My Scary Girl (2006)

At a glance:
This Korean variation on So I Married An Axe Murderer and The 40 Year Old Virgin has enough originality, humor, and good performances to make it worthwhile

Our review (with spoilers):
This Korean variation on So I Married An Axe Murderer and The 40 Year Old Virgin benefits from reusing some of the same themes and presenting them within the context of non-western culture. Hwang Dae-woo (Yong-woo Park) is a studious, unusual man who has somehow made it to his thirties without ever dating a girl. Suddenly he gets the urge. He clumsily hooks up with Lee Mi-Na (Kang-hee Choi), a girl in his building who supposedly has similar interests. But she’s not only lying about her love of art and her study of design – she also has to lie even more when she starts killing various men.

The bulk of the humor is generated by Yong-woo Park’s offbeat, yelling performance. Later in the film, his quirks are mostly ironed out and Kang-hee Choi takes center stage, along with her annoying roommate (played by Eun-ji Jo). This sags the middle of the movie a little, but it improves near the end when the two prospective lovers come back together. It’s not a great film, but it is one with occasional laughs and some cultural originality.

Rating: 2.5 of 4

 

For Your Consideration (2006)

Movie quotes:
"You can't throw the baby out with the bathwater because then all you have is a wet, critically injured baby."
- Lane Iverson (Michael McKean)

At a glance:
Christopher Guest’s first ever misfire looks behind the scenes at low-budget film-making; an attempt is made at both comedy and sincerity, but neither is delivered

Our review (with spoilers):
This inside-Hollywood film looks at the making of Home For Purim, a 1940s Jewish-themed drama about the American South. Three of the actors (two in the twilight of their careers, and one just making the jump from comedy) find out that they may be nominated for Best Actor Academy Awards. It’s likely these are just rumors and nothing more, since the script, performances, and direction are not really a-grade.

There are talented performances by Guest’s usual team of potentially hilarious comic actors, but, sadly, very little of the film is funny. The too-broad jokes do not feel like they have a basis in fact (for example, an agent who has never used the Internet). What did make me laugh were the intonations and accent (is that supposed to be New York?) of Christopher Guest’s character. I also appreciated the wonderful Catherine O’Hara. She gets the best character to play here: a fully fleshed out role as an ageing actress who believes her waning career may be on the ascension.

Christopher Guest movies are not meant to be side-splittingly funny. Rather, they are best appreciated as low-budget, humorous and affectionately-made gems, featuring a returning cast of familiar faces. Waiting for Guffman, Guest’s first and funniest, benefited from its status as a true comic surprise. Best in Show had perhaps the broadest comic appeal and was the most successful of the lot. A Mighty Wind was not as funny but was carried by the humorous, entertaining folk music parodies and moments of touching sincerity. For Your Consideration doesn’t have the music, comedy, or sincerity to salvage it.

Rating: 1 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"The problem with For Your Consideration is that it breaks the cardinal rule of comedy: it just isn't funny."
- Ted Murphy (Murphy's Movie Reviews)

"The best jokes are the true jokes, and truth has not been best served here."
- Anthony Quinn (Independent)

An Ant’s Life (2006)

At a glance:
This children’s DVD has very basic CGI and a short 60 minute running time (that includes 5 tacked on old cartoons), but younger (4-6 year old) kids who don’t scare really easily will like it

Our review:
An Ant’s Life is the story of three ants who meet a Queen Ant, She asks them to help her build a new nest. A big-sub plot deals with their almost helpless caterpillar friend who has fallen from his tree and is being terrorized by geckos, a praying mantis, and a spider. The animation is extremely basic and very low budget, and the constant almost-eating of our heroes may actually scare some skittish kids, but, other than that, it’s an okay half-hour of disposable entertainment for 4 to 6 year olds (I doubt if your tyke will be asking to watch it again). My daughter picked it out at the video store, thinking, perhaps, that it was the vastly superior A Bug’s Life, which she had seen before and loved. It appears that the DVD design was meant to encourage this kind of confusion.

The DVD packaging has some other problems. It purports to have a 60 minute running time, and says it also includes 5 bonus cartoons. In reality, An Ant’s Life runs for only about 30 minutes; the 60 minute running time includes these cartoons. And the cartoons are actually Beany and Cecil – from 1962! They are probably in the public domain by now – free to distribute. The fact is, they were done by Bob Clampett, one of the better Warner Brothers directors from the 1940s and 1950s, so they are a lot of fun to watch – much more fun than the feature (at least for me).

The final oddity is that Rotten Tomatoes lists this DVD as year 2006, but the actual An Ant’s Life hails from 1998, and, of course, the Beany and Cecil cartoons are from way earlier. So there are quite a few problems with false advertising here.

Does anyone care? I included this review for those parents who would like to know what they are buying/renting. You can pay 10 bucks for this and you’ll be rewarding all that false advertising. My suggestion? Avoid these insects like the plague (of locusts)! Rating: 1 of 4

Seraphim Falls (2006)

Movie quotes:
Hayes (Michael Wincott): Reckon we ought to camp somewheres else?
Carver (Liam Neeson): Afraid the word of God will spoil your digestion?
Hayes: I never was much for scripture.
Carver: Nothing to fear, Mr. Hayes. Them's just words. Ain't no God out here.

At a glance:
There’s the nucleus of a good man vs man western and some beautiful location filming in Seraphim Falls, but it is ruined by Pierce Brosnan’s overacting, and by a script that veers from reality to fantasy

Our review:
Gideon (Pierce Brosnan) did something really nasty to  Carver (Liam Neeson). I know this, because Carver has hired 4 helpers to track down and kill Gideon somewhere in the snow-covered mountains. Suffice to say, Gideon did a very bad thing, but the film tries to make out like Gideon just kind of didn’t think it through – just a mistake, really. That’s just one of the fuzzy plot points in the uneven Seraphim Falls.

The movie opens as Gideon gets shot, jumps into an icy stream, survives a drop over a 40 foot waterfall, removes the bullet from his arm with his knife, heats the knife and cauterizes the wound, then keeps on running from his attackers. Somehow, he survives all this, mainly by moaning and groaning non-stop. When he is taken in by a ranching family, he changes to mumbling and breathing his lines in a kind of Grizzly Adams slash Godfather style. And yet, even though Brosnan’s acting is lacking, it’s still true that when the story moves away from him as the pursued mystery man, things get a little boring.

The second problem is that the movie can’t decide if it a realistic survivalist documentary (there are plenty of scenes of Gideon lighting fires, setting traps, whittling saplings, etc.) or a mythical story. Toward the end, the mood changes, and the film suddenly becomes dreamlike and all symbolic, populated with supporting characters (Angelica Huston and Wes Studi) that spout prosaic advice. The beautiful mountain and desert locations can’t compensate for the all-over-the-place script.

By the way, the brilliant stunt of falling over the waterfall won Mark Vanselow and Craig Hosking a Best Specialty Stunt - Taurus award. The performer was cabled to a helicopter; the cable was slackened to allow a free fall into the falls, and a bungee was used for retrieval. No CGI was used for the stunt. Rating: 2 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"An unremarkable revenge/chase western, bolstered by its name cast, matter-of-fact violence and Toll’s pristine photography. Eventually a little pretentious – with Anjelica Huston’s cameo the nadir – but if you love oaters, it’s just worth the time."
- Nev Pierce (Total Film)

"An unconvincing attempt at an old-fashioned western, Seraphim Falls works best as a chase thriller but falls apart when it tries to harness the mythic power of the American frontier."
- Jamie Russell (Channel 4 Film)

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

"When an individual acquires great power, the use or misuse of that power is everything. Will it be used for the greater good? Or will it be used for personal or for destructive ends? Now this is a question we must all ask ourselves. Why? Because we are mutants."
- Prof. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart)

At a glance: The third X-Men movie has many moments of high drama and action, but they come at the expense of violating the X-Men canon; and, once again, some viewers may find it difficult to feel empathy toward our heroes. But it’s still a lot of fun to watch

When a ‘cure’ is discovered that can make mutants normal, it becomes a rallying point for Magneto to amass an army. Among others, he enlists Jean, whose violent personality (known as Phoenix) has been unleashed, resulting in the deaths of some of our familiar gang of mutants. I have the feeling that this movie branched away from the established canon of the comic to make it a better film. It worked for me, because I am not familiar with X-Men canon, but I am familiar with canon in Star Trek and how some fans writhe in pain when it is not adhered to according to their standards. It must have been terrifyingly disgusting for those that are and that care about such things in the X-Men universe.

I’ve never been able to fully connect emotionally with X-Men. I’m not sure why that is. All the elements are there – drama, action, a name cast performing and directed well – although Brett Ratner is inferior to Brian Singer. But somehow, I can’t make myself care about the characters as much as I’d like. Nonetheless the powerful ending sequence did finally grab my emotions just a little.

By the way, here’s another Star Trek-related comment: when Xavier visits Jean early on in the movie, Patrick Stewart is made to look younger  – perhaps around 30 - using digital technology, and it works. So if anyone has any doubt of his ability to keep doing Star trek movies…he looks like he could keep going for 20 more years. Too bad this isn’t going to happen – I love listening to his delivery. As I’ve said many times before, he can even make bad scripts sound like Shakespeare. Rating: 2.5 of 4

"Whilst those involved didn't save the best for last, they have delivered a film worthy of the title and an entertaining little vehicle to boot."
- Garth Franklin (Dark Horizons)

"It has no passion, no connection to where we are now, and in a series whose stories have heretofore spoken dark truths about American intolerance, that matters."
- Rob Gonsalves (eFilmCritic.com)

The Host (2006) (aka Gwoemul)

Young Korean Doctor (Brian Rhee): But, you know, this is not just any toxic chemicals -
US Doctor in Morgue (Scott Wilson): The Han River is very broad, Mr. Kim. Let's try to be broad-minded about this. Anyway, that's an order. So, start pouring.

Park Nam-il (Hae-il Park): Look at that... Isn't that amazing? In this situation?
Park Nam-Joo (Du-na Bae): Wake him up, there's no time.
Park Hie-bong (Hie-bong Byeon): Let him sleep a minute. He needs to sleep every so often.
Park Nam-il: Should we leave him here? He's no help anyway?
Park Hie-bong: Kids, wait a minute. Sit down. In your view, is Gang-du really so pathetic?
Park Nam-il: Yup.
Park Nam-Joo: Yes.

At a glance: This Korean mutated monster movie scores plenty of points for campily combining scares, laughs, and pathos

Toxic chemicals dumped in the Han River of Korea breeds a mutated version of the Loch Ness monster that seems to have an appetite for humans as snacks. It gets personal when a young dad watches it wrap his daughter around its tail and spirit her back to its lair. You can laugh without reservation at the over-the-top grieving scene, meant to provide a huge hint that there’s probably nothing to grieve about - yet. But there are also strong emotions generated as this family bands together to try to save the missing girl. The unusual script features a young, irresponsible father with an undying devotion to saving his daughter. The missing girl’s sister, a bronze medal archer, spends the entire film wandering the sewers in a track suit, carrying a bow and arrow. The motivations of the beast itself are also cleverly hidden; the optimists in the audience may even believe that it is benign on some level (for awhile, anyway). On a limited budget, SFX company The Orphanage creates a unique CGI beastie, and director Joon-ho Bong uses clever locations and visuals to fashion a unique monster movie. Rating: 3 of 4

"Alternately scary, funny and inspiring, Bong Joon-ho’s first-class monster mash is also a scalding rebuke to U.S. interventionism, profiteering and general developing-world opportunism, and a lovely story of familial bonding. In a word, amazing."
- Ian Grey (Orlando Weekly)

"The creature is aquatic, acrobatic but definitely not angelic, in this idiosyncratic mix of creature feature and horror thriller, with a dash of slapstick, and a pinch of black humour."
- Urban Cinefile Critics (Urban Cinefile)

"A rather tender-hearted, often sorrowful, more often hilarious view on the familial conflicts between generations and between siblings."
- Tim Brayton (Antagony & Ecstasy)

"It packs an emotional kick that we don't expect from a movie where a giant iguana is running around with human legs dangling out of his mouth like stray pieces of linguini."
- Rob Thomas (Capital Times [Madison, WI]

Red Road (2006)

Clyde (Tony Curran): Do you know what I wonder about you?
Jackie (Kate Dickie): What?
Clyde: How your cunt taste like.

At a glance: After a riveting first half, Red Road is diminished somewhat by its credibility-stretching finale, and can tax with its Glasgow accents, but first-time director Andrea Arnold deserves the awards she won for her work

A sad, lonely woman (Kate Dickie) zombies through her job as a CCTV operator. She voyeuristically scans a score of cameras each night and reports to police when a crime is about to – or has just been - committed. When one of her cameras focuses on an early release prisoner (Tony Curran) who, we learn, did some un-named bad thing to her or her family, she begins obsessing about him. She falters in her job, but it goes much further than that, as she infiltrates his life. What did this man do, and what is he doing now? What death haunts this women’s family, and why is she sleeping with an urn? Captivating, obscure, and shrouded in mystery, the story is almost indecipherable, partly because of the skilled direction, and partly because of the Glasgow accents. I enjoyed Jackie’s obsessive focus and Clyde’s creepiness. In a stroke of bad timing, I had just previous to watching this film spent some time transcribing the musings of a particularly mumbly grammar school teacher, so perhaps I was even less receptive to trying to decipher Glasgowian. My overall opinion of the film was not helped by my perception that the woman’s act of ‘revenge’ was not a believable one.

First time director Andrea Arnold should still be commended, however, for the first half of the film, which is riveting. Others agreed with this assessment; the film won the 2006 Jury Prize in Cannes.

Inspired by Danish director Lars von Trier, this is the first in a trilogy of films, each directed by a different new director, and starring the same cast. Rating: 2.5 of 4

"A brilliantly conceived thriller that keeps us guessing right up to the very end, Red Road intrigues but frustrates by its slow development and often incomprehensible Scottish dialogue."
- Urban Cinefile Critics (Urban Cinefile)

"Red Road is an atmospheric little thriller made up of equal parts paranoia, loneliness and anxiety."
- Liz Braun (Jam! Movies)

"A woman-directed film that aspires to compete on that predominantly male turf, not with an opposing and challenging female perspective, but by stepping up to the plate to make a sexually voyeuristic, sluttier than thou movie about women."
- Prairie Miller (WBAI Web Radio)

Priceless (aka Hors de prix) (2006)

At a glance: The visual pleasantry and chemistry of Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh combine to lift this light, enjoyable romantic comedy of mistaken identity.

Jean (Gad Elmaleh) is a struggling young hotel worker who, one night, comes out from behind the bar at the insistence of a customer and falls asleep. Meanwhile, Irene (Audrey Tautou), a young woman whose rich elderly boyfriend has just passed out on her birthday, wanders down to the hotel bar to have a little celebration. She mistakes the bartender for a patron, and he doesn’t discourage her. They have a night of passion, but when her boyfriend finds out, he dumps her. Rejected by her ticket to financial security, she focuses instead on the hotel worker, unaware that he is as poor as she is. Gentle French comedy is not only genuinely funny, but also is great to look at; Elmaleh’s sleepy eyes and Tautou’s body and energy are often captivating. Also of note here are the stunning French Riviera locations – and Tautou’s dresses. After watching Tautou be stripped of all personality and charm in The Da Vinci Code, and then seeing her restrained and skeletal in Hunting and Gathering (aka Ensemble, c'est tout), it was marvelous to see her in full flower in a role ideally suited for her. She’s still emaciated (at times even distractingly so) but at least she’s got her mojo back. One weakness: the occasional, in-your-face dated overly ‘jaunty’ music. Rating: 3 of 4

"There's not much substance to "Priceless," but what is there is effortlessly crafted and entertaining, and the locales in Nice and Monte Carlo are just spectacular."
- Rob Thomas (Capital Times [Madison, WI])

"It might remind you of those early-'60s capers that starred a different Audrey -- Hepburn."
- Chris Hewitt (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

"After being drained of all personality for her role in The Da Vinci Code, Tautou regains her Amelie effervescence."
- Matt Brunson (Creative Loafing)

The Prestige (2006)

Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman): I never thought I'd find an answer at the bottom of a pint glass.
Cutter (Michael Caine): Hasn't stopped you looking, has it?

Sarah Borden (Rebecca Hall): Alfred I can't live like this!
Alfred Borden Christian Bale): Well, what do you want from me?
Sarah: I want... I want you to be honest with me. No tricks, no lies, no secrets.
[pause]
Sarah: Do you... do you love me?
Alfred Borden: Not today. No.

"You always were the better magician. We both know that. Whatever your secret was, you have to agree, mine is better."
- Robert Angier (to AlfredBorden)

Alfred Borden: Everything's going to be alright, because I love you very much.
Sarah Borden: Say it again.
Alfred Borden: I love you.
Sarah Borden: Not today.
Alfred Borden: What do you mean?
Sarah Borden: Well some days it's not true. Maybe today you're more in love with magic. I like being able to tell the difference, it makes the days it is true mean something.

Alfred Borden: I love you.
Sarah Borden: You mean it today.
Alfred Borden: Of course.
Sarah Borden: It just makes it so much harder when you don't.

Hanging Officer: Do you have anything to say?
Alfred Borden: Abracadabra.

At a glance: This period piece about feuding magicians is so much more than the sum of its parts. It has science, magic, surprises, and mysteries to be solved by those willing to watch closely. Director Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins) has once again created a captivatingly layered story.

In the 19^th century, two friendly magicians (Robert Angier, played by Hugh Jackman; and Alfred Border, played by Christian Bale) become enemies when Borden may or may not have accidentally killed Angier’s wife by tieing her hands incorrectly while she was part of an underwater magic trick. Angier becomes obsessed at both besting Borden as a magician, and destroying his personal life. Like two pig-headed countries, the battle slowly escalates, with neither willing to put an end to hostilities, and both insisting on striking back in retaliation. The story is told in real time, and is narrated by Borden and Angier reading each other’s stolen diaries. There are movements back and foreward in time to tell the story most effectively. There is imagery, such as when (SPOILERS) Sarah Borden hangs herself amid the birds hanging in cages. Along the way, we get to follow a rich plot with a few surprises. We learn a few behind the scenes tricks of the magician’s trade. The story is captivating, but does require that the viewer suspend their disbelief a bit. It worked for me, having just recently read about the crazed genius of Nikola Tesla. The real-life Tesla/Edison rivalry is a fascinating obsessive story in itself. It is only touched upon here, but someone will film it someday. Good supporting work by Michael Caine – again, and some quirky casting with David Bowie as Tesla. One scene that for some reason didn’t work for me as well as I thought it would was the final scene between Borden and Angier (especially Jackman’s lines and delivery). Rating: 3.5 of 4

"An example of old-fashioned storytelling, the kind of magical movie that could have been made fifty years ago and, consequently, will still be watched fifty years from now."
- Brian Tallerico (UGO)

"It's quite a movie -- atmospheric, obsessive, almost satanic."
- Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)

"Nolan balances Hollywood and indie sensibilities pulling off a film that is smart, complicated and carries a big look."
- Ryan Cracknell (Calgary Movies)

"Odd, but brilliantly so. It's a small film that feels big, a period drama that looks modern, defying comparison to anything but Nolan himself."
- Dan Jolin (Empire Magazine)

Children of Men (2006)

"Last one to die please turn out the light."
- sign on billboard

"As the sound of the playgrounds faded, the despair set in. Very odd, what happens in a world without children's voices."
- Miriam (Pam Ferris)

At a glance: In the near future, in a sterile, hostile, violent and suspicious world that is devoid of children, Clive Owen plays a former activist who is asked to escort a special young woman on a dangerous voyage. This dark and, for the most part, depressing world exaggerates the worst elements of our present to create an ominous future.

London, 2027, and today’s news is that the youngest person in the world – 27 years old, has just been stabbed after refusing to give an autograph. All over, people cry at this news. Why are there no children? And why is London rocked by suddden explosions, while its trains are coated in wire and pelted by boys throwing rocks? The world has collapsed, and only Britain soldiers on, says the video that plays on the train. Even in Britain, everyone is infertile, refugees are hunted down and incarcerated, and life seems meaningless to Theo (Clive Owen). He’s kidnapped by Julianne, an old flame (Julianne Moore) who leads the resistance in a fight against government oppression of refugees. She needs transit papers for a refugee girl, and he needs money – and he still has some emotional ties to Julianne. Without giving much away, let me just say that it isn’t hard to guess the big secret of where this is going, but it still works dramatically – especially when we learn how the secret ties in to Theo’s past. An interesting blend of drama, sci-fi, war, and end-of-the-world genres; it may prove too relentlessly bleak for some. Michael Caine adds flavor in another quirky, poignant role. For those with attention to detail, there are numerous references to other events of torture and war (for example, the famous hooded prisoner from the Abu Ghraib prison can be seen in one of the cages just after Miriam is taken). You might also notice the recreation of a Pink Floyd album cover. Read the trivia page at imdb.com (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/trivia) to get an idea of the detail and care that went into the making of this film.Rating: 2.75 of 4

"There is much about the film that is impressive, but ultimately we do not care enough about the characters, so our journey is a frustrating one."
- Urban Cinefile Critics (Urban Cinefile)

"You feel as if you’re accompanying a war photographer who’s lost a bet. Slogging unflinchingly through humanity’s worst hours, the movie laces the narrative’s forays into science-fiction grandstanding with a gut-wrenching dynamic."
- Joshua Rothkopf (Time Out New York)

"As uncertain and spontaneous as its events are in the moment, Children of Men feels too tightly wound for its own good."
- Rob Humanick (Stranger Song)

Boytown (2006)

At a glance: This ‘small’ Australian comedy isn’t big on laughs, but it does well to combine a unique concept (a middle-aged boy band, catering to mature-age women) with some nice character moments and understated acting.

Benny G (Glenn Robbins) is a happily married middle-aged man with a 14 year old daughter, and he teaches dance at her high school. But every once in a while, he goes down to his den to stare at the album covers and gold records, and to reminisce about his days of stardom in the boy band Boytown (population: 5). Believing that they once again can be stars, and perhaps to make up for breaking up the band all those years ago to pursue a disastrous solo career, he rounds up the former members to pull them away from their day jobs. Carl (Wayne Hope), the one everyone thought was gay, works in construction. Bobby Mac (Bob Franklin) is a college lecturer. Corey (Gary Eck) is a DJ in a small country town. And Tommy Boy (Mick Molloy) is a couch potato who lives with his ‘gran’ and bets on dog races. Their first foray back into music is disastrous, ruined by the flawed idea of older men singing in a genre that is aimed at young girls, and it doesn’t help when the white stallions they were supposed to ride down the beach don’t show up for the music video shoot, and are instead replaced by Shetland ponies. But then Benny comes up with a great idea – aiming their music at the women who loved the band as teens and are now married with children. With songs like Love Handles, Dishpan Hands, Cellulite Lady, and Picking The Kids Up From School, the guys land a number one hit and a world tour. But just as things seem to be reaching the pinnacle, a botched lip-synched concert and conflicts within the band cause Benny to leave. Will the guys patch things up in time to sing live at the Aria Awards Ceremony?

Boytown was written by brothers Mick and Richard Molloy, who also wrote the Australian comedy Crackerjack. Both comedies are similar – played straight, never going for the big laughs, with relaxed, naturalistic acting, and some character drama thrown in (along with some touches and jokes that only Australians will get). Some of the lyrics of the Boytown songs are a little cringworthy, but the guys get away with it because they really seem to believe in the words. It’s not a great film by any means, but the original concept, some unique moments, and the general mood are enough to make it worthwhile.

Behind the scenes: Tony Martin, long-time collaborator with Mick Molloy (he plays the Michael Moore-like doco film-maker) reportedly did make a documentary showing the real story of Boytown. The doco (called ‘Boytown Confidential’), which is rumored to be funnier than the movie itself, which excluded from the DVD release, which has reportedly caused a rift between Martin and Molloy. As of 26 Jan 2008, ‘Boytown Confidential’ has yet to be screened. Rating: 2.75 of 4

"BoyTown is a gem of an idea – something Dave Dobkin or Ben Stiller are going to be kicking each other nuts-first for not dreaming up earlier – that transcends beautifully to the screen."
- Clint Morris (MovieHole)

Marie Antoinette (2006)

"Are we there yet?"
- Marie Antionette (Kirsten Dunst)

Marie: Where will I be if there’s a rupture between our two families? Will I be Austrian, or Dauphin of France?
Ambassador Mercy (Steve Coogan): You must be both.

Ambassador Mercy : Her majesty would do well to be more attentive. Life is getting harder for the people of France. The bread shortage is grave.
Marie: There must be something we can do to ease their sufferings. Tell the court jeweler to stop sending diamonds.

A young Austrian (Kirsten Dunst) is sent to Versaille to marry a French prince, Louis (Jason Schwartzman). The entire court hopes they will produce an heir, but Louis seems to have no interest. Coppola experiments with the juxtaposition of modern indie music in a Sense and Sensibility setting (and, indeed, the casting and look of Dunst herself is another juxtaposition, made to enhance Antoinette’s position as an outsider), and adds other little touches, like Dunst acknowledging the camera during the opening credits. Coppola accomplishes the almost-impossible: To tell a coherent story by almost solely using striking visual images. The images include: Judy Davis’ haughty nostrils; Marie and three friends watching the sunset while a rock music soundtrack plays, looking like 21^st century people dressed up as 18^th century aristocrats at a fancy dress party; the birth and death of Marie’s third child, told solely by the hanging, and subsequent removal, of a royal painting. Rating: 3 of 4

"Pouring Coca-Cola in the cabernet, Sofia Coppola's dazzling Marie Antoinette couldn't be more anachronistic if it showed the queen of France saying, 'Let them eat sushi.' Coppola works in weird ways, but the real Versailles was so much weirder."
- Kyle Smith (New York Post)

"Let them eat cake? Sofia Coppola feeds it to us in spoonfuls -- pink, sugary, decadent. The entire film seems to have been squeezed onto the screen from a confectioner's pastry bag..."
- John Beifuss (Commercial Appeal)

"A startlingly original and beautiful pop reverie that comes very close to being transcendent."
- Carina Chocano (Los Angeles Times)

Nacho Libre (2006)

"P.S. If we didn’t end up taking our vows of celibacy, we could maybe…get married and have a family with some ninos, but, you know, whatever."
- letter from Nacho (Jack Black) to Sister Encarnación (Ana de la Reguera)

An orphan has lived his entire life in a monastery in Mexico, but dreams of being a professional wrestler. Together with another down and out miscreant, he pursues his dream while still trying to simultaneously put food on the table for the orphans and ignore the charms of a beautiful young nun. Quirky, mildly amusing, and semi-original, with a nice soundtrack; the only thing missing are the laughs, and characters or a story that would make you care. It’s an unfortunate choice to have Jack Black keep his shirt off so much, and to make his sidekick (Héctor Jiménez) so unappealing as well. It’s also hard to parody wrestling, which is already a parody. Rating: 2 of 4 reviewed 19 Oct 2007

"High concept still fails without writers filling in the blank spots, and 'Jack Black in wrestling tights' is funny for about as long as the trailer you've already seen."
- Michael Booth (Denver Post)

"It takes some doing to make a Jack Black comedy that doesn't work. But Nacho Libre does it."
- Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)

Deja Vu (2006)

"For all of my career, I've been trying to catch people after they do something horrible. For once in my life, I'd like to catch somebody before they do something horrible, all right?"
- Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington)

"This is tripping!"
- Doug Carlin, driving in the present while wearing goggles that show the past

When a ferry explodes in New Orleans and hundreds are killed in an act of terrorism, ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives) agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) is called in to investigate. His sharp, quick skills attract the attention of the FBI, who are also investigating, and Carlin is invited to join a special FBI unit which includes Agent Paul Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer, looking a bit like his own version of the latter-day Bill Shatner). The technique they are using is to view a once-only amalgamation of satellite data, always four days behind the present moment – and somehow track the killers before they strike again. The technique that is the focal point of the movie is similar to the concept of the film Minority Report, and another example of our obsessive voyeuristic tendencies.

(Major Spoilers Alert) After an overlong opening montage that makes the explosion and investigation into a kind of extended dialogue-free music video, Washington gets to start speaking, and the movie immediately improves – though not so much to overcome the ridiculousness of the concept. Except, the ridiculous concept is a lie – they are actually folding time to look back into the past!

Carlin focuses the viewing on Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton), a young woman who was killed before the explosion and made to look like a bomb victim.

The juxtapostion of past and present creates some tense scenes, such as when Carlin, armed with a mobile tracking device, pursues the killer in the past, while dealing with a menacing present as well. When the killer is caught, the FBI closes down the investigation despite the protests of Carlin, who still has 7 hours (in the past) to save Claire. With no other alternative, the team agrees to try to transport Doug back into the past. His goal is to save Claire and to stop the bomb. Rating: 3 of 4 reviewed 9 Nov 2007

"Déjà Vu impresses with both the complexity of its storyline and its willingness to allow things to develop at their own pace without interjecting a lot of needless action scenes into the early proceedings to keep viewers attentive."
- James Berardinelli (ReelViews)

"Deja Vu gets mighty close to goofy from time to time, but Washington pulls it all back together -- sometimes, it seems, just by being there."
- Liz Braun (Jam! Movies)

"If you can surrender to the film's crazy convictions, it's a popcorn-munching wild ride worth taking."
- Peter Canavese (Groucho Reviews)

Casino Royale (2006)

Dryden (Malcolm Sinclair): How did he die?
James Bond (Daniel Craig): Your contact? Not well.
Dryden: Made you feel it, did he? Well, you needn't worry. The second is...
[Bond shoots Dryden]
James Bond: Yes... considerably.

Vespa (Eva Green): It doesn’t bother you, killing those people?
Bond: I wouldn’t be very good at my job if it did.

Daniel Craig returns as the newest James Bond in an adventure that moves from Madagascar to Miami to Montenegro. This is a rougher, tougher, less polished, less suave Bond than we are accustomed to. Frankly, I identify Roger Moore as the quintessential Bond, and he always seemed to be slightly surprised at what he could do. Daniel Craig’s Bond is much more arrogant and not at all amused, giving the movie a serious and even a mean-spirited feel. Could you imagine Roger Moore’s Bond being naked and tortured? Poorly structured script starts with some imaginative action scenes (where we probably need a little more of an introduction to the newest Bond), has too many boring card playing scenes, and then throws in a sappy romance! Still, there’s those great classic Bond locations, a suitable score, and an epic feel. Note that most reviewers gave this movie a high rating. Rating: 2 of 4 reviewed 3 Nov 2007

"By the end of a curiously back-to-front film, when he finally gets his theme tune and introduces himself -- 'Bond. James Bond' -- he, like the creaky franchise itself, seems profoundly unsure whether he is coming or going."
- Tim Adams (Guardian - UK)

"This is a Bond with great body but no soul."
- Richard Corliss (TIME Magazine)

"Spectacular action -- and a cool new Bond. But the film goes long and an important romance isn't quite sold. Nor is the plot terribly solid."
- Ross Anthony (Hollywood Report Card)

"Who wants to see Bond learn a lesson about ego, as if he were Greg Brady in his 'Johnny Bravo' phase?"
- John Beifuss (Commercial Appeal - Memphis, TN)

Thank You For Smoking (2006)

Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe): Sony has a futuristic sci-fi movie they're looking to make.
Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart): Cigarettes in space?
Jeff Megall: It's the final frontier, Nick.
Nick Naylor: But wouldn't they blow up in an all oxygen environment?
Jeff Megall: Probably. But it's an easy fix. One line of dialogue. 'Thank God we invented the... you know, whatever device.'

Nick Naylor: [out loud] "I just need to pay the mortgage."
Nick Naylor: [to self] The Yuppie Nuremberg defense.

Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner): The way I heard it, D.C. police found you naked, laying in Lincoln's crotch, covered in nicotine patches with a sign across your chest that said...
Polly Bailey (Maria Bello): He doesn't need to hear the details.

Low-key, quirky, humourous drama-comedy, focused solely on the commandingly powerful yet controlled performance of Aaron Eckhart as tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor. It’s a triumph of the script that somehow manages to paint Naylor as a man with principles despite the fact that he defends smokers rights. Director Jason Reitman (son of Ivan Reitman) introduces his quiet, understated approach to comedy. Rating: 3 of 4  reviewed 26 Dec 2007

"A smart, funny and often perceptive work that bodes well for the future career of screenwriter/director Jason Reitman."
- Jeff Vice (Deseret News, Salt Lake City)

"Perhaps the film's greatest success is in its ability to have us fall so madly in love with such a morally reprehensible lead character."
- Joe Utichi (FilmFocus)

"Thank You For Smoking is not big, or great, or earth-shattering, but it is exceedingly rare -- an astute and witty comedy that will make adults laugh."
- Gary Thompson (Philadelphia Daily News)