Let The Right One In (R-2008)

"Let The Right One In" is a Swedish vampire film which is at times very unsettling. The story centers around the relationship between Oskar (Kare Heldebrant), a bullied, lonely boy and Eli (Lina Leandersson), the mysterious girl-next-door who happens to be a vampire. In fact, those two performances are the stand-out performances in the movie and these two kids do an amazing job carrying this film. In fact, the adult acting in this is mediocre at best. It probably did not help that I watched a dubbed version in which the voice-over work was almost laughable. The dubbing was reminiscent of an old-school Saturday morning kung-fu movie. For some reason, the kids dubbing was not quite as bad. The movie explores a very odd and somewhat sordid relationship as Eli becomes close to Oskar and begins to help him tap into his darker side to help deal with the bullies. While we watch them separately deal with their issues (her with vampirism, him with escalating tension with the bullies), we also watch their friendship blossom. One of the more unsettling themes is that vampire films are typically rooted in some level of eroticism, when the two leads are 12-year olds, it becomes almost uncomfortable. Of course, in a story like this, the discomfort works really well. The movie is somewhat gory when it needs to be, but not overly so. It is a deep, dark story and is very entertaining. If you don't mind subtitles, you would probably be better off watching the original language version as the bad voice work was a bit of a distraction in the dubbed version.

Grade: B-

Line of the movie: Eli comes into Oskar's room at night, strips down and slides into his bed. Oskar: "So, you want to go steady?"

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Appaloosa (R-2008)

Ed Harris wrote (co-wrote the screenplay), directed and stars in this adaptation of a Robert B. Parker novel. Harris plays Virgil Cole, a "lawman for hire" in the Old West. He is brought in, along with his traveling Deputy, Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen), to clean up the frontier town of Appaloosa. The most recent sheriff is missing (after being killed in the opening scene) and the town is being controlled by lawless rancher Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons). Cole asserts himself right away by taking out two unruly thugs in the saloon, who happen to work for Bragg, setting up the conflict that the movie centers around. Things get even more complicated when widow Allison French (Renee Zelwegger) arrives in town and Cole takes an instant liking to her. This is a classic western with the good guys vs. bad guys, but with the added layer of deep, complex characters. They are not as black and white as they seem. The four principals make up a really great cast and all play their roles beautifully. Viggo Mortensen is showing great versatility as he looks and acts different every time I see him. One of the more interesting wrinkle is the Allison French character, who is never quite what she seems. While Cole is completely smitten with her, you are never quite sure where her loyalty lies. His deputy, Hitch, does not trust her and fears the relationship could end badly for Cole. If you haven't figured it out, I really enjoyed this movie. It has many of the classic western themes, but still manages to find some good new twists. Irons is also very good as the cold, calculated Randall Bragg (wonder if it is a coincidence that his name closely resembles Stephen King's "ultimate evil" character, Randall Flagg, from "The Stand"). For Western enthusiasts, this is absolutely worth a look.

Grade: B

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Up (PG-2009)

Pixar has completely established themselves as THE animated powerhouse. Year after year, they churn out monster hits. It is also great to see that they don't play it safe. Their scripts are greatly varied and keep getting better and better. I would argue that they no longer make "kid's movies", they just make great films. Although I was less enamored than most with "Wall-E", it was a very intelligent script that could almost be enjoyed more by adults than kids. "Up" follows that new direction and kicks it up a notch. While this is definitely more kid-friendly than "Wall-E", it is an equally intelligent script. In the first 20 minutes alone, they tackle some major adult themes. You probably know the basic story by now: Karl Frederickson (Ed Asner) decides to attach a large amount of helium balloons to his house to travel to South America. After his wife dies, he realizes their dream of going to South America to "Paradise Falls" was never realized, so he plans to land his house right there at the top. What he doesn't plan is the presence of Russell (Jordan Nagai), a member of the Junior World Explorers, who is hiding under the porch when he launches. The two of them travel to South America together where they meet Dug (Bob Peterson), a dog who can talk with the help of a special collar that translates "dog-speak", and a tropical bird who has never been seen by humans. It becomes their mission to protect this bird from one of the great villains in movie history (voiced by Christopher Plummer), who has no problem putting the young boy in great peril (it is very clear that he would not mind killing the boy), as long as he gets what he is looking for. There are some great action sequences in the last third of the movie when they are embroiled in an all-out battle for the bird's safety. This movie is brilliantly funny at times and heart-wrenchingly sad at others. Some of the sadder themes are aimed directly at the adult audience as they are presented in such a way that they would easily go over the children's heads. With such a great stable of films from "Toy Story" to "Finding Nemo", it is hard to believe Pixar can continue to outdo themselves, but this is right up there with any of their best films, if not THE best. If you have not gone yet, no matter what your age, go. This one is not "just for the kiddies" (although that can be said of most of Pixar's films).

Grade: A+

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Sex Drive (UR-2008)

"Sex Drive" can arguably be considered to be a remake of Rob Reiner's classic film, "The Sure Thing" with John Cusack. Both follow the same basic framework: An "unlucky at love" High School-er makes a long pilgrimage to meet a "sure thing", ending up learning more about himself along the way. Now, in terms of "classics", "The Sure Thing" is a much better film. "Sex Drive" is more of a push-the-envelope sex comedy than it is a true character study. That's not to say it isn't any good. It actually is a very funny comedy and star Josh Zuckerman actually reminds me a little of a young John Cusack. James Marsden, as his psycho older brother (a role much like the Chet character in "Weird Science"), is hilarious and is quickly becoming one of my favorite comedic actors (who, incidentally, can do drama just as well). The show-stealing performance, not all that surprisingly, is Seth Green, who plays a sarcastic Amish man who strangely knows a lot about automotive repair. Seth Green is simply one of the funniest people in Hollywood today. Another scene-stealing performance was the two school friends who blatantly hit on every single female they see, carrying on like they are the epitome of confidence, yet you never really see them succeed. In a movie like this, you certainly don't want to over-analyze the plot, but the one major thing that bothered me was the "best friend" character (Clark Duke). Here is a guy that is just as geeky as the lead, if not more so, but the women he meets along the way are drawn to him like flies. Gorgeous women just can not get enough of him. They try to explain this early on with a big "confidence" speech ("It's all about how you carry yourself, bro"), but it falls short because the women are drawn to him instantly with no time to "feel the vibe". Again, you can't over-think this stuff, but it did become a distraction to me. I mean, an Amish car mechanic is much more unrealistic, but it was funny enough to buy into it. Geek-boy the Stud was not. The movie builds toward a very over-the-top finale, which worked because it was very funny. Overall, a decent comedy with plenty of laughs. Certainly not for younger audiences as it's "R" rating was definitely earned (although I watched an Unrated cut).

Grade: C+

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Righteous Kill (R-2008)

It is hard to believe two Hollywood legends would agree to shoot this script. I had heard going in that this was an awful movie. The good news is it is just a little less awful than I feared. The script is loaded with cliches and one-dimensional characters and the most predictable script I've seen in years. Deniro plays "Turk" and Pacino plays "Rooster" (cringing yet?), two veteran cops who start to become disillusioned when the bad guys go free. Right from the opening sequence, you know this is trouble when the partners are in a giggling and hi-fiving like 5 year olds with a new toy. Then, not long after, we see that "Turk" has a hot young cop who "likes it rough" for a girlfriend (Carla Gugino). Can Deniro, the actor, get himself a young chippie? Sure, fame and money help there. Could "Turk", the aging veteran cop on the verge of retirement? Not on your life. That is the first of many unbelievable things in this movie. The plot revolves around their hunt for a "serial killer" who is gunning down known thugs. They work the case with a young detective team (Donnie Wahlberg and John Leguizamo) who start to believe the killer is a cop, and may even be "Turk"! Since the script basically serves you the killer on a platter early in the film, it is painfully obvious that a twist is being set up and, once you realize that, the real killer is also obvious. The most painful part of watching this movie for me was Pacino's performance. I LOVE Pacino and he is probably my all-time favorite actor. I will, as the saying goes, watch him read the phone book. Well, in this case, the phone book would probably have been a better performance. I was stunned at how terrible he is in this movie. He does this thing with raising his eyes that is completely distracting and unnecessary. Deniro sort of sleepwalks through the movie and he has settled in to "just being Deniro", but Pacino?? Wow. When you are out-acted by 50 Cent, you know you hit the wall. For such a great collection of talent (Brian Dennehy is also in this), it is incredibly disappointing. The writing was more on the level of a made-for-Spike-TV movie. I could easily see Steven Seagal in this flick, not Pacino or Deniro.

Grade: D-

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Milk (R-2008)

Before I get into the review, I have to share my pre-conceptions. First, when I see a movie centered around the gay rights struggle, I am "on my guard" for a propaganda piece (actually when I see ANY film based on a political position, I feel the same way). Then, when one of the first images you see is the title card for "Groundswell" productions, my alarm bells ring even louder. So, when I watched "Milk", did I find my concerns were justified? Well, yes, they were. This IS a propaganda piece, no question about it. However, it is a GOOD propaganda piece, led by yet another top-notch performance by Sean Penn. Penn is simply amazing as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to higher office. When he moves to San Francisco from New York and finds his business is not welcome because he is gay, he decides he needs to get involved in a movement for change. The movie follows his rise to being elected to the Town supervisor position, leading to his ultimate demise. Along with Penn, there are also great performances by Josh Brolin, James Franco and Emile Hirsch (who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors after "Into The Wild"). I will say that this film actually illustrated why the gay rights movement has so much trouble getting off the ground. In one of the pivotal sequences, when Harvey Milk is going to make a speech at gay pride day, you can see the flamboyance and "open sexuality" that they bring in front of the public eye. I think that does more to hurt their cause then anything else. Well, that's my take on it, any way. Don't let the "propaganda" feel keep you away from this movie. The performances are worth the time, although I would have liked a little less actual screen time spent on gay, uh, interaction. Sean Penn may be one of the most annoying off-screen people in Hollywood, but man, can he act.


Grade: B (Acting: A+)


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Death Race (R-2008)

On the surface, "Death Race" should be an easy movie to review. It is exactly what you expect it to be. Depending on your tastes, that can be a good thing or a bad thing. In my case, it's a good thing. I like action movies and I am a fan of Jason Statham. Both come across pretty well here. Of course, even for action movies, I would like a little more realism and better writing, but it's just about good enough in this case. Statham plays Jensen Ames, a steel worker who was once a revered race car driver. After his plant closes, he is framed for his wife's murder so he can participate in the hottest TV event in America: the death race, in which prisoners are pitted against each other in souped-up, weapon loaded cars in a race to the death. In this future, prisons are now owned by corporations, who find ways to run them for profit, like the death race. The supporting cast, including Joan Allen, Ian McShane and Tyrese Gibson are all pretty good and the film is entertaining. I find it amusing that in these "future" films, you always find public programs being taken over by corporations (the police in "Robocop", the prison system in this movie) when real-life has shown us recently that private corporations are more likely to be taken over by goverment, not the other way around. This type of movie is all about the visuals and the racing and effects were definitely fun to watch. If you like action movies and/or Statham, it's worth a watch, but you probably won't like it otherwise.

Grade: C

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Tell No One (R-2006)

"Tell No One" is billed as a "thriller". It is a French film based on an American novel of the same name. As the opens, Dr. Alexandre Beck's (Francois Cruzet) wife is murdered and he is the prime suspect. Fast forward 8 years and Dr. Beck is a free man, cleared of the murder, but when two more bodies are found at the murder site, his guilt is once again called into question. To complicate matters, he has just received an e-mail with a short video clip showing his wife, MargotMarie-Josee Croze (), very much alive. His instructions are to "tell no one" (Hey, that would be a good title!!). While Alexandre tries to determine what is going on and whether his wife is truly alive, his actions make him more and more of a suspect in all of this. While I would not call this film a "thriller" so much, it was a very entertaining mystery. On the DVD, you have the option of watching it in its native French or in English. I chose English, which is dubbed, of course. The plotline is very entertaining, although when the mystery is finally revealed, it is almost too complicated. This is not one that you can piece together as you go along.

Grade: C+

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My Bloody Valentine (R-2009)

Every holiday needs a slasher film, so why not Valentine's Day? Of course, in this case, the tie-in to Valentine's Day is shaky at best. In a small mining town in Pennsylvania, four miners are trapped when the shaft collapses on Valentine's Day. When the rescuers find them, there is only one survivor and they soon learn that the one survivor killed the others with a pickaxe to conserve oxygen. Ten years later, the killer is missing from the hospital room where he was in a coma and the staff is slaughtered. Has the killer returned? At the same time, Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) returns to town to sell the mine his father owned. As Hanniger was responsible for the accident which caused the collapse, he is not very popular. His ex-girlfriend, Sarah (Jaime King), is now married to the town sheriff (Kerr Smith), who wants nothing more than to have Tom leave town. This melodrama is played against a backdrop of blood and guts as a man in a miner's outfit is cutting a swath of gore through this small town. For a slasher movie, the mystery story is actually pretty decent. Is the "coma miner" back or is there some other explanation? My only problem with how it plays out is that the big reveal relies on a "cheat" earlier in the story. The effects are very good and I could imagine this would have looked really cool in 3-D. Also, for a horror movie, the acting was actually pretty good. If you like slasher flicks, you will not be disappointed. This is not exactly a classic, but it was certainly entertaining.


Grade: C+

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Changeling (R-2009)

"Changeling", while being sort of slow and just a little long, is an incredibly fascinating and riveting tale. Christine Conner (Angelina Jolie) is a struggling single mother in 1920s Los Angeles, trying to balance her career and raising her son. She returns home from work one day and her son is missing. When she can not find him anywhere, she gets the police involved and this is where the story gets to be really amazing. In the backdrop of this story, you have a radio preacher (John Malkovich) railing about the corruption and incompetence of the LAPD. So, the LAPD finds itself needing a victory. When a boy turns up claiming to be the Conner boy, the police immediately announce he has been found and have full press coverage to show him reunited with his loving mother. The only problem? He is not her son. She mentions this pretty early and the police convince her "maybe he's changed" in the weeks he's been missing and she takes him home. She learns pretty quickly that it is not possible for him to be her son (which she really already knew), but the police don't want any part of it. They can't "flub" their big victory, can they? The movie follows her struggle to make things right and find her real son. There is a major plot twist about halfway through which takes this madness in an entirely new direction. If this were not very closely based on a true story, the things that transpire would be simply difficult to believe. Her battles with the LAPD and the lengths they go to discredit her are horrifying. Clint Eastwood has proven to be a major talent as a director and a fantastic storyteller. The acting in this movie is nothing short of brilliant, starting with Jolie. It is hard to believe that Jolie got the only Oscar nomination for this film. Eastwood and the film itself should also have been nominated.

Grade: A+

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