Movie Review: Vantage Point

We ordered "Vantage Point" on Pay-Per-View the other night.

No spoilers here.

It's got an impressive cast including Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, and William Hurt. At first I wasn't sure if they'd just aged that much in real life or they were playing older folks but, no, they've aged. (Sorry, folks, me, too.) Still, they and the long list of actors did a pretty good job with this concept movie.

In a nutshell, there's an assassination attempt and you get to see it played out over and over, each time from a different person's perspective.

I like thrillers and I like movies that muck with your sense of reality and I particularly like ones that combine the two, which this attempts to do. With each "retelling" of events, you get more clues about what just happened or what's about to happen. So you spend a lot of time saying to the yourself*, "Wait! He just saw something! What did he see?!" and hoping it'll be resolved in the next retelling.

The tag line "8 Strangers. 8 Points of View. 1 Truth." is what they try to offer up but it's not a perfect approach. The movie "cheats" in sometimes showing you things that aren't strictly in the viewer's range. And the device used to signal that viewpoints are about to switch--the scenes you just watched play quickly in reverse until you are back at the start--gets annoying, particularly after the third or fourth time. There are flaws in the plot and it gets heavy-handed with it's political message. Plus, how the movie wraps up all the loose bits is contrived.

Even with all that said, I liked it. There were plenty of plot twists, confounding clues and adrenaline-charged chase scenes to keep me watching. It's worth the Pay-Per-View price ($4.99), certainly. I give it 2 out of 4 jujubees.


* Or to the person next to you, if you're rude like that. Guess which I did.

I'm Finding it Harder to Call Nicolas Cage a Talentless Hack

I have seen a lot of Nicolas Cage movies. This is not because I think he's special and I seek him out in whatever vehicle I can find him. Au contraire. Cage is one of those ubiquitous actors that shows up in lots and lots of movies. He's sort of the male Renee Zellweger, a somewhat ordinary-looking person who, for some unknown reason, keeps getting cast in starring roles.

So, I've seen "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", "Peggy Sue Got Married", "Raising Arizona", "Moonstruck", "Honeymoon in Vegas", "Guarding Tess", "It Could Happen to You", "City of Angels", "The Family Man", "The Weather Man", "Matchstick Men", ... I even tried to slog through "National Treasure". And nobody would call me a "movie person" but there it is. How can you NOT see Nicolas Cage movies, as they are everywhere?

Recently we sat down to watch "Next" on Pay-Per-View. Yeah, we paid to see yet another Nicolas Cage movie but we only paid $3.99 (Do you all know the price of movies in the theater now?! OH MY GOD! But I digress...) I gotta say, Cage, who is front and center in this movie, didn't suck. His acting, or overacting, as I would have said in the past, is now a lot more nuanced. I liked "Next", the story of a man who is pursued by the government to help them stop a terrorist attack because he has the gift/curse of being able to see a few minutes into the future. This is an entertaining film with a great premise and enough action and twists to keep you engaged until the end. I give it 3 jujubees out of 4.

We also watched another movie recently that Nicolas Cage wasn't in. I know, I was shocked, too. Maybe it was because it was made before he was born.

We watched "Gaslight" on Turner Classic Movies (i.e., free. Have I mentioned the price of movies in the theater these days?!?! Oh, right. Anyhoo...) The movie was good but that's not what I want to talk about. It IS a classic and if you haven't seen it, do so, because you are now the last person on earth who hasn't seen it and, you know, that's just awkward.

What I wanted to mention was a peeve of mine that this movie exemplifies: why cast an actor with the wrong accent?! In "Gaslight", Ingrid Bergman, perhaps the most famous Swede of all time with her thick Swedish accent, is cast as a Londoner! But, wait, it gets worse. They cast Charles Boyer, the quintessential French man, as an Italian! His accent is so famous as the epitome of the French romantic that Mel Blanc based Pepe Le Pew's voice on him!

Yes, Bergman and Boyer were great actors and did a fine job in this film but please! Why not change the locations or cast people that can at least approximate the right accent? Hearing Ingrid's natural accent was at least preferable to hearing her perform a very bad impression of a London accent, which happens quite a bit in movies, too, and is way more distracting.

On the plus side for this film, a very young Angela Lansbury has a supporting role and displays her quite authentic London accent!

Movie Review: Chicken Little

I went into Chicken Little with low expectations. After all, 1) it was a free movie thanks to a free preview weekend of a variety of STARZ channels on my Dish satellite, 2) it was a Disney animated movie that looked to be aimed at kids, and 3) it was a retelling of a not very exciting fairy tale. I thought, we can always turn the channel if it sucks. In fact, I think I said those very words.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a movie that was incredibly clever, including all sorts of references (from the Spice Girls to Indiana Jones to Barbra Streisand to Gloria Gaynor to AOL, and many more) and entertaining and changed the basic story into a very different one that you'd never find in a fairy tale.

I don't want to give away the story but I definitely recommend this light fare for it's excellent animation, all-star cast with very strong performances from the leads and a small but delightful performance from the late Don Knotts, and many funny gags. It even has character development! Gasp! It certainly can be watched on a number of levels; little kids will love it for different reasons than adults.

I rate it 3 out of 4 jujubees.

Movie Review: Garden State

Recently I saw the movie Garden State on IFC. I've never been a Zach Braff fan based on his long-running stint on Scrubs but I have to say I was impressed here.

Braff wrote, directed and starred in this slowly unfolding story of a quietly troubled young man who returns home for his mother's funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade. This is a film that lingers long after you see it. The characters are quirky and the underlying themes intriguing. Natalie Portman as the compulsively lying but very endearing Sam does a particularly good job.

IFC is running it again tonight. Catch it.

Rating: 4 of 4 Jujubees.

Mini Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia

In a word: Don't.

This is a Dickensian little tale that only resembles in the remotest of ways the promise of the fantastic advertised in the trailer. Save your money and your time. See something else. About the best I can say for this is that the two child leads, Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, act without the usual Sarah Bernhardt delivery that kids so often bring to roles.

Rating: No Jujubees.

Movie Review: Ratatouille

We decided to do something we rarely do: we saw a movie in the theater when it was released! Outrageous, I know. We decided to see Ratatouille, in Digital at the AMC Hoffman, after a brief visit downtown to the Smithsonian Folklike Festival, a swing through the Museum of Natural History to visit the fabulous jewels, and a drink and ceviche at Oyamel.

So to Ratatouille... I liked this movie very much. It took me back to the days of great Disney animation but with Pixar's great advances. The animation is amazing, the acting/voicing is well done and the story line is solid.

Simply put, it is the story of Remy, a rat with great olfactory skills who dreams of being a cook. At a deeper level, it is an expression of the American dream: if you want it bad enough and work hard enough, you can attain it, no matter who (or what) you are.

It truly has a lot of charm for both kids and adults. And even the rats--and hundreds of rats fill the screen--come across as likable. "Uchhh, how can you watch that?! I can't stand to look at the commercial" says my mother. Well, if you're very anti-rat or downright phobic then this movie is not for you. Otherwise, check it out.

Extra bonus: Before the film, they showed a Pixar short entitled "Lifted" that was very funny.

Personally, I think the short is the optimal format for animation. Like in the days of my youth when you always got a cartoon before the feature. They ought to return to that.

I give the film 3.5 out of 4 jujubees.

Movie Review: The Queen

Rented The Queen on Pay-Per-View. We'd been thinking about it for a while and finally sat down to watch it last night. We'd heard all sorts of good things about it but it's not exactly light entertainment.

Having said that, I was impressed with the character studies. Helen Mirrin as HRM is nothing short of brilliant as is Michael Sheen's portrayal of Tony Blair. And it is the interaction between these two people in the days following Diana's death that is what the plot turns on.

I liked that the humanity of both individuals ultimately comes through despite appearances to the contrary. I also liked how they consistently showed the reasons behind the actions or inactions, and how easily people assume a different motive. The film's pivotal theme explores the question of private versus public, a line that's been blurred a lot in these tabloid times. Also, there's the amazing imagery of a 14 point stag at several places in the film. We disagreed about what it meant but as this is my blog I'll provide my interpretation. ;-) I saw the stag as a representation of the pride, strength and, yes, majesty of the Queen as well as the stag, and the Queen, being easy prey because of all these characteristics.

Also, I have to give props to James Cromwell for his very effective portrayal of Prince Phillip. He's the same actor who's probably best known for his role as Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family! And the person who played Prince Charles, Alex Jennings, did a fine job of acting but was so different looking from Charles that it was distracting. He definitely got the walk and general bearing down though.

It was a short film, 1 hour and 40 minutes, but it's enough. It's well crafted but still left me wanting.

I give the film 2.5 out of 4 jujubees.

Movie Review: Proof

I caught a strange film on IFC ("home of the strange films" should be their tag line) by the name of Proof. This is the 1991 Australian film (not to be confused with a variety of other films by the same title, including a more recent one with Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins.)

This particular Proof stars Hugo Weaving, as Martin, a blind man that seeks proof that what he thinks is real is in fact real by taking pictures and having them described to him. This is an intriguing concept on the surface alone but the movie goes much deeper, getting to fundamental issues of trust, kindness, betrayal, power and truth through Martin's interactions with his housekeeper, Celia (played by Genevieve Picot), and his friend, Andy (played by a very young Russell Crowe). These three form an odd triangle as Celia obsessively pursues Martin in disturbing ways and Andy is drawn into an encounter with Celia.

I recommend this film, which often reads like a play. It's well crafted, well delivered and thought provoking.

I give it 3 Jujubees out of 4.

Movie Review: For Your Consideration

Rented "For Your Consideration" for $2.99 on Pay-Per-View over the weekend. This is a Christopher Guest/Eugene Levy-written film with the usual suspects: Guest, Levy, O'Hara, Shearer, Willard, McKean, Begley Jr., and so on. There are a lot of famous people in this film, including some of the more mainstream names: Sandra Oh; Parker Posey; Richard Kind; Ricky Gervais; etc. So with a cast like this, I had high hopes.

Alas, this is no "A Mighty Wind". This is not a mockumentary, as Guest does so well. This is a small film about actors working on a low budget film entitled "Home for Purim" who start to hear and believe that they may be nominated for Oscars and how this news changes their lives and the film they're working on. It is an effort by Guest to show the shallowness of Hollywood--hardly a new concept--but For Your Consideration ultimately delivers a shallow product itself. Where other Guest films have left me laughing out loud or at least smiling ruefully, this one raised more gasps than smiles. It seems they may be trying for poignancy but in the midst of all these Hollywood caricatures, it comes across to me as a little sad and cold.

I give the film 1 out of 4 Jujubees.

Movie Review: Music and Lyrics

What can I say? The movies on Pay-Per-View are shifting so it's two nights in a row for us. Sure beats "Think You're Smarter Than A 5th Grader?"

We saw Music and Lyrics last night. Yes, yes, another romantic comedy. I just can't get me enough of them.

Imagine Hugh Grant playing Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore playing Drew Barrymore. Take a minute. Got the image? Yeah, that's it.

Here's the set up: A washed up singer (Grant) is given a couple days to compose a hit for a Brittany-esque sensation. His plant waterer (Barrymore) turns out to be a born lyricist. Love blooms amidst the creative angst.

As light as The Holiday was, this is even lighter. This is downright cotton-candyish. The saving graces are the incredibly good parodies of Wham, VH1/MTV, Brittany/Christina/Shakira, etc. and Grant's spot on comic timing. His dry delivery is perfect for such lines as:

"Anybody see 'Battle of the 80's Has-Beens' last night? That Debbie Gibson can take a punch."

I give this movie 2 jujubees out of 4. (If it had Jude Law to look at, like The Holiday, I'd have bumped it up another 1/2 a jujubee)

Movie Review: The Holiday

We watched The Holiday on pay-per-view last night.

It stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as two women experiencing major guy problems right around Christmas-time. They decide to swap houses--and countries--for a two week break.

Rufus Sewell and Ed Burns play the losers/users they're trying to get away from and Jude Law and Jack Black are the much better men they meet on holiday. Eli Wallach plays a charming neighbor who's struggling with getting older and this provides a nice subplot.

The settings are stereotypically pretty: a huge L.A. mansion complete with swimming pool and gardener and a cozy English cottage that looks like it came right out of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Overall the movie was a nice, light, romantic comedy. As you'd expect, it was highly predictable in a gooey sort of way. It was also sluggish in places--it probably could have been shortened--but it still offered up some charm. The movie was originally released December 8, 2006 so it should come as no surprise that this is a Christmas 'feel good' movie complete with Christmas tunes all over the soundtrack. For this sort of thing I much preferred Love Actually but this was certainly worth the $3.99 we paid.

Tidbit: Cameron Diaz and Jude Law kissing in this film were nominated for the 2007 MTV movie award for Best Kiss!

I give it (the movie not the kissing) 2.5 jujubees out of 4.

Movie Review: Notes on a Scandal

Saw "Notes on a Scandal" last night.

It stars Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchette as two teachers each struggling with their issues around loneliness, age, expectation, isolation, taboo sexual attraction and incredible neediness. It's a strange movie and I got a little tired of Cate's character not realizing how creepy Judi's character was, despite obvious clues. Then, again, Cate's character does some creepy things, herself. At one point in the film, Cate's character overhears her mother referring to her as lacking substance. But can lack of substance really explain it?

Still, they both delivered solid performances as did supporting actor Bill Nighy, as Cate's husband.

A special kudos to the make-up people for making Dench look so ghastly and unglamourous to match her character.

I did like the sets of the school and the school yard and the evocation of the class war that transpires there.

The movie held my interest but not in an "Oh my god what a great movie" kind of way. I give this slightly disturbing bit of psychological drama 2.5 jujubees out of 4.

Movie Review: The Prestige (The other magician movie)

After seeing and enjoying The Illusionist, we decided to take a turn at the other magician movie out right now, The Prestige.

Where The Illusionist is a story of enduring love, The Prestige is a story of enduring revenge. This is a strange tale of ratcheting competitiveness and vindictiveness mixed with a smidgeon of science fiction that isn't pleasant to watch despite the top notch cast that includes Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as friends that turn vengeful rivals, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie. There's also nice supporting work by lots of familiar faces like Edward Hibbert (Gil Chesterton on Frasier) and Daniel Davis (Niles on The Nanny). The themes, oft repeated, are that successful magic requires "getting your hands dirty" and obsession only leads to disaster. If you like twisty plots and you don't mind dark themes, get this. I guarantee you will not figure out the ending ahead of time. It may take you a while to figure it out after the last scene has played.

I give high marks for the unusual plot and beautiful period costumes/scenery but the overall movie only 2 out of 4 jujubees because I didn't enjoy it so much as watch it like I'd watch an accident unfolding.

Movie Review: The Illusionist

We saw The Illusionist on pay-per-view. Well worth the $3.99 and then some. The story was engrossing, the acting excellent and the scenery quite evocative. If you've seen academy award nominated Edward Norton in some of his other roles (Primal Fear and Fight Club come to mind immediately), you know just how good he can be. He plays the lead character with intensity but also with an understated approach that always makes you wonder, appropriately, what he's up to. Similarly if you've seen academy award nominated Paul Giamatti in such films as Sideways and Duets, you know you're in for a good ride with him playing key character, Inspector Uhl. It's a drama, a love story and a mystery wrapped into one somewhat clever film. I give it 3 out of 4 jujubees.