Music From The Movies,
Saturday, January 16th at 7pm
 WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS A MAN...especially if that man is Mel Gibson, when he took on the role of Shakespeare's melancholy Dane Hamlet in 1990. Score by Ennio Morricone. Plus more Hamlet music by William Walton, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Patrick Doyle. In new reviews, Regina's crazed from Tim Allen's Crazy on the Outside but loves Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. Jared checks out Denzel Washington's latest, The Book of Eli. Plus we have DVD Short Takes.****NEW IN THEATERS (by Regina with Jared Counts)****  THE BOOK OF ELI. (Warner Brothers. 1 hour, 58 minutes. Rated R for some brutal violence and language. Directed by Albert and Allen Hughes.) Denzel Washington (Eli), Gary Oldman (Carnegie), Mila Kunis (Solara), Ray Stevenson (Redridge), Jennifer Beals (Claudia). Music by Atticus Ross. Eli (Washington) is a lone traveler in a nuclear wasteland, charged with transporting a very powerful book to someplace in the west. Carnegie (Oldman), the ruthless ruler of a small town, has been searching for the book Eli carries, and will do anything to possess it. An intense and atmospheric voyage through a post-war dystopia.One thing the Hughes Brothers nail in this film is the mood and atmosphere of the world that Eli traverses. From the beautifully creepy snowfall (ashfall?) in the opening sequence to the charred and dessicated remains of the landscape, the setting feels both familiar and incredibly foreign at the same time. Much is left to the imagination, which I think works in the film's favor. Washington is great as a lone wanderer in a world where water (and trust) are in dangerously short supply, Oldman is slimy and effective and Kunis is charming. The action sequences are tight and deftly presented, showcasing a surprisingly spry Washington. The early battle in the underpass between Eli and the marauders is very cool. I felt a tinge of disappointment when the book's identity is revealed, but the implications of its existence, especially when measured against the motivations of Eli and Carnegie, leads to some very intriguing ends. The twist at the end (by the way, there's a twist at the end) seems almost impossible, but also makes Eli that much more awesome. Well worth the time. —Jared  CRAZY HEART. (Fox Searchlight. 1 hour, 51 minutes. Rated R for language and brief sexuality. Directed by Scott Cooper.) Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, James Keane, Ryan Bingham, Paul Herman. Original music by Stephen Bruton and T Bone Burnett. Bridges' powerhouse performance is at the center of this touching drama, aided by a good soundtrack. He's Bad Blake, once on top of the country music world. Now he's hit bottom after too many years on the road, too many marriages, and too many drinks. Problem is, there's still talent underneath all the baggage. One person who sees it is a journalist (Gyllenhaal), who in spite of all her instincts comes to regard Blake as more than an interview subject. The talented, undersung Bridges, now 60, started as a child actor (along with his older brother Beau) on his dad Lloyd Bridges' popular '60s TV show Sea Hunt. Jeff has been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar four times since 1971 and has never won; he's a sentimental favorite to earn his fifth nomination this year. And if he goes all the way, I wouldn't mind it at all. —Regina CRAZY ON THE OUTSIDE. (Freestyle Releasing. 1 hour, 36 minutes. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language. Directed by Tim Allen.) Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Ray Liotta, Carrie-Anne Moss, Julie Bowen, Kelsey Grammer, Jeanne Tripplehorn, J.K. Simmons. Music by David Newman. Allen's directing debut is hit-and-miss, but mostly a miss. As a reminder that he still has comedy chops, he chose Houston as the 7th in a 10-city tour in December where a screening of the movie was preceded by Tim doing an in-person stand-up routine. (I planned to meet with Tim to talk about the movie, but my interview with him was cancelled last-minute.) So, about the movie: Tim's an ex-con, just out after serving 3 years for video piracy. He's bunking with his dotty grandma, plus wacky sister (Weaver) and her husband (Simmons). He encounters his old girlfriend (Bowen), who's now with a scummy-yet-rich electronics-store owner (Grammer). Meanwhile there's his attractive parole officer (Tripplehorn) and her cute son; predictable situations at the fast-food place he's forced to work, complete with "pirate" theme (get it? Pirates? Piracy? Oh, the hilarity); and his old partner-in-crime (Liotta) tries to keep him from going straight. Veteran cast tries, but they're sunk by the poor script. Weaver and Simmons supply the few laughs. —ReginaREGINA'S SHORT TAKES: HOLIDAY MOVIES! AVATAR (Fox). Titanic director and "King of the World" James Cameron is back with a boffo movie and special effects that are hard to beat as he creates a whole new world (with its own language). You really need to see it in a theater and in 3D for the full experience. In the long run, though, flick won't overtake the Titanic box office, or the hearts of those who love the Jack-and-Rose romance. ME AND ORSON WELLES (CinemaNX). Director Richard Linklater goes old-fashioned; it's worth seeing if only for noteworthy performance by Christian McKay as Welles, mounting his controversial Julius Caesar for the Mercury Theater in 1930s New York. Claire Danes isn't helped by the fact that her romantic interest Zac Efron is far prettier than her. UP IN THE AIR (Paramount). Excellent chronicle of a corporate downsizer who lives on planes and has eliminated personal relationships from his life. George Clooney's best role has him as a strong contender for the Oscar. Don't overlook Anna Kendrick as his apprentice, or Jason Reitman's assured direction in his followup to Juno.  THE YOUNG VICTORIA (Apparition). Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are Victoria and Albert in this slow-moving account of the monarch's early years. The actors are fine, but sumptuous costumes and art direction don't overcome lack of fireworks. Perhaps all those actresses who like to play Victoria's predecessor Elizabeth I are given more to work with. A SINGLE MAN (Weinstein). Losing steam in the year-end Best Actor races, unfortunately, is Colin Firth with a stunning performance as a gay man in the early 1960s mourning the loss of his longtime partner. Impressive directing debut by fashion designer Tom Ford (guess who provides the men's costumes). But since this is a Weinstein film, Firth's got Harvey behind him, so maybe I'm speaking too soon. IT'S COMPLICATED (Universal). Refreshing respite from the many dreary dramas we tend to see this time of year. Meryl Streep has fun as a divorced woman who has a fling with her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin, sinking his teeth into the role, and into Meryl). Steve Martin is around to complete the triangle, but his role needs a little more zing. THE LOVELY BONES (Paramount). My fellow critics seem to either love or hate this adaptation of the best-selling book about a teenage girl (Saoirse Ronan) who's murdered, then waits and watches in a kind of purgatory while her parents (Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz) deal with her death. I didn't much care for it, although I give props to Stanley Tucci as the family's creepy neighbor. NINE (Weinstein). Director Rob Marshall (Chicago) gets to revisit la dolce vita with this adaptation of the stage hit which is itself a musical version of Federico Fellini's 8 1/2. A cast heavy with Oscar winners (Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard) doesn't help the core problem: the main character is a selfish jerk, just like he was in the original movie. Lovely photography, art direction, and Day-Lewis zipping around in that little Fiat coupe, make this play more like a feature-length version of that Chanel commercial Kidman starred in a couple of years back.  SHERLOCK HOLMES (Warner Bros.). Enjoyable relaunching of the redoubtable Holmes brand has Robert Downey Jr. as a rock-'em, sock-'em sleuth and Jude Law as his capable and long-suffering sidekick Watson. Director Guy Ritchie keeps enough of the conventions, although purists won't be happy (well, they never are). All things considered, I still prefer a British Holmes (would love to see Michael Sheen tackle it), but Downey does the job. Bouncy score by Hans Zimmer helps keep things moving. With Rachel McAdams. INVICTUS. (Warner Brothers. 2 hours, 14 minutes. Rated R for brief strong language Directed by Clint Eastwood.) Morgan Freeman (Nelson Mandela), Matt Damon (Francois Pienaar). Music by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens. "Rugby, however, is a hooligan's game, played by gentlemen." After his release from a 20-year prison sentence, Nelson Mandela (Freeman) is elected president of South Africa. In an attempt to shed the shadow of apartheid, he recruits the help of rugby team captain Francois Pienaar (Damon) to inspire his team to win the World Cup. Eastwood directs a compelling, if somewhat flawed retelling of one country's struggle for unity through the language of sports.As far as I'm concerned, Morgan Freeman is Nelson Mandela. I can't imagine another actor portraying him as skillfully. His speech, his demeanor and evens his looks are all spot-on, and his presence is magnetic. Damon holds up well as the rugby team captain (and has definitely shed his post-Informant! pounds). Eastwood balances the politics of the era with the rugby action, never letting one overwhelm the other or resorting to sentimentality. The tightrope act Mandela must perform, and the faith he requires from his people is fascinating to watch. Cinematographer Tom Stern ably contrasts the upscale neighborhoods with the shanty towns of Johannesburg, and the score by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens is suitably grand. However, despite my interest in the political side of the movie, I felt a little let down by the sports side. This may be due to my unfamiliarity with the sport, but the matches in general, and the World Cup game in particular, left me a bit flat. They're well-presented, but they didn't grip me like I hoped they would. Having to compete with Morgan Freeman's performance certainly didn't help rugby's case. Still, it's definitely worth a watch. —Jared  FANTASTIC MR. FOX. (20th-Century Fox Animation. Rated PG for action, smoking and slang humor. 1 hour, 28 minutes. Directed by Wes Anderson.) Voices of George Clooney (Mr. Fox), Meryl Streep (Mrs. Fox), Jason Schwartzman (Ash), Eric Chase Anderson (Kristofferson), Bill Murray (Badger), Wallace Wolodarsky (Kylie), Michael Gambon (Franklin Bean), Willem Dafoe (Rat), Owen Wilson (Coach Skip), Jarvis Cocker (Petey). Music by Alexandre Desplat. Wes Anderson's first animated movie has a consistent wacky tone. Old-fashioned stop-motion technique is brought up to the 21st century; characters are enriched by the voice talents involved. Based on the 1970 book by Roald Dahl, the plot concerns a husband-and-wife fox, their son Ash, and his visiting cousin Kristofferson who seems superior to Ash in every way. Mr. Fox, after years of quiet domesticity, gives in to his wild-animal urges (much to the consternation of Mrs. Fox) and starts stealing from the neighboring farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Er, consequences ensue. I particularly enjoyed Streep, Bill Murray's puffed-up Badger and Willem Dafoe's slimy Rat. Bouncy music by Desplat adds to the carnival atmosphere. Fun for grownups and kids. —Regina***WHAT'S NEW ON DVD!***  THE PATTY DUKE SHOW (Season One). (Shout! Factory. 1963-64. 6 discs. 900 minutes. B&W. Not rated. Various directors.) Patty Duke, William Schallert, Jean Byron, Paul O'Keefe, Eddie Applegate. Straight out of Brooklyn Heights are typical American teen Patty Lane and her identical cousin from Scotland, the cultured Cathy (both played by Duke). Along for the twin hi-jinks are Mom (Byron), Dad (Schallert), younger brother (O'Keefe), and Patty's dullish boyfriend (Applegate). There was a warmth and openness to the 16-year-old Duke which was the show's main appeal (along with that crazy-yet-catchy theme song, which I can still sing today). Series enjoyed a popular revival on Nick at Nite; there was a reunion show with the original cast in 1999. Season One guest stars included Margaret Hamilton, Paul Lynde, and teen idol Frankie Avalon. Look fast for a young John Spencer (The West Wing) in a couple of episodes. Box set includes a fun new featurette with Duke (now 63), Schallert (87), O'Keefe (58), and Applegate (74) reminiscing about the show (Byron died a few years ago at 80). Created by future-best-selling-novelist Sidney Sheldon, whose other big '60s series was I Dream of Jeannie; he wrote most of the episodes for both. Season Two of Patty Duke is due February 9. "You can lose your mind." —Regina> view printer-friendly version > return to previous page |