I Am Legend

“I Am Legend” explores what life is like for the last man on earth, the psychological torment he encounters as loneliness threatens to drive him insane. Robert Neville (Will Smith), a military scientist, and his dog Sam roam through 2012 New York City by day and hide in his apartment by night. Through flashbacks we learn that an acclaimed cure for cancer mutated into a lethal virus, killing most of the world’s population and turning nearly all of the survivors into blood-thirsty vampires. Only a handful of people, Neville being one of them, have immunity, but Neville fears that these few have been killed by the vampires. To fend off loneliness, Neville talks to Sam as if she is a person, speaks to department store mannequins as if they’re real, and rents DVDs of television news shows to hear human voices. Neville also spends a great portion of his time capturing vampires and searching for a cure. This intriguing psychological study comes to an abrupt end about an hour into the movie when circumstances change and the plot becomes more action driven rather than character driven. The abandoned streets of New York City, with weeds pushing through the asphalt, vacant buildings standing silent watch, and the utter silence, is an effective backdrop. And Will Smith, much like Tom Hanks in “Cast Away,” is a commanding presence. However, the shift away from character to plot left me feeling cheated and unsatisfied. (12/16/07)

Atonement

“Atonement” certainly has wonderful production values and that is to director Joe Wright’s credit; however, I was less than captivated by its dark story. It’s 1935 when the movie opens and the budding romance between Cecilia (Kiera Knightley), and the son of a servant, Robbie (James McAvoy) is viewed through the eyes of 13-year-old Birony (Saoirse Ronan, later played by Romola Garai and as an old woman by Vanessa Redgrave). Birony, who has a crush on Robbie, feels both jealousy and a sense of protectiveness for her sister. This causes her to tell a lie that forever changes the course of three lives. Suffering – anguish – torment – sadness. That pretty much sums up the plot. The setting and costumes are sumptuous and Knightly and McAvoy appropriately tragic. The repetition of the sound of a typewriter (Birony is first an aspiring writer and later becomes a writer) adds cohesion to the plot. Although I’ve read articles claiming the movie is a strong adaptation of the book, a story this tragic is probably more appreciated when read. (12/15/07)

Juno

“Juno” is definitely a movie you have to see. It’s funny without being silly; clever without being condescending; charming without being overly sweet. The heart and soul of this movie is Juno (Ellen Page), a 16-year-old who discovers she’s pregnant after her first sexual experience with her boyfriend Paulie (Michael Cera). Juno briefly considers an abortion, but opts for adoption, which means she must carry the baby to term. With the support of her father (J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney), she searches for the right couple in the want ads of the penny saver. Her choice is Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and her husband Mark (Jason Bateman). Of course, everything doesn’t run smoothly, but the ending is perfect. “Juno” is blessed with a gifted performance by Page, an exceptional script and a strong supporting cast. What more could you ask for in a movie? Try it. I'm sure you'll like it. (12/10/07)

The Golden Compass

“The Golden Compass,” unfortunately, is not another “Lord of the Rings,” which set the bar so high that most other fantasy movies pale in comparison. And you know the movie has problems when the most interesting character is a CGI ice bear. Now that’s not to say you won’t enjoy the movie because you will if you like fantasy. Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) lives in a parallel universe where people’s souls, called daemons, take the form of talking animals. Lyra is an orphan living at Jordan University and her only relative is the powerful Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), an adventurer out to discover what he can about Dust, the element that connects the various universes together. Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), an icy representative of the Magisterium, an organization that seeks to limit free will, takes an interest in Lyra and the Golden Compass in Lyra’s possession. After Lyra manages to escape from Mrs. Coulter, she gathers companions to aid her in her quest to defeat the Magisterium: the armored ice bear Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellan), an aeronaut named Lee Scoresby (Sam Elliott), the Gyptian king John Faa (Jim Carter), and the witch queen Serafina Pekkala (Eva Green). The only actor that seems out of place is Sam Elliott, who looks like he should be on the set of “3:10 to Yuma.”

The end of “The Golden Compass” makes it clear that there is more to come, which might happen if New Line Cinema gives the green light for the second book in His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman. One comment about some of the controversy around this movie: Pullman is an atheist, but none of his atheist themes make it into the movie. In fact, director Chris Weitz calls the central organization the Magisterium, not the Church and the focus is on the conflict between free will and tyranny. (12/9/07)

The Namesake - Available on DVD

“The Namesake” is a gentle tale about cultural identity and the inevitable assimilation that happens in America. The movie has two distinct parts – in the first, we get to know Ashoke and Ashima, who move to America after an arranged marriage in Calcutta and we follow the gradual development of their relationship. In the second, we meet their children, Gogol, named after a Russian author, and his sister, typical American teens who reject much of their parents’ traditional ways. The conflict is further illustrated by Gogol’s name, which he accepts as a child and then later rejects in favor of his formal name, Nikhil (or Nick). But even as Gogol searches for identity, his ties to his parents remain strong and it is this bond that is the heart of the film.

I must say, however, that the movie I expected to see is not the one I saw. The previews point to a movie about a young man’s search for his roots in the origins of his name. The second half of the movie is only slightly about this aspect. If you decide to see “The Namesake,” expect to see a movie with more depth and ignore the previews. (4/14/07)

Lars and the Real Girl

Regardless of the title, “Lars and the Real Girl” is a gentle movie with an important message: The important things in life come when one is ready for them to happen; they can’t be forced. Lars (Ryan Gosling) is 29 and socially awkward; he spends his days huddled in his cubicle and his nights huddled in his garage-converted apartment. He has trouble talking to his sister-in-law Karin (Emily Mortimer) let alone any of the people at work or in his small home town. Gus (Paul Schneider), Lars’s older brother, isn’t really worried until Lars introduces him to Lars’s new girlfriend, Bianca, an anatomically correct sex doll. Dr. Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson), the local doctor/psychiatrist, thinks the best plan of action is to go along with Lars. Soon the whole town has accepted Bianca as a real person, even Margo, a young woman who has her eye on Lars. There’s a lot of sadness in Lars, who considers a hug not comforting but painful. But as Lars resides in his make-believe world, we begin to see that, with the support of family and friends, he is making progress in the real world as well and we root for his break-through. Ryan Gosling is excellent as are Mortimer, Schneider and Clarkson. Director Craig Gillespie walks a fine line between over-the-top comedy and pathos in this quirky, independent film and it has enough going for it that mainstream audiences will find it enjoyable. (12/2/07)