Jun 17, 2011
(rated R, 104 mins) There’s nothing like a feel good movie and the British always seem to deliver. This year “Billy Elliot” replaces “Full Monty” for the underdog cheer-em-on-story of a miner’s son in Northern England forever changed when he trades in his boxing gloves for ballet slippers. Joining the class, but keeping it a secret from his widowed father, and overbearing brother, 11 year old Billy (Jamie Bell) finds himself in dance, demonstrating rare and raw talent to his instructor (Julie Walters). No sooner she recommends he join the Royal Ballet School in London, that dad finds out, thus tearing Billy emotionally between his family and his blessed talent. The dancing sequences put Riverdance to shame and drew incredible reviews from this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Watch out for Jamie Bell. He’s the new ‘it’ kid.
Jun 17, 2011
(rated PG-13, 85 mins.)
Following his big budget “Wild Wild West” director Barry Sonenfeld distances himself from special effects going for a stellar cast with a “Get Shorty” feeling. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry’s best selling novel “Big Trouble”, it’s the story of how a mysterious suitcase brings together Tim Allen, Rene Russo, Stanley Tucci , Tom Sizemore, Janeane Garafalo, Patrick Warburton, Johnny Knoxville, Jack Kehler, Omar Epps, Dennis Farina and Jason Lee.. As an ensemble they form even more paired off in deuces: two miserable parents (Allen and Russo), two disgruntled teens (Ben Foster and Zooey Deschanel), two bumbling cops (Warburton and Garofalo), two FBI agents (Epps and Dwight “Heavy D” Myers), two goofy hitmen (Farina and Kehler) and two funny crooks (Sizemore and Knoxville). All of this chaos wraps around a naughty businessman (Tucci) who sets the plot into motion. While the movie was originally slated for a early fall, the September 11th tragedy caused brake-slamming on its release since the plot has to do with airport security. Or lack of. While there is some good humor, light-hearted silliness and good acting, the movie just isn’t funny which means it spells only one thing: “Big Trouble.”
Jun 17, 2011
(Rated PG-13 ) Baby got back! If the Nutty Professor and Mrs. Doubtfire collided in the form of a black Southern grandma, this would be her! Starring Martin Lawrence as our hero Big Momma, a crass Southern scale-tippin’ granny. When a dangerous convict’s bold prison break jeopardizes the safety of a young single mother (Nia Long) and her son, the FBI dispatches a top agent, Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence), the master of disguise, to protect them. Of course Lawrence is falling for Long (think “Tootsie” – what’s a guy to do with a girl when he’s a girl too.) Side note: Going incognito to do this role was difficult when they filmed last August in Georgia’s sweltering temperatures causing Lawrence to collapse and be hospitalized from heat exhaustion. One of the film editors was soon prepared with a cooling ventilation system built into Momma’s suit. How did he know? He was on the crew that did “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Directed by Raya Gosnell “Home Alone III”, the plot is fresh and cute (Lawrence has to find a way to get his man and his woman). Like “Blue Streak” it’s destined to be a success since the only other option is “Nutty Professor 2” later this summer. Been there, done that.
Jun 17, 2011
(rated PG13) A tall tale (like the tale of the ‘fish’ who got away) about a dying father, Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) with long winded, Homeric-odyssey-feel-stories of his past, that don’t quite come together. Billy Crudup does a well intended job as Finney’s son who feels he can’t live up to dad’s expectations. Jessica Lange plays the under-used mother, while the movie focuses on Ewan McGregor as the young Finney and Alison Lohman as the young mother. Rounding out some of the characters in the weird journey are Steve Busemi and Danny DeVito, but this bizarre mess reminds us of its director Tim Burton who has a fetish for the name “Edward”(“Ed Wood” and “Edward Scissorhands”). Poor Tim Burton is in a post “Sleepy Hollow” and “Planet of the Apes” slump but at least he has a beautiful new real life wife (Helena Bonham Carter) who appears as Jenny in the story. In the end, big fish is as clumsy as a fish out of water.
Jun 17, 2011
(rated PG-13, 88 mins.) Remember that kids’ tale of Peter crying wolf too many times? Well what if in this case, crying wolf meant some big Hollywood producer stole a class paper to turn it into a blockbuster movie? “Malcolm In The Middle” TV star Frankie Muniz moves to big screen as Jason Shepherd, who at 14 years old white lies his life away. Until one day the tables turn when a missing school assignment lands in the hands of Marty Wolf (Paul Giamatti) and into a huge movie. Suddenly nobody believes Jason who enlists the help of best friend Kaylee (Nickelodeon’s Amanda Bynes), to track Wolf down. The movie turns into “Home Alone” on the road. With pranks, ruses and the help of sidekick Amanda who steals the show, the two go semi “Spy Kid” style after the big bad wolf.
