Jun 20, 2011
(rated R, 131 mins)
Set against the siege of Stalingrad, during World War II where the fate of the world is being divided, young Russian sharp-shooter Vassili (Jude Law), bonds on a battlefield with a savvy political officer Danilov (Joseph Fiennes), making him the hero of his propaganda campaign. With “Legends of the Fall” undertones, they both fall for a tomboy babe soldier (Rachel Weisz) in a story that also tries to be a little too much “Schindler’s List”. (Maybe Joseph wanted to follow in big bro Ralph Fiennes shoes). It’s muddy and bloody from beginning to end and the British/American accents make for poor Germans. Even Ed Harris as the most elite marksman isn’t up to par in screen presence. He finds himself thrust into a duel waging an intense personal war while the most momentous battle of the age rages around them. It lacks sympathy for any of the soldiers mainly because we see them dying long before we know them. And, that’s the moment the movie opens.
Jun 20, 2011
Based on the best selling novel by Ian McEwan, yet strongly delivered here with an identity all its own, comes a story of Joe (Daniel Craig) and Claire (Oscar nominated Samantha Morton) out on a romantic picnic when catastrophe strikes. A hot air balloon accident will forever change their lives by dropping a vortex of powerful questions – what becomes of love and logic in the wake of tragedy? Jed (Rhys Ifans), a twisted stranger, also involved in the accident comes back to haunt Joe, refusing to be dismissed. The move is directed by Roger Michell known for his psychological evaluations of people and how fate shapes relationships – Changing Lanes, The Mother, Notting Hill. This time Michell revisits the love triangles but with a twisted approach since each actor is so well-developed, it’s as though he’s in his own movie.
Jun 20, 2011
It’s not often that a movie comes along that cross references decades of culture (the movies we were raised on meets the violence our kids are often force-fed). Enchanted gives us both worlds from the eyes of a sappy-sweet princess who never stops believing what we were taught to believe: Someday our Prince will come. Based on the generic version of all Disney classics rolled into one, Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) is thrust through a manhole by the wicked Queen (Susan Sarandon) and comes up in a sewer called New York City. As her fairy tale world collides with the real one, her views of kindness, singing, and sappily ever after make for an almost “Borat” experience on a G rating scale. This is the funniest different movie you’ll see this year – certainly more entertaining than anything else. And it may just have you believing in love ever after or at the very least wondering if a fairy tale existence could survive in the real world. At least it seems to work that way for a cynical single parent (Patrick Dempsey) who spends his days as a divorce lawyer and spends his nights dancing and suddenly cavorting with the fairytale princess. A movie as enchanted as its name. And safe enough for the whole family. Four tiaras.
Jun 20, 2011
PG 13. Thank god for a big soundtrack, given the story’s tendency to fall through the cracks at almost every levels. Director Cameron Crowe leaves his “Vanilla Sky” days behind and goes back to romantic comedy roots (“Jerry Maguire”) in a story of a Drew (Orlando Bloom) an executive shoe editor, who learns his distant father has just died. En route back to Elizabethtown, he meets a quirky stewardess (Kirsten Dunst) who looks glowing and adorable, but perpetually shows up at the most inappropriate times, leaving one to wonder…. Is this a love story trying a twist with a funeral? Or is this a man trying to understand his family and falls in love? Bloom’s mother is portrayed with perfection by Susan Sarandon, while Judy Greer plays a good hyper sister. If you want a better funeral love story, Zach Braff’s indie hit “Garden State” beat this to the screen and to the punch, about two years ago. Two tiaras.
Jun 20, 2011
Jennifer Lopez a.k.a. J Lo, and her husband Marc Anthony sure know how to pack in a worldwide Latino audience who shares their passion and energy for music. And that’s a good thing, because while there’s not a lot of story here there is a great soundtrack. Hector Lavoe (Marc Anthony) came to America in the 60s from Puerto Rico bringing with him a sound that nobody ever heard before: Salsa. Rising to instant fame, this is the typical story of sex, drugs and a form of rock and roll. Hector marries his American born wife, Puchi (J Lo) and we follow the rocky road they travel eventually spiraling downward. The tale is told in a 2002 flashback narration by Puchi with a “Jenny from the block” Bronx accent that inter-cuts scenes of grainy concert footage and endless parties. One would imagine that the hype and fame element most likely mirrors their real lives, thus the attraction to making this film. There are tons of inside jokes that went over my Caucasian head as the Latino audience roared when J Lo said lines like, “You vomit, you marry” referencing one of her husband’s wild nights. J Lo’s Puchi is tough, determined and passionate while Marc Anthony’s Hector is dopey, disarming and charming. The biggest question you’ll ask is why did somebody like Puchi put up with Hector for over twenty years? Or as Puchi put it: “The more he grew as an artist, the more he sand as a human.” Two Tiaras
