Real Movie Review-Movie Reviews, Movie Quotes, Movie Trivia

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jackson Bond, Jeffrey Wright

German director, Oliver Hirschbiegel, takes a stab at this, the third film version of the Jack Finney’s novel, Invasion of The Body Snatchers. Kidman’s performance is stiff, as usual, but still good, though some of the supporting cast is not quite up to her standards. The story is fine, but tired, both my earlier Body Snatcher films and, even more so by all the movies since, that have had the same kind of mass impersonation concept.

Nicole Kidman is Carol, a single mother of a young son (Jackson Bond), dealing with an ex husband, and a new boyfriend (Daniel Craig) when, following some kind of space shuttle mishap, people begin to act strangely. Just in case, one or two of my readers don’t know this story, I won’t say anymore, since those of you who do know the story don’t need me to tell you anyway.

Fans of the original(s) will find this Kidman version to be a slightly different, but respectful, addition to the Body Snatcher family. The overall result is a bland science fiction thriller that really lacks punch.

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan

Director Francis Lawrence, and the rest of the production team for ‘I Am Legend’, have pulled off quite an incredible coupe by setting their film in a deserted New York City that is being slowly reclaimed by nature. The work they have done with this is truly impressive. Equal to this feat of determination and logistics, is Will Smith’s stand out performance as a lonely survivor in a deserted city landscape. The story is well-written, with loads of suspense and action, but doesn’t quite manage to transcend its weak zombie movie genre. If you stop and think, at all, you will quickly find yourself saying, ‘Wait a minute’. Without giving away any plot twists, let me ask you this. Who has been feeding those fish for three years?

Will Smith is a military doctor/researcher named Robert Neville, who finds himself, apparently, as the sole survivor in New York City, where he wanders about, with his dog, Sam, entertaining himself by day, before locking himself down in a fortress home by night. The genesis of this situation, which sprung from a cancer cure, is revealed slowly through flashbacks. The reason for his cautious behavior after dark, however, is revealed much sooner, and it is the familiar movie world problem of infected humans, who are reduced to snarling, single-minded predators with absolutely no instinct for self preservation. I could go on with other issues in that same vein, but I’ll leave it to you to pick out your own favorite plot holes.

Imagine Castaway, set in a deserted NYC and then cross it with 28 Days, and you will have a pretty good idea of what to expect here. If the whole thing seems familiar, that’s because it’s based on the same book (I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson) as the 1971 Charleton Heston film, Omega Man. Once you get past the logic flaws, Will Smith’s acting and the cool, deserted New York City setting combine with taut tension and explosive action, to make this one worth seeing.

Director: Steve Buscemi

Starring: Steve Buscemi, Sienna Miller,

Talented Steve Buscemi, co-wrote, and then directed this small-scale, character-driven screenplay. It is a stage-like production, with only two key characters and one main set. As such, the character development, dialog, and performances, have to shine to make this work; and it does work. Buscemi is amazing and Miller is excellent, as well, while the writing keeps the viewer locked into a story, about media, celebrity and what happens when the two meet.

Steve Buscemi is Pierre Peders, a bitter, and fading, but still arrogant, political reporter who finds himself with the distasteful task of interviewing Katya, a sexy, but self-absorbed and manipulative B-movie and soap TV actress, who is more famous for her private life than she is for her acting work. They come together like diesel fuel and open flame. The interview is short, uninformative and painful for both of them, but they are not destined to part company just yet. When an accident leads to head cut for Pierre Katya insists that he come to her nearby loft to clean up. Once there, an on again, off again interview, discussion and argument ensues and gets deeper and deeper as they learn more and more about each other.

Interview is short at only 80 minutes, but is entertaining for fans of stage productions, as well as smart, character dramas. It could have gotten deeper into the public obsession with celebrity, and the point of view of those in the camera’s eye, but this is still an interesting and entertaining story about the relationship between two people from different worlds who will never meet. But they do.

Director: David S. Goyer

Starring: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Marquette, Alex O’Loughlin,

This unfortunate feature is based on a novel, that had to be better than the movie or it would have never been published. Lead actor Justin Chatwin looks like a young Tom Cruise, but has none of the latter’s talent and charisma. Academy Award winner, Marcia Gay Harden (from Mystic River – don’t worry I had to look it up, too), acts as if is she is embarrassed that her Oscar win hasn’t garnered her better roles than this, while her performance here shows why it hasn’t. Female lead Margarita Levieva (TV series “Vanished”) is miscast and unconvincing as the beautiful juvenile delinquent who dresses like she is about to embark on a midnight cat burglary and tries to act like a tough kid, but her role is so poorly written there is no chance that she could pull it off.

Justin Chatwin is Nick Powell, a teenage poetry writer who lost his father and is neglected by his mother, played by Marcia Gay Harden. Margarita Levieva is Annie Newton, a pretty high school thug, who lost her mother and is neglected by her father. Did you catch the clever subtlety there? Anyways, Annie kills Nick, because she thinks he ratted her out to the cops, then has to try to cover it up. This is complicated by the fact that Nick, instead of going where ever dead people go, becomes invisible and wanders around unable to be seen or heard by anyone. Rather than immediately heading to the girl’s change rooms (He is a teen, for God’s sake! Give me something!), he wanders around trying to figure out what’s going on. Couldn’t he have done that after a shower scene?

Close your eyes and imagine a movie that has been inspired by Ghost, except the story, while as far-fetched as Ghost, has none of its style and charm to offset the shortcomings. Imagine, as well, that instead of Patrick Swayze, you have a no-talent Tom Cruise look-a-like in the lead. Now imagine, taking this dvd and throwing it Frisbee-style across your backyard for your dog to leap up into the air and make one of those spectacular mid-air catches that we all love so much. Now, you have found a way to enjoy this movie.

Director: Paul Haggis

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric, James Franco, Josh Brolin,

Paul Haggis has the golden touch in Hollywood these days. From humble beginnings in London, Ontario, Canada and ten years as a TV writer, Haggis is now writing and/or directing some of the biggest and best Hollywood projects, including Crash, Million Dollar Baby, Casino Royale, Letters From Iwo Jima, etc. All this has lead to five Oscar nominations and two wins. This impressive military-orientated murder mystery may just get him some more attention from the Academy, thanks to an excellent, if somewhat clichéd, screenplay and a great performance by Tommy Lee Jones with fine support from Sarandon and Theron. Haggis’ direction adds to the movie’s effectiveness and helps to make this a worthwhile choice.

In The Valley of Elah is inspired by true events and Mark Boal’s Playboy article, and has Tommy Lee Jones as retired military police officer, Hank Deerfield, whose son vanishes shortly after he returns from serving in Iraq. Deerfield quickly leaves his home and his wife, Joan (Sarandon), to go find his son. This proves difficult as he runs into jurisdictional tangles and office politics and deals with horrible loss as the cause of his son’s disappearance is soon revealed to be his brutal murder. Deerfield’s experience and persistence is both a help and hindrance to investigator, Detective Saunders (Theron), as both of them try to unravel the mystery of Mike Deerfield’s murder.

This is a gripping movie in the tradition of Courage Under Fire and A Soldier’s Story. Its not the most original movie of the year, but should impress fans of the genre and fine acting performances that will likely see at least a nomination or two come February.

Director: Chris Sivertson

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Neal McDonough, Julia Ormand,

This mystery/horror is original, but far-fetched and punctuated with highly sexualized scenes with Lohan and a high level of brutal violence. The story starts out adequate, but slowly slips away. Lohan is a decent young actress, although she mostly seems to play the same highly sexualized teenager with a bad attitude. Still, she does have some talent which should help her to make a comeback once she has hit rock bottom in her personal life and tries to make her way back into the Hollywood limelight. This clearly a vehicle for the young star, and she could have chosen something stronger.

Lindsay Lohan plays a happy student named Aubrey Fleming whose idyllic existence is destroyed when she is captured by a sadistic serial killer (even by Hollywood standards).
The story’s takes a twist when she found alive, but claims to be a different girl named Dakota Moss. Her mother (Julia Ormand) and father (McDonough) struggle to be supportive, while Aubrey/Dakota tries to figure out what happened to her.

This one is pretty mediocre fare that I can only recommend for non-discriminating fans of violent mysteries, or one of Lindsay’s legion. I have seen worse, but there are better choices out there.

Director: Dennis Dugan

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Dan Aykroyd, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi

The gay issue premise of this dismal failure is only slightly better than its offensive execution. If this movie had been made twenty-five years ago, it could have had an Archie Bunker kind of appeal, but in the more accepting 21st century world (and in live and let live NYC of all places), the characters’ initial attitudes are jaw-droppingly offensive. The inappropriate humour is not limited to alternative lifestyles either, as it flirts with racism and cruel weight jokes. All of this might have been easier to handle if the jokes were funny, but most are not. All that is left is a story that is disturbing in so many ways, I will not be able to tell them all to you.

Sandler is super-stud fireman, Chuck Levine (pretty hard to buy, but what the hell, it’s a comedy) whose life is saved by his fellow fire-eater and best friend, Larry Valentine (Kevin James). Larry has lost his wife and somehow his option to change the beneficiaries of his pension to his kids has elapsed (ridiculous, I know, but it’s a comedy premise, what can you do). To solve this, Larry has to re-marry, but he is nowhere close to ready, so he proposes (literally) that he and Chuck pose as a same sex couple to assure his kids are taken care of. The city, apparently fooling with class action human rights’ lawsuits, is cracking down on fraud among purported same sex unions and sends out Clinton Fitzer (Steve Buscemi in a funny role) to investigate. Meanwhile, Chuck and Larry, frightened by potential jail terms, get a lawyer, played by the lovely Jessica Biel. Chuck falls for her, and the two become friends, but he can’t let on that he is actually straight. The only thing that could make this part of the story worse be if Chuck somehow got a date with two women at once, as well (the old sit com stand-by plot). Or I guess they could have a zany KKK member around too. That would be worse. From the protesters at a gay gathering, to the city persecution of a lifestyle, and the 1950s reaction of their co-workers, this story is disturbingly distasteful and everyone’s act three conversion is just not enough.

As you may have guessed, I didn’t like this movie and it got more grimaces than giggles out of me. It is as offensive as films from past generations, but those we can dismiss with a ‘well, it was a different time, wasn’t it?’ excuse. I can’t see this being enjoyed by anyone besides homophobic idiots and adolescent boys goggling Jessica Biel (true, she looks fantastic. I kinda liked that part, too). Adam Sandler always seems to dance on the line of appropriate humour and I often enjoy his efforts even when they are not politically correct, but this time out he has stumbled completely over that line and he is unlikely to generate enough smiles from most viewers to make it ok. As for Kevin James, if he wants to make the jump from the small screen to something larger with individual seats and public restrooms, he is going to have to choose better projects than this.

Director: Chris Rock

Starring: Chris Rock, Kerry Washington, Gina Torres, Steve Buscemi,

The multi-talented Chris Rock co-wrote directed, narrated and starred in this light, slice-of-life comedy. This is pretty lightweight fare for the usual edgy Rock and not as funny as his usual projects, but it’s a pleasant and amusing story and I am a sucker for Ferris Bueller style narration with characters telling their story to the camera as we watch it unfold, but this movie needed some funnier jokes to really work. The characters are not completely convincing and although it starts out with some promise, it gets worse, not better.

Chris Rock is Richard Cooper, a family man investment banker, who is struggling with his undersexed, flat marriage when a tempting old acquaintance, Nikki Tru (played by the smoking hot Kerry Washington) re-enters his life and causes him to challenge his values as he zigzags on what he wants from life. Steve Buscemi, like Rock is cast in an unfamiliar straight role and it feels like both of them are underutilized.

I Think I Love My Wife, which is a re-make of Chloe In The Afternoon, starts out like an updated version of Kevin Bacon’s She’s Having A Baby, but changes its tone several times and this inconsistency hurts the overall effect. There are worse movies, but I try not to see them either.

Iceman (1984) **1/2

Director: Fred Schwepisi

Starring: Timothy Hutton, John Lone, Lindsay Crouse, Josef Sommer, David Strathairn

I’m told that this dated drama has somehow managed to gain a small cult following over the last quarter century, but I am at a loss to explain why. The acting is very good, particularly John Lone in the title role, and the characters are cardboard cut-outs, but not poor ones, though I think the Iceman would have been better without such a similar cultural mindset to our own. The story is the weak link in this missing link story. It starts out far-fetched, which for an older sci-fi feature, I am willing to accept, but, while this script gives us a decent second act, the third act gets increasingly hard to buy. The ending is a love-it-or-hate-it point of debate among viewers. I have to sit myself down with the latter group.

Timothy Hutton is Shepard, an anthropologist studying the Inuit from an elaborate scientific base in the arctic, when a perfectly preserved 40,000 year old Neanderthal is discovered nearby and brought in. This is already a huge discovery, but it gets just a little bigger when they find that they are able to revive him! Ok, ok I know that’s a stretch, but it is a sci-fi movie so what the hell. The science here is pretty shaky, but John Lone is not, playing the world’s oldest man as he tries to adapt to the crazy world around him. Look for an early Danny Glover role and some really head-scratching plot shifts.

Starts out far-fetched and gets further-fetched. The science was shaky when the movie was made and twenty-five years later its a food processor on high. Get past that and you might find enjoy it on TV. Then, you can tell me what you thought of that ending.

Starring: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan

Director: Neil Burger

A wonderful movie that features first rate acting by all of the principals and a smooth story that finds the right blend of complexity and watchability. Ed Norton seems to have an almost magical ability of his own to find the right scripts and then flawlessly execute his role. This is no exception. Newcomer writer/director Neil Burger did a fine job here and Jessica Biel continues to develop her acting skill, but Giamatti’s role and performance stole the show here. There is a slightly sanitary lack of emotion from the characters, but this is subtle and a minor quibble with a wonderful film.

Edward Norton is an Austrian magician of almost supernatural ability (or is it?), named Eisenheim, who re-discovers his young love (Jessica Biel) in the arms of the crown prince played by Sewell. This leads to a mounting conflict between the two men with the prince using his Inspector Uhl (Giamatti) to make life difficult for the stubborn magician, much to the consternation of Eisenheim’s manager. The story moves forward smoothly at an unhurried pace that never gets boring, much like the main character who likewise moves steadily toward his goal without any fear or panic.

This film came out just ahead of simiarly magician-themed ‘The Prestige’. Studios often have same year releases about about similar (or the exact same) topics in the same year. I often wonder how this happens, but guess it has to do with simply stealing ideas from a script that was missed or passed on. At any rate, in this case, Prestige was a decent film, but just one of Norton’s tricks in the Illusionist was to make its competitor vanish from our memories. Bravo!