In the Valley of Elah

IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH (2007) - Mar. 28, 2009
A well directed but really slow-paced film about a man who investigates the disappearance of his son, recently returned from the war in Iraq. Tommy Lee Jones was particularly good as the father out for answers. The main problem with this film is that it wasn't all that interesting; it essentially played out like a really long episode of Law and Order, with far too much emphasis placed on the minutia of the investigation. It was okay for the first little while, but it was kind of dull and after a while I started to lose interest. I was never all-out bored, I guess (thanks mostly to Jones' performance), but it certainly could have been better. **1/2

The Secret Life of Bees

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (2008) - Mar. 27, 2009
A well made and well acted coming-of-age story about a young girl who runs away from home to live in the house in which her mother grew up. It's frequently quite sentimental, but it works, mostly because the performances are all so good. This film has definitely cemented Queen Latifah, in my mind at least, as a top-shelf actress. My only major beef with the film is the soundtrack, which consists of cheesy, jarringly contemporary songs which feel woefully out of place in this period piece (though admittedly, I don't think those songs would work well in any film -- the director clearly has a strong eye for visuals, but terrible taste in music). ***

Leatherheads

LEATHERHEADS (2008) - Mar. 25, 2009
An affable film about a couple of football players in the '20s, and the sassy reporter who they both fall in love with. I was quite enjoying it for the first little while, though eventually it did start to wear out its welcome. Given the premise and the cast this definitely should have been better, but it was pretty much enjoyable throughout, if a bit too long. **1/2

Niagara

NIAGARA (1953) - Mar. 24, 2009
A well made film noir about a woman who conspires to kill her husband, and how that unravels. This was a bit odd for the genre in that it was shot in colour, but it was still definitely a film noir through and through, both in the plot, and in the dark, shadowy cinematography (though much of the film took place in daylight, it was still dark when it needed to be). The film was well acted (Joseph Cotten and Marilyn Monroe were quite good) and well directed (I particularly liked the sequence in which Cotten confronts Monroe in the bell tower). The main problem is the other two characters -- a young couple on their honeymoon who are almost entirely superfluous. The film would have been much better if it had just focused on Monroe and Cotten. **1/2

Harry and the Hendersons

HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS (1987) - Mar. 19, 2009 (Second Viewing)
About a family who take in a Sasquatch after they hit it with their car and assume it to be dead, and the shenanigans that ensue. The film was pretty silly, and dragged a bit in parts, but it was essentially enjoyable all the way through. Also: this movie reminded me that I miss John Lithgow. Why doesn't he act more? **1/2

Full Metal Jacket

FULL METAL JACKET (1987) - Mar. 17, 2009 (Third or Fourth Viewing)
An absurdly brilliant film about the Vietnam war, featuring absolutely perfect direction from Stanley Kubrick. For some reason I was under the impression that this was a lesser Kubrick film -- excellent, but not quite as good as stuff like 2001 and A Clockwork Orange. However, I think I need to rethink that opinion, as this film is riveting from start to finish; the shift in tone from the boot camp scenes to the war stuff is a bit jarring on the first viewing, however watching it this time I felt like both segments were equally good, and complimented each other perfectly. There will never again be another director as good as Stanley Kubrick. ****

Duplicity

DUPLICITY (2009) - Mar. 16, 2009
Another winner from Tony Gilroy, about two former secret agents who scheme up an elaborate plan to con two rival corporations. Impeccably written and directed by Gilroy, this was definite proof that Michael Clayton wasn't a fluke. Both Clive Owen and Julia Roberts were quite good, as were all the supporting actors. This was definitely much lighter than Michael Clayton, but still every bit as good. ***1/2

Black Snake Moan

BLACK SNAKE MOAN (2006) - Mar. 15, 2009
Craig Brewer's follow-up to Hustle and Flow, this was a well directed film about a man who finds a beaten-up girl near his house, and decides to take her in in an atempt to reform her. The film is actually far better than you'd suspect from the premise, and does a really good job showing the friendship that slowly forms between these two characters. It helps that the characters are really well developed, and that the performances are so good -- it's quite refreshing to see Samuel L. Jackson give an actual performance, and not just fall back on his established persona as he does in pretty much every film he's in these days. It reminds you that he actually is a very good actor. ***1/2

The Other Boleyn Girl

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (2008) - Mar. 14, 2009
A well made if somewhat soap-operatic film about Henry VIII's relationship with the two Boleyn sisters, Anne and Mary. Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana were all quite good, as was Justin Chadwick's direction and Kieran McGuigan's lush cinematography. It was definitely a well put together film, though I was never entirely drawn into it. **1/2

The Last House on the Left

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009) - Mar. 13, 2009
A decent horror film about a group of thugs who rape a young girl, leave her for dead, and then become the unwitting houseguests of her parents. Dennis Iliadis's direction is kind of mediocre, but it gets the job done (and I've certainly seen worse). It's a bit unpleasant in parts, but it's entertaining throughout -- plus, it's hard to go wrong with a movie in which a villain is dispatched by having his head placed in a microwave until it explodes. **1/2

Disturbia

DISTURBIA (2007) - Mar. 10, 2009
A better-than-average thriller about a kid under house arrest who begins to suspect that shenanigans are afoot with one of his neighbours. It's a loose remake of Rear Window, and though it's obviously not on that level, it's surprisingly effective. David Morse gives a nicely sinister performance as the neighbour, and Shia LaBeouf is good in the lead role. The film takes its time setting everything up, which just makes it all the more effective once the thrillerish elements really start to kick into gear. Thumbs up. ***1/2

The International

THE INTERNATIONAL (2009) - Mar. 9, 2009
Stylishly directed by Tom Tykwer, this was a somewhat slow-paced thriller about a grizzled Interpol agent who is obsessed with taking down an evil bank. It's a bit convoluted, and it gets a tad too talky at times, but it's definitely entertaining throughout. It helps that the performances are all quite good and it's really well made. Then there's the shootout that comes a bit more than half-way through, which was easily one of the better shootouts I've seen in a while. It was awesome. I hope Tykwer one day decides to make a full-out action film, because he's clearly quite good at it. Good stuff. ***1/2

The Best and Worst Movies of 2008

THE BEST AND WORST OF 2008

THE BEST
1. WALL-E
2. The Dark Knight
3. Boy A
4. The Wrestler
5. In Bruges
6. Revolutionary Road
7. Changeling
8. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
9. RocknRolla
10. Doomsday

THE WORST
1. The Love Guru
2. Punisher: War Zone
3. Max Payne
4. Semi-Pro
5. 21
6. Untraceable
7. Fatal Move
8. Stop-Loss
9. Quarantine
10. You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Watchmen

WATCHMEN (2009) - Mar. 7, 2009
Though thankfully not quite the disaster I was fearing it would be, Watchmen the movie was still an enormous step down from Watchmen the comic. Despite a running time of almost three hours, it still felt condensed -- it kept all of the broad strokes (and remained remarkably faithful to the source material, other than a puzzlingly different -- and inferior -- ending), but it lost so many of the small details and side-characters that made the comic so special. It feels generic, which is the last thing I'd say about the comic. The performances were all pretty good (Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach and Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl were definite standouts), though the decision to make Dr. Manhattan entirely CGI was pretty much disastrous. Zack Snyder's stylized visuals weren't nearly as distractingly bad as I thought they'd be -- the film looked decent enough, for the most part. That's not to say that I've gained any respect for Snyder, however; it takes a special kind of talent to take something so amazingly awesome and turn it into something so middling. **1/2

The Night of the White Pants

THE NIGHT OF THE WHITE PANTS (2006) - Mar. 5, 2009
A basically entertaining comedy about the (sort of) wacky misadventures of a man and his daughter's boyfriend over the course of one night. Featuring a typically "indie comedy" tone and style, it wasn't quite as enjoyable as the premise would lead you to believe. However, it was still pretty much entertaining, thanks mostly to Nick Stahl and Tom Wilkinson (sporting a southern accent). **1/2

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (2008) - Mar. 2, 2009
A very silly but marginally entertaining follow-up. There's really not a whole lot to say about this film. It's pretty much exactly what you'd think it would be -- no better, no worse. **1/2

Four Christmases

FOUR CHRISTMASES (2008) - Mar. 2, 2009
A mediocre comedy starring Vince "Where the paycheque at?" Vaughan and Reese Witherspoon, about a couple who are forced to spend Christmas with their families after their planned vacation doesn't pan out. The film is kind of entertaining for a while, though all the jokes seem like they'd be more at home in a bad sitcom. But then there's the expectedly emotional third act, which is even more eye-rollingly treacly than you'd expect in a film like this, which is saying a lot. Boo-urns. **