REEL REVIEWS: Hollywood and the Holidays
The Family Stone – A-
Written and Directed by Thomas Bezucha (“Big Eden”), this holiday film’s sharp wit and underlying emotional drama is a definite treat for every moviegoer; even if the holidays are over. Dermot Mulroney (“Must Love Dogs”) and Sarah Jessica Parker (“Ed Wood”) play budding lovers whose relationship becomes shaky after Mulroney takes his girlfriend home for Christmas to his frosty, suspicious family.
Although the romantic plotlines become predictable, every member of this all-star cast gives an absolutely shinning performance. These performances include Diane Keaton (“The Other Sister”) as a candid, stubborn matriarch, Luke Wilson (“Old School”) as the slobbish son and Rachel McAdams (“Wedding Crashers”) as a frumpy daughter. The dialogue is smart and subtle enough to sustain a realistic and funny atmosphere. But this film is about more than the silly antics of an affectionate family. Comparatively modest and full of great chemistry between actors, this film reminds us why family is so important.
-Casey Allen
Fun with Dick and Jane – B-
This film is a remake from a 1977 comedy of the same title starring Jane Fonda (“Nine to Five”) and George Segal (“Look Who’s Talking”) as a wealthy married couple who find themselves in debt and turn to armed robbery as a source of income. This story is pretty much recycled and put into 2005 with Jim Carrey (“Bruce Almighty”) and Tea Leoni (“Spanglish”) as the desperate, suburban criminals.
A lot of fun can be found in this film if you’re not too picky. And all Carrey fans will love every minute, since this film basically functions as another platform for him to showcase his wacky facial expressions and never-ending zaniness. Leoni helps to make this film less idiotic and more tolerable with her portrayal of an everyday mother-next-door with comic timing that proves to be razor sharp. Ultimately, this film remains mediocre and even trite at times.
-Casey Allen
Memoirs of a Geisha – A
Easily, the most visually stunning film of 2005. Director, Rob Marshall (“Chicago”), creates a moving masterpiece about a destitute, orphaned girl (Ziyi Zhang, “Hero”) who rises above her challenges to become the most famous geisha in Japan. Beginning in the 1930s, the culture and time period saturate the screen with beautifully intricate costumes, music and set designs. All of these elements alone make this film an absorbing experience.
From the 1997 novel by Arthur Golden, this film shows the journey of an awkward girl who blossoms into an exotic woman while trying to survive the poverty and social treachery that surround her. Michelle Yeoh (“The Touch”) is perfectly graceful as an instructive geisha mentor and Gong Li (“2046”) gives a commanding performance as a smoldering, scheming temptress. With rich uses of lighting and shadows, this film provides a mature, dark portrayal of a life full of art, mystery, intrigue and the hope for true love.
-Casey Allen
Munich – A
Eric Bana (“Troy”) leads an enormous cast in the latest historical epic from Director, Steven Spielberg (“Amistad”) about the aftermath of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany where eleven Israeli athletes were murdered by Arab terrorists. The tragedy of this event is only the beginning. A former Israeli bodyguard (Bana) is hired by his government to secretly track down and kill each of the Arab terrorists responsible for the Olympic massacre.
So this man embarks upon his secret mission, along with a small team of assistants, traveling throughout Europe destroying each targeted victim. Packed with violence, realism, exquisite cinematography and a complex network of espionage, “Munich” is harsh, tense and disturbing as questions of ethics arise without any easy answers. Based on George Jonas’ book, “Vengeance”, this film comes from real events and strikes viewers dean on as human values are examined and the worth of peace is weighed against the price of revenge.
-Casey Allen
The Chronicles of Narnia – A
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is an exciting rendition of C.S. Lewis’s classic novel. Director Andrew Adamson, who helmed the Shrek films, has adeptly strayed from postmodern satire into traditional territory with this latest project.
“Narnia” is a tale of four London children sent to a professor’s home during World War II. Lucy, the youngest, discovers a wardrobe which act as a magical portal to another world – Narnia. In this land where animals can talk, it is prophesied that four humans will one day restore goodness and peace. The problem is, the cruel, tyrannical White Witch currently governs Narnia. With the help of Aslan, the benevolent, true ruler of Narnia, the four siblings are faced with the charge of leading a revolution.
Though I’ve long forgotten the details of the novel, I remember the magical feelings it stirred, and hoped above all that the film would do the same. I wasn’t disappointed; this straightforward adaptation makes magic a priority, also emphasizing action and gloriously rendered mythical creatures.
-Chris Blakesley
Rumor Has It – A-
Set in 1997, confused fiancée Sarah (Jeniffer Aniston) discovers that her family was the basis for the infamous, like-named book and film “The Graduate.” Determined to verify the truth of her past, Sarah searches out the “graduate” guy (Kevin Costner), and must decide what to do with her life.
Director Rob Reiner (“Sleepless In Seattle”) once again masterfully pokes fun at society while pondering relationship truisms. Where his other films, like “When Harry Met Sally,” and “Sleepless in Seattle” champion inevitable, ironic love, “Rumor” interestingly romanticizes sensibility, and power which stems from autonomy. The film wonders whether we can really discover who we are, let alone who we’re right for. While Reiner doesn’t convince with any answers, he examines love honestly, reminding that love is really pretty darn hard to understand.
About the acting: Aniston plays a neurotic, insecure cutie – pretty much the same character we’ve seen since “FRIENDS.” However, she’s good at what she does, and she strongly leads the rest of the solid cast, including Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo, and Kathy Bates.
-Chris Blakesley
King Kong – A
Watching “Rumor Has It” and “King Kong” during the same week proved to an interesting mix. Where “Rumor” showed the benefits of love, “Kong” displayed tragic consequences. “Kong” is a tragic horror picture; violently rendering the pitfalls of letting beauty motivate devotion.
This adaptation of the 1930’s classic film, “King Kong” is skillfully remade in a film that tells a fantastic tale matched with heart. A down and out film producer (Jack Black) persuades a cast and crew to travel to isolated Skull Island in order to film a love story. Things trun awry when native savages kidnap the lead actress Ann (Naomi Watts), in order to make a sacrificial offering to Kong, a thirty-foot tall gorilla. Kong falls in love with Ann, and the two become lovingly devoted to protecting each other as prehistoric creatures and military personnel attack.
Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings” films) proves with this film that he’s an auteur that’s here to stay – his specialty being epic adventures of seemingly limitless scope. It’s not only amazing that he can transform such huge productions into engaging narratives, but that he can simultaneously prod weighty performances and push the envelope of special effect standards.
-Chris Blakesley