Short Subjectives February 25 2009

OPENING FRIDAY

THE CLASS 4 stars (Not rated) See review.

TWO LOVERS See review.

AZUR AND ASMAR (Not rated) See review.

STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI Video games meet the big screen in this kung-fu flick.

JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE Fans of these teeny-bopppers will surely appreciate the multidimensional experience.

ECHELON CONSPIRACY Mysterious phone calls signal the beginning of an insidious and violent plot.

DULY NOTED

FILM LOVE: CIVIL RIGHTS ON FILM (Not rated) The second half of the four-part program on rare films about African-American life during the Civil Rights era continues. “The Fierce Urgency of Now” (Fri., Feb. 27, at Eyedrum) focuses on such prominent figures as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael, while “My Name Is Jason Holliday” (Sat., Feb. 28, at Emory University) offers a showcase of Portrait of Jason, an unusual, compelling film about a gay African-American cabaret performer and raconteur that feels more like a one-man play than a conventional film. Free. Eyedrum, 290 MLK Jr. Drive S.E.; Emory University, White Hall, Room 205, 480 S. Kilgo Circle N.E. 404-727-6761. http://andel.home.mindspring.com/.

WISE BLOOD A Southern Gothic tale of “Christ-haunted” misanthropes shown for one night only by the Department of Film Studies at Emory. Originally released in 1979, John Huston’s film adaptation of the great Flannery O’Connor novel will be introduced by Salman Rushdie, currently an Emory distinguished writer in residence. Free. Mon., March 2, 8 p.m. Emory University, White Hall, Room 208, 480 S. Kilgo Circle N.E. 404-727-6761. www.filmstudies.emory.edu.

Continuing

AUSTRALIA 2 stars (PG-13) An English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) and an Australian cattle driver (Hugh Jackman) become reluctant partners for a cattle drive across the outback at the eve of World War II. Moulin Rouge! director Baz Luhrmann indulges his taste for cartoonish hypberbole for the film’s hyperactive, grating first 45 minutes, before settling down into a more conventional, tolerable Old School sprawling epic romance. He still lays on the aboriginal mysticism and Wizard of Oz references pretty thick, but at least exposes to racial inequities in Australia’s history with more candor than Gone With the Wind did for the South. — Curt Holman

BEAUTY IN TROUBLE 4 stars (NR) Set in Prague after a disastrous flood, a down on her luck mother of two (Anna Geislerová) becomes involved with a wealthy intellectual expat after her thug husband (Roman Luknár) steals the wrong car. Don’t expect for this love story to turn out like Pretty Woman though, director Jan Hrebjek is more interested in exploring the differences between good intentions and sexual desire than crafting another fairy tale. — Wyatt Williams

BEDTIME STORIES (PG) Fantasy and reality blend together when Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) tells his niece and nephew outlandish tales that mysteriously come true. The magical results turn sour when Bronson loses control of his own stories.

BOLT 3 stars (PG) Superpowered canine Bolt (voiced by John Travolta in his most enjoyable performance in a decade) protects a girl (Miley Cyrus) from evildoers, unaware that theyíre on a TV series. The dog ends up traveling cross-country with a fanboy hamster (Mark Walton) who thinks Bolt’s a real hero, and a cynical alley cat (“Curb Your Enthusiasm’s” Susie Essman) who knows he’s not. Despite a heavily sentimental final third, the film’s witty tweaks of film clichÈs and genuine affection for its characters makes Bolt almost heroic among cartoon features. — Holman

BRIDE WARS (PG) The schedule conflict between two weddings turns best friends into bitter enemies.

CADILLAC RECORDS 4 stars (R) “If you take the ride, you must pay the price,” is the tagline. This movie chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.

CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA When a cook is mistaken for a reincarnated warriow, martial-arts hijinks ensue.

CHE 2 stars (R) Benicio del Toro stars as Argentinian-born Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara in director Steven Soderberghís epic-length biographical examination. Based on Guevaraís own journals, Che takes place in two parts, the first detailing the successful Cuban revolution, the second Guevaraís failed efforts in Bolivia. Soderbergh and del Toto deserve credit for their documentary-style approach, but the emotionally remote material and four-and-half-hour running time may not provide ample reward for the demands it makes on the audience. — Holman

CIAO 2 stars (R) A man’s unexpected death leads to an unexpected bond between his bereaved best friend (Adam Neal Smith) and an Italian graphic designer (co-writer Alessandro Calza). Malysian-born director/co-writer Yen Tan presents Ciao as an unadorned character study of Andrea and Jeff’s brief encounter one weekend in Dallas. It’s easy to admire the film’s dedication to long scenes of casual talk, but hard to connect with its frequently stilted, borderline banal conversation. -- Holman

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC Bored with a corporate job, a young woman tries to buy happiness in this adaptation of books by Sophie Kinsella.

CORALINE 4 stars (PG) When spunky tween Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) and her family move into a remote boarding house, she discovers a deceptively appealing ìother worldî full of magical wonders. Henry Selick, director of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, helms another film of stop-motion animated splendors reminiscent of such fantastical coming-of-age stories as Alice in Wonderland and Pan’s Labyrinth. Definitely try to see it in 3-D, which fits the stop-motion format like a hand in glove, but be warned that the wild images may be too creepy for little kids. — Holman

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON 4 stars (PG-13) Remarkable special effects show Brad Pitt age backwards from an elderly infant to a middle-aged hunk in this adaptation of an F. Scott Fitzgerald story. Fight Club director David Fincher crafts fascinating and haunting images, and Tilda Swinton shines in the centerpiece romance, set at a wintry Russian hotel. Screenwriter Eric Roth borrows too heavily from his Forrest Gump script, however, particularly in the title characterís lifelong relationship with an inconstant dancer (Cate Blanchett). -- Holman

THE DARK KNIGHT 4 stars (PG-13) Reopening in conventional theaters as well as IMAX, director Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to Batman Begins features such sharp conflicts, gritty locations and breathless action scenes that the flamboyant hero and villain costumes seem almost superfluous. The late Heath Ledger’s creepy, charismatic turn as the anarchic Joker could have earned the actor a second career playing bad guys, while Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of district attorney Harvey Dent, the “white knight” of crime-ridden Gotham City, gives the film the dimensions of classic tragedy. As Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale doesn’t seem to mind being upstaged. — Holman

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL 3 stars (PG-13) When an alien named Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) takes human form in advance of a possible invasion, a single mom/scientist (Jennifer Connelly) tries to show him the best sides of humanity. Reeves should always portray aliens, since he’s not as good at playing emotions than he is at not playing emotions. Director Scott Derrickson’s remake admirably avoids preaching at the audience, leaving mankind’s misdeeds implicit, rather than spelling them out. While reasonably entertaining, The Earth won’t move for you. — Holman

DEFIANCE 4 stars (R) In Western Poland during World War II, the Bielski brothers (Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber) lead an armed resistance to Nazi invaders while forming a woodland sanctuary for their fellow Jews. Glory and The Last Samurai director Edward Zwick helms the most exciting yet thematically unambiguous of the current wave of Holocaust films, marked more by thrilling combat scenes and beautifully photographed scenes of harsh winters. The script hits the Biblical parallels with a heavy hand, but Craig and Schreiber bring chemistry to the brothersí sibling rivalry, and the film almost resembles a downbeat Robin Hood story. — Holman

DOUBT 3 stars (PG-13) A strict nun (Meryl Streep) suspects a progressive young priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of an inappropriate relationship with a student in 1964. John Patrick Shanley adapts and directs the film version of his acclaimed play, which nevertheless still feels like material that belongs on the stage: Shanley’s attempts to visually dramatize the story make the film feel like an Omen movie, while Streep’s broad performance feels more attuned to comedy. It’s still an engrossing depiction of the limitations of blind faith and the value of doubt, anchored by the work of Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis. -- Holman

FANBOYS 2 stars (PG-13) In late 1998, a group of Star Wars fans road-trips from Ohio to Marin County to break into Skywalker Ranch and steal a rough cut of The Phantom Menace. First scheduled for release in 2007, the film became a geek cause celebre when the studio contemplated cutting out a wan subplot in which one of the friends is dying of cancer. Even with the cancer plot included, the characterizations are thin, the cameos predictable and the craft generally amateurish, suggesting that films like Clerks set the bar for comedies about fandom culture way too low. -- Holman

FIRED UP (PG-13) A couple high school studs leave football behind for a shot at cheerleading.

FRIDAY THE 13TH Creepy woods, copulating teens, and cold-blooded murders populate the latest installment of the Jason franchise.

FROST/NIXON 2 stars (R) Director Ron Howard imagines TV personality David Frost’s (Michael Sheen) post-Watergate interviews with disgraced former president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) as both a show trial and a boxing match. Reprising his stage role, Langella offers a sympathetic portrayal of Nixon with compelling gravitas, and the script’s energetic wit and political strategies suggest a big screen version of “The West Wing.” Reunited actor Michael Sheen with The Queen scripter Peter Morgan, the film falls short of convincing the audience that the interviews served as a historical tipping point. — Holman

GRAN TORINO 3 stars (R) For possibly his last screen role, Clint Eastwood plays a pistol-packing, bigoted Korean war vet who becomes reluctantly involved with his Hmong neighbors. Gran Turino’s ideas are about as obvious as a bad Stephen King adaptation, but thereís something irresistible about the filmís middle section, when Eastwood bonds with a young man (Bee Vang) over manual labor. Gran Turino walks a fine line between critiquing vigilante tactics and endorsing them, but Eastwoodís command of the screen ultimately prevails over the filmís clunky qualities. -- Holman

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (PG-13) From former Sex In The City writers comes this lighthearted story of love and miscommunication.

HOTEL FOR DOGS (PG) Emma Thompson and Jake T. star in this comedy about pooch-loving kids who secretly adopt dogs.

INKHEART 2 stars (PG) A single dad (Brendan Fraser) who has the power to make characters from books emerge into the real world (and vice versa), tries to find his long-lost wife (Sienna Guillory) while contending with literary characters run wild. Iain Softley directs this adaptation of a popular Young Adult novel but never seems to have a firm grasp on the premise or the magical rules. Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren and especially Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) seem to have emerged from a much better film than the one that surrounds them, and the film features amusing references to The Wizard of Oz. — Holman

THE INTERNATIONAL 2 stars (R) An Interpol agent (Clive Owen) and a New York City attorney (Naomi Watts) try to build a case against a corrupt global bank, but all their potential witnesses end up dead. Inspired by the BCCI banking scandal of the 1990s, The International hits the national mood just right – what better time to attack financial institutions than during a global financial meltdown? Run Lola Run director offers technically proficient spy-type thrills, but the film wavers uncertainly between loud action movie and tub-thumping economic populism. — Holman

LAST CHANCE HARVEY 2 stars (PG-13) While visiting London for his estranged daughter’s wedding, Harvey Shine (Dustin Hoffman) finds a shot at love with single airline employee Kate Walker (Emma Thompson). Admirably, director Joel Hopkins gives plenty of breathing room to the two leads, who happen to be two of the finest actors of their respective generations — Thompson in particular radiates such class and charm, she could be a lost Hepburn sister. At best the film resembles a mid-life Before Sunset, but the film doesn’t give Hoffman or Thompson enough interesting things to do and fritters away its good will on Harvey’s career crisis.

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA 3 stars (PG) In this sequel to Dreamworksí hit cartoon feature from 2004, the group of Central Park zoo animals inadvertently return to their African roots but Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) has difficulties living up to his alpha male father (the late Bernie Mac). While stooping to some mean-spirited slapstick at the expense of an old lady, it improves on the original by enhancing the light-hearted character conflicts over the New-Yorkers-out-of-water-shtick. Alexís ìarcî almost resembles a thinly-veiled coming-out story, by way of The Lion King. (Incidentally, it looks great in IMAX.) — Holman

MADEA GOES TO JAIL (PG-13) In this adaptation of a Tyler Perry play, a tough-talkin’ and heat-packin’ grandma spends some time behind bars.

MARLEY AND ME In this squeaky-clean film adaptation of John Grogan’s book, John (played by Owen Wilson) and Jennifer (played by Jennifer Aniston) adopt a cute dog named Marley and start a family.

MILK 3 stars (R) Sean Penn offers a charismatic and uncharacteristically elfin performance as San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to major public office in America. In many ways director Gus Van Sant delivers a conventional Hollywood biopic of a compelling martyr, but Milk’s portrayal of gay activism and California ballot measures proves almost shockingly relevant as it opens after the passage of Prop 8 in California. Josh Brolin offers an intriguing supporting role as the enigmatic Dan White, Milk’s fellow supervisor who seems at once attracted to and repelled by Milk. -- Holman

MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D (R) This gore-splattered horror flick centers around a mine-shaft tragedy.

NEW IN TOWN (PG-13) An affluent executive from Miami learns to love blue collar country life when a corporate job relocates her to Minnesota.

NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS (PG-13) A Puerto Rican family living in the area of Humboldt Park in Chicago face what may be their last Christmas together.

NOTORIOUS 2 stars (R) Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, aka the Notorious B.I.G. (played by likeable newcomer Jamal “Gravy” Woolard) rises from the violence of 1980s Brooklyn drug dealing to the violence of the 1990s hip-hop scene. The film captures some of Biggieís hip-hop excitement without replicating the charisma such figures as Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie), and the details of the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry prove disappointingly sketch. Antonique Smith and Naturi Naughton offer sultry support as Faith Evans and Lil’ Kim, respectively. — Holman

THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2009 4 stars (NR) The animated shorts outshine the live-action features in this pair of programs based on the current Oscar nominees and winners. None of the animation highlights feature dialogue but they range from the melancholy, Impressionist-looking “Le Maison En Petits Cubes” to the charming simplicity of “Lavatory Lovestory” to the outrageous black humor and deadpan sight gags of “This Way Up” (as well as several nominees from previous years). Live-action shorts include the Holocaust tale “Toyland,” the haunting, would-be romance “On the Line” and the heavy-handed hospital comedy “The Pig.” — Holman

OUTLANDER 3 stars (R) Vikings vs. aliens! A human from another planet (Jim Caviezel of The Passion of the Christ) crashes his spaceship in Norway circa the Iron Age, and must enlist the suspicious mead-swillers against a glowing, whip-tailed beastie called a Morwen. Director Howard McCain deserves his own Hollywood action franchise for helming a film that’s just silly enough to be fun, while taking it just seriously enough to be exciting and kinda cool. — Holman

PAUL BLART: MALL COP (PG) Kevin James plays a security guard and the unlikely hero of this goofball comedy set in shopping mall.

THE PINK PANTHER 2 (PG) Expect high-stakes hijinks in this latest installment of the classic heist series.

PUSH (PG-13) Young Americans with mysterious mental abilities utilize their powers to evade evil-doing government agents.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE 3 stars (PG-13) Picking up where James Bond reboot Casino Royale left off, the now-brooding British superspy (Daniel Craig) tracks his girlfriendís killers to a mysterious organization whose members include a scheming power broker (Mathieu Amalric). Solace feels too much like part two of a trilogy, relying on the previous filmís set-up while leaving key plot points unresolved. It still offers a fast pace, exotic locations and a likeable interplay between Craig and Judi Denchís M, so hopefully Bond’s next outing will be bigger than a Quantum. — Holman

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (R) Rachel may be getting married, but to her irritation all eyes are on her train wreck of a sister, who’s been temporarily released from a drug treatment facility. Their rivalry is only the tip of the iceberg, and over the weekend the waters recede to reveal a family broken by tragedy, grief, and bitter recrimination. Alternately funny and gripping, this well-acted feature marks Jonathan Demme’s return to original drama after a decade dominated by documentaries, concert movies, and remakes. — J.R. Jones

THE READER 4 stars (R) A German law student (David Kross) discovers that his older-woman fling (Kate Winslet) from his teenage years was a former guard at Auschwitz. The Hours’ Stephen Daldry directs one of the seasonís richest and most challenging films, in which the central relationship unfolds as a powerful, two-pronged character study as well as providing sturdy metaphors for a nationís guilt, responsibility and forgiveness. Playing the same character in different decades, Kross and Ralph Fiennes show how short relationships can reverberate across a personís life, but Kate Winslet owns the film with her career-best leading performance. -- Holman

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD 2 stars (R) A young, miserably married couple (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) seek to escape the suburban rat race of 1950s America in this adaptation of Richard Yates’ acclaimed novel. Seldom has such an intelligent, impeccably-mounted production seemed so out of sync with the cultural zeitgeist: DiCaprio and Winslet dig deeply in their performances, but its hard to feel sorry for such superficial, prosperous characters at a time of foreclosures and layoffs. Director Sam Mendes (Winslet’s husband) returns to themes he explored in his Oscar-winner American Beauty, but humorlessly hammers ideas handled with more wit and subtlety on “Mad Men.” -- Holman

SAW V (R) Tobin Bell and Costas Mandylor star in the fifth installment of the now perennial series of horror flicks about Jigsaw, a psycho with a penchant for complicated, tortuous schemes for his victims.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES 2 stars (PG-13) A motherless 14 year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) and her family’s fugitive housekeeper (Dreamgirls’ Jennifer Hudson) runaway and find refuge in a Carolina honey farm run by a maternal beekeeper (Queen Latifah). In adapting the popular novel of the same name, director Gina Prince-Bythewood touches on the complexities of Southern racism in 1964. Despite some tragic plot points and fine performances, the excessive sunny tone, look and acting from Latifah ultimately smothers its serious intentions in a honeyed glow. -- Holman

SEVEN POUNDS 2 stars (PG-13) Will Smith plays a man claiming to be an IRS auditor to serves a hidden agenda as he investigates several people, including a blind call center operator (Woody Harrelson) and a single woman (Emily Posa) with congenital heart failure. Seven Pounds reunites Smith with his Pursuit of Happyness director for an enigmatic, overly ambitious film that keeps so much information from its audience, the primary emotion it elicits is mild frustration. Although the film feels like little more than a series of acting exercises, Smith offers one of his most mature performances and affirms that the former “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” as become a charismatic movie star in his own right. — Holman

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE 3 stars (R) Police suspect a young man (Dev Patel) of cheating his way to the brink of victory on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” although he’s motivated by reconnecting to his long-lost sweetheart (Freida Pinto). Trainspotting director Danny Boyle transplants his trademark narrative velocity to sprawling Mumbai for a harrowing, Dickensian tale of children in the Indian underworld. Slumdog Millionaire builds to such a thrilling, uplifting climax that it’s hard to resist the manipulative nature of its first hour. — Holman

TAKEN (PG-13) After his 17-year-old daughter is kidnapped for sex slavery, a former-spy father (Liam Neeson) does everything he can to return her to safety.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX 2 stars (G) A diminutive but fearless mouse (voiced by Matthew Broderick) dares great deeds and sets an example to both a grim human kingdom and a timid mouse-city. This downbeat CGI swashbuckler suffers not from its similarities to Ratatouille (Kate DiCamillo’s original children’s book came first) but from a confused adaptation. The filmmakers create more elaborate set-pieces — including a soup-spirit made of produce and arena-style battles in a dungeon rat city — but the plot’s chronology and motivation become a muddle. The impressive voice cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Frank Langella, William H. Macy, Sigourney Weaver and Tracey Ullman as a lumpish servant girl with royal aspirations. — Holman

THE WRESTLER 4 stars (R) Mickey Rourke justly earns his heralded comeback with his humble, dignified performance as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a washed-up 1980s pro wrestler wondering if his life will have a second act. Director Darren Aronofsky makes the most of Rourke’s ravaged features and pumped-up physique by capturing the showbiz-style beauty treatments of wrestlers and the horrible punishment they can inflict on each other (one harrowing match involves a staple gun). The script harks back to old-fashioned melodramas — Marisa Tomei plays an aging stripper with a heart of gold, Randy considers whether he should participate in a big match — but in the last moments, Aronofsky overturns cliches like a wrestler hitting you upside the head with a folding chair. — Holman

TRANSPORTER 3 (PG-13) Frank Martin puts on his driving gloves for another mission, this time to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Ukranian government official.

TWILIGHT 2 stars (PG-13) Moody teen Bella (Kristen Stewart) falls for pale but hunky fellow high schooler Edward (Robert Pattinson), only to discover that he’s a vampire. Based on an astonishingly popular series of novels primarily aimed at teenage girls, the film version plays like “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” drained of suspense or humor. Fans of the books will probably enjoy the angsty treatment of star-crossed love, but other audiences will be put off by the overabundance of characters, the overemoting leads and the use of wires in the action scenes. — Holman

UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS (R) Werewolves and vampires continue a long-standing, bloody feud in the third installment of the Underworld series that’s more like a prequel.

THE UNINVITED (PG-13) A creepy ghost and mean parents await a young girl when she returns from treatment at a mental hospital.

VALKYRIE 2 stars (PG-13) Tom Cruise dons a much-maligned eye-patch to play wounded German Col. Claus von Stauffenberg who led a coup and assassination attempt on Adolph Hitler in the waning months of World War II. Usual Suspects director Bryan Singer creates an effective mood of paranoia as the conspirators (including Kenneth Branagh and Bill Nighy) seek allies for their treasonous plan. Despite some heist-style thrills — the film coul be called Das Mission Impossible — the characters remain too one-dimensional for audiences to invest much emotion in their fates. — Holman

WALTZ WITH BASHIR 4 stars (R) Ari Folman, a filmmaker and veteran of the Lebanon War of the early 1980s, interviews his former comrades-in-arms to examine his puzzling absence of memories about the conflict. The animated documentary alternates between realistically rendered conversations and embellished war-time re-creations, some of which suggest a hallucinatory mix of American Vietnam movie and 1960s underground comics. The audience can’t help but associate the Lebanese conflict with the recent fighting in Gaza, suggesting that even those who remember the mistakes of history may be doomed to repeat them. An Oscar nominee (and Golden Globe winner) for Best Foreign Language Film. — Holman

WENDY AND LUCY 3 stars (R) Michelle Williams (Heath Ledger’s widow) plays Wendy, a drifting young woman traveling cross-country with a loveable mutt named Lucy. When Wendyís car breaks down in a small town, her lack of funds and bad decisions push her more deeply into desperation in a timely portrayal of living in America with no financial cushion. Director Kelly Reichardt translates the spirit and subject matter of Italian neo-realist films like The Bicycle Thief while still giving the film a unique voice. — Holman

WERE THE WORLD MINE (Not rated) A lonely teenager uses a magical potion to turn much of his hometown gay in this lighthearted musical.

YES MAN 3 stars (PG-13) After an encounter with a “self-empowerment” guru (Terence Stamp), a noncommittal loan officer (a more modulated Jim Carrey) vows to answer “yes” to every question and opportunity life offers, leading to preposterous situations as well as romance with free-spirited musician (Zooey Deschanel). Yes Man runs low on ideas in its last act and finds little support from Bradley Cooper as Carrey’s bland buddy, but otherwise offers minor charms and a genuinely positive message about living life to the fullest, like a lesser version of The 40 Year-Old Virgin. — Holman