Film Reviews

Australia

ljmandell — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:05:52 -0500

One of the smartest career moves Russell Crowe ever made was to back out of his commitment to star in the overwrought and underwritten Australia. Even People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman, who filled in, can’t sell a line like, “I mix with dingoes, not Duchesses.” It seems writer/director/producer/ Baz Lurhmann has bitten off way more than he can chew, and instead of a sweeping epic of The Land Down Under, he’s come up with a film that makes you want to stand down and chunder.

Milk

ljmandell — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:45:05 -0500

Some actors are so lauded and looked at it’s difficult for them to disappear into a role: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, George Clooney—you never quite forget their star status, no matter whom they’re playing. When Sean Penn actually becomes Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay elected official, it is the ultimate accomplishment. Not only does he transcend his own persona, he transcends his own gender; Milk is an attractive, engaging, vulnerable and sympathetic human, regardless of whether he is male or female, gay or straight.

Bolt

ljmandell — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:53:39 -0500

Granted, no one is better than Disney at wringing it’s young in-house stars for all they’re worth. In the case of Bolt, they’re getting the most mileage out of Miley Cyrus. But this particular animated feature is so pleasant and creative that young teenager Penny could have been voiced by just about anyone and been a hit. The fact that it includes a kicky duet called “I Thought I Lost You” by Miley and fellow-voicer John Travolta is a wonderful added bonus.

Twilight

Jessica Delli Santi — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:45:17 -0500

With a cast of fresh young blood, including Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan and newly minted heartthrob Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Twilight opens in theaters today. While the film will undoubtedly be met with rapturous fans who have been stalking tickets to the first screenings for weeks now, the first adaptation of Stephenie Meyerʼs blockbuster book series is an unfortunately misguided, if well intentioned, attempt.

Quantum of Solace

ljmandell — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:31:23 -0500

Bond, James Bond is much darker and more dangerous now and this time he’s out for revenge. Gone are the days of the one raised eyebrow, the sardonic quips and double entendre, the smooth seduction of Bond Girls with flirty names like Pussy Galore and Christmas Jones. In Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig as Bond means business – serious business, robbing the film and the franchise of its characteristic fun and making it look like the myriad other super agent action films out there. James Bond and Jason Bourne are now interchangeable.

Slumdog Millionaire

ljmandell — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:48:22 -0500

One of the best movies you’ll ever see, has a cast you’ve never heard of and takes place in a country you’ll probably never visit. But all that unfamiliarity and newness serves to intrigue and completely immerse you in a story so well told you never want it to end. Simon Beaufoy has expertly adapted the screenplay from the bestselling Q and A, by Vikas Swarup.

Role Models

ljmandell — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:22:30 -0500

Not just another foul-mouthed slacker comedy, Role Models is the funniest film to be let loose on the big screen since Tropic Thunder. Not that it has an outrageously original plot line or goes places no comedy has ever gone before, it’s just that it’s so perfectly acted, well-timed and quirky that it ends up being irresistible. Really naughty, but really irresistible.

Madagascar 2: Escape from Africa

ljmandell — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:18:18 -0500

It’s a rare thing in Hollywood when a sequel is actually better than the original, but such is the case with Madagascar 2: Escape from Africa. Not that there was anything wrong with the first one, but in the second installment the jokes are funnier, the characters more engaging, the plot more intriguing--even the music is amped up, which is really saying something, because we all know how they liked to move it, move it in the first one.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

ljmandell — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:05:17 -0400

So much fuss, so little reason — the title alone of Zack and Miri Make a Porno is considered to be so controversial you’ve probably been hearing about the film for weeks. The complete title has been banned from bus stop ads, and in some markets, they’ve cut off the words “Make a Porno” from the television spots. There are even theaters that refuse to run the film.

Changeling

Jessica Delli Santi — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:28:12 -0400

Following the theme of Mystic River, director Clint Eastwood’s Changeling begins as a haunting portrait of sorrow and loss but becomes a critique of police corruption and political mismanagement in 1930s Los Angeles. With Eastwood’s sure handed direction and Angelina Jolie’s searingly emotional performance, both are destined for award show podiums and Changeling is an almost sure bet in the office Oscar pool.