Movie Review - Mamma Mia!

Is anything as silly, cheesy or more fun than an ABBA song? Well, yes -- a whole movie full of ABBA songs! "Mamma Mia!" shows why you just can't get those stupid songs out of your head, and goes one better by demonstrating the pure joy of watching a stellar cast romp through "Dancing Queen", "Waterloo" and many more ABBA favorites on a lovely Greek isle while wearing outlandish costumes. It doesn't get any better. As a big fan of the exhilarating stage show, I couldn't wait to see "Mamma Mia!" on the big screen. While there's nothing like a live stage performance, the movie comes pretty close, giving us all the energy of the original show with a few delightfully campy production numbers thrown in for good measure. The divine Meryl Streep brings her incredible talent to a completely different kind of role as Donna, who operates a funky, run down little hotel on a Greek island where she's raised a daughter Sophie (wonderful new discovery Amanda Seyfried). As Sophie's wedding day approaches, the girl's fondest wish is to know the identity of her father, a secret her mother has never divulged. After discovering her mother's diary from 20 years ago, Sophie learns that 3 different men are all on the list as a potential father. Unbeknownst to her fiercely independent mother, she invites all 3 men to the wedding, setting up a comedy of errors and a rather bizarre, but entertaining, reunion between her mother and the former beaus. Adding to the merriment is the arrival of Donna's best friends and former singing group members Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters) who can still shake it with the best. The 3 potential fathers (Pierce Brosnan as Sam, Colin Firth as Harry and Stellan Skarsgard as Bill) are clueless upon arrival in Greece but gradually begin to catch on to what's afoot.

The movie starts out a bit frenetically but soon settles into a breezy series of ABBA song numbers that fit effortlessly into the plot. Dominic Cooper (as Sophie's future husband Sky) acquits himself fairly well in the singing department (looking mighty good doing it too), and even though the other male voices in the movie are not quite up to snuff, it hardly matters when you're talking great chemistry (especially between Streep and Brosnan) or comical moments at which the guys all excel. Director Phyllida Lloyd's directing style is slightly rushed, but her outstanding cast goes with it. If the audience is left a bit breathless, all the better when you're in the thrall of such wildly entertaining fun.

Things to love about this movie: Meryl Streep's marvelous performance & singing voice; ditto for Amanda Seyfried; the always delightful Christine Baranksi and Julie Walter's equally terrific and funny turn; cutie pie Philip Michael (featured in a great version of "Does Your Mother Know"); middle aged women actually having fun and getting screen time; middle aged men still sexy without any young chickies in tow; plenty of no-holds-barred singing & dancing
Things to hate about this movie: Not a one
Pleasant surprises: Almost as much fun as the stage play
Unpleasant surprises: Could have used a little more of young hottie Dominic Cooper

Movie Review - Tell No One

An eclectic mix of Harlan Coben hardboiled action and French sophistication, "Tell No One" proves once again that even American thrillers sound better in French. Francois Cluzet stars as pediatrician Alexandre Beck who's spent the last 8 years mourning the death of his beloved wife Margot (Marie-Josee Croze). The film opens with a disturbing flashback scene where Margot is kidnapped, Alexandre is beaten and the audience is perfectly set up for a long, convoluted but nevertheless riveting story which keeps us, along with Beck, trying to unravel the mysterious events. When Margot's body is later found in a wooded area, it's assumed her death is the work of a serial killer who's already claimed several victims in a similar fashion. The local police, however, have always suspected that Beck is the man responsible for his wife's death. Moving to present day, the bodies of two men who were possibly related to Margot's kidnapping/death are found, causing the police to reopen the case. Meanwhile, through a series of strange email messages, Beck slowly begins to believe that perhaps his wife isn't actually dead after all.

There's a colorful cast of characters, including Beck's friend Helene (a wonderful performance by Kristen Scott-Thomas whose French is impeccable), the thuggish Bruno (Gilles Lellouche) whose hemophiliac son was treated by Beck, and a scary team of kidnappers/killers. Added to the mix are plenty of innovative action sequences along with cool scenes of Paris not usually included on the tourist routes. Director Guillaume Canet keeps the story moving without sacrificing style or substance. We feel Beck's pain over the loss of his wife as well as the frustration of his friends that he's unable to move forward with his life. For some reason Cluzet annoyed me in the lead role, although his performance was fine. An interesting soundtrack managed to work wonders at times and become distracting at others with a U2 song ("With or Without You") featured to terrific effect in one crucial scene. I was left slightly confused by the wrap-up explanations of what really happened, but even though the film went on a bit too long there wasn't a dull moment.

Things to love about this movie: Nail biter scene of Beck trying to cross a crowded beltway on foot; Beck's wonderful Briard dog Nina; romantic opening with Beck and Margot swiftly followed by her horrifying abduction and murder
Things to hate about this movie: A little too long; plot developments became too convoluted and slightly confusing towards the end
Pleasant surprises: Scenes of Beck at work -- it's rare to see movie characters actually doing their job and revealed some interesting aspects of this man; photographs of a bruised, battered Margot turn up and twist the plot in a fascinating way
Unpleasant surprises: One member of the kidnapping team seems to specialize in painfully manipulating internal organs by hand to obtain information from her victims (yikes)

Movie Review - The Dark Knight

It's all about Heath Ledger. And yes, all the hype surrounding his "final" performance is true. (This probably isn't really his last, since footage already shot for the Terry Gilliam movie "Doctor Parnassus" will supposedly include Heath's scenes.) He's absolutely mesmerizing and mind blowing as the most maniacal, amusing Joker yet with his own lethal chaos theory. In fact, for me, when Heath wasn't on screen I kept wishing he'd come back into frame. He's that good. Maybe it's because I got myself too built up about "The Dark Knight", what with all the critical acclaim and anticipation, but I was actually slightly disappointed in the movie as a whole. Let it be said that I'm sick to death of super heroes -- enough already! I know it's summer, but if I see one more comic book movie I may give up on Hollywood until the fall. Batman is my favorite comic book leading man, and Christian Bale is my favorite Batman, but 2-1/2 hours of explosions and car chases is still a little bit too much for me. Batman seems to be saving the day in an increasingly brutal fashion which is beginning to disturb me. Perhaps that's the point.

We return to Gotham City with its citizens at the mercy of rampant crime, mob activity and, of course, the diabolical stunts of The Joker. Despite his wish to hang up the bat suit forever, rich playboy Bruce Wayne gets pulled back into action as Batman, facing his most daunting enemy in a cat and mouse game of monumental proportions. It seems the very soul of Gotham City is at stake. Returning from "Batman Begins" are the wonderful Gary Oldman as Lt. Jim Gordon, Michael Caine as Bruce's trusty man servant Alfred and Morgan Freeman as sophisticated weapons expert Lucius Fox. There are two newcomers to the cast: Aaron Eckhart as crusading District Attorney Harvey Dent and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes (a character previously played by Katie Holmes). And then there's Heath, who simply burns up the screen. For me, everyone else in the movie just pales by comparison, although I really enjoyed Gary Oldman's subtle portrayal as the besieged Gordon.

There are some thrilling action sequences and chilling scenes in the movie. One particularly effective stunt is a standoff orchestrated by The Joker in which two ferry boats are both loaded with explosives and filled with terrified people (one with convicts, the other with "regular" citizens). The passengers of both ferries are given the option of activating the detonator to blow up the other boat before their own vessel can be destroyed. Good stuff. I only wish writer/director Christopher Nolan had used more of those situations and fewer pyrotechnics. I know I'm sure to be in the minority opinion here, but I wanted to fall in love with "The Dark Knight" and ended up merely liking it.

Things to love about this movie: Heath Ledger as The Joker; some excellent twists and turns that were truly surprising; dazzling special f/x
Things to hate about this movie: It makes me long for a sequel, with Heath as The Joker, that can never be; a little too long
Pleasant surprises: Gary Oldman is given more screen time as Lt. Gordon
Unpleasant surprises: Although I'm a big fan of Aaron Eckhart, he seemed slightly miscast and not as effective as he should have been as Harvey "Two Face" Dent; the always terrific Maggie Gyllenhaal is given little to do; Dent's disfigured face make-up looked really fake

Movie Review - Brick Lane

Cultural identity, family dynamics and the power of memory all play a part in this movie adaptation of the wonderful book by Monica Ali. Beautiful Tannishtha Chatterjee stars as Nazneen, a Bangladeshi woman who is married off at a young age to an older husband (Satish Kaushik) in East London. She leaves her beloved sister behind to begin life in a depressing flat where her routine consists of grocery shopping, removing her husband's coat as he returns from work and raising two daughters. Life picks up considerably when Nazneen meets Karim (Christopher Simpson), the handsome boy who picks up the sewing work she does on the side. There's an instant attraction between the almost housebound, traditional Nazneen and the westernized, politically active Karim. Their scenes together are thrilling and sensual as we see Nazneen's dazzling smile for the first time. Letters from her sister, who's living a more carefree life back in Bangladesh, also cheer her up and bring back the allure of her homeland. After the attacks on 9/11 a frightening racial and religious backlash against Muslims disturbs Nazneen's East London neighborhood, with Karim organizing a local resistance group.

Director Sarah Gavron does an excellent job of creating subtle, complicated portrayals and relationships. All of the delightful characters I remember from the book are here: Nazneen's rebellious, sarcastic older daughter Shahana (an excellent performance by Naeema Begum), the various neighbors who share the tenement-like building where Nazneen's family lives, even the East London neighborhood itself which is well captured right down to the family's stifling little apartment space. We're left uncertain of exactly where life will lead Nazneen, yet exhilarated by her brave, somewhat surprising choices.

Things to love about this movie: Remains very faithful to the book on which it's based; exquisite scenes of nature in India during Nazneem's childhood; satisfying ending; a touching, bittersweet segment where the family takes a day trip to London proper for viewing the changing of the guard and having a picnic in the park
Things to hate about this movie: I had a bit of trouble understanding some of the dialogue due to a combination of British and Indian accents
Pleasant surprises: The perfect casting of Satish Kaushik as Chanu, Nazneem's husband (exactly as I'd pictured him in the book and a wonderful performance)
Unpleasant surprises: Nazneen's younger daughter Bibi is little more than a cipher in the movie

Movie Review - The Happening

Love them or hate them, M. Night Shymalan movies always manage to generate strong reactions from critics and audiences, which is one of the reasons I look forward to them in a world of cookie cutter horror films and action hero stories. I can honestly say I've never met a Shymalan movie I didn't like in one way or another (yes, I even enjoyed parts of "Lady in the Water"). His latest, "The Happening" is no exception. In fact, this one deserves a place among the best of his movies with its disturbing mix of fear, paranoia and good old fashioned scariness as the northeastern portion of the United States suddenly experiences a terrifying, mysterious phenomenon in which people become disoriented and then commit suicide with whatever happens to be at hand. At first it's assumed that terrorist attacks are responsible for the rapidly mounting death toll as incidents begin popping up in Manhattan, Philadelphia, Princeton and then smaller and smaller towns throughout the area. Gradually it becomes clear that some sort of natural phenomenon is responsible for the devastation. The opening scene in Central Park is a zinger, setting us up nicely for some serious fright as it's quickly followed by a very disturbing incident where construction workers begin walking off the top of a building and crashing to the ground.

Mark Wahlberg stars as an appealing every man, a science teacher namd Elliot, who leaves Philadelphia with his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), friend Julian (John Leguizamo) and Julian's daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez) as hundreds flee the city in a blind panic after hearing about the rapid spread of the phenomenon. As usual, one of Shymalan's slyest and most effective weapons is his ability to make his characters human beings with whom the audience can become involved. Elliot and Alma are a somewhat bickering couple whose marriage is shaky. One of the people who gives the group a ride after their train leaves them in the middle of nowhere (Filbert, Pennsylvania) is a nursery owner (Frank Collison) who goes on at length about his choice of hot dogs as the perfect road trip food. Betty Buckley makes a very scary appearance as a woman whose isolated farmhouse becomes a brief haven for Elliot, Alma and Jess. There's plenty of good, dark humor throughout the movie, and we need it to balance out the increasingly grim reality the story dishes out. The musical score is also used to great effect, although there were a couple of times when it was a bit overdone for my taste. It's difficult to go into much detail without giving away plot points, but suffice it to say that Shymalan is back on his game in a big way. Like the best horror movies, "The Happening" leaves us with plenty to think about and one more scare up its sleeve.

Things to love about this movie: Shymalan has managed to recreate that group paranoia feeling that Hitchcock used so well in "The Birds"; the ecological message of the film is awesome; Mark Wahlberg gives the typical "leading man" role some extra fun, as does Zooey Deschanel as "the wife"
Things to hate about this movie: Without revealing too much, an annoying event involving the couple (Elliot and Alma)
Pleasant surprises: The ending I wanted to see (though maybe not a big surprise or plot twist, it had a nice punch just the same)
Unpleasant surprises: The always great John Leguizamo could have used more screen time

Movie Review - The Fall

Falling for "The Fall": Sorry for the pun, but there's no other way to describe the dizzying, heart wrenching effect this film delivered for me. Yes, the visuals in "The Fall" are truly dazzling, which was to be expected from director Tarsem who specializes in creating unforgettable sights and colors on screen. What was unexpected, though, was the emotional punch the movie produced with the sweet, magical yet sad connection between an injured stuntman named Roy (the gorgeous Lee Pace) and a little girl named Alexandria (adorable Catinca Untaru). The two characters meet in a Los Angeles hospital during the 1920s where Alexandria is recuperating from a broken arm suffered in a fall while picking oranges and Roy is trying to deal with paralysis of his legs after a fall during a stunt. Roy is angry and suicidal, Alexandria is curious and full of imagination so its a match made in heaven. From his bed Roy begins telling Alexandria the epic tale of 5 mythical warriors, all of whom have been horribly wronged by the terrible Lord Odious and seek revenge. Like the little girl, we are mesmerized by the story and fascinated by its 5 wildly divergent characters: Luigi, an explosives expert (Robin Smith), the brow-stroking Indian (Jeetu Verma), the escaped slave Otto Benga (Marcus Wesley), a guy named Darwin (Leo Bill) who travels with a cute monkey companion named Wallace and the Bandit who changes form from Alexandria's dead father (Emil Hostina) to the storyteller himself (Pace) as Alexandria imagines the heroes of the story while it progresses. The characters in the stuntman's story are enthralling, but the real hook is the way in which Alexandria manages to bring Roy back from the dead, at least for awhile. We may wish for that fairytale wrap-up, but as Roy so eloquently states, "There are no happy endings with me" (a statement that made me love him all the more).

Lee Pace is very impressive as Roy, fluctuating from kindness to rage while looking mighty good doing it. I'm not usually a fan of child actors, but Untaru completely stole my heart, playing Alexandria as an old soul without a hint of preciousness or pretense. All five of the actors cast as the warriors in Roy's tale are excellent with faces and costumes that are storybook ready. This movie really made me cry, wonder, smile and simply marvel at the kind of magic I've been missing so badly during this lean season for film. Leaving the theater was like waking from a dream, blinking in the sunlight and wishing you could go back to sleep and dream it all over again.

Things to love about this movie: Mind blowing visuals; exciting locations (everywhere from India to Argentina to South Africa to China to Italy, etc.); the amazing Catinca Untaru; the beautiful "Blue City"; a thrilling underwater swim with an elephant
Things to hate about this movie: Darling little monkey Wallace is shot and killed (always a bummer for me as an animal lover)
Pleasant surprises: Good looking Lee Pace playing a very negative character; the strong, effective human element that was missing from Tarsem's previous film "The Cell"
Unpleasant surprises: No disclaimer about animal safety (hopefully only due to the fact that the film is not American produced and therefore the statement isn't required, but still bothersome)

Movie Review - Before the Rains

India is a country of endless fascination, so it was a pleasure to find it captured so beautifully by director/cinematographer Santosh Sivan in this exquisitely photographed movie. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the slightly soap opera tinged storyline and under developed characters who appear to be little more than stand-ins for the symbolism of white British subjugation in southern India during the 1930s. Linus Roache stars as Henry Moores, a British spice baron whose latest project is building a road through mountainous territory with the assistance of the local tribes. Henry's loyal and devoted Indian partner in this endeavor, the ill fated T.K. (played by Rahul Bose) straddles the two worlds of his own native customs and those of his white employer. Complicating the lives of both men is Henry's illicit affair with his Indian housekeeper, Sajani (the lovely Nandita Das) which risks the very lives of all involved (including T.K. who must keep the secret). When two local boys spot the lovers everything falls apart with tragic consequences.

Billed as a "Merchant Ivory" production, there's an authentic period feel and look to the movie that is reminiscent of that great Merchant Ivory tradition, but the romance between Henry and Sajani is given short shrift here without the benefit of establishing any real history or detail about their relationship. Sivan does a good job of presenting the cultural divide and keeps his characters true to themselves. Linus Roache, a good actor, does what he can with the role of Henry, but the character is somewhat of a cipher and didn't generate much sympathy or interest for me. Jennifer Ehle and Leopold Benedict are effective as Henry's visiting wife and son, although they too aren't very well developed in the story. T.K. is perhaps the best written character with his growing desperation to balance two incompatible cultures while witnessing the worst of both. Still, there was something missing for me, although I can't define just what.

Things to love about this movie: Exquisite scenes of India (filmed in Kerala); a beautiful rendezvous between Henry and Sajani by a waterfall; Sajani's explanation to Henry's son about the souls of those who die being transferred to dragonflies; Henry's gorgeous home; the wonderful faces of the Indian actors who have been perfectly cast by the director
Things to hate about this movie: A strangely indefinable lack of passion; a less than satisfying ending
Pleasant surprises: A tribal council trial that somehow works to give the audience insight into the local customs; a great elephant who actually works alongside the locals to help build the road
Unpleasant surprises: Henry's character is too cold to arouse much sympathy for his plight; not enough screen time devoted to the tragic Sajani