Movie Reviews

Valkyrie
Tom Cruise is back! But did he ever really go away? Hes spent the last few years as more of a tabloid figure than a box office draw, but the magnetism and and intensity that made him a gigantic movie star have never left him. In IValkyrieI he takes a role that could have turned ludicrous-- an American in an eyepatch playing a German hero-- and makes it riveting.

Marley and Me
Despite the cinematic gloss given by IDevil Wears PradaI director David Frankel, the alluring star power of Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston in the lead roles, and the many trailer-ready moments of puppy humor, IMarley MeI is a movie in which nothing really happens. Dog lovers will enjoy watching the two dozen pups who played Marley, but even they may find themselves bored.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
IThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonI takes nearly three hours to unfold and every bit of it is depressing. As the story of a man aging backwards through time director David Finchers film is a failure; not much seems to happen and for a guy miraculously de-aging right before our eyes Benjamin is surprisingly uninteresting.

Bedtime Stories
Early on IBedtime StoriesI lets us know that it has settled on goofy as its lovable yet useless Adam Sandler trait of choice. Sandler plays goofy to the hilt as Skeeter Bronson. While Skeeter was still a child, his father sold a hotel to a greedy developer on the condition that when his son got older hed be allowed to run it. His father sealed this deal with a handshake. I guess hed never heard of contracts.

The Spirit
I dont know where the world got the idea that Frank Miller is a good director. Maybe its because he wears a cool hat. Sadly the truth is that drawing comic books no more qualifies one to make movies than does reviewing them. Miller is perhaps the greatest writer of comic books the world has ever seen, but he belongs there on the page, in two unmoving dimensions.

Yes Man
As it is IYes ManI is reaching to be both raunchy boy humor and broad-appeal Jim Carrey movie, both making fun of self-help gurus and accepting their teachings as fact, and generally throwing every kind of joke at the wall to see what sticks. Some of it does, more of it doesnt, and the whole jumbled production suffers from the lack of coherent vision.

Seven Pounds
The basic story of ISeven PoundsI, beyond all the narrative shuffle and existential pondering, is an interesting one, and Id tell you about it if Mucino hadnt foolishly structured his movie to make even the most basic plot detail a spoiler. But anyone seeing this movie is taking the basic gamble that they like Will Smith enough to watch him wander through the weeds of his own star vehicle for two hours.

Defiance
Theres a heavy earnestness to IDefianceI that is bound to be dividing line between its detractors and its fans. Director Ed Zwick, who never met a historical drama he didnt like, brings his straightforward intensity to the story of the remarkable Bielski brothers, creating a linear, efficient narrative that will appeal to the History Channel fans who want the unadorned facts.

The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky is best known as a director of visually experimental, emotionally complex films like IRequiem for a DreamI and IThe FountainI. With IThe WrestlerI, he drops the experimentation and shoots what for him is a quick and dirty film. This is everything which an Aronosfky movie usually is not. IThe WrestlerI, stripped down and raw, hinges almost entirely on the performance of its lead.

Delgo
If you havent heard much about IDelgoi, the premiere feature length film from animation studio Fathom Studios, youre not alone. I hadnt heard much about the movie either until I found myself sitting in the theater getting ready to take in the film. From the look of the theater - empty, except for me, during prime time on the movies opening night - not many others have heard of IDelgoi either.

The Tale of Despereaux
If nothing else, IThe Tale of DespereauxI will be an achievement in at least one regard. It demonstrates a way to do computer animation without relying solely on the shiny, plasticized versions of the world popularized early on by Pixar and now adopted completely in the Dreamworks camp.Whether the convoluted story matches the gorgeous animation is another question.

The Day The Earth Stood Still
If it were just a workmanlike disaster movie, IThe Day the Earth Stood StillI might be a guilty pleasure or a fun distraction. But its cowardly treatment of the political issue at its center kills it. Not that you expect every blockbuster to carry a serious message, but the movie gets so close to meaning something and then backs off out of naked fear

Nothing Like The Holidays
Yes, its that time again. As soon as the weather gets cold and the trees go up indoors, some Hollywood studio will attempt to make a buck by casting some random stars, throwing them in a house together, and calling them a dysfunctional but loving family. Since theres never been a Christmas comedy about a Hispanic family, we now have INothing Like the HolidaysI.

Gran Torino
Hey Spike, this time hes surrounded himself with brown people and decided to scream ethnic slurs. Ignore the naysayers, they wont be able to see past their own prejudices. IGran TorinoI is smarter than it seems and funnier than youd expect. This is the Clint Eastwood we all remember in a perfect final performance. Hes riding off into the sunset scowling, snarling, and spitting blood.

The Class
IThe ClassI, based on the memoir by Francois Begaudeau, who also stars, isnt exactly interested in turning that traditional narrative on its head. Instead it starts from the only world Begaudeau knows-- reality-- and creates a loose narrative as fascinating in its specific details as it is enlightening on a grand scale. Though it tackles very specifically French ideas of race...