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Harold
and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
When the 2004 stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
ended its theatrical run, it had taken in a modest $18 million. While
it isn’t much by Hollywood standards, that take was twice its budget.
But the doobie-toking grad students weren’t done. The DVD version
raked in over $60 million in sales and rentals. That can only mean one
thing: SEQUEL!
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay continues the over-the-top
adventures of Harold, a Korean-American played by John Cho (American
Dreamz) and his Indian-American roommate, played by Kal Penn (The
Namesake).
Picking up where the first film left off, we find our slacker heroes
flying off to Amsterdam (where else?) when passengers on their flight
mistake Kumar’s bong for bomb. Suspected of being terrorists, they’re
carted off to the U.S. interment camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Through a quirk of fate, they manage to escape and go on a wacky road
trip through the Southern U.S. as they try to clear their names. Hot on
their heels is a twisted official from the Office of Homeland Security,
played by Rob Corddry (TV’s The Daily Show).
Directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who are also responsible
for the screenplays to both “Harold and Kumar” movies, have
obviously decided to up the raunchy ante. In one scene, they’ve
probably set the record for most footage of bottomless females in Hollywood
history.
But the shamelessness doesn’t stop at the ubiquitous drug use,
nudity, borderline racism or scatological humor. No, the filmmakers take
a scathing look at contemporary neo-con politics. Their no-holds-barred
slap at the Bush Administration packs a surprising punch.
One of the funny/creepy aspects of the first film was the casting of
Neil Patrick Harris (TV’s Doogie Howser, MD) as himself.
He returns for the sequel, but this Neil Patrick Harris is a mushroom-chewing,
prostitute-abusing, wild-eyed party animal.
Also back is Christopher Meloni (TV’s Law & Order, Special
Victims Unit), who in the first film played a boil-covered Jesus
freak called, appropriately, Freakshow. This time out, he’s the
Grand Wizard of a KKK group that Harold and Kumar stumble upon deep in
the Alabama woods.
As silly, gross and morally indefensible as it is, the movie also often
quite funny. Even without artificial enhancement, there are enough amusing
moments to make it a guilty pleasure.
Like the first film, it is best to leave your brain and moral compass
at the door. (R) Rating: 2.5 (Posted 04/25/08)
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Deception
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Notice to film buffs: Aside from sharing the same title, the new suspense
flick Deception has nothing in common with the Bette Davis/Paul
Henreid film noir classic from 1946.
Novice filmmaker Marcel Langenegger manages to snag an impressive cast
for his movie debut, including the film’s producer, Hugh Jackman
(The Prestige). Although this modest thriller isn’t in
the same league as the works of Hitchcock, the master’s influence
can certainly be felt.
Jackman plays Wyatt Bose, a charming and gregarious Ivy League lawyer
who meets a milquetoast accountant named Jonathan McQuarrie, played by
Ewan McGregor (Cassandra’s Dream). Apparently sensing some
sadness on the part of the shy bean counter, Wyatt quickly befriends Jonathan
and the duo share a doobie after the office shuts down.
This unlikely friendship leads to tennis matches, strip club visits and
eventually to a lunch date where the men accidentally switch cell phones.
On Wyatt’s phone, Jonathan picks up as a caller says, “Are
you free tonight?” This phrase serves as a password into a mysterious
sex club where upscale professionals meet anonymously for casual trysts.
He takes advantage of Wyatt’s connections and enters a world of
sexual adventures that he never knew existed.
After bedding a number of inordinately beautiful women, our shy hero
meets one participant, played by Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain),
and his life is forever changed. In spite of the fact that the sex club
participants never exchange names or personal information, Jonathan falls
in love with the mysterious girl.
This infatuation proves to be disastrous for Jonathan as someone quickly
threatens to kill the girl unless he follows some specific instructions.
The blackmailer demands that Jonathan use his insider access to remove
$20 million from a corporate account he’s auditing and transfer
it offshore.
Since the movie’s trailer gives it away, it’s safe to reveal
that the blackmailer is Wyatt. He’s a cunning and ruthless con man
who will stoop to any nefarious means to meet his goals.
The decadent script by Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard)
is chock full of implausible elements and relies heavily on our fascination
with its lurid subject. But the cast members give solid performances,
helping to disarm us when we call certain aspects of this melodrama into
question. Jackman is especially effective, playing against type as a ruthless
villain.
Unlike Bette Davis’ flick, this Deception is a forgettable
bit of escapism. It can only be enjoyed if you can forgive its unconvincing
details and just go along for the ride. (R) Rating: 3 (Posted 04/25/08)
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Baby
Mama
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Tina Fey is a very funny lady. As a performer and writer for Saturday
Night Live, she single-handedly saved their “Weekend Update”
segments. She also recently won an Emmy for her work on the sitcom, 30
Rock.
Amy Poehler can be witty, too. Whether joining Fey at the news desk on
SNL or parodying Hillary Clinton, she’s proven to have strong comic
chops.
The duo reunites for the new big screen comedy, Baby Mama. Sadly,
these talented gals didn’t write the script.
Fey portrays Kate Holbrook, a successful Philadelphia businesswoman.
Recently promoted to vice president for a prosperous chain of health food
stores, Kate is the very model of female empowerment.
But at age 37 and single, Kate hears her biological clock ticking. Although
she’s decided to make the leap to motherhood with the help of a
sperm bank, Kate has trouble getting pregnant. (“I don’t like
your uterus,” her doctor tells her.)
Desperate, she consults an expert on surrogate parenting, played by Sigorney
Weaver (Vantage Point). After a rigorous process, a suitable
surrogate is found. Young, healthy and willing to carry the baby for a
price, Angie Ostrowski (Poehler) seems like an ideal candidate.
But the dim-witted Angie and her white trash boyfriend Carl (Dax Shephard
from The Comebacks) turn out to be a handful. When they have
a split-up, Angie moves in with the wary Kate…and makes her life
a living hell.
Screenwriter Michael McCullers (Austin Powers in Goldmember)
does a workmanlike job in his directing debut, but lets the pace sag a
bit too often. While there are many clever moments, there are also plenty
of predictable, timeworn ones as well.
But you can’t blame the cast. Fey and Poehler are very attractive,
likable stars and they clearly make the most of the material. The supporting
cast is fun, too. Shepard is suitably goofy as Angie’s “almost
common law husband,” Greg Kinnear (Feast of Love) plays
the proprietor of a juice joint who becomes Kate’s romantic interest;
and Romany Malco (Blades of Glory) is amusing as the wisecracking
doorman.
Perhaps the oddest bit of casting goes to Steve Martin (The Pink
Panther) who generates some laughs as Kate’s aging hippie/New
Age boss. His idea of rewarding his well-performing employees includes
five minutes of uninterrupted eye contact.
Baby Mama is a likable, if forgettable bit of fluff. But considering
the leads, it doesn’t quite deliver the laughs we were expecting.
(PG-13) Rating: 2.5 (Posted 04/25/08)
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Expelled:
No Intelligence Allowed
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Ben Stein wants to have it both ways.
The former Nixon speechwriter and game show host contends that the legitimate
debate involving Intelligent Design is being stifled. Academics who even
mention the term, he claims, are subject to harassment, termination or
worse.
He then equates proponents of the theory of evolution with Nazism.
Whew. Stein's incendiary new documentary, Expelled: No Intelligence
Allowed is a well produced and involving diatribe that is hampered
by its one-sided and exploitative nature. It is, without question, a stilted
work of propaganda.
That's not to say that it isn't a pertinent inquiry. Indeed, Stein poses
the very same questions that any journalist would ask of scientists and
advocates from both sides of the debate. But his movie is so heavy-handed
in its use of music and imagery to promote its agenda that it is very
hard to take seriously.
One could argue that Michael Moore’s documentaries lean very far
to the left and that it’s only fair that those from the right should
produce provocative films to support their views. Moore cherry-picks information,
including only material that makes his case. (In this regard, perhaps
he’s taken a page out of the Rush Limbaugh handbook.)
But even in his most biased moments, Moore never makes the glaring leaps
of logic that that Stein and co-writers Kevin Miller and Walt Ruloff are
guilty of. If you follow their line of thinking, then belief in evolution
leads to atheism; atheism leads to lack of respect for human life; lack
of respect for human life leads to the Holocaust.
To make his case, Stein interviews a number of “experts”
from both sides. Under the direction of Nathan Frankowski, those supporting
Intelligent Design come off as respectable looking, reasonable sounding
folks framed in good lighting. The evolutionists come off as wild-eye
extremists with their comments underscored by the same ominous music that’s
used when showing goose-steeping soldiers.
Actually, the movie has little to do with the scientific debate, only
about the alleged stifling of the debate. Those supporting evolution,
we’re told, won’t let the other side make its case. There
is no evidence given as to why the vast majority of scientists —
even those who believe in God — resist discussing Intelligent Design.
(Could it be that the theory doesn’t meet proper scientific criteria?)
In fairness, Stein has one great moment in the film. In an interview
with noted atheist Richard Dawkins, he manages to manipulate the author
into using the words “intelligent” and “design”
into a sentence speculating about how the first living cell may have emerged.
In the end, Stein is just preaching to the choir. If a teacher was to
grade him on his level of clear-eyed objectivity, he might be expelled.
(PG) Rating: 2 (Posted 04/25/08)
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Forgetting
Sarah Marshall
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
A pattern is beginning to emerge from the Judd Apatow laugh factory.
The folks behind Knocked Up and Superbad have stumbled
upon a formula that has, for the most part, conjured box office gold.
Ratchet up the raunchy fratboy humor for the guys, but temper it with
sentimentality and romance for the gals, and you’ve concocted a
date movie that’s sure to bring in the teen crowd.
These movies also cleverly tap into a common fantasy. They feature lovable
losers who manage to bed some beautiful girls who are way out of their
league.
The latest example is Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a romantic
comedy about an overly sensitive musician named Peter Bretter, played
by Jason Segel (TV’s How I Met Your Mother) whose girlfriend
is a beautiful but flighty TV star.
Kristen Bell (TV’s Veronica Mars) plays the title character,
the self-centered Hollywood actress who dumps our poor Peter in favor
of a pretentious British rocker named Aldous Snow, played by Russell Brand
(Penelope).
After moping around his apartment for weeks, Peter decides to take a
Hawaiian vacation in an attempt to get Sarah out of his mind. Upon arrival
at the swanky resort, he runs into none other than Sarah and new beau
Aldous. Of course, this makes it far harder for Peter to move on.
Sensing some trouble between these new lovers, Peter decides to try to
win Sarah over. His strategy involves the pretty hotel receptionist named
Rachel, played by Mila Kunis (TV’s That 70s Show). He attempts
the old “make her jealous” ploy, and this approach further
complicates matters.
The script, which was written by star Segel, has some clever moments,
especially as he skewers TV cop shows like CSI and Law and
Order. Some of the funniest scenes involve clips from Sarah’s
show that feature the kind of over-the-top dialogue and “copspeak”
that those shows are known for.
But it also engages in some silly overkill involving long shots of full
frontal male nudity. (“Wow, look. You can see his penis! Ain’t
that hilarious?”)
Segel is a reasonably likable lead and Bell has a few nice moments as
the egocentric star. Brand milks a few laughs from his broad character,
but Kunis gives the film’s best performance. She is very appealing
as the no-nonsense hotel receptionist who becomes an unwilling romantic
guinea pig.
While the movie’s pace is uneven, it has enough laughs to make
it an agreeably silly option for late night cable viewing.
(R) Rating: 2.5 (Posted 04/18/08) |
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The
Forbidden Kingdom
Reviewed by Deborah Young
Forbidden Kingdom is getting lots of press because it marks
the first time martial arts stars Jet Li and Jackie Chan appear in a film
together. But there’s so much more to recommend this movie.
For starters, the talent behind the cameras is as impressive as the talent
in front of them. The movie is directed by Rob Minkoff of Lion King
fame. Action choreographer Woo-Ping Yeun directed the numerous fight sequences.
Yeun has choreographed action sequences for monster films such as the
groundbreaking The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
This movie’s cinematographer, Peter Pau, has lent his visual aesthetic
to films as diverse as Shoot ‘Em Up and the beautiful Chinese
fairytale The Promise.
This phenomenal cast and crew were charged with creating a cinematic
version of the Chinese Monkey King legend, a story told in the 16th Century
Chinese novel Journey to the West. The challenge was to create
a film that would appeal to Asian and American tastes.
Forbidden Kingdom tells the story of an American teen martial
arts fan, Jason (Michael Angarano). After a tragedy, the Chinese proprietor
of a pawnshop gives Jason an ancient Chinese staff and tells the boy to
return it to his rightful owner.
Jason is magically transported to ancient China, where he learns that
the original owner of the staff was known as the Monkey King. The Monkey
King has been imprisoned for hundreds of years and the return of the staff
can free him.
But, of course, Jason has to fight some dangerous folks to get to the
Monkey King. The problem: He can’t fight. So he needs the help of
The Silent Monk (Jet Li) and Lu Yan (Jackie Chan).
The enterprise succeeds in some areas and fails in others. Like the best
historical Chinese dramas, this film features stunning costumes and painterly
visuals. For instance, in one scene the Jade Emperor (Deshun Wang) appears
in all white. He’s backlit, and the bright clothes and bright lights
create a visual image of the idea of divinity.
Likewise, this film’s warriors appear in eye-popping costumes,
some red with gold embroidery, others black with gold embroidery. The
visuals of the Chinese countryside feature green lushness and splendid
shots of rushing water.
But at times the story gets a bit cheesy with the character of Jason
falling into the “grasshopper,” martial arts neophyte cliché.
Like other neophytes — from Leroy in the 1985 film The Last
Dragon to Daniel of the Karate Kid — Jason is looking
for his inner warrior. Unfortunately, Jason and his inner warrior pale
beside the charisma and fighting techniques of Li and Chan. The character
seems to have been stuck there just to give American audiences something
to identify with.
That’s a shame, because the story of the Monkey King would have
been compelling without the Mr. Miyagi shtick. Regardless, this pic is
worth a look for its visuals and great fight scenes. (PG-13) Rating: 3
(Posted 04/18/08) |
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88
Minutes
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
The battle rages on. Which movie will be deemed the worst of the year?
There are already some strong contenders (10,000 BC, Never
Back Down), but chances are we’ll still be considering 88
Minutes for the booby prize as 2008 draws to a close.
Al Pacino’s place in movie history is secure. After appearing in
classics like The Godfather, Serpico and Dog Day
Afternoon, he can make a stinker and it won’t hurt his reputation
too badly. But it’s likely that 88 Minutes will be considered
the nadir of his career.
Sleazy and preposterous, 88 Minutes is a mystery thriller that
attempts to ratchet up the tension while teasing audiences with the kind
of sophisticated (and often bogus) investigation techniques that we’re
regularly fed by TV shows like CSI.
Pacino stars as Dr. Jack Graham, a famous FBI psychiatrist who is responsible
for using his brilliant intellect and unique profiling strategies to put
away Ted Bundy-type serial killers.
Things heat up when Jack gets a mysterious cell phone call while lecturing
at one of his college classes. The ominous voice on the other end of the
line informs him that he has only 88 minutes to live. This event coincides
with the nearing execution of a particularly nasty killer named Jon Forster
(Neil McDonough from Flags of Our Fathers).
Jack’s testimony was responsible for putting Jon on death row,
so Jack suspects that the intelligent psycho is manipulating a copycat
killer on the outside. If enough doubt can be cast, Jon could get a stay
of execution.
The story by screenwriter Gary Scott Thompson (TV’s Las Vegas)
has more red herrings than a fish market. We’re offered a lineup
of supporting players, all of who are designed to throw us off the trail.
Among the suspects is Alicia Witt (The Upside of Anger) as Jack’s
teaching assistant whose jealous boyfriend is on the prowl. Amy Brenneman
(The Jane Austin Book Club) is his lesbian secretary. Deborah
Kara Unger (Silent Hill) is the suspicious dean, and LeeLee Sobieski
(Joy Ride) plays one of his brightest students. Benjamin McKenzie (TV’s
The OC) is another mistrustful student and William Forsythe (Halloween)
portrays a cop who has lost his faith in Jack’s instincts.
Although director Jon Avnet (Up Close and Personal) manages
to instill this mess with a little tension, he can’t escape the
script’s unintentionally funny moments.
Truth be know, 88 Minutes is 108 minutes long. That’s
time you’ll never get back. (R) Rating: 1 (Posted 04/18/08) |
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Shine
a Light
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
In a 1972 television interview with Mick Jagger, chat show host Dick
Cavett asked the rock legend, “Can you picture yourself at the age
sixty doing what you do now?”
Without missing a beat, Jagger replied, “Yeah, easily. Yeah.”
The audience laughed.
Well, Jagger has the last laugh. At age 64, he and Rolling Stone comrades
Keith Richards, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts are still rocking, and the
new IMAX concert movie Shine a Light provides big screen proof.
Director Martin Scorsese (The Departed) has edited together
footage from two concerts the Stones performed at New York’s Beacon
Theatre in 2006 as a part of their “A Bigger Bang” tour.
Scorsese opens the film with black and white backstage footage, projected
in normal movie ratios, of his preparations to record the concerts. You
also see the band members awkwardly meeting dignitaries like Bill and
Hillary Clinton as well as Mrs. Clinton’s elderly mother. (The concerts
were staged as fund-raisers for Mr. Clinton’s charitable foundation.)
Then, after an introduction by the ex-President, the screen opens up
into full-color IMAX glory, capturing the frenetic performance of over
twenty songs.
Guest artists Jack White of the White Stripes, Buddy Guy and Christina
Aguilera join in on spirited renditions of “Loving Cup,” “Champagne
and Reefer” and “Live With Me,” respectively.
While largely a concert film, Scorsese has incorporated a few select
clips from interviews that the band members have given throughout the
years. Most amusing are the serious-minded journalists whose questions
show a guarded concern for the future of society with the Rolling Stones
as popular role models.
Keeping the sex in sexagenarian, Jagger and his cohorts prove that they
can still swagger as well as they rock. Screaming Generation Y fans line
the stage as Jagger and company expend the kind of energy that would exhaust
most folks a third of their age.
In terms of stamina, Watts probably deserves special notice. The film
only chronicles one ballad (“As Tears Go By”) and one mid-tempo
Country tune (“Far Away Eyes”). The rest of the movie highlights
the kind of hard driving beat that the Stones are known for. In one amusing
close-up, Watts turns to the camera and gives us a mocking, “Whew.”
Scorsese’s fluent camera movement and quick-cut editing undoubtedly
add to the film’s energy, but it lives by the performers’
unrelenting drive.
Even those who don’t count themselves as fans will surely be impressed
by their dynamism and musicianship. (PG) Rating: 4 (Posted 04/11/08) |
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Smart
People
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
As moviegoers, we’re sometimes offered a glimpse into the lives
of intellectuals, usually portrayed as a rarified breed set apart from
the rest of humanity by their eccentricities.
That’s certainly true of Smart People, the new comic drama
that stars Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point) as a brilliant but prickly
literature professor. Although his mind is keen and his knowledge base
formidable, when it comes to matters of the heart, he’s a world-class
dummy.
Quaid plays Lawrence Wetherhold, a renowned faculty member at Carnegie-Mellon
University in Pittsburgh. A widower with two teenage kids, Lawrence is
an egghead whose colossal ego and self-absorption mask an underlying emotional
weakness.
Although he’s had his share of flings since his wife’s death,
he’s never been able to let go. He’s not above affairs, but
his heart is off limits.
Just as he is hoping to get his latest book published and nab a big promotion
at CMU, he suffers a concussion. (The circumstances of his injury are
pure movie calculation.) The ER doc Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker
from TV’s Sex and the City) informs him that he cannot
drive for six months.
This is very inconvenient, given that the professor is estranged from
his son James (Ashton Holmes from A History of Violence) and
his Young Republican daughter Vanessa (Juno’s Ellen Page)
is as self-absorbed as her dad.
Thankfully, Lawrence’s slacker adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden
Church from Sideways) shows up to mooch in the nick of time.
He can be chauffer for his sibling and enjoy a free ride for a few months.
An awkward romantic dance begins between the professor and the doctor
and Chuck discovers that his teenage niece has developed a crush on him.
(From her point of view, this is okay given the fact that they’re
not blood relatives.) So, who winds up being the font of true emotional
wisdom in this scenario? Why, Chuck the freeloader, of course.
Novice screenwriter Mark Poirier and first time director Noam Murro attempt
to illuminate the dark side of intellectualism like Noah Baumbach did
in The Squid and the Whale. While their movie has an offbeat
likeability (thanks largely to the cast), it lacks that kind of depth.
The message that the filmmakers are feeding us is, of course, that we
don’t have to feel inferior to brainy types. In fact, they seem
to be implying that we average folk are emotionally superior. In this
regard, Smart People is a form of cinematic comfort food.
(No MPAA rating) Rating: 3 (Posted 04/11/08) |
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Street
Kings
Reviewed by Deborah Young
David Ayer specializes in macho and corrupt characters. His screenwriting
credits (which include Training Day, Dark Blue, and
Harsh Times) confirm this specialty. In addition to the writing
credit, he also directed Harsh Times, a dark, shallow tale about
a crazed and murderous former military assassin with ambitions of becoming
a police officer.
Both Harsh Times and Training Day add balance to the
story by including sidekicks who still have consciences intact. Without
these sidekicks, watching the fully corrupt lead characters in action
for nearly two hours would be almost unbearable for most decent, sane
folks.
Street Kings follows the same plot patterns as the two earlier
flicks. This time Ayer directs the story of detective Tom Ludlow (Keanu
Reeves), a Los Angeles police officer who assumes the roles of law enforcer,
judge and jury.
In the opening scenes we witness Ludlow’s execution of a gang of
Asian thugs who sling dope and run a sex operation involving minors. Ludlow’s
punishment excludes mercy. He even shoots one crook while he’s sitting
on the toilet.
The back-story is that Ludlow is all messed up in the head as a result
of his wife being killed. Now he guzzles mini bottles of vodka while on
the clock, and he meticulously stalks and kills bad guys.
After his former partner is killed during a convenience store robbery,
Ludlow (who wasn’t on good terms with his former partner) becomes
the lead suspect in the murder investigation. To clear himself, Ludlow
decides to find the real killer. In the process, he discovers that it’s
not easy to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys.
Actor Keanu Reeves’ innate coolness lends credibility to Ludlow,
who is little more than a self-righteous killing machine. Reeves avoids
hyperbole and instead gives the character an appropriately subdued weariness.
To this movie’s credit, the lead character exhibits some humanity
by showing concern for his innocent sidekick (Jay Mohr as Sgt. Clady).
The picture also boasts some good performances by notable actors such
as Hugh Laurie (of television’s House) and Oscar-winner
Forrest Whitaker.
Unfortunately, Street Kings is built on the shaky foundation
of a rambling and unreasonably complex story (along with some tacky dialogue
which prominently features the word homeboy). Writers James Ellroy, Kurt
Wimmer and Jamie Moss gave the lead character complexity that was lacking
in Ayer’s Harsh Times lead character. But they relied on
rather confusing plot twists to do so.
This film deftly examines the complexities of heroism. But it’s
so dark and violent that it’s tough to watch. (R) Rating: 2.5 (Posted
04/11/08) |
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Leatherheads
Reviewed by Deborah Young
There’s not much romance, and the comedy comes and goes in actor/director
George Clooney’s romantic comedy Leatherheads. Fortunately
for the moviemakers and potential audiences, passion appears to be the
center of both this movie’s fictional world and this production.
Leatherheads tells the tale of a group of men, mostly uneducated
laborers, who scrape together a living playing professional football in
the 1920s. The Duluth Bulldogs, the main team, is led by the fast-talking
and boyishly charming Dodge Connelly (George Clooney).
As the opening credits roll we see several shots of cheering crowds in
a big stadium. The tag reads “College Football-1925.” Then
there’s a shot of a white cow with black spots. The cow stands alone
in a field. Something rushes past the cow, twice.
It soon becomes clear that this rushing blur is a football team. Next
we see the team on a small field with a few ragged bleachers and very
few fans. The tag reads “Pro Football-1925.”
The pro players have few rules and few footballs. By contrast, the Princeton
college team adheres to rules, plays on the spacious Ennis Field, and
boasts a star, Carter “Bullet” Rutherford (played by John
Krasinski).
When Connelly learns that Rutherford, an alleged war hero, draws crowds
of 40,000, he decides to recruit Rutherford to play on his floundering
pro team.
While trying to recruit Rutherford, Connelly meets Lexie Littleton (Renee
Zellweger), a reporter sent by her editor to get the dirt on Rutherford.
And it’s on, an instant love triangle, along with a clichéd
story about the genesis of professional football.
This fictional period piece resembles the historical drama Soul
of the Game (1996) about Negro League baseball greats. Connelly is
the Caucasian version of Satchel Paige, a middle-age player/promoter who
loves to clown around. Rutherford is to nascent pro football what Jackie
Robinson was to black players, a legitimizing figure paving the way for
future pro teams and pro stars.
Similar to the Negro League baseball teams, the Bulldogs exist primarily
to entertain. They love the game, and they use antics to inspire their
fans to love the game.
Obviously the actors here love their game too. They clip out 1920s slang
and grin a lot. Watching them is like watching the performance of a passionate
rock group that captures audiences with its enthusiasm rather than stellar
performances.
The performances in Leatherheads, particularly those of Clooney
and Zellweger, are pretty lame at times. These two actors appear totally
out of their elements as they verbally spar in the fashion of Katharine
Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen.
Unlike Bogey and Hepburn, Clooney and Zellweger never take the banter
beyond the theatrical hinterlands of acting to the Mecca of becoming.
Here’s how the routine goes: Clooney says a witty line then stops,
a self-satisfied expression on his face, as if to punctuate the line;
Zellweger then waits a beat before reciting her witty retort.
Fortunately, the comical surprises and energetic performances create
enough laughs and lightheartedness to keep Leatherheads out of
the snooze zone. (PG-13) Rating: 3 (Posted 04/04/08) |
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| Nim’s
Island
Reviewed by Russ Simmons
Few daydreams are as idyllic as those that transport us to a tropical
island, complete with perfect weather, plentiful food, friendly animals
and an absence of clocks.
The new children’s fantasy Nim’s Island takes advantage
of all of these illusions of paradise.
Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) stars as a youngster
named Nim Rusoe who lives on a remote uncharted island with her dad, Jack
(Gerard Butler from 300.) An eccentric scientist, Jack is obsessed
with studying an exotic new species of plankton.
Nim’s days are spent playing with her menagerie of exotic pets
that includes a sea lion, a lizard and a pelican. She also devotes much
of her time to reading the stories of an Indiana Jones-type adventurer
named Alex Rover.
Although our young heroine lives blissfully in her father’s fantastic,
Swiss Family Robinson style tree house and uses a zip line to dart around
the island, she’s captivated by the fantastic journeys of Rover
(played out in her mind as an idealized version of her father.)
When Jack goes missing at sea, a panicked Nim sends out a frantic email
to the only person she trusts to save him, her favorite author, Alex Rover.
It turns out, however, that Rover is actually an agoraphobic woman played
by two-time Oscar winner, Jodi Foster. The fearful author seldom leaves
her San Francisco apartment, so she initially resists Nim’s call
for help.
Summoning all of her courage, Alex eventually embarks on a real adventure
and travels to the South Pacific in an attempt to save Nim and her dad.
Based on a popular book by Wendy Orr, Nim’s Island was
directed by the husband and wife team of Jennifer Falckett and Mark Levin
(Little Manhattan). Their approach to the material makes it obvious
that they’re aiming this playful movie squarely at its target audience
of 10-year-olds.
The filmmakers take full advantage of some beautiful Australian locales,
creating a lush 96-minute getaway. The art direction is quite imaginative
as well, giving the movie an overall appealing look.
But the dramatics are sometimes awkward and the forced attempts at comedy
occasionally fall flat. Although it may not have been intentional, Nim’s
Island certainly seems dumbed-down for the kids.
The cast members, however, are extremely appealing and appear to be enjoying
their time in this heavenly setting. Plus the movie has a genial vibe
that’s hard to knock.
For the kids, Nim’s Island provides a few harmless moments
of escapism. (G) Rating: 3 (Posted 04/04/08) |
