Movies

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0858479/

From the producer of Sideways -- get to know a lovable yet dysfunctional family everyone can relate to in this lighthearted comedy People calls "smart and enjoyable." When Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) -- a widowed and self-absorbed professor -- falls for his attractive former student (Sex And The City's Sarah Jessica Parker), his all-too-predictable life suddenly turns sunny-side up. That is, until his freeloading brother (Thomas Haden Church) and his sharp-tongued overachieving daughter (Juno's Ellen Page) speak up, making "chaos" the word of the day. Now on DVD, Smart People is even funnier with never-before-seen interviews, deleted scenes and hilarious outtakes.

A self-absorbed college professor lost sight of the need to be sensitive of other people and their feelings when his wife died. Raising his daughter on his own has been difficult, but she's growing up just like her dad. And no, that is not a good thing. (He has a son, too, but he seems at least relatively well adjusted. So this movie is not about him.) The professor's dead-beat brother moves in with them and tries to give perspective to both the professor and his daughter.

Apparently there is a new formula in small-budget, independent comedies. What do you add to a pretentious lead character to create comedy? Thomas Hayden Church. It worked in Sideways, and it worked again here. He is the down-on-his-luck brother who weasles his way in to free room and board. While staying with his brother and niece he shakes them out of old habits and tries to implore them to take control and live their lives free from societal pressures to be something they do not want to be. Sounds heavy, but it wasn't that bad.

This was Ellen Page's big follow-up to Juno. I don't think this was what people were hoping for. As the professor's daughter she brought all of the attitude of Juno with none of the charm.

Dennis Quaid is our nutty professor, our single father. I like Mr. Quaid. I think that his often-exasperated mannerisms are enjoyable, almost Jack Nicholson-esque at times. I find comfort in his schtick, I guess. He was sometimes frustrating, but otherwise good yet again.

Smart People could have been called "Boring People and the Brother," but that is probably less marketable. This is an okay movie with a good cast. And the overall feel of the movie was saved by Thomas Hayden Church. I don't want to give him a reputation he cannot live up to, but the small resurgence in his career has been worthwhile for me.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425413/

It's the London Marathon, and thousands of feet pound along the Thames Embankment. Two of those feet belong to out-of-shape, out-of-luck Dennis Doyle. He's running to gain the respect (and hopefully, the love) of Libby, the girl he left pregnant and heartbroken at the altar five years earlier. And running alongside Dennis is Libby's handsome, successful, self-confident and very fit new boyfriend.

Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Thandie Newton (Crash) and Hank Azaria (The Simpsons) star in a runaway laughfest from debuting director David Scwimmer (Friends). Can Dennis win back what he lost by lacing up some hi-tech footwear? One thing's for sure: He's putting his heart and soles into the attempt.

On the day of his wedding Dennis leaves his pregnant girlfriend, Libby, at the altar. When he meets her new boyfriend, five years later, Dennis decides that he had better make it up to her now or he might lose her forever. The difficulty lies in the fact that this new boyfriend is many things that Dennis is not. The new guy is successful, confident, responsible and he runs marathons for charity -- and that is held over Dennis's head as if that one thing sums up how Dennis will never be good enough. Dennis responds that he will run the marathon, too. So now he trains for 26 grueling miles as if Libby will be waiting for him at the finish line.

I will admit that my expectations for this film were low. I have enjoyed Simon Pegg in some of his other movies, but not enough to rush out and see this. (Not based on Simon Pegg's involvement, but) I was afraid that it would be one of the romantic comedies that tried to focus on the romantic rather than the comedy.

The movie was funny and charming. The supporting cast was made up with some great characters, including but not limited to Dennis's landlord/upstairs neighbor Mr. Goshdashtidar (Harish Patel) and Dennis's best friend Gordon (Dylan Moran). The involvement of these supporting cast members and the interaction between Dennis and his son were probably the high points of the movie.

This is probably not a movie that you will invite all of your friends over to watch, but it is worth seeing on a night when you stay in.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0976051/

A boy of 15 years is away from home when he becomes violently ill. But not for the kindness of a passing woman, he does not know how he would have made it home. To express his gratitude he goes back to her with flowers. His innocent act of thanks then leads to a torrid affair with this older woman. Their time together lasts only a few months before the woman disappears without saying goodbye, but the boy, Michael, will never be the same. Later, in law school, Michael's class goes to the courthouse to learn from courtroom experience. On trial is Hanna, the woman who changed Michael's life forever.

After a few days of soul searching I am finally ready to say if I liked this movie or not. And I did. I thought that there were a few things that detracted from the movie, but there are almost always things that detract from movies. I will try to be brief and discuss my main complaint with the movie first. It was in English. The movie bounces between different chapters of Michael's life, but except for a short scene at the end (that I would have left out if I had edited this film) the entire movie takes place in Germany. The movie, based on more than just the countless scenes of passion between Michael and Hanna, strives to become intimate with the audience. I found it strange that the movie was not in German with subtitles. I feel this would have given the movie a more authentic feel and bridged that final gap of intimacy.

With that out of the way, I may continue with what I enjoyed. Much early press suggests that Kate Winslet will take home an award or two for her role as Hanna. I have not seen every movie she is nominated, or might be nominated, against so I will not comment on that. I will say that in this movie alone her performance was second best. David Kross was young Michael. He is our protagonist. While it is hard to overlook Ralph Fiennes, who plays older Michael, most of the movie happens while Michael is young. David Kross, a young actor with very little experience, shows strong talent in The Reader.

I wanted to argue against the amount of nudity and "adult situations" that make up essentially the entire first half of the movie. I have gone so far as to jokingly call this movie pornography, but I think it was all necessary to lend credibility to the impact Michael and Hanna had on each other. Here were two people who yearned to be together and were physically intimate beyond all boundaries, yet secrets were kept. And the secrets drove them apart.

I cannot say that The Reader was any better or worse than the other movies I have seen where a boy has an affair with an older woman then sees her tried in a court of law. Shockingly, this is the only movie I have seen in that category. Since I cannot compare it to anything, I will say that I found the story to be deeply moving at times. I thought the characters were developed well and the things I didn't like did not make the movie unwatchable.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0918927/

A very serious allegation is brought against a priest when Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) suspects that Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) has developed an inappropriate relationship with an altar boy. The boy's history teacher, Sister James (Amy Adams) tells Sister Aloysius that the boy came back from a private meeting with Father Flynn acting peculiarly. Does Sister Aloysius suspect Father Flynn because he has done something wrong or is she biased against him because she disagrees with his progressive methodologies?

The story is an important one, but it is used as a vehicle to debate a broader topic. The movie specifically addresses an allegation of misconduct by a priest, but the characters generally disagree on the role the Church plays in people's lives. Should the Church continue as strict disciplinarian? or adapt to the changing times to become part of the family?

John Patrick Shanley wrote Doubt for the stage, and then adapted his own story into this movie, which he also directed. The story is brilliantly controversial. While you are left to form your own opinion of guilt or innocence, the arguments on both sides are incredibly persuasive.

I have not seen a movie with acting this good in a long time. (Stay with me because I will actually praise Philip Seymour Hoffman, something I normally do as infrequently as possible.) With three strong performances from the movie's three main players (Streep, Hoffman and Adams) one somehow managed to outshine the others. Both Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman were great. Meryl Streep brought the house down; she was fantastic.

Another performance worth noting was Viola Davis, who plays the boy's mother. She has maybe 5 minutes of screen time, but they are 5 of the most powerful minutes in an already powerful movie. It is probably a name you will hear again.

I will not delve into any conclusions I may have drawn from the movie, particularly because I opted against drawing any. The movie may leave you with a burning curiosity to know if he did it, but I invite you to see this movie with friends so you may discuss your thoughts. But I do recommend the movie; it is surely on my short list for best movies of 2008.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1068680/

Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is an exaggerated version of anyone who has difficulty committing to things (or people). The events in his life have caused him to shy away from any engagement, regardless of how innocent; something needs to change. Coincidentally Carl runs into an old friend who says that becoming a "Yes Man" has changed his life. A Yes Man, from the seminar Carl attends, is someone who takes a vow not to turn down any new opportunities, effectively saying "yes" to everything. Carl commits to changing his life; he takes the Yes Man vow and attacks life with new vigor.

I can understand that an actor wants to grow and continually take on new challenges, but Jim Carrey is so incredibly talented as a comedic leading man. Some people consider his more serious roles as worthwhile endeavors, but I disagree. The only move away from comedy that I have forgiven Mr. Carrey is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I will go so far as to say that it is one of my favorite movies. Jim Carrey brings a funny movie to life. Yes Man is a blend of the funny and dramatic movies that Carrey has done. The movie is full of laughs, but it has a stomachable, if not endearing message. He does add a few of his (over-the-top) ad-lib moments, but you wouldn't watch Good Times and not expect Jimmie Walker to say "Dy-no-mite!" either.

Zooey Deschanel was perfect as the movie's leading lady. She provided the perfect amount of eccentricity to play Yin to Carl Allen's pre-vow Yang. She is cute and I am glad they didn't cast someone more socially-deemed "beautiful" to play this part, because it would not have been believable. She is great.

Rhys Darby was a great choice for Norman, Carl's boss. He was great in the part and the two costume parties he throws might have been the two main highlights of the movie for me. We'll see if this movie can give him a more mainstream American following than his work on Flight of the Conchords. He is very entertaining.

I took Yes Man in as a matinee with the family. Granted, it is a family that currently has no little children, but it was a great family movie. There were a lot of laughs and a tender moment or two for the romantics amongst us (but be wary of some offensive language). This is not an award-winning film, but I enjoyed it a good deal.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811138/

Mike Myers plays the hilarious character The Guru Pitka!

As The Guru Pitka vies for the title of the world's best self-help guru, Pitka must help a star hockey player win his wife back from rival athlete Jacques "Le Coq" Grande (Justin Timberlake) and, along with it, the Stanley Cup. Will Pitka's comic karmic intervention be enough to turn this losing team into champions?

Also starring Jessica Alba and Vern Troyer, The Love Guru is "one big laugh from beginning to end!" (Jim Ferguson, KGUN9 ABC)

The owner of a seemingly cursed NHL franchise contacts a self-help guru about helping the team's star player get back together with his wife. The team has a chance to win the Stanley Cup if its star can focus on hockey and not on the fact that his wife has left him for a rival player, nicknamed "Le Coq." I know it sounds like a recipe for a bad sports movie, but it isn't. The movie really has little to do with hockey at all. The focus is on Mike Myers's schtick and Justin Timberlake delivering comedy gold (as Le Coq).

The movie had a few hilarious scenes, but was just decent overall. I know it has not been well-reviewed by anyone, but I think most people's expectations were way too high. This is Mike Myers rehashing a few of the old bits that have brought him success in the Austin Powers franchise. His interaction with Vern Troyer (more affectionately known as Mini Me) is silly and for some people it is past its prime. I still enjoy it and I still enjoy Mike Myers so I still enjoyed The Love Guru.

The show stealer was easily Justin Timberlake. From the trailers you get a snippet with him on screen. I figured he would not play much of a part in the overall movie, but he had a good amount of involvement. He was fantastic. If he keeps taking rolls like this one I will see every movie he makes.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423977/

Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog) stars as Charlie Bartlett, who has been kicked out of every private school he ever attended. And now that he's moved on to public school, he's simply getting pummeled. But when Charlie discovers that the kids who surround him -- the outcast and the popular alike -- are secretly in desperate need, his entrepreneurial spirit takes over. Hanging up his shingle in the Boys' restroom, Charlie becomes an underground, not to mention under-aged, shrink who listens to private confessions of his schoolmates, and makes the imprudent decision to hand out the pills he's proffered from his own psychiatric sessions. Meanwhile, at home, Charlie keeps charming his way out of an inevitable confrontation with his adoring but utterly overwhelmed mother Marilyn (Hope Davis).

Then, Charlie Bartlett makes his big mistake: falling in love with the beautiful and bold daughter (Kat Dannings) of the school's increasingly disenchanted Principal (Robert Downey Jr.), who is hot on his trail. As Charlie Bartlett's world and fledgling psychiatric practice unravel, he begins to discover there's a whole lot more to making a difference than handing out pills.

Charlie Bartlett has a difficult time making friends. As he moves from one private school to another, by the time he finally begins to become popular he is expelled. The problem is that his popularity comes from doing something illegal. Charlie, ever the opportunist, has a creative and entrepreneurial mind for providing things that high school students should not have. As is the way (generally) with high school students, what they can't have is what they are willing to pay for. And Charlie will accept that risk to be popular. Now he has been kicked out of every private school and is left with only one option: public school. A series of events lead Charlie to his next big idea: provide a little medication and a lot of opportunity to unburden themselves of their problems. And just like that, Charlie Bartlett began helping fellow students cope with their problems...from the boy's bathroom.

Anton Yelchin stars as the movie's title character. He, if you have seen it, is the kidnapped boy in the movie Alpha Dog. In both movies he plays a charming, though slightly awkward, young man. While I am worried that he wouldn't be as successful in a more mature role, I think he was a great casting choice to be Charlie Bartlett.

The story was a little hokey. The characters were a little cliché. I concede those two points, but still contend that this is a good movie. I enjoyed how the movie did not shy away from those things, but rather embraced them. In fact, without cliché students in a hokey story, Charlie Bartlett would have been unable to effectuate change in so many lives. (I hope it doesn't disappoint you that there is a social message wrapped neatly within this movie.)

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0832266/

From the makers of Notting Hill and Love Actually comes the charming and irresistibly funny romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe. When Will (Ryan Reynolds) decides to tell his daughter (Abigail Breslin) the story of how he met her mother, he discovers that a second look at the past might also give him a second chance at the future. Co-starring Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz and Isla Fisher, it's a heartwarming story that makes you realize it's definitely never too late to go back...and maybe find a happy ending.

Will (Ryan Reynolds) picks his daughter up from school and finds that she, like all of the young children, received a very colorful lesson in sex education. The line of questioning he is subject to lasts until finally the daughter, played by Abigail Breslin, asks Will how he met her mother -- the woman whose name appeared next to his on the divorce papers he signed that same day. The story, which he reluctantly launches into, chronicles not only his move from the midwest to New York City, but also the few seemingly near misses he had with love. (And from here we need to assume that this young girl is mature well beyond her years, otherwise the story becomes a little ridiculous.)

I will admit right away that this movie served two secret purposes for me. Beyond my attempt to be entertained by the overall quality of the film, I was checking up on the movie's two stars. I wanted to see if Ryan Reynolds could leave behind the frat-boy comedic antics and enter a...well, a different role. And I wanted to see if Abigail Breslin was as talented as she was tauted to be after her breakthrough success in the Indie sensation Little Miss Sunshine.

Ryan Reynolds has stepped away from comedy before, with movies like Blade Trinity and Smokin' Aces, but I consider those to be transitions, or even Reynolds's metamorphosis, if you will. Neither movie was a comedy, though neither movie, if I may opine, necessarily took itself very seriously. Definitely, Maybe, though a romantic comedy, is intended for a more serious audience. I think Ryan Reynolds has good comedic timing and I'm glad he was able to bring it to this part. I thought he was successful, not only as a single father, but also as the "hopeless romantic with an indominable spirit."

And if we are able to forgive our young starlett for having a more mature understanding of interpersonal relationships than 98% of the people on the planet, I would like to applaud Ms. Breslin as well. Her ability to ask mature questions while she maintains her childhood innocence is impressive. She warms up to the camera and you feel comfortable giving her your attention until the credits roll. She was both cute and funny as she follows her dad on the journey through his quest for love. Little Miss Sunshine introduced Abigail Breslin, but Definitely, Maybe shows her real talent.

My thanks also to Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher and Kevin Kline for what each of them brought to the film.

I thought the casting and acting were very good; I thought everyone played their part perfectly. Yes, it was a little High Fidelity-esque as it recounted relationships-gone-by, but it was new life in an old mold. It is a romantic comedy that focuses more on the romantic than the comedy, but there are plenty of laughs to be had. So after checking up on Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin I can freely admit that I really enjoyed this movie.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118926/

This taut political thriller set in Latin America marks John Malkovich's explosive directorial debut. Academy Award nominee Javier Bardem (Best Actor, 2000 - Before Night Falls) stars as legit policeman Agustin Rejas, who faces the greatest challenge of his career - to catch the leader of a terrorist movement threatening to collapse his government, while being stopped at every turn by his own corrupt supervisors. As the fight becomes more ferocious, Rejas' search brings him ever closer to the guerilla leader. But when, amidst the chaos, he falls in love with his daughter's ballet teacher (Laura Morante), Rejas must choose between his heart, his country, and his own well-being.

Javier Bardem is Agustin Rejas, the man who stopped practicing law -- because it was too corrupt -- to become a police officer in Latin America. He is the hard-working, by-the-book cop who is chosen to lead the investigation for a ghost -- a man going by "Ezekial" is leading a revolution throughout the country, but he leaves no trace. The synopsis provided with the DVD mentions a love interest Rejas takes in his daughter's ballet teacher, which is true, but it is not the steamy romance you might deduce (from the title?). Whenever I read a storyline and see it cut to "he falls in love with," I am immediately afraid that the plot will suffer for it. I was worried for no reason this time. The relationship is thrown together rather quickly, but it serves a purpose so I hardly took notice, beyond it maybe suggesting that we are all a little corrupt.

My only complaint was the lack of development. Two things I would have enjoyed further depth were his relationship with his wife and why he craved this ballet teacher and why conditions were so bad in the country that a revolutionary leader could become such a hero to the people. Neither elaboration, however, was ultimately necessary to the story.

I really liked this movie. I have not enjoyed a low-budget thriller like this in quite a while; one that is successful for its story and not its big names nor its hollywood flare. And while they are not all that similar, you may enjoy this movie if you liked The Motorcycle Diaries.

Some scenes were pretty graphic, which leads me to reiterate the disclaimer I made for another film: In my experience it is very difficult to separate a movie from it's graphic elements. So please be aware, if not cautious, of those elements in this movie. In other words, I speak highly of this movie, but it is not for everyone.

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Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780536/

Colin Farrell and Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes star in this edgey, action-packed comedy, filled with thrilling chases, spectacular shoot outs and an explosive ending you won't want to miss!

Hit men Ray (Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson, Harry Potter) have been ordered to cool their heels in the storybook city of Bruges (it's in Belgium) after finishing a big job. But since hit men make the worst tourists, they soon find themselves in a life-and-death struggle of comic proportions against one very angry crime boss (Fiennes)!

Get ready for the outrageous and unpredictable fun you will have In Bruges, the movie critics are calling "wildly entertaining" -- Stephen Rebello, Playboy.

Two hitmen check into a hotel in Bruges, Belgium for a two week hideout after they completed a "job." While in Bruges they are instructed to see the sights and soak in the city's charm by day and be by the phone awaiting the boss's next instruction at night. The two men, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendon Gleeson), could hardly be more of the odd couple. Ray is the brash young man who feels that Bruges has nothing to offer except beer that he cannot enjoy because they have to stay in the hotel at night. Ken is older, completely appreciates the "fairytale" character of the city and has no desire to act contrarily to the instructions they were given. Besides being partners, what they do have in common is that they are clearly outsiders In Bruges.

This movie was sad, funny, maybe too graphic, a little ridiculous at the end, and not nearly the action flick that the synopsis might suggest. I enjoyed how the movie was about two men who kill for money, yet it was not about them killing anyone for money. I thought Farrell and Gleeson worked together very well, and particularly enjoyed Colin Farrell's contribution to the film.

I was surprised that Ralph Fiennes, a bigger name than his body of work might warrant recently, took a role that doesn't even come on-screen until nearly the end. I like him and I think he does great work which carried into this film. His part was simply an exaggerated power-hungry crime boss, which may help explain my earlier claim that the movie gets a little ridiculous at the end.

As the table turns towards the end of the movie and the characters show themselves to be more complex than they previously let on, the movie matured along their side. I thought there was a great contrast between the beginning and the end of the movie. I liked In Bruges from start to finish, and I find myself looking back on it more fondly even now.

I recommend this movie with the following disclaimer: In my experience it is very difficult to separate a movie from it's graphic elements. So please be aware, if not cautious, of those elements in this movie. In other words, I speak highly of this movie, but it is not for everyone.

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