Short Subjectives April 16 2008

Capsule reviews of recently released films

Opening Friday

88 MINUTES (R) Al Pacino stars as a forensic psychiatrist and college professor who has 88 minutes to solve his own murder before it happens.

THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS (NR) Based on the novella by Honoré de Balzac. The story of Antoinette (Jeanne Balibar), a flirtatious and married duchess who repeatedly seduces and refuses the general Armand de Montriveau (Guillaume Depardieu). Humiliated, Montriveau seeks revenge just as Antoinette’s feelings change.

FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (PG-13) Obsessed with kung-fu classics, American teenager Jason (Michael Angarano) discovers an ancient Chinese staff and finds himself transported back in time. Jason must return the staff to its rightful owner, the Monkey King. Also starring Jet Li, Yi Fei Liu and Jackie Chan.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL 3 stars (R) See review.

MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS 2 stars (PG-13) See review.

PATHOLOGY (R) A group of med students plot to see who can fool their colleagues in the pathology department by committing the perfect murder.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN? 3 stars (PG-13) See review.

Duly Noted

ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL See features.

CINEMAMA Thursday night film series includes popcorn, pillows and drinks. On Thurs., April 17, Celine and Julie Go Boating (directed by Jacques Rivette; 1974) will be screened. Free. 8 p.m. New Street Gallery, 2800 Washington St., Avondale Estates. cinemama.org.

KING CORN The documentary chronicles one acre of corn’s journey from farm to food production. Two best friends move to the heartland to plant corn but soon discover corn’s driving force on today’s fast-food economy. Through April 17. Cinéfest, second floor of the University Center at Georgia State University, Suite 240. Visit www.gsu.edu/cinefest for showtimes. For more information about King Corn, visit pbs.org/independentlens/kingcorn.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) (R) The cult classic of cult classics, the musical horror spoof follows an all-American couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick) to the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a drag queen/mad scientist from another galaxy. Midnight, Fri. at Plaza Theatre, and Sat. at Peachtree Cinema & Games, Norcross.

WILLOW GARDEN The Southern Arts Federation’s Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers presents a screening of Jim Haverkamp’s Willow Garden, a tale of love and murder set in 1740s northern Ireland. Haverkamp will introduce the film and follow it with a Q&A session. Free. 7 p.m. Wed., April 23. M. Smith Griffith Auditorium, Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia, 90 Carlton St., Athens. 706-542-4662. www.uga.edu/gamuseum.

Continuing

21 (PG-13) Based on the best-selling nonfiction book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions, by Ben Mezrich, 21 tells the story of ambitious students who become card experts. Starring Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne and Kate Bosworth.

27 DRESSES 1 star (PG-13) From the reprehensible subgenre of chick flicks that delight in the humiliation of a stereotypically girly heroine, this dim little comedy stars Knocked Up’s Katherine Heigl as Jane, a secretary who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride, and in love with her boss (Edward Burns). She attracts the attention of a newspaper reporter (James Marsden) who wants to blow the lid off of the wedding racket by writing an article about Jane. Not even a guilty pleasure. — Felicia Feaster

10,000 B.C. 2 stars (PG-13) In director Roland Emmerich’s hysterical pre-historic action flick, a stalwart young hunter (Steven Strait) pursues his kidnapped, blue-eyed sweetheart (Camilla Belle) from snowy mountains to pyramids in progress. With a dim-witted and vaguely racist screenplay, 10,000 B.C. only succeeds in its CGI money shots involving stampeding mammoths and massive-marauding bird-creatures. -- Curt Holman

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS 3 stars (PG) This fluffy film chronicles the Chipmunks’ rise to hyperpitched harmonizing fame and their narrow escape from the pitfalls of child stardom. On the human side, Jason Lee as Dave Seville looks uneasy living life in a partially CGI world, whereas David Cross, playing an exploitative record exec, basks in is screen time. Here, modernization and re-imagining turn out to be not such distasteful concepts, and even allow for a dash of satire most appreciated by fans of the earlier TV series. — Allison C. Keene

THE BANK JOB 2 stars (R) In 1971 London, a dodgy car dealer (Jason Statham, aka The Transporter) and his gang of amateurs plan to rob a bank vault of safety deposit boxes, unaware that their caper is camouflage for a government plot to pilfer some Royal blackmail material. Some crisply edited scenes of safe cracking and escaping fail to rescue The Bank Job’s convoluted screenplay, which lunges in too many directions for director Roger Donaldson to control. The poor British man’s Bruce Willis, Statham steals the movie, but The Bank Job doesn’t get away clean. -- Holman

BE KIND REWIND (PG-13) A lovable loser (Jack Black) accidentally erases all the videos at the rental store where his best friend (Mos Def) works. The duo decides to recreate any movie that the loyal customers ask for, filming their own versions of classic films. Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) directs.

THE BUCKET LIST 3 stars (PG-13) A high-maintenance zillionaire (Jack Nicholson) and a dignified mechanic (Morgan Freeman) become mismatched buddies as roommates on a cancer ward, then decide to live their last months crossing items off “the bucket list” of things to do before death. Despite both actors’ penchant for self-parody, here they play off each other like old pros, and director Rob Reiner, improving significantly from flops such as Rumor Has It..., makes the predictable humor and platitudes go down easy. — Holman

CHARLIE BARTLETT (R) Anton Yelchin stars as Charlie Bartlett, a rich kid joining the ranks in public school after being kicked out of multiple private schools. Using the advice, and prescription medication, given to him by his own shrink, Charlie becomes the self-appointed school psychiatrist, setting up shop in the boys’ bathroom.

CLOVERFIELD 4 stars (PG-13) A Manhattan yuppie’s going-away party gets an inconvenient interruption when a giant monster lays waste to New York City. Once the bad stuff starts going down, no one in the theater takes a breath for an hour, and Cloverfield easily lives up to months of online hype and even offers a fairly touching story of callow Manhattanites who find love and meaning in the teeth of disaster. The single-camera POV gimmick works brilliantly at generating terror and immediacy, but if you’re prone to motion sickness, sit in the back row. — Holman

COLLEGE ROAD TRIP (G) Melanie (Raven Symone) is excited to spread her wings and travel to prospective universities on a girls-only road trip. But her plans are shattered when her overprotective police-chief father (Martin Lawrence) insists on accompanying her instead.

DEFINITELY, MAYBE 2 stars (PG-13) If you’re into men as bland as a mayonnaise sandwich, then this limp rom-com piffle starring the strapping slab of white bread Ryan Reynolds might be supertasty. Essentially a chick flick for dicks, Reynolds is a sweetly bland about-to-be-divorced dad recounting the highs and lows of his romantic life to his adorable 11-year-old daughter (Abigail Breslin). Once this was called a lack of boundaries. Now it’s called cute. -- Feaster

DOOMSDAY (R) Authorities are forced to quarantine an entire country after a deadly virus breaks out and kills hundred of thousands of citizens. Three decades later, however, the virus resurfaces in a major city and an elite team of specialists is dispatched to find a cure. Neil Marshall writes and directs.

DR. SEUSS’ HORTON HEARS A WHO! 4 stars (G) In this CGI adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic, a kindly elephant (voiced by Jim Carrey) protects microscopic Whoville from hostile nay-sayers led by Carol Burnett’s Sour Kangaroo. Horton cleverly doubles the narrative by making the Whoville mayor (Steve Carell) another lonely believer, and generally retains the heart of the book and slapstick worthy of old Bugs Bunny cartoons. It’s as if the filmmakers knew exactly how big a desecration was Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and did exactly the opposite. -- Holman

DRILLBIT TAYLOR 2 stars (PG-13) Persecuted by a psycho bully (Alex Frost), three meek high schoolers (Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dorfman) hire supersoldier Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson) to be their bodyguard, unaware that he’s actually a nonconfrontational homeless panhandler. Overlong and underfunny, Drillbit Taylor wastes the charms of Wilson and his young co-stars. Co-writer Seth Rogen also co-wrote Superbad, which has a similar dynamic between the three kids, but Drillbit is no Superbad. It’s just plain bad. — Holman

ENCHANTED 2 stars (PG) The certifiably adorable Amy Adams is cartoon princess Giselle who is plunged into the ugly reality of New York City and ends up with a prince. There are some great comic moments, like the swarm of roaches and pigeons that help Giselle clean up an untidy apartment a la Disney’s Snow White, but for the most part the film isn’t smart enough to deserve the knowing, meta-Disney approach it cops. — Feaster

THE EYE (PG-13) In this adaptation from a Japanese supernatural thriller, Sydney (Jessica Alba) is a blind violinist who undergoes a double corneal transplant to restore her sight. The surgery opens her eyes to a world of bone-chilling, haunting images depicting death taking his victims, and Sydney searches to discover whose eyes she has been given. David Moreau and Xavier Palud (Them) direct.

FIRST SUNDAY (PG-13) Ice Cube, Katt Williams and Tracy Morgan star in this caper story about two petty criminals who rob their local church. David E. Talber (Love on Layaway) directs.

FLAWLESS (PG-13) Demi Moore and Michael Caine star, respectively, as a frustrated executive hitting her head on the glass ceiling and a nighttime janitor. The duo plans a heist to steal diamonds from the London Diamond Corporation where they are both employed.

FOOL’S GOLD 3 stars (PG-13) Whimsical, tropical farce where a divorcing couple (Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, with great chemistry) are brought back together by the promise of buried treasure. Not many twists in this tale, but you don’t need them — pretty people in pretty places makes the piece fit perfectly with the surroundings — it’s breezy, shallow fun. -- Allison C. Keene

THE GRAND 2 stars (R) Director Zak Penn follows the model of Christopher Guest comedies such as Best in Show with this irreverent, largely improvised take on high-stakes poker. The Grand conveys Las Vegas’s unglamorous underbelly and features a likable cast, including Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, David Cross and Chris Parnell. Penn lacks Guest’s gift for turning testy behavior and desperate blather into narrative momentum, though, and the little throwaway gags tend to be more amusing than the central set pieces. -- Holman

I AM LEGEND 4 stars (PG-13) Will Smith plays the sole human inhabitant of New York City after a genetically engineered virus wipes out most of mankind and turns the rest into blood-crazed mutants. The film offers nearly unbearable suspense scenes and stunning images of postapocalyptic Manhattan, overrun with wild animals with grass growing up through the streets. Despite some heavy-handed, ineffectual philosophizing in the last act, Smith delivers one of his best performances and I Am Legend turns out to be the best “summer movie” of 2007. ­-- Holman

IN BRUGES 3 stars (R) Two Irish hitmen (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) lay low in Belgium’s preserved medieval town of Bruges in this hipster thriller from brash young playwright Martin McDonagh. McDonagh proves that his knack for compelling, profanely funny dialogue can transfer from stage to screen, although at times he traffics in disposable themes that don’t quite justify the savage behavior on screen. In a good way, In Bruges suggests the “Royale with Cheese” scene from Pulp Fiction, if we’d followed John Travolta to Europe. — Holman

JUMPER (PG-13) Backed by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), and screenwriters David S. Goyer (Batman Begins), Jim Uhls (Fight Club) and Simon Kinberg (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Jumper is a science-fiction thriller about a man (Hayden Christensen) who can teleport anywhere, anytime. Co-stars Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson and Diane Lane.

JUNO 4 stars (PG-13) An insanely funny script by Diablo Cody and bone-dry comic timing provided by Ellen Page make Juno feel like the breakout indie of the year. Page is a knocked-up 16-year-old who decides to hand over her child to a couple (Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner) she thinks are desperate for a baby. Things turn out to be more complicated, and much sweeter than this attitudinal comedy initially suggests. — Feaster

LEATHERHEADS 3 stars (PG-13) In his third directorial outing, George Clooney plays the aging captain of a failing 1920s pro football team who sees his modest star eclipsed by a Princeton sports star/war hero (John Krasinski of “The Office”). Some of the broader slapstick scenes fail to snap in Leatherheads’ homage to 1930s screwball comedy, and Renee Zellweger’s reporter seems like too much of a stock character, but Clooney shows enough of a self-deprecating sense of humor and ease with male camaraderie to make Leatherheads the equivalent of an enjoyable, forgettable halftime show. -- Holman

MEET THE BROWNS (PG-13) Writer/director/actor Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion) returns with his latest film, based on the stage production of the same name. Brenda (Angela Bassett), a single mother in need of support, moves her family to Georgia to attend the funeral of the father whom she never met and ends up becoming a part of his fun-loving family.

MEET THE SPARTANS (PG-13) From screenwriters Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer who cranked out Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie comes another mockery: today’s film industry. Meet the Spartans is a spoof of 300 but takes hits at other popular flicks and movie icons, as the invading Persian army includes Paris Hilton, Transformers and Rocky Balboa.

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY (PG-13) Set in the late 1930s, this romantic film focuses on Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), a laid-off governess who decides to seize the day and apply for a position as a social secretary for an actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Also staring Lee Pace, Ciarán Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Mark Strong and Tom Payne.

NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS (PG) In the sequel to National Treasure, treasure-hunter Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) follows clues in a mystery involving John Wilkes Booth and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Jon Turteltaub directs.

NEVER BACK DOWN (PG-13) A rebellious new kid in school channels his fist-fighting energy into mastering the art of mixed martial arts with the help of a mentor and an underground fight club.

NIM’S ISLAND (PG) When Nim’s father goes missing from the magical island they live on, Nim must find help from the author of her favorite books. Based on the book by Wendy Orr.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN 4 stars (R) The Coen brothers make a rousing return to form in this Texas crime drama that strips away their trademark irony for brilliant, suspenseful set pieces. Josh Brolin’s Vietnam vet, Tommy Lee Jones’ aging sheriff and Javier Bardem’s ruthless hitman engage in a three-way chase on either side of the Rio Grande. Don’t let the anticlimactic ending sour you on the superb filmmaking. ­-- Holman

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (PG-13) Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson star as the Boleyn sisters, whose ambitious family drives them to compete for King Henry VIII’s affections as a pathway to the throne. The Other Boleyn Girl is based on the novel by Philippa Gregory.

PENELOPE 1 star (PG) Christina Ricci is Penelope, a rich girl saddled with a family curse that has endowed her with a pig snout in this badly mangled attempt at fairy-tale whimsy. Her mother’s (Catherine O’Hara) efforts to find Penelope a blue-blood husband despite the piggy mug unearth sensitive hunk James McAvoy, but this film’s tween-directed message that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is a joyless washout in the end. -- Feaster

PERSEPOLIS 4 stars (PG-13) Marjane Satrapi co-directs the animated adaptation (now dubbed in English) of her graphic-novel memoir about growing up in Iran and witnessing the shah’s tyranny, the war with Iraq and life under Islamic fundamentalists. The simplicity of the primarily black-and-white animation superbly captures her childlike perspective, although the film’s second half, chronicling her battles with depression as a young woman, loses some of its political sweep. — Holman

PROM NIGHT (PG-13) A remake of a 1980s film starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Prom Night is the story of a teenage girl stalked by a deranged murderer.

THE RUINS (R) Four young tourists wander away from American-friendly Cancun and into a terrifying bloodbath.

RUN, FAT BOY, RUN 2 stars (PG-13) Five years after leaving his pregnant fiancée (Thandie Newton) at the altar, lovable “unfit” loser Dennis (Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead) vows to run a London marathon to win her back from her rich American boyfriend Whit (Hank Azaria). Pegg affirms his skills as a humorous, ingratiating lead, but the directorial debut of “Friends’” David Schwimmer looks more like a heavy-handed English rom-com like Bridget Jones’ Diary than Pegg’s ingenious efforts like Hot Fuzz. — Holman

THE SAVAGES 4 stars (R) Two self-absorbed intellectual siblings (superbly played by Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) find themselves forced to care for the ailing, demented father (Philip Bosco) who abandoned them years ago. Writer/director Tamara Jenkins’ razor-sharp sophomore film (after Slums of Beverly Hills) manages to be at once gentle and merciless, encouraging us to laugh at the characters’ childishness while empathizing with their unhappiness. The Savages’ mix of comedy, insight and fear of mortality play almost like a subplot to Jonathan Franzen’s novel The Corrections. -- Holman

SEMI-PRO 3 stars (R) Just how many times can Will Ferrell make the same comedy about a flailing, pasty, self-deluded athlete and/or broadcaster? Following Anchorman et al, this spoof of the 1970s American Basketball Association is Farrell’s laziest and most predictable yuck fest. I’m not proud to admit that it provided me with the bare minimum of laughs to be enjoyable, but if the name “Flint Michigan Tropics” or the idea of a team striving for fourth place fail to amuse you, don’t even give Semi-Pro a shot. -- Holman

SHELTER 3 stars (R) Writer/director Jonah Markowitz bathes this tale of love and surfing in luscious, “golden hour” light. Conflicted, artistic Zach (Trevor Wright) struggles to hold his family together by forfeiting his own dreams, until he unexpectedly finds strength in the arms of his best friend’s older brother. Shelter touches on themes of class and commitment, but the palpable chemistry of the film’s leads ultimately makes this otherwise sweet summer romance compelling. -- Allison Keane

SHINE A LIGHT 3 stars (PG-13) Martin Scorsese’s documentary highlights the eternal rock band, the Rolling Stones, who still rock. Their enthusiasm hasn’t dwindled, and that in itself is remarkable. A tribute to staying power — both the Stones’ and Scorsese’s — the film is more a fan’s-eye view of the band in performance than Scorsese’s chance to wow with his auteur chops. -- Feaster

SHUTTER (PG-13) After a tragic car accident, photographer Ben (Joshua Jackson) and his new wife, Jane (Rachael Taylor), find disturbing humanlike figures blurring Ben’s photos. Jane thinks it could be the spirit of the girl murdered in the car crash, seeking vengeance. From the executive producers of The Grudge and The Ring.

SMART PEOPLE (R) A book-smart, emotionally immature college professor (Dennis Quaid, cast nicely against type) and his daughter (Juno’s Ellen Page) get lessons in expressing their feelings thanks partly to his underachieving adopted brother (Thomas Haden Church). Like a softer, unsurprising version of The Savages, Smart People crafts sharp dialogue and offers a showcase for its cast including Sarah Jessica Parker, who seems relieved to play a woman who’s less perky than Carrie Bradshaw. Holman

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES 3 stars (PG) The Grace kids (Sarah Bolger, and Freddie Highmore playing twins) stop worrying about their parents’ separation when one of them discovers an ancestor’s field guide to magical creatures. Too intense and violent for pretweens, The Spiderwick Chronicles’ fast-paced adventure scenes evoke 1980s family adventures such as Gremlins and The Goonies without being quite so obnoxious, and retains the books’ more serious themes of broken homes. -- Holman

STEP UP 2 THE STREETS (PG-13) In this sequel to Step Up, street dancer Andie (Briana Evigan) finds herself at an elite school of the arts. While trying to bridge the gap between her two lives, Andie creates a team of dancers to compete in an underground dance-off. Jamal Sims, Step Up’s original choreographer, returns with help from Hi-Hat (How She Move) and Dave Scott (Stomp the Yard).

STOP-LOSS 3 stars (R) Kimberly Peirce’s film takes its name from the military loophole that orders soldiers back into battle after they’ve completed their service. Ryan Phillippe stars as a patriotic Texas boy who tries to convince a senator to reverse his stop-loss order. The film cautiously addresses the war, telling its story mostly from the soldier’s point of view. It’s a film of conciliation that strives to unite its audience in the unquestionable mission of supporting our troops. In that sense, it reflects fairly accurately the neurosis of our times.

STREET KINGS 3 stars (R) The LAPD’s Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) — one of those hotshots who doesn’t play by the rules, like Dirty Harry — risks implicating himself when he unravels cover-ups and conspiracies following the death of his ex-partner. Thin and predictable, Street Kings’ noisy shoot-outs still hold your interest and the script (co-written by L.A. Confidential novelist James Ellroy) features some credible little details about police work. But will people buy movie tickets for Street Kings’ portrait of LAPD corruption when they can watch basically the same thing on “The Shield” for free? -- Holman

SUPERHERO MOVIE (PG-13) Writer Craig Mazin (Scary Movie) is back with another spoof on recent films. Superhero Movie pokes fun at flicks such as Spider-Man, X-Men and a multitude of others.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD 5 stars (R) Drawing from Upton Sinclair’s 1927 oil-man opus Oil!, Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) has created a film of stunning sweep and grandeur. In an Oscar-winning performance, Daniel Day-Lewis plays a dementedly ambitious petroleum titan whose quest for riches comes at the cost of his humanity. A troubling and still-relevant examination of the consuming American dream for wealth turned cancerous, this glorious epic could be the apogee of Anderson’s career. — Feaster

UNDER THE SAME MOON (PG-13) Rosario (Kate del Castillo) works illegally in the United States to provide a better life for her 9-year-old son Carlitos (Adrian Alonso), who lives in Mexico with his grandmother. Both mother and son must journey to find each other again.

VANTAGE POINT 2 stars (PG-13) An assassination attempt on the U.S. president (William Hurt) unfolds from multiple points of view, including a veteran secret service agent (Dennis Quaid), an American tourist with a camcorder (Forest Whitaker) and a cable news producer (Sigourney Weaver). Vantage Point’s multiple-eyewitness shtick takes too long to pay off and its minidramas play as painfully hackneyed, including Whitaker protecting a young bystander and the use of improbably identical “doubles.” So why did so many Oscar winners and nominees sign on for such a clunky thriller? Maybe it’s some kind of conspiracy. -- Holman

WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS (PG-13) Martin Lawrence stars as Roscoe Jenkins, a big-shot talk-show host who has all but forgotten his humble beginnings growing up in the Deep South. When he returns for his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, Roscoe starts to rethink his current situation.