Yes Man - 3 smiles

I’ve never been a fan of Jim Carrey’s slapstick movies (nor anyone else’s slap stick, for that matter). And although “Yes Man” starts off with typical Carrey silliness, it turns into a genuine romantic comedy and, surprise, an enjoyable movie. Carrey has experimented with a lot of different roles (e.g., “The Number 23,” “Lemony Snickett’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) with varying degrees of success. And if you think that “Yes Man” is a version of “Liar, Liar,” you’d be wrong. The minute co-star Zooey Deschanel appears, the movie changes. She is a romantic foil to Carrey’s character and that makes all the difference. Carl Allen (Carrey) says no to every opportunity and would not dream of doing anything spontaneous. When an old pal convinces him to attend a seminar presided over by a new-age guru (Terence Stamp), who advocates the power of ‘Yes,’ Carl enters a covenant whereby he will say yes to everything. Things don’t start out well, but when he meets Allison (Deschanel), who is his complete opposite and his perfect match, he finds his life turning around.

The script isn’t great although the concept has a lot going for it. Nonetheless, the success of “Yes Man” is tied to the two leads. Carrey and Deschanel’s chemistry works so when they’re together on screen, we willingly believe that they are two lonely people who meet by accident but are meant to be together. Perhaps the best sequence in the movie is their unplanned trip to Lincoln, Nebraska, where they visit, of all places, a factory that preps chickens for a fast-food restaurant. With all of the Oscar heavy-hitters in theaters now, it’s fun to watch something that’s a little less taxing. “Yes Man” is light, fluffy and undemanding.

Gran Torino - 3 1/2 smiles

“Gran Torino,” directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, is about overcoming prejudice and although Nick Schenk’s script piles everything on with a heavy hand, watching Eastwood play a grumpy old man who’s quick to grab his gun in difficult situations harkens back to the Dirty Harry movies and it’s like visiting an old friend. Walt Kowalski (Eastwood), a disagreeable old curmudgeon, lives alone with his dog after the death of his wife. He is barely on speaking terms with his sons and grandchildren and his neighborhood is changing, becoming more diverse and troubled by gangs. He only just tolerates the Hmong family living next door, but when the son, Thao (Bee Vang) tries to steal Walt’s 1972 Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation, Walt chases him away with a shotgun. Later, when the gang members arrive to give Thao a second chance and a fight breaks out, Walt (and his shotgun) drive off the gang. Walt becomes a reluctant hero to the neighborhood and Thao’s smart older sister Sue (Ahney Her), takes it upon herself to make friends with Walt. As penance for his attempted theft, Thao is forced to work for Walt, which leads to some bonding and Walt’s realization that as long as the gang is around, Thao and his family are not safe.

“Gran Torino” is a cross-generational buddy movie as Walt imparts important life lessons to Thao (including how to interact with others in a ‘manly’ way) and Thao opens the heart of this bigoted grouch. However, Walt’s transformation, although effective, occurs a little to easily. While Eastwood is a strong, reliable presence in this movie, kudos goes to his two Asian co-stars. As Thao, Bee Vang shows character growth and there’s good chemistry between him and Eastwood. Ahney Her is bright and energetic and she lights up the screen whenever she’s on. As Walt discovers, he can lament change all he wants, but what’s really important is what we leave behind. Eastwood has said this will be the last movie where he appears in front of the camera. We can appreciate what he leaves behind with “Grand Torino” and can only hope that he continues to work behind the camera. 12/18/08

Seven Pounds - 1 smile

Seven Pounds – 1 smile

“Seven Pounds,” an overly long manipulative tearjerker, is a depressing drama about a suicidal widower wracked with guilt over killing his wife in a car accident in which he was focused on his cell phone instead of the road. To redeem himself, Ben Thomas (Will Smith), posing as an IRS agent, decides to perform random acts of kindness by helping seven strangers. And it is important to Ben that these people be worthy of his largess. To make a long story longer, an unexpected romance develops between him and Emily (Rosario Dawson), a beautiful, terminal heart patient. Among other charity cases are Ezra (Woody Harrelson), a blind telemarketer; Connie (Elphidia Camillo), a battered woman too afraid of her violent boyfriend to leave him; Nicholas, a young child in need of a bone marrow transplant; and Holly, a social worker with cirrhosis of the liver.

A major problem is director Gabriele Muccino’s tediously slow pacing; it takes forever to get to the point of the whole movie. And it doesn’t take a lot of brainpower to figure out what’s happening after the first 30 minutes. None of Ben’s actions seem believable once you’ve figured out what he’s going to do although Will Smith has a lot of on screen charisma. No one really wants to spend two hours watching him brood and be depressed. In addition, most of the supporting actors are wasted except Dawson. She is able to hold her own with Smith, but you have to wonder if her character really would risk making love given the extreme weakness of her heart. And what’s with the title, ‘seven pounds’? Seven pounds of what? “Seven Pounds” is trying to be profound, but it’s one of the most awful movies I’ve seen this year. 12/19/08

How About You - 2 smiles

“How About You” is a trivial and predictable tale about four crotchety senior citizens stuck in a residential home over the holidays. The one thing going for this adaptation of a Maeve Binchy short story is the cast of ‘experienced’ actors who chew their lines with gusto. Set in Ireland, the movie takes its title from a 1941 tune sung by Bobby Darin that begins, ‘I like New York in June.’ This is the favorite song of Georgia Platts (Vanessa Redgrave), a former showgirl who wears a turban and gives meticulous directions on how to fix the martinis she loves. The song eventually becomes a sing-along in an Irish pub and helps thaw the angry souls of Donald Vanston (Joss Ackland), a retired judge who demands his breakfast be served at 5:30 rather than the scheduled 8 am; and Heather and Hazel Nightingale (Brenda Fricker and Imelda Staunton), bickering spinster sisters who continually recycle family grievances. These four are the only residents of Woodlands, a residential home, who have not left for the Christmas holidays. While Kate (Orla Brady), the owner, is away, it is up to her younger sister Ellie (Hayley Atwell) to keep order. The four are spiteful and selfish and their bad behavior has driven away so many lodgers and staff that Woodlands’ existence is threatened. Of course, Ellie has the solution. If only it were that easy.

There’s little subtlety displayed in the predictably warming of curmudgeonly hearts. And seasons seem to change from scene to scene and other scenes probably ended up on the cutting room floor, resulting in haphazard storytelling. Still, if a feel-good pic is what you’re looking for, “How About You” should be high on your list. 12/14/08

The Wrestler - 3 1/2 smiles

Writer/director Darren Aronofsky’s meticulous and thoughtful character study, “The Wrestler,” is about Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke), a rather sad man whose entire identity and self-worth are defined by the sport that ruined his health and then forgot about him. He lives in a trailer park in Northern New Jersey and can’t pay the rent. His daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) despises him and he’s unable to connect with anyone, even an exotic dancer (Marisa Tomei), who has made overtures of friendship. Instead, Randy lives for the adulation of those few fans that remember him. When a heart attack fells Randy after a bout, his doctor’s advice is clear: quit wrestling or risk death. This forces Randy to re-assess his life and he gets a job at the deli counter of a local supermarket. But is this really living?

“The Wrestler” explores compelling issues: What is a satisfying life? What makes us happy? How far are we willing to go to be happy? While providing answers for some of these issues, Aronofsky has also created an actor’s show piece and Mickey Rourke rises to the occasion. His Randy is a three-dimensional character, an athlete beyond his prime struggling to cope with what he has become and the delusions that prod him to keep going. We see his despair and his courage. His attempts to regain a place in his daughter’s life are heartbreaking. He has hurt her in ways he can’t even begin to understand. And even though Randy is hard to like, we can understand him. Marisa Tomei, too, gives a memorable performance as a single mother whose professional life parallels Randy’s: she too is beyond her prime and her services are in ever decreasing demand. However, she solves this dilemma differently. “The Wrestler” is getting a lot of Oscar buzz and if there’s a dark horse, this could be it. 12/10/08

Milk - 4 smiles

It’s a tribute to director Gus Van Sant (and Ron Howard with “Frost/Nixon,”) that he can take material where the outcome in pretty well known and create a story that is funny, dramatic, sad, and inspiring. “Milk” sticks closely to the facts and Van Sant uses plenty of genuine 70s stock footage to enhance the milieu of the story. Not only does “Milk” contribute to the understanding of the world 30 years ago, but in light of California’s recent passage of Proposition 8, it also reflects how the fight for which Milk died still rages. Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco) move from New York in 1972 to San Francisco’s Castro Street. They open a camera store in an area fast becoming a gay hangout. The flamboyant Milk soon becomes an activist and attracts a small group of followers, including Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), who would become one of Milk’s closest confidants. After several unsuccessful attempts to run for office, Milk wins an election for Supervisor in 1977, becoming the first openly gay man on an already liberal board. Milk then becomes involved in a struggle against Proposition 6, a referendum designed to allow school boards to fire gay teachers. Milk’s contention is that most people who know a homosexual will not vote to have his/her rights taken away. He wins this fight, but is gunned down shortly thereafter at the age of 48. (Van Sant shows a news clip of Diane Feinstein announcing the assassination early in the film.)

“Milk” further illustrates Sean Penn’s skill as an actor as we see only Harvey Milk and it is an exceptional performance, indeed. And Josh Brolin’s transformation as Milk’s political opponent and fellow supervisor, Dan White, is equally remarkable. White is a tortured individual and Brolin shows this more through expressions than by reciting dialogue. “Milk” is clearly an Oscar contender for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. And for those not dissuaded by the homosexual content, “Milk” represents a thoughtful tale of politics and courage. 12/5/08

The Day the Earth Stood Still - 1 1/2 smiles

It’s surprising that a film about ecological disaster would turn out to be such an example of mediocrity. But that’s the case with “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” an example of Hollywood remaking a classic into something that’s loud, explosive and uninteresting. The film starts promisingly with Helen Benson ((Jennifer Connolly), a working mom and astrobiologist, being whisked from her home under mysterious circumstances. It’s all part of a massive mobilization response to the news that something is coming. What lands in Central Park is a large, gaseous orb (one of many that eventually arrive to collect animals), Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) wrapped in a placenta-like covering, and a huge robot standing maybe 40 feet tall. The United States’ knee-jerk reaction is to shoot first and ask questions later. When the shooting proves futile, the follow-up questions and answers prove shocking. Klaatu has come to save earth from the stupid humans destroying it and there's nothing anyone can do. That is, unless Helen can use what little time is left to prove to Klaatu that we deserve a second chance.

Like many previous movies, including Pixar’s hit “Wall*E,” the crisis of the future is ecological, not world domination and that one change is not enough to merit a remake. Reeve’s typically wooden acting is more appropriate here given his character’s presumed awkwardness with human form. However, director Scott Kerrickson does not use this to his advantage. Instead he fills the screen with CGI effects in an attempt to add dynamism to the narrative. And then the movie just ends. Hard-core science fiction fans might enjoy the latest iteration of “The Day the Earth Stood Still;” however, most of you will want to find something else to see. 12/12/08

Transporter 3 – 2 ½ smiles; Punisher: War Zone - 1 1/2 smiles

If you’re an action aficionado, you’ll probably see both of these films. However, if you have to see only one, see “Transporter 3.” Not only does it have a more charismatic star, but it actually has action. The only thing “Punisher: War Zone” has going for it is the huge body count although neither movie can boast much of a plot. Frank Martin (Jason Statham), who can drive a car like no other and is good in hand-to-hand combat, is a highly paid transporter of ‘packages.’ This time around, circumstances force him to accept a job he doesn’t want and to top it off, both he and his package, Valentina (Natalya Rudankova), wear bracelets that will explode if they get more than 75 feet from the car. In the process of trying to catch the bad guy (Robert Knepper), Frank drives his car on two wheels between two semis and lands this same car atop a moving train. There’s also a creative fight scene where Frank undresses and uses his clothing (jacket, tie, shirt) to disarm his opponents. The best scene occurs when someone steals the car and Frank has to race to catch up or … explode.

“Punisher: War Zone,” about a Marvel Comics character, is a gloomy and unpleasant movie. The other two Punisher movies were about vigilante justice and this one is no different. Frank Castle (another Frank played by Ray Stevenson) makes the mistake of killing an undercover agent while cleaning out a mansion full of mobsters. Guilt-ridden, he vows to protect the man’s widow (Julie Benz) and her daughter from a couple of bad guys who are after them. Stevenson has got what’s needed to play the Punisher – a steely gaze, a no-nonsense demeanor and no sense of humor. Dominic West as the badly scarred Jigsaw and Doug Hutchinson as the cannibalistic Loony Bin Jim are so campy and over the top that it’s a relief when they get their just desserts from the Punisher. Director Lexi Alexander doesn’t skimp on the blood and gore as bad guys are decapitated, blown to bits and eviscerated as the body count grows and grows. Skip this one.

Cadillac Records - 2 smiles

“Cadillac Records,” starring Adrien Brody and Jeffrey Wright, could have been a better movie if the focus had been less ambitious. But by trying to tell a story about many of the famous blues and early rock and roll stars that signed with Chess Records, director Darnell Martin bites off more than he can chew. The movie opens in early 1950s Chicago with the establishment of the Chess Record company and ends two decades later when Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) sells. The movie gets its title from the cars Chess gave his top artists (taken from their royalties, unbeknownst to them). The film provides highlights of some of Chess’ most memorable performers: Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Howlin’ Wolf (Eamonn Walker), Chuck Berry (Mos Def) and Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles). None of these individuals has enough screen time to develop much personality and there are too many plot points that leave the audience with unanswered questions. However, the music might be enough to keep most people entertained.

The songs include Jeffrey Wright doing Waters’ “I’m a Man” and “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man,” Beyoncé Knowles doing James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” “Once in a Lifetime” and “At Last.” Mos Def’s Chuck Berry lights the screen with “Maybelline,” “Nadine” and “No Particular Place to Go.” Cedric the Entertainer (Willie Dixon) provides the voiceover that gives the movie some coherence. Wright and Beyoncé prove capable at both the music and the acting. However, if you’re looking for complex drama or a meaningful analysis of the music of the 50s and 60s, you’re not going to find it with “Cadillac Records.” 12/7/08

Frost/Nixon - 4 smiles

“Frost/Nixon” is a powerful and compelling duel, a showcase for subtle yet mesmerizing dramatic performances that create suspense even though the end is never in question. Peter Morgan adapts his play into a chess match between two men with colossal egos constantly maneuvering for the upper hand. And director Ron Howard offers an excellent example of how to turn a successful Broadway play into a successful movie. Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) resigned in August 1974, two years after the Watergate break-in that doomed his presidency. For the next three years, he remained in exile in California, avoiding the media and not granting interviews until a British talk-show host, David Frost (Michael Sheen), offered him $600,000 to sit down for a series of interviews covering four subjects: domestic policy, foreign policy, ‘Nixon the man,’ and Watergate. Nixon accepted, seeing this as an opportunity to rehabilitate his reputation and believing that Frost would offer soft questions. This represented a huge gamble for Frost because not only did he not have a buyer for the interviews but also the idea of a talk-show host entering the field of serious journalism was universally dismissed. Even Frost’s allies – John Burt (Matthew McFadyen), James Reston Jr. (Sam Rockwell), and Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt) were skeptical.

Both Langella and Sheen played Nixon and Frost in the Broadway play and it’s to Howard’s credit that he cast both men for the movie. Langella doesn’t impersonate Nixon; he becomes Nixon, the shrewd and manipulative statesman, the man who needs to control and wants desperately to be liked. Langella won a Tony for his performance and is also likely to win an Oscar. Sheen, brilliant as Tony Blair in “The Queen,” develops his character from a bright-eyed social butterfly to a grim-eyed interrogator, who finds his focus and the courage to ask the hard questions. “Frost/Nixon” is one of the best movies of 2008. 12/5/08

A Christmas Tale - 1 1/2 smiles

“A Christmas Tale,” starring Catherine Deneuve, is a French tale about a dysfunctional family at Christmas. Running at an interminable two-and-a-half hours, the intricate (and often confusing) family relationships and endless emotional baggage are exhausting even if you enjoy French films. Junon (Deneuve), the matriarch of the gloomy Vuillard family, has been recently diagnosed with leukemia and is looking for a bone marrow donor for an experimental treatment. Her illness evokes memories of the death of her eldest son, Joseph, more than 40 years ago, a tragedy that still haunts the family. Daughter Elizabeth (Anne Consigny), a successful playwright, is currently undergoing treatment for depression. Henri (Mathiew Amalric, the villain in “Quantum of Solace”), the black sheep of the family, has been banished by his sister in exchange for settling his monetary debts. And the youngest son is Ivan (Melvil Poupaud), who seems nonchalant when he discovers that his wife has slept with his cousin Christmas night.

The script has a lot of side stories going on, which only serve to add confusion, not create memorable moments or emotional engagement. The most agreeable character is Junon’s unlikely husband, Abel (Jean-Paul Roussillon), who is short and overweight but the only one who consistently displays any common sense. And as much as I like foreign films, it’s a tedious chore reading subtitles for 150 minutes in “A Christmas Tale.”

Australia - 3 smiles

“Australia,” starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, is essentially a romance although director Baz Luhrmann freely mixes genres, making “Australia” also a western, a war movie and social commentary. In newspaper interviews, Luhrmann admits that an early influence on his career is “Lawrence of Arabia.” And from the swooping camera shots to the swelling music to the wide panoramic vistas, “Australia” certainly has an epic feel. For the most part, Luhrmann succeeds in keeping his audience engaged in his 2-hour-and-35-minute adventure. Needless to say, the plot is fairly complicated. “Australia” is narrated by a young boy of mixed race, Nullah (newcomer Brandon Walters), the illegitimate son of an Aboriginal mother and white father. And while it opens in 1939, shortly before World War II and the Japanese bombing of Darwin, Australia, it immediately jumps to an earlier time period. Drover (Jackman) has been hired to escort Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) to her husband’s cattle ranch. When they discover he has been murdered, Sarah is intent on selling the property, including the 1,500 head of cattle. However, a couple of things change Sarah’s mind: First, she meets Nullah; second she’s seduced by the beauty of the land; and third, she discovers King Carney (Bryan Brown) is trying to corner the local beef market and his condescending manner goads her into digging in her heels.

“Australia” seeks to address the ‘stolen generations’ issue of half-white/half-Aboriginal children who were taken from their families and re-located by the government. Nullah’s precarious situation and the way Sarah fights for him is one of the films most successful aspects. Also effective is the incorporation of Nullah’s magic man grandfather, King George (David Gulpilil), adding a dimension of magic realism. Nicole Kidman is wonderfully expressive, from the rather comic start to the heartbreaking finish and Hugh Jackman is appropriately dashing and macho as romantic lead and hero. Especially captivating is Brandon Walters whose character holds the movie together. If Luhrmann intended to rouse you to laughter and tears with magnificent visions and jolts of emotion, he succeeds. “Australia” is certainly worth seeing. 11/28/08