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)

Cloverfield (2008)

Jason Hawkins (Mike Vogel): [to Rob] You're not good enough for her. That's it. That's fact. That's science. Beth McIntyre is like from a whole nuther planet, man. She's beautiful, she's charming. And you, I love you, but let's face it you're kind of a douchebag. And going to Japan is not going to fix that.

Beth (Odette Yustman): [sees monster] What is that?
Hud (T. J. Miller): It's a terrible thing.
[much later, while trying to get to a flight of stairs, Rob encounters a parasite and kills it]
Beth: Oh my God! What is that?
Hud: I don't know! Something else! Also terrible.

At a glance: Point of view horror/sci-fi film, all lensed in a home-movie shakey-cam format, will test your ability to withstand seasickness, but if you can tolerate the technique, you will be rewarded with one of the most clever and realistic monster movies ever made.

A New York based surprise party for a young man named Rob (Michael Stahl-David) (who is moving to Japan) is being filmed by ‘Hud’, Rob’s friend. At the party, we learn about Rob’s long-time friendship, recent romantic interlude, and argument with friend Beth. The party is interrupted when a huge, people-eating creature invades Manhattan, causing Godzilla-like destruction. Hud keeps filming during the evacuation. While being evacuated to safety, Rob receives a phone message from Beth that she is trapped in her apartment in midtown. Rob heads there to help her, while Hud, Lily (Jessica Lucas), and Marlena (Lizzy Caplan) tag along. If it wasn’t bad enough to have a huge creature on the loose, it is shedding vicious spider-like babies the size of cats that bite and impregnate. All of the images are supplied by party-goer turned fleeing victim Hud, so it’s all shakey-cam, all the time, except for a couple of very short sequences where the movie-maker focuses on a television screen. We catch tantalizing, terrifying snippets of the creature as it shows a leg here or a tail there between New York City’s high-rises, and we know it’s evil, because it bit the head off the Statue of Liberty like it was no more than a big chocolate bunny rabbit. It’s prudent 85 minute running time is filled with a non-stop roller-coaster ride of thrills and scares, and it’s even cleverly blended with bits of a Rob and Beth outing to Coney Island (that was on the videotape before this event). Rating: 3 of 4

Note: Talk of a possible sequel is already in the works. Will they opt for a shakey-cam sequel, and, if so, how will they work that into the plot? Perhaps it can be filmed by someone with a nervous twitch…

"The special effects are excellent, with just enough being shown of the marauding 'attacker' and its minions to keep you on the edge of your seat."
- Michael A. Smith (Nolan's Pop Culture Review)

"Nothing feels choreographed or contrived; every shot of disaster is found footage or dumb luck, every glimpse of the threat is fleeting and often unsatisfying. This is, simply put, awesome."
- Karina Montgomery (Cinerina)

Juno (2007)

Su-Chin: I'm having a little trouble concentrating.
Juno: Oh well I could sell you some of my Adderall if you want.
Su-Chin: No thanks I'm off pills.
Juno: That's a wise choice because I knew this girl who like had this crazy freak out because she took too many behavioral meds at once and she like ripped off her clothes, and dove into the fountain at Ridgedale Mall and was like, "Blah I am a Kracken from the sea!"
Su-Chin: I heard that was you.

Juno: Yeah, I'm a legend. You know, they call me the cautionary whale.

Juno: You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.

Bren: When you move out I'm getting two Weimaraners!
Juno: Whoa, dream big!

At a glance: Diablo Cody’s quirky Oscar-winning screenplay about teen pregnancy is skillfully brought to the screen by director Jason Reitman and a talented cast, headed by the unique Ellen Page.

Juno (Ellen Page) is sixteen and her moment of passion with Paul (Michael Cera), a boy she doesn’t even know she is in love with, ends with a pregnancy. Unable to go through with her initial decision to have an abortion, she opts for pregnancy, finding a picture-perfect childless couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman). Director Jason Reitman, coming off the success of Thank You For Smoking, follows it up with his deft understated comedic touch. Page is a standout, showing real talent and a looseness in body and voice that shows she’ll be able to play a variety of roles. The script divides good lines among the cast, which is rounded out by Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons. Cera is my personal favorite, portraying the sensitive, intelligent, soft-spoken, unsure nerd character he brought to comic life in the Arrested Development TV series. Deservedly, Diablo Cody won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Rating: 3.5 of 4

"Juno...is smart, witty, and engaging -- three ingredients that, when applied to any film, comprise a recipe for success."
- James Berardinelli (ReelViews)

"That essence of pugnacious energy that is Ellen Page has just taken another solid step toward certain stardom."
- Jules Brenner (Cinema Signals)

Enchanted (2007)

Robert (Patrick Dempsey) [sarcastically] Welcome to New York.
Giselle (Amy Adams) [sincerely] Oh, thank you very much!

Giselle: I remember this one time, when the poor wolf was being chased around by Little Red Riding Hood around his grandmother's house, and she had an axe... oh, and if Pip hadn't been walking by to help I don't know what would've happened!
Morgan (Rachel Covey): I don't really remember that version.
Giselle: Well, that's because Red tells it a little differently.

Morgan: Remember not to put too much makeup or the boys may get the wrong idea. They are only after one thing.
Giselle: What's that?
Morgan: I don't know. They won't tell me.

At a glance: This Disney comedy of a fairytale princess who is banished to New York City manages to combine a hilarious parody of Disney’s own animated fairytale films with a sincere love story and blend it into a movie that will appeal to young and old.

Giselle (Amy Adams) is a beautiful sweet young girl who lives in an animated, fairytale world. There, she falls in love with handsome Prince Edward (James Marsden). But her love can de-throne the prince’s evil mother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon). And so she is banished to a dark world of unhappiness and terror: live-action New York! Here, she is taken in by Robert (Patrick Dempsey),  a good-hearted but melancholy lawyer, and Morgan (Rachel Covey), his six year old daughter. Initially, Robert thinks Giselle is either mad or from out of town, but slowly, he is taken in by her sincerity and beauty. Likewise, Giselle, in her first real friendship/relationship, falls for him too. In the meantime, their ‘real’ world is invaded first by Prince Edward, then by the Queen’s evil sidekick, Nathaniel (Timothy Spall), whose mission is to stop Giselle and the Prince from finding each other and getting married. When Nathaniel fails, the Queen herself gets involved.

The combination of Dempsey, who plays it absolutely straight, contrasted against Adams, who should win some sort of special Oscar for how she makes the naivete of Giselle absolutely believable, is a wonderful thing to watch. Sharing some of its core values with movies like Miracle on 34^th Street, it is a story about loss of innocence and the death of romance - how empty people’s lives are when the belief in romance and ‘true love’ dies, and how more fulfilling it is to maintain that belief (even if it truly is a leap of faith to do so). It’s rare when a film can combine a completely imaginary and humorous fantasy storyline with one that addresses human emotions with such sincerity.

But don’t get the wrong idea – this is not a Swedish melodrama. Along the way while telling its tale of redemption, there are plenty of hilarious lines and scenes. Perhaps my favorite was a elaborate, live-action ‘cleaning up’ scene, complete with scrubbing bubble cockroaches (one of which is unceremoniously eaten by a pigeon, and all in time to typically jaunty whistle-while-you-work music). The songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz also deserve a special mention for helping to set the mood. Rating: of 3.5 of 4

"One of those rare pieces of 'all ages entertainment' that will actually work for all ages, Enchanted succeeds most of all as a showcase for its superb leading lady."
- Geoff Berkshire (Metromix.com)

"Disney's Enchanted is the sweet, lighthearted antithesis to the more serious fare this holiday season, fueled by a thoroughly captivating performance from Amy Adams."
- Kit Bowen (Hollywood.com)

"What pushes the film over the top is the terrific turn by Adams, who really seems like a Disney heroine come to life."
- Matt Brunson (Creative Loafing)

No Country For Old Men (2007)

Wendell (Garret Dillahunt): You think this boy Moss has got any notion of the sorts of sons of bitches that're huntin' him?
Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones): I don't know, he ought to. He's seen the same things I've seen, and it's certainly made an impression on me.

Ed Tom Bell: You know Charlie Walser? Has the place east of Sanderson? Well you know how they used to slaughter beeves, hit 'em with a maul right here to stun 'em... and then up and slit their throats? Well here Charlie has one trussed up and all set to drain him and the beef comes to. It starts thrashing around, six hundred pounds of very pissed-off livestock if you'll pardon me... Charlie grabs his gun there to shoot the damn thing in the head but what with the swingin' and twistin' it's a glance-shot and ricochets around and comes back hits Charlie in the shoulder. You go see Charlie, he still can't reach up with his right hand for his hat... Point bein', even in the contest between man and steer the issue is not certain.

Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem): And you know what's going to happen now. You should admit your situation. There would be more dignity in it.
Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson): You go to hell.
Anton Chigurh: Let me ask you something. If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?
Carson Wells: Do you have any idea how goddamn crazy you are?
Anton Chigurh: You mean the nature of this conversation?
Carson Wells: I mean the nature of you.

At a glance: The Coen Brothers study of a chain of events begun with a lost stash of cash and a cold-blooded killer is evocative with its ugly brutality, stark locations, quirky sets, and elegant prose – it should easily gather a handful of Academy Awards.

A hunter/tracker and retired welder (Josh Brolin) discovers a scene of carnage; a score of Mexicans, murdered while trafficking heroin.  He grabs a big satchel of money, which places a cold-blooded murderer (Javier Bardem) and a gang of Mexicans on his trail. Also in the mix are the local Sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) and a bounty hunter (Woody Harrelson).

Aided by a seriously creepy performance by Bardem, the Coen Brothers have painted a chilling portrait of a killer, set in backwater towns of Texas populated by simple, honest folk. The stark photography by Roger Deakins combines with the meticulously chosen sets and locations to portray a Texas as depressing-looking and quirky as the story that is told.

It was almost impossible to single out a handful of great quotes from this film; basically the entire script qualifies as one big great quote. This script should win the 2008 Academy Aware for best adapted screenplay. If you can deal with the ugly violence, you will be rewarded with heaps of beautiful prose. Rating: 3.5 of 4

"…strong, evocative storytelling pared to the bone and braced with a sensibility perfectly matched to the material.
- Sean Axmaker (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

"The Coens load the film with realistic touches that add grit and meaning to the almost mythical plot."
- Rich Cline (Shadows on the Wall)

"Virtuoso. A film of pin-sharp principles, cross-hair precision and suffocating tension, this Coens stunner hits like a cattle gun between the eyes."
- Jamie Graham (Total Film)

"Violent, poetic, gripping, thrilling and blackly funny: that’ll be the Coens doing what they do best then. Now with added humanity."
- Ian Nathan (Empire Magazine)

"With its sly wit, dark intelligence and tense action sequences this film re-establishes the Coens as two of American cinema's most talented directors. It's also the best adaptation of McCarthy's work to date and an unmissable crime movie."
- Jamie Russell (Channel 4 Film)

Michael Clayton (2007)

"How do I talk to you, Arthur – so you hear me? Like a child? Like a nut? Like everything’s fine? What’s the secret? Because I need you to hear me."
- Michael Clayton (George Clooney)

Michael Clayton: I am not the enemy.
Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson): Then who are you?

At a glance: Part corporate thriller, part character study, Michael Clayton excels on the strength of George Clooney’s powerful performance, combined with the no-nonsense dialogue by writer/director Tony Gilroy.

Michael Clayton is a man whose life is spiraling down. It’s more than just his financial woes, caused by a brother who went into partnership with him and then succumbed to alcoholism. It has infected every cranny of his life, from his job to his relationships. Sadness  and hollowness is etched on Michael’s face, even as he still goes about business as usual as a ‘janitor’ for a major law firm.

As his financial difficulties reach a head, the loan that he requires from the firm hinges on whether he can find and control Arthur (Tom Wilkinson), an independent lawyer and long-time friend, who, after six years of defending corporate poison manufacturer uNorth, has suddenly seen the light and has been amassing evidence against them. Just how far will uNorth go to protect themselves?

Like the fantasy novel being read by Michael's son, this is a story of a coming together of people who share the same dream. Michael’s soul-less existence as a uber-efficient corporate lackey is about to end, replaced by a much more dangerous path, where he must travel according to his moral compass and use his skills for good instead of evil.

Clooney’s face tells the story of his character – when Arthur dies, it is as if a mask has been removed, and he suddenly seems lighter, resolved, with purpose. Clooney’s face and acting carry the story, helped by great, no-nonsense dialogue written by talented screenwriter Tony Gilroy. Tilda Swinton is excellent as a corporation representative who goes over the line – the scenes where she prepares for work are simple and fascinating, revealing an insight into her soul, often without her saying a word. The movie feels like a ‘movie’: coherent, focused, intimate. It lacks the flash and explosions and tricks inherent in most thrillers, opting instead for strong writing and believable characters. It is not surprising that is has garnered Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay (written directly for the screen).

Tony Gilroy has been around for awhile, with credited screenplays for The Devil’s Advocate, Armageddon, Proof of Life, and the Bourne trilogy. This is his first directorial role, with more to come: Keep an eye out for Duplicity (starring Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Billy Bob Thornton, and Tom Wilkinson), due out in 2009. Rating: 3.5 of 4

"With his focused, charismatic manner and a character whose control is challenged by a colleague's principles, Clooney sustains the tension in a case of corporate corruption."
- Jules Brenner (Cinema Signals)

"A poignant and powerful thriller about corporate malfeasance that reveals what it is like to face life-shattering moments.
- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat (Spirituality and Practice)

 "A dark, engaging drama that asks some difficult moral questions, Michael Clayton is a classy piece of filmmaking with yet another in a long line of fine performances from George Clooney."
- Saxon Bullock (Channel 4 Film)

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Movie Star."
- Sean Burns (Philadelphia Weekly)

Atonement (2007)

Robbie (James McAvoy): I'm sorry, you weren't meant to see that. It was the wrong version.
Cecilia (Keira Knightley: What was in the right one?
Robbie: It was more formal, less...
Cecilia: Anatomical?

Briony (Saoirse Ronan): Lola, can I tell you something? Something really terrible?
Lola (Juno Temple): Yes please.

Robbie: [voiceover] Dearest Cecilia, the story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. The man who, with the clarity of passion, made love to you in the library. The story can resume. I will return. Find you, love you, marry you and live without shame.

At a glance: This unique, ambitious, and deeply tragic love story has moments of beauty and passion, but the screenplay makes a misguided attempt to invoke sympathy where none is warranted, which may leave some viewers dissatisfied and uninvolved.

In 1930s England, Cecilia (Keira Knightley) has spent plenty of time around the family gardener and handyman servant, Robby (James McAvoy). Although she has tried to stay aloof, she is in fact in love with him. When he sends her the wrong version of an apology letter – a version that is quite sexually explicit, her denial of that love is broken, and they make love and pledge their hearts to each other. The only problem is that her little sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan) has also read the letter, and it only confuses her fanciful mind and fuels a jealousy brought on by her ongoing fantasy crush on Robby. When Briony’s young visiting cousin Lola is attacked by a man that evening, Briony knows and sees it is someone else, but her mind convinces itself that it was Robby. With the weight and wealth of her family behind her, her testimony is enough to send Robby to prison. Three years later, Robby opts out of prison by taking an offer to fight the Germans in the French countryside of World War Two. Will Briony atone for her sins? Will Cecilia and Robby ever be together?

Atonement is a story of mistakes, lost chances, and tragedy, and it has the type of script that is geared toward Academy Awards, and has indeed been nominated for a slew of them, including Art Direction, Cinematography (it should win this one), Costume Design, Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan), and Picture. And there is much to make Atonement a movie worth watching. There are moments of cinematic triumph, like a long nightmarish tracking shot through a war-ravaged beach in France where waiting soldiers sing, vomit, shoot horses, and ride on the remains of seaside carousels. There is the exquisitely lit interiors of the mansion, shot in cathedral style by cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. There is the clever use of an antique typewriter as soundtrack percussion. But on the flip side, sometimes the soundtrack is overbearingly morose where the script and acting should have been enough to deliver sorrow. And there is a misguided attempt to evoke pity for a woman who, as a 13 year old girl, knowingly accused a man of a crime she knew he didn't commit, just because of a crush and misguided jealousy. There’s also a totally unnecessary twist designed solely to tug the heartstrings – a twist so ridiculous it required a closing soliloquy by Vanessa Redgrave in a failed attempt to explain it. All in all, it’s a mixed bag: thought-provoking but (because of its misplaced morals) uninvolving for some viewers.  Rating: 2.5 of 4

" [Director Joe] Wright brings off enough scenes to leave us with moderately good feelings about the time spent, but he lacks the David Lean-like vision and flair that might have turned this 75-year epic of love, war and family betrayal into an unforgettable movie."
- William Arnold (Seattle Post-Intelligence)

"Cleansing by self atonement doesn't hack it, and the resolution provided is superficial at best."
- Jules Brenner (Cinema Signals)