W - 2 smiles

Because we have just lived through eight years of the George W. Bush presidency, you have to wonder why make a film about him now. “W” does not really add to our understanding or knowledge about the man or the events that have transpired other than to repeatedly demonstrate that W is motivated by his desire to earn his father’s love and respect. The non-linear structure allows Stone to visit Bush at various times during his life. The time frame for the movie is 2002-2004, but there are flashbacks to his freshman year at Yale, his first encounter with his future wife, Laura (Elizabeth Banks), his love of baseball, his working for his father’s election campaign, his decision to run for governor of Texas, and his revelation that God has called him to be President.

Josh Brolin deserves high marks for his portrayal of Bush. He has his mannerisms, speech patterns, and cadence down pat. If you close your eyes, you’d think you were listening to W himself. Some of the other key White House personages, especially Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld, and Toby Jones as Karl Rove are portrayed as people in a SNL skit. However, Jeffrey Wright's Colin Powell is presented as the one sane voice amidst chaos. And there’s nothing in Richard Dreyfuss' performance as Dick Cheney that hints at parody. If you expect compelling drama from “W,” you’ll be disappointed. 10/18/08

Happy-Go-Lucky - 3 1/2 smiles

“Happy-Go-Lucky” is a character study about the irrepressible Poppy (Sally Hawkins), a woman whose optimistic view of life is so refreshing and so enjoyable that you’ll leave the theater feeling, well, happy. Writer/director Mike Leigh provides us with a slice of Poppy’s life: she teaches elementary school and obviously loves her job. She’s the eldest of three sisters, has no boyfriend, and has lived with her flat-mate for 10 years. Ever willing to experience new things, Poppy takes Flamenco dance lessons and learns how to drive. Scott (Eddie Marsan), Poppy’s driving instructor, is angry with life and, therefore, a challenge to Poppy, who tries to bring a little laughter to his bruised soul. And these scenes with Scott provide most of the laugh-out-loud humor in the film.

For some, Poppy’s boundless optimism might be irritating, but as the movie progresses, you see very clearly that Poppy has a generous heart and her exuberance is symptomatic of her caring about others. Sally Hawkins is wonderful as Poppy. She is the spark that brings “Happy-Go-Lucky” to life and the reason to see this movie. I can only hope that the Academy will recognize her performance with a nomination for Best Actress. 10/24/08

Ballast - 1 frown

Director/writer Lance Hammer has been getting a lot of critical acclaim for “Ballast,” a story about a broken black family in Mississippi. Obviously I’m missing something because this movie was torture to sit through and at 96 minutes, it shouldn’t be. To say that the pace is leisurely is giving the director way too much credit; it’s down right lethargic. And Hammer may know what’s happening during the first 30 minutes, but I didn’t. To top it off, the conversation young James has with his gang-banger friends is incomprehensible. Subtitles would have helped, but then, maybe those conversations weren’t really relevant anyway. Hammer’s story does have a meaningful message: that family members, practically strangers to each other, will eventually help each other to learn to live and love again. However, getting there should be the struggle the characters in the movie go through, not the audience. 10/15/08

The Secret Life of Bees - 3 1/2 smiles

“The Secret Life of Bees” is a genuine, heartfelt movie about 14-year old Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning), who is burdened with the belief that she is responsible for the tragic death of her mother. Her angry father, T. Ray (Paul Bettany) refuses to tell her anything about her mother and the only mementos she has are a single glove, a picture of a black Madonna and the name Tiberon. When she can no longer take her father’s abuse, Lily runs away with her housekeeper Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). Once in Tiberon, Lily is taken in by the Boatwright sisters and she begins a quest to learn about herself.

“The Secret Life of Bees” is worth seeing because of the extraordinary chemistry of its ensemble cast. Fanning, so exceptional at 6 in “I Am Sam,” proves that she is equally adept with adolescent roles and is the heart of the movie. She is touching as a young white girl coming of age under the guidance of loving African-American women in the turbulent 1960s. Hudson holds her own as a woman who has suffered under the Jim Crow South and meets each new challenge with a wry sense of humor. Queen Latifah’s August radiates wisdom and confidence and Alicia Keyes proves that she can act. British actress Sophie Okonedo elevates May from simple-minded to a generous soul that feels too much. Of all the strong performances, Okonedo’s will most likely generate Oscar attention. Director Gina Prince-Blythewood, who adapted the Sue Monk Kidd novel, goes for the sentimental aspects of the story, but she doesn’t over do it. And best of all, she nurtures wonderful performances from her cast. “The Secret Life of Bees” elicits tears and laughter and should not be missed. 10/17/08

Rachel Getting Married - 3 1/2 smiles

“Rachel Getting Married” is about pain, love, hatred, laughter, anger and, ultimately, hope. It is an examination of family relationships, warts and all, that pulls you in and doesn’t let go until the end credits roll. Jonathan Demme’s tale is about Kym (Anne Hathaway), a junkie who leaves nine months of rehab to attend the wedding of her older sister, Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt). A junkie since her teens, Kym has been clean for months, but sobriety has not changed her basic personality. She’s a narcissist whose father (Bill Irwin) encourages her belief that the world revolves around her. So it’s no surprise that she throws a temper tantrum when she discovers that Rachel has chosen her best friend to be her maid of honor instead of Kym. And later at the rehearsal dinner, Kym can’t stand not being in the spotlight, even if it’s a negative one. Although she is self-centered, Kym also harbors deep pain and guilt that she has not been able to allay. And this comes to the forefront when Kym has a violent confrontation with her mother (Debra Winger).

Anne Hathaway gives a complete, adult performance. Kym isn’t likeable; she’s mean, spiteful and self-absorbed, but we also see her pain. She effectively capture’s Kym’s highs and lows, her desperate need for forgiveness and to forgive herself. Hopefully, Rosemarie DeWitt’s performance as the resentful Rachel won’t be lost in the attention Hathaway is getting. Demme obviously challenged her to hold her own against the acerbic Kym and she does. “Rachel Getting Married is a must see movie. However, I have one criticism. In an effort to give the film an intimate, home-movie feel, Demme uses a jittery hand-held camera. This may not bother some, but for others, it’s hard to watch. 10/5/08

City of Ember - 2 1/2 smiles

Set 200 years in the future in an underground city in danger of falling apart, “City of Ember’s” 95-minute running time does not allow for story or character development. Ember was developed to provide sanctuary for the human race after an unnamed catastrophe destroys habitability of the earth’s surface. Now after 200 years, the infrastructure of the city is beginning to fail. What has been lost over the decades is the information informing the people that the city was designed to only last 200 years and how to return to the surface. Fourteen-year-old Lina (Saorise Ronan, from “Atonement”) enlists the aid of her friend Doon (Harry Treadaway) to help her solve the puzzling information she has discovered in a metal case. The closer they get to the truth, however, the more dangerous they become to the city’s corrupt mayor (Bill Murray), who has his own reasons for wanting their embarrassing questions silenced.

Director Gil Kenan and his production team create a realistic portrait of an underground city held together with patches and duct tape. But visuals alone do not make up for huge plot holes. In fact, the way the script addresses these flaws is coincidence: Lina just happens to find and open the metal case and she becomes curious about its contents. (By the way, why would this case, with its important contents, get lost in the first place?) As she and Doon wend their way through the dark corridors of the city, they stumble upon symbols that match the design found in the case. And later they just happen to pull the right levers and push the right buttons. Plus there’s no time for character development. All we know is that Lena and Doon are two concerned teens who want to save their city. The cast also includes Tim Robbins as Doon’s inventor father, Martin Landau as Doon’s job mentor and Toby Jones as the mayor’s assistant. Older children will probably enjoy this movie, but the CGI mole chasing Lena and Doon will scare younger ones. 10/12/08

The Express – 3 smiles

The problem with sports movies like “The Express” is the been there, done that feeling. Overcoming racial prejudice? There’s “Glory Road” and “Pride.” A gruff coach who has an impact on his players? You’ve got “Remember the Titans” and “Hoosiers.” A football player whose career is tragically cut short by cancer? Who can forget “Brian’s Song”? So it’s to the credit of director Gary Fleder and Charles Leavitt's screenplay, based on the book Ernie Davis; The Elmira Express by Robert Gallagher, that “The Express” manages to be such an engaging story. The movie opens during the 1960 Cotton Bowl in Texas with the #1 ranked Syracuse Orange Men taking on the Texas Longhorns. The game’s standout is halfback Ernie Davis (Rob Brown), the Elmira Express, one of three black players from New York. Ernie is playing in front of a crowd who is openly hostile with referees who refuse to make fair calls, and Texas players who punch and kick him when he’s down. At this point, the movie flashes back to Ernie’s early life in Pittsburgh and the events that led to his being recruited by the Syracuse head coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid) and finishes with him leading his team to an undefeated season in 1959.

Much of “The Express” illustrates struggles on and off the field and Ernie discovers that he has a lot to learn about the game of football as he endures one rugged practice after another. And New York might be more enlightened than the South, but Ernie still faces a subtle racism – stares, silence – as he starts his four years at Syracuse. Rob Brown is a charismatic Ernie but with a flash of his eyes you understand Ernie’s volcanic fury at the prejudice around him. Under Dennis Quaid ‘s skill, you see Schwartwalder gradually overcome his inherent bigotry to become one of Ernie’s biggest defenders. Charles S. Dutton has a small but important role as Ernie’s grandfather. Although Ernie’s accomplishments on the field were amazing, it was the environment in which he struggled to achieve that makes it worth your time to see his story. 10/11/08

Body of Lies - 2 1/2 smiles

“Body of Lies,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott, is such a disappointing movie that it makes you wonder why such a topnotch cast and well-known director are involved. Movies about the Middle East have not done well at the box office, but “Body of Lies” will flop because of its flaws, not because of its subject matter. The plot is overly convoluted and improbable although Scott throws in a lot of action sequences. The script is based on Washington Post columnist David Ignatius’ 2007 novel about CIA agent Roger Ferris (DiCaprio), who is undercover to track an elusive Al Qaeda terrorist leader Al-Saleem (Israeli actor Alon Aboutboul). Al-Saleem is responsible for suicide bombings in Europe and Roger’s boss, Ed Hoffman (Crowe) believes that his next move will be terrorist attacks in the US. Hoffman, head of the CIA’s Near East division and a cold pragmatist, directs Ferris’s movements via cell phone from his Langley office or wherever he happens to be, even driving his children to school. Meanwhile, on the ground in Aman, Ferris agrees to work with Hani Salaam (Mark Strong), the brilliant and brutal head of Jordanian intelligence. The plan to capture Al-Saleem? Make him jealous by creating another terrorist cell that grabs bigger headlines than his.

The acting is convincing. DiCaprio makes the most of a weak script as a CIA operative who has become disillusioned with the war in Iraq and its burgeoning consequences. Crowe, who gained 50 pounds, portrays Hoffman as callously logical, one who believes that the ends justify the means. However, the most interesting character is Hani Salaam and Mark Strong creates a man who is polished and urbane and just as manipulative as Crowe’s Hoffman. The script by William Monahan is just too implausible to believe; no one can withstand the physical abuse that Ferris undergoes in this film. And did I mention that he is also bitten by rabid dogs? See “Body of Lies” if you don’t mind investing 2 hours and 35 minutes on a so-so movie. 10/10/08

Flash of Genius - 2 1/2 smiles

If “Flash of Genius,” the story of Bob Kearns’ 16-year battle with Ford Motor Company for recognition that he invented the intermittent windshield wiper, sounds a little dull, you’d be right. This is, after all, about a windshield wiper, not life and death. And while this movie effectively tells a David vs. Goliath story, it’s hard to make it very interesting. The movie’s saving grace is the performance by Greg Kinnear. Bob Kearns (Kinnear), a mechanical engineer, invents the intermittent windshield wiper in his basement in 1967 and with the help of his friend Gil Previck (Dermot Mulroney), builds a prototype and obtains patents. Bob takes his invention to Ford, a company that had also been working on the intermittent windshield wiper but with less success. The president at Ford agrees to work with Bob, but sends him a rejection letter a few months later. Two years later, Bob discovers his invention in Ford’s latest models and he has received no money and no credit. Years of lawsuits ensue, with Ford being big enough to wait out the little guy. However, Ford underestimates Bob’s determination and moral outrage as he continues his battle.

Greg Kinnear, often underrated as an actor, brings heartbreak and a poignant understanding to his role as a man who suffers a nervous breakdown and sees his marriage fall apart and his children alienated, who hires lawyers and routinely ignores their advice, who ultimately perseveres to get is day in court. Kinnear infuses Kearns with steely determination while also revealing Kearns’ fragile mental state. He makes you a believer when he says, ‘It’s not about money; it’s about right and wrong.’ It’s hard to get excited about patents and ownership of intellectual property and the tone of the movie tends to be overly somber. Nonetheless, if you must see this movie, see it for Greg Kinnear’s performance. 10/2/08

Miracle at St. Anna - 2 smiles

Spike Lee’s goal of making “Miracle at St. Anna” the first Hollywood feature film to tell the story of the African-American soldiers who fought in World War II is an admirable one. Too bad the resulting movie is not admirable as well. Instead, it’s muddled and confusing and overly long. The screenplay, written by James McBride and based on his novel, does not tell the story from the perspective of one character, but from multiple viewpoints, resulting in the movie being a series of episodes. And by threading so many story lines together without a common focus, “Miracle at St. Anna” becomes a tangle of competing conflicts, underlying themes and distracting events.

The story is essentially one long flashback with an opening and closing sequence set in the 1980s. A postal worker, Hector Negron (Laz Alonso) shoots and kills a man who comes to his window to buy stamps. After his arrest, Hector won’t talk, but a reporter finds a clue hidden in Hector’s closet, a head of a statue that once adorned a bridge in Florence that was destroyed by bombs in World War II. From here, Lee takes us back to the Tuscan countryside where the all-black 92nd Infantry Division is trying to cross the Serchio River. In a sequence that rivals the opening of “Saving Private Ryan,” the men are ambushed and bodies and body parts go flying. Four members of the division end up stranded behind enemy lines, all but abandoned by their racist commander. Along with Negron, there’s Staff Sgt. Aubrey Stamps (Derek Luke), a college-educated man devoted to military service; Sgt. Bishop Cummings (Michael Ealy), the stereotypical angry black man; Pvt. Sam Train (Omar Benson Miller), a gentle giant of a man who rescues an Italian boy (Matteo Sciabordi). The men arrive at a picturesque village, where they mingle with the locals and a lovely married woman, Renata (Valentina Cervi) flirts with both Stamps and Cummings. The story then dissolves into murky subplots involving the Italian resistance and conflicted Germans.

The film jumps from brutal combat sequences to a man saving a boy, from erotic flirtations to comic interludes with the townspeople, from arguments between good and bad Germans to those of partisans fighting among themselves, from scenes of hope to scenes of bloody massacres. To these, Lee throws in occasional speeches about bigotry and a flashback within a flashback to prove how badly these men were treated stateside during their basic training. If Lee had more control of his material, the movie wouldn’t have been so confusing. Unfortunately, elements in "Miracle at St. Anna" never combine into an effective whole. And at the end of 160 minutes, all you feel is disappointment. 10/4/08

Beverly Hills Chihuahua - 3 barks

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua," a film for anyone who loves animals and loves to laugh, has more to the plot than just cute dogs. It also has some meaningful messages beneath all of that doggie fur: be loyal to your friends and true to yourself. And it's a credit to the filmmakers that we willingly enter the zany world of pampered Beverly Hills pooches, especially that of Chloe, whose signature fragrance is Channel No. 5 and who wears a diamond collar created by Harry Winston. Chloe loves her luxurious life style and is not about to notice the amorous Papi, a stray who has been adopted by Sam, the landscape gardener. When Chloe's devoted owner Vivian goes away on business, Chloe is left in the care of Vi's niece Rachel. Things get complicated when Rachel takes a trip to Mexico and Chloe becomes lost and then dognapped.

"Beverly Hills Chihuahua" is essentially a romance along the lines of "Lady and the Tramp" although it's also a buddy movie that involves adventure, suspense and humor. Jamie Lee Curtis is effective as Chloe's adoring owner and Piper Perabo engaging as her niece who teams up with Colombian-born actor Manolo Cardona to rescue Chloe. However, the dogs are the real stars of this movie and the great voice cast is headed by Drew Barrymore as Chloe, Andy Garcia as Delgado, the German shepherd who takes the lost Chloe under his paw, George Lopez as the amorous Papi, who is determined to rescue his love, and Placido Domingo as Montezuma, a Chihuahua who educates Chloe on her lineage. The doggie stars do their trainers proud and the special effects team does a spectacular job of making the dogs look natural as they talk, laugh and cry. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" is pure light-hearted escapism, and if you love dogs, you'll enjoy this movie even more. 10/3/08

Burn After Reading – 3 smiles

“Burn After Reading” is a comedy of errors or, as the movie has been tagged, ‘a smart movie about stupid people.’ A plot this convoluted and peculiar can only come from the twisted minds of the Coen Brothers. Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), a couple of dim-witted characters who work in a health club, stumble on a disk containing notes ex-CIA agent Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) has made for his memoirs. Because Linda is in dire need of funds for some cosmetic surgery, she convinces Chad that the disk provides a prime opportunity to blackmail Cox out of some money. Meanwhile, Cox’s wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is having an affair with Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), a federal marshal who trolls Internet dating sites for other women. Harry, who is also married, coincidentally meets Linda and starts an affair with her. Also in the mix is Ted Treffon (Richard Jenkins), who manages the health club and is in love with Linda although he is reluctant to say anything to her. Observing all of the goings-on are CIA honchos played by David Rasche and J.K. Simmons, who provide some of the funniest lines in the movie.

The Coens enhance this complicated plot by tossing in shock after shock, effective because they are so matter-of-fact. Whether it’s Linda trying to strike a deal with the Russians or Chad attempting to be another James Bond, they just keep piling things on. And their cast is top notch. Clooney has sleaze down to an art form as Harry and Pitt is hilarious. Frances McDormand gets to play a truly screwball character although for Malkovich, wacky is familiar territory. Rounding out this truly stellar cast are Richard Jenkins and Tilda Swinton. “Burn After Reading,” a comedy with dramatic elements or a drama with comedic elements is certainly worth seeing. 9/29/08

Nights in Rodanthe - 2 smiles

Since I’m a romantic at heart, I prefer happy endings to my movies, especially if they’re romances. However, I also dislike manipulated sentimentality and that’s pretty much what you get with “Nights in Rodanthe.” Fans of Nicholas Sparks’ novels will probably like this movie although, typically, novels always prove to be better than a movie adaptation. Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane), a stressed out mother of two, discovers that her estranged husband who had been cheating on her, wants to get back together. To have some space and time to think, she agrees to operate her friend’s bed and breakfast inn on North Carolina’s Outer Banks for a few days. The inn’s only guest is Paul Flanner (Richard Gere), a divorced workaholic doctor, who has come to meet with the family of a patient whose surgery went horribly wrong. Adrienne and Paul are two wounded people who warily become friends and then lovers…….all in the span of two days.

Despite the chemistry between two gorgeous actors and the lush North Carolina coastline, you don’t really get to know Adrienne and Paul very well. So the reality of their meaningful relationship, their ‘grand love,’ seems forced as does the emotion of the tragedy at the end. Lane and Gere share such terrific on-screen rapport that it’s hard to understand why they spend the last third of the movie apart. In fact, Gere is not on-screen; we hear his voice as he narrates Paul’s letters to Adrienne. Although “Nights in Rodanthe” deals with forgiveness and loss, you can wait to rent it on Netflix. 9/28/08

Appaloosa - 2 smiles

I was disappointed with “Appaloosa.” I wanted it to be a deeply engaging narrative that probes the relationship between good and evil, much like “Eastern Promises.” Instead, “Appaloosa” focuses on the relationship between Virgil (Ed Harris), Everett (Viggo Mortensen) and Allison (Renee Zellweger), with bad guy Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) on the periphery. Partners Virgil and Everett, freelance law enforcers, are hired by the city council of Appaloosa to rid the town of Randall Bragg and his henchmen. A few days later, Allison steps off the train and although both men are smitten, Allison makes it clear that its Virgil she prefers. Unfortunately for Virgil, the thoroughly amoral Allison is attracted to whomever is around if Virgil is elsewhere.

Harris, who also directs, is effective as the steely-eyed protector – that is, until he beats up a man in a bar with more violence than is necessary. Suddenly, we glimpse a darker side to our protagonist, which could point to interesting events to come. Regrettably, Harris the director pulls back on this aspect of Virgil’s personality. In fact, he drops it altogether and Virgil is never as interesting. Mortensen, one of the most underrated actors around, steals the movie with a look, a gesture, a smile. However, Renee Zellweger is totally miscast as a femme fatale. “Appaloosa” may be pleasing in appearance, but it is, ultimately, empty. 9/28/08