‘The Proposal’ (PG-13) Review

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

When a strong-willed business woman is suddenly told she might lose her job and be deported to her native Canada, she impulsively forces her ever-loyal executive assistant into a shotgun engagement in order to get a green card and stay in the country. The plan gets complicated when the mismatched twosome must go to meet his family in Alaska and convince everyone, including a pesky government investigator, that their impending marriage is the real thing.

WHO’S IN IT?

Sandra Bullock has never been more appealing in the kind of “tough boss” role normally associated with male actors. The Proposal turns the usual romantic comedy tables around, giving Bullock lots to play with — and she certainly makes the most of it, painting a hilarious picture of an attractive and surprisingly vulnerable business exec caught in a situation spiraling out of control. Ryan Reynolds’ sitcom expertise is put to good use in the role of her willingly unwilling assistant who must join her charade or risk losing his job. This is Reynolds’ best outing as a rom-com lead yet, and he shows he could own the genre if provided the right material. Stealing the movie from both of them, however, is the irrepressible Betty White, who plays Reynolds’ saucy Grammy. Once again, the Golden Girls alum proves she has comic timing second to none.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Knowing the standard romantic comedy setup just isn’t going to cut it anymore, director Anne Fletcher (Step Up, 27 Dresses) turns The Proposal into more of a screwball farce, letting the laughs fly without forcing them on us. She’s helped by two game lead players who really know their way around this well-worn genre and provide just the right balance to keep this merry soufflé from falling apart. The breathtaking remote locations (Massachusetts, oddly enough, substitutes for Alaska) don’t hurt.

WHAT’S BAD?

No matter how inventive the script, it’s pretty obvious where things are going to wind up in any romantic comedy. But The Proposal, despite following the standard blueprint, still manages to keep us guessing until the very end and that accounts for most of the fun.

FAVORITE SCENE:

A scene in which Bullock and Reynolds accidentally run into each other sans clothing is hilarious, worthy of the best farceurs. A close second is a sequence involving a little dog, a menacing eagle and a cell phone. Classic stuff.

BEST REASON TO PLOP DOWN 10 BUCKS?

After 60 — count ‘em 60 — years in show business, with six Emmys and numerous TV series to show for it, Betty White at age 87 still proves there can be second, third and even fourth acts in life. She gives a movie star turn here that shows everyone how it’s done.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

As an alternative to big summer action flicks and gross-out comedies, The Proposal is definitely the date movie du jour.

‘Year One’ (PG-13) Review

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

Year One centers on the exploits of two moronic early dudes, clumsy hunter Zed and deadpan and dopey Oh. After Zed is banished from his village for eating the wrong thing, Oh joins him on a journey over many miles of land and through the sands of time. They wind up in the biblical era (don’t ask how if you want to continue enjoying this thing), where they meet the likes of Cain and Abel, become slaves and somehow wind up in forbidden Sodom. It’s not EXACTLY the “year one,” but hey, who’s counting?

WHO’S IN IT?

Jack Black is an obvious choice to play the Neanderthal idiot, Zed. He looks like he was born into the role, in fact, and offers up the appropriate belching and farting to make you believe he’s a VERY primitive kind of guy. As his reluctant partner Oh, Michael Cera does not stray far from the screen persona he has been building since Juno, and even in caveman attire he still has the air of a confused high school nerd. His right-on deadpan delivery of his lines, though, is the one saving grace in this whole sorry enterprise. Casting this most contemporary of actors in the most period of pieces turns out to be inspired. As various biblical characters, David Cross, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), Vinnie Jones and especially Hank Azaria (as the prophet Abraham) do what is required to squeeze the humor out of a bad situation. Even an uncredited Paul Rudd turns up as the doomed Abel to help keep Year One afloat and is actually quite funny for the few minutes he’s around.

WHAT’S GOOD?

Best idea was to put the nonplussed Cera into the movie. He’s not an obvious choice for this sort of thing, and it’s nice to see him out of his comfort zone. He gets genuine laughs — an exceedingly rare occurrence in this concoction.

WHAT’S BAD?

Director Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Stripes) certainly knows his way around outrageous comedy situations, but he doesn’t seem to know what to do with this one. It’s not enough to put a couple of funny comics in furs and cave attire without giving them funny lines. The fart jokes only go so far(t). Year One is so forgettable and lamentable that by the time the end credits roll, you just want to head straight to the exits and forget what you’ve just sat through for 97 minutes.

FAVORITE SCENE:

Pick anything from the trailer or the TV spots, because they contain the ONLY genuinely amusing bits in the picture.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

Hmmmm, let’s just say NEITHER.

‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ (PG-13) Review

WHAT IT’S ABOUT?

The uber-anticipated sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen picks up shortly after the events of the blockbuster first film. With evil Megatron’s carcass buried at the bottom of the ocean, Optimus Prime and his Autobot comrades, working together with an elite group of human soldiers, are now focused on hunting the remaining Decepticons scattered across the globe. Sam Witwicky, hero of the 2007 movie, is busy preparing for his first year at college, while his unlikely girlfriend, Mikaela Barnes, stays behind to tend to her father’s auto-repair shop. Little do they know, however, that back on Cybertron a Decepticon elder known as “The Fallen” is hatching a scheme to invade Earth, where hidden somewhere on the planet is the last known source of energon, the life-blood of all Transformers. If he succeeds, the devastation left in his wake will no doubt spell the end of the human race. With the fate of Earth hanging in the balance, Sam and Mikaela must once again have to team up with Optimus and the Autobots to defeat this powerful new foe.

WHO’S IN IT?

All the major human players from the first Transformers film are back for the sequel, including Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel and John Turturro. Newcomers include Ramon Rodriguez, who plays Sam’s conspiracy-obsessed college roommate Leo, and The Office’s Rainn Wilson, who enjoys a notable cameo as a pompous physics professor.

Of course, the actors merely serve as background filler for the real stars of the show: those titular talking-alien robots. And director Michael Bay fills up the screen with enough mechanical eye candy to dazzle even the most skeptical gearhead. Returning characters include Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide, Barricade, Jazz (don’t act surprised), Starscream, Frenzy and Megatron (again, don’t act surprised).

Several new Autobots are introduced to the mix: Mudflap and Skids, a pair of jive-talking, ceaselessly annoying hatchbacks; Jolt, a Chevy Volt; Sideswipe, a silver Corvette; and Jetfire, an elderly Decepticon turncoat who walks with a cane, speaks with an English accent and transforms into an SR-71 Blackbird. Additions to Decepticon side include: The Fallen, who we learn is the Decepticons’ real head honcho (consider him the Emperor Palpatine to Megatron’s Darth Vader); Soundwave, a communications specialist who sinks his tentacles into a satellite and spies on us from above; Ravage, a panther-like creature; Wheelie, a radio-controlled truck who talks like Joe Pesci; “the Doctor,” a sort of mad scientist who speaks with a German accent (naturally); and the Constructicons, a group of construction vehicles that fuse together to form a massive, four-legged beast.

WHAT’S GOOD?

No director does over-the-top, explosion-laded action better than Michael Bay, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen features several staggering set pieces. The CGI work on this film makes the last one look like it was designed on a Commodore 64.

WHAT’S BAD?

Any scene in which people talk — and several of the ones in which robots talk, too. Just as the action and visual effects are beefed up for the sequel, the bad jokes and cringe-worthy dialogue are as well. Highlights include two dogs humping, John Turturro in a thong, a robot humping Megan Fox’s leg, a sequence involving Sam’s stoned mom, and a glimpse of a very large pair of testicles on one very large Decepticon. The latter will likely go down as the “nipples-on-the-Batsuit” moment for the Transformers franchise.

FAVORITE SCENE?

The show-stopping climax, set in the Egyptian desert, is one extended, riotous battle royale packed with so much robot-on-robot action you’ll feel overwhelmed at times.

NETFLIX OR MULTIPLEX?

This big-budget spectacle begs to be seen at the multiplex — IMAX, if possible. Just bring a pair of earplugs for the dialogue sequences. You might want to bring some Dramamine as well, as Mr. Bay went a little overboard with his trademark circling-camera sequences this time around.

The International (Review)

The International (Review)
Story
Looking like it was ripped from the headlines, The International focuses on the corrupt dealings of a fictional bank that will go to any means possible to serve as a conduit for illegal weapons sales to people who shouldn’t be getting them. Enter an Interpol agent (Clive Owen), who is teamed with a New York assistant District Attorney (Naomi Watts) to go after a network of suave, crafty Europeans bent on carrying out their dirty business as they always have. Following their trail around the world in such locales as Berlin, Italy, New York and Istanbul, the two become targets in an unending high stakes game of murder and intrigue.

Acting
Looking more unkempt and unshaven than ever, Owen totally connects with the role of an eccentric agent who stumbles on to a worldwide conspiracy which eventually leads to a group of corrupt bankers. Who knew? It makes you realize what an ideal James Bond he would have been. Unfortunately, Watts just isn’t his match. She comes across as bland and lost, never able to get a beat on this lawyer who is caught up in an international scandal. Forced to utter obvious lines like, “This isn’t over” at the 80-minute mark, she has zero chemistry opposite Owen.

Direction
German director Tom Twyker, who broke out with the riveting and stylish Run Lola Run 10 years ago, has his best outing since that film, carefully navigating the numerous and colorful locations with just enough pacing and attention to detail to keep this from turning into yet another Bourne ripoff. He seems totally in control of the complicated and dense storyline, pulling off a sensational set piece at New York’s Guggenheim Museum (actually meticulously re-created in a Berlin warehouse), where Owen gets involved in a shootout to end all shootouts with numerous bad guys. It’s a stunning scene, running about 15 minutes — and a textbook example of how to shoot an action sequence. It’s reminiscent of some of the best cold war spy thrillers of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and that’s a high compliment. See it.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Review)

Confessions of a Shopaholic (Review)

Story
Rebecca Bloomfield (Isla Fisher) is a big-spending but cash-poor shopaholic who has dreams of working for her favorite fashion magazine but ironically is given a job as a columnist for a financial magazine from the same publisher. Of course, not being the perfect candidate to dole out advice on managing money, she butts heads with her good-looking but work-obsessed editor (Hugh Dancy) until, this being a romantic comedy, the sparks start flying between them. Her efforts to conquer her addictions, hit her fashion career goals and find love and contentment carry this lightweight concoction.

Acting
Confessions is worth the ride if only to establish Fisher as a comic star in her own right. So good in supporting roles in movies like Wedding Crashers, she gets to shine, showing humor, heart and chutzpah as a girl who never met a credit card she didn’t like. She turns a character who could have been gratingly annoying into someone even the non-shopaholics in the audience can easily identify with and root for. Dancy is a great foil and perfect opposite in the great tradition of romantic comedies going back to the ‘30s and ‘40s. A raft of familiar faces also turn up amusingly including John Lithgow as the magazine magnate, John Goodman and Joan Cusack as Rebecca’s loopy parents and the wonderful Kristin Scott Thomas as a somewhat clueless French fashion editor. But pay special attention to newcomer Krysten Ritter as Fisher’s moneybags roommate.

Direction
Australian P.J. Hogan certainly has shown a penchant for this kind of comedy, first with the sleeper hit Muriel’s Wedding and then the Julia Roberts smash, My Best Friend’s Wedding. He knows when to tone it down and go for heart, which is key to making a broad comedy like this work overall. The film also makes New York terrific, Technicolored, bright and inviting. It helps that the bestselling books by Sophie Kinsella on which the script is based provide such smart core material. Whether timing in the current economic crisis is right for a movie about an upscale shopaholic is beside the point. Clearly, this is more fantasy now than ever, and that’s probably all good.

Friday the 13th (Review)

Friday the 13th (Review)

 

 

 

Friday the 13th (Review)

Story
Crystal Lake. Dumb kids in the woods. Sex, drugs, booze. A hulking maniac in a hockey mask, wielding a machete. Yeah, that about sums it up.

Acting
Are you kidding? The new Jason, Derek Mears, probably fares best among the actors, because he doesn’t have a single word of dialogue. Everyone else unfortunate enough to stumble in front of the camera – Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Danielle Panabaker, Travis Van Winkle  – is basically fodder for the slaughter. Some of them get naked. Most of them get dead. Some die more gorily than others. No one dies quickly enough.

Direction
Having previously (and woefully) directed the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, helmer Marcus Nispel does his best – and worst – to resurrect yet another popular horror franchise from the past. He also adds absolutely nothing new to the formula. Quite frankly, anyone could’ve directed this film. Judging by the results, anyone did. This is the 12th Friday the 13th film, for those keeping score at home, and with any luck it’ll be the last. Of course, it won’t be. But we can always hope.

Inkheart (PG) Review

Story
Based on Cornelia Funke’s best-selling children’s book, Inkheart takes its literary inspirations literally. It revolves around a father, Mortimer “Mo” Folchart (Brendan Fraser) and his 12-year-old daughter Meggie (Eliza Hope Bennett), who share a gift — or curse — of being able to make characters leap out of the pages just by reading aloud. Unfortunately, whenever they do this, a real person must then be transferred into the book as a replacement. It can get complicated, especially when Mo accidentally sends his wife (Sienna Guillory) into a book called Inkheart, only to bring out its villains to wreak havoc on the real world. He spends the next nine years, trying to find another copy of the book and bring her back, while one of the book’s main characters, Dustfinger (Paul Bettany), follows Mo, trying to get back into the book. An adventure waiting to happen!

Acting
The entire cast is wonderfully in tune with the whimsical tone of this inventive and clever story. Fraser doesn’t stretch any acting muscles but serves the film well as its central father figure and hero. Bettany (Master and Commander), as the literary sidekick Dustfinger, steals the whole show, giving his character heaping amounts of irony, warmth and humanity. Joining them is Helen Mirren, who adds an element of elegance and uptightness as the great aunt swept along for the ride. Andy Serkis (LOTR’s Gollum) is properly villainous throughout, while Brit Jim Broadbent (Iris) is daffy and hilarious as the author of Inkheart, who keeps complicating matters for everyone.

Direction
Inkheart  uses sheer imaginative filmmaking prowess with an engaging story that feels as original and fresh as it does familiar. Director Iain Softley (Wings of the Dove) makes the most of the colorful European locations, including the picturesque Italian Riviera, transformed into storybook heaven. The film is well-paced, carrying a great subtle message about the powers of reading and creative writing. Much like the Oscar-nominated The Reader — a wildly different kind of movie to be sure — this film shows the joys of getting lost, and in this case, found in the world of books.

Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans Review

Story
Taking the bare bones of The Ten Commandments and Romeo and Juliet, this pedestrian tale explains the origins of Lucian (Michael Sheen), a “Lycan” (read: lycanthrope), who served the vicious vampire king Viktor (Bill Nighy) but would eventually lead a revolt of his fellow Lycans (read: slaves) after his illicit affair with Viktor’s daughter Sonja (Rhona Mitra) was revealed. From this, the war between vampires and werewolves would be waged for generations to come, depicted in Underworld and Underworld: Evolution. Those unfamiliar with the previous films might be a little lost here, and it’s highly unlikely that Rise of the Lycans will win many new fans to the franchise.

Acting
With his glow-in-the-dark eyes and penchant for delivering every syllable with relish, Nighy does his best to enliven things, but there’s not much to work with — and hamminess only goes so far. Sheen’s female fans may enjoy seeing him shaggy and occasionally shirtless, but if The Queen and Frost/Nixon proved he’s capable of doing good work with good material, this proves that, at least, he can cash in with bad material. Mitra, who survived the rigors of Doomsday, is fit and fetching here. But performances are not this movie’s strong suit. Very little is.

Direction
This marks the directorial debut of award-winning production designer Patrick Tatopoulos (who also supervised the creature design), so it’s no surprise that the film is steeped in medieval atmosphere and loaded with CGI effects. Beyond that, it’s a crashing bore — even with the gore.

Not Easily Broken (2008)Review

Story
Dave Johnson’s (Morris Chestnut) dreams of playing in the major leagues have long been dashed and now he’s left to coach Little League and try to make a go of his modest construction firm. He’s a good guy, but after more than a decade of marriage, he’s is constantly harassed by his successful realtor/wife Clarice (Taraji P. Henson) and her obnoxious mother, Mary (Jenifer Lewis). A tragic automobile accident brings things to a marital boiling point — Clarice becomes housebound with severe leg injuries, and Dave just might be attracted to the physical therapist Julie (Maeve Quinlan), a white single mother who has arrived to help out.

Acting
Based on T.D. Jakes’ religious themed book Woman Thou Art Loosed , this intense and old fashioned drama offers some meaty roles to some fine actors, and they run with the opportunity — particularly Chestnut, who displays such warmth and likeability he seems almost too good to be true. Henson (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Hustle and Flow) has had a few good screen outings of late but probably could have taken it down just a notch to make Clarice just a little more empathetic. You almost wonder how poor Dave has lasted so long with this woman. Ditto Lewis. On the other hand, the warm and understanding Quinlan is the perfect counterpoint, pointing out a real crisis of conscience for Dave. Welcome comic relief comes in the form of his buddies, Eddie Cibrian and particularly the highly amusing Kevin Hart. And watch for a restaurant-scene cameo by Jakes.

Direction
Fortunately, actor turned director Bill Duke knows how to rein in this tricky marital story and make its most important message — tolerance and perseverance in relationships –somehow ring true. There may not be a whole lot of subtlety in this particular tale (or many of Jakes books in general), but it’s an agreeable and engrossing affair that’s worthy of attention from anyone involved in a long term relationship. And it’s certainly refreshing for once to see this kind of romantic drama played out almost entirely from the male point of view.

The Unborn (2009)Review

Story
Attractive college co-ed Casey (Odette Yustman) finds herself the target of the diabolical Dybbuk, a spirit which has bided its time since her birth to make its nefarious presence known. Is it perhaps a manifestation of her twin brother, who died in the womb all those years ago? Since dear old Dad (James Remar) is away on business — seemingly for the entire length of the movie — concerned Casey seeks answers from Sofi Kozma (Jane Alexander), a survivor of the Holocaust who may hold the key to Casey’s past. Needless to say, those to whom Casey confides her fears often find themselves in danger of being offed in gruesome fashion. (Misery may love company, but the Dybbuk doesn’t.) In a last-ditch effort to rid herself of the evil spirit, Casey turns to Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman), who finally agrees to perform an exorcism after he, too, sees the signs.

Acting
Aside from acting terrified (and looking good doing it), Yustman (Cloverfield) is totally at the mercy of the story, which shows little mercy when it comes to providing any concrete (or even shaky) answers to the questions it raises. She’s attractive, but there’s not much else to the character. As Casey’s respective boyfriend and best friend, Cam Gigandet (Twilight) and Meagan Good (Saw V) are merely functionaries, offering the typical mixture of skepticism and support before learning for themselves — too late, of course! — that maybe Casey’s suspicions have validity. Adding a (misplaced?) touch of class to the proceedings are Oldman, who doesn’t embarrass himself, and Alexander, who isn’t so fortunate. It’s also a wonder why Carla Gugino, seen occasionally in flashback as Casey’s deceased mother, even bothered. It’s a nothing role, which might explain why the actress has no billing other than in the end credits.

Direction
There’s no question that writer/director David S. Goyer has a deep love and appreciation for horror and science-fiction, given his previous credits, which include the scripts for Dark City, Blade and The Dark Knight, but as a director his work (which includes Blade: Trinity and last year’s The Invisible) leaves much to be desired. There are some good ideas here, and some individual scenes are reasonably effective, but the parts don’t add up to a satisfactory whole. The Unborn suffers from a botched delivery.

Bride Wars (2009)Review

Story
Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway) are lifelong best friends obsessed with getting married — and more importantly, having the perfect wedding at New York’s Plaza Hotel. Except there’s a glitch: Their June weddings get scheduled for the same Saturday and no other date is available for three years! When neither agrees to move to a different venue, the battle is on. And the pranks: There’s Emma’s disastrous trip to a tanning salon where her skin becomes solid orange and Liv’s appointment at a beauty salon where her blonde locks are turned mysteriously blue.

Acting
Adding this to her recent list of dumb comedies like My Best Friend’s Girl and Fool’s Gold, Hudson is in need of a serious career intervention. Her character here, a supposedly smart lawyer who will sink to ANY depths to get married and have a dream wedding just doesn’t mesh. It’s SO 50 years ago that feminists watching these two engage in a knock-down drag-out fight over a hotel ballroom will recoil in horror. And after all that acclaim for Rachel Getting Married, Hathaway should just find a place to hide – though, to be fair, in one or two scenes she does manage to find a shred of believability. Too bad it’s not nearly enough.

Direction
Although it starts out with a bit of promise, director Gary Winick clearly just sat back as the proceedings spun out of control with one ridiculous scene after another. Of course, he isn’t given much help by Greg DePaul, CaseyWilson and June Diane Raphael’s waaaaaaay over-the-top screenplay which reduces these two apparent friends into babbling morons. Those interested in witnessing two women demean themselves for 90 minutes should have a lot of fun.

The Tale of Despereaux (G) Review

Story
In the tradition of a classic Disney-esque animated fairy tale, The Tale of Despereaux, based on the award winning children’s classic by Kate DiCamillo, is about a mouse named Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), with Dumbo-sized ears and an oversized heart. His home , the Kingdom of Dor, was once a happy place but now due to unexpected events, it has been shrouded by doom and gloom. Not for Despereaux! The fearless rodent doesn’t adhere to the usual mouse-like criteria but instead yearns for adventure, especially after he starts reading fables from the castle library. He also bonds with Princess Pea (Emma Watson), who is sad and lonely her kingdom is in such disarray. Despereaux looks at her as a damsel in distress and wants to help. Unfortunately, these are all serious no-nos in Mouseworld, and so Despereaux is banished him to live in the dungeon with the evil Rats, where he meets an agreeable rat, Roscuro (Dustin Hoffman), who is also different from his kind. Roscuro wants to right some past wrongs but is spurned by the princess. Needless to say, things do indeed go awry, and Despereaux must summon all his courage and bravery to save the day.

Acting
Some of the best ensemble casts in movies are being assembled for animated features these days, and The Tale of Despereaux is a prime example. Broderick is ideal as the dignified and ultimately courageous little mouse. Hoffman — in his second ‘toon turn of the year (Kung Fu Panda) — proves again as the soup-loving Roscuro he has a real future as an animated character. Harry Potter’s Watson has the perfunctory English princess role but plays it with compassion, while Tracey Ullman, as maid-cum-wannabe princess Mig, doesn’t go for the laughs but portrays Mig as a hopeful outcast looking for a fairy tale ending to her humdrum life. A whole set of other wonderful vocal talents in Despereaux include Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, Richard Jenkins, Stanley Tucci, William H. Macy, Robbie Coltrane and Christopher Lloyd. And to top it off with just the right touch of whimsy is the lilting narration of Sigourney Weaver, whose comforting voice will assure the youngest kids in the audience that things in Dor aren’t quite as dire as they appear.

Direction
Co-directors Sam Fell and Rob Stevenhagen invest into this gorgeous-looking film all the care that went into the art of DiCamillo’s beautiful book. In fact, unlike many other recent animated features, Despereaux is distinctly old-fashioned, despite all the CGI. The look of the movie is definitely inspired by older, more traditional Disney-style fairy tale classics. Gary Ross’ (Seabiscuit) fine screenplay is reverential to the book and doesn’t back away from the darker aspects of the story which, despite its G rating might be a little on the scary side for the very young ones. For everyone else The Tale of Despereaux is most likely this season’s must-see movie event for the entire family.

Seven Pounds (PG-13)Review

Story
Who knew that Will Smith could deliver the year’s most unexpected and profoundly moving love story? He plays Ben, a man with a deep, dark secret that leads him help seven complete strangers, each with their own particular set of circumstances. Constructed like a jigsaw puzzle, we slowly get clues to the traumatic events that cause Ben to contact these people and change their lives in ways they never could have anticipated. What he doesn’t expect is to fall in love with one of them — Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson), a cardiac patient whose heart may be weak but is clearly strong enough to make a difference in the way Ben looks at things. It’s this relationship that becomes the center of Grant Nieporte’s compelling screenplay, but as it continues it’s obvious there is more to what Ben is doing, a mystery not revealed until the final moments and one you will not easily forget.

Acting
Will Smith is at his best. He may be the world’s No. 1 movie star at the moment, but he’s continually proving himself to be a brilliant actor as well. Reteaming with director Gabriele Muccino, who led him to a Best Actor Oscar nomination in The Pursuit of Happyness, Smith once again finds his dramatic mojo in the role of a man whose life has been shattered by something so profoundly affecting that he reaches out to strangers in an effort to redeem himself. You will be hard-pressed to find the loveable Will Smith persona anywhere within this character. Dawson also has a career best as the spunky and courageous Emily, a role that could have been sloppily sentimentalized and maudlin. She’s a revelation, delivering a flawless and luminous performance. And best among the various recipients of Ben’s kindness is Woody Harrelson as a blind man he encounters. Also quite good is Barry Pepper as Ben’s childhood friend, who is the only other person “in” on Ben’s master plan, helping him to achieve his goal. He rips your heart out when he gets the call from Ben, who says, “It’s time.”

Direction
Gabriele Muccino puts it all out there. He is an unapologetically emotional director and some will probably find fault with his style, but as the Italian filmmaker proved in Pursuit of Happyness he knows exactly what he’s doing and where he’s taking the story. He’s most successful here in building suspense and an air of mystery around Smith’s character and then bringing it all home in a whopper of a final act. Clearly, story, acting and gut-level feeling are the three things that drive Muccino, and his distinctive stamp and European approach is evident throughout. Most of all, he has given Smith and Dawson a real showcase, finding the meat of a story that’s one from the heart and good for the soul.

Yes Man (PG-13) Review

Story
Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is a drag — a recent divorcee in a dead-end job, who basically has one word for everything: “No!” Then one day he is dragged to one of those super positive, self-help seminars that forces him to say “Yes” to everything or face dire consequences. Thing is, it works. Need Viagra? Yes. Bungee jumping? Yes. A quick hummer by his over-sexed septuagenarian neighbor (Fionnula Flanagan)? Uh … yes? Carl’s newfound, agreeable self gains him more than he ever imagined. He even finds the love of his life, a kooky musician/amateur photographer named Allison (Zooey Deschanel). Of course, all this goodwill does have its consequences, and Carl learns some valuable lessons. Sound familiar? Hey, if Liar Liar worked once why not go back to the comedy well?

Acting
Jim Carrey is just his best when he’s in a comedy — even quirky comedies such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He is so at home in the shoes of this kind of loveable loser, who gets to live life in broad strokes. He knows how to play for big laughs without going overboard. So from now on, Jim, just say NO to thrillers like The Number 23. In the top notch supporting cast, Sasha Alexander is a deadpan standout as the Persian wife he orders online, and veteran Terence Stamp is a hoot as the self-help guru who gets Carrey into his predicament in the first place. Also very amusing are his best buddies, played by Bradley Cooper and a hilarious Danny Masterson. As his bonkers New Zealand-esque boss, Flight of the Concord’s Rhys Darby is a riot as Carl’s boss. Deschanel is kind of the “straight man” here, but she’s handles it well, if not memorably.

Direction
Peyton Reed is a fairly reliable comedy director with mostly hits (Bring It On, The Break-Up). He knows Yes Man exists as a vehicle for the Jim Carrey brand of comedy and lets Carrey hog the spotlight. The movie lives or dies on what Carrey can deliver and on that scale Yes Man is a hit. There are some bits that fall flat and might have been cut, but for all its broad humor, Reed manages to keep it grounded and in simple scenes between Carrey and Deschanel, the movie even borders on sweet. In a season of dark drama on screen — and off — the antidote could well be this dumb but fun time killer. So, is a little comic relief worth the $10 in the economic downturn? We say, YES!

Twilight Review

Synopsis:

Bella Swan has always been a little bit different, never caring about fitting in with the trendy girls at her Phoenix high school. When her mother re-marries and sends Bella to live with her father in the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, she doesn’t expect much of anything to change. Then she meets the mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen, a boy unlike any she’s ever met. Edward is a vampire, but he doesn’t have fangs and his family is unique in that they choose not to drink human blood. Intelligent and witty, Edward sees straight into Bella’s soul. Soon, they are swept up in a passionate, thrilling and unorthodox romance. To Edward, Bella is what he has waited 90 years for–a soul mate. But the closer they get, the more Edward must struggle to resist the primal pull of her scent, which could send him into an uncontrollable frenzy. But what will Edward & Bella do when a clan of new vampires–James, Laurent and Victoria–come to town and threaten to disrupt their way of life?

Story
Author Stephanie Meyer unleashed a phenomenon with her Twilight novels, a teen vampire romance that has spurned a teen cult following. The good news is the movie is surprisingly just as potent — a spellbinding, terribly romantic, hypnotic and entertaining film. At its heart are the elements that make any teen drama work; in this case, it’s forbidden love. It starts with 16 year-old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who relocates from her sunny Phoenix to the cold, gray foreboding atmosphere of Forks, Washington to live with her father. At her new high school, she meets the incredibly attractive but mysterious Cullen clan, including the allusive Edward (Robert Pattinson), who immediately intrigues her. What she doesn’t know, yet, is that Edward and his “family” are a group of vegetarian vampires who drink only animal blood and must live in the terminally cloudy region of Northwest. Edward tries to drive a determined Bella away by revealing his true identity but soon realizes she is the girl of his dreams. But as the two begin their complicated romance, things get dicey when another group of, um, meat-lovin’ vampires target Bella.
Acting
Teen Beat should clear their covers for a new group of stars sure to become huge with the female teen set — and probably their mothers as well. Exuding a brooding reserve and air of mystery, the follicley-endowed Robert Pattinson is reminiscent of James Dean and completely believable as a conflicted bloodsucker who becomes dangerously attracted to a mere mortal. His Edward’s unpredictable nature becomes irresistible for the attractive Kristen Stewart’s Bella as she grows closer to him despite his attempts to keep her at arm’s length. Not since Baby yearned for Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing has there been such an effective pairing for the acne-challenged set. Pattinson and Stewart simmer with teen angst and desire and could be the next big thing — especially if there are more Twilight sequels to follow. The Cullen clan, led by foster parents Peter Facinelli and Elizabeth Reaser, is perfectly cast with a good looking bunch of vampiric thesps, including newcomers Ashley Green, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone and Nikki Reed. Red-headed Rachelle LeFevre as bad vamp Victoria is ideal, along with Cam Gigandet and Edi Gathegi as the guys in her group of nomadic vampires.
Direction
Director Catherine Hardwicke has certainly shown she understands the ever-changing moods of youth with her previous efforts (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown). But those flicks were just warm-ups for what she taps into with Twilight. She creates a wonderful, creepy kind of muted, dark and cloudy society with imposing camera angles and aching teen lust from her bright, red-lipped, hormonally charged leads. And thankfully, she leaves the fangs on the cutting room floor. These vampires are actually relatable, and Hardwick takes what could have been an awful, juvenile programmer and lifts it into a different league creating not only a movie that should cross over beyond it’s target demo but one that makes us genuinely excited for the inevitable sequels.

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