X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009) - May 2, 2009
Not wholly inept, but not exactly good, either, this was a mediocre origin story about Wolverine, leading into the first X-Men movie. The performances were fine, and Hugh Jackman was pretty much perfect as Wolverine, but the movie just wasn't that good. It was kind of boring. I think one of the film's major flaws was that it was essentially a revenge story -- only we know that Wolverine can't possibly get revenge on either Sabretooth or Styker, because they have to be around for the X-Men movies that follow. So that renders the revenge stuff pretty much moot, which makes most of the film kind of a drag to sit through. It's pretty shoddy. **

Star Trek

STAR TREK (2009) - May 2, 2009
Superb. I was pretty skeptical when I first heard the idea of a Star Trek reboot with a young "hip" cast, but my skepticism was, happily, completely unfounded -- JJ Abrams has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of straddling the fine line between pleasing the fans and catering to a new audience, and has pulled it off pretty much perfectly. The film manages to remain faithful to the spirit of the original without getting weighed down by it -- this is a movie that anyone can (and should) enjoy. It gets around the inevitable changes via an ingenious plot device involving time travel, which never feels like a cheat or an affront to the fans. It's definitely more action-heavy than any previous Star Trek offering, but it's never overwhelmed by the action -- it still manages to have quieter moments with the characters, some emotional moments and a good amount of humour sprinkled throughout. It helps that pretty much all of the roles are perfectly cast, though special props must go to Karl Urban, who does a ridiculously dead-on Bones without it ever coming off that he's merely doing an impression. ****

Back to the Future II

BACK TO THE FUTURE II (1989) - April 30, 2009 (Umpteenth Viewing)
Though not quite as good as the original, this was still a superlative adventure movie, and extremely entertaining throughout. It does a really good job of feeling like a companion piece to the first movie, rather than the forced rehash that many big Hollywood sequels wind up feeling like. ****

Back to the Future

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) - April 28, 2009 (Umpteenth Viewing)
An all-time classic. Featuring performances, direction, writing and a score that are all near perfection, this is definitely top ten material. This, along with stuff like Raiders of the Lost Ark and any of the original three Star Wars films, should be required viewing for anyone who wants to make a fun adventure film. ****

Fighting

FIGHTING (2009) - April 25, 2009
Well, I fell asleep for probably about ten minutes in the middle of this movie, so I guess I need to see it again, not that I'm in any particular rush to do so -- the film seemed decent enough, if nothing particularly special. Terrence Howard was clearly the highlight, giving a performance that was definitely far better than the movie deserved. Also, for a movie called "Fighting" there really wasn't much fighting at all, though Dito Montiel's direction of the fight scenes was so terrible that the lack of them was a probably blessing in disguise. NO RATING

The Soloist

THE SOLOIST (2009) - April 21, 2009
A well made and very well acted film about a journalist who befriends a crazy street musician, this started out quite well, but then petered out a bit towards the end. The direction was good and Robert Downey Jr. was quite excellent as the journalist, but I found myself losing interest as the film went on. I was never all-out bored, though I did find myself almost falling asleep a couple of times, so... yeah. **1/2

17 Again

17 AGAIN (2009) - April 20, 2009
A surprisingly enjoyable body-switching comedy about a middle-aged schlub, on the verge of a divorce and with kids who don't particularly like him, who winds up being transformed into a 17-year-old version of himself. He quickly decides to enroll in his old high school, where it becomes pretty clear that both of his kids need his help. Anchored by an effortlessly charismatic Zac Efron (it's easy enough to see why he's becoming such a big star), the film is far better than it really has any right to be. ***

Crank: High Voltage

CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE (2009) - April 18, 2009
An awesomely ridiculous film starring the perfectly cast Jason Statham as Chev Chelios, a man on a mission to recover his stolen heart. Chelios must contend with the scads of gangsters who stand in his way, as well as the insufficient power supply on his artificial heart. Like the first one, the directing duo of Neveldine and Taylor infuse the film with a wildly over-the-top style that, in any other film, would probably annoy me to no end. Somehow, though, it works perfectly here. The film starts out really well, runs of of steam a little bit, then recovers nicely by the time it comes to an end. It's pretty much complete insanity, but it's inspired insanity. ***

State of Play

STATE OF PLAY (2009) - April 15, 2009
A well made political thriller about a reporter who finds himself embroiled in a story involving a cheating congressman, murder, and a shady corporation. The film was well directed (I particularly enjoyed the riveting sequence in which Russell Crowe evades an assassin in a parking garage) -- it did drag a bit in the middle, but I was never bored. It did seem a bit more simplistic than other films of its ilk -- generally these types of films tend to have so many characters and plot twists that they get a bit hard to follow, which was never the case here. Though I suppose "it wasn't confusing enough" would be a pretty bizarre complaint. ***

The Midnight Meat Train

THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (2008) - April 11, 2009
An entertaining horror film about a man who finds himself compelled to solve the mysterious disappearance of a woman around the subway in New York. It was well made and peppered with familiar faces, so it's a bit odd that it was given such a limited theatrical release. The film does feel a bit padded-out at times (it's adapted from a short story), and the use of CGI blood is as lame as ever, but aside from that it was pretty good. **1/2

Inside

INSIDE (2007) - April 11, 2009
Super dark (both figuratively and literally) and insanely violent, this was a really well made slasher film about a pregnant woman -- on the eve of delivering her child -- who finds herself under attack by an obsessed psycho, intent on stealing her unborn baby. The film sometimes feels like gore just for gore's sake (the movie is essentially just a procession of people coming to the house one at a time to get brutally slaughtered) but it's so well made that you almost don't notice. ***

Observe and Report

OBSERVE AND REPORT (2009) - April 10, 2009
A really well made film about a somewhat crazy mall security guard who takes the investigation of a mall flasher as an opportunity to make a name for himself. There's been a lot of comparisons to Taxi Driver, which definitely seems appropriate. In fact Jody Hill has clearly been influenced by Scorsese in more ways than one, as the visual style of the film and the use of music are quite Scorsesean (Scorseseseque? No, that definitely looks wrong). It definitely works, though I'm sure people expecting a straight-forward Seth Rogen comedy aren't going to be too sure what to make of it. ***1/2

The Foot Fist Way

THE FOOT FIST WAY (2006) - April 9, 2009
A super low-budget but well made film about a self-absorbed Tae Kwon Doe instructor, and the various shenanigans he gets himself into. Danny McBride was definitely good, though his shtick is starting to get a bit tired at this point. And since the film is pretty much all Danny McBride all the time, it kind of suffers from that a bit. But it was well made despite the obviously super-low budget, and it was pretty much entertaining throughout. **1/2

12 Rounds

12 ROUNDS (2009) - Apr. 7, 2009
A surprisingly boring film about a criminal who breaks out of jail and almost immediately sets out to get revenge on the cop who killed his girlfriend, by forcing him to embark on an increasingly elaborate set of tasks. The most disappointing thing about this film is Renny Harlin's shoddy direction -- is this really the same man who brought us classics like Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger? The visuals are quite shaky, and worse -- they're bland. There is a ridiculous amount of action in this film (I don't think there's more than a minute or two of downtime between the big action set-pieces), but it's just not compelling. It's dull. The performances don't fare much better; Miles Jackson, in particular, is absolutely awful, and makes for a completely ineffectual villain. John Cena does the best he can with the material, but even Arnie himself would have a hard time saving this film. *1/2

The Promotion

THE PROMOTION (2008) - Apr. 6, 2009
About a guy who competes with a French Canadian (John C. Reilly, sporting a bizarre accent that I'm assuming is supposed to be Canadian) for a promotion, this was Steve Conrad's directorial debut (he also wrote the Weather Man). It's not quite as good as that film, however -- Seann William Scott was surprisingly good in the main role, but still didn't make for as compelling a protagonist as Nicolas Cage in the Weather Man. Also, Conrad's direction was good, but Virbinski's was better. I know it's not really fair to compare the two films, but they're so similar that it's hard not to -- this pretty much feels like a thematic sequel to that film. ***

The Weather Man

THE WEATHER MAN (2005) - Apr. 5, 2009
A really well made character study about a depressed weatherman, and his struggles to reconnect with his family and find meaning in his life. Gore Virbinksi's direction suits the material perfectly, and Nicolas Cage gives a surprisingly good performance -- it's a really understated performance, and Cage does a great job of conveying the character's inner-conflict without any of the over-the-top theatrics that he's been tending to fall back on recently. ***1/2

I Love You, Man

I LOVE YOU, MAN (2009) - Apr. 4, 2009
Essentially a romantic comedy between two guys (or a "bromance," as its been dubbed in the media), this was an enjoyable film about a guy who, after getting engaged, realizes that he doesn't really have any guy friends. It plays out pretty much exactly how you think it will (complete with fake breakup), but the always reliable Paul Rudd makes for an engaging leading man, and Jason Segel is just as good as Rudd's new friend. ***

Mr. Bean's Holiday

MR. BEAN'S HOLIDAY (2007) - Apr. 3, 2009
A cute film about the various shenanigans that Mr. Bean gets into when he wins a trip to Cannes. Like the first Mr. Bean film, it's not nearly as good as the best episodes of the show -- I think Bean is a character who works best in small doses -- but it was pretty much entertaining throughout, and was short enough that it never overstayed its welcome. **1/2

Knowing

KNOWING (2009) - Apr. 1, 2009
An enjoyable and really well made film about a man who discovers a complete list of every major disaster from the last fifty years in a time capsule, culminating in an event that will supposedly end the world. Alex Proyas' direction is expectedly stellar; the big disaster set-pieces, in particular, are incredibly well done. It gets a bit silly towards the end (WE HAVE TO SAVE THE CHILDREN!!) but it was entertaining enough that it wasn't really an issue. ***

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. **

He's Just Not that Into You

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (2009) - Feb. 22, 2009
A basically entertaining romantic comedy about a bunch of women who struggle with their relationships. The writing and direction were both pretty much at a sitcom level (the film's look seemed to vacillate between super-bland and overlit, ie. it looked like "movie lighting"), but it was well acted and essentially enjoyable. **1/2

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA (2008) - Feb. 7, 2009
A silly but surprisingly watchable comedy about a talking chihuahua (all animals can talk in this film, but only to each other) who gets lost in Mexico. Along the way she meets an assortment of quirky characters and learns some valuable lessons. Yes, it's just as cheesy as you'd imagine, but all things considered, it could have been a lot worse. **1/2

Lakeview Terrace

LAKEVIEW TERRACE (2008) - Feb. 5, 2009
About a young couple who move into a new house, only to be terrorized by their next-door neighbour, a cop who hates them right from the get-go. It sounds like a cheesy thriller right out of the '80s, but Neil LaBute plays it more like drama than a thriller. It works, sort of, though the more overtly thrillerish elements feel somewhat at odds with the more grounded tone, especially as the movie progresses. This is particularly true of the ending, which is straight out of the "Cheesy '80s thriller" playbook, and which is completely out of place in this film. **1/2

Push

PUSH (2009) - Feb. 4, 2009
A mostly entertaining and well made film that goes on a bit longer than it needs to. About an alternate, Heroes-esque world where some people have superpowers, the film benefits from some stylish direction from Paul McGuigan. It's also well acted and entertaining throughout, despite the aforementioned overlength. ***

The Uninvited

THE UNINVITED (2009) - Feb. 3, 2009
More of a drama than an outright horror film, this was a decent if entirely unspectacular film about a couple of sisters who suspect that their new mother is up to something sinister. **1/2

Taken

TAKEN (2009) - Jan. 30, 2009
A film that pretty much defines the word "awesome," Taken stars Liam Neeson as an ex-CIA agent (who is such a badass he makes Jack Bauer look like a hand-wringing amateur) who springs into action when his daughter is kidnapped. Liam Neeson is a big reason that the film is as successful as it is -- he brings a gravitas to the role that a lesser actor never could have hoped for. Also, there seems to be something inherently awesome about seeing Neeson tearing through Paris, kicking ass. This was so much better than the usual, watered down, slick, explosion-heavy CGI-fests that pass for action these days. The fact that they managed to make such an awesome, satisfying action film within the constraints of a PG-13 rating means that there really is no excuse for the egregious mediocrity of most contemporary action movies. Pierre Morel's direction is a bit more shaky-cam heavy than I'd like, but that really is a minor complaint for what is otherwise such a superlative genre outing. ****

My Bloody Valentine 3D

MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D (2009) - Jan. 16, 2009
Though the idea of a 3D horror film is kind of a neat gimmick, it actually winds up being more tiresome than anything else. About a small town plagued by a psychopathic miner who likes to kill people with his pick-axe, this was a fairly mediocre slasher film. The film isn't trying to be anything more than an uncompromising slasher movie, and I can respect that; a big problem is that the gore (which is abundant, and a fairly crucial element of a film such as this) tends to be a bit too CGI-heavy, and is frequently obscured by the murky, dark cinematography and the director's tendency to cut away as soon as anything violent happens. The aforementioned 3D just becomes a hindrance as the movie goes on -- though it looks good some of the time, it tends to periodically give the actors the appearance of being cardboard cutouts. Speaking of cardboard cutouts, the characters are all essentially paper-thin, though that can be forgiven in a movie like this. However, the film isn't nearly as fun as it's clearly trying to be. **

Revolutionary Road

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (2009) - Jan. 16, 2008
Another knockout from Sam Mendes, and further proof that the man needs to get the hell off the stage and focus his efforts exclusively on film. About a young couple in the 1950s whose marriage disintegrates as they (particularly the wife) have a hard time adapting to the suburban lifestyle. Featuring really effective direction from Mendes, and amazing performances all around, this was a really good film. ***1/2

Get Smart

GET SMART (2008) - Jan. 15, 2009
About a klutzy analyst who dreams of being a secret agent, this was a marginally entertaining film. There were a few chuckle-worthy moments, though for the most part the humour was clearly aimed squarely at the kiddies. This was hammered home by the juvenile tone and Peter Segal's ridiculously bland direction, which robbed the action sequences of any excitement whatsoever, and made the whole thing feel like the stylistic equivalent of a movie made for the Disney Channel. It wasn't all bad, though -- the performances were pretty good, particularly a scene-stealing Alan Arkin. **1/2

Reservoir Dogs

RESERVOIR DOGS (1991) - Jan. 11, 2009 (Fourth or Fifth Viewing)
Quentin Tarantino's electrifying first film, this definitely ranks up there with classic debut features like Citizen Kane and Amores Perros. About the aftermath of a diamond heist that's gone seriously wrong, this is one of those rare films that I think achieves everything it sets out to do with perfection. Tarantino's writing and direction are top notch, and the performances are all pitch-perfect. This is a very talky film, but Tarantino's stylish direction ensures that it never feels theatrical, and the combination of the top-notch script and the blistering performances means it is never boring for a second. In case you can't tell, I kind of like this film. ****

Milk

MILK (2008) - Jan. 9, 2009
Filled to the brim with really excellent performances, this was an above average biopic about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician to be elected to office in the States. ***

Valkyrie

VALKYRIE (2008) - Dec. 27, 2008
An entertaining thriller about the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler and overthrow his government near the end of WWII. It's a bit light on character development, but that's pretty much a non-issue as the film still does a good job of building tension and remaining enjoyable throughout. Though obviously German with English subtitles would have been ideal, the film at least allows the actors to speak naturally, rather than try to have them all attempt German accents. ***

Bee Movie

BEE MOVIE (2007) - Dec. 26, 2008
A cute animated movie about a bee who decides to sue the human race after discovering that people have been stealing and selling their honey. The film is essentially entertaining throughout, though it's definitely better for the first little while, before the whole "bee lawsuit" silliness kicks in. It's decent enough, but somewhat underwhelming considering that this is Jerry Seinfeld's first major project since his classic sitcom. **1/2

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (2008) - Dec. 18, 2008
About a man who is born old and ages backwards, this was a really well made and well acted film. It's quite long (almost three hours) but certainly never boring. Though the film traces the whole life of Benjamin Button, it is surprisingly uneventful; this is the type of movie that just slowly washes over you. I enjoyed it, and I suspect that it'll get better on repeat viewings. ***1/2

Seven Pounds

SEVEN POUNDS (2008) - Dec. 17, 2008
Well made and very well acted but saddled with a narrative structure that keeps the audience at an arm's length for most of the movie, this is a decent film that could have easily been so much better. About a mysterious man who seems to want to help people, though his motivations (and ultimate goal) are kept obscure for almost the entire running-time of the film. This mysteriousness results in a film which is woefully uneven -- the parts with his burgeoning relationship with Rosario Dawson are quite compelling, but it's hard to become too involved in the rest of the film when the audience is left so thoroughly in the dark. **1/2

Punisher: War Zone

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008) - Dec. 12, 2008
I was sure there was nowhere to go but up after the insipid Thomas Jane version from a couple of years ago, but this was just as bad, if not a little bit worse. This was an unpleasantly boring, disjointed mess of a film. Ray Stevenson was a good choice for the Punisher, but he's completely wasted here -- the role, as portrayed in this film, doesn't even require an actor, just a guy who can look tough while holding a gun. The movie was pretty violent, I guess -- or so I could gather from the ridiculously over-the-top squishy sound effects during all the action scenes -- but it was cut so choppily it was hard to tell. I think one of the many, many problems with War Zone is that it seems to spend less time with the Punisher than with the villain and his cronies, who all seem to be played for camp value -- subtlety is definitely not a word in this film's vocabulary. It really doesn't help that it's clear right from the opening frames that Lexi Alexander is completely inept as a director -- the non-action stuff looks ugly and unpleasant, and the action is almost completely incoherent. I never thought I'd be longing for the comparatively sure hand of Jonathan Hensleigh, but here we are. *1/2

Gran Torino

GRAN TORINO (2008) - Dec. 10, 2008
I think Clint Eastwood can basically do no wrong as a director at this point. Though this was probably the weakest of his most recent batch of films, it was still quite good -- it was well directed, of course, and featured a really good performance from the man himself. Though I wish the trailer hadn't given away so much of the plot (it pretty much gives away the entire movie), it doesn't really matter all that much; the film is much more about the quiet moments between the characters than it is about the stuff that happens. ***

Yes Man

YES MAN (2008) - Dec. 8, 2008
A basically entertaining film about a man who decides to improve his life by saying "yes" to everything (hmmm, what sounds familiar about that title and premise...?). It's pretty funny in parts, and mostly enjoyable, though the repetitive nature of the film does get wearisome after a while, and the expectedly melodramatic third act was expectedly (and unfortunately) melodramatic. Regardless, it's easily Jim Carrey's best comedy in quite a while, and a definite step in the right direction. **1/2

Hancock

HANCOCK (2008) - Nov. 29, 2008
Though Peter Berg isn't going to make my list of favourite directors any time soon, his work here is competent -- which is far more than I can say for his last film, the Kingdom. He still uses the shaky-cam far more than I'd like, but his direction here is practically Kubrickian compared to what he did in that film. At least I could always tell what was going on during the action scenes. Aside from Berg's surprisingly competent direction, the film itself was quite good; it started out as an intriguing character study about a very flawed superhero, and unfortunately became a lot more conventional after a certain point. Will Smith gave one of his better performances as the titular Hancock, and the film, despite its disappointing third act, was definitely a better-than-average summer blockbuster. ***

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - Nov. 27, 2008 (6th Viewing)
WALL-E = AWESOME. Even on the small screen. ****

Born to Fight

BORN TO FIGHT (2004) - Nov. 22, 2008
About a group of athletes who travel to a small village, which winds up being occupied by brutal terrorists who plan to blow up Bangkok with a nuclear missile. The film opens with a really exciting, '80s-style action scene involving a fight atop two moving trucks. It's pretty sweet. It slows down quite a bit after that, with not much action to speak of until about the one hour mark, when the athletes start to fight back (who all conveniently get to use their sports skills to fight the terrorists). At this point it was almost literally non-stop action until the credits rolled. The amount of action towards the end was almost overwhelming, however it was mostly pretty sweet, and it was quite well directed (it was refreshingly devoid of both quick-cuts and close-ups during the action). There were also a lot of elaborate stunts that were impressive, to say the least -- I don't care how advanced special effects get, there's nothing that can compare to good old fashioned stuntmen getting into shenanigans. ***

Home Movie

HOME MOVIE (2008) - Nov. 21, 2008
Another entry in the "found footage" horror subgenre, this was about a couple, living in the middle of nowhere, who begin to realize that their kids may just be evil. The film refreshingly features a lot less shaky-cam than other movies of its ilk, with the camera on a tripod for much of the time. The performances were a bit spotty -- Adrian "Nathan Patrelli" Pasdar (sporting a huge, ridiculous goatee) was quite good as the husband, however the woman playing his wife didn't fare quite as well. The movie was pretty much entertaining all the way through, though it suffered from a bit of repetitiveness, especially in the first half (ie. the kids do something terrible and borderline evil -- usually involving one of the family's many, many pets -- and the parents are horrified. This repeats itself several times). There comes a point at which it starts to really stretch credibility that the parents would still be willing to live in the middle of nowhere with these kids, as they're clearly psychopaths. **1/2

Let the Right One In

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) - Nov. 15, 2008
A really well made but slow-paced drama about a socially awkward young boy who befriends a girl who turns out to be a vampire. It's really well acted and directed, though the typically foreign art-house pacing does hurt it a bit. It's a testament to how well made and acted it is that it's never boring, despite how slow-moving it is. ***

The Quantum of Solace

THE QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) - Nov. 10, 2008
Though it's still missing a lot of the elements that made James Bond such a compelling character in the first place, this is a definite step in the right direction after the sub-par Casino Royale. It's short, which helps, and though it does drag in parts, it's pretty much entertaining all the way through. Bond feels more like Bond here; he's more charismatic than he was in the last one, and there's none of the lengthy introspection that made him seem so egregiously un-Bond-like in Casino Royale. Daniel Craig still feels like an iffy choice for Bond, but I'm definitely more sold on him now than I was after CR. Marc Forster's direction was also pretty good, though he does rely a bit too much on the old shaky-cam/quick-cut style of action, but that is, lamentably, pretty much a given these days. My one major complaint is that Mathieu Amalric makes for a completely lame villain. He's more smarmy than sinister; more shady businessman than Bond-level supervillain. He's pretty much the opposite of memorable. ***

Changeling

CHANGELING (2008) - Nov. 10, 2008
Clint Eastwood's hot streak continues. About a woman whose missing son supposedly returns -- only he's not actually her son. A battle with a corrupt police force ensues. Featuring expectedly stellar direction from Eastwood, and some really nice looking cinematography from Tom Stern, this was definitely a good-looking film. It was fairly slow-paced, but I was completely entertained throughout (my attention waned a bit towards the end, but that may have been because I had to go to the bathroom pretty badly). The performances are all really good, centred by an astounding performance from Angelina Jolie -- I've never been completely sold on Jolie as a great actress, but I guess I am now. It was a really impressive performance, and not just for the sheer endurance of all that crying she had to do, but for the quieter moments as well. ***1/2

Role Models

ROLE MODELS (2008) - Nov. 7, 2008
Though not the most laugh-out-loud funny film I've seen in a while, this was still a cute and entertaining comedy about a couple of guys who are forced to be big brothers to a couple of kids after getting arrested. Both Paul Rudd and Stiffler were good, and it was enjoyable throughout, even in the expectedly emotional third act (which featured not one, not two, but three fake break-ups. Four if you count the one between Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks, though that happens pretty early in the film -- but it was still a million times better than the treacly last act of Zack and Miri). ***

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (2008) - Nov. 3, 2008
About a guy and a girl -- best friends since childhood -- who decide to make a porno in order to solve their financial woes. Though Kevin Smith's direction seems to be getting more and more bland with each subsequent film, the movie features the type of snappy dialogue we've come to expect from Smith, and contains a number of laugh-out-loud funny moments. However, Smith seems to have learned everything he knows about drama from episodes of Full House and movies of the week; the film's third act features some over-the-top sentimentality that is so heavy-handed it literally makes you cringe. I think all good comedies need to have -- to a certain extent -- heart. However, Kevin Smith seems to be operating from "the Big Book of Hoary Movie Cliches", and he cranks it all the way up to eleven. **1/2

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON (2006) - Oct. 26, 2008
About a camera crew who follow around an aspiring horror movie villain (in this movie's universe, characters like Freddy and Jason are real people), this was a clever satire on horror movies, specifically slasher movies. The film does a really good job of skewering various horror movie cliches, while never becoming the overt comedy you suspect it might. The film does falter, however, in the third act, when it loses the documentary format altogether and becomes an all-out slasher movie. At this point the low budget, previously not a hindrance, becomes readily apparent, as does the director's talent (or lack thereof). While the documentary stuff looks good and is fairly well directed, the slasher movie stuff (in which they were obviously going for a much more overtly cinematic vibe) looks fake -- it kind of reminded me of the artificial cheesiness of Vince's films in Entourage; it's like they were trying to make it look like a real movie but couldn't quite pull it off. It's too bad -- if the whole movie had been as good as the first half, this easily would have been an instant classic. **1/2

Saw V

SAW V (2008) - Oct. 25, 2008
Another October, another mediocre installment in the Saw saga. This one is slightly better than the last one, if only because it wasn't ridiculously convoluted. Also, David Hackl's direction, while bland, was at least competent and not full of empty stylishness like the aggressively bad Darren Lynn Bousman. The scenes with the strangers stuck in a typically convoluted series of traps were essentially entertaining, but all the stuff with the detective investigating Jigsaw was dull and pretty much completely superfluous. **1/2

Max Payne

MAX PAYNE (2008) - Oct. 18, 2008
Wow. It takes some serious incompetence to take a game as exciting and fun as Max Payne and turn it into something so dull and dreary. This film strikes all the wrong notes pretty much right from the get-go, with Mark Wahlberg essentially playing the most cliched gritty cop imaginable, and with anything even remotely resembling fun being tossed out the window in favour of a convoluted mystery. The movie also all-but-abandons Max Payne's signature gunplay (ie. the thing that actually made Max Payne worthwhile in the first place), with no action at all until the third act -- at which point it's almost impossible to care, even if the action had been decent (it isn't). The film is decently acted and features competent, if somewhat uninspired direction (though the essentially monochromatic cinematography gets a bit tiresome after a while). It does seem pretty clear that most of this film's problems can be attributed to Beau Thorne's turkey of a screenplay. Boo-urns. *1/2

WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - Oct. 14, 2008 (Fifth Viewing)
Prediction: Pixar will never again make a film this good (though I probably would have made that same prediction after Toy Story 2. And the Incredibles). This movie is seemingly impossible to top, but I suppose if anyone is up to the task it is Pixar. ****

Perfect Blue

PERFECT BLUE (1998) - Oct. 11, 2008
Well, now that I've seen all four of Satoshi Kon's films, I can say without hesitation that the man has talent up the yin-yang. This was an exceptionally well made film about a young pop star who decides to make the transition from singer to actress. As her role in a film starts to parallel her own life, and a website started by an obsessed fan seems to get more and more personal, the lines between what's real and what isn't start to blur. The film is splendidly directed by Kon, who does an excellent job of allowing the viewer to get inside the main character's head, as well as creating a pretty tense atmosphere throughout. This is also definitely the type of film that seems like it would benefit from repeat viewings (which seems to be the case with pretty much all of Kon's films), as not everything is spelled out for the viewer, with the conclusion putting many of the events of the film in a whole new light. Good stuff. ***1/2

Quarantine

QUARANTINE (2008) - Oct. 10, 2008
Though this remake is almost identical to its inspiration, REC, it still somehow manages to lose something in the translation. Where the original managed to maintain a fairly high level of tension throughout, this one is only sporadically suspenseful and contains some added stuff which only serves to unnecessarily pad out the runtime. The film also makes the questionable decision to spell out what's happening to the people in the apartment much more so than in the original, which significantly downgrades the creepiness factor. It's pretty clear right from the get-go that Quarantine really has nothing to add to the original -- it's at its best when it's most closely aping REC (such as the tense finale), which makes the whole thing feel completely redundant. **

Fatal Move

FATAL MOVE (2008) - October 7, 2008
Convoluted almost beyond belief, I was essentially able to follow this up to about the half-way mark, but it just got more and more confusing until I essentially had to throw in the towel and resign myself to being baffled by the whole thing. The plot (or what I could follow of it) involved the usual assortment of determined cops and ridiculously duplicitous criminals. The action was generally passable, though it was marred by an abundance of some seriously fake looking CGI blood. I might have been able to overlook the weak storytelling if the action had been exciting, but there wasn't all that much action, and what there was was mediocre at best. *1/2

Eagle Eye

EAGLE EYE (2008) - Sept. 27, 2008
About a man and woman who are both thrust into some serious shenanigans after receiving phone calls from a mysterious and sinister woman. I can see why it's getting a bit of a critical drubbing -- this is a seriously silly thriller that just gets sillier as it goes along, and which pretty much requires you to check your brain at the door. It's also just as derivative as people are making it out to be. But you know, I still somehow managed to enjoy it. Not sure why. Aside from being a bit overlong, I thought it was pretty entertaining throughout, and well directed by DJ Caruso (with the exception of the car chases, which were a bit more choppily edited than I would have liked). It's not a classic by any means, but I can certainly think of worse ways to spend a couple of hours. ***

Burn After Reading

BURN AFTER READING (2008) - Sept. 17, 2008
An enjoyable film by the Coen Brothers, which... Ummm... I've been lazy with this journal. It's been over two months since I watched this film, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. I did enjoy it quite a bit -- though I can't remember if I liked it enough to give it three and a half, or just three. I'm going to go with three. ***

Afterwards

AFTERWARDS (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
Same deal with this as with Burn After Reading. I waited way too long to write this. About a lawyer who meets a man who claims he knows when people are going to die, this was well made, and featured some really good performances from John Malkovich and Romain Duris. It was quite slow, but I was entertained throughout. ***

Martyrs

MARTYRS (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
Though this starts out as a fairly typical French horror film, it eventually becomes something... different. About a couple of girls who seek revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured one of them, eventually finding out that what happened to her was far more sinister than they could have ever realized. It's definitely well made, and the first hour or so was quite entertaining. The last half hour or so gets a little bit repetitive, with probably a few more scenes than necessary of the girl getting repeatedly beaten, but it definitely leads to a pretty interesting payoff. ***

Chocolate

CHOCOLATE (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
This is the newest film from the director of Ong-Bak and the Protector, and despite the absence of Tony Jaa, this features action that's easily just as good if not better than in those films. It's pretty clear that Prachya Pinkaew is awesome at directing action but pretty awful at everything else -- the first half hour or so, featuring almost no action, is tough to sit through. But it's worth it for what follows: once the action kicks in, it pretty much doesn't stop until the movie ends. And man, is it good. If this movie is any indication, JeeJa Yanin should have a promising career ahead of her. ***

Lovely, Still

LOVELY, STILL (2008) - Sept. 13, 2008
Featuring an expectedly excellent performance from Martin Landau (and an equally good performance from Ellen Burstyn), this film was otherwise somewhat mediocre. The director is clearly going for a stylized, fairy tale sort of vibe, and while that never quite connects the way I'm sure the director wants it to, the film is cute and essentially entertaining. But then there's the dark ending, which is certainly interesting on its own, but is completely incongruous with the rest of the film. If the movie had a slightly more grounded tone I think the ending would have worked really well, but as it stands it felt out of place. **

Good

GOOD (2008) - Sept. 12, 2008
Almost ridiculously stagey (I'm not sure if I've ever seen a movie where its origins as a play were so blatant, not just because of the talkiness but also because of the overly-theatrical style of the dialogue), and completely lacking in subtly, this does feature an expectedly good performance from Viggo Mortensen. About an academic who, against his better judgment, joins the Nazi party in WWII-era Germany. The film was pretty much completely over-the-top, but it was sporadically entertaining, and featured a pretty impressive Atonement-esque steadicam shot right at the end of the film. **

Che

CHE (2008) - Sept. 12, 2008
A sprawling, four-and-a-half hour epic about Ernesto "Che" Guevara -- the first half dealing with his successful revolution in Cuba, and the second half dealing with his not-so-successful revolution in Bolivia. There is little doubt that this is seriously overlong -- each half probably could have benefited from half an hour to an hour's worth of cutting -- but I'm definitely glad to have experienced this on the big screen. Despite its endurance-test running time, I was certainly never bored, and many sequences were downright riveting. It helps that Benicio Del Toro gives a powerhouse performance as Che, turning him into someone we really come to care about and identify with. The same can't really be said about the supporting characters, unfortunately, who are all pretty much interchangeable, and whose motivations are mostly hazy at best. This is probably due at least somewhat to the movie's steadfast naturalism -- this is not a movie that spoon-feeds the viewer anything, instead aiming for a very gritty, documentary-like vibe. This approach actually works really well, making the film feel pretty unique among other epics of the same ilk. ***

Gigantic

GIGANTIC (2008) - Sept. 11, 2008
A quirky romantic comedy about a bed salesman, in the process of trying to adopt a baby from China, who winds up falling in love with the daughter of one of his customers. The film is a bit quirkier than it needs to be at times, and could have definitely used some trimming, but the performances were good and the characters were interesting enough to keep the film enjoyable throughout. Though I have to say, I'm a bit perplexed about the subplot in which a crazy hobo continually tries to kill the main character. **1/2

The Brothers Bloom

THE BROTHERS BLOOM (2008) - Sept. 11, 2008
A really entertaining and well made film about a couple of con-men brothers, one of whom winds up falling in love with their latest mark. The film is directed with panache by Rian Johnson, who shows his range in this follow-up to the much grittier Brick. And while I don't think this film is quite as good as that one, it is fun and quite enjoyable. ***

Fifty Dead Men Walking

FIFTY DEAD MEN WALKING (2008) - Sept. 11, 2008
A generally well made but somewhat uneven film about a young man in 1980s Ireland who winds up becoming a police informer within the IRA. It was entertaining enough, but after a while I started getting sick of it. It probably didn't help that I missed a good chunk of the dialogue thanks to the thick Irish accents. Note to self: heavy accents + Ryerson's crappy sound system = a bad scene. Something to keep in mind for next year's festival. **1/2

Acolytes

ACOLYTES (2008) - Sept. 10, 2008
Though this film ends on a uncharacteristically high note, it's pretty much mediocre all the way through. The unnecessarily confusing plot revolves a group of Australian teens who stumble onto a body and subsequently get mixed up with a sinister serial killer. The film is reasonably well made, but is saddled with thoroughly unlikable characters who make the type of decisions that could only be made by characters from a movie. The movie also features a plot which is unnecessarily convoluted, which makes it much harder to follow than it needs to be. Though the ending was pretty sweet, it doesn't really make up for everything that precedes it. **

Slumdog Millionaire

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008) - Sept. 10, 2008
An enjoyable film about a young man in India who gets investigated by the police after almost winning the grand prize on India's Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Essentially a love story, the film isn't great by any means but it's well made and entertaining throughout. ***

The Silence of Lorna

THE SILENCE OF LORNA (2008) - Sept. 10, 2008
Though well directed in their usual cinema-verite style by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, this was an otherwise unspectacular film about a woman who gets caught up in a greencard marriage scheme. All the performances are very good, but the film ultimately feels kind of pointless. The film is at its best in developing the relationship between Lorna and her drug-addicted fake husband -- after he leaves the picture the film sort of loses steam. **1/2

Flame & Citron

FLAME & CITRON (2008) - Sept. 9, 2008
A well directed but somewhat dull movie about a team of assassins working for the resistance in World War II era Denmark. The film is stylishly directed by Ole Christian Madsen, and features some striking cinematography, but it ultimately fails to hold the viewer's interest for the whole 130 minute running time. There are some really exciting scenes here, and the whole thing is certainly well acted and well made, but the film is undone by its somewhat repetitive nature and the lack of really compelling characters (even the titular Flame and Citron never really become people we care all that much about). **1/2

The Wrestler

THE WRESTLER (2008) - Sept. 9, 2008
Wow! Well, it's official: Darren Aronofsky is a good director, if not a great one. I'll have to watch Requiem for a Dream again to see if it's as bad as I remember it being, as the man clearly has some serious talent. About an aging, washed-up professional wrestler who struggles to find a place for himself outside of the only thing he really knows: wrestling. The film is centred by a truly phenomenal performance from Mickey Rourke -- I really can't say enough good things about his performance; it is crazy good. I'm sure this would have launched a pretty big-time comeback for Rourke if he weren't so screwy-looking. I'd be willing to bet serious money that he'll get an Oscar nomination next year. The performance is just that good. The film is excellently written by Robert D. Siegel, who paints a haunting and deeply effective portrait of a damaged character. And Aronofsky's direction is just as good -- he discards all his usual stylistic quirks and tells the story in the most straight-forward way possible (which isn't to say that the direction is bland, just not flashy at all) which certainly proves to suit the material perfectly. Ultimately, even if the movie weren't that great it would be worth it if only for Rourke's amazing performance. Fortunately, the film is definitely up to his level. ****

Management

MANAGEMENT (2008) - Sept. 9, 2008
A generally affable romantic comedy about a hotel employee who almost instantly falls in love with one of the guests. I was enjoying this quite a bit up to a certain point, but the film's freewheeling vibe eventually causes the viewer to lose interest -- the couple spend a big chunk of the film broken up, and after a while the whole thing starts to lose its momentum. It was entertaining enough, mostly, but by the end I was definitely ready for it to be over. Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn were both quite good, but even their easy-going chemistry ultimately couldn't save the film. **1/2

Deadgirl

DEADGIRL (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
Oh, the humanity. This was an awful film -- it was competently directed, I guess, but it was badly acted, cheesy, overly-quirky and just plain bad. Featuring characters who do things that no rational person would ever do, and some really clunky dialogue, it seems pretty clear that most of this film's problems come from Trent Haaga's truly terrible script. This is a maddeningly bad film, and towards the end I was getting really restless, just waiting for it to be over so I could leave. Yowza. *

Uncertainty

UNCERTAINTY (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
Hmmm... this was somewhat interesting, but I think I'd classify this as a mostly failed experiment. About the two very different paths a day can take for a young couple, the film features the two stories intercut together, a choice which results in the movie essentially feeling like two movies crammed together. On one hand there is a drama about the couple finding a stray dog and then going to a family dinner, and then on the other hand there is a thriller about the couple finding a cell phone and playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the people who want it back. I kept waiting for there to be some kind of reason as to why these two particular stories should be told together in this format, but it never happens. Nor is the opening ever explained, in which the two characters flip a coin and then go sprinting off in different directions -- I know this was supposed to represent the two different paths the day takes, but why were the characters actually doing that? It doesn't make sense. The performances were all quite good and the film was reasonably well made, but the odd structure never justified itself. **1/2

Disgrace

DISGRACE (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
John Malkovich gives a really excellent performance -- probably one of his best, at least that I've seen -- in this otherwise mediocre film about a disgraced professor who moves in with his daughter in a remote farm in South Africa. This film has a few good things going for it, Malkovich's performance most notably, as well as competant direction and some reasonably powerful moments, but for the most part it just wasn't all that interesting, and it went on way longer than it needed. **1/2

Still Walking

STILL WALKING (2008) - Sept. 8, 2008
A delightful and really well made film set over the course of a day at a Japanese family gathering. Like Hirokazu Koreeda's previous film, Hana, this is full of really great characters (it helps that it's very well acted), and despite its slow pace, it's completely entertaining throughout. Under a lesser writer/director, the film's completely plotless nature and more leisurely pace may have become oppressive, but here it's a joy to watch, as Koreeda does a great job making sure that the family dynamic seems real without becoming dull, and heartfelt without becoming sentimental. ***1/2

Is There Anybody There?

IS THERE ANYBODY THERE? (2008) - Sept. 7, 2008
About a young boy whose house doubles as a retirement home (much to his chagrin), who winds up striking up a friendship with an aging magician, played beautifully by Michael Caine. The film was directed by John Crowley, who also made what was easily the best movie of the festival last year, Boy A. This was a rather gigantic step down from that. It was probably a bit too quirky for its own good, and just wasn't really able to hold my interest for the whole 92 minutes. It was at its best during the scenes with Michael Caine and the kid -- they both have great chemistry together, and both performances are quite excellent. Unfortunately, there's a lot of extraneous stuff with the quirky residents of the retirement home, when all we really want to see is Michael Caine and the kid interacting. Watching this film, it's pretty clear that Mark O'Rowe -- the writer of Crowley's two previous films -- had an equal hand in the success of those movies. After the phenomenal Boy A, there was really nowhere to go but down for John Crowley, I was just hoping it wouldn't be this far down. **1/2

Kisses

KISSES (2008) - Sept. 7, 2008
An entertaining -- if somewhat slight -- film about a couple of kids in Ireland who who decide to run away to the big city, and get into all kinds of shenanigans over one long night. The accents were kind of brutal (the director, in his introduction, even warned the audience that it would take a while to get used the thick accents), and I did miss a fair chunk of dialogue -- but this wasn't exactly a spy thriller where you need to get every word to keep up, and for the most part just getting the gist of what the kids were saying was enough. This was a cute film, though even at a short 72 minutes it still felt, in parts, like it was overstaying its welcome a tad. **1/2

The Burning Plain

THE BURNING PLAIN (2008) - Sept. 7, 2008
This is the directorial debut of Guillermo Arriaga, and while it is certainly a good film, coming from the man who helped bring us stuff like Amores Perros and 21 Grams, this can't help but feel like a bit of a disappointment, or at least a minor work. Arriaga shows a sure hand directorially, and wisely avoids handheld camerawork, presumably in an effort to distance himself stylistically from his former partner, Alejandro González Iñárritu. The film features the type of fractured narrative that Arriaga has made his name with, and is filled with very strong performances. It doesn't have the same kind of scope as some of his previous films, but as a smaller-scale, more low-key drama it works very well. I do have to question Arriaga's choice to withhold key information until almost the end of the film -- while it is a pretty nifty twist (and one I didn't see coming at all), the viewer's understanding of the characters and their motivations would have been enhanced by having all the information from the get-go. As it stands, it's the type of thing where you really have to see the film again, as many of the characters are put in a whole new light. ***

Vinyan

VINYAN (2008) - Sept. 6, 2008
About a couple who, after spotting what could be their missing son in a video shot in Burma, decide to head down there to see if they can find him. Things almost immediately go bad for the couple, and then proceed to go from bad to worse. Well directed and featuring some good performances, particularly Rufus Sewell, this was a bit slower than it probably needed to be, but did a good job of maintaining a steadily escalating atmosphere of dread. It kind of falls apart at the end, with a denouement that stretches credibility to its very breaking-point. It's a bit unfortunate, because up to that point the film manages to maintain a realistic, gritty tone which is completely at odds with the conclusion. I did really like the opening credits, which I thought did a fantastic job of establishing the tone of the film. **1/2

Sauna

SAUNA (2008) - Sept. 6, 2008
Though I can't say I completely understood this movie, I can say that I enjoyed it. About a team of Russians and Swedes who set out to define the border between their two countries after a brutal war, and who wind up in a small village right next to a mysterious white building, this film was a fairly adept mix of drama and horror. Slow paced but never boring, the film was well directed by Antti-Jussi Annila, and featured some nice looking widescreen cinematography. The ending was kind of baffling at first, but the more I think about it the more I think I have a fairly good handle on what happened (also: at the screening I attended, the director mentioned an idea he had for a sequel, involving a group of modern-day soldiers investigating the sauna. It seemed like he was half-joking, but it sounds like a pretty sweet idea to me). ***

The Sky Crawlers

THE SKY CRAWLERS (2008) - Sept. 6, 2008
This was a bit of a disappointment. Set in an undetermined future, in which war is a constant -- though it's waged by corporations rather than traditional armies, and there doesn't seem to be much at stake (it's briefly implied that the war is ongoing solely because society needs a war to keep them occupied -- an intriguing, 1984-esque idea that goes absolutely nowhere). Because there's nothing really at stake, the pilots (most of the movie takes place within a tiny airfield in which a handful of pilots reside) who fly the fighter-planes are all completely laid-back, not really caring about anything other than a small concern for their own well-being. This could have made for a splendidly atypical war film if the characters became people we really care about, but this never really happens -- all the characters are somewhat thin, and most of the time with the protagonist is spent leading up to a twist that's obvious almost right from the start. Add to this a conclusion that practically defines the word "anticlimactic", and you have a movie which, though well made, never really lives up to its potential. **

JCVD

JCVD (2008) - Sept. 5, 2008
Mildly entertaining, though given the many awesome possibilities that the premise entailed, this can't help but be a pretty big let-down. About Jean-Claude Van Damme -- playing himself -- who winds up in the middle of a hostage situation in a bank. Van Damme gives a surprisingly good performance, but the film itself is woefully generic, and features a non-linear narrative that does the movie much more harm than good. One of the bigger problems with the film is the cinematography, which can only be described as disastrous. Everything is ridiculously over-exposed, which makes a big chunk of the screen completely white for much of the film. I find it hard to believe that anyone could find that visually pleasing, but I guess it was intentional, so... to each his own, I guess. **1/2

RocknRolla

ROCKNROLLA (2008) - Sept. 5, 2008
Another stellar Guy Ritchie film at the festival, and this time (unlike Revolver) I'm sure others will agree with me. Featuring a diverse cast, including Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson (all of whom are very good), this is a flat-out enjoyable movie that definitely ranks among Richie's best. It's just as well-directed as we've come to expect from Richie, and also features the type of snappy dialogue that he's become known for, as well as a stellar use of music. The film has a lot of characters and a lot of plot-threads, but unlike Revolver it all comes together quite nicely. ***1/2

Three Monkeys

THREE MONKEYS (2008) - Sept. 5, 2008
Oh man. This actually started out really well -- the opening sequence was really compelling and suspenseful, and just generally well done. It's all downhill from there. About a driver who is paid to take the blame on a hit-and-run charge for his boss, and how this affects his wife and son. The main problem with this film is that it takes an intriguing premise and goes absolutely nowhere with it, moving at a snail's pace and never developing the characters beyond the mundane. I went with it for a while, but there came a point at which the glacial pace wore me down. The film's cinematography doesn't do it any favours, giving all the dark scenes a murky, grainy look -- like they were shot through a wire mesh -- and everything else an unpleasantly desaturated, greenish hue. This is exactly the type of pretentious foreign art-house film that tends to give all foreign films a bad name. *1/2