Leaving 12/28/2006

Derby Cinema - Nothing
Movie Machine - Nothing
Northrock 14 - Blood Diamond
Palace West - A Good Year
Premiere Palace - Nothing
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East - Nothing
Warren Old Town - Nothing
Warren West - Nothing

DREAMGIRLS **

DREAMGIRLS, a Broadway musical , opened in 1981 and earned a Tony. It's been adapted for the big screen by writer/director Bill Condon, the person responsible for Chicago's screenplay.

The film is about three black girls who start in motown but aspire to crossover (acceptance by white audiences) musical stardom. Their successes and failures are shown during a ten to fifteen year period in the 60's and 70's. The prettiest of the three goes on to achieve stardom with the help of her manipulative manager/husband. The most talented one, who's something of a diva, gets booted out of the group, looses her husband, and lives a hand-to-mouth existence until finally achieving a measure of success.

Unlike most of the mainstream critics, I'm not impressed with this film. While there is a lot of talent on the screen (Hudson and Murphy especially), none of the music is particularly impressive, nor is it familiar. This is a musical more like an opera, with many of the songs being dialogue that is sung. The story is not a happy one and most of the characters are greatly flawed by a burning desire for fame and money. There are elaborate costumes and choreography but there isn't a single memorable tune for you to hum or whistle on your way out of the theatre. When I go to a musical, I expect to be really entertained, as I was in Chicago. This one didn't do that for me.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM ***

The Christmas/New Year holiday season is upon us, which means the kids are out of school and entertainment is needed. A couple of films released earlier for this purpose have already faded from sight so Museum's release is most fortunate. It's based on a children's book by Milan Trenc and imbued with a fortune in computer graphics plus a cast of well known names.

Ben Stiller plays a divorced man sharing custody of a son with his ex-wife. He's a dreamer who's never achieved financial success and is constantly being unfavorably compared to the bond trader to whom his former wife is engaged. Desperate for an income, he takes a job as the night watchman at the Museum of National History where he soon discovers the display characters come alive every night due to the presence of an ancient Egyptian scroll.

Considering the money the producers had to have spent on cast salaries and computer graphics, it's a shame they couldn't have invested more in the screenwriting. The plot's about as thin as the 32 page book it's based on. Still, if you're looking for a Jumanji style action picture the kids will love and adults will at least mildly enjoy, this will fill the bill. And the chance to see Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney in a film again is a real treat (you can see a little more of them if you stick around for the first half of the ending credits).

Worthwhile (and not) 12/22/2006

According to the major critics there are three Worthwhile films opening this week: DREAMGIRLS (doesn't open here until Monday), THE GOOD SHEPHERD and ROCKY BALBOA. The rest of the opening films are hovering in the **½ star range although BLACK CHRISTMAS doesn't appear to have been screened, and you know what that means.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD **½

Director Robert DeNiro has been trying to get this film made for several years. The studios weren't all that interested because they didn't see a boxoffice winner. With the signing of Jolie, Damon (although he wasn't DeNiro's first choice) and DeNiro himself to the cast, the film has finally been produced.

Damon is the son of a wealthy family who goes to an Ivy League school, Yale in this case, joins a secret organization, Skull and Bones (as did Bush and Kerry), and joins the OSS during WWII. At the end of the war he is asked to join the successor to OSS, the CIA. During his career he becomes head of Counter Intelligence (the spies) to the detriment of his family relationships. Jolie is his wife, aggressive as a young woman but basically ignored in the marriage.

I suspect that most in this part of the country will have trouble relating to the characters in this story. They're interesting to watch but they don't seem real. While the story covers a lot of ground, it never shows you much about the inner workings of the CIA. Consequently, there isn't much tension and you won't find yourself on the edge of your seat. I wasn't yawning during the two hours and forty minutes but a bit more excitement would have been nice. Damon and Jolie's characters are so withdrawn and repressed it's hard to care what happens to them. The rest of the cast and production values are first rate but when all is said and done, the overall impact is very muted.

WE ARE MARSHALL **

Every year or so Hollywood releases a film like this; a team with no chance to win, does win, and the townfolk (along with you, hopefully) are thrilled to their very core. This is one of those films and it's based on the true story of the 1970 Marshall University plane crash that killed most of the team and coaches as well as a few of their important supporters. In order to continue with the football program a new coach is found, the previous assistant coach returns, the college president does his best to bend a few rules, and wonder of wonders the new team manages to win a couple of games.

Matthew McConaughey is the new coach, Matthew Fox (Lost) is the returning coach, David Strathairn is the college President, and Ian McShane (Deadwood) is the father of one of the players killed in the wreck and the president of the college board. All of them do fine jobs although McConaughey acts like he's high on something (and really, really hyper) for the first 45 minutes.

This isn't as good as Hoosiers but if you liked that film you'll probably enjoy this also. I personally found it to be overly emotionally manipulative and I never got involved enough for it to make me want to stand up and cheer. Still, the holidays provide plenty of time for movie going and you could do far worse.

ROCKY BALBOA ***

ROCKY first hit the screen in 1976, followed by four sequels released every three to five years (V came out in 1990). Sixteen years later he's back again. This time Adrian's dead, his son is embarrassed by their relationship, Pauly's even grouchier than he used to be, and Rocky spends his time running a restaurant and retelling old stories that everyone already knows.

The first three quarters of this film is spent with Rocky reminiscing about the life he had with Adrian. He spends so much time at her gravesite he keeps a folding chair there so he can visit in comfort. On the anniversary of her death he tours their old haunts. When a TV program runs a computerized fight between Rocky and the current champ, he decides to go back into training and do a little fighting in order to brighten up what has become a dull existence. Then the champ decides to put on a sparring exhibition with the 'Rock' in order to help the champ's career.

While this sounds pretty dull, the time passes rather quickly. The pace picks up when we first hear the Rocky theme music and the fighting action begins. The fight is relatively short but well enough staged to be exciting. Stallone looks to be in excellent physical shape for 60. The rest of the cast is fine with Geraldine Hughes doing a superb job portraying a potential future love interest. Fight fans and those who admire the earlier productions should enjoy this film. It is not at brutal as earlier versions so women may enjoy it more.

Opening 12/22/2006

DRIVING LESSONS [PG-13] 1hr. 35min. Comedy/Drama Cast: Rupert Grint, Laura Linney, Julie Walters, Nicholas Farrell, Oliver Milburn, Michelle Duncan, Tamsin Eggerton. Plot: a shy, bookish 17-year-old begins a very unpromising summer vacation, which is turned upside down when he gets a job assisting an eccentric retired actress. Showing at: PP exclusively

THE GOOD SHEPHERD [R] 2hrs. 50min. Espionage Drama/Thriller Cast: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, William Hurt, John Turturro, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, Michael Gambon, Gabriel Macht, Tammy Blanchard, Vladimir Mashkov, Joe Pesci. Plot: the tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life. Showing at: NR, WE, WW

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM [PG] 1hr. 50min. Action/Adventure/Comedy Cast: Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Ricky Gervais, Kim Raver, Robin Williams. Plot: the brand new night guard at the Natural History Museum is about to discover when visitors go home at the end of the day, the real adventure begins. Showing at: DC, MM, NR, WE, WO, WW

WE ARE MARSHALL [PG] 2 hrs. 5 min. Drama/Sports Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, David Strathairn, Ian McShane, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, January Jones, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Huntley Ritter, Kate Mara. Plot: when 75 members of Marshall University's football team and coaching staff are killed in a plane crash, those left behind struggle to cope with the devastating loss of their loved ones, and find hope and strength in the leadership of a young coach determined to rebuild the football program. Showing at: DC, NR, WE, WO, WW

Opens Christmas Day, 12/25/06:

BLACK CHRISTMAS [R] 1hr. 35min. Horror/Thriller Cast: Michelle Trachtenberg, Lacey Chabert, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Katie Cassidy, Andrea Martin, Jessica Harmon, Oliver Hudson. Plot: a sorority house is terrorized by a killer who makes frightening telephone calls before murdering the sorority sisters during the Christmas break. Showing at: NR, PP, WW

DREAMGIRLS [PG-13] 2hrs. 10min. Drama/Musical Cast: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover, Anika Noni Rose, Jennifer Hudson, Keith Robinson, Bobby Slayton. Plot: twenty-five years after first bringing Broadway audiences to their feet, the Tony Award-winning musical sensation comes to the big screen. Set in the turbulent early 1960s to mid-70s, it follows the rise of a trio of women who have formed a promising girl group called The Dreamettes. Showing at: WE exclusively

Leaving 12/21/2006

Derby Cinema - Happy Feet, Unaccompanied Minors
Movie Machine - Unaccompanied Minors
Northrock 14 - Casino Royale, Deja Vu, Santa Claus 3, (Unaccompanied Minors and Blood Diamond ends Sunday)
Palace West - Let's Go To Prison, Flyboys, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, POTC:Dead Man's Chest
Premiere Palace - A Good Year, The Prestige, Facing The Giants, For Your Consideration, Flags Of Our Fathers
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East - Unaccompanied Minors, Santa Clause 3
Warren Old Town - Apocalypto, Casino Royale
Warren West - Stranger Than Fiction, Santa Clause 3

Worthwhile (and not) 12/15/2006

CHARLOTTE'S WEB is the only Worthwhile film as far as the mainstream critics are concerned. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS isn't far behind though while ERAGON had some worthwhile reviews but in general wasn't all that warmly received.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS ***

This is Will Smith's picture from start to finish, and it's a drama at that. Aided by his real son, Jaden, the film attempts to show us what's it like to be poor in America and just how high you can rise if you're willing to work hard enough. Political conservatives will no doubt love this premise while others may be a bit dubious.

Smith is the father in a family consisting of his wife, Thandie Newton, and a son. In an attempt to go into business for himself he invests in a medical device he hopes to sell. Unfortunately, the device is a slow mover and economic pressures start to rise. In an attempt to build a better life for his family his manages to get an intern position at a brokerage firm, not realizing the six month internship has no salary and there's no guarantee of employment after its completion. The drama involves providing food, clothing and shelter while training every day without a steady income.

This is a very well made film and Will and Jaden are believable throughout. What you're going to have to decide, though, is whether you want to watch a story that's an absolute downer for 95% of it's length. There's very little ho, ho, ho in this holiday film.

ERAGON **½

Most science fantasy is pretty predictable. Someone is evil, someone is good, and the two battle with horrific results until good finally wins. LOTR was like that and so is this film It is also based on a book (a rather thick one I'm told) and it's part of a trilogy, with the third one yet to be written.

Eragon is a strapping young lad (aren't they all) living a dirt poor life in a land ruled by an evil King. He got to be King by betraying his fellow dragonriders and basically wiping them all out. All but his own dragon and an unhatched dragon egg. The egg chooses the strapping young lad to be her rider and they set out to bring peace and happiness to the Kingdom.

Other than the rather standard fantasy plot, whether it's a good picture depends on the quality of the cast and how spectacular the computer graphics are. This cast is certainly adequate, although basically unknown, with the exception of the King (John Malkovich) and an aging former dragonrider (Jeremy Irons). Djimon Hounsou is also in the cast but his role is very limited. The CG effects are also adequate, with the dragon appearing very realistic. While I enjoyed the film (and the granddaughter who accompanied me absolutely loved it) it isn't up to LOTR quality. I'm sure it's boxoffice won't rise to the same heights either. If you want to see a sequel, I'd see this one quickly, before it leaves. A big theatre screen and sound will greatly enhance the experience.

What's new for 12/15-22/2006

CHARLOTTE'S WEB [G] 1 hr. 30 min. Family Drama Cast: Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Cedric the Entertainer, André Benjamin, Thomas Haden Church, Robert Redford, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates. Plot: Fern is one of only two living beings who sees that Wilbur is a special animal as she raises him, the runt of the litter, into a terrific and radiant pig. When the word gets out that Wilbur's days are numbered, a determined Charlotte spins words into her web in an effort to save him. Showing at: DC, MM, NR, WE, WW

ERAGON [PG] 1 hr. 40 min. Adventure/Fanasy Cast: Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Robert Carlyle, Djimon Hounsou, Garrett Hedlund, Joss Stone, Rachel Weisz, John Malkovich. Plot: Eragon, a Dragon Rider, is swept into a world of magic and power, discovering that he alone has the power to save – or destroy – an Empire. Showing at: DC, NR, MM, WE, WO, WW

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS [PG-13] 2 hrs. Drama Cast: Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith. Plot: a bright and talented, but marginally employed salesman, lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm. He and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them. Showing at: DC, NR, WE, WO, WW

Starts Wednesday, December 20

ROCKY BALBOA [PG] 1 hr. 45 min. Drama Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Milo Ventimiglia, Tony Burton, James Francis Kelly III, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes. Plot: Rocky Balboa steps out of retirement and back into the ring, pitting himself against a new rival in a dramatically different era. Showing at: DC, NR, WE, WO, WW

Leaving 12/14/2006

Derby Cinema - Casino Royale, Deck The Halls, (Santa Clause 3 and The Nativity Story end Tuesday)
Movie Machine - The Nativity Story, Santa Clause 3
Northrock 14 - Bobby, Deck The Halls, Van Wilder: Rise Of Taj, Stranger Than Fiction, Turistas, (Santa Clause 3 ends Tuesday)
Palace West - Jet Li's Fearless, The Marine
Premiere Palace - Dixie Chicks: Shut Up And Sing, The Departed
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East - Borat, Flushed Away, Turistas, Van Wilder 2, (Stranger Than Fiction and Deja Vu end Tuesday)
Warren Old Town - The Nativity Story, Happy Feet, (Deja Vu ends Tuesday)
Warren West - Flushed Away, Bobby, Van Wilder 2, Turistas, The Fountain, (Casino Royale and Deja Vu end Tuesday)

Worthwhile (and not) 12/8/2006

According to the critics only APOCALYPTO, BLOOD DIAMOND and DIXIE CHICKS: SHUT UP AND SING are Worthwhile (3 stars and up). As you can tell from my reviews below, I don't completely agree with that assessment. I can't find GUADALUPE listed on any of my usual sources so I'm assuming it's a very limited release

APOCALYPTO ***½

Whatever you may think about Mel Gibson, he knows how to make a film that will hold your attention. He even manages to do that when only an ancient language is spoken (Mayan in this case) and you have to read subtitles to understand what's being said. That turns out to be less of a problem than you might expect since this is basically an action film that doesn't require a lot of dialog.

The story is about a reasonably happy village of Indians whose lives are shattered when they're attacked by another group who basically want them as slaves and for sacrifices to their Gods. One of the tribe manages to escape and head back to the village to rescue his pregnant wife and child, whom he managed to hide before being captured. He is pursued by a small band of men, determined to kill him in revenge for the death of one of their own.

The picture will leave you with several images that will stick with you after it is over. This is not a film for the queasy or faint of heart. There are numerous rapes, killings, and disembowelments and the carnage is unrelenting throughout. It is, however, a powerful film that is going to be talked about and may be up for some awards next year (depending on what Hollywood thinks of Mel at that time). This should be seen in a large theatre for best effect.

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS *½

The premise of this movie is that a number of unaccompanied children are stuck in an airport that's been closed by a blizzard. Five of them join together to make sure the sister of one of the group gets a Christmas present from Santa. If you've seen a lot of movies (or even family TV shows) you should be able to develop the plot and most of the dialog from the above description.

There's just nothing original in this film. It's a collection of familiar plots, stitched together to allow a group of reasonably appealing young actors to be seen on the big screen. Of course, all of them are above average, which contrasts nicely with the adult buffoons who are supposed to be in charge.

This is advertised as a family comedy. I'm guessing that kids may get some enjoyment from this juvenile plot but I can almost assure you that any adult attending will be bored to tears. I chuckled once during the film and that was the extent of the comedy as far as I was concerned. Save your money and rent this one in a few months (if you must). There's nothing here that requires a big screen.

THE HOLIDAY **½

In this film Diaz and Winslet are women with romance problems who decide a change of scenery would be nice for Christmas. Through the miracle of an internet house swapping site, their desires are met and off they go, one to Los Angeles and one to rural England.

The Diaz/Law romance feels most realistic...young couple meet, fall in love, then try and make the relationship work. Winslet and Black are something else. When Winslet is in Europe she almost appears to be a hermit. When she hits L.A. she exudes charm, soon making friends with the entire neighborhood, including a former screenwriter who's never going to see 80 again. Had she been this outgoing at home she would never have had to make the transcontinental trip. She also meets Black and a romance ensues. This romance doesn't feel right and I think it's Black's fault. He just doesn't come across as a romantic lead, even though his character is allowed to be a bit zany.

Had they decided to take out an unnecessary subplot or two, reducing the time to under two hours, this could easily have been a three star picture. It doesn't really matter what I think about this film, though. It's a chick flick and the women are going to make the decision to see this one, and I suspect a lot of them will do just that. For those who are interested, this film will do just about as well in your home theatre as in a real one. So if you want to wait for the DVD, that's an acceptable option.

BLOOD DIAMOND **½

This is a film whose heart's in the right place but whose desire to educate gets in the way of entertaining. It purports to be an action thriller set against the backdrop of the civil war in Sierra Leone. The trouble is, the backdrop overwhelms the thriller, making for an overly long and underwhelmingly entertaining picture.

There's no doubt the aforementioned civil war is important, but I think discussing it would be better done in a PBS special, etc. The pic also has an unbelievable love affair. It just doesn't ring true that two people whose goals in life are so opposed would fall so quickly in love. In addition to the above, we also get a lesson in how European diamond traders get their product and how the money they pay for the diamonds is used to continue the civil war. All well and good, but what I wanted was what I saw in the preview...an action flick.

This is an expensive looking film, shot basically in Africa with a first class cast. But, by trying to do too much, this is a film where the final product is less than the sum of the parts.

Opening 12/8/2006

APOCALYPTO [R] 2 hrs. 20 min. Action/Adventure Cast: Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Jonathan Brewer, Morris Birdyellowhead, Carlos Emilio Baez, Ramirez Amilcar, Israel Contreras, Israel Rios, María Isabel Díaz, Espiridion Acosta Cache, Iazua Larios. Plot: a mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. Showing at: NR, WE, WO, WW

BLOOD DIAMOND [R] 2 hrs. 20 min. Action/Drama Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly, James Purefoy, Arnold Vosloo, Stephen Collins, Michael Sheen. Plot: set against the backdrop of the chaos and civil war that enveloped 1990s Sierra Leone, the fate of two men becomes joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond. Showing at: NR, WE, WW

DIXIE CHICKS: SHUT UP AND SING [R] 1 hr. 30 min. Documentary Cast: Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison, Simon Renshaw. Plot: traces the lives and careers of the Dixie Chicks over a period of three years during which they were under political attack and received death threats, while continuing to live their lives, have children, and of course make music. Showing at: PP exclusively

GUADALUPE [PG] 1 hr. 45 min. Religious Drama Cast: Ivana Miño, Gemma Guilemany, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Eric del Castillo, Sandra Estil. Plot: a group of 20th century pilgrims are drawn to Mexico by the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe. In Spanish. Showing at: PP exclusively

THE HOLIDAY [PG-13] 2 hrs. 15 min. Comedy/Romance Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell. Plot: desperate for a change of scenery, two women meet on the internet and swap houses for the Christmas holiday, discovering that a change of address really can change your life. Showing at: DC, MM, NR, WE, WW

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS [PG] 1 hr. 30 min. Comedy/Family Cast: Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Brett Kelly, Rob Corddry, Jessica Walter. Plot: five kids who have been snowed in at the airport try to outwit a disgruntled airport official and reunite with their families. Showing at: DC, MM, NR, WE, WW

Leaving 12/7/2006

Derby Cinema - Deja Vu, Flushed Away, Stranger Than Fiction
Movie Machine - Deck The Halls, Deja Vu
Northrock 14 - Borat, Flushed Away, The Fountain, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny
Palace West - The Illusionist, Man Of The Year, School For Scoundrels
Premiere Palace - Running With Scissors, The Fountain, Babel, One Night With The King
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East - Bobby, For Your Consideration, Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny, Saw III
Warren Old Town - Borat
Warren West - Tenacious D in The Pick Of Destiny, Borat

Worthwhile (and not) 12/1/2006

Unfortunately, none of the pics opening today are in the Worthwhile group according to the critics. THE NATIVITY STORY got a very limited number of Worthwhile reviews but the majority were decidedly Not. Surely, something better will be arriving this month and in the meantime check out one of those you've been meaning to see, but haven't.