The Spiderwick Chronicles

“The Spiderwick Chronicles” does not have the magic and wonder of the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Harry Potter series, but it is an engaging enough movie. There are plenty of fairies, goblins, a hobgoblin, a troll and an ogre. Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) has left her husband and moved her three children – Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and twins Jared and Simon (both played by Freddie Highmore) – to the Spiderwick Estate, an old mansion Helen inherited from her aunt, Lucinda (Joan Plowright). Eighty years ago, Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn) wrote a Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You and unknowingly unleashed some terrible forces. Now, an army of goblins, led by the ogre Mulgrath (Nick Nolte) is preparing to steal the book and dominate the world. Only the Grace children stand in Mulgrath’s path. The acting is not the reason to see this film: the kids are adequate and the voice work by Martin Short (as Thimbletack) and Seth Rogan (Hogsqueal) are unremarkable. This CGI-heavy movie presents the evil goblins, troll and ogre as deformed reptiles, replete with menacing grins and sharp teeth, perhaps too intense for the very young. Unfortunately, the McDonald’s happy meal (with “Spiderwick Chronicles” toy included) appeal to a young crowd. The Spiderwick Chronicles books are recommended for ages 7 and up and that seems about right for the movie. (2/28/08)

Vantage Point

“Vantage Point” takes an interesting non-chronological approach to storytelling: showing the same series of events from the perspective of different characters. Each time, you learn a little more about the circumstances surrounding the event. However, this gets old after the third time the movie literally re-winds. The central event is the assassination of the US President (William Hurt) at an anti-terrorism summit in Spain. Five perspectives include a news producer (Sigourney Weaver) and her crew covering the summit, secret service agent Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid), police officer Enrique (Eduardo Noriega), tourist Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker), and the President. The sixth and final perspective is that of the assassins and their associates, which answers questions raised in the previous segments and brings the movie to a close. Quaid is effective as a secret service agent who has already taken a bullet for the president as is Hurt, who, at one point, overrides his trigger-happy advisers. (Perhaps in contrast to our current administration?) Whitaker’s role seems superfluous until the end, when he becomes crucial to the resolution of the conflict. However, this conclusion is based on a series of coincidences, which seem a little too contrived. All in all, “Vantage Point” is diverting enough, but you can certainly wait to catch it on cable. (2/25/07)

Charlie Bartlett

It’s interesting that on a Saturday afternoon in West Los Angeles “Charlie Bartlett,” an apparent teen movie, would draw such an age-diverse crowd. But that’s what happened; teens to middle agers to olders all came to see this movie. So what’s the draw? Charlie (Anton Yelchin) is a smart, smooth-talking 17-year-old rich kid who is forced to attend public school when he’s expelled from his last private school. Charlie wants to be popular, but he’s enough of an original that he’s typically on the outside looking in. On his first day at school, Charlie is beaten up by the school bully, Murphey Bivens (Tyler Hilton). The psychiatrist Charlie’s mother, Marilyn (Hope Davis), has on call prescribes Ritalin for him and after Charlie spends a few hyper days, he decides to sell the rest of his pills. He enlists Murphey as his partner. Suddenly Dr. Charlie is dispensing advice and pills from his office in the boys’ bathroom. The principal (Robert Downey, Jr.) knows something is up, but he’s not sure what. And to make matters worse, Charlie has a crush on his daughter Susan (Kat Dennings). Yelchin has a very engaging screen presence and Downey, Jr. is quite effective as a father with problems of his own. It’s impossible to label “Charlie Bartlett” because for a while it seems like a satire and then it’s a teen comedy, which veers into drama. But it’s also a message movie and perhaps that’s why so many different people want to see this movie. There’s plenty of serious material under the seemingly superfluous teen fluff. It’s unfortunate, however, that it has an R rating. (2/23/08)

Definitely, Maybe

”Definitely, Maybe” purports to be a romantic comedy, but with a bland Ryan Reynolds as its star, it’s hard to really care what happens to him. Add to that a plot point that requires a huge suspension of disbelief and you have a so-so movie. The movie opens with Will Hayes (Reynolds) receiving divorce papers. His daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin), hoping that memories will resurrect her father’s love for her mother, asks for the story of how her parents met. He agrees, but says he’s going to change names. He then tells Maya about the three women in his life – his college sweetheart Emily (Elizabeth Banks), whom he leaves behind in Wisconsin to join Clinton’s campaign committee in New York; Summer (Rachel Weisz), Emily’s friend who is having an affair with her thesis professor (Kevin Kline) and April (Isla Fisher), a fellow campaign worker. The acting of the three woman and young Abigail Breslin is much better than Reynolds who seems to be cast more for his looks than his ability to act. But the biggest hole in the plot is a young girl not knowing anything about how her parents met. Do parents keep any of this information a secret? The script does take a few unexpected turns, but, really, who cares? (2/18/08)

The 2007 Academy Award Nominated Short Films – Live Action

The five nominated short films – live action – nominated for an Academy Award all come from Europe. All are interesting, but the best one is “Tonto Woman,” a western from the United Kingdom starring Francesco Quinn, Anthony Quinn’s son. Quinn plays a cattle rustler who meets a woman living in isolation after being held prisoner for 11 years by the Mojave Indians. Based on an Elmore Leonard short story, this is a surprisingly tender tale with just a hint of danger hovering in the background. (36 minutes)

“Tanghi Argentini,” a twist on the predictable internet dating story, comes from Belgium. A man, who has met the woman of his dreams on-line, must learn how to dance the tango in just two weeks. Desperate, he enlists the aid of an office colleague to help him. This was the most enjoyable of the comedies because the end is so unexpected. (13 minutes)

“Le Mozart des Pickpockets,” the French entry, is about two hapless thieves who discover that their luck changes when they undertake the care of a deaf homeless boy. This story also has an unanticipated twist, but it seems long. (31 minutes)

“At Night,” from Denmark, is an overly melodramatic story of three women spending the holidays in a cancer ward. It is well acted, but because the subject matter is so depressing, at 40 minutes, it’s too long.
The most irritating is Italy’s “Il Supplente” (The Substitute). An unruly classroom is brought to order by an unorthodox substitute teacher, who is, himself, just as unruly and obnoxious as his students. (17 minutes)

Jumper

The most important ingredient for a successful movie is the quality of the story. Unfortunately, “Jumper” doesn’t measure up. Mix in an ineffective performance by a wooden Hayden Christensen and an unsatisfactory ending and you have a pretty awful film. I would have expected more from director Doug Liman, who helmed “The Bourne Identity.” The movie opens with David Rice (Max Thieriot), a nerdy teen, giving a snow globe to the object of his affection, Millie (AnnaSophia Robb). When a bully throws it onto the thin ice of a nearby river, David goes to retrieve it, where, predictably, he falls in. Trapped under the ice and fearing for his life, David saves himself by teleporting to the town library. After a few experiments, David hones his teleporting skill, robs a bank, and leaves town. Fast forward ten years later and David (Christensen) is living a carefree and luxurious life. He goes in search of Millie (Rachel Bilson) after a dramatic encounter with Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), who makes it clear that he doesn’t like "jumpers." It takes half of the movie before there’s a brief explanation by Griffin (Jamie Bell), another jumper, about the centuries old conflict between jumpers and paladins, who have made it their mission to kill jumpers. Explaining some of the rules that govern jumpers and developing some of the motivations for the war between jumpers and paladins would have enhanced the plot. Plus the ending suggests a sequel, but I’m not sure anyone who has seen the first would bother with a second. (2/14/08)

The Band's Visit

“The Band’s Visit,” an enjoyable first film by Israeli director Eran Kolirin, seems to be saying that reconciliation in the Middle East may be possible if people are willing to persevere beyond the first awkward hurdle. But this is not a political film. It’s about the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Band, brightly costumed in robin’s egg blue, who have come to Israel to play at the opening of an Arab cultural center. However, they arrive in the wrong town and are unable to catch a bus out until the following morning. They are aided by a sympathetic bar owner Dina (Ronit Elkabetz), who convinces some of her customers to provide a place for the band members to sleep. This is the context for some amusing, unusual, and even heartbreaking encounters. And the pervading loneliness in setting, characters, and situations suggests that there is a longing for something just out of reach and perhaps that something is peace. This is a ‘small’ film that is certainly worth seeing. Subtitles. (2/11/08)

Waitress - Available on DVD

Overall, “Waitress” is an enjoyable movie, mainly because its star, Keri Russell (“Felicity”), is so engaging that you like her in spite of the frustrating behavior of her character. Russell plays Jenna, a young woman who finds herself in an ugly marriage. Her only refuge from her abusive husband is when she is making pies for the diner where she works as a waitress. Jenna’s goal to save enough money to leave her husband is complicated when she discovers that she is pregnant. “Waitress,” written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, was written when Shelly was in the last months of her own pregnancy and reflects many of the uncertainties that new mothers experience. It is doubly bittersweet because Adrienne Shelly was murdered on November 1, 2006 before she was notified that her movie had been accepted at Sundance. (5/3/07)

Caramel

Although “Caramel” takes place in a different culture with a different language, the lives and loves of the central characters are universal in scope. It is unfortunate, then, that not all of the women are fully developed characters. The central story revolves around a beauty shop in Beirut and Layale (writer/director Nadine Labaki), the owner of Si Bella, who is conducting an affair with a married man. Because she is so involved with being available when this man manages to squeeze some time for her, she doesn’t realize that a handsome policeman is waiting for her to notice him. Layle’s character is multi-dimensional; the other four women illustrate varying degrees of development. Rima, a beautician, is not interested in men, but she finds herself in a difficult situation because lesbianism is taboo in her culture. Nisrine, another beautician, is about to be married, but she is concerned that her macho fiancé will not like that she is not a virgin. Rose, a seamstress who lives and works nearby, is caregiver to senile Lily. Although Rose and Lily’s relationship is never defined, it appears that they are sisters. It is Rose’s devotion to Lily that affects a budding relationship Rose has with a customer. And Jamale, a beauty shop regular, is an aging actress going from one audition to another. “Caramel” does not take the Hollywood approach to romantic comedy for happily ever after. However, the movie does suggest that some of these women will find happiness. If you don’t mind subtitles, this is a perfect way to spend an afternoon at the movies. (2/1/08)