Jun 18, 2011
(rated PG) Mick Dundee is an adventurer in the truest sense having put “Survivor” stars to shame, taking on the outback of Australia to the sky rises of New York. This time he returns decades later to tackle the frightening jungle of Los Angeles. Wrestling crocodiles is nothing compared to swimming with sharks. Linda Kozlowski returns as his partner Sue Charlton in this third installment of the widely popular comedy series that while it’s entertaining to see Mick confused by technology in 2000, lacks the charm of first feeling like a bad slap-fly joke, then repeated over and over. The Mike Tyson gig (cameo) is the film’s funniest dialog.
Jun 18, 2011
(rated R, 103 mins.) From its maggot infested brutal opening to its weird college in the French Alps amidst nowhere, the focus is two criminal investigators solving the vicious murder of the missing librarian found mutilated. These investigators (Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel) slowly unravel the small campus secrets dating back to a child’s death twenty years prior. The seemingly random events continue to connect, eventually leading the two detectives to each other at this incestuous college. Like “Seven” and “Silence of The Lambs” this story has its own set of twists involving DNA, eyeballs, and gruesome acts of humans as guinea pigs by a killer who can perfectly aim a trigger, climb glacial mountains and run a track like an Olympian sprinter. While the end is a bit over the top in coming to terms playfully trapped between icy heights and death’s door, the movie manages to clean up nicely, resolving with a twist, thus avoiding the avalanche I feared might overtake it. (French with Subtitles).
Jun 18, 2011
(rated R, 103 mins.) From its maggot infested brutal opening to its weird college in the French Alps amidst nowhere, the focus is two criminal investigators solving the vicious murder of the missing librarian found mutilated. These investigators (Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel) slowly unravel the small campus secrets dating back to a child’s death twenty years prior. The seemingly random events continue to connect, eventually leading the two detectives to each other at this incestuous college. Like “Seven” and “Silence of The Lambs” this story has its own set of twists involving DNA, eyeballs, and gruesome acts of humans as guinea pigs by a killer who can perfectly aim a trigger, climb glacial mountains and run a track like an Olympian sprinter. While the end is a bit over the top in coming to terms playfully trapped between icy heights and death’s door, the movie manages to clean up nicely, resolving with a twist, thus avoiding the avalanche I feared might overtake it. (French with Subtitles).
Jun 18, 2011
(rated R) A retelling of the Argentine film “Nueve Reinas” a tale that brings us into a day in the life of two con artists. John C. Reilly of Oscar nominated “Chicago” and “The Perfect Storm” fame, leaves his blue collar fisherman family far behind, taking on a smooth talking thief, with little conscience. He joins forces with a sidekick, a quieter presence, in the sensitive Rodrigo (Diego Luna, ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien”) who cares about the people they con in the aftermath, whether it’s a little old lady or a big restaurant scheme. Rodrigo is in this only because he wants to bail his father out of a gambling debt. While Reilly’s character has shifty not-to-be-trusted desperate tones, Rodrigo looks and feels like a nice guy making for a fine balance and one entertaining 87 minutes of what-will-they-think-of-next. This type of story is not new to producers George Clooney and Steve Soderbergh of “Oceans 11” and “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind”. Clooney knows his flawed prankster type characters and delivers another hit under his Sessions 8 Producing banner. But while these thieves 24 hour whirlwind is convincing, it will disappoint its audience in the very final second twist.
Jun 18, 2011
(rated PG-13, 95 mins.) Two high school students Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) and Carlos (Jay Hernandez), fall in love while she’s on beach cleaning assignment for community service. He’s poor from inner city L. A. She’s rich and the daughter of a congressman. He’s scholastic minded, she’s a party animal. He’s working toward a future at the naval academy, she’s a flunky working toward her next pink slip. He works hard to be what she could be very easily. And, that’s what the story is all about. She’s crazy. He’s beautiful. For anyone who’s ever dealt with a problem teen or plain old teen and for anyone who’s ever been one, this movie pushes aside any teenage fluff and cuts to the chase. Nicole’s dad (Bruce Davison) does an excellent portrayal of the angst a parent feels for the child that they love. Dunst is right on dopey as the teen that manages to almost side-step her role for the real underdog hero, Herandez.
