He's Just Not That Into You - 1 1/2 smiles

I usually like romantic comedies, especially if they’re intelligent, like “You’ve Got Mail” and “Legally Blonde.” However, I wasn’t expecting much from “He’s Just Not That Into You” and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s predictable, full of clichés and filled with characters so inane that you wonder if you stumbled into an alternate universe. At a whopping 129 minutes, the interconnected stories following the relationship troubles of a huge cast of characters are superficial and, well, pretty stupid. There’s an on-again, off-again couple Connor (Kevin Connolly) and Anna (Scarlett Johansson), who meets Ben (Bradley Cooper) at a supermarket. Ben and his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly), the only married couple in the film, are having problems, making Ben ripe for Anna’s attentions. Anna is friends with Mary (Drew Barrymore), a newspaper advertising director whose own romantic life is nonexistent. Then there’s Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin), a perennial loser at love, whose blind date with Connor leads to predictable heartbreak. Alex (Justin Long) is Connor’s roommate who befriends Gigi by giving her blunt advice about men. And Neil (Ben Affleck) and Beth (Jennifer Aniston) seen happy together except Beth would like to get married.

As with most movies with ensemble casts, some stories are more interesting than others. The least compelling, but the one that dominates, is about Gigi and most of the time you want to slap her because she’s so annoying. The one that has the most potential, about Neil and Beth, is the one that is underdeveloped. There is a fleeting scene between Beth and her sisters that illustrates that happiness in a relationship is not defined by the existence of a marriage license, but defined by the love between two people. As a whole, the movie is too long and because there are too many stories, you rarely care about what happens to the characters. So you’ll probably see “He’s Just Not That Into You” if you like romantic comedies, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. 2/13/09

The International - 3 smiles

“The International,” starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts, is an action thriller that requires its audiences to think. With a story about a huge international bank as the villain, director Tom Tykwer explores more than good guy versus bad guy. He delves into shades of gray, presenting a world in which a financial institution, with tentacles into everything from geopolitics to gunrunning, is so powerful that, on one hand, they hold our money (and our trust) and on the other hand, they manipulate events to insure the bottom line. What happens when an idealist, a man with a clear vision of right and wrong, targets this bank? Louis Salinger (Owen), an Interpol agent, has uncovered one of the bank’s executives who might be willing to reveal valuable information concerning the bank’s illegal activities. When Louis’s partner dies mysteriously, and the potential witness dies soon after in a car accident, he teams up with Eleanor Whitman (Watts), a Manhattan Assistant District Attorney who’s just as eager to bring down the bank. Their complex investigation takes them to Milan, Berlin, New York City and later to Istanbul and they learn how difficult and dangerous it is to go against such a formidable organization.

In the world of “The International,” life, ethics, and morality are irrelevant. The bank owns everything and people are interchangeable, a pretty pessimistic view for an action movie. Owen, effective as always, plays Louis as a driven, humorless man, whose sense of justice compels him to pursue those he views as evil-doers. Armin Mueller-Stahl, who plays Wilhelm Wexler, an advisor to the bank’s CEO and a disillusioned idealist himself, ably matches him. However, Naomi Watts is wasted in her role as Louis’ partner. In addition, Tykwer has choreographed an exceptional sequence in this movie, a shoot-out in New York’s Guggenheim Museum. It’s detailed and well-executed, illustrating the highs and lows of human behavior under one roof. Packed with adrenaline-pumping action, “The International” is a must-see thriller. 2/`4/09

Push - 1 1/2 smiles

Watching “Push” is like starting a novel in the middle of the story. It’s chaotic and confusing and even though director Paul McGuigan tries to provide the appropriate back stories and explanations, it takes a while to understand what’s happening. There are a variety of humans who have abnormal abilities and are classified by names like ‘watchers’ (who can predict the future), ‘movers’ (who can shift physical items their minds), ‘pushers’ (who can influence the thoughts of others), ‘shifters’ (who can change the appearance of things), and ‘stitchers’ (who can heal). In Hong Kong, Nick Grant (Chris Evans), a mover and 13-year old Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning), a watcher who is trying to free her mother from government custody, are looking for Kira (Camilla Belle), a pusher who is the only survivor of an experimental drug to enhance psychic powers. Also chasing Kira are members of a shadowy government organization called The Company and members of a Chinese organization similar to The Company.

The film’s frenetic pace, which is responsible for much of the confusion throughout most of the movie, also keeps you from noticing the many coincidences that populate David Bourla’s script. Just when you think that our intrepid heroes are doomed, you discover there’s a ‘wiper,’ who can remove segments of memory. Chris Evans, who plays The Human Torch in “The Fantastic Four” movies, is obviously no newcomer to superhero movies. As Nick Grant, he portrays a more interesting and sympathetic character. And Dakota Fanning continues to move from child roles to adult ones, and impresses with both her range and skill. “Push” is an empty, style-driven thriller that looks much better than it is. Too bad. 2/7/09

Coraline - 3 smiles

“Coraline” is a family movie that appeals not only to children but to their parents as well. However, there’s a caveat here. Toward the end of the film, Coraline is in danger of being consumed by her other mother, who has transformed into a pretty scary creature, making the film potentially too intense for young, impressionable children. This is the basis for the PG (not G) rating. Blue-haired Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning), has just moved to an isolated, 150-year old mansion in Oregon with her distracted parents. Because her mother (Teri Hatcher) and father (John Hodgman) are writers with a deadline, they have little time for their daughter so Coraline is left on her own to explore her new home. She meets the next door neighbor, Wybe Lovat (Robert Bailey Jr.) and his cat, the vaudeville sisters (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French), who live in the lower apartment and the ‘circus man’ Mr. Bobinsky (Ian McShane), who lives upstairs. One day Coraline discovers a hidden door that leads to another world where her ‘Other Mother’ and ‘Other Father’ are interested in only pleasing her. To stay here, Coraline realizes that she must give up more than she’s willing.

Director Henry Selick, who blends scenes of rich beauty with disturbing creepiness (remember “Nightmare Before Christmas”?), has created a remarkable stop-motion animated fable with a plot interesting enough to engage views of all ages. The vocal characterizations are strong; Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher are the standouts. And Selick’s subtle use of 3D adds greater depth and intensity to his ‘other-worldly’ scenes. Although the 3D experience makes “Coraline” more eye-catching, especially the final sequence after the credits, it is not mandatory to see this film in 3D, especially if you have young children who refuse to wear the glasses. “Coraline” is a touch of magic that’s definitely worth seeing. 2/9/09

New in Town - 1 smile

“New in Town” has so little to recommend it that it’s surprising it was released. Neither Renée Zellweger nor Harry Connick Jr. has enough star power or chemistry to make this more than a forgettable romantic comedy. And when your most interesting character is one of the supporting cast, you know there’s a problem. Lucy Hill (Zellweger), a tough career woman, is sent from corporate headquarters in Miami to frigid Minnesota to optimize a local factory’s output. Lucy is shocked by the small town attitudes of the people and their lack of sophistication, especially from her secretary, Blanche Gunderson (Siobhan Fallon Hogan), and the local union representative, Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick Jr.). Although Blanche tries to help her, Lucy is only interested in getting the job done and returning to Florida. Of course, the script requires that Lucy do a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn-around from unfeeling corporate gunslinger to someone who wants only what’s best for the factory workers. And the romance requires that Lucy and Ted fall in love.

Obviously, the screenplay by Kenneth Rance and C. Jay Cox leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of intelligent, witty banter between Lucy and Ted, we get spitting and shouting, much like cats and dogs fighting. There’s no romantic tension between these two plus Zellweger and Connick, Jr. are poorly matched. In fact, their relationship is so underdeveloped that it’s hard to believe they have fallen for each other. That leaves Blanche as the only interesting character. She’s more developed; she’s helpful, caring, into scraping (making scrapbooks), and makes the world’s best tapioca pudding. “New in Town” tries much too hard to be agreeable and uplifting. It succeeds in being disagreeable. 2/2/09

Taken - 2 1/2 smiles

“Taken,” an action flick starring Liam Neeson, is so full of adrenalin-pumping action that you’re not supposed to think about how preposterous the plot is. It’s never boring, but it doesn’t make for engaging post-viewing conversation either. Bryan Mills (Neeson) is a competent ex-government operative intent on reconnecting with his 17-year old daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). She, however, wants his signature on a permission slip allowing her to spend a few weeks in Paris with a friend. Against his better judgment, Bryan allows her to go after some cutting remarks from his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen). When he next hears from Kin, she’s in danger. A group of men have broken into the apartment in Paris and are after her. Armed with little concrete information, Bryan heads for Europe. The path leads him into a maze that includes corrupt police, Albanian mobsters, and white slave traffickers.

For an actor of Neeson’s caliber, the role is not challenging. He’s not required to do much more than look grim and participate in the carefully choreographed action sequences. However, he brings an element of quality to the movie that an actor of lesser stature would not have. There’s no single villain at the top of the bad guy totem pole so Bryan’s goal is to eliminate everyone with any degree of involvement in Kim’s kidnapping. And the script by Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen piles coincidence upon coincidence. That Bryan is able to find his daughter within 96 hours of her disappearance means that he has to have some help somehow, even if it’s from a weak script. Finally, it’s surprising that this movie, with its high body count and graphic depictions of torture and stark images of death, missed an R rating. The MPAA deems this movie appropriate for teenagers when others could argue that it’s not appropriate for some adults. So if you’re an action junkie and you don’t mind extreme violence, “Taken” is for you. If not, skip it. 2/1/09

The Class - 2 smiles

Sometime, when you expect too much from a film, you’re disappointed. That’s what happened when I saw “The Class,” a movie that won the highly coveted Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Plus, with 27 years of secondary teaching experience, I have some definite ideas about teaching and learning, which resulted in another reason for disappointment. “The Class” is not the least bit compelling … or revealing. If a similarly uneventful film about American students had been made, it would never be released. Set in a modern Parisian public school, “The Class” is based on a memoir by François Bégaudeau, recounting one school year teaching eighth grade inner-city immigrant youth. Bégaudeau plays himself, but director Laurent Cantet is responsible for the film’s documentary look, using non-professional teens to portray the students. Obviously, Cantet was hoping for authenticity, but along the way, he loses any sense of drama and significance.

The everyday life of a teacher, discussing writing assignments, encouraging students to be engaged in their learning, knowing how to handle teen rebellion and attitude, does not make for riveting drama. Similarly, teachers’ staff meetings, getting bogged down with operational issues like the repair of a coffee machine instead of discussing ways to help these students, further add to the frustration that more should be happening. Eventually, in the last 30 minutes, a conflict arises, but this happens over something that absolutely astonished me. Student representatives, two girls, are allowed to sit in a meeting where teachers discuss other students’ grades. Of course these student reps share information with their classmates, which sparks the conflict. To add fuel to the fire, Bégaudeau, angry at the turmoil these girls are causing, calls them ‘skanks.’ Appropriate? I think not. Lessons learned? Not much. Modern education fails because of class and economic issues that are much greater than presented in this movie. “The Class” has been called absorbing and provocative. I beg to differ. French with English subtitles. 1/30/09