As Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) says to the advanced potions class, “Let the brewing commence.” And with that, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and company are once again battling dark forces in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, based on the penultimate book in J.K. Rowling’s series. Harry and his friends are growing up and falling in love, Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is still mentoring Harry and quidditch makes its long awaited return. Casual fans of the Potter film series (like me) will enjoy the darker story. It may not be the best in the series, but Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is fun and enjoyable. [Read more →]

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The advertisements for Humpday may suggest a comedy about gay porn, but do not let that influence your decision to see this film. Writer/director Lynne Shelton will tell you that the “sexy hook” is a red herring, and that the film is about many other things.  Humpday is screamingly funny in places, and it made me squirm with discomfort and laugh at the same time. Part of the funny comes from the serious emotions these likable characters feel. Unlike the immature stock characters in The Hangover, I know people like these guys; their complaints are uncomfortably familiar. Humpday is a small film. It may not change your life, but it is funny, original and real. [Read more →]

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Can you think of anything more hilarious than three adult men waking up in a trashed Las Vegas hotel room with a tiger, a baby and no memory of the previous night’s drunken revelry? Unfortunately, director Todd Phillips and writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore could not. Although The Hangover has a few laugh-inducing scenes, we do not really care about the story or the characters. But the biggest problem with this film is that it is just not that funny. [Read more →]

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Boris Yellnikoff (Larry David) argues that since parents send their children to sports camps, magic camps and other specialty camps, they should instead send their children to concentration camps.  At least concentration camps would provide valuable life lessons. Although part of the humor is in the delivery, your reaction to this line is probably a good predictor of whether you will enjoy Whatever Works. Woody Allen’s latest effort takes him back to New York, with an old screenplay originally written for Zero Mostel. I am not yet sure where Whatever Works ranks in the panoply of Allen’s films, but Woody’s words in the mouths of this excellent cast elicited hearty laughter from the depths of my neurotic Jewish soul. [Read more →]

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It may be Christmas time in Chicago, but none of the ladies or gentlemen in The Merry Gentleman are enjoying the holidays, at least not at first. During the opening credits a professional killer commits a murder and a tearful wife leaves her husband for a new life. But do not be misled by this action-packed beginning. This is a thoughtful and deliberate film about a disparate trio whose lives are tinged by regret and hope. [Read more →]

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Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are a thirty-something, deeply-in-love unmarried couple expecting their first child but, lacking stable careers and roots, they still feel like children themselves. Burt and Verona take to the road, ostensibly to find a place to raise their child. But the real journey involves visiting friends and family while they try to decide what kind of parents they want to be. In this movie that has both comic and serious moments, the individual moments are better than the whole film. [Read more →]

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After Georgia (Nia Vadalos) loses her job as a classics professor in a Greek university, she takes a job as a tour guide. Georgia wants to show the tour group the ancient wonders of Greece, but her groups want fun-filled tours of the beach and shops. My Life in Ruins is like one of those latter vacations. There is not much substance, but it sure is fun. [Read more →]

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You would think that a film about a prostitute played by a twenty-one year old porn star (Sasha Grey) who can claim over one hundred and sixty-five porn films would be mildly interesting, or at least contain some racy scenes. You would be wrong on both fronts. I am not sure why the two elderly couples walked out of the theater the night that I saw the film, but I suspect it had more to do with boredom than shock. [Read more →]

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“Dr. Langdon, what a relief. The symbolist is here,” Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgård) says dryly to Dr. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks). I understand his lack of enthusiasm. Let us all pray we never hear that greeting again. This convoluted plot is as murky and confusing as the copious underground Roman passageways, where much of this film takes place. Only an exciting final thirty minutes comes close to bringing this film redemption. [Read more →]

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Let’s do the whole combination, facing away from the mirror. From the top! Five, six, seven, eight! If these words resonate for you, you should finish reading this and then immediately step, kick, kick, leap your way to the closest theater showing Every Little Step. At a time when no career choice seems safe, even those who are not fans of musical theater will marvel at the passion and commitment of those in this documentary, as they pursue careers that are never a safe choice. [Read more →]

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Captain James T. Kirk does not believe in no-win scenarios. As a cadet at Starfleet Academy, when faced with the Kobayashi Maru simulation, Kirk reprogrammed the test to change its conditions and thus became the first cadet to defeat the Kobayashi Maru. He “cheated” but he received a commendation for original thinking. Star Trek director J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman found themselves in a similar situation. After six films and numerous television spin offs, what more could be done with a franchise whose original characters and cast are beloved, but the lead actors are approaching eighty? Like Captain Kirk, they cheated, but the result is original and thrilling. And, it is well worth the $12.50 ticket price to see Star Trek in an IMAX theater. [Read more →]

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After appearing in more than one hundred films, Sir Michael Caine dropped his usual fee to star in the low budget Is Anybody There?, because it was the only screenplay he had ever read that made him cry.  Films about vital people experiencing aging and dementia tend to provoke that reaction. This film is somewhat predictable, but the magical setting and stellar performances by leads Michael Caine (Clarence) and young Bill Milner (Edward) turn what could be a clichéd tearjerker into a life affirming meditation on death and aging. [Read more →]

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 Megan Holley heard a story on NPR about two women who started a crime scene cleaning business. By the time Holley arrived at work, she knew this story had to be a movie, and wrote her first screenplay. After winning a local screenwriting contest, she earned a trip to Sundance and a movie deal. Some political pundits say that the public’s optimism and hope during these bleak economic times may actually lead to better economic times. Fortunately for all of us, optimism and hope paved the way to a new career for Holley, and for Sunshine Cleaning’s lead character Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams). [Read more →]

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Over thirty years have passed since All the President’s Men, and we now have State of Play, a political thriller where a suspicious character is actually using a room in the Watergate. While the state of the political scandal remains as strong as ever, the same cannot be said for our nation’s newspapers. Just as I really began to register the decline of the Philadelphia Inquirer, I received a notice that the newspaper can no longer give discounts to subscribers. While some of the characters in State of Play wonder if anyone still reads the newspaper, in this film the printed word trumps the blog. [Read more →]

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Do not be fooled by the coming attractions or the television commercials, or by the fact that the writer/director Greg Mottola directed Superbad. I incorrectly assumed that Adventureland belonged in a category with the spate of recent funny, but trivial comedies. While Adventureland has some funny moments, this look at a 1987 college graduate’s summer job at an amusement park is understated and smart. [Read more →]

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“That was the worst movie I have ever seen.” I overheard an older woman deliver this verdict at the end of the film Surveillance as attendees at the Philadelphia Film Festival and cinefest 2009 rushed out of the theater to their next films. I am not surprised by her pronouncement, but I do not know what she expected. Did anyone think that director and co-writer Jennifer Chambers Lynch‘s first film in fifteen years  (she directed and wrote the screenplay for the controversial Boxing Helena in 1993) could be anything other than a dark and creepy offering? [Read more →]

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A “man date” (not to be confused with what the electorate gave President Obama) is a platonic social outing with another male that may lead to friendship. So why does Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), a young, handsome realtor engaged to his attractive girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones), need to go on “man dates”? [Read more →]

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I must confess that:

1. I know many magicians.

2. I have performed mentalism.

3. I saw the Amazing Kreskin perform a scaled-down version of his show in a seedy,  off the Strip casino in Las Vegas.

4. I love John Malkovich.

But while my interest in the subject matter and lead actor may have enhanced my enjoyment of the film, you do not need to know anything about magic or Kreskin to appreciate the The Great Buck Howard. [Read more →]

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After rushing to theaters for a pre-Academy Awards rampage that included Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, The Reader, Gran Torino, The Wrestler and Rachel Getting Married, I decided it was time for a palate cleanser. I thought He’s Just Not That into You might be just the spoonful I needed. [Read more →]

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