Movie Review - Twilight

In a way, vampire lovers are akin to addicts of all kinds (alcoholics, druggies, coffee fiends). There may be certain types of our chosen addiction which we prefer or especially enjoy, which really get us where we want to be, but at the end of the day we'd take almost anything that even vaguely resembles what we love. So even if "Twilight" may be vampires lite, I'll take it. I've never really met a vampire I didn't like, and Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) happens to be a type of vampire I haven't seen before. Not having read the hugely popular book series on which this movie is based, I had no expectations or preconceived ideas of what the lead vampire in the story should be. Unlike vampires of the past, from classics like the great Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula to the hunky, rock & roll vampires in "The Lost Boys", Edward is a rather reserved, if intense, vampire who saves the human female of his dreams (Kristen Stewart as Bella Swann) instead of destroying her.

Moving to the rainy northwest from sunny Tucson, Bella is out of place living with her dad, the local police chief (Billy Burke) and attending a new school. One of the more intriguing aspects of her new life is a family of vampires, the Cullens, including "father" Dr. Carlisle (Peter Facinelli), "mother" Esme (Elizabeth Reaser), Alice (Ashley Greene), Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), Emmet (Kellan Lutz) and Rosalie (Nikki Reed). And then there's Edward. Of course there's an immediate attraction between the awkward Bella and the gorgeous, stand-offish Edward which becomes the main theme of the story. The romance between the human girl and the 17 year old vampire (who's actually been around for over a hundred years) is complicted by the fact that Edward mustn't ever give in to his overwhelming desire to chomp down on Bella. A subplot involves 3 "bad" vampires (Cam Gigandet, Edi Gathegi and Rachelle Lefevre) who begin ripping up the citizens of the small town, and one of them develops a fixation on Bella. A childhood friend of Bella's, a Quileute Indian boy named Jacob (played by darling Taylor Lautner), also shows up to warn Bella about the mysterious Cullens while cultivating his own sweet crush on her. There are some exciting scenes, including a game of vampire baseball during a thunderstorm and a clash of vampires when the Cullens must face off with the evil vampires in order to protect Bella. This isn't the best vampire movie I've ever seen by any means, but it's entertaining enough and, despite my reluctance to admit it, I'm actually thinking about going to see it again. Guess the teenage girl in me isn't quite dead after all.

Things to love about this movie: A very cool soundtrack that perfectly enhances scenes in the movie; terrific cast of cute newcomers who bring a fresh, interesting take to the vampire myth; a marvelous scene where Edward flies Bella up to the treetops for a stunning look at the northwest countryside
Things to hate about this movie: That overdone, white faced, red lipped, pouffed hair styling for Edward (he'd be much sexier without it); the Cullens consider themselves "vegetarians" because they only kill animals -- that's an insult!
Pleasant surprises: Edward manages to act like a teenager instead of a suave, mesmerizing vampire
Unpleasant surprises: Could have used more passion in the "romantic" scenes; when Edward reveals to Bella how he actually appears in sunlight, the cheesy F/X are a bit of a let down

Movie Review - Changeling

Viewing the trailer for this movie, I was uncertain whether to see it or not, but a Clint Eastwood directed film, along with an Angelina Jolie performance, is always worth checking out. Jolie stars as Christine Collins in a true story about a missing boy, a corrupt police force and a ranch of horrors in 1928 Los Angeles. Working as a phone operator manager, Christine is a single mom who must leave her young son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) at home when she's called in to work on a weekend, only to find him gone when she returns. The frantic mother scours the neighborhood but is forced to wait 24 hours before officially reporting the kid as missing. Unfortunately for Christine, the LAPD has recently suffered several public relations fiascos, including charges of violent behavior toward citizens, so a collision course is set up between a police department desperate for good press and a devastated mother who only wants the return of her beloved son. The boy is quickly recovered by the LAPD, but the anticipated joy of a reunion with Walter evaporates when the kid who shows up is a complete stranger to Christine. Despite her insistence that this boy is not her missing son, Christine is persuaded to take him into her home anyway in order to avoid yet another public embarrassment for the police force. The extent to which this hapless woman is punished, including incarceration in a mental hospital, for merely trying to recover her son (while confronting the LAPD) becomes the focus of the film. An additional storyline involving a deserted ranch full of empty chicken coops and dark secrets may hold the answer to what happened to Walter.

Although this movie isn't up there with the best of Eastwood's films, there are many things to like about it. The casting is perfect right down to the smallest roles with supporting players such as Michael Kelly (Detective Lester Ybarra), Devon Conti (the wrong boy returned to Christine), Jason Butler Harner (Gordon Northcott, resident of the ranch), John Malkovich (a local activist minister who provides aid to Christine) and Amy Ryan (a fellow "prisoner" in the mental hospital) contributing outstanding performances. The period details are impeccable, along with a nice, understated score (also from Eastwood) plus the chance for Angelina to show that she's more than just the mother of millions of kids. She's an actress of exceptional skill, but there were times when her character became a bit weepy and melodramatically emotional. One of my problems was that the secondary storyline about the ranch and what happened there was more interesting than the main focus concerning the child's disappearance.

Things to love about this movie: Period touches such as phone operator managers on roller skates and old time street cars; a stand out performance from young Eddie Alderson as a pivotal character who shows up in connection with the ranch
Things to hate about this movie: The LAPD characters, with the exception of Detective Ybarra, were villainous to the point of caricature; scenes in the mental hospital were also overdone with lots of scenery chewing plus every cliche in the book
Pleasant surprises: Some really scary stuff featuring a maniac with cleavers and axes
Unpleasant surprises: The courtroom scenes in which Christine's predicament was brought to light were a bit anticlimactic; a scene where a back lot with a backdrop is clearly standing in for 1920/1930 Vancouver

Movie Review - Rock N Rolla

Welcome back Guy Ritchie! Here's to real live, heart pumping, pulse jumping, pedal to the medal filmmaking. Nobody does it better. From the opening beats to the sweet mano e mano dance over the closing credits, this movie is pure Guy at his best. It's style, off beat humor, deadbeat characters, all with a kick this writer/director seems to deliver effortlessly. Taking one of the oldest plots around --- small and big time tough guys scrambling for riches -- Ritchie turns the tired story on its head, filling it with fresh, unpredictable predicaments, crazy characters and plenty of nasty humor. In fact, Ritchie himself has made a career out of retelling this same story, or something very similar, over and over again, yet every time it's as though it's never been told quite this way before. How does he do it? Impossible to say, but it's a mystery I'd rather simply enjoy than solve.

We're back in London, the new London of multi-million dollar development deals, slick Russian operators, crooked construction scams and a rapidly changing cityscape of modern chrome and steel where underworld types roam and clash. Tom Wilkinson plays Lenny, a ruthless gangster who strikes a deal with Uri (Karel Roden), a Russian guy with bottomless pockets and a "lucky" painting that becomes an unexpectedly crucial part of the action. In order to complete construction on the huge complex he wants to build, Uri must go through Lenny to bypass the usual city requirements to the tune of $7 million. Of course along the way everything not only goes awry but a motley assortment of fortune hunters comes out of the woodwork to chase the pot of cash, including a couple of lowlife pals named One Two (Gerard Butler) and Mumbles (Idris Elba) who have a knack for messing up almost everything they touch, a sexy financial advisor known as Stella (Thandie Newton) playing both ends against the middle, and drugged out, supposedly deceased rock n roller Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell) who stumbles on a valuable piece of the puzzle. Add to the mix two club operators (played by Ludacris and Jeremy Piven) trying to locate their "dead" rock singer Quid before all their clubs get shut down, plus a gay punk called Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy) who's got a thing for One Two. Details of the story can't come close to doing justice to this free-for-all of a film though, so it's rather pointless to even try. It must be seen to be appreciated -- this movie is a real rock n rolla.

Things to love about this movie: As usual from Ritchie, an awesome soundtrack that makes scene after scene pop; Mark Strong's buttoned down, elegant performance as Lenny's lieutenant Archie; Ritchie's hilarious treatment of the awkward situation between One Two and Handsome Bob; Gerard Butler's dancing scene (well, actually two dancing scenes)
Things to hate about this movie: We had to wait so long for it to come along
Pleasant surprises: Thandie Newton (normally not one of my favorite actresses) is perfectly cast as the conniving Stella and gives a nice twist to the femme fatale role; the suggestion of a sequel at the movie's end (is it genuine or a joke?); there's pretty much one fun surprise after another
Unpleasant surprises: I can't help feeling relieved that Guy Ritchie will no longer be involved with Madonna so he can return to being the fantastic filmmaker I've missed

Movie Review - Pride and Glory

Like movies about CIA espionage in the Middle East, stories about corrupt cops seem to be everywhere. It's unfortunate when these genres become so prevalent because it dilutes their effectiveness and becomes a challenge for anything new to be brought to the table. "Pride and Glory", starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell, is the latest entry in this ever growing litany. Once again, we have a multi-generational family of New York cops mixed up in nefarious dealings with drug runners, shake-downs for money and even the murders of other cops. Norton plays Ray Tierney, who is assigned by his father (Jon Voight) to the task force investigating the slaughter of 4 policemen. Though Ray is reluctant to take on the assignment, he digs in with determination and intelligence only to uncover an increasingly disturbing trail of corruption that may lead to a member of his own family. Ray's brother Francis (Noah Emmerich), who is in charge of the unit in which the murdered police officers worked, and his brother-in-law Jimmy (Colin Farrell), also a police officer, are just two of the pieces in this complicated puzzle. Also figuring into the action are a multitude of various out of control cops-on-the-take (John Ortiz is a stand-out) and Francis' cancer stricken wife (Jennifer Ehle). As Ray moves closer to exposing the truth, loyalties to family clash with duty and honor on the job, making for an explosive finale.

It took me a little while to sort out the players and figure out exactly what was involved with the scenario of the murdered cops, especially since much of the action is fast and brutal. In fact, here's a warning: This movie contains several intensely violent scenes, so those who are bothered by such things (I am not) might want to avoid seeing it, or at least be forewarned. It's always a pleasure to see such a stellar cast turn in their usual excellent work, even if the storyline doesn't really offer anything too fresh. Along with some truly disturbing scenes and situations there are also a few too many shoot-outs and beatings that don't add anything vital. Perhaps I wouldn't have such a mixed reaction to this movie if it didn't involve such an overused premise. While it's certainly worth seeing, it lacks the spark that makes other films in this genre (such as "L.A. Confidential", "Prince of the City", "Serpico") classics.

Things to love about this movie: Terrific performances from everyone; good use of sound effects (the rumbling of the overhead trains never seemed so ominous as here)
Things to hate about this movie: One too many catastrophic problems (does Francis' wife need to by dying of cancer on top of everything else he has to deal with?)
Pleasant surprises: There is an explanation given for the nasty scar on Ray's face; Francis' tender scenes with his wife
Unpleasant surprises: An unforgettable scene featuring Jimmy, a baby and a hot iron (though unpleasant, it was highly effective)

Movie Review - The Secret Life of Bees

A house painted pink and a bevy of beautiful, talented actresses still can't make this movie fly for me. Despite its good intentions and marvelous cast, I couldn't get past the unfortunate fact that the story revolves around a brat of a main character who seems to be poison to everyone whose path she crosses. Yes, I'm referring to Dakota Fanning as Lily. I have to admit that this actress has always annoyed me, so perhaps I'm not objective enough to rate any performance she gives, but in this case it's also the character who bugs. Lily is the victim of a horrifying family situation and is obviously set up for our sympathy. At 4 years old she accidentally shoots and kills her own mother. Then life with her angry, redneck father (an almost unrecognizable Paul Bettany) becomes wretched, with dear old dad shoving, shouting and forcing the girl to kneel in a pile of grits as punishment. At 14 Lily runs away, accompanied by the family housekeeper Rosaleen (the wonderful Jennifer Hudson), who has been beaten by one of the locals. After recognizing a label on a jar of honey as one of her mother's keepsakes, Lily heads for a place called Tiburon where the honey is made. Here she and Rosaleen encounter a house full of sisters: August (Queen Latifah), June (Alicia Keys) and May (Sophie Okonedo). These cultured, supportive women provide a safe haven as Lily learns beekeeping along with parts of her mother's secret past.

There are certainly many things to like in this movie, particularly the strong performances by Jennifer Hudson and Sophie Okonedo, but an overload of nobility weighs down the character of August despite Queen Latifah's obvious talent. Alicia Keys does an excellent job switching gears from singer to actress, and there's good chemistry between her and Nate Parker as her boyfriend Neil. Paul Bettany chews the scenery as Lily's nasty father, but there's not much he can do with this one dimensional character. The injustices of the times (1964) are well represented as they impact the every day lives of the characters, an aspect I wish had been further explored in place of Lily's relentless perils.

Things to love about this movie: The wailing wall May has set up in the yard; a light hearted scene of singing and dancing in the kitchen; the black Mary statue from which the women gain strength and courage
Things to hate about this movie: The perpetually whining and clueless Lily involves herself in situations that prove dangerous to others when she should know better
Pleasant surprises: Delightful performance by young actor Tristan Wilds playing what could have been a throwaway character
Unpleasant surprises: A capitulation to tradition that seems out of character for one of the sisters; Jennifer Hudson should have been given more screen time and Dakota Fanning less

Movie Review - Rachel Getting Married

Longing to attend a dysfunctional wedding? If so, "Rachel Getting Married" may be right up your alley. The new film from director Jonathan Demme uses a documentary style to give us the story of a recovering drug addict returning home for the nuptials of her sister. The prodigal daughter Kym (a beautiful performance by Anne Hathaway) is checked out of rehab to attend the event where her sister Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) will marry the wonderful Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe) while surrounded by loving members of both families. There's merry making, music, toasts, silly games, family meals, inclement weather, bridesmaids' outfits, heart-to-heart talks. In short, all the usual stuff that wedding celebrations are made of. And then there's Kym. She's a walking, smoking nightmare as she proceeds to create awkward moments and angry clashes, especially with her sister Rachel. It's clear from the outset that old wounds have never healed on the part of wayward Kym or her family members, including a desperately ingratiating father (Bill Irwin) and a somewhat distant mother (Debra Winger). The plot turns on a devastating family event from the past in which Kym and her drug addiction played a major role.

Writer Jenny Lumet has a good ear for dialogue, especially in the 12-step meetings which Kym attends and the numerous arguments between the two sisters. We're given a true sense of this family with all its conflicts and tragedies, although Kym remains the central focus and most interesting character for me. Hathaway rips up the screen with an amazing portrayal of a chronically debilitated young woman who's part drama queen, part little lost lamb. DeWitt also turns in an excellent performance, along with Mather Zickel as a wedding attendee who happens to show up in Kym's 12-step group as well. The movie meanders a bit with a few too many shouting matches, but it's an impressive first screenplay that stays with you after leaving the theater.

Things to love about this movie: Anne Hathaways' extraordinary performance; the day-by-day struggle of a former addict to cope with problems is handled with unusual subtlety; no sentimentality and only a little melodrama in dealing with the family tragedy
Things to hate about this movie: The perpetually playing band that serenades too many scenes and becomes thoroughly annoying
Pleasant surprises: Although Rachel is marrying a black man, there's little made of the racial divide with members of both families seamlessly joining forces; a strikingly brutal confrontation between Kym and her mother; a beautiful blue elephant wedding cake
Unpleasant surprises: Sidney is a marvelous character who isn't given nearly enough screen time

Movie Review - W.

Oliver Stone continues his political biopic tradition with "W.", a surprisingly even handed presentation of the life and times of George W. Bush featuring a bravura performance by Josh Brolin in the title role and Stone's biting commentary about our current president. It must have been tempting for Stone to merely poke fun at our easily spoofed leader, but he takes the more complicated, and ultimately effective, path of dissecting the life of a good ole Texas boy who became one of the most powerful people in the world with disastrous consequences for all. We pick up the W. story with his early days at Yale where his hard drinking, mediocre academic results and responsibility shirking ways put him into increasing conflict with his father. W. hops from one job to another, racks up a DUI arrest, impreganates his girlfriend while his father manages to take care of the multiple screw-ups. There's minimal coverage of W.'s marriage to Laura and his election to Governor of Texas with a little more screen time devoted to his recovery from alcoholism as a born again Christian.

An excellent cast (James Cromwell as the senior Bush, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice, Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld) offers completely believable characterizations of these well known individuals that go beyond mere imitation. There's excellent use of music with such songs as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and "What a Wonderful World" highlighting scenes of destruction and the especially appropriate Bob Dylan song "With God On Our Side" playing over the ending credits. The movie goes on a little too long and doesn't really catch fire like some of Stone's movies can do, but there's much to admire about this attempt to capture a man who is ultimately unfathomable.

Things to love about this movie: Josh Brolin's amazing portrayal of W.; a horrifying strategy session on the invasion of Iraq that conjures images of "Dr. Strangelove"
Things to hate about this movie: Stone over uses the baseball metaphor for W.'s longing to be admired and applauded as well as over emphasizing W.'s conflicts with his father
Pleasant surprises: The humor in the movie was of a deeper, angrier sort than the trailer led me to assume; not nearly as bombastic as some of Stone's other movies
Unpleasant surprises: Not much new material surfaces; Stone cuts W. a little too much slack for my taste