The Lovely Bones
Interesting drama about a young girl who watches from heaven as her family attempts to find out her murderer. Feelings of loss and mourning is the theme explored here. However, Peter Jackson’s surprisingly restrained adaptation of Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel works best as a “Will they or wont they catch her killer?”. Gorgeously crafted fantasy […]
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Elaborate entertainment from the mind of Terry Gilliam about the owner of a carnival side show who must collect 5 souls before the devil in a race against time, else he loses his first born. Film vacillates between beautifully vivid set pieces and a frustratingly inconsistent narrative. Careful examination of the plot will raise many […]
It’s Complicated
Amusing, but flimsy romantic comedy about a woman who starts up an affair with a currently married man who happened to be her husband 10 years prior. Not particularly cutting edge, but it is insightful and more importantly, funny. Writer, director Nancy Myers (Something’s Gotta Give, What Women Want) has a feel for this type […]
Nine
Lavish, but uninvolving musical about a film director trying to assemble his latest movie. He doesn‘t have a script or even a story yet. Ironically, this update of Fellini’s 8 ½ has barely a thread of a story itself. The drama’s raisin d’etre appears to be the extravagant musical numbers. The problem is, they just […]
A Single Man
Stunning adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s novel about how a college professor deals with the death of his longtime partner. Director Tom Ford’s fashion designer roots are clearly evident in the style of the film. The 60s are recreated not as they actually were, but as fashion magazines would have you remember them. Cinematography, art direction, […]
Sherlock Holmes
Thrilling re-invention of the titular detective, his partner Watson, and their attempt to stop Lord Blackwood from taking over the world with his apparent supernatural powers. Irreverent update on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character is more high testosterone action hero, than the sophisticated intellectual from the books. But it really doesn’t matter. The script is […]
Avatar
Inhabitants of Earth are engaged in the colonization of planet Pandora which is inhabited by the Na’vi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture. Lush, computer generated video game style movie is a technically dazzling light show, particularly in its rendering of the foreign world. Indeed there is a palpable sense of wonder […]
The Princess and the Frog
Pleasant enough animation about a poor African-American girl named Tiana living in the French Quarter of New Orleans, who longs to open up her own restaurant. Not the comeback that Disney has been hyping, but it is colorful and lively nonetheless. The problem is the main characters are bland and the songs, while adequate, are […]
The Road
Bleak, depressing road movie based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy about survivors of the apocalypse. With only the slightest trace of a story, this film is a fascinating study of the strong bond between a father and son. Actors Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee who play the central pair, are compelling and […]
The Blind Side
Heartwwarming tale about a suburban Tenneessee couple who take in a homeless teen and how they change each other’s life for the better. Given that plot, you’d expect an overly saccharine TV movie style drama. However, the action is surprisingly restrained in its sentiment. True, there is a certain structure to the script that seems […]