Django Unchained - 2 smiles

When all is said and done, “Django Unchained,” Quentin Tarantino’s latest, is too long, too bloody and too indulgent. And where Tarantino got away with rewriting history with his outrageous Inglorious Basterds, trying the same trick doesn’t work here. Django is a slave turned bounty hunter, a black man who gets to ‘kill white folks and they pay you for it.’ The film features a couple of Oscar winners – Jamie Foxx in the title role, and Christoph Waltz, who won for his role in Inglorious Basterds. Here Waltz is again playing a similar character, only this time he’s a German charmer who is the good guy. Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), a German dentist turned bounty hunter in the pre-civil War Wild West, who abhors slavery but doesn’t mind murder, purchases and then frees Django (Foxx) so Django can help him catch some wanted men. This is a pretty complicated setup for two characters that never come clearly into focus and a wandering, episodic narrative that takes a long time to get anywhere. So for roughly two-thirds of the movie, the cool-headed Schultz and stone-faced Django travel the country, killing a bunch of people. Sure there’s lots of scenery and some gags, but there are few surprises. That changes when the pair head to Mississippi to rescue Django’s German-speaking wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). There they encounter the despicable Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), an effete, Francophile plantation owner and Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), the superficially obsequious ‘house slave’ who dominates Candie’s household. And although Candie is actually under Stephen’s grinning and jiving thumb, both men are hopelessly affected by the crushing weight of slavery.

Foxx and Waltz are in fine form. And DiCaprio is incredibly adept at being charming and evil at the same time. Unfortunately, there are way too many instances of people getting shot, erupting with intentionally fake-looking spurts of blood, and beaucoup uses of the N word. The partnership of the Waltz and Foxx characters makes no sense. Sure, maybe at the beginning when Schultz needs Django’s help, but they continue on together for no apparent reason than this is supposed to be a buddy movie. The movie writer and director Tarantino has created is a hit-and-miss affair, at times an amusing reimagining of history, more often an over-indulgent, blood-spattered bore.  12/28/12

Rust and Bone - 2 smiles

The main problem with “Rust and Bone” is that the narrative’s protagonist is Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a totally unsympathetic character, rather than Stephanié (Marion Cotillard), a victim of a killer whale attack. It is Stephanié‘s journey from self-sufficient young woman to a physically and emotionally shattered victim to someone revived in her discovery that life can still be good despite her handicaps that is most affecting. Unfortunately, her story takes a backseat to the more obvious melodrama of the man who becomes her confidante and sex buddy, a ne’er-do-well struggling to become a father. Throughout most of the film, Ali is a blank slate. He is neither likable nor charismatic enough for us to care what happens to him. He consistently stays at a distance even though he is the central character. On the other hand, Cotillard as the more complex Stephanié is a far better actor than Schoenaerts and a focus on her story might have resulted in a narrative with more impact. And for a movie that moves slowly (almost meanders) through Stephanié and Ali’s lives, the ending seems rushed and confusing.

With his five-year-old son Sam (Armand Verdure) in tow, Ali (Schoenaerts) leaves Belgium to live with his estranged sister (Corinne Masero) and her husband in France. Ill equipped as a father, he leaves his son with her and gets a job as a club bouncer, where he meets Stephanié during an altercation. She is an orca trainer at the local Marine Land and, when she loses her legs during a freak accident, it is Ali who comes to her rescue when all else seems hopeless. They explore a sexual relationship as Ali begins to make money fighting in back-alley brawls. Ultimately, it will take a near-fatal accident with Sam for Ali to realize what’s important in his life. “Rust and Bone” provides some insightful moments, but it’s ultimately hard to like. Subtitles. 12/29/12

Jack Reacher - 3 smiles

Like all fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels, I was dismayed when I heard that Tom Cruise was going to play that character in a soon-to-open movie. Cruise is nowhere close to resembling Reacher, who’s 6’5” tall with a 50-inch chest and weighing between 210-250 pounds. However, I also understand Hollywood’s reluctance to make a movie without a name star attached. And because I really like Jack Reacher and want to see more of his stories on the screen, I went to see “Jack Reacher” with an open mind. While Cruise’s physical appearance takes some getting used to, he has the charm, eloquence and physicality to effectively play Jack Reacher. And he has created a protagonist that’s full of personality. He has a sharp sense of humor and a smart, calculating mind that allows him to piece together clues. And casting filmmaker Werner Herzog as the film’s creepy villain is a cool move. Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie (an Oscar winner for his screenplay The Usual Suspects) opens the movie with a sequence that doesn’t contain a single line of dialogue, signaling that this isn’t your typical actioner.

A man gets into a white mini-van and drives to a quiet parking lot in central Pittsburgh. He parks on one of the upper floors and slips a quarter into a parking meter. He looks across the river with his long-range rifle and starts firing. Five random people are killed. The man then jumps into his van and flees the scene. Within 24 hours, the police have made an arrest. The car, gun and a fingerprint on the coin in the parking meter have led authorities to James Barr, an ex-army sniper who has lived a solitary life. With this overwhelming evidence, Alex Rodin (Richard Jenkins), the DA, needs Barr to sign a confession. Instead, Barr writes three words on a piece of paper: ‘Get Jack Reacher,’ The only information Rodin can discover is Reacher used to be an MP and he is not on any wanted lists. Luckily for Rodin, Reacher finds him. And although Reacher believes Barr is guilty, he is persuaded by Barr’s attorney and the DA’s daughter, Helen Rodin (Rosamund Pike) to take a look at the crime scene and the case files. The deeper he digs, the stranger things get. Things fall into place a little too easily in the end, but “Jack Reacher” is certainly worth seeing. I can only hope that this is the first of a franchise. 12/21/12

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - 2 1/2 smiles

As I watched (and loved) each of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, I wondered how he was going to get enough of Tolkien’s complex story into each. When I heard that he had decided to make “The Hobbit” into three movies, I wondered how he was going to stretch a fairly simple, straightforward story into three parts. Unfortunately, Jackson spends way too much time setting up characters and plots in needlessly intricate detail. Of course, there’s a lot of ‘stuff’ in this movie, all the way up to a bloated 169-minute running time. But stuff is not the same thing has having a rich and complicated plot. As a result, it can’t help but lose focus on both story and, more importantly, on its Hobbit hero, Bilbo Baggins. Much of ‘An Unexpected Journey’ focuses on the dwarves and we do not spend enough time with Bilbo. He is just there. Nonetheless, it was good to return to Middle Earth and the narrative becomes more engaging when, two-thirds of the way through, we meet an old friend, Gollum.

The script (written by Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Guillermo del Toro and J. R. R. Tolkien) doesn’t try very hard to differentiate the 13 dwarves that comprise the group Bilbo Baggins (an amiable Martin Freeman) joins. Although it seems as dwarves age, their noses grow bigger and they get more facial hair. Led by the warrior Throin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the dwarves are on a quest to reclaim their home, Erebor, which was lost to the dragon Smaug. Since this movie is only the beginning of the tale, Bilbo and the company of dwarves is still far from their destination at the end of the film, but they are on their way. There is plenty of swordplay and action as well as Bilbo finding the One Ring, a dangerous encounter with Gollum and battles with lots and lots of goblins, wargs, trolls and other dark creatures. Unfortunately, the dwarves aren’t interesting characters. Bilbo is a solid character as is Gollum (once again played by Andy Serkis, one of the best motion-capture actors). Gollum is richer and deeper this time around as the technology has improved since the Lord of the Rings movies. Gollum‘s delightful passive-aggressive character generates much needed humor. While “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” held my attention throughout and the look of the movie is amazing, the action scenes are repetitive and there’s little forward narrative progress.  12/14/12

Killing Them Softly - 1 1/2 smiles

Although there is some craft in “Killing Them Softly,” the many amoral characters do too much talking for me to find them engaging and Director Andrew Dominik’s over-riding metaphor is distracting. Dominik uses a George Higgins novel to launch a familiar saga about a pair of low-IQ lowlifes (Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn) who think they’re smart enough to rob some heavy dudes who play in a poker game hosted by the slightly less moronic Markie (Ray Liotta). Brad Pitt, giving an unlikeable cool-guy performance, is the cruelly efficient hit man who gets called in to clean up the miss by administering punishment for all involved. That’s the story.

However, Dominik sees his narrative as a metaphor for the 2008 financial crisis and the election of Barack Obama. There’s an Obama speech in the opening seconds and a shot of Obama and John McCain billboards at the movie progresses. Plus there’s always a video or audio clip of Obama or George W. Bush in the background and at the end, Pitt’s big speech ties politics to crime. The problem with Dominik’s metaphor is it wasn’t just one person who needed to have his brains splattered in the super slo-mo of Dominik’s most visually captivating scene. It was the entire crazy mortgage system that was broken, from lenders to people who bought more house than they could afford to regulators who encouraged them. So I ask you, does the metaphor even work? “Killing Them Softly” is trying too hard to be more than a story set in the world of mobsters, junkies and lowlifes. 12/10/12

Red Dawn - 1 smile

“Red Dawn,” a totally unnecessary re-make of the 1984 original, sat on the shelf since 2009 partially because of the financial problems of MGM, the studio that made it. The other reason is that it’s pretty awful. The original “Red Dawn,” co-written and directed by John Millius, reflects Millius’ belief in the Soviet menace. So in that movie we have the Soviet Union, with the help of Cuba, invading the United States. America fights back, of course, in the form of some Colorado teenagers turned resistance fighters. Pretty silly stuff, but it proved to be pure popcorn entertainment and it acquired cult status because its cast included Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson and Charlie Sheen. Now comes the re-make and what was silly fun becomes just plain stupid.

Originally the bad guys were the Chinese, which seems plausible, but after the film was made, studio execs decided that would hurt ticket sales in the lucrative Chinese market. So through digital magic, everything was changed to North Korea. And, for whatever reason, Spokane, Washington (really? Spokane?) becomes the prime target, where the invading forces run into a band of suburban teenagers led by Jed Eckert (Chris Hemsworth before he became Thor), a Marine on leave from his unit. Jed’s group includes Josh Hutcherson (of Hunger Games) and Connor Cruise (Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s son). Some of the battle scenes are exciting, but most of the movie is undermined by no character development and shaky camera work. Skip this one and wait for it to be on cable. Nov. 23, 2012

Life of Pi - 3 smiles

“Life of Pi” has an interesting mix of the ordinary and the magical. At times, the simple story has a quiet power, but there are also instances when it strikes a jarringly wrong note, especially at the end. This movie is more remarkable because of the excellent special effects than because of its strength of narrative, emotional impact or allegorical complexity although the movie argues that faith is necessary for survival. The movie is divided into three sections. The first introduces us to Pi (Suraj Sharma), whose name is short for ‘Piscene,’ but he changes it because it sounds too much like ‘pissing.’ There is a brief summary of his early life as he explores various faiths, including Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Essentially, he wants to ‘know’ God. In India, Pi’s family owns a zoo, but economic conditions force his family to move to Canada. They, along with the zoo’s animals, are packed aboard a freighter for an ocean crossing. In the middle of a rough storm near the Marinas Trench, the ship sinks. The only survivors are Pi and four animals.

The second segment of the movie comprises the difficulties of crossing the Pacific on a 20-foot lifeboat. Three of the four animals, a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan, are quickly devoured by the fourth, a large Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Pi abandons the lifeboat for an improvised raft that’s tethered to the boat, but circumstances eventually force him to forge an uneasy co-existence with the tiger. The movie’s third section, which has a tacked-on feel, offers an ‘alternative’ narrative of Pi’s sea adventures. The problem with this part of the movie is that it is explained, with no visual re-interpretation of events. Pi is in a hospital bed telling this other story, which really doesn’t work. And because the movie starts with the adult Pi (Irrfan Khan) telling his story to a Canadian author (Rafe Spall), there’s never any doubt that Pi will survive his ordeal. Nonetheless, the most compelling part of the movie is the middle segment with Pi’s evolving relationship with Richard Parker, especially since the tiger is CGI. At no point do we doubt that this is a living, breathing tiger. “The Life of Pi” is a gorgeous movie and you must see it in 3D, but its weak ending keeps it from being a 4-smile film.  11/7/12

Silver Linings Playbook - 4 smiles

With “Silver Linings Playbook,” director David O. Russell has pulled off a tricky feat: finding just the right tone in crafting a romantic comedy whose sweethearts suffer from bipolar disorder and depression. He takes you from mental illness and adultery to football obsession and competitive dance and when it’s over, you’re amazed that everything works. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence give inspired performances that allow them to play against type as the unlikely couple at the center of this romance. After roles in Winter’s Bone and Hunger Games, Lawrence impresses with yet another facet of her talent. On the flip side, Cooper gets a rare chance to demonstrate his acting ability. There’s rawness as his character strives to convince himself that he deserves a happy ending.

Cooper is Pat Solatano, a teacher who’s just been released from a mental hospital at the film’s start. He suffered a breakdown when he caught his wife in the shower with one of her co-workers. Now, having lost his marriage, home and career, he hopes to start over – and that starts by moving back in with his parents. Robert De Niro does some of his best work in years as Pat Sr., a hardcore Philadelphia Eagles fan whose game-time superstitions have long since developed into full-blown obsessive-compulsive disorder and Jacki Weaver, who was so formidable in Animal Kingdom, is effective as Pat’s loyal, long-suffering mother. Pat tries to take all the right steps to further his recovery – attending therapy sessions with a no-nonsense Dr. Patel (a funny Anupam Kher), running every day – but he just can’t accept that his wife wants nothing to do with him. Pat meets Tiffany (Lawrence) at a small dinner party hosted by his friend (John Ortiz) and his wife (Julia Stiles). Tiffany is recently widowed after the death of her police-officer husband and fired from her job. And like Pat, she has no internal filter so this first meeting is full of sharp banter and spectacularly inappropriate observations. “Silver Linings Playbook” will garner Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and probably Best Actor nominations. You’ll certainly want to see this soon. Nov. 21, 2012

Skyfall - 4 smiles

“Skyfall,” directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig, is one of the best James Bond movies to come along in a long time. It spends equal time looking back and setting up the future and never loses sight of the present. And while Daniel Craig seems more comfortable in his role as 007, Javier Bardem’s villain Silva is the best movie villain since, well, Bardem in No Country for Old Men. Sam Mendes proves as adept at action fare as he is with serious material and he raises the emotional stakes to a high degree, delving into Bond’s past by setting the climactic scene in Bond’s dark old family mansion on the Scottish moors, overseen by a crusty Albert Finney. Mendes brings with him frequent collaborator Roger Deakins and Deakins’ cinematography maybe the best ever in a Bond movie in that the picture is stable and the fight scenes are easy to follow. Thomas Newman’s score makes ample use of the familiar ‘James Bond Theme’ and Adele’s opening number, Skyfall, harkens back to Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger.

The movie begins with an exciting pre-credits sequence set in Istanbul that climaxes in a fight on top of a moving train. Bond is left for dead by MI6, but, when he resurfaces, it’s to a curt ‘Where the hell have you been?’ from M (Judi Dench), who returns him to active duty before he’s ready and sends him on a global trek to locate a hard drive (containing the names of all embedded field agents) before it can be decrypted. The bad guy, Silva (Bardem) isn’t your usual 007 megalomaniac intent on world domination. You see, Silva was a MI6 agent who worked for M. In fact, he considered himself her favorite, but then she cut him loose. Like a wronged son, he wants revenge: he wants mommy to die. Along the way, Bond encounters a younger Q (Ben Whishaw) and beds two Bond girls, fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) and exotic sex slave Severine (Berenice Marlohe). He also meets M’s boss, Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes). “Skyfall” successfully celebrates James Bond turning 50 and it's an immensely satisfying movie. 11/9/12

Flight - 3 smiles

“Flight” is about addiction, illustrating the power of compulsive drinking and the collateral damage that results from it. And if not for its star, Denzel Washington, it would be just another movie about an addict who refuses to admit he has a problem. But because of Washington’s charisma and ability, you don’t mind spending time with Whip Whitaker although he’s not a likeable person and it’s difficult to watch his journey through despair and self-destruction. The twist in the story is that Whip is an airline captain. One day, on a routine trip from Florida to Atlanta through stormy weather, his plane suffers a mechanical failure and goes into an uncontrolled dive. Whip, whose blood alcohol is three times the legal limit for driving and who snorted cocaine for breakfast, shows remarkable skill in landing the plane, losing only six people in the crash. If he had been sober would he have saved all of the people or would he have been killed in the resulting crash, like all of the pilots who were put in similar conditions in a simulator?

Director Robert Zemeckis doesn’t really address these questions. He’s more interested in first presenting Whip as a hero and then painstakingly deconstructing the man over the remainder of the movie. You might charge false advertising because the trailers lead you to believe it’s more about the crash and Whip’s unorthodox thinking that saved so many lives. Washington excels at portraying damaged individuals and his performance is multi-layered. Kelly Reilly provides a counterpoint to Washington as an addict who has already hit bottom, admitted her failings, and is scratching her way to recovery. John Goodman seems to be having fun as Whip’s drug dealer, but Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood aren’t given enough to do. “Flight” tells a universal story and the acting is top-notch. Question is, do you want to spend over two hours with an addict? 11/2/12

Lincoln - 4 smiles

Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” is an exceptional blend of bio-pic and story that most of us didn’t know. Kudos to Tony Kushner’s intelligent script that blends the democratic process, political maneuvering and higher moral thinking into great entertainment. And Daniel Day-Lewis is extraordinary as the president, capturing his wit and generosity as well as his iron will. Rather than an overarching biography, Spielberg and Kushner focus on the weeks immediately following the president’s reelection in late 1864, when Lincoln opts to spend his new political capital by pushing through the 13^th Amendment and abolishing slavery in the face of opposition from all sides. Here we get a closer look at the horse-trading, strategic thinking and deal making that went on behind the scenes, all tied to ideas of what should be done rather that what could be done.

Aside from Lincoln, not one other person thinks the Amendment has a chance of passing the Senate and the House. Hardly anyone even thinks it’s a good idea. We are reminded that the Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime measure and that, with the Civil War grinding to a halt, only a change to the Constitution would prevent slavery from resuming in the South. And the movie takes great pains to illustrate the racist thinking that was part of the average white American worldview in January 1865. Tommy Lee Jones almost steals the movie as the radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens, a man who staunchly believed that blacks and whites were equals on every level. His performance is full of ethical righteousness and hilarious invective. But Day-Lewis’s Lincoln is a canny politician hiding behind the folksy exterior, always telling home-spun anecdotes that reveal stinging moral rebukes. In Day-Lewis we see a Lincoln aged by his presidency and the war but a deep thinker, a man for all ages. Spielberg has recruited an A list of actors in supporting roles, including Sally Field, David, Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes, James Spader, Jackie Haley, Bruce McGill and Tim Blake Nelson. “Lincoln” is definitely a talky movie, but it illustrates the power of ideas and the power of words. It’s a must-see. 10/17/12

Wreck-It, Ralph - 3 1/2 smiles

“Wreck-It Ralph” combines a fresh idea with a love of retro video games and it’s hard not to love this animated tale set in the world of video arcades.  Directed by Rich Moore, this movie creates a fully realized world of video game characters and the lives they live when the arcade closes for the day. Wreck-It Ralph (perfectly voiced by John C. Reilly who captures Ralph’s good heart and rough exterior), the 9-foot-tall, 643-pound bad guy from the ‘80s arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. is tired of being ostracized for his destructive behavior. He can’t help it if he was programmed that way, but after 30 years, he’s tired of his demolition job. Because Ralph wants to be liked, he decides the only way to win the affection of the people in his game is to earn a medal. To do this, he goes to the most likely place, the Hero’s Duty game, via Game Central Station (modeled after New York’s Grand Central Terminal). In Hero’s Duty, he crosses paths with tough Sgt. Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and ends up in the land of Sugar Rush, which incorporates elements of Japanese animé. In this vibrant land of cupcakes, cookies and candy, he meets the scrappy little misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman). Initially, Ralph sees her as a pest, but as the story progresses, he starts to feel compassion. A glitch in her character (a programming error) has caused the other residents of Sugar Rush to mock her. Even the ruling King Candy (Alan Tudyk) is part in the cruelty. Both outsiders, Ralph and Vanellope ultimately connect in an endearing father/daughter-type friendship.

Moore has brought meticulous detail to his imaginary world of electronic characters and one enjoyable sequence is when lonesome villains gather at a Bad-Anon support group. Here we see Super Mario Brother’s Bowser, a spiky, fire-breathing tortoise, Pac-Man, Q’Bert, and Zangief, a Russian wrestler from Street Fighter II.  Silverman adds a lot of entertainment with her smart-alecky delivery, which contrasts nicely with Reilly’s earnest nature. And Lynch’s Sgt. Calhoun is similar to Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story with her extreme seriousness about her duty juxtaposed with the fluffy surreal background of Sugar Rush. “Wreck-It Ralph” is a gorgeously told story that will play just as well to children as to their parents. Surely it is the favorite for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. 11/6/12

Cloud Atlas - 2 1/2 smiles

I saw “Cloud Atlas” twice: the first time to understand the various stories (there are six), the second time to make meaning of those stories. And at three hours in length, I don’t think your average moviegoer should have to spend that much time trying to understand a movie. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings (Lana and Andy), and based on a novel by David Mitchell, “Cloud Atlas” is unlike any other movie. It takes place in six different periods of history and one scene follows the next in no particular order. There is no apparent logic to the scene shifts, but one movement or gesture in one era will connect with a similar movement in another.  There is little or no link between stories, except the repetition of familiar faces and attempts to depict endless cycles of patterns of human behavior. The directors cast Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Halle Berry and Jim Sturgess in a variety of roles. Implicit in the casting is the notion that these are the same souls in different incarnations, but the directors do little with his concept. Instead, the directors seem to focus on freedom, romantic, creative, political, combating the forces of repression.

The most interesting narrative is the one that takes place in Neo-Seoul in the year 2144. An obedient ‘fabricant’ clone Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) rebels against her lowly station as waitress-slave and joins the rebellion led by handsome Hae-Joo Chang (Sturgess). This allows the Wachowskis (who also did Matrix) to play with familiar elements, like rocketing chases through holographic highways amid a post-‘Blade Runner’ city. And Bae is genuinely touching as the factory worker awakening to her own individuality. Unfortunately, we are told the message of “Cloud Atlas” over and over — ‘Our lives are not our own,’ Separation is an illusion,’ ‘What is an ocean but a multitude of drops’ — rather than shown. And the makeup doesn’t always work: Berry as a white-skinned Jewess in 2012 London, Sturgess as a Neo-Seoul Asian and Bae as a 19^th century American wife. “Cloud Atlas” is an ambitious movie, an interesting movie, a different movie. Worth three hours? Maybe. Worth six hours? Definitely not. 10/29/12

The Sessions - 4 smiles

One reason to see “The Sessions” is for John Hawkes’ remarkable performance as Mark O’Brien, who, at age 6, was ravaged by polio that required him to spend most of his time in an iron lung. Hawkes uses only his face to capture the depth and essence of this thoughtful man. But if Hawkes is the heart of the movie, Helen Hunt’s portrayal of Cheryl, a sexual surrogate who helps Mark lose his virginity, is the soul and the second reason to this exceptionally touching movie. Hawkes undoubtedly deserves an Oscar nomination for his touching performance and so does Hunt as a woman who has no problem taking off her clothes for strangers, but can’t have a single honest conversation with a husband who takes her for granted. Both Hawkes and Hunt elevate the material into something memorable.

As an adult, Mark used a motorized gurney and a portable respirator, which allowed him to unplug and leave the house for a few hours at a time, to attend UC Berkeley, where he majored in English literature. He wrote by pushing the keys of a typewriter with a pencil in his mouth and he eventually published several collections of poetry and freelanced as a journalist. Ben Litwin, who wrote and directed, focuses on one specific chapter in Mark’s life – the time he lost his virginity. However, Mark first must get permission from his priest, Father Brendan (William H. Macy). Mark is a devout Catholic and his request for sex outside of marriage first puzzles the priest, but he eventually tells Mark, ‘In my heart I believe He will give you a pass on this one.’ The only question is to find a willing partner, who turns out to be Cheryl (Hunt), a married woman and mother who works as a sexual surrogate, helping the disabled and the mentally challenged to explore their sexuality. The core of the movie is the scenes between Mark and Cheryl, which are uncommonly frank about sex and nudity, but they’re also about how Mark overcomes his shyness and self-consciousness and how Cheryl is able to look past her client’s disabilities to see the intelligent, brave, funny man inside. “The Sessions” treats intimacy with an honesty that’s rare in movies and with two top-notch performances, it’s certainly worth seeing. 10/20/12

Looper - 2 1/2 smiles

“Looper” is one of those movies with a great cast, a great look and an intriguing story, but by the time it’s over, it’s ‘sound and fury signifying nothing.’ I was clearly disappointed with the last 30 minutes of the film, which raises issues of free will vs. destiny, nature vs. nurture and questionable ethics (would you consider killing a child if you knew it meant saving lives in the future from the monster he might grow up to be?) and then ignores them as the movie rushes to its bloody conclusion.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a hired assassin whose targets are sent back in time from the future. You see, time travel becomes a reality in the future, but when time machines are outlawed, only outlaws have access to them. And killers like Joe are part of a force led by Abe (Jeff Daniels), a menacing boss from the future. These Loopers, as the killers are called, are handsomely paid and given a retirement that lasts exactly 30 years. Then they are captured, send back in time and killed, thus closing the ‘loop’ of their lives. As the movie opens, a new crime lord, a fearsome gangster known as the Rainmaker, has taken over in the future and is issuing new orders about the existing Loopers: He wants all their future selves sent back in time and killed immediately. When Joe’s future self (Bruce Willis) turns up, things get more complicated because at some point, Young Joe and Old Joe are going to have to meet and decide whether they’re going to continue as enemies or allies. The meeting takes place in a diner in the middle of nowhere where they stare at each other over identical plates of steak and eggs.

The best scene in the movie is the diner scene, which crackles with smart dialogue as they discuss sci-fi clichés, especially the idea of meeting each other face to face and its consequences. Gordon-Levitt’s more finely boned face has been fitted with prosthetics to make him more closely resemble Willis. This sorta works and sorta doesn’t. It does make him resemble Willis, a little, but it makes watching him in the scenes without Willis weird because he just doesn’t look like Gordon-Levitt. The mind-bending story that is “Looper” has gotten a lot of critical acclaim and I liked it … up to the last 30 minutes. That’s when it all falls. 10/5/12

Pitch Perfect - 3 smiles

Luckily for “Pitch Perfect,” the good outweigh the bad in this fun but predictable story about an all-girl a cappella singing group. Inspired by the 2009 nonfiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin, this movie showcases a collegiate subculture in all its competitive glory. Beca (Anna Kendrick) goes to college against her will, prodded by her professor father. What she really wants is to produce music. Her first move is to get a job at the campus radio station, where she meets fellow music fan and singer Jesse (Skylar Astin). A sorta friendship begins. Beca is roped into joining The Bellas, a female a cappella group, by Chloe (Brittany Snow), who hears her singing in the dorm shower. Soon, Beca becomes a key member of this group of lovable musical misfits. The funniest of the bunch is Amy (Rebel Wilson), who calls herself ‘Fat Amy’ because she figures that’s what the others will call her behind her back. Then there’s Lilly (Hana Mae Lee), an Asian girl who speaks in barely audible whispers (but pay attention to what she’s saying.) The Bellas take on the all-male Treblemakers (which Jesse joins) in the national competition. In between singing groups, we get funny quips from commentators John (John Michael Higgins) and Gail (Elizabeth Banks) a la Best in Show.

Kendrick, who is also in End of Watch, proves her versatility and much of the movie hinges on her likable outsider character. The bonds of sisterly friendship forged between Beca and her singing companions are just as important as the results of their big Lincoln Center sing-off. So the movie succeeds in spite of some painful stereotypes, a tepid romance, and projectile vomiting. Plus you’re not supposed to ask how the Bellas get so good so fast. Nonetheless, the musical numbers are quite good and “Pitch Perfect” is enjoyable fluff. 10/1/12

The Master - 1 smile

After seeing the much-hyped “The Master,” I was puzzled and a little angry, wondering what this movie was trying to say or why it was even made. The first hour of the movie contains a good story. It’s post-World War II and Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), an emotionally disturbed loner who had trouble fitting in with his fellow sailors in the Navy, has landed a job as a portrait photographer at a swanky department store. But Freddie doesn’t fit in and doesn’t last long at the job. In the darkroom where he develops pictures, he has sex with women and chugs down the concoction he makes out of photo-processing chemicals. Then Freddie meets Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a rotund, fast-talking man constantly surrounded by people who treat him like a sage, hanging on his every word, laughing at his jokes. Lancaster describes himself as a ‘doctor, writer, and theoretical philosopher.’ He is married to Peggy (Amy Adams), a friendly woman who is much more aware than she initially seems. He has a son, Val (Jesse Plemons), who, later, tells Freddie that his father is ‘making it up as he goes.’

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson sets everything up so well that you wait for the plot, the real meaning of the film, to kick in. Instead, nothing happens. There are a series of incidents and you’re not sure how much time has passed between events. Freddie stows away on Lancaster’s boat in San Francisco and then they’re in New York. Freddie and Lancaster spend the night in adjacent jail cells, with the bars the only barrier that keeps them from beating each other up. In one mystifying scene, the women at a house party all suddenly lose their clothes while Lancaster sings. Freddie’s sexual addiction, which was emphasized in the early portions of the film, suddenly disappears. And what’s with the scene in the desert? None of the characters in “The Master” are interesting although Phoenix and Hoffman are exceptional. However, because none of the characters are interesting, you don’t really care what happens to them, not that Anderson makes anything clear. Some critics claim that this movie is intentionally elusive and mysterious, but that’s just a sophisticated way of saying Anderson’s script isn’t all that good. Anderson poses questions about faith, emotional damage and the human capacity for change, but he never explores them with any depth. It seems Anderson is making a movie for himself and not for a typical audience. 10/ 5/12

Argo - 4 smiles

“Argo,” directed by and starring Ben Affleck, is perfection. It’s a political thriller told with intelligence, period detail and a surprising amount of humor for a serious look at the Iran Hostage crisis of 1979-81. “Argo,” Affleck’s third feature film as a director after Gone Baby Gone (2007) and The Town (2010), grabs you from the opening sequences and doesn’t let go. And even though you know going in that this is a true story, he has you on the edge of your seat as the tension builds and builds.  Affleck went to some effort to make “Argo” look like it was shot in the 70s. Not only is the picture intentionally grainy, giving it a home-movie feel, but the old Warner Brothers logo is used at the start. The recreation of Tehran circa 1980 is effective with exteriors shot in Istanbul and he uses archival footage of President Carter, the Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini and old news footage of Ted Koppel, Mike Wallace and Walter Cronkite to add more flavor of the period. Crisp pacing of Affleck’s direction allows “Argo” to feel shorter than its 120-minute running time and the exceptional balance of tone, humor and seriousness, makes for an Oscar contender.

“Argo” opens with a compelling re-creation of the takeover of the US Embassy in Iran by militant students. As civilians enter the compound, first in a trickle then, once the gates are forced open, in droves, employees and diplomats rush to shred and incinerate all sensitive material. Six of them – Bob Anders (Tate Donovan), Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane), Mark and Cora Lijek (Christopher Denham and Clea DuVall), and Joe and Kathy Stafford (Scoot McNairy and Kerry Bishe) – escape and make it to the residence of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), where they are hidden away for nearly 90 days. With pressure mounting for the safety of the six and the ambassador and his staff, CIA director Jack O’Donnell (Bryan Cranston) calls agent Tony Mendez (Affleck), an extraction expert, to devise a plan to get the six people out. Mendez’ scheme is audacious. With the help of Hollywood make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), Tony establishes a fake production company for a cheesy sci-fi flick called Argo and devises a cover story for the trapped Americans that will, hopefully, allow them to pass through security at the airport and board a Swiss Air flight. “Argo” is such a compelling movie that I want to see it again…and again. 10/10/12

Trouble With the Curve - 1 1/2 smiles

As much as I wanted to like “Trouble With the Curve,” starring Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams, it’s just too predictable to recommend. It’s as if screenwriter Randy Brown wrote the script for his senior thesis and then didn’t bother with any revisions to the formulaic story about a grumpy father and adult daughter finding one another during his twilight years. Every line that the story takes is signaled loudly and clearly so there are no surprises when everything you are expecting happens, Some of the baseball material is interesting, but it contradicts the premise of Moneybll, arguing that ‘old time’ baseball scouting is superior to modern technology and the numbers-based approach favored by Billy Beane and his supporters. “Trouble With the Curve” shows how good baseball know-how and dozens of years of experience trumps whatever a computer can spit out. To reinforce this, the chief proponent of the scientific approach is an oily character played by Matthew Lillard.  No subtlety there.

Amy Adams does more with her role than Eastwood does with his, although her character isn’t written with any more depth. She’s a 33-year-old lawyer married to her job. Her long workweeks are about to pay off with a partnership when she gets a call from her father’s boss and best friend, Pete (John Goodman), who’s concerned about his buddy’s health. Pete wants Mickey (Adams) to join her dad on a scouting trip to North Carolina. This would interfere with her partnership drive and she and Gus (Eastwood) aren’t at the best place with their father/daughter relationship, but she agrees nonetheless. Of course, we know where this is going. Mickey will have to make a choice. Any guesses which one she makes? While in North Carolina, Mickey meets Johnny (Justin Timberlake), an ex-player-turned-scout who gradually worms himself into Mickey’s affection. It would have improved the story’s effectiveness if there were more chemistry between these two, but, again, we know where the story is going. Mickey is going to have to make another decision. “Trouble With the Curve” is full of artifice, resulting in a weak movie. Rookie director Robert Lorenz needs to select a stronger script for his next effort. 10/7/12

Dredd - 1 frown

I can’t imagine why there is a remake of the Sylvester Stallone 1995 Judge Dredd although critics say that this one is closer to the comic version. I’ll take their word. Karl Urban never removes his mask so the most we see is his lips and chin. Also he speaks in a growl so that sometimes you can’t understand what he’s saying. The action scenes are graphic and bloody and the body count is high. It’s devoid of any pleasure and you’re glad when it’s finally over. At least, I was. Skip this mess. 10/1/12

The Campaign - 2 smiles

“The Campaign,” starring Will Farrell and Zach Galifianakis as North Carolina candidates going head-to-head in a congressional election, prefers silly jokes and sight gags to a truly penetrating satire of partisan politics. Although it does possess a bit of topicality in the form of Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow as two super-wealthy, sweatshop-owning brothers who try to rig the election by infusing a Super PAC with loads of money. Their name? It’s Motch (which rhymes with Koch. Get it?).

The movie opens with Farrell’s character, a vapid smoothie named Cam Brady getting ready to address his adoring fans. His topic is ‘America, Jesus and freedom,’ and it’s his three-word answer to every question. Cam has won every election because he had always run unopposed, but this year, the Motch brothers have selected Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) to run against him. Marty is happily married even though he walks with a mincing gait, owns two pugs and talks with a high-pitched lisp. Typically, their campaign devolves into an absurd war of character assassination with novice Marty being advised by the sinister Tim Wattley (Dylan McDermott). Both Farrell and Galifianakis are good and I appreciated that this is one Farrell movie that isn’t all stupidity (although there is some). Because Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier from The Artist makes a cameo and the pugs are cute, this movie isn’t a total loss. But there’s still a sense that “The Campaign” missed a chance to be smarter and more stinging. 9/14/12

The Cold Light of Day - 1 smile

The fact that “The Cold Light of Day” opened with no advance critics’ screenings and minimal marketing should be enough warning that this movie is pretty awful. But when you look at the cast, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver and Henry Cavill (the next Superman), you’d think that this would be a fairly decent actioner. It’s not. It should have gone directly to DVD. And the most ominous thing about this movie is the lead, Henry Cavill, is flat, unconvincing and, at times, down right irritating. While he’s paired with Willis, he’s okay, but once he’s forced by circumstances to go solo, he doesn’t have enough screen presence to create any interest in what happens to him.

Cavill is Will Shaw, the oldest son of Martin (Willis) and Laurie (Caroline Goodall), who is visiting Spain for an annual sailing vacation with his family. Will’s relationship with his father is strained, but he decides to stick around despite financial troubles back home in San Francisco. Will swims ashore and when he returns, he finds the boat empty and his family gone. A visit to the local police station reveals that some kind of conspiracy is afoot. Martin appears out of nowhere to help Will escape from the corrupt cops, then reveals that he’s really a CIA operative. He has 24 hours to deliver a briefcase to terrorists or they will kill his family. His first stop is to visit Carrack (Weaver), his longtime partner, who is, of course, crooked. The script doesn’t make much sense other than it’s an excuse to keep Will running. At one point he’s chased by the group that kidnapped his family, Carrack and her henchmen and the cops. And, for the most part, a frantic, clueless Will makes for an annoying protagonist. And don’t get me started on the title, which usually has some connection to the contents of the movie. Wait for “The Light of Day” to be on cable. Then you can switch when you lose interest. 9/8/12

Premium Rush - 3 smiles

See “Premium Rush” for the adrenalin-inducing scenes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s bicycle messenger character maneuvering through New York’s busiest streets at up to 50 mph, not for the rather contrived plot. Director David Koepp wisely keeps our attention focused on Wilee (Gordon-Levitt) and his colleagues as they dodge cars, taxis, school buses, pedestrians, baby carriages and other looming obstacles. And Koepp adds stylistic touches, such as Wilee’s multiple split-second visions of the outcome of any given maneuver: If he goes this way, he hits a pedestrian. If he goes that way, he gets hit by a taxi. But if he goes a third way, he’s clear. Wilee’s last assignment of the day is to get an envelope from Nima (Jamie Chung), who works at Columbia Law School, where Wilee used to be a student. Within minutes of securing the envelope, Wilee is approached by a stranger who identifies himself as a school official and attempts to reclaim the package. The stranger is actually a corrupt NYPD detective Bobby Monday (Michael Shannon at his menacing best). When Wilee refuses, Monday chases Wilee all over town even though you have to wonder how Monday in a car manages to keep track of Wilee on a bike.

In a less interesting subplot, Wilee has a rivalry going with fellow bike messenger Manny (Wole Parks). Each considers himself the hottest biker around and both are interested in co-worker Vanessa (Dania Ramirez). Gordon-Levitt spends nearly the entire movie on his bike, which makes for dynamic sequences through traffic-choked streets and I’m sure if you know New York, you’d appreciate it even more. So in spite of improbable events and far-fetched plot points, like a flash mob of bike messengers ready to help Wilee, it’s easy to enjoy this end-of-summer actioner.  8/24/12

The Expendables 2 - 3 smiles

You have to be of a certain age to appreciate The Expendables movies and though “The Expendables 2” is corny and violent, its humor and self-deprecating macho appeal makes this ‘oldies-but-goodies’ flick very enjoyable. Where the first Expendables, directed by Sylvester Stallone, took itself too seriously, the sequel, directed by Simon West, is more entertainingly cartoonish. Our heroes from the first movie include Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Bruce Willis and a brief appearance by Jet Li. They are joined by Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liam Hemsworth and Jean-Claude van Damme. They use every weapon available, from brass knuckles to army tanks to airplane propellers that double as instruments of decapitation, resulting in an incredibly high body count. Plus there’s an especially loud sound track, but the one-liners, written by Stallone and Richard Wenk, are quite funny. Stallone and his group of aging action stars celebrate mindless machismo, oiling their gun barrels, grunting one-liners, and blowing away bad guys. What fun.

The picture opens with a ludicrous action prologue, an insane rescue mission set in a hostile generic Asian hellhole full of sadistic maniacs. But the bullet-riddled heart of the story concerns simple brute force revenge, as the team seeks payback for the death of one of their own, killed on the orders of van Damme’s evil bad guy. There’s also the matter of retrieving stolen plutonium that might blow up the world. For the first time, the action dudes are joined by a kick-ass Asian female, Maggie (Nan Yu), a computer expert, who can hold her own in a fight. “The Expendables 2” is excellent B movie fodder and a great way to spend an afternoon. 8/17/12

The Odd Life of Timothy Green - 3 smiles

“The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is a warm and pleasurable fantasy, the perfect family film that children and their parents will enjoy. Timothy isn’t born and he isn’t adopted. It seems he grew in the garden and director Peter Hedges, who also wrote the screenplay, wisely makes no attempt to explain how this happened. His new parents have tried everything to conceive a child of their own, but have been unsuccessful. One night, they decide to move on by first listing the things their perfect child should have and then putting the list in a box and burying it in the garden. After a torrential downpour, there’s Timothy (CJ Adams), covered with mud and with leaves growing from his legs. The Greens, Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim (Joel Edgerton), are obviously surprised, but eagerly welcome this beautiful little boy into their home. During a family get together the following day, Timothy is so friendly that people just accept him, especially his lovable Uncle Bob and Aunt Mel (M. Emmet Walsh and Lois Smith). Things get a little complicated when the pencil factory that Jim works at threatens closure.

The supporting cast is full of familiar faces, including Dianne Wiest as the mean-spirited supervisor of the local Pencil Museum, Shohreh Aghdashloo as an official of the state adoption agency, Ron Livingston and James Rebhorn as the son and father who own the pencil factory and hop-hop star Common as the soccer coach. Young CJ Adams is pitch-perfect, neither too reserved nor too sweet and Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton are appealing together as far from perfect parents. Director Hedges spins a fable of love and life, told with real insight, warm humor and excellent filmmaking. And at a time when most movies focus on special effects and action, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” will take you on a heart-warming journey and all will enjoy. 8/17/12

The Bourne Legacy - 4 smiles

Although this movie does not feature Matt Damon’s appealing vulnerable hero, it’s surprisingly good. Written and Directed by Tony Gilroy, who penned all three Jason Bourne movies,  “The Bourne Legacy” achieves its success with intelligence and imagination, building on the pre-existing story, expanding its characters and geography and leaving plenty of space for Jason to jump back in if Damon and director Paul Greengrass decide to return. Also in Gilroy’s favor is casting Jeremy Renner, who does a spectacular job as the hero. The story unfolds in a straightforward manner that, nonetheless, requires the audience to pay attention.

The movie opens thousands of miles away in Alaska, where another agent, Aaron Cross (Renner), is finishing a grueling training regimen, tramping over snowy wilderness, taking mysterious green and blue pills and going one-on-one with a wolf. It seems that Aaron is an agent for another shadowy group, Outreach, similar to Damon’s Treadstone. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Dr. Martha Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a medical researcher, is happily engrossed in her brainy work. When the leaders of Outreach (Edward Norton, Stacy Keach, Dennis Boutsikaris) decide to shut down the program, which means no agents, no medical researchers, no scientists. No exceptions. So Cross and Shearing are on the run. Renner and Weisz work well together as two hunted souls who initially need each other for practical reasons. She needs his protection and he needs the meds that keep him physically and mentally enhanced. Renner has enormous appeal and he and Weisz share believable chemistry, first as uneasy friends and then as something more. With “The Bourne Legacy,” Gilroy has brought taste and skill to a nearly impossible task: embracing the past without completely erasing it and giving setting the stage for future movies. 8/10/12

Killer Joe - 1 1/2 smiles

It’s interesting that the title psycho, played by Matthew McConaughey, is the least objectionable character. Dressed in black with a menacing smile and empty eyes, Joe Cooper, aka Killer Joe, is a cop and hired assassin. He is a welcome presence among a collection of despicable dimwits and the only reason to see the NC-17 rated “Killer Joe,” directed by William Friedkin. Chris (a miscast Emile Hirsch), a low-level drug dealer, decides the way to get the money he needs to payoff the local drug kingpin is to kill his mother for the insurance money. He’s the story’s first idiot. Chris shares his idea with his father, Ansel (Thomas Haden Church), a mechanic and the second nitwit. Ansel’s trashy wife, Charla (Gina Gershon in a wretched role) and Chris’s virginal sister, Dottie (Juno Temple) learn about the plan and add their support. Chris hires a hit man, Joe, and discovers that he’s signed on with the devil. Some of the enjoyment here, if you can call it that, is watching amoral idiots dig themselves into a hole of their own stupidity.

McConaughey’s magnetic murderer dominates every scene he’s in with a hushed voice that carries a threat and a coiled body that suggests a rattlesnake ready to strike. Thomas Haden Church, with his comic deadpan delivery and whiny voice, adds some humor to this very black tale. Hirsch’s character is so one-dimensional that it’s hard to see any actor bringing Chris to life effectively.  Temple walks a fine line of naïveté and lust and Gershon is just badly used. Two major characters get beaten to a pulp at close camera range and though neither is a likeable person, it’s still difficult to watch their faces turned into raw meat. The climatic last scene is graphic man-on-woman violence that goes on so long that it becomes sadistic. As a filmmaker, Friedkin is full of extremes and “Killer Joe” is a prime example. 8/12/12

Hope Springs - 3 1/2 smiles

Despite the promos that suggest “Hope Springs” is a fluffy romantic comedy, it’s a serious look at a marriage of 31 years that has stalled. Plus the two stars, Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, are perfect, especially Jones as a vulnerable, touchy and shy man who isn’t interested in getting in touch with his feelings. Arnold (Jones) is a moderately successful tax accountant, a creature of habit whose marriage has frozen into routine. His wife, Kay (Streep), is sweet and non-demanding although she wonders what happened to the man she married. Every day starts with his nose buried in the newspaper and ends with him asleep in front of the Golf channel. They haven’t slept in the same room for years. Desperate for a change, Kay signs them up for a week of couples’ therapy in the town of Great Hope Springs, Maine, where marriage expert Dr. Feld (Steve Carell) sees patients. Arnold goes along, but he complains all the while. Arnold is a curmudgeon of the highest order. In fact, if he isn’t complaining about something, he probably wouldn’t even talk to Kay.

Streep and Jones’ performances go a long way toward elevating the script. Their therapy scenes are expertly acted and paced, with their body language and expressions speaking volumes. Once they being answering questions, they reveal regrets and resentments, yearnings and fantasies they never dared speak aloud before. Jones’ Arnold is perpetually exasperated and emotionally closed off, but he’s convinced himself he’s content. And the way Jones’ reveals Arnold’s vulnerability adds depth to the character. And Streep is, well, Streep. She’s great, but then, she’s always great. Here, her Kay is slightly naïve and goofy, but she seems real. Kay longs to be loved, but you also realize that she is partially to blame for the state of her marriage. And Carell, who plays his role with calm seriousness, is very effective as the adviser who helps Kay and Arnold realign their marriage. The message is clear – it will take work to keep your relationship alive, but the effort will be worth it.  Thanks to tremendous performances from Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep, “Hope Springs” is a delightful film. 8/8/12