Wednesday, Feb 24, 2010:
The Wolfman (2010)
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Written By: Andrew Kenvin Walker, David Self
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins
Plot: Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.
What We Say: It seemed like Universal had the right idea. They wanted to bring back the Wolfman to the big screen with respect and dignity to the original source material and not go down the path they took with The Mummy. Sounded good, it’s just too bad they didn’t pay any attention to the story or characters. In the film’s too short of a run time, there is very little story for the film’s accomplished actors to chew on. Then on top of that, bad dialogue mixed with completely forgettable secondary characters results in a film that is complete waste of time. Great makeup and sound doesn’t make up for the film’s gigantic shortcomings. This new Wolfman is a depressing missed opportunity. Skip it.
Tuesday, Feb 23, 2010:
Shutter Island (2010)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written By: Laeta Kalogridis
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Plot: Drama is set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearence of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.
Wednesday, Feb 10, 2010:
The Prairie Home Companion (2006)
Directed by: Robert Altman
Written By: Garrison Keillor
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep
Plot: A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren, and a host of others hold court.
Skews: Offbeat
What We Say: In Robert Altman’s last feature film before his death, the camera follows the cast in the fictional last day of the Prairie Home Companion broadcast. Altman goes with a fairly free form script in which the camera acts as a fly on the wall capturing the cast’s mid western charm and amazing talent for story telling. Casting some of the real cast members, this lovely film a gentle and so profound and respectful account of the magic these members created with every show. Be warned, this isn’t a mainstream kind of film and may try some patience. For those who care to venture, Altman embodies the spirit of the radio program and the respect it so deserves. Interesting trivia: As Altman’s health continued to deteriorate during filming, Paul Thomas Anderson stepped in to help his friend out with directing duties.
Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010:
Zombieland (2009)
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Written By: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg
Plot: The horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men and two women who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies.
Skews: Mainstream & Offbeat
Skews: Mainstream & Offbeat
What We Say: It was a great year for the action movie (excluding Transformers 2). Avatar, District 9, Taken, Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes, Crank 2 to name a few. Zombieland joins those ranks with an extremely entertaining and surprisingly witty entry. When action movies became relics of themselves, this new breed is self aware of their predecessors’ faults and reinvents the tired and true genre. Zombieland is pure fun and is probably what many mainstream viewers hoped Inglorious Basterds was going to be like. The film does being to crawl at the midway point, but it fills the zombie-free mid-section with some incredibly funny and witty banter. Zombieland is exactly what an action movie should be. See it.
Monday, Feb 8, 2010:
Love Happens (2009)
Directed by: Brandon Camp
Written By: Brandon Camp, Mike Thompson
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston
Plot: About a widower whose book about coping with loss turns him into a best-selling self-help guru. On a business trip to Seattle, he falls for a woman only to learn that he hasn't yet truly confronted his wife's passing.
Skews: Mainstream
Skews: Mainstream
What We Say: The film has good intentions and it tries to pull at our heart strings, but in the end, there really isn’t much to the film. The chemistry between Eckhart and Aniston isn’t at all that believable. Viewer’s are subject to the same tired plot points and story arcs and it seems as if the director didn’t try for anything original. It’s bad news when a film’s trailer is better than the actual film. The film’s only highlight is Martin Sheen’s performance and he helps carry the film’s only true touching scene. A disappointment.
Sunday, Feb 7, 2010:
Cold Souls (2009)
Directed by: Sophie Barthes
Written By: Sophie Barthes
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Emily Watson
Plot: A metaphysical comedy in which souls can be extracted and traded as commodities. Balancing on a tightrope between deadpan humor and pathos, and between reality and fantasy, the film presents Paul Giamatti as himself, agonizing over his interpretation of Uncle Vanya.
Skews: Offbeat
Skews: Offbeat
What We Say: Another odd ball entry from one of cinema’s best male actors. Cold Souls requires a leap of faith and a sense of bewilderment as it asks viewers to go along for a ride that frequently makes little sense. Characters seem very detached to the whole idea of the film and almost sleepwalk through decision making, often forgetting to ask simple common sense questions. While confusing, if you can accept the idea of the film then you can overlook these minor qualms. Cold Souls is a nice companion film in the same vein as Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine and the Science of Sleep, but doesn’t quite live up to the bar they set.
