Nine - 1 frown

“Nine,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, received a lot of hype before it opened. Unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to that hype even with a skilled actor like Day-Lewis, who, by the way, is miscast here. And there’s no story in Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella’s script. In fact, the narrative sections feel like they’re there to move our focus from one production number to the next. Each of the women in Guido’s (Day-Lewis) life enters, talks about her life, performs a song, and then fades away. While some of the numbers are effective: Penelope Cruz’s sensuality in “A Call from the Vatican,” Judy Dench’s surprising oomph in “Follies Bergere” and Fergie’s brassy turn as a whore who urges the adolescent Guido to “Be Italian,” others are not. And Day-Lewis’s singing skill is merely acceptable. Since the songs are more ornamental than integral to the story, what do you have? You’ve got a famous Italian director who’s facing a crisis with both his artistic career and his personal life. But neither Day-Lewis nor director Rob Marshall creates any reason for us to care about Guido. “Nine” is going on my list of 10 Worst Movies of 2009. 12/25/09

The Princess and the Frog - 3 1/2 smiles

Although “Up” will forever be my number one favorite animated film, “The Princess and the Frog” is certainly worthwhile viewing. It has all of the requisite ingredients: a plucky heroine, cute animal sidekicks (a jazz-loving crocodile and a firefly in love with a star), a fairy godmother type, a villain who uses black magic, Broadway-style musical numbers (penned by Randy Newman), and lots of romance and fun. The story, loosely based on ‘The Frog Prince’ fairy tale, focuses on Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a hard-working waitress who holds down two jobs at eateries in New Orleans. Her dream is to earn enough money to own her own restaurant, a dream encouraged by her father (Terrence Howard) and her mother (Oprah Winfrey). Her best friend, Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), wants to marry a prince. This looks possible when Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) visits New Orleans. Unfortunately, he runs afoul of Dr. Facilier (Keith David), who turns him into a frog. Naveen convinces Tiana to kiss him, but instead of Naveen returning to human form, Tiana turns into a frog. With the help of Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), the crocodile and Ray (Jim Cummings), the firefly, they set out to find Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), who is the only one who can combat the magic of Dr. Facilier.

From a visual standpoint, “The Princess and the Frog” is reminiscent of “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid,” Disney’s hand-drawn animation successes of twenty years ago. There’s just the right amount of jokes in the comedy to keep both younger and older audience members engaged. And the animal sidekicks are cute, but not too cute. The decision by directors Ron Clements and John Musker to use low profile voice talent is a wise choice, thereby preventing the audience from getting distracted by well-known voices. Randy Newman’s songs are catchy and set just the right tone for this romp through the streets and bayous of New Orleans. And with a message about never losing sight of what’s important, “The Princess and the Frog” is destined to be another Disney classic. 12/12/09

Invictus - 4 smiles

Invictus,” Clint Eastwood’s latest and starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, is not a bio-pic or a sports movie although it has elements of both. It is about reconciliation and forgiveness during a time in South Africa’s history where the possibility of violence is everywhere. The film, based on John Carlin’s book Playing the Enemy, takes place in the mid-1990s, just after Nelson Mandela’s election as the country’s first black president. Many of the country’s whites, Afrikaner nationalists still attached to a system that kept their black neighbors oppressed and disenfranchised, braced themselves for payback. Many of Mandela’s black supporters expect it, too, as their right after decades of brutal apartheid. But Mandela (Freeman) knows that getting revenge would be a disastrous course for the fragile democracy he leads. Instead, Mandela hopes to unite his country with a single goal: support the Springbok rugby team in their bid to win the World Cup. So an alliance develops between the president and Francois Pienaar (Damon), the Springbok captain. Pienaar’s struggle to persuade his team to accept the new social realities is a microcosm of Mandela’s larger project. Also illuminating the progress of racial understanding is the subplot about Mandela’s black bodyguards forced to accept their white colleagues as part of the security coterie. They proceed from hostility to wary tolerance to guarded warmth.

“Invictus” is the result of a master storyteller and Eastwood, working with a script by Anthony Peckham, clearly knows what he wants. This is an absorbing character study of a famous man during a brief period of his life; it is an investigation of the nature of leadership; it is an underdog team sports movie. It all works. And no one else could portray Mandela except Morgan Freeman. He adroitly conveys Mandela’s idealism and shrewd understanding of the importance of symbols and emotions. Freeman allows us to see a complicated man carrying the burden of a long imprisonment that resulted in estrangement from his family. Matt Damon, mastering a difficult accent, plays Pienaar with disciplined understatement. Even though you could argue that “Invictus” has a predictable ending, it hits you squarely in the heart nonetheless. This is a must see movie. 12/11/09

Everybody's Fine - 2 1/2 smiles

When I saw the previews for “Everybody’s Fine,” I thought it looked like an enjoyable, light movie, more dramedy than drama or comedy. And to top it off, with Robert DeNiro starring and Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell co-starring, how bad could it be? Well, it isn’t bad exactly, but when you’re expecting one thing and get something else, you’re disappointed, aren’t you? There’s no comedy or drama at the core of this movie, no life’s lessons learned, which results in pretty bland fare. Sure, Frank Goode (DeNiro) has a few comic encounters as he journeys around the country visiting his four children, but they only generate a faint chuckle. And as far as family dysfunction goes, Frank’s excessive worrying and his children glossing over the truth by telling him ‘everybody’s fine’ isn’t very dramatic. In fact, everything about the story is pretty superficial. Frank is an ordinary guy and though he may have pushed his kids too much when they were younger, he’s definitely a loving dad intent only on ‘getting us all around the same table’ for Christmas. There is a twist at the end of this lackluster story, but it feels contrived, like writer-director Kirk Jones suddenly realized he needed some impact so he tossed in a little tragedy. “Everybody’s Fine” isn’t awful; it isn’t good. It’s…okay. 12/4/09

Old Dogs - 1 1/2 smiles

Thanksgiving weekend used to indicate a solid box office (after Memorial Day, Christmas and July 4). Now, apparently, it’s a dumping ground. How else can you explain the release of “Old Dogs”? Every attempt at comedy is not only obvious, but also forced, including lots of pratfalls and references to bear poop, dog urine, and human flatulence. Plus “Old Dogs” marks the last screen appearance of Bernie Mac, whose death resulted in the movie’s opening being delayed by about six months. It’s also the last film John Travolta made before the death of his son, Jett, although the rest of the Travolta clan, wife Kelly Preston and daughter Ella Bleu, have roles. Robin Williams has given a strong dramatic performance in the recent “World’s Greatest Dad,” but it makes you wonder why he’s having so much trouble with comedy. Gotta be the script - you think?

The two ‘old dogs’ are best buddies Charlie (Travolta) and Dan (Williams), who have been in business together for close to 30 years. On the eve of their signing a lucrative contract with a Japanese firm, Dan discovers that a 24-hour fling seven years ago with Vicki (Kelly Preston) resulted in the birth of fraternal twins Zach (Conner Rayburn) and Emily (Ella Bleu Travolta). With Vicki due to spend two weeks in jail on a civil disobedience charge, she needs Dan to take care of the children. This leads to a series of misadventures, including a camping trip, a golf game and visit to the zoo. “Old Dogs” really isn’t that funny. There are more enjoyable movies out there. 12/3/09

Red Cliff - 3 smiles

John Woo said in a recent interview that he had always wanted to make a Hollywood-big-budget-type movie in China. With “Red Cliff” he got his chance although it took almost 6 years from start to finish. The Battle at Red Cliff is as well known in Asia as the Trojan War is to Western audiences. And Woo said he wanted to create real people, not ‘superheroes of history.’ In a Los Angeles Times interview, he said, “These are the heroes I admired as a child. They’re men who are loyal to their country and loyal to their friends. They have a much smaller army but they defeat a much stronger and powerful enemy through the combination of teamwork, innovation, intelligence, confidence and courage.” Woo envisioned releasing a two-part film of almost five hours in China and paring that down to a single 2 ½-hour movie for American audiences. “Red Cliff” is an epic adventure, with stunning landscapes, dramatic naval engagements and strategic battle tactics enhanced with superb acting, historically accurate weapons and beautifully choreographed fight sequences.

Set is 208 A.D., “Red Cliff” tells of the battle between a power-mad imperial prime minister with a much larger army and an alliance of two warlords and their clans. The story also involves a beautiful woman (chiling Lin) who delays the prime minister with a beautifully performed tea ceremony; a wily tactician (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who develops a brilliant strategy that results in the general’s soldiers literally giving the beleaguered troops over 100,000 arrows; a military adviser (Tony Leung) who relies on the bravery of his men to overcome all odds. More than a dozen ships were built for the naval scenes with thousands more added digitally and between 700-1,500 Chinese soldiers appear as extras. Plus Woo added his signature white dove in an interesting sequence flying high over the enemy’s camp. What’s not to enjoy? Subtitles. 11/29/09

Me and Orson Welles - 3 smiles

“Me and Orson Welles,” a coming-of-age dramedy starring Zac Efron in a role that’s quite different from his High School Musical series, is set against the background of Orson Welles’ famous fascist-themed 1937 stage production of Julius Caesar. Efron plays Richard Samuels, one of two fictional characters in a book by Robert Kaplow, and it is through Richard’s eyes that we venture into the world of New York theater. At 17, Richard accidentally meets the then 22-year-old genius, wins a small role in the play, gets seduced by an ambitious assistant, Sonja (Claire Danes), the other fictional character, and becomes enthralled by everything theatrical. The emotional punch comes from the way the callous Welles first wins Richard with soft words of praise and camaraderie and then ultimately betrays him.

“Me and Orson Welles, directed by Richard Linklater, belongs wholly to British actor Christian McKay, who tears up the screen as the young, egocentric Welles. Welles’ broadcast of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds is a year away, Citizen Kane four years. But the married Welles has multiple mistresses and is unfazed about holding the entire cast hostage to his whims. And instead of a limousine, Welles rides in an ambulance (with sirens) because it’s the easiest way to get through traffic. Although McKay might not look 22, he portrays Welles so completely that we believe this is a man who will change radio, theater and film. Zac Efron is okay as Richard, but he’s not the reason to see this movie. 12/1/09

Twilight Saga: New Moon - 1 1/2 smiles

Hidden under all of the moping and sighing going on in “Twilight Saga: New Moon” is an interesting concept: the fear of aging. Unfortunately, director Chris Weitz ignores this and focuses on the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob, much to the delight, of course, of pre-teens and teens. But with $142 million in box office receipts for the first weekend alone, the producers know what its audience wants: shirtless boys, longing glances, and Bella caught between two hunks (a werewolf and a vampire). The two most interesting characters come at the end of the movie: Dakota Fanning, who plays Jane, a high ranking guard in the Italian ‘royal family’ whose mental powers can cause excruciating pain to all vampires – though Bella seems immune. And Michael Sheen who plays Aro, one of three vampires who lead the Volturi and has the power to read minds – except he can’t read Bella’s. Each ooze menace and they bring life to the inert story. Too bad it’s at the end of the movie.

I am not a fan of the Twilight series. So as an objective viewer, I have to say “Twilight Saga: New Moon” is not a very good movie. The dialogue is cheesy, the story plods along and the script doesn’t demand much acting depth. Suffice it to say, Bella (Kristen Stewart) loves Edward (Robert Pattinson), a vampire who fears for Bella’s soul because of her association with him. He leaves and Bella cries, mopes, and resorts to taking dangerous risks with her life. Her best friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner), who has loved her from afar, becomes Bella’s confidant. But things get complicated when Jacob discovers he’s a werewolf. Then Bella receives startling news that has her flying to Italy to save Edward. 11/29/09