the visual representation of Grendel, the monster Beowulf fights. The imagined monster is much more terrifying than the one on the screen. The biggest disappointment, however, is the addition of Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s mother. What? You have to add sex to a 10th century poem?

Director Robert Zemeckis has thrown pretty much everything into “Beowulf.” There’s an arrogant hero, a beautiful queen, a faithful friend, an envious courtier; there’s 3-D with spears and arrows rushing at the audience; there’s motion capture, which allows the animators to make the animation more life-like. There’s so much technology in this film that it’s hard to identify with the protagonist – ultimately you don’t really care what happens to Beowulf.

I have to wonder why Zemeckis decided to make this movie. Did he have a burning desire to turn a work of fiction into a movie or was he hoping to create another “300”? (11/20/07)

No Country for Old Men

“No Country for Old Men,” adapted and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy, values honor, truth, and goodness in a world moving in the opposite direction. The Coen brothers have captured McCarthy’s vision of a soulless America in this story about a man (Josh Brolin) who thinks he’s smart enough to take $2 million in drug money and outsmart his pursuers. However, he doesn’t realize that the man chasing him, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a sociopath with a bad haircut, is a predator straight from hell. Trailing from one bloody scene to the next is Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), who is more a commentator on the action rather than an active participant. The acting of the three leads is top-notch, especially Bardem, the cinematography breath-taking and the editing taut and stomach-churning. There’s plenty of violence, but the Coen brothers use it to illustrate what our world has become. It’s a pretty bleak picture. So is this movie, but it has my highest recommendation. (11/12/07)

The Darjeeling Limited

Director Wes Anderson takes us on a journey of healing with his latest movie, “The Darjeeling Limited and it’s questionable whether the journey is worth it..” Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrien Brody), and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) are brothers who have not seen each other since their father’s funeral. Now, a year later, they endeavor to take a trip across India to gain spiritual enlightenment. However, each brother is running from something and before they can heal, they must face their fears. Sounds like pretty good plot, huh? Unfortunately, the script is dry and devoid of much emotionalism and the characters hardly amiable. The only time Anderson explores feeling with any depth is when Peter fails to save a young boy from drowning. The brothers’ interaction with the drowned boy’s family and village is touching. And although the brothers manage to overcome their estrangement and move beyond their father’s death, they are not likable enough that I cared what happened to them. Either you like Wes Anderson’s movies or you don’t. This time around, I didn’t. (11/8/07)

Oscar Buzz

According to Entertainment Weekly, the movies gaining the most momentum for Academy Award nominations are listed below. Any comments?

Best Picture
· American Gangster
· Atonement
· Charlie Wilson’s War

Best Director
· Ethan and Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)
· Mike Nichols (Charlie Wilson’s War)
· Ridley Scott (American Gangster)

Best Actor
· Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood)
· Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah)
· Denzel Washington (American Gangster)

Best Actress
· Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)
· Julie Christie (Away From Her)
· Marion Cottillard (La Vie en Rose)

Best Supporting Actor
· Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
· Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood)
· Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild)

Best Supporting Actress
· Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There)
· Amy Ryan (Gone, Baby, Gone)
· Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

American Gangster

To compare “American Gangster” with “The Godfather” is to mislead and create expectations that will cause disappointment. “American Gangster” is not “The Godfather;” however, it has enough going for it that it can stand on its own merit. Based on fact, this compelling story follows two men, drug-lord Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), the persistent cop who chases him down, their lives never intersecting until Lucas’s possible drug involvement comes to Robert’s attention.

Frank Lucas quietly establishes his place at the top in the Harlem drug trade in the 1970s by going to Thailand, negotiating with key heroin producers, and shipping the pure drug to the US in coffins of Americans killed in the Vietnam War. Lucas endeavors to be a new kind of gangster, modeling his ‘business’ after a CEO and wearing conservative business suites. Yet under the surface, there’s a seething coil of violence that explodes without warning. Washington is perfect as a man who can espouse loyalty and family in one moment and shoot a man in the head the next.

Roberts is an honest cop, established early in the movie when he turns in almost a million in cash rather than keep it. And Like Serpico, Roberts becomes a pariah among cops. When he is assigned to lead a drug task force to bring down the men at the top, Roberts tackles the job with determination. Crowe plays Roberts with an unwavering, single-mindedness, his thick shoulders hunched, his squinty gaze locked on the prize. He is a worthy opponent.

Director Ridley Scott has crafted a detailed story of a man responsible for affecting the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands, of people. And although Lucas’s life was glamorous – he knew athletes, movie stars, and politicians by name, you also see the sleazy side of drug use – the overdoses, the addiction, the broken families. You see the rise and fall of a man who deserves his fate. (11/4/07)

Bee Movie

Movies like “The Incredibles,” “Toy Story,” Shrek,” and “Finding Nemo” set the bar pretty high for animated films. Unfortunately, “Bee Movie” doesn’t measure up. Barry (voiced by Jerry Seinfeld) and his friend Adam (Matthew Broderick) are ready to join the honey production assembly line. The only job Barry finds attractive is being a Pollen Jock because they get to leave the hive. When Barry is allowed to leave the hive with the Pollen Jocks for a trial run, his exploration takes him to Vanessa (Rene Zellweger), a florist who saves him from being swatted. Because Barry can talk, a friendship develops. Then Barry discovers that humans steal honey from bees and the movie shifts to the courtroom. The movie is full of cameos: Sting, Larry King, Ray Liotta and celebrity voices: Oprah as the judge, John Goodman as the defense attorney, Chris Rock as a mosquito. Does this make a difference? Not really. Six-year-olds will be entertained, but it’s slow going for anyone older unless, of course, you don’t expect much from a movie. It’s hard to imagine “Bee Movie” generating anything other than mediocre word of mouth. (10/2/07)