Jun 17, 2011
American Dreamz – A satire on the sad state of our nation, where more people vote for an “American Idol” than an American President, where our President doesn’t read the newspaper, and where our country goes to war for the wrong reasons – insert throat clear here. The re-teaming of Director Paul Weitz and “About A Boy” Hugh Grant – brings us this tale of three worlds colliding. A young terrorist secretly dances to Broadway show tunes in his Iraqi tent, while a young white-trash girl from Ohio (Mandy Moore) dreams of being the next star. The President (Dennis Quaid) is having a nervous breakdown and his Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) suggests he hosts a top TV show, since his approval rating is only above 30% for children 5 and under. Enter “American Dreamz” host (Hugh Grant) stepping into the Simon Cowell role of the hottest TV show, and let the fun begin. A two hour comedy that feels like part “Fahrenheit 9/11” and part “Saturday Night Live” skit with a convincing acting from all parties concerned. Both Democrats and Republicans will love this one. And the truth is, in the end, it is us, the audience, that the film pokes fun at. Three Crowns.
Jun 17, 2011
(French with sub-titles, limited release PG-13, 2 hrs.) An amusing montage opening of the birth of Amelie (Audrey Tautou), her anal and dysfunctional parents and how she retreats into her imagination to find love. Her childhood is everything to put one in therapy when she grows up, becoming a waitress in a cafe. She finds comfort in the dark cinema and studying the behavior of those around her. But, it’s the death of Princess Diana that one day changes everything upon discovering a box full of forty-year-old treasures. Her big brown inquisitive eyes reflect her startling realizations in life. Amelie is the “Forrest Gump” of France, accidentally falling into one situation after another with a need to cure neighbors and friends. Think last year’s “Chocolat” with a faster pace, quirky characters, snappy dialog and anecdotal humor.
Jun 17, 2011
Mira “The Namesake” Nair directs – with sweeping elegance – this old-fashioned movie from high above, though we’d prefer if she spent more time on the ground. Hilary Swank was born to play the role of Katherine Hepburn-esque Amelia Earhart in trousers and cropped hair, but we never learn much about the grounded part of this queen of the skies. And such a shame as we really want this movie to work on so many levels. Hollywood is anemic in the bio-pic dept., and this may have crash-landed the future of such films. Not to mention leading lady films in general. The essence of women’s empowerment in the 1920s and 30s, Earhart rivaled Charles Lindbergh (thus her nickname “Lady Lindy”) but like an airplane herself, she is only temporarily on the runway before taking off again both emotionally and physically. We never learn what fuels her (or her planes) and despite constant fan-fair and triumph worldwide, we never learn how she earned it. Where is the blood, sweat and tears? And where/how does she stop (midway over the Atlantic) to use a ladies room? Her lover and husband George Putnam (Richard Gere) takes a sedate backseat to her necessary antics “I must fly!” But it’s her lover, Gene Vidal (son of Gore Vidal) played by Ewan McGregor who slows the movie’s pace down just a bit for us to understand a bit of Amelia the woman. The movies is gorgeously shot, but untimately has a lot of air traffic controls problems at its heart (as it were.) Two tiaras
Jun 17, 2011
(rated R, 104 mins) A gripping opening about Detective Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman), no sooner emotionally recovering from the loss of his partner when he’s sucked into a kidnapping of a young girl, Megan Rose (Mika Boorem), daughter of Senator Dunne. Coupled with Special Agent Jezzie Flannigan (Monica Potter), Cross tries to unravel Gary Soneji’s (Michael Wincott) motives in abducting the child from her private school classroom. And, the child thief seems to mirror the Charles Lindbergh kidnapping. While the opening sting operation sparks interest, the story trickles down to practically nothing despite a twisted ending in a desperate attempt to salvage the movie’s middle. Its only energized moment comes from a wild marathon goose chase answering phones at specified D.C. locations. While Freeman holds his own revisiting the role adapted from James Patterson’s highly acclaimed novel in the Alex Cross series, the other characters come off like cardboard on valium. And, their behavior doesn’t make sense. Especially when the killer stops to have a one on one therapy session with Cross saying, “you don’t understand me anymore” in reference to his history as a bad guy and burning his parents house down. Detective Cross says it all with his comment, “I think we’re missing something here?” Perhaps a plot?
Jun 17, 2011
(rated R) …is almost really good. Cameron Crowe’s first film since his Academy Award nominated hit “Jerry Maguire” captures a pivotal time in the history of rock and roll in an autobiography based in the 70’s. Crowe was a young reporter for Rolling Stone magazine back in 1973 covering back stage artists like the Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin. In this story, Crowe’s character is portrayed by newcomer Patrick Fugit as William Miller, who accepts a writing assignment to profile the latest fictional rock band Stillwater. While they have wives and girlfriends, their tour is their playpen so to speak, and the humor comes from Miller being cast into the sex den with his good boy Catholic school persona. The lead singer, Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) has come a long way since “Chasing Amy”. Billy Crudup (“Without Limits”) portrays lead guitarist Russell Hammond. Frances “Fargo” McDormand plays the overbearing, overprotective mother who is always in their face. Phillip Seymour Hoffman of “Talented Mr. Ripley” fame plays an “Uncool” rock critic. Kate Hudson is the lovely “Band aid” who is sexy and elusive plain eating up her role. While the movie is close to falling apart it constantly makes a save by infusing humor. Crowe managed to inject warmth and intimacy into otherwise cardboard characters that studios are made of. The character of Miller is a coming of age tale where he realizes there is a whole big, wild, world out there while penning the ego trips, sex and drug use. It delivers a sensation memorable to my own 70’s music experiences long before there was a thing called MTV.
