Jun 20, 2011
(rated R, 100 mins.)
It’s present day Texas as the FBI agent (Powers Boothe) searches for a serial killer who calls himself “God’s Hands.” Enter into an investigator’s office Fenton Meeks (Matthew McConaughey) with a tale that takes us back to 1979 revealing that the killer is his younger brother Adam (Jeremy Sumpter). Or is he? Raised near the Thurman Rose Garden where bodies have since been buried, the boys reside with their dad (Bill Paxton) since their mom died in childbirth. One night their little life in blue-collar suburbia changes when Dad believes he’s been visited by an angel of the Lord, revealing God’s purpose. Demons run amuck in the world and they must be stopped on this “divine mission”. So, the brutal killings begin and never seem to end in this story with little entertainment value. Paxton is exceptional as the demon-slaying dad as is the boy who portrays a young Fenton (Matt O’Leary) debuting to perfection. My curiosity asks what demon possessed Paxton to make this movie he also directs? I got a message from God too and I wished I listened: Leave the theater about 20 minutes into the movie. But I didn’t heed the calling.
Jun 20, 2011
Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) is an Assistant D.A. – young, hotshot attitude – so hot in fact, that he’s sloppy with his cases. Just the kind of D.A. that Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) wants to have prosecuting him in the alleged murder of his wife. Because of the legal theory of “innocent until proven guilty” Hopkins decides to represent himself. Translation: No defense attorney means no struggle and no challenge, which should prove easy since there’s also no evidence. While Gosling’s character may be sloppy, and may not have the murder weapon, what he does have is a small planted lie. Will he take the bait? Gosling is well-cast as the young player to off-set Hopkins, who delivers another meticulous performance. This psychological thriller feels part “Silence of the Lambs” for Hopkin’s skilled performance and part “Primal Fear” for its trickery. One of the best films this year to date. Three and a half tiaras
Jun 20, 2011
Brad (Vince Vaughn) is madly in love with Kate (Reese Witherspoon) because while they’re committed, they’re still very single and living together with no attachments. They’re simply care-free and happy because Brad’s motto is you “can’t say the word ‘families’ without saying ‘lies.’” They even blow off relatives by booking a trip to Bali for Christmas. That is until they get nailed at the airport by a newscaster who interviews them about ‘fogged in conditions’ when they’re flight in cancelled. Next thing they know, their parents – all four of them – divorced with new lives, expect them to make an appearance at each of their homes. The first stop is Brad’s trailer trash father’s house (Robert Duvall) an example of the emotional struggle of family. Brad is in conflict from the embarrassment of who he used to be vs. who he has become – something we all struggle with at holiday time. Next stop is Kate’s mother’s house (Mary Steenburgen) a religious fanatic. After that it’s Brad’s mother (Sissy Spacek) a laid back woman who’s now dating his best friend from high school. Finally they end up at the sanest house, her father (Jon Voight) who seems to be able to put family into perspective. The true plot isn’t all the silly relatives, but the idea of putting each other to the test of family in order to appreciate your partner more. Reese does a great job of holding her own, against the sarcastic, witty and adrenaline-driven Vince Vaughn. Two and a half tiaras
Jun 20, 2011
From the guys who brought you “40 Year Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up”- and rightly so – comes a raunchy say-it-like-it-is R rated romantic comedy about a guy named Peter (Jason Segel) a composer by day, devastated that his girlfriend, the famous TV actress Sarah (Kristen Bell) has dumped him, by night. So when the going gets tough, the tough go to Hawaii. Except when Peter gets there, the going gets tougher as Sarah has just showed up with her new beau, British rocker (Russell Brand). Peter’s anger is psycho-depressing from the get-go, her behavior is inappropriate, and frankly, they deserve each other. It’s like a tabloid episode of Heather Locklear and one of her rock star boyfriend/husband triangles. Yet in this case, it’s the ‘out there’ rock star who steals the show with his dry and nasty point of view on women, sex and life, as the only character who truly seems to know what he wants. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is just plain forgettable. That said, the premise also lacks the heart and soul that romantic comedies with a conscience need in order to be dependable. Two and a half tiaras
Jun 20, 2011
when the humans are away, the mouse will play. And so is the case of Roddy (Hugh Jackman) an upper-class and posh mouse from London’s Kensington, accustomed to living in the lap of luxury. That is until a classless-British-bloak-of-a-mouse named Sid (Shane Richie) shows up and decides to take over Roddy’s penthouse by flushing him down the toilet. Suddenly Roddy finds himself trapped in a sewer village resembling London. The jokes are witty and intelligent, the dialog fun, but this is where the story gets a wee bit complicated for small tykes and this is afterall, a kids movie. The first mouse Roddy meets is “Lovely Rita” (Kate Winslet) who needs to escape the clutches of The Toad (Ian McKellen) sort of a Tony Soprano with his thugs, all in search of a red ruby. But it doesn’t stop there, because that would be too easy. Add in the French frogs, the cable wire to flood the city, the poor family of orphaned children and the fact that Roddy doesn’t have a family. And did I mention that the Toad is growing a bunch of microscopic Doctor Evil creatures that will eventually take over his sewer world? Too much to grasp and too fast a movie. Although kids will love the singing slugs, beyond that, it didn’t offer anything special. Computer generation has become as cold as something without the heart and soul of real human actors. Two tiaras
