Mighty Macs - 2 1/2 smiles

“Mighty Macs” is a based-on-a-true-story underdog sports drama and every once in a while, it’s good to see a movie that’s uplifting – even if it is predictable. Carla Gugino plays Cathy Rush, a first-time coach who takes over a small college women’s basketball team and, with relentless practices that sometimes border on abusive, shows its players how to win. Mother St. John (Ellen Burstyn), the head of Pennsylvania’s Immaculata College, is more worried about keeping the institution open than about properly outfitting and equipping a basketball team. The young nun who becomes Cathy’s assistant, Sister Sunday (Marley Shelton), has her faith restored as they work with the squad, nicknamed the ‘Mighty Macs.’ The team is the usual mix of odd personalities, but writer-director Tim Chambers shortchanges them by resorting to clichés instead of developing their characters. And David Boreanaz (star of the Fox show Bones) plays Cathy’s husband, but his character is so thinly drawn that you wonder why he’s there at all. Nonetheless, you’ll love seeing nuns shouting basketball strategy from courtside and cheering the girls on to victory. And the updates on the team’s players that flash by at the end emphasizes why this is a sports story that deserves to be told.

Note: Cathy Rush was head women’s basketball coach at Immaculata from 1972-1977. She led the Mighty Macs to three consecutive national titles from 1972-1974. They appeared in six consecutive final four appearances in her six seasons with the school, with a 149-15 record. Rush was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on April 7, 2008.

Margin Call - 4 smiles

“Margin Call,” by first-time writer-director J. C. Chandor, spends 24 hours in a behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 financial collapse of one of Wall Street’s biggest brokerage houses. Although it’s called ‘The Firm,’ it’s obvious that it’s similar to Bear Stearns or Lehman Brothers. Chandor’s perspective doesn’t moralize but asks the audience to be involved as the story develops and then reach a conclusion. As the movie opens, people at The Firm are being summoned into a glass-walled conference room and politely told to gather their belongings and leave. Among the victims is a risk-management executive, Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci), who, as he leaves, hands a flash drive to Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto), one of the young analysts. ‘Be careful,’ he says. Staying late that evening, working on Dale’s analysis and plugging in some of his own numbers, Sullivan quickly realizes that if the mortgage-backed securities currently on the company’s books, which are heavily leveraged, decline in value by an additional twenty-five percent, the company’s losses will be greater than its total worth.

“Margin Call” is also about corporate protocol, the hierarchy of power, and most of all, the difficulty of confronting the truth. When that happens, things become exceptionally nasty. Chandor’s father spent forty years at Merrill Lynch, which destroyed itself with excess mortgage-backed securities and, perhaps, explains why the various scenes in this movie have a ring of truth. And his exceptional script attracted a talented cast. At The Firm, Sullivan’s findings quickly work their way upward: first, to his immediate superior, Will Emerson (Paul Bettany), a decent but cynical free-spending supervisor; then to the longtime head of trading, Sam Rogers (Kevin Spacey), a lonely man who believes that The Firm does some good in the world and finds himself grieving excessively over his dying dog (note the symbolism); then to the head of risk, Sarah Robertson (Demi Moore), who warned of danger earlier, but still becomes the fall guy; then to their boss, Jared Cohen (Simon Baker), a severely controlled corporate snake; and then, at last, to the C.E.O, John Tuld (Jeremy Irons). Tuld sweeps in by helicopter, assembles everyone in the conference room at 2 a.m. and devises a desperate strategy to save The Firm: sell all of the toxic paper on the books. Spacey is exceptionally good, emerging as the closest thing the movie has to a conscience, however muddied. “Margin Call” is one of the best films to date, a fable of global financial calamity mixed with human greed and frailty. 10/21/11

The Three Musketeers - 1 smile

Avoid Paul W. S. Anderson’s dumbed-down version of “The Three Musketeers.” This mess of a movie is full of countless swashbuckling fights, high-tech gadgets and a mid-air battle between two dirigibles along with modern dialogue and superhero-like abilities. Now, I ask you, does that sound anything like Alexandre Dumas’ novel? Oh, the barebones Dumas story remains: the three musketeers (Athos-Matthew Macfadyen; Aramis-Luke Evans; and Porthos-Ray Stevenson), along with novice D’Artagnan (a wooden Logan Lerman) must rescue King Louis XIII (a foppish Freddie Fox) from the evil clutches of Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz) and the double-dealing of Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich). But you also have one of the Musketeers scuba diving and looking like a ninja warrior. And the mission that opens the movie is for the three, along with Milady, to steal Leonardo da Vinci’s plans for a flying hot air warship from a booby-trapped vault that resembles something from Raiders of the Lost Ark. So, of course, you get not one but two dirigibles constructed … within a week! And Lerman, who plays D’Artagnan like a bland contemporary teenager, makes Macfadyen, Evans and Stevenson look good by comparison. The only reason I didn’t give “The Three Musketeers” 1 frown is Christoph Waltz, who’s amusingly hammy as Richelieu and seems to be enjoying himself. Too bad the same couldn’t be said for the audience. And the conclusion makes it clear that there could be a sequel. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, 10/22/11

The Way - 3 1/2 smiles

In an interview, Emilio Estevez, writer, director and producer of “The Way,” explained that the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of Saint James, is a mountainous metaphor for the road we walk every day searching for what is beneath our feet and already in our packs. It emphasizes the need for community, the fact that we need each other. And the resulting story, a collaboration between Estevez and his father, Martin Sheen, focuses on Tom (Sheen) as he is called to the Spanish-French border town of St. Jean Pied de Port to collect the remains of his adult son, Daniel (Estevez, played mainly in flashback). Daniel died in a storm in the Pyrenees on his first day of hiking the historic Camino de Santiago. Once there, Tom decides to walk the Camino and scatter Daniel’s ashes at various points along the way. As he walks, he meets Joost (Yorick van Wageningen), a Dutch pilgrim walking to lose weight, Canadian Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger), promising to give up smoking at the end of her trek, and Jack (James Nesbitt), an Irish travel magazine writer hoping to find ideas for a book. Each pilgrim has to overcome personal demons and by the time they reach their destination, they discover the profound impact they’ve had on each other and Tom’s life is transformed.

For centuries, pilgrims have walked from St. Jean Pied de Port 800 km to Santiago de Compostela, where the relics of Saint James are kept in a cathedral. People walk alone or in groups, seeking health, forgiveness, miracles, or any number of other answers. Although Estevez embraces the spiritual and religious elements of his story, he’s just as interested in the journey as the destination. The actors find something genuine in their characters and Sheen gives a wonderfully nuanced performance as Tom, a conservative doctor who has never approved of the wandering lifestyle his son advocated. Furthermore, the mountains and farm country, the dusty, sun-burnished hills, the sleepy villages and grand old cathedrals provide a beautiful backdrop for “The Way,” a story about self-discovery. 10/16/11

Footloose - 2 1/2 smiles

The only reason to see the remake of the 1984 Kevin Bacon movie, “Footloose,” is for the music and dancing. There are four songs from the original, “Footloose,” “Almost Paradise,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” and “Holding Out for a Hero.” The acting is just okay and the script predictable (if you’re familiar with the original). Ren (Kenny Wormald) is forced to relocate to Bomont, Georgia when his mother dies. Once there, Ren discovers that a local preacher (Dennis Quaid) has influenced the city council into outlawing dancing and the playing of loud music. The minister’s angry daughter, Ariel (Julianne Hough), routinely flouts the regulations, but under the radar. When Ren arrives, she joins up with him and the two plot a revolt to give the high school students their first prom in three years.

Stars Julianne Hough and Kenny Wormald were obviously cast more for their dancing than their acting. You can’t argue with Wormald’s ability to dance once you’ve seen Ren’s ‘angry’ dance, but he lacks charisma to hold audience attention when he’s not dancing. And he’s 28, for crying out loud, and he’s playing a high school senior. That’s asking for a lot of suspended disbelief. And, strangely enough, Hough, who was one of the professional dancers on Dancing With the Stars, doesn’t have a solo number. While she’s very attractive, her character’s dramatic stance is mainly acting like a spoiled brat when she’s around Ren and arguing with her father. The high point in the movie comes when four little girls teach Ren’s friend Willard (Miles Teller) to dance and he practices with “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” playing in the background. “Footloose” is entertaining enough, but you have to wonder why backers of this movie felt the need to remake it in the first place. 9/14/11

Real Steel - 3 smiles

“Real Steel” is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Director Shawn Levy manages to skillfully integrate all elements of his story from the well-staged fighting sequences to the heart-tugging emotional bond that develops between father and son. It’s unapologetically sentimental, but it also has you cheering for the underdog. And by the time it’s over, you want to see it again. Sometime in the near future, human boxing has been replaced by robot boxing. The giant creatures are controlled by their owners and they often battle to the death. One of those owners is Charlie (Hugh Jackman), himself a former boxer. He’s also a jerk, betting on his robots, losing regularly and running out on his debts. Charlie is at his lowest point when he finds out a former girlfriend has died. Although Charlie knows about the son they had together, he has never seen him. The girlfriend’s sister (Hope Davis) has a wealthy husband (James Rebhorn) who’s willing to give Charlie enough money to buy a new robot if he’ll care for the now 11-year-old Max (Dakota Goyo) for the summer. Then, Charlie is to turn Max over to his new parents. Charlie and Max end up bonding around a broken-down junkyard robot named Atom that they train. Of course, Atom turns out to be a phenomenal boxer and they soon have a match with Zeus, the robot champ, who’s bigger, faster and more technologically equipped.

Jackman’s Charlie transitions from irresponsible man-child to sensible adult because he gets to know Max. Dakota Goyo’s performance as the stubborn Max is full of attitude, but not overly cute. He holds his own on screen with the charismatic Jackman. Evangeline Lilly, who plays Bailey, Charlie’s longtime friend and possible love interest, is good, but her character is too underdeveloped. Interestingly enough, for the robots, character is conveyed through appearance. Atom, the underdog, looks clunky and old-fashioned, but with his glowing blue eyes, sentience is certainly suggested (but not addressed). Zeus, the boxing champion, is sleek and intimidating and by using motion capture, the CGI crew has created believable robots. “Real Steal” is enjoyable entertainment. See it and you’ll cheer for Atom, too. 10/7/11

The Ides of March - 3 1/2 smiles

“The Ides of March,’ George Clooney’s latest, is a gripping film with an insistently cynical view about modern-day politics, full of manipulation, back-stabbing and disdain for the electorate. Set on the eve of the Ohio presidential primary, a crucial battleground in a closely contested campaign for the Democratic nomination, an idealistic campaign aide, media expert Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), works for a candidate, California Governor Mike Morris (Clooney), he views as having integrity and intelligence. For a while, it’s the ultimate liberal dream with an articulate and thoughtful candidate who has charm, honor and veracity. At one point, reporter Ida Horowicz (Marisa Tomei) tells Meyers that Morris is a politician and that he will disappoint sooner or later.

Nearly every scene in the movie, written by Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon based on Willimon’s play, Farragut North, rings true. And Clooney as the director is able to get the most out of a superb cast. There’s Tomei’s reporter, the rumpled Morris campaign manager (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), the conniving opposing candidate’s manager (Paul Giamatti), a young campaign intern (Evan Rachel Wood) and a failed presidential contender (Jeffrey Wright) who holds the key to Morris’ victory. Gosling is excellent as a campaign operative who must decide if his ambitions are so great that he’s willing to lose his soul. Clooney manages to make us believe that his Mike Morris is the ideal candidate … until he’s not. Gradually his eyes and mannerisms tell us that while he might say, ‘integrity matters, our future depends on it,’ what he really means is it’s his future he’s concerned about. Not only does “The Ides of March” reference the betrayal found in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, but it also refers to March 15, the date of the Ohio Primary. Most of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering will not surprise anyone as we’ve become jaded with every post-Watergate election cycle. And as the movie ends, we’re left wondering whether the winning characters actually won. It’s certainly worth discussing. 10/9/11

Machine Gun Preacher - 2 1/2 smiles

“Machine Gun Preacher” tells an interesting ‘based on a true story’ of Sam Childers (an effective Gerard Butler). Too bad the script is so weak with lots of underdeveloped subplots and missing chunks of time. In addition, when the final credits roll, I was waiting for a clear directive to help support Childer’s efforts by donating money. I felt manipulated to such a degree that I wonder how much of Sam’s heroics are true. The action sequences are suspenseful and engaging, but they don’t mesh with the dramatic parts. Childer’s relationship with his daughter (Madeline Carroll) isn’t as affecting as it should be because we only get glimpses. And his friendship with Donnie (Michael Shannon) has little impact on the narrative other than to contrast his weak character with Childer’s stronger and more determined one. And although the character development of Childers is better than most action-type movies, some of his actions are puzzling. Nonetheless, Butler’s performance is the best thing about this movie. He captures the essence of a man who is quick to anger and quick to act, but we also see a darker part of his soul, the parts he keeps hidden, maybe even from God.

“Machine Gun Preacher” opens in the late 1990s with Childers, a Hell’s Angels biker, leaving prison. When he gets home, Childers discovers his wife, Lynn (Michelle Monaghan) has quit her lucrative job as a stripper because she has found God. After meaningless sessions with drugs and a close call with a homicidal hitchhiker who nearly kills him and his best buddy, Donnie (Shannon), Sam heeds the Lord’s call. In the blink of an eye, he leaves his drinking and drugs behind, opens his own construction company, becomes an active evangelist and builds a church for hard-core sinners in his neighborhood. After hearing a guest speaker talk about the needs of the people in Africa, Childers goes to Sudan to help with a construction project. After befriending Deng (Souleymane Sy Savane), a member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, Childers believes that God wants him to build an orphanage in the war torn country and go on armed rescue missions of kidnapped children. He becomes so focused on his mission in Africa that he ignores the problems developing at home. Director Marc Forster may have started with a real story, but by the time it’s over, you wonder how much is true. 10/2/11

50/50 - 3 1/2 smiles

“50/50” is about finding humor in a serious illness and discovering who is willing to stand by you when times get difficult. It’s a sincere and deeply affecting story with a smart, realistic script and multilayered performances. Written by Will Reiser based on his own experience with cancer, “50/50” stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam, a mild-mannered radio producer living in Seattle who is such a rule-follower that he even stops for the ‘Don’t Walk ‘ sign while he’s jogging. His life is upended when he learns that he has a rare, potentially fatal, malignant tumor growing on his spine. Adam has an attractive artist girlfriend, Rachel (Bryce Dallas Howard), a constantly worrying mother (Anjelica Huston) and a boorish but true friend, Kyle (Seth Rogan who is best friends with Reiser). Offering awkward solace during Adam’s bouts of anger and depression is Katherine (Anna Kendrick), a 24-year-old psychologist-in-training. She’s so young that when Adam makes a reference to Doogie Howser, she says, ‘Who? Does he work here?’

Nuanced observations underlie the comedy and tell you that this is not a typical manipulative movie about the illness of the week. Everything seems real. There’s an emotional moment between Adam and his Alzheimer’s-stricken father. There’s a brief scene in a bathroom with a book lying on the counter that’s handled with subtlety yet it coveys so much emotionally. There are sessions of personal devastation as patients sit for hours filling their veins with chemicals and we come to care for Adam’s chemo buddies (Phillip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer). Every performance is virtually flawless, especially Gordon-Levitt. We root for Adam because of Gordon-Levitt’s everyman quality and his sincere likability. Rogen’s delivery is so pitch-perfect that you can almost hear him and Reiser bouncing ideas off each other as Reiser writes the script. And Kendrick brings a sweetly appealing quality to her nervous therapist role. Director Jonathan Levine walks a fine line between comedy and drama with its life-and-death issues, but “50/50” manages to beat the odds. 9/30/11