04.20.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving disturbing violent content and images, and some language.
Release Date: 2009-12-11
Starring: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.lovelybones.com/
04.6.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: R for drug use and language throughout, some violence and sexuality.
Release Date: 2009-11-20
Starring: William M. Finkelstein
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.badlieutenantportofcallneworleans.com/
For those of you who have seen Abel Ferrara’s original Bad Lieutenant from 1992, don’t think that this new version, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, from director Werner Herzog is a remake, a re-imagining, or a sequel. It’s a stand-alone project worthy of your time and money. It is entertaining, engaging and oddly funny.
When we first meet Sergeant Terence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage), he’s a good cop, risking his life to save a prisoner from rising flood waters and suffering a permanent back injury as a result. When we next encounter him, six months later, he is receiving a commendation and being promoted to lieutenant, but he has secretly become addicted to vicodin and cocaine, the second of which he is stealing from the police store room. As his addiction escalates, his behavior becomes increasingly unstable, with his actions endangering his current case: a multiple homicide committed by local drug kingpin Big Fate (Alvin “Xzibit” Joiner). The walls start closing in on Terence, with a client of his prostitute girlfriend (Eva Mendes) sending goons to extort money from him, his bookie demanding that he pay his $5000 tab, and Internal Affairs going after his gun and badge.
As I remember the original Bad Lieutenant, one of the first films to ever receive an NC-17, has Harvey Keitel giving one the great performances on screen in the last 20 years. His acting was so honest and engrossing, that it made me look at NYPD cops in a whole different light. Ferrara himself added his trademark New York grit which was just as powerful as Keitel on screen. In this new version, German director Werner Herzog (Fitzcarraldo, Aguirre, The Wrath of God) known for his unforgettable documentaries, gives this worn out bad cop movie an injection of adrenaline that will satisfy fans of the original film and of his own.
Nic Cage gives his best performance on celluloid since Adaptation. He reminds us of the old Cage from Wild at Heart and Leaving Las Vegas. He is fully invested in his character and makes you wonder why he ever did Ghost Rider or Next? There were some over the top scenes, but I think it was simply a stylistic choice. Eva Mendes on her end, does a descent job in complementing Cage very well as the sexy, gritty and loving hooker he’s in love with. For the most part, Eva’s roles throughout her career are very similar. I would like to see her stretch her skills a bit as she did in ‘Hitch’, but these roles prohibit any chance of it.
Some portions deter from the movie being perfect, but nevertheless, it’s the type of movie you walk out of the theater talking about for days.
03.30.2010 | By Mirna Lopez |
Rated: PG for some mild rude humor.
Release Date: 2009-12-23
Starring: Jon Vitti, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.munkyourself.com/
If you enjoyed the adventures of Alvin and the Chipmunks in 2007, be sure to feel the same with Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. It contains the same main characteristics from the first movie. Once again, these cute and fuzzy chipmunks will entertain you with their music. Basically, The Squekquel continues the adventures of the pop sensations Alvin and the Chipmunks.
The chipmunks are attending school, and it is up to them to save their school’s music program by winning $25,000 in a battle of bands. Nevertheless, now the chipmunks have competition, The Chipettes: Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette. Adjusting to this new life style involving peer pressure, girls, and sports has become pretty difficult for Alvin, Simon and Theodore.
We do not hear Dave (Jason Lee) yelling “Alvin!” every few minutes, like in the first movie. His nephew Toby takes care of the chipmunks in The Squeakquel, and treats them slightly different as Dave.
The way everyone seems to ignore the fact that famous chipmunks are attending school, makes us wonder “why?” However, we easily make them fit into the environment, especially when another three female chipmunks arrive. Something we will have in mind throughout the entire movie is that the chipmunks are adorably cute. Being adorable is what makes the chipmunks unique and gives the special touch that both movies have.
Prepare yourself to see these sweet and clever chipmunks live as if they were humans. You will only enjoy “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” if you already think they look adorable. Otherwise, you will not receive the same effect as everyone else, who also liked the first movie.
03.23.2010 | By Alex Florez |
Rated: PG for action, smoking and slang humor.
Release Date: 2009-11-13
Starring: Roald Dahl, Wes Anderson
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.fantasticmrfoxmovie.com/
As daring as it might seem for director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums) to switch gears and take a crack at an animated film for the first time, adapting a best selling children’s book from a legendary author is arguably the bigger gamble. Or so you would think. With FANTASTIC MR. FOX, a film based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name, Anderson rarely steps out of his comfort zone. The risks are few simply because he’s managed to inject enough of his own personality into Dahl’s work to make it his own. In retrospect, the movie fits perfectly into his filmography. Â
Those familiar with his work will instantly recognize his trademark humor, wit, the familiar voices he casts for his films and his penchant for putting together an amazing soundtrack of folk and classic rock.
Nevertheless, as an animated film it is quite refreshing to look at. The stop motion techniques used are a welcomed break from the computer generated animations we’re so accustomed to seeing nowadays. Anderson’s attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed either, and the work of the animators should also be recognized given the challenges of animating real fur. Â
One other note: if you’ve grown up with Dahl’s work, which also includes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, you might not welcome the notion that Anderson takes many liberties with the ‘Mr. Fox script’, going as far as adding several scenes to make it work as a feature length film. Â
As it plays out in the film, Mr and Mrs Fox (George Clooney and Meryl Streep) live an idyllic home life with their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) and visiting young nephew Kristopherson (Eric Anderson). But after 12 years, the tranquil lifestyle proves to be too dull for Mr Fox’s wild animal instincts. Soon he slips back into his old ways as a sneaky chicken thief and in doing so, endangers not only his beloved family, but the whole animal community. Trapped underground and with not enough food to go around, the animals band together to fight against three evil farmers.
In the end, the film never quite grabs you emotionally the way a Pixar movie will, but I’m not sure that any of his live action films have either. Regardless, Fantastic Mr. Fox is very kid friendly and fun watch for the whole family.
03.23.2010 | By Terry Kim |
Rated: R for language, some drug content and brief nudity.
Release Date: 2009-11-06
Starring: Peter Straughan
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.themenwhostareatgoatsmovie.com/
The Men Who Stare at Goats is based on a book by Jon Ronson of the same title, and judging by his track record—Ronson wrote books with titles like Out of the Ordinary: True Tales of Everyday Craziness and Them: Adventures With Extremists—it isn’t surprising that Heslov’s movie is an hour and a half of paranormal activity (or something like it) inside the U.S. Military. Bob Wilton (played by Ewan McGregor), at first searching for a way out of his heartbreak (his wife and college sweetheart leaves him for his one-armed editor), lands himself in uncanny situations that cannot possibly be real… or are they?
Bob begins his adventure in Kuwait City, where he runs into Lyn Cassady (played by George Clooney), who will ultimately be the link to the story behind the First Earth Battalion. When the Cassady-Wilton duo courageously ventures into the deserts of Iraq, the first big thing that happens is a car crash, and into a glaring boulder in the middle of the road, no less. Not to mention that the first “help” they acquire is a group of petty thugs that want to sell this clueless American pair. For Wilton’s first big adventure, he’s doing pretty great. Once he starts to glean out some of Cassady’s stories, however, he realizes that the U.S. Military isn’t as tough as it looks.
Meet Bill Django (Jeff Bridges), leader of the First Earth Battalion, who uses his “education” (if naked hot tub sessions count as education) to get his men in touch with Mother Earth. Lyn Cassady is Django’s main protégé, and when a fellow Battalion member, Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) enters their Garden of Eden, things go terribly amiss: Django gets a dishonorable discharge, and even worse, Cassady stares at a goat so intently that it drops dead. Lyn has thus traversed into the dark side, and to top it off, Larry taps him with the “death touch.” But not to worry; all ends well, with Bill’s vision of Timothy Leary, and some military breakfast laced with LSD. Thus Bob Wilton emerges, cured of his heartache, and in tune to his inner hippie.
The director of The Men Who Stare at Goats is Grant Heslov. This is his feature debut behind the camera, but not his first opportunity to join forces with Clooney. He co-wrote (with Clooney) and produced Good Night and Good Luck and filled similar producing duties for Leatherheads. The two men clearly know each other and work well together, and it shows in the easy way this movie unfolds. Heslov is not performing without a net. Who better than Clooney to lend a helping hand – a man who has learned from Soderbergh and the Coens and directed three films in his own right (two of which he collaborated with Heslov)?
George Clooney seems to have walked off the set of Burn After Reading and straight into this one: the expressions and the speech are identical. Comments on the acting aside, the laugh-out-loud moments are worth the psychedelic overload. The attention, however, appears to have gone mostly into the dialogue, and the audience knows all too well that dialogue alone does not carry a whole movie. If you’re looking for more reasons—as if there aren’t enough already—to scoff at our former president, look no further than The Men Who Stare at Goats. It’s always fun to make fun.
P.S. Warning to all hamster owners: remember to keep your furry friends away from glaring men.
03.20.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: PG for some action and peril, and brief mild language.
Release Date: 2009-10-23
Starring: Timothy Harris
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Country:USA, Japan, Hong Kong
Official Website: http://www.astroboy-themovie.com/
Since I saw the preview I knew I was going to enjoy the animation. Usually I don’t get that feeling but ‘Astro Boy’ didn’t disappoint. The quality of the computer generated graphics was excellent, the voices were on par and the plot will make any parent tear more than once. Get ready.
The film is based on a popular manga and anime series from Osamu Tezuka. The movie tells the tale of a father (Nicolas Cage) who looses his son (Freddie Highmore) in a scientific accident and then recreates him as a super-robot. Sadly, his pain is so great he rejects him completely. The rest of the story has our hero trying to win back his father’s love.
Usually anime or manga films don’t have a lot of success in Hollywood but they do on T.V. such as Voltron, Pokemon, Speed Racer, etc… ‘Astro Boy’ is a risk to the Summit Entertainment company since the main character doesn’t have a fan base in the U.S. most of its reputation comes from Japan. I personally liked it and in my opinion you will too.
03.20.2010 | By Namreta Kumar |
Rated: Not available.
Release Date: 2009-11-20
Starring: Melissa Rosenberg
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.twilightthemovie.com/
It seems like it took a long while coming, but New Moon just does not thrill audiences the same way Twilight, the movie or the books have. Overall the film covers the basics of the novel but fails to deliver as compelling a story.
As with any rewrite, stories have to be manipulated to adapt however for a novel about the development and growth of two prominent characters and relationships this film never fully develops. Everything about the film, from the music to most of the liberties, seems so disconnected and distant that it always feels like you are watching clips of the book.
Despite the problematic nature of the adaptation Chris Weitz’s constant desire to keep the original style of the film was very rewarding. With the exception of the almost obvious edits to existing sets, the overall style of the film and direction are what keeps this film close to the original novel. The novels established characters all seem very believable; however the triangle that is supposed to be formed at the end of the film, almost seems established from the start.
As a movie audience it is hard to see how much Bella has grown attached to Jacob without inserting dialogue. However, for a two-hour movie, this movie comes up short of making any progress and so the dialogue falls flat. In fact when it finally seems to be getting somewhere the conclusion of the film picks up its pace too rapidly and then it almost seems like a second films is starting.
Unfortunately this film just never gets passed the dramatics of a smaller role for Edward and fails to deliver the conflict that is supposed to drive this film and fuel the next.
03.20.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: PG
Release Date: 2009-12-11
Starring: Ron Clements, Rob Edwards, Greg Erb, Don Hall, John Musker, Jason Oremland
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog/
“The Princess and The Frog” is an historic moment for Disney, but it also represents a step forward in the entertainment industry to diversifying its films to reflect today’s current social landscape. Perhaps a long anticipated Latina on the horizon? Cinematically speaking, the film is an entertaining and amusing throwback to the classic Disney cartoons of old, but doesn’t really hold its own compared to the classics. The same formula is used with a twist, but its missing originality.
This animated romantic comedy set in the great city of New Orleans in the 1920’s features a beautiful girl named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on an adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.
The voices are top notch across the board. The music is not at the height of previous efforts and feels like producers just picked up some songs from the Disney archive catalog. The production quality of the animation though is a pleasure to behold. In a time when CG, 3D and even stop-motion animation are all the rage, this seems like an old friend coming back to visit.
Kids and parents will have a good time with it and sing along with the crocs and bugs, but is it a classic? No, but it is historic enough that it must be seen.
03.20.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: PG-13 for violent/disturbing images, some terror, thematic elements and brief sexuality.
Release Date: 2009-11-06
Starring: Olatunde Osunsanmi
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.thefourthkind.net/
The Fourth Kind has many a scares, but it feels more like a made-for-tv movie than anything else. That doesn’t make it bad, it just makes the decision to wait for it on DVD that much easier.Â
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The film, based on ‘real events’ and shot juxtaposing documentary and reenactment footage, is a good thrill… for a few minutes. The film’s publicity and marketing material suggest that The Fourth Kind is based on actual occurrences , but the reality is that this is as “based on a true story” as Fargo was (not at all). It’s all part of a backstory that extends beyond the screen. The director, Olantunde Osunsanmi, purports include “real” footage of unexplained phenomenon that transpired in Nome, Alaska during the early years of the 21st century, but there are plenty of clues both in the footage and outside of it that debunk its veracity. One doesn’t need to be aware that no one named Abbey Tyler practiced psychology in Alaska to know this woman is not real. The makeup applied to her face during her “interviews” is not convincing and the unidentified actress playing Abbey may cause pause even for those who want to buy what Osunsanmi is selling.
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Although it’s fascinating to dissect the movie on an intellectual level and examine what pieces and structural choices work and don’t work, I’m sure that’s not how the filmmakers intended their production to be approached. On a purely narrative level, The Fourth Kind offers the occasional “boo!” moment but is too tame (consider the PG-13 rating) to generate any lasting horror and too contrived to work on a dramatic level. The best thing I can say about it is at least it’s not another Asian horror remake.
03.15.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: R for sexual content, language and some drug material.
Release Date: 2009-11-20
Starring: Pedro Almodóvar
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Country:Spain
Official Website: http://www.pedroalmodovar.es/PAB_EN_Cap01.asp
One of Spain’s most talented sons gives cinema a new work titled ‘Broken Embraces’. Pedro Almodóvar reunites with Penélope Cruz to once again give us a visually sensual and beautiful, bold and impressive theater of the mind, but one that regrettably doesn’t break new ground. It is not his best film and thus the reason it wasn’t selected to participate in Spain’s Oscar selections for this upcoming ceremony. It is by no intention a bad film, it simply isn’t overwhelming. Were we asking for too much? Was that the problem?
The premise is interesting and very Almodovar. Harry Caine (LluÃs Homar), a screenwriter/director, suffers a near fatal crash that leaves him blind. After healing from his wounds 14 years later, he finds himself directing and editing his last movie which starred his eternal love.
There is beauty in his work, but I believe there was also writers block, which is why he recycled so much of his favorite films such as Elevator to the Gallows, Voyage to Italy and his own Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Pedro took the opportunity to become Tarantino in this film and craft a class in filmmaking to us all. His new work combines amour fou, crime-noir melodrama, satirical comedy, complex structures and subplots and anything else his head could devise. He’s good but his ambition got the best of him and the construction of the story ultimately did not rise to the levels of his previous works. It looks as if his focus left the narrative and shifted to the technical aspects and look of the film. Almodovar is accountable for his own success and it burns him here.
Nonetheless, the minor imperfections do not damage his reputation as a dexterous helmer nor should it influence your decision to see the movie. Penelope Cruz gives another mesmerizing performance as the “femme fatale†but one that doesn’t rival her character in passion and charm from ‘Volver’. The rest of the cast shows why Spain is a gold mine full of talented actors.
In a broad comment, this year was specifically a great year for Spanish movies. The box office has reaped the benefits of their marvelous stories and productions and we’re all the better for it. Almodovar is being challenged by other filmmakers such as Isabel Coixet, Fernando Trueba, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo and Alejandro Aménabar (half Chilean). I hope to see their work rival his because Hollywood awaits them desperately.
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