DVD Reviews Are In!
Junebug
Starring: Amy Adams, Embeth Davidtz, and Alessandro Nivola
R. 104 min. 2005.
An art dealer travels, with her husband, to North Carolina in pursuit of an underground, bigoted painter. On the way, she and her husband stop at his parents house to visit for the first time since they married. What follows is a funny, bittersweet, superbly acted gift to the movie-lover in all of us. The low-budge dramedy is simple, and the action takes place almost entirely in one house, but what intrigues the most are the relationships between each character. Each one is so richly developed, so honest, the the movie feels almost voyeuristic. As the pregnant Ashley, Amy Adams provides one of the most intensely elaborate performances in years as a tormented woman hiding behind her insecurities as a bubbly, optimistic woman. She is the heart of this movie, and earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination in the role. Fairing almost as well are Embeth Davidtz and Alessandro Nivola as the newlyweds, with Davidtz hitting a career high as the selfish art dealer Madeleine. It's a remarkable movie that will make you both laugh and cry. Comedies do not get better. Grade: A+
Mamma Mia!
Starring:Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper, and Amanda Seyfried
PG13. 109 min. 2008.
Let's get this out of the way: It's big, it's dumb, it's predictable, and it's one of the most entertaining comedies of the year. The music is is infectiously energetic, the dancing is spirited (if a bit unnecessary at times), and the cast is more than game. Meryl Streep is marvelous as always, but the real star of the film is Amanda Seyfried as a girl desperate for her father to be at her wedding. The one problem is that she doesn't know who it is; by reading her mother's diary she has narrowed the list down to three guys from her mother's past, and invited them all to the ceremony. What follows proceeds, as stated, with more energy than the story really deserves. Seyfriend proves the most adept at balancing humor and heart, and also manages to steal the trophy of best singer. Pierce Brosnan embarrasses himself with a barely-on-pitch ham-fest performance as one of the potential dads. But anything negative to be said is outdone by the overwhelming sense of joy that the entire affair simply oozes. Christine Baranski and Julie Waters steal every scene they're in as Meryl Streep's hilarious, stoogely gal pals. Everything plays off very light and farcical, and it is most certainly an old-fashioned musical with a chorus of random villagers butting into personal moments for a few oohs and aahs, but it's just such a blast to watch. By the time Baranski and Walters are singing "Dancing Queen" you'll want to stand up and join in. Grade: B
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Jet Li, and Michelle Yeoh
PG13. 112 min. 2008.
The original two films in this franchise were silly, suspenseful, surprisingly self-aware escapist entertainment. The chemistry between Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser were among the few reasons that this mildly-anticipated follow-up was greenlit. And then Ms. Weisz expressed displeasure with the script and bailed. Lucky her. The resulting film is a bland, generic piece of trash not worth the effort it takes for alliteration. Maria Bello, taking over for Weisz, does her best but never manages to make the audience forget that she is the replacement of an Oscar-winning actress. What little there is for her to do is always overshadowed by a sketchy British accent that crosses somewhere between Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love and Helena Bonham Carter in Sweeney Todd; it's not pretty. And whoever decided to go for a new mummy seems to have forgotten what made the original villain so interesting - his story was one of tragic love, allowing audiences to both hate and relate to the character. The new mummy, Emperor Han, is nothing but the Big Bad Villain Guy who wants supreme power to take over the world for who-knows-why, and wants to steal the good-guy's lover for no apparent reason other than he's a jerk. It's just so predictable. The action is dull and poorly choreographed, the special effects are only special about half the time, what little humor is present is of the lowest common denominator (we're talking John Hannah's Jonathan catching on fire and screaming for Fraser to put it out by saying "Spank my ass!") and the story is little more than a retread of the first two films, only bigger and Chinese. Brendan Fraser looks bored throughout, almost as if he knows that without Weisz the franchise is dead. The film drags on for close to two hours, and too many locations - Shanghai for the resurrection of Imhotep: China, The Himalayas for a jaunt with good-guy Yetis that look like giant teddy bears, and Shangri-La to finally meet a wasted Michelle Yeoh. The whole film leaves the audience with a feeling that this could have been good, and may have been on paper - the cast is certainly solid enough. But everything is either too much, or too little too late. Too much action, too much CGI, not enough mummies, then too many mummies. And Jet Li does nothing to shake the memory of the far-superior Arnold Vosloo's tragic, tormented Imhotep. Easily the most disappointing sequel of the year. Grade: D
Twilight
Starring: Kristin Stewart, Robert Pattison, Billy Burke, and Peter Facinelli
PG13. 122 min. 2008
It's made for fans. It's cheesy, the effects are laughable, and the whole things plays like a teenage version of an Anne Rice novel. And yet this is one of the best movies of its kind in a long time. Teenage girls will absolutely adore the romance, which is played far more realistically than one would expect from a teen-vamp romance. Most of the praise can go to stars Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattison, who draw from a deeply emotional and honest place, turning lovesick Bella and vampire Edward into fully realized, believable lovers. Their chemistry is electric. The rest of the cast kind of skirts by, and the third-act action sequences are handled badly enough that director Catherine Hardwicke's replacement for the upcoming sequel, which is much more action heavy, was probably the best move Summit Entertainment could have made. Ultimately, is this is a movie that sounds like it will appeal to you, you'll love it. If you think it sounds like a campy, juvenile pile of hooey, you will hate it. Personally, I loved it; it was everything I wanted, and better than the source material should have allowed. Grade: B-
The Women
Starring: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eva Green, and Bette Midler
PG13. 114 min. 2008.
Based on the infamous 1939 comedy of the same name, this movie plays an awful lot like Sex and the City: Lite. It's a girl-power fable about a woman who discovers that her husband has cheated on her, and all the women in her life. It's harmless, and with enough laughs to recommend it to its target audience of women and gay men. Everyone else should stay away. Despite some great performances and a fairly witty script the whole movie drips with estrogen, and most audience members will feel the need to grab a beer and watch a football game. The actors are all at the top of their game, though, and Meg Ryan almost redeems her last few years of craptastic rom-coms in the lead role as Mary Haines. Coming off much better are Bette Midler in a small, but pivotal cameo, and Debra Messing as one of Mary's friend. Messing is one of the best comediennes of her generation, and keeps finding herself stuck in best-friend roles since the end of Will & Grace. When will producers realize how talented she is and give her her own movie?! She effortlessly provides the films biggest laughs, with one of the funniest delivery room scenes in film history. And yet the film seems to be missing and undescribable something that makes it just short of recommendable. It is better than you heard, though. Grade: C
Starring: Amy Adams, Embeth Davidtz, and Alessandro Nivola
R. 104 min. 2005.
An art dealer travels, with her husband, to North Carolina in pursuit of an underground, bigoted painter. On the way, she and her husband stop at his parents house to visit for the first time since they married. What follows is a funny, bittersweet, superbly acted gift to the movie-lover in all of us. The low-budge dramedy is simple, and the action takes place almost entirely in one house, but what intrigues the most are the relationships between each character. Each one is so richly developed, so honest, the the movie feels almost voyeuristic. As the pregnant Ashley, Amy Adams provides one of the most intensely elaborate performances in years as a tormented woman hiding behind her insecurities as a bubbly, optimistic woman. She is the heart of this movie, and earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination in the role. Fairing almost as well are Embeth Davidtz and Alessandro Nivola as the newlyweds, with Davidtz hitting a career high as the selfish art dealer Madeleine. It's a remarkable movie that will make you both laugh and cry. Comedies do not get better. Grade: A+
Mamma Mia!
Starring:Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper, and Amanda Seyfried
PG13. 109 min. 2008.
Let's get this out of the way: It's big, it's dumb, it's predictable, and it's one of the most entertaining comedies of the year. The music is is infectiously energetic, the dancing is spirited (if a bit unnecessary at times), and the cast is more than game. Meryl Streep is marvelous as always, but the real star of the film is Amanda Seyfried as a girl desperate for her father to be at her wedding. The one problem is that she doesn't know who it is; by reading her mother's diary she has narrowed the list down to three guys from her mother's past, and invited them all to the ceremony. What follows proceeds, as stated, with more energy than the story really deserves. Seyfriend proves the most adept at balancing humor and heart, and also manages to steal the trophy of best singer. Pierce Brosnan embarrasses himself with a barely-on-pitch ham-fest performance as one of the potential dads. But anything negative to be said is outdone by the overwhelming sense of joy that the entire affair simply oozes. Christine Baranski and Julie Waters steal every scene they're in as Meryl Streep's hilarious, stoogely gal pals. Everything plays off very light and farcical, and it is most certainly an old-fashioned musical with a chorus of random villagers butting into personal moments for a few oohs and aahs, but it's just such a blast to watch. By the time Baranski and Walters are singing "Dancing Queen" you'll want to stand up and join in. Grade: B
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Jet Li, and Michelle Yeoh
PG13. 112 min. 2008.
The original two films in this franchise were silly, suspenseful, surprisingly self-aware escapist entertainment. The chemistry between Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser were among the few reasons that this mildly-anticipated follow-up was greenlit. And then Ms. Weisz expressed displeasure with the script and bailed. Lucky her. The resulting film is a bland, generic piece of trash not worth the effort it takes for alliteration. Maria Bello, taking over for Weisz, does her best but never manages to make the audience forget that she is the replacement of an Oscar-winning actress. What little there is for her to do is always overshadowed by a sketchy British accent that crosses somewhere between Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love and Helena Bonham Carter in Sweeney Todd; it's not pretty. And whoever decided to go for a new mummy seems to have forgotten what made the original villain so interesting - his story was one of tragic love, allowing audiences to both hate and relate to the character. The new mummy, Emperor Han, is nothing but the Big Bad Villain Guy who wants supreme power to take over the world for who-knows-why, and wants to steal the good-guy's lover for no apparent reason other than he's a jerk. It's just so predictable. The action is dull and poorly choreographed, the special effects are only special about half the time, what little humor is present is of the lowest common denominator (we're talking John Hannah's Jonathan catching on fire and screaming for Fraser to put it out by saying "Spank my ass!") and the story is little more than a retread of the first two films, only bigger and Chinese. Brendan Fraser looks bored throughout, almost as if he knows that without Weisz the franchise is dead. The film drags on for close to two hours, and too many locations - Shanghai for the resurrection of Imhotep: China, The Himalayas for a jaunt with good-guy Yetis that look like giant teddy bears, and Shangri-La to finally meet a wasted Michelle Yeoh. The whole film leaves the audience with a feeling that this could have been good, and may have been on paper - the cast is certainly solid enough. But everything is either too much, or too little too late. Too much action, too much CGI, not enough mummies, then too many mummies. And Jet Li does nothing to shake the memory of the far-superior Arnold Vosloo's tragic, tormented Imhotep. Easily the most disappointing sequel of the year. Grade: D
Twilight
Starring: Kristin Stewart, Robert Pattison, Billy Burke, and Peter Facinelli
PG13. 122 min. 2008
It's made for fans. It's cheesy, the effects are laughable, and the whole things plays like a teenage version of an Anne Rice novel. And yet this is one of the best movies of its kind in a long time. Teenage girls will absolutely adore the romance, which is played far more realistically than one would expect from a teen-vamp romance. Most of the praise can go to stars Kristin Stewart and Robert Pattison, who draw from a deeply emotional and honest place, turning lovesick Bella and vampire Edward into fully realized, believable lovers. Their chemistry is electric. The rest of the cast kind of skirts by, and the third-act action sequences are handled badly enough that director Catherine Hardwicke's replacement for the upcoming sequel, which is much more action heavy, was probably the best move Summit Entertainment could have made. Ultimately, is this is a movie that sounds like it will appeal to you, you'll love it. If you think it sounds like a campy, juvenile pile of hooey, you will hate it. Personally, I loved it; it was everything I wanted, and better than the source material should have allowed. Grade: B-
The Women
Starring: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eva Green, and Bette Midler
PG13. 114 min. 2008.
Based on the infamous 1939 comedy of the same name, this movie plays an awful lot like Sex and the City: Lite. It's a girl-power fable about a woman who discovers that her husband has cheated on her, and all the women in her life. It's harmless, and with enough laughs to recommend it to its target audience of women and gay men. Everyone else should stay away. Despite some great performances and a fairly witty script the whole movie drips with estrogen, and most audience members will feel the need to grab a beer and watch a football game. The actors are all at the top of their game, though, and Meg Ryan almost redeems her last few years of craptastic rom-coms in the lead role as Mary Haines. Coming off much better are Bette Midler in a small, but pivotal cameo, and Debra Messing as one of Mary's friend. Messing is one of the best comediennes of her generation, and keeps finding herself stuck in best-friend roles since the end of Will & Grace. When will producers realize how talented she is and give her her own movie?! She effortlessly provides the films biggest laughs, with one of the funniest delivery room scenes in film history. And yet the film seems to be missing and undescribable something that makes it just short of recommendable. It is better than you heard, though. Grade: C