MOVIE REVIEWS: No french hens this year, just three decent movie choices
Casino Royale
Rated PG-13, Grade A-
What makes this latest installment of the James Bond films so effective is its shattering of overused stereotypes.
Daniel Craig (“Munich”) takes the reins of the Bond role with confidence and integrity as we witness Bond’s first mission to stop a notorious banker from winning an international poker tournament.
Craig gives Bond a more realistic personality by portraying him as a fallible man trying to do his job and not an unstoppable, robotic superhero. Craig’s performance, along with the moderation of garish action sequences, helps to make “Casino Royale” both thrilling and realistic.
Eva Green (“Kingdom of Heaven”) should also be commended for her performance. As an exotic, classy accountant teamed up with Bond, she is far from the sex-craving, buxom Bond girls of the past.
Green injects the latest Bond girl with poise and maturity through her consistent portrayal of frosty intelligence and smoky eyes.
“Casino Royale” still has some of the requisite ingredients for the James Bond style.
Set in the Bahamas, Montenegro and Venice, the scenery is easy on the eyes. And the mysterious villain (Mads Mikkelsen, “King Arthur”) is delightfully creepy.
There are a few bits of the screenplay that stumble into cheesy clichés, but the film, overall, gives us a fresh look at one of Hollywood’s oldest franchises.
Instead of having the shiny explosions and shootouts dominate the film, the emotions of our protagonists (which are sometimes decidedly darker than we’d expect) take up most of the film’s content, leaving you itching for more.
Déjà Vu
Rated PG-13, Grade B+
Director, Tony Scott (“Domino”) gives us a technological thriller that is both a nail-biter and a message of hope.
While the film seems to thrive in its technological prowess too much, and try to hold the audience’s hand a little too tightly, “Déjà Vu” still manages to deliver thanks to Denzel Washington (“Inside Man”).
His portrayal of Doug Carlin, an ATF (alcohol, tobacco and firearm) agent putting his life on the line, isn’t exactly moving, but it keeps the audience engaged.
Set in New Orleans not long after the devastation of hurricane Katrina, an act of terrorism leaves hundreds of ferry passengers dead.
Doug strides in to investigate and soon discovers the murder of a young woman linked to the crime. With the help of some obscure computer whizzes (including Val Kilmer, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” and Adam Goldberg, “Stay Alive”), Doug realizes he can prevent the crime from even happening – if he’s willing to take the risk.
There are some thick moments of intensity here, including a remarkably ingenious car chase.
There are also some thick moments of confusion, resulting from loose ends and jumpy story developments. But everyone’s efforts to make the film cohesive are notable, and Washington’s performance is strong like always.
Marie Antoinette
Rated PG-13, Grade A-
“Hello, my name is Kirsten Dunst (“Spider-Man”) and I really AM an actress!” That’s one of the many messages this film provides.
Dunst gives a noticeably impassioned performance as the iconic, title role. She’s adequate, but not amazing.
At least she reminds us that she’s capable of acting in films other than fluff (i.e., “Bring It On”, “Wimbledon”, etc.) Jason Schwartzman (“Shopgirl”) does well as Dunst’s opposite, playing the bumbling Louis XVI with quiet hilarity.
Sofia Coppola’s (“Lost in Translation”) latest film screams artsy and avant-garde as we watch France’s famous queen grow from an awkward teenager leaving her home to an elegant, decadent monarch gliding through the halls of Versailles.
While not really intending to be a historic account of the queen’s life, the film is more of an emotional retrospective as we see her endure pressures (“When will you produce an heir?!”) and embellish in luxuries (colorful montages full of gowns, pastries, shoes and gambling).
The emotional development of the title character is what really drives the film. Keeping it intimate and subtle makes the film’s realism resonate surprisingly well for viewers.
Only during the latter half of the story does the film lose momentum and direction through a bunch of extraneous scenes appearing like wispy perfume advertisements.
Featuring the bubbliest soundtrack of the year, “Marie Antoinette” is also a success because of its clever mixture of classic and contemporary culture, keeping it fun while still being insightful.
Sparse on dialogue, sprinkled with comedy and full of exquisite costume and set designs, “Marie Antoinette” won’t astound you, but it won’t disappoint you either.
Casey T. Allen is The Utah Statesman movie critic. Comments on his reviews or suggestions for future ones can be sent to him a
caseyal@cc.usu.edu.