Opening 3/2/2007

BLACK SNAKE MOAN [R] 2 hrs. Drama/Romance Trailer Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, S. Epatha Merkerson, John Cothran, Michael Raymond-James. Plot: bitter and broken from a cheating wife and a shattered marriage, a middle-aged black man decides to cure a young white girl of her wicked ways – and vent some unresolved male vengeance in the process. Showing at: Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, West 21st Warren.

WILD HOGS [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei, Jill Hennessy, Ray Liotta. Plot: a rollicking comedy-adventure about a group of middle-aged friends who decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Movie Machine, Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, Warren Old Town, West 21st Warren.

ZODIAC [R] 2 hrs. 40 min. Thriller Trailer Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, John Carroll Lynch, Dermot Mulroney. Plot: based on the actual case files of one of the most intriguing unsolved crimes in the nation's history: a serial killer who terrified the San Francisco Bay Area and taunted police with his ciphers and letters. Showing at: Northrock 14, 13th Avenue Warren, West 21st Warren.

Leaving 3/1/2007

Derby Cinema - Because I Said So, Night At The Museum
Movie Machine - Music And Lyrics
Northrock 14 - The Abandoned, Night At The Museum
Palace West - Children Of Men, Primeval, Unaccompanied Minors, Deja Vu
Premiere Palace - Smokin' Aces, The Abandoned, Factory Girl, Pursuit Of Happyness
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East 13th - Hannibal Rising, Letters From Iwo Jima, Pan's Labyrinth, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girl
Warren Old Town - Norbit
Warren West 21st - The Abandoned, Hannibal Rising, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girl

Worthwhile (and not) 2/23/07

This is really Virginia Madsen's week as she appears as the wife in both THE ASTRONAUT FARMER and THE NUMBER 23. Those two span the national reviews with FARMER averaging three stars and NUMBER shuffling along in the 1-1½ range. The rest are between those two except for THE ABANDONED which wasn't screened. If you looked at its trailer it's obvious why it wasn't. You still have time to catch one of the Oscar nominees you've missed before the awards are given Sunday evening.

THE ASTRONAUT FARMER ***

Those looking for a picture with "family values" need look no further. Additionally, this film features a first rate cast headed by Billy Bob Thornton and Virginia Madsen. Bruce Dern also makes a rare screen appearance along with Bruce Willis and Oklahoma's Tim Blake Nelsen in a straight rather than goofy role.

The story has rancher Thornton yearning to go into space. The one-time astronaut never made that trip, having to drop out of the running due to the death of his father. So, he builds a spaceship in his barn with the encouragement and support of his wife (Madsen) and three children. Along the way he runs into numerous obstacles including a threatened foreclosure and the displeasure of the Federal government. If you've watched the previews you probably have a good idea how it's going to end, but the road is a little rockier than you might suspect.

This film is all about having a goal and doing whatever it takes to achieve it. Parents and children alike should enjoy this one. A big theatre screen and good sound will add to the enjoyment.

THE NUMBER 23 *

It turns out lots of people think there's some real significance to the number 23. Enough so they've written books about it. There are fans of LOST who feel the number has significance in that plot. It's even true in this case as 3-2=1 and that seems about right for the star rating.

This film brings the number into focus when the wife (Virginia Madsen) of a dogcatcher (Jim Carrey) buys him a used book which details the life of an individual who feels the number 23 is making him do things...bad things. Carrey finds an eerie similarity to his life and starts finding the number 23 is significant in his life also (the day he met his wife, the day of their marriage, etc.). As he studies the book more thoroughly he decides it's actually the confession of a murderer and that an innocent man has been imprisoned for that murder. He becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of the real murderer and seeing the innocent man freed.

This had the potential for being a real edge-of-the-seat thriller. Unfortunately, it's just silly. It gives the impression that someone decided what the ending would be and then worked backwards to develop the plot. I can't tell you why without spoiling the story, but the ending makes no sense at all which is too bad since the film spends ten-fifteen minutes explaining all that's taken place. Production values are good and the cast is fine, although Carrey is the weakest link, but all is wasted on this story.

THE GOOD GERMAN **

Director Steven Soderbergh decided to film this picture, set in Germany in 1945, in the style of films of that era. To that end he used equipment and lighting from that time so the film looks like something you'd see on Turner Classic Movies.

Based on the novel by Joseph Kanon the story is about a well known war correspondent (George Clooney) returning to Berlin to cover the Big Three conference between Truman, Churchill and Stalin. His main reason for returning, however, is to see if he can find the girlfriend (Cate Blanchett) he left when the war started. He's assigned a military driver when he arrives (Toby Maguire) who as it happens is now dating the same woman, who has become a prostitute in order to survive. Her husband was supposedly killed during the war but both the Russians and Americans don't believe it and want to get their hands on him. Why this is and what the wife does or doesn't know is the crux of the film.

The film does have the look of a 40's espionage thriller with the exception of the lush stereo soundtrack and the fact they didn't swear like that in 1940's films. There's also more sexuality in this film than you would have seen then. The biggest problem the film has is that you never really get to understand the characters well enough to care what happens to them, which takes all the tension out of the plot. The other problem the film has is today's younger viewers won't have a clue as to what's going on since for the most part they're fairly ignorant when it comes to history. If you're over 50 and enjoy watching movies on TCM you might give this a look, but it's not something you'll remember for long after watching.

Opening 2/23/2007

THE ABANDONED [R] 1 hr. 45 min. Horror Trailer Cast: Anastasia Hille, Karel Roden, Valentin Ganev, Carlos Reig-Plaza, Jordanka Angelova, Kalin Arsov, Paraskeva Djukelova, Valentin Goshev, Anna Panayotova, Svetlana Smoleva. Plot: an American film producer returns to her homeland, Russia, where her Mother's dead body has been found under bizarre circumstances and where she becomes part of a perverse reunion. Showing at: Northrock, Premiere Palace, Warren West 21st.

AMAZING GRACE [NR] 1 hr. 50 min. Historical drama Trailer Cast: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai, Rufus Sewell, Ciaran Hinds, Youssou N'Dour, Toby Jones, Stephen Campbell Moore. Plot: a moving historical epic about the life of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce. Showing at: Warren East 13th, Warren West 21st.

THE ASTRONAUT FARMER [PG] 1hr. 45 min. Family adventure Trailer Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern, Tim Blake Nelson, J.K. Simmons. Plot: dismissed from NASA's space program, a former astronaut-in-training pursues his lifelong dream by building his own rocket. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Movie Machine, Northrock, Warren East 13th, Warren West 21st.

THE GOOD GERMAN [R] 1 hr. 50 min. Drama/Thriller Trailer Cast: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Leland Orser, Beau Bridges, Tony Curran. Plot: an U.S. Army war correspondent becomes embroiled with a former lover whose missing husband is the object of a manhunt by both the American and Russian armies. Showing at: Premiere Palace exclusively.

THE NUMBER 23 [R] 1 hr. 35 min. Thriller Trailer Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston, Logan Lerman, Rhona Mitra, Maile Flanagan, Patricia Belcher, Lynn Collins, Mark Pellegrino, Tara Karsian. Plot: a man comes into contact with an obscure book titled The Number 23, becomes increasingly convinced it is based on his own life, and begins to realize the book forecasts far graver consequences for his life than he could have ever imagined. Showing at: Northrock, Warren East 13th, Warren Old Town, Warren West 21st.

RENO 911: MIAMI [R] 1 hr. 25 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Carlos Alazraqui, Mary Birdsong, Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Niecy Nash, Cedric Yarbrough, Terry Swarsden, Paul Rudd, David Wain, Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, Nick Swardson, Joe Lo Truglio, Paul Reubens, David Koechner. Plot: the deputies of the Reno Sheriffs Department attend a law enforcement convention in Miami Beach, where the motley crew is charged with protecting the city after bioterrorists attack the convention. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Northrock, Warren East 13th, Warren Old Town, Warren West 21st.

Leaving 2/21/2007

Derby Cinema - Hannibal Rising
Movie Machine - Hannibal Rising
Northrock 14 - Dreamgirls, Hannibal Rising, Last Sin Eater, The Messengers, Stomp The Yard
Palace West - Bobby, Apocalypto
Premiere Palace - Arthur & The Invisibles, Painted Veil, Blood Diamond
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East 13th - Smokin' Aces, Epic Movie, Catch And Release
Warren Old Town - Hannibal Rising, Because I Said So
Warren West 21st - Dreamgirls, Catch And Release, Smokin' Aces, Epic Movie, Pursuit Of Happyness

Worthwhile (and not) 2/16/07

The national critics found VENUS to be the best of this week's offerings although BREACH and BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA are also in the 3-4 star range. MUSIC AND LYRICS is in the 2½-3 star range while DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS and FACTORY GIRL are in the 2-2½ star range. GHOST RIDER hasn't been screened nationally so it has no rating yet, but you can be reasonably sure it won't be high when it does appear.

I'm pretty much in agreement with most of these although I found MUSIC AND LYRICS and BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA to be more enjoyable than the national critics did.

GHOST RIDER **

The comic book GHOST RIDER has been around for many years. It started out as a Western comic but evolved into the motorcycle riding demon hunter of today, and this film. If you want to read more about him, and I really don't know why you would, you can read this.

The plot is quite simplistic. A motorcycle daredevil sells his soul to the devil in order to save the life of a relative. In return, he's required to turn into the Ghost Rider at night and reclaim escaped demons for the devil. Naturally, these nighttime forays take a toll on his love life and attract the attention of the local constabulary.

This film looks like nothing more than an attempt to inspire several sequels. That appears to be a doubtful goal since this film has been sitting on the shelf for two years. The special effects are reasonably good and the cast isn't required to do much more than step through their roles. You have to wonder why films of this ilk are attractive to Nicolas Cage, an actor who once appeared to be moving up in the acting world but is rather rapidly becoming a has been. Teens and comic book fans will find this acceptable. Everyone else should look for greener pastures.

BREACH ***½

Robert Philip Hanssen, a FBI agent, sold secrets to Russia for most of the 25 years he was an agent. He was finally caught in 2002 and is now serving a life sentence in Colorado. The training agent who became his assistant in order to help the agency catch him in the act of passing information left the agency after Hanssen's arrest and now practices law in Washington D.C. He served as a consultant during the making of this film.

The story begins a mere two months before Hanssen's capture (and you will know he was captured right from the start so I'm not giving anything away by telling you this fact). The training agent assigned to be Hanssen's assistant was told only the agency felt Hanssen was a sexual deviant and they wanted to obtain proof of the fact before the agency was embarrassed by this activity. At first the trainee didn't find anything wrong. Hanssen appeared to be a dour, religiously devout individual who went to church daily, prayed regularly, and was devoted to his wife and grandchildren. Only when the agent tried to quit because he thought there was no case was he told the real reason for the investigation and made privy to all that was going on.

I wasn't really looking forward to seeing this picture, thinking it would be slow and dull (like I found The Good Shepherd to be). Instead, right from the start I found myself engrossed in the story. The pace of the film is just right and there's enough tension to keep you concentrating on the action. The three lead characters do excellent jobs, especially Chris Cooper as Hanssen. If there is a flaw in the film, and I'm not sure it is one, we never find out why Hanssen did the spying. He was paid very well but money didn't seem to be his motivating force. Still, this is an absorbing story. If you like espionage films, this should definitely be on your "must see" list.

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA ****

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is based on a 1977 novel of the same name by Katherine Paterson. It won the Newbery Award in 1978 as the year's best children's book and was first filmed as a PBS feature in 1985. The story is based on an actual event that occured in the author's life and which can be read about (warning: spoiler) here. In spite of its popularity, the book is number nine on the American Library Association's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000, because some feel it supports a secular humanist philosophy (not that I'd care, but I didn't get that feeling from this movie and Paterson's husband is a Presbyterian minister).

The plot is about a fifth grade boy and girl. Both are unpopular and outsiders. They become friends (this is the first time either have had a friend) and use his drawing ability and her imagination to create their own world, Terabithia. The people who bully them at school are interwoven into the world and as they defeat them in their imaginations they become more comfortable in dealing with them in real life. The cast and production is first rate but the girl, AnnaSophia Robb, is a real standout. The screen lights up with her presence.

I watched this with two of my granddaughters, who both seemed to really enjoy it. Neither one had read the book prior to seeing it but indicated they wanted to afterward. While there are many computer effects when in the fantasy world, neither those effects nor that world are the focus of the film. Rather, this is about real people, the world in which they live, and the way they come to grips with the problems in their lives. It is a powerful and emotional film that should be experienced by families as opposed to just dropping the kids off at the theatre for a matinee. Highest recommendation.

VENUS ***½

This picture provides a chance to see three great British actors (Peter O'Toole, Leslie Phillips, and Vanessa Redgrave) plus an excellent young, unknown actress, Jodie Whittaker, strut their stuff as only an extremely talented group of thespians can.

O'Toole and Phillips are aging actors (in the story as well as in real life) who spend their days drinking coffee with friends, trading prescriptions and working at the occasional acting job. Phillips is a hypochondriac just waiting to die while O'Toole is clearly fading but determined to experience all that life still has to offer while he can. Into this humdrum existence comes the grandniece of Phillips. She's been kicked out by her parents so Phillips decides she can help him around his apartment. They have a real personality conflict so she turns to O'Toole for solace, and money if she can get it. He's clearly attracted to her although he understands his physical condition won't allow anything other than the occasional touch. He does get her a job as a nude model, thus the film's title. Then events start to drift out of control.

I like British films and I really liked this one. In this day and age it's unusual to see this much talent on the screen. Each of the characters fade into their role so you're soon watching Maurice, Ian and Jessie and growing to care for them (well, maybe not so much for Ian). I don't imagine this will be around long and that's a shame for such a quality production. Be aware this has language many will consider quite offensive and there is some nudity. Highly recommended.

MUSIC AND LYRICS ***

This year's Valentine's Day movie treat is a romantic comedy with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Grant's now closing in on 50 but he still has the romantic charm that makes him attractive to a female audience while Barrymore has morphed into the sweet, girl-next-door type; no mean feat considering she once flashed David Letterman on national TV.

In this pairing Grant is a has-been pop star reduced to playing State Fairs in order to make a living. Barrymore is at loose ends, spending most of her time in the family weight loss business. What she really wants to do is write, but she lacks the confidence to do so after a disastrous affair with her college professor. The two meet fortuitously just when Grant has been offered a chance to write a new song for the reigning pop diva. Unfortunately, while good at composing music he has no skill with lyrics. As Barrymore does, it's a match made in heaven.

Enjoyable romantic comedies have been in short supply lately, but this is right on the mark. The plot is nothing to write home about but the casting is very good and Grant and Barrymore have very good screen chemistry. There aren't any belly laughs that I can recall but there are a lot of chuckles, basically due to Grant's impeccable comedic timing. Women and couples will find this an enjoyable holiday outing.

Opening 2/16/2007

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA [PG] 1 hr. 35 min. Adventure/Fantasy Trailer Cast: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Robert Patrick, Zooey Deschanel. Plot: Based on the popular Newbery Award-winning novel, "Bridge to Terabithia". a story of friendship, family and the power of imagination from the producers of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." Together a boy and girl create the secret kingdom of Terabithia, where they rule the kingdom, fight the Dark Master and his creatures and plot against the school bullies. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Northrock, Movie Machine, Warren Theaters: East 13th, West 21st.

BREACH [PG-13] 1 hr. 50 min. Thriller Trailer Cast: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Laura Linney, Dennis Haysbert, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Cole, Caroline Dhavernas, Bruce Davison, Mary Jo Deschanel, Gary Cole. Plot: engaged in a lethal game of spy-versus-spy without the benefit of a cover story or backup, a young FBI agent finds himself fighting to bring down his boss before the treacherous double-agent can destroy him, his family and the nation they are both sworn to serve. Showing at: Warren Theaters: East 13th, West 21st.

FACTORY GIRL [R] 1 hr. 25 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Sienna Miller, Hayden Christensen, Guy Pearce, Mena Suvari, Jimmy Fallon. Plot: imaginatively unfolds the comet-like rise and fall of 60s "it girl" Edie Sedgwick, the blazing superstar who came to define both the glamor and the tragedy of our celebrity-obsessed culture. Showing at: Premiere Palace exclusively.

GHOST RIDER [PG-13] 1 hr. 50 min. Action/Adventure Trailer Cast: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, Sam Elliott, Donal Logue, Peter Fonda. Plot: a superstar motorcycle stunt rider makes a deal with the devil to protect the ones he loves most. In return he becomes a bounty hunter of rogue demons for the devil. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Movie Machine, Northrock, Warren Theaters: East 13th, Old Town, West 21st.

VENUS [R] 1 hr. 35 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Peter O'Toole, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Griffiths, Leslie Phillips, Jodie Whittaker. Plot: a pair of veteran actors' daily routine is disrupted by the arrival of a young woman. Showing at: Premiere Palace exclusively.

Leaving 2/15/2007

Derby Cinema - Epic Movie, The Messengers
Movie Machine - Epic Movie, Night At The Museum
Northrock 14 -
Palace West - The Holiday, The Good Shepherd, Open Season, Borat
Premiere Palace - Babel, The History Boys, Children Of Men, We Are Marshall, Volver
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East 13th - The Queen, Dreamgirls, Pursuit Of Happyness, The Last Sin Eater, Stomp The Yard
Warren Old Town - Smokin' Aces
Warren West 21st - The Last Sin Eater, Stomp The Yard, Dreamgirls

Opening 2/14/2007

MUSIC AND LYRICS [PG-13] 1 hr. 35 min. Romantic comedy Trailer Cast: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston, Campbell Scott, Haley Bennett. Plot: a washed-up 80s pop star asks his quirky plant lady to write the lyrics for a song he's composing in an attempt to revive his career. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Northrock, Warren Theaters: Warren East 13th, Warren West 21st.

TYLER PERRY'S DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS [PG-13] 1 hr. 35 min. Comedy/Drama Trailer Cast: Gabrielle Union, Idris Elba, Tasha Smith, Gary Sturgis, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lou Gossett, Jr., Malinda Williams, Terri J. Vaughn, Cassie Davis, Juanita Jennings, LaVan Davis. Plot: a garage mechanic who lives in a poor neighborhood and struggles to make ends meet as he raises his three young daughters fights to keep his drug-dealing ex-wife from getting custody of the girls. Showing at: Northrock, Warren Theaters: Warren East 13th, Warren West 21st.

Leaving 2/13/2007

Derby Cinema - Arthur And The Invisibles
Movie Machine - Happy Feet, Pursuit Of Happyness
Northrock 14 - Pursuit Of Happyness, Stomp The Yard, Arthur And The Invisibles, Children Of Men
Palace West -
Premiere Palace -
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East 13th - The Departed, Freedom Writers, Notes On A Scandal
Warren Old Town - Night At The Museum
Warren West 21st - Charlotte's Web, The Departed, Freedom Writers, The Hitcher, The Queen

Worthwhile (and not) 2/9/07

Only one film in today's openings got into the 3-4 star range: THE HISTORY BOYS. All of the others are below 2½ stars. Again, this is a good time to catch any Oscar candidates you may have missed. Two additional films for the week are opening on Wednesday for Valentine's Day. Perhaps one of those will satisfy any need you have for a new movie.

NORBIT *½

On the heels of his role in DREAMGIRLS, Eddie Murphy falls back on the multiple character shtick he used in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. This time he plays three characters, Norbit, his grossly overweight wife, Rasputia (don't y0u love that name?), and Mr. Wong, who owns an orphanage/restaurant. Murphy is also listed as a producer and as one of the writers of the script. The rest of the cast includes Thandie Newton, the real love of his life; Cuba Gooding Jr. as Newton's fiancé; and Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams as a couple of retired pimps who can't quite give up their business.

The plot has Norbit trapped in a marriage with Rasputia because he's afraid of her and her three strapping brothers (so is the entire town for that matter). When his childhood sweetheart comes back to town with a desire to buy and run the orphanage they once lived in, he begins thinking of ways they can be together again, while Rasputia and her brothers plot to obtain the orphanage and turn it into a topless bar.

Here's the problem, the film just doesn't have enough laughs to fill 100 minutes. The characters are all stereotypes and that gets very tiresome in short order. Murphy disappears into his characters very well but those characters become boring long before the ending of the film. Newton is lovely as usual but you can't understand what she could possibly see in Norbit. The real star of the film is Rasputia's fat suit, and it's hard to recommend a film on that alone.

Opening 2/9/2007

HANNIBAL RISING [R] 2 hrs. Thriller Trailer Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Rhys Ifans, Richard Brake, Kevin McKidd. Plot: for the first time in the award-winning series, best selling author Thomas Harris ("Red Dragon," "Silence of the Lambs") writes the screenplay – reaching back to explore the origins of Lecter's rage, terror and savagery. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Movie Machine, Northrock, Warren Theaters: Warren East 13th, Warren Old Town, Warren West 21st.

THE HISTORY BOYS [R] 2 hrs. Comedy/Drama Trailer Cast: Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker, James Corden. Plot: the story of an unruly class of bright, funny history students in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Showing at: Premiere Palace exclusively.

THE LAST SIN EATER [PG-13] 2hrs. 20 min. Drama Trailer Cast: Louise Fletcher, Henry Thomas. Plot: based on the award winning novel by Francine Rivers about a young girl's quest for deliverance. Showing at: Northrock, Warren Theaters: Warren East 13th, Warren West 21st.

NORBIT [PG-13] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy Trailer Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Eddie Griffin, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Plot: abandoned on the steps of a Chinese restaurant/orphanage, a young man becomes engaged to a mean, junk food-chugging queen. But, when his childhood sweetheart moves back into town, he decides she's the one he really wants to marry. Showing at: Derby Cinema, Movie Machine, Northrock, Warren Theaters: Warren East 13th, Warren Old Town, Warren West 21st.

Leaving 2/8/2007

Derby Cinema - The Queen, The Hitcher
Movie Machine - Charlotte's Web
Northrock 14 - Blood And Chocolate, Catch And Release, Eragon, Freedom Writers, The Queen
Palace West - Alpha Dog, Flags Of Our Fathers, Employee Of The Month
Premiere Palace - Eragon, The Holiday, Perfume
Starlite Drive-In - Closed until spring
Warren East 13th - Children Of Men, We Are Marshall, The Hitcher, Blood And Chocolate
Warren Old Town - The Departed, Dreamgirls
Warren West 21st - The Good Shepherd, Blood And Chocolate, Arthur And The Invisibles, Children of Men, We Are Marshall

Worthwhile (and not) 2/2/07

Nationally, the critics liked PERFUME the best with 2½-3 stars. BECAUSE I SAID SO averaged 1½-2 stars and THE MESSENGERS wasn't screened for the critics so you can figure 1-2 stars when their reviews start showing up.

BECAUSE I SAID SO **½

Valentine's Day is almost here so you know what that means...it's time for the chick flicks! The plot for this holiday bon bon is about average but the cast has real quality, and they blend nicely. Diane Keaton is the mother, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), and Piper Perabo (Cheaper By The Dozen 1-2) are her daughters and Gabriel Macht (The Good Shepherd) and Tom Everett Scott are Moore's love interests. Steven Collins (7th Heaven) is a double threat as both the father of one of the boyfriends and a potential love interest for the mother.

The plot has Keaton buying an online ad in an attempt to find a husband for her youngest daughter, without the daughter's knowledge. She finds what she thinks is a real winner and sets the two up. But an onlooker to her matchmaking is intrigued and asks the daughter out also. The mother as well as the two other daughters get involved in the romantic proceedings with the mother's romance adding some additional plot twists.

This is an enjoyable piece of fluff but it's the cast that makes it so, not the plot. This is one of those films whose ending you can predict five minutes after it starts. It's not going to win any awards and you'll forget it shortly after seeing it, but you will have a good time as well as a few laughs while it's showing.

THE MESSENGERS **

This horror film has the advantage of a better than average cast for a movie of this genre. The father is Dylan McDermott, the mother is Penelope Ann Miller, the daughter is Kristen Stewart (Zathura and The Panic Room) and the hired hand is John Corbett (Northern Exposure). There's also a little boy but he hardly speaks and is portrayed by twins in any event.

The plot is fairly predictable. A city family moves to an isolated farm to get a fresh start but discovers country life isn't all they thought it would be. The small boy sees ghosts but is too young to appreciate that might not be a good thing. The daughter senses something is wrong but can't convince her parents to listen to her and hit the road. The farm hand is the solid, dependable type who fits right in with the family.

If I go much further I'll give away the entire plot. The production values and directing are fine. There are several scary moments which should make for a good date picture. Plus, any film that has both a raven trainer and a bug wrangler has something going for it. Still, it's a by-the-book horror film so don't get your hopes too high.

PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER ***

This film is based on a 1985 historical fantasy novel by Patrick Süskind and was finally turned into a film last year by German director Tom Tykwer, who also wrote the score. The novel explored the idea that scents have an emotional counterpart so human response can be manipulated by them. The cast is basically unknown here with the exception of Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman, who play important but secondary roles.

The murderer of the film, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, is born in a fish market to a mother who doesn't want him. He is sent to an orphanage where he is treated brutally and then sold to a tanner when he's old enough to work. He discovers his sense of smell is unmatched by others and he is driven to experience every odor and mentally catalog them. He begins working for a perfumer (Hoffman) and creates many new perfumes for him, an extremely simple task for Grenouille. Since he has no personal odor and is abused rather than loved, he begins searching for a scent for himself that will make people desire him. He determines that the scent of young women is closest to the scent he is looking for and begins collecting the scent of various young women, who unfortunately die in the process. He finally zeros in on one last woman, Rickman's daughter, who's scent he feels will complete the ultimate scent he's been searching for.

As you can tell by my rating, I was impressed by this film. But, for most of the film I would not have rated it this highly. While the production values and acting are immaculate, the story is so depressing it's hard to sit through two hours of it, until you reach the last twenty minutes. But, it's the ending that makes it all worthwhile. I was not expecting what happened (that's unusual for me) and it totally changed my opinion of what I'd seen. I saw people walk out of the screening I attended before the film was over and I'm aure others who decide to attend will also. I'm quite sure some who watch the entire film still won't like it. All I can say is, stick it out if you want the full impact...it worked for me. Tykwer's music score is quite beautiful in a classical sense, with a performance by the Berlin Philharmonic, Simon Rattle conducting. While you won't get the same impact that a large theatre provides, many may be better served by the DVD version, where an occasional break from the story can be taken.