“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast,” says Alice (Mia Wasikowska) to the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp).  So have I. I believed that it would be impossible for Tim Burton to make a film of Alice in Wonderland that is: 1) not funny, 2) not dark,  3) not adult, 4) dull, even with the help of 3D effects, 5) heavy handed and 6) lacking in imagination. But, curiouser and curiouser, I was wrong. [Read more →]

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Jeff Bridges gives a brilliant and captivating performance as Bad Blake, and makes us really care about this washed up country musician. The story is not new, but Bridges makes it feel fresh. The concert scenes are exciting, the story is engaging and the milieu feels authentic. It is not a great film, but it sure is good.  [Read more →]

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“The beast will have its day,” warns Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) in The Wolfman.  Unfortunately, it is not a very interesting day, nor is it an improvement over the day the beast had back in 1941, when the original The Wolf Man, was released.  A remake of this story could have been original and exciting, but The Wolfman is neither. [Read more →]

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Putting two quirky characters in a car together for wacky adventures can be a winning formula. When you add in hilarious supporting performances, you should walk away from the tables a winner. But something is missing from Saint John of Las Vegas, and it is not just the city of Las Vegas.  Despite a few laughs, memorable characters and some good performances, this film is a loser.  [Read more →]

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“Someone else might want to know the point of it all one day,” says teenage Jenny (Carey Mulligan) to the stuffy headmistress (Emma Thompson) at her school. For a young woman in 1961 England, the search for meaning yields no easy answers.  But this smartly written film doesn’t try to provide any. Instead, complex characters and wonderfully subtle performances make An Education something you both enjoy and think about long after you leave the theater. [Read more →]

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Contrary to what I feared, I was not the last person in the United States to see the 3D IMAX version of Avatar. The theater was packed and Avatar continues to rule the box office. But for me, Avatar was a first — the first time I cried at a movie while wearing 3D glasses.  It will take me weeks to process that one. I knew the special effects were, as a friend of mine said, “game changers,” but I didn’t expect the moving story and first rate performances from lesser known actors. I know this film is manipulative, but it manipulated me so well that I didn’t resent it; I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.   [Read more →]

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“I never was very fond of waking up,” states George (Colin Firth) in a voiceover at the start of A Single Man.  If I were George, I would feel the same way. But when the subject of a film is the dreary life of a grieving and suicidal man, the film itself is sometimes a bit dreary, and in this case, slow. Despite a brilliant and nuanced performance from Colin Firth, and mostly strong supporting performances, A Single Man ultimately fails under the weight of poor direction and a script with too many holes. [Read more →]

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Robert Downey Jr. makes all of his films better and he certainly deserves his Golden Globe award. He has great chemistry with co-star Jude Law, and their scenes together are lots of fun.  And although I never thought of Sherlock Holmes as an action hero, the fight scenes are excellent. But a murky plot, mediocre direction, poorly written female characters and miscast actresses keep this film from being really good. It is mildly enjoyable, but I expected better. [Read more →]

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The Nancy Meyers fantasy of an almost 60-year-old women being pursued by two attractive men near her age is pretty simple and somewhat predictable. But how can you not like a film in which Meryl Streep (Jane) gets to say, “Turns out I’m a bit of a slut.” Oh yeah, and she gets to be a slut with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. As unrealistic romantic comedies go, It’s Complicated isn’t, but it is a whole lot of fun, mostly due to the performances of the three leads. [Read more →]

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“Directing a movie is a very overrated job; we all know it. You just have to say yes or no; what else do you do? Yes, no, yes, no — that is directing,” Lilli (the always marvelous Judi Dench) tells Guido Contini (the always divine Daniel Day-Lewis). Well, yes–and no.  Director Rob Marshall’s yes and no choices are on larger than life display in Nine, in similar ways as they were in his 2002 Chicago.  Your feelings about Chicago may be a good predictor of your enjoyment of Nine.  I enjoyed both. Nine has a glamorous all star cast, and the hard work this bevy of beauties put into the musical numbers pays off here. Day Lewis is riveting, the story is one for adults, the production numbers are big and this film looks good. And despite some melancholy moments, Nine is a whole lot of fun. [Read more →]

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As the closing credits roll for 2009, this column is two months shy of its year anniversary. In the spirit of the holidays and that almost anniversary, it is time to look back at the 41 movies Gail has seen and give out some awards. [Read more →]

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If you have ever lost a job, or been close to someone who has, expect tears while watching Up in the Air. But you should also expect a smart, funny and insightful film.  Add George Clooney to that, and things are almost perfect. [Read more →]

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“How the hell do I top this?” Orson Welles (Christian McKay) asks after his triumphant performance of Julius Caesar. Of course he would, but this account of the Mercury Theater’s innovative version of Julius Caesar is fascinating on its own. The film captures the behind-the-scenes dramas of the production and the proclivities of the brilliant and egomaniacal Welles, as well as the colorful actors that Welles directed. The cast is strong, the directing crisp and the story is a good one. [Read more →]

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When a film  has Jim Sheridan as its director, a screenplay by screenwriter/author David Benioff  and is based on a film (Brødre) written and directed by acclaimed Danish director/writer Susanne Bier,  it would be surprising if the film were anything short of first rate. Although the copious advertisements for Brothers suggest a smarmy familial love triangle, Brothers is a thoughtful and dark exploration of war’s effect on soldiers and their families. The big stars in the film do a fine job with the serious material. [Read more →]

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When Clareece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) realizes that her life may finally improve, she gives most of the credit to her teacher, Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). Precious recognizes that the teacher helping her once had problems of her own. In one of the film’s many voiceovers, Precious reflects on this and says, “I think that maybe some of them was in tunnels. And in that tunnel, the only light they had, was inside of them. And then long after they escape that tunnel, they still be shining for everybody else.” Beautifully directed by Lee Daniels and wonderfully acted by newcomers, pop stars and a comedienne, Precious  is a film about how small kindnesses can create a force powerful enough to combat unspeakable cruelty and suffering.  Although the film is gritty and uncompromising, there are moments of surprising beauty and humor, and Precious looks very different from most of the standard Hollywood offerings.  [Read more →]

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“Have you ever had a secret you couldn’t tell anyone?” Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) asks Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Yes, Jacob, and here it is. I was bitten by an inexplicable desire to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon on its opening Friday night, despite the crowds and sold out shows. Judging by the shrieks and squeals from the teenage girls that filled the theater, this film will score big with its target audience. As for the adults, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is not as, uh, “good” as its predecessor, but is still a bit of harmless fun. [Read more →]

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“More of this is true than you would believe,” flashes on the screen at the start of The Men Who Stare at Goats. That sounds promising, because the film is based on the well-received nonfiction book by Welsh journalist Jon Ronson.  But a disclaimer at the end of the film that goes by too fast to read says that many of the characters and much of the plot has no connection to the book. That is too bad, because the real story sounds funny and fascinating, and the film has a first rate cast. But as an absurd comedy, The Men Who Stare at Goats is plodding, and not nearly as funny as it should be. [Read more →]

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Director/screenwriter John Krasinski assembled an impressive amount of male talent to fill out Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Unfortunately, their impressive performances are largely wasted in this film. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men is not really funny enough to be a good comedy, and its attempts at serious reflection are pretentious and pat rather than insightful. This is a shame, because this film has some interesting ideas and real potential. [Read more →]

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The zombies in Zombieland are seriously frightening, and the film provides a few laughs. While not as clever or as scary as the underrated Jennifer’s Body, the strong lead performances make this diverting film enjoyable. Zombieland is lightweight and fun, but instantly forgettable. [Read more →]

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The filmmakers involved in New York, I Love You were given three constraints: They had to shoot their segments in 24 hours, they had a week to edit and they needed to give the sense of a particular neighborhood.  Some of the short segments are funny, some are dark, some have a twist and some are stronger than others. They also seem intertwined with New York, and as a whole, New York, I Love You is as enjoyable as a whirlwind weekend in New York. [Read more →]

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The first image in A Serious Man is a quote from Rashi: “Accept with simplicity everything that happens to you.” At the end of the credits, among the usual boilerplate, we see that “No Jews were harmed in the making of this motion picture.” In between is one of the most riveting films I have seen this year. [Read more →]

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Advertisements for films are often misleading.  The advertisements for Couples Retreat made me think that the film would be a harmless and average comedy, with perhaps a few very funny scenes. The advertisements are accurate; this film is all that and less.  [Read more →]

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After all the credits for Whip It have rolled, the film ends with the words “To all the girls who believe you can… You can.” It is hard not to like a film with this message, especially when this point is made twice. First time director Drew Barrymore seems like a seasoned pro and is aided by Shauna Cross ‘s tight screenplay based on Cross’s 2007 book Derby Girl.  The film boasts strong performances from women ranging in age from twenty to fifty. Oh yeah, this female fest also has exciting action sequences, believable characters, a good story and it is fun. [Read more →]

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When Needy Lesnicky (Amanda Seyfried) says her best friend Jennifer (Megan Fox) is evil, boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) agrees.  Needy corrects him saying, “No, I mean, she’s actually evil. Not high school evil.” If, like me, lines like this have you rubbing your hands together in delight, you should savor this smart, funny and creepy horror film.  [Read more →]

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I think I am supposed to like Bright Star.  I am interested in John Keats, I loved Campion’s The Piano and I have a high tolerance for slow period pieces about love. But this film left me cold. Even the credits annoyed me. Keats deserves better. [Read more →]

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Quentin Tarantino said, “Holocaust movies always have Jews as victims. I want to see something different.  Let’s see Germans that are scared of Jews.” Inglourious Basterds is part spaghetti western, part war film and part Jewish revenge fantasy. While it lacks the power and fun of earlier Tarantino efforts like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Inglourious Basterds is an entertaining film that raises intriguing issues. [Read more →]

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If the idea of a close-up on Andy Griffith’s face while he has a loud and enthusiastic orgasm makes you wince, you should avoid Play the Game. In fact, unless you are aching to see Matlock/the Sheriff of Mayberry getting horizontal with Liz Sheridan (best known as Jerry’s mom on Seinfeld) followed by the big O, you should avoid Play the Game. I would be happy to see a more dignified look at romance between fine actors in their eighties. But Play the Game suffers from poor directing and even worse writing, and four excellent lead performances cannot save it. [Read more →]

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There is a lot to admire about this dark, smart and gritty science fiction thriller. In some ways, it deserves the accolades it is earning. Yet while I watched District 9, I thought it was a very good film of this type, but I also found it to be unpleasant and in need of more likeable characters. [Read more →]

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During a Q&A at a preview screening of Julie and Julia, Julie Powell (the real life Julie from the film) was asked if this film was “food porn.” Powell did not think so, and I agree with her. People who like lingering shots of voluptuous food will enjoy Julie and Julia. But you do not have to like cooking at all to love this story of two women with similar names and similar desires who triumphed over similar challenges.  [Read more →]

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“Just what America needs, another quirky comedy,” says Michael Cera to Charlyne Yi  when he hears about her new documentary. Part documentary, part mockumentary,  part performance art and wholly enjoyable, Paper Heart is quirky and original, and very different from the slew of romantic comedies dropped on America this summer. [Read more →]

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