Movie capsules 6 22 07

View PDF | Print View
by: Guest Total views: 259 Word Count: 3497   

Home / Entertainment / Movies
Movie capsules 6/22/07
By LOU GAUL
phillyBurbs.com

The following capsule reviews, listed alphabetically, will give you an idea of the caliber of films unreeling locally. Please refer to the movie schedule for theaters and show times.
The films are graded as follows: Very Good, (A); Good, (B); Fair, (C); Poor, (D); Turkey (F). Those with (NP) have not been previewed. (To locate a Web site, go to www.google.com nd type in the film's title.)
ANGEL-A: (B-) Stylish French filmmaker Luc Besson takes a detour from the edgy action tales - including "Leon, the Professional," "The Fifth Element" and "La Femme Nikita" - he usually creates to direct a dialogue-driven romantic fantasy. In the import picture, which was shot in black and white, a beautiful woman struggles to show a con artist the error of his ways. It's being presented in French and Spanish with subtitles. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (90 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, sexual elements. (R)
AWAY FROM HER: (A-) British favorite Julie Christie ("Darling") and Olympia Dukakis ("Moonstruck") star in this critically lauded Canadian drama about an aging woman who has long harbored a grudge against her two-timing husband and finds herself battling increasing memory loss. Actress Sarah Polley (remake of "Dawn of the Dead") makes her directing debut with the picture, based on "The Bear Came Over the Mountain," a short story by Alice Munro. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (110 minutes) Strong language, adult themes. (PG-13)
BLACK BOOK: (B+) Paul Verhoeven ("Basic Instinct") directed this intense World War II historical drama about a Jewish woman (Carice van Houten) who survives a murder attempt, joins the resistance movement in Holland and becomes intrigued by a seemingly sympathetic Nazi officer (Sebastian Koch). The picture reflects how greed brought out the absolute worst in so many people during the war. The import is being presented in Dutch, German and Hebrew with subtitles. (145 minutes) Strong violence, sex, nudity, harsh four-letter profanity, adult themes. (R)
BLADES OF GLORY: (B-) Moms and dads who sensitive to the content of the movies seen by their children will quickly realize that they're skating on thin ice in terms of being responsible parents if they take their youngsters to this crude figure-skating spoof. The gross moments include a scene of incest, a recreation of Marilyn Monroe's suicide and a fondling of a young woman. Will Ferrell ("Old School"), Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite"), Jenny Fischer (TV's "The Office"), Amy Poehler (TV's "Saturday Night Live") and Will Arnett (TV's "Arrested Development") star in the outlandish comedy about two battling figure skaters. (95 minutes) Strong sexual elements, harsh four-letter profanity, drug references, brief violent image. (PG-13)
BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!: (B) Canadian cult filmmaker Guy Madden ("The Saddest Music in the World") directed this black-and-white psychological drama. The import concerns the emotional fallout felt by a brother and sister raised by their mother in an orphanage, which the parent runs with an iron fist. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (95 minutes) (Unrated)
BUG: (C+) This psychological thriller, based on a play by Tracy Letts, registers as an "X-Files"-like conspiracy thriller as it tells the tale of a mentally unbalanced veteran who believes that the government inserted a destructive drug, which he describes as a "bug," into his bloodstream. Harry Connick Jr. ("Independence Day") and Ashley Judd ("Kiss the Girls") star in this extremely intense story about a paranoid man who becomes involved with an emotionally fragile, physically abused divorcee and resides with her in a dingy Oklahoma motel room. William Friedkin ("The Exorcist") directed the claustrophobic work that some viewers will find intriguing due to its disturbing political themes and others will find outrageously over the top. (95 minutes) Strong violent images, sex, nudity, drug use, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
CRAZY LOVE: (B+) Filmmaker Dan Klores directed this compelling and disturbing documentary about Burt and Linda Pugach, now 80 and 70 years old, respectively. She married him in 1974 despite the fact that he had hired thugs to throw lye in her eyes in 1959, disfiguring her face and ultimately blinding her, due to his obsessive quest to have her in his life. He spent 14 years in prison for the crime. It won the best documentary award at the 2007 Santa Barbara Film Festival. (92 minutes) Language, sexual references, adult themes. (PG-13)
DAY WATCH: (B-) This high-energy second installment of the atmospheric Russian horror trilogy, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, follows immortal beings representing good and evil and involved in a never-ending battle. The highly stylish "Night Watch" (2006) was the first title in the foreign series, which enjoyed huge success globally. It is presented in Russian with subtitles. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (132 minutes) Violence. (R)
DISTURBIA: (B-) Shia LaBeouf ("Holes") and Carrie-Anne Moss ("The Matrix") star in this diverting teen thriller inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window." In the story, an emotionally unstable 17-year-old guy blames himself for an automobile accident that claimed the life of his beloved father. After a violent incident at school, the voyeuristic young man is sentenced to house arrest, and during the boring hours at home, he uses binoculars to spy on his those nearby - including a cute girl (Sarah Roemer of "The Grudge 2") who moves next door - and comes to believe that a hulking neighbor (David Morse of "16 Blocks") is a serial killer. Talented D.J. Caruso, whose credits include the haunting drama "The Salton Sea," directed. (104 minutes) Scenes of terror, violent images, drug reference, sensual elements. (PG-13)
DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE: (C) TV favorite Jaime Pressly ("My Name Is Earl") stars in this action tale about three woman who travel to a foreign land to participate in a deadly martial-arts tournament. Corey Yuen ("Jet Li's The Enforcer") directed the picture, which is based on the video game "Dead or Alive." Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (87 minutes) Action, some sex, nudity. (PG-13)
EAGLE VS. SHARK: (B-) During this offbeat love story from New Zealand, a lonely fast-food waitress meets a clueless video-store clerk. They travel to the guy's hometown to attend a costume party and so that he can get revenge against the guy who bullied him years ago. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (94 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, some sexuality, brief animated violence. (R)
EVAN ALMIGHTY: (NP) Hot comic actor Steve Carell ("The 40 Year-Old Virgin") replaces Jim Carrey in this sequel to "Bruce Almighty." In the follow-up, Carell's character, a member of congress, receives a message from God (again played by Morgan Freeman) to build an ark like Noah and gather some creatures to protect them from an upcoming flood. Lauren Graham (TV's "Gilmore Girls") co-stars in the $175 million production, the most expensive comedy in Hollywood's history. (96 minutes) Mild rude humor, scenes of peril (PG)
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER: (B) Original cast members Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis return as Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Human Torch and The Thing, respectively, and battle a seemingly indestructible being that travels the galaxy via a flying surfboard. Director Tim Story, who also helmed the original, used a computer-generated image to create the Silver Surfer for this no-frills, fun-to-watch sequel, which also features Julian McMahon and Kerry Washington returning as Dr. Doom and Alicia Masters, respectively. Issue No. 1 of "Fantastic Four" was published by Marvel Comics in 1961. (89 minutes) Action violence, mild language. (PG)
1408: (B) John Cusack ("The Ice Harvest"), Samuel L. Jackson ("Snakes on a Plane") and Mary McCormack ("Private Parts") star in this sometimes chilling tale. It's an adaptation of a Stephen King short story about a ghost-filled hotel room and an author of haunted-tour guides who risks his life by staying in it. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (94 minutes) Disturbing segments of violence, frightening images, harsh four-letter profanity. (PG-13)
GOLDEN DOOR: (B) In this Italian import, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg ("21 Grams"), a poor farmer from Sicily meets an attractive British woman while crossing the ocean at the beginning of the 20th century. During this romantic fable, he agrees to marry her before they reach Ellis Island. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (112 minutes) Brief graphic nudity. (PG-13)
GRACIE: (B-) Only the most ardent lovers of sports pictures will be carried away by Elisabeth Shue ("Leaving Las Vegas") and Dermot Mulroney ("My Best Friend's Wedding") during this fact-based, 1978-set tale. The picture follows a 15-year-old girl (Carly Schroeder of "Firewall") from South Orange, N.J., as she battles the odds to play competitive high-school soccer with boys at a time when girls' soccer didn't exist. (92 minutes) Brief sexual content. (PG-13)
HOSTEL: PART II: (B for hard-core horror fans only): Although getting off to a slow and creepy start, this sequel, written and directed by series-creator Eli Roth, kicks into gear at its midway point and never stops. In the follow-up, three female students leave Italy for a remote location and discover they're staying in a place that sells young women to men who want to torture them. The shocking ending will have exploitation fans and fright-film buffs buzzing for years. Be prepared. (96 minutes) Sadistic scenes of torture, terror, bloody violence, nudity, sexual elements, drug content. (R)
KNOCKED UP: (B-) In this crude slacker fairy tale, the prince is a bong-loving, T-shirt-wearing, ambition-challenged dude (Seth Rogen of "You, Me and Dupree") with no focus and the princess is a career-obsessed, fashion-minded, forward-thinking lady (Katherine Heigl of "Gray's Anatomy") with a bright future. The two seem about as right for each other as Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell in this far-fetched but sometimes heartfelt tale about a success-driven woman who has a one-night stand with an aimless slacker and ends up pregnant. Despite a non-stop barrage of four-letter words, rude jokes and simplistic sight gags, director Judd Apatow ("The 40 Year-Old Virgin") - who lets the picture run at least 20 minutes too long - still provides some hopeful moments during this beauty-and-the-least male fantasy. (129 minutes) Strong sexual elements, nudity, drug use, non-stop harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
LA VIE EN ROSE: (B) French filmmaker Oliver Dahan directed this biography of singer Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard). The import follows her life from the mean streets of the Belleville district of Paris to her dazzling success at New York's concert halls. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (140 minutes) Substance abuse, sexual content, brief nudity, language, adult themes. (PG-13)

A MIGHTY HEART: (B+) In an Oscar-worthy performance, Angelina Jolie ("Mr. Mrs. Smith") plays Mariane Pearl in an unsettling drama about the hardships faced by the widow after her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan during 2002. (108 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, intense scenes, adult themes. (R)
MR. BROOKS: (B-) Screen favorite Kevin Costner ("Field of Dreams") takes his career in a dark new direction with this bloody thriller about a respected businessman addicted to murder. The meticulous serial killer, who fights the advice of his evil alter ego (William Hurt of "A History of Violence"), must deal with a sadistic young man (comic-actor Dane Cook of "Employee of the Month") who wants to accompany him on a kill and a tough detective (Demi Moore of "Bobby") devoted to stopping his reign of terror. Although not in a league with "The Silence of the Lambs," this psychological chiller offers a cinematic journey through some very dark territory. (120 minutes) Strong violence, some graphic sexual content, nudity, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
NANCY DREW: (B for tweens only) Sixteen-year-old Emma Roberts (the niece of Julia Roberts and daughter of Eric Roberts) stars the young crime solver from the book series, which began in 1930. The old-fashioned feature, which involves a mystery surrounding the long-ago death of a Hollywood movie star, unfolds in contemporary times but harkens to a more traditional era when people wrote thank-you notes, wore sensible shoes (penny loafers being Nancy's favorite) and believed in helping others. Andrew Fleming ("The In-Laws") directed the feature, which co-stars Tate Donovan ("Shooter") and Rachael Leigh Cook ("She's All That"), and aimed it directly at the tween market. Mild violence, thematic elements and brief mild language. (PG)
OCEAN'S THIRTEEN: (B) There's honor among thieves in this enjoyable romp with Danny Ocean and the rest of the gang gathering together for the third time and pulling off a complicated Las Vegas scam to avenge the mistreatment of one of their own. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac and the rest of the guys return in this lightweight project that simply drifts across the screen and asks viewers to do nothing more than sit back and relax. Andy Garcia, who plays the nemesis of Ocean's crew in the first two installments, has a supporting role, and Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino, who previously co-starred in "Sea of Love" (1989), have been added as villains by director Steven Soderbergh. (120 minutes) Brief sexuality. (PG-13)
ONCE: (A) Guitarist Glen Hansard of the Frames, an Irish band, and Marketa Irglova, an immigrant pianist from the Czech Republic, star in this brilliantly innovative musical, shot for $130,000 in just 17 days. Writer-director John Carney ("On the Edge") stretches the boundaries of the musical genre with this strikingly original tale about an unnamed Dublin street performer who lacks the confidence to play his compositions and a young immigrant mother trying to find her voice in a new world and dreaming of one day owning a piano. Carney creatively uses the original songs to sometimes replace dialogue, advance the narrative and comment on the emotions of the appealing characters. It's a warm and winning cinematic work. (85 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
PAPRIKA: (B+) The voice of Mequmi Hayashibara is featured in this adult-oriented Japanese anime about the problems that occur after a machine, which allows a user to enter the dreams of another person, is stolen. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (90 minutes) Violence, sexual images. (R)
PARIS, JE T'AIME: (B) Internationally known filmmakers such as siblings Joel and Ethan Coen ("Fargo"), Wes Craven ("Scream"), Alfonso Cuaron ("Children of Men"), Richard La Gravenese ("Freedom Writers"), Walter Salles ("Dark Water"), Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run") and Gus Van Sant ("Good Will Hunting") directed short segments of this import with stories - some funny; others dramatic - all linked by matters of the heart in the City of Lights. The large ensemble cast includes Juliette Binoche ("The English Patient"), Steve Buscemi ("Reservoir Dogs"), Gerard Depardieu ("1900"), Marianne Faithfull ("Marie Antoinette"), Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Secretary"), Catalina Sandina Moreno ("Maria Full of Grace"), Nick Nolte ("Affliction"), Miranda Richardson ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"), Gena Rowlands ("Gloria"), Rufus Sewell ("Dark City") and Elijah Wood (the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy). It is being presented in English and French with subtitles. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (116 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, drug use. (R)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END: (B+) This third installment in the "Pirates" trilogy based on a Disney theme park attraction gives viewers quite a ride and rarely slows down despite a needlessly long running time that stretches to almost three hours. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley return in this sequel that has the characters sailing beyond all charted territories, teaming with other pirates and fighting an enemy obsessed with destroying all of them. The fun-to-watch follow-up contains rousing, touching and surprising moments. Chow Yun-Fat ("Hard-Boiled") joins the series as a lethal pirate from Singapore, and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards makes a striking cameo appearance as the father of Depp's Jack Sparrow. Gore Verbinski, who helmed the first two installments ("The Curse of the Black Pearl" and "Dead Man's Chest"), directed the picture, which reportedly cost more than $300 million. (167 minutes) Strong violence, frightening images, sexual innuendo. (PG-13)
SHREK THE THIRD: (B) Franchise regulars Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas return as the voices of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey and Puss In Boots, respectively, during this easy-going follow-up in which the title character learns to accept responsibility and ponders his future as a father. The colorful characters seek young King Arthur (voice by Justin Timberlake) to become ruler of the kingdom of Shrek's late father-in-law and want to stop the opportunistic Prince Charming (voice by Rupert Everett) from taking over the throne. Other performers lending their vocal talents include: Amy Sedaris, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Cheri Oteri, John Cleese, Julie Andrews and Eric Idle as Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleepy Beauty, the King, the Queen and Merlin, respectively. The third one may not be in the same league as the first two installments, but there's still some comfort and joy in it. (92 minutes) Crude humor, suggestive content, swashbuckling action. (PG)
SPIDER-MAN 3: (B+) Talk about a superhero assuming biblical proportions. In the emotionally uplifting second installment, Peter Parker's web-slinger (Tobey Maguire) is a Christ figure willing to sacrifice himself for the sins of others. In this dramatically compelling third entry, the Marvel comic character transforms into a satanic figure fighting his dark side as he faces three supervillains, Sandman (Thomas Haden Church of "Sideways"), New Goblin (James Franco of "Annapolis") and Venom (Topher Grace of TV's "That ‘70s Show"). Kirsten Dunst returns as Mary Jane Watson, and Bryce Dallas Howard ("The Village") joins the cast as Gwen Stacy in this physically imposing, emotionally intriguing $270 million superhero epic. Sam Raimi directs for the third time and once again offers a multi-layered work with flashy action supported by important themes about guilt, vanity, compassion, sacrifice, vengeance, corruption, redemption and - most importantly - forgiveness. (156 minutes) Sequences of intense action violence. (PG-13)
SURF'S UP: (B) The voices of Shia LaBeouf ("Disturbia"), Jeff Bridges ("The Big Lebowski"), Zooey Deschanel ("Elf") and Jon Heder ("Blades of Glory") are featured in this computer-animated tale about a penguin in a surfing competition. If Brian Wilson, Cheech and Chong and the late Jerry Garcia had ever teamed to create an animated fable, the result might resemble this cool picture which sends out plenty of good vibrations and teaches some lessons about what's important in life. (92 minutes) Mild language, some rude humor. (PG)
28 WEEKS LATER: (B) This bloody apocalyptic thriller about a "rage" virus transforming humans into flesh-eating beings in London is a grisly and grim sequel to "28 Days Later" (2002). In the intense and unsettling work, starring Robert Carlyle ("The Full Monty"), members of the United States military go to England to contain the virus and nothing goes according to plan. Certainly those looking beneath the surface may feel it echoes the war in Iraq as brave soldiers do their best despite intensely dangerous circumstances and fight a relentless enemy with no intention of surrender or retreat. Spanish filmmaker Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ("Intacto") directed. (100 minutes) Very strong violence, harsh four-letter profanity, sex, adult themes. (R)
WAITRESS: (B+) Keri Russell (TV's "Felicity"), Nathan Fillion ("Serenity"), Cheryl Hines (HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm") and Jeremy Sisto (HBO's "Six Feet Under") star in this warmly rendered slice-of-life tale about a pregnant diner worker dealing with an abusive husband, falling in love with her caring doctor and dreaming of a better life. The picture was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered in her Manhattan apartment last fall shortly after completing the heartfelt film. (104 minutes) Sexual elements, adult themes, spousal abuse, adult themes. (PG-13)
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY: (B+) Talented Cillian Murphy ("Red Eye") stars in this downbeat and upsetting import about the brave volunteers who challenge the brutal English militia that was ordered to crush Ireland's war of independence in the 1920s. They ultimately end up turning on each other due to the manipulation of Her Majesty's government. British filmmaker Ken Loach ("My Name Is Joe") directed. (127 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, sexual innuendo, strong violence, adult themes. (Unrated)
YOU KILL ME: (B-) In this highly uneven comedy thriller, starring Ben Kingsley ("Lucky Number Slevin"), Tea Leoni ("Spanglish"), Luke Wilson ("Vacancy") and Dennis Farina ("Snatch") an alcoholic hit man from Buffalo, N.Y., is sent by the Polish mob to San Francisco to take care of his drinking problem. The shooter than must go home when Irish mobsters start to invade his old territory and knock off his family members and associates in the crime ring. He is accompanied on the return trip by an eccentric woman he met in California. John Dahl ("The Last Seduction") directed. Quality rating based on Web and wire-service reports. (92 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity, violence. (R)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Additional information:

From www.phillyburbs.com:
White Eyes was a chief of the Delaware Indians. His Indian name was Koquethagechton. Due to his fair coloring, he was known to the settlers.
Red eyes, white flakes. The Mustang made it back in one piece, despite the epic chase sequence that occurred somewhere in the hills of San Francisco.
Admittedly, white sunglasses are not for everyone. But then neither are skinny jeans, baby doll dresses or any other fashion trend that comes around.

Related "Eyes":

• Breaking free of the Ă¼ber-mommy
  By revealing her struggles, Wilson helps those of ...
• Early Signing Period For or Against?
  An early signing period would allow the kids to re ...
• Noncompliant Tier III offender sought by police
  He is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 160 poun ...
• Belief in angels proof against lightning, bullets, bats and banes
  It is that hair that has attracted birds over the ...
• Church mourns Zanis
  Tips have continued to roll in to the Guam Police ...

Comments

Add Comment