Entries from October 2007 ↓

Dan in Real Life can’t even get the romantic comedy conventional formula right. Not only doesn’t it challenge the intellect enough to cause the heart to skip a beat or two but beneath its aw-shucks, wants-to-be-liked exterior it is cloying, artificial, and not the least bit romantic. In its 100 minutes of screen time, it gets only one thing right: that teenage girls will always hate their father, regardless of the provocation. In full disclosure I admit there are few perfomers I loath more than Steve Carrell and Dane Cook . . . I have never seen neither do or say anything funny. Here, in the tradition of Steve Martin, Robin Williams and Adam Sandler, they both tune down their comedic efforts to prove they both can’t act. There is a singing duo scene that is about the most cringe inducing thing I have ever seen in a modern motion picture. [ RT ]

I am not sure why the critics have gone ga-ga over My Kid Could Paint That. It’s documentary which aims to prove and disprove the contention made by 60 Minutes that a four year girl, alone, could create abstract paintings that could fetch tens of thousands of dollars. I don’t want to give away the ending but I wasn’t satisfied with the results. One thing not covered in depth is what the family is doing with the money. Well . . . they did mention, briefly, they were putting it away for Margo’s college education. They certainly weren’t spending it on their lifestyle. [ RT ]

This story could have easily gone bad if cheap laughs were the aim. But Lars And The Real Girl stays true and becomes quite poignant. I had a little trouble believing the whole town from the church to emergency services to the local cemetery would go along with, and support, the weird premise. I went with it mainly because Ryan Gosling’s performance was so good (Geez, is this guy discovered yet or what?). [ RT ]

Wow did this movie slowly but surely charm the heck of me. The spotlight is on young pre-teen girl in early ’70s France as she tries to rectify her parent’s radical political activities with her bourgeoisie life style. Not only charming but the film contains a surprising amount of understated humor. I laughed out loud several times . . . and there was no threat of distributing the audience. I was the only one in the main room at the Varsity theater. [ RT ]

At last spring’s Seattle International Film Festival Kurt Cobain About a Son was called “a moving meditation on the life, music and times of late Seattle rocker Kurt Cobain.” First off, as we learn for the film, Cobain was from Aberdeen, Washington. If I had hours of audio tape from a Cobain interview I wouldn’t think of making a movie. But that is what is attempted here. The film weaves music (none from Nirvana), photographs (none of Kurt - until the last 3o seconds), and travel log type footage of Aberdeen, Olympia and Seattle. If you are not a hard core Cobain fan this film will seriously test your patience. [ RT ]

This is an important film.

Maybe you have heard the term rendition. The film, Rendition, serves as a primer on torture as its story of America getting caught up in a clash of Middle East political and religious factions unfolds. It’s almost two movies. One about the Americans and one about the Muslims. As a student of current events I couldn’t tell what part was fiction and what part wasn’t. [ RT ]

An absorbing story of dealing with devastating lose is the platform for two exceptional performances. If Halle Berry has the material she can get it done. And Benicio Del Toro has a face that is a character all it’s own. He has that method thing going on like Brando did at his strongest. Maybe it’s a European thing (the director is Dutch) but there are alot of close-ups (and I mean real close-up) of single eyes that got redundant. But it’s a minor quibble. Things We Lost in the Fire and it’s characters rang true even if the “Seattle” where it all was set didn’t. [ RT ]

Set on the turf of Mystic River Gone Baby Gone has more twists and turns. You think it’s headed in a predictable direction but you’d be wrong. Again, as in his previous films, Casey Afflect’s forlornness has a strange appeal. It’s interesting how such a young guy can have such a wearisome nature. Ed Harris again comes with a strong performance. Maybe it was the words he was given but for the first time that I can remember Morgan Freeman misses the mark. Finally, maybe, Amy Ryan (from HBO’s The Wire) will get a notice in one of the strongest pictures of the year. [ RT ]

I am sucker for these period pieces . . . but Elizabeth: The Golden Age seemed to be aimed at the young uninformed. Each event is hammered by melodrama, loud music, simplistic dialog (some bordering on silly) and over the top costumes and settings. It’s all very nearly overwhelming.. I like the story of the relationship between Walter Raliegh and Elizabeth I. His brash confidence gets to Elizabeth’s esteem and he becomes her trusted adviser and a mastermind of the British military strategy. It’s a great story but it doesn’t need to ladened with all the excesses. [ RT ]

It’s unfortunate that We Own The Night will be compared to the The Departed because it pales in that comparison. Here the melodrama is cranked up and almost smothers fine talents like Wahlberg, Phoenix and Duvall. I am not a fan of the ubiquitous car chase . . . but there is one humdinger done in pouring rain that got my attention. I didn’t hate the film . . . but . . . well . . . it was not The Departed. [ RT ]