C

THE CAKE EATERS: This debut film for director Mary Stuart Masterson is out in limited release. It got a good review from our local critic and received an average grade of B+ by Yahoo viewers. It is about a young handicapped girl who wants to experience sex before she dies. We saw it last year at the Method Fest Film Festival in Calabassas, CA and thought it was very well done. Here’s what we wrote in last year’s April issue:

The Cake Eaters: Directed by Mary Stuart Masterson and starring Bruce Dern, Elizabeth Ashley and Kirsten Stewart. It was a good story with interesting characters. Stewart was outstanding playing a young girl with Fredreich’s Ataxia, a rare inherited disorder than affects the nervous system. A good film with an unfortunate title.

And here is an excerpt from the New York Times reviewer, Stephen Holden: In "The Cake Eaters" superior acting elevates a small, overcrowded ensemble piece set in rural upstate New York into something a little deeper and truer than the mawkish disease-of-the-week movie it threatens to become. Holden called it a promising directorial debut by Masterson. Roger Ebert agrees, saying that Masterson is an assured director. He gives the movie three stars. We hope you can find it playing in your town. If not, it is already available on DVD from Netflix.

CALENDAR GIRLS: What fun this movie is. Any woman of a certain age is going to love it. Calendar Girls should lift her spirits and lower her neckline. Helen Mirren and Julie Walters recreate the events of 1999 in the small town of Rylstone, North Yorkshire, England. Every year the Rylstone Women's Institute creates a calendar to raise money for charity. This year Chris (Mirren) and Annie (Walters) decide the calendar should honor Annie's husband, John, who had recently lost his fight with Leukemia. John was fond of saying that the flowers of Yorkshire were like the women of Yorkshire, most glorious in their last phase. The two women decide that the best way to honor John is to do a nude calendar with themselves and their friends as models--women in their last phase. The movie provides some obstacles, mostly in the form of the local Association president, but I understand that in real life, everyone thought it was a grand idea. The calendar gets made and is such a smash hit that the women are invited to appear on the Tonight Show. To date, the Calendar has raised over 500,000£ for Leukemia research. The taking of the calendar pictures provides most of the laughs in this delightful movie. There are also some touching moments. Most importantly, Chris, Annie, and their friends make being in your fifties and sixties look truly glorious. God bless them for that! GRADE: Somewhere between B+ and A-.

CAPITALISM--A LOVE STORY: A curious title for independent filmmaker Michael Moore’s latest documentary. Twenty years ago Moore gave us Roger & Me in which he told how General Motors undid his hometown (Flint, Michigan). He went on to write, direct, and produce films about gun control, the handling of the Iraq War, and health care. In this film he examines an economic system most Americans believe is the best in the world. As I watched this film, I realized I carry two images of capitalism: one I learned in school in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s and one that has gradually formed as corporate deregulation and unfettered greed has led to enormous numbers of people in the middle and working class losing their jobs and often their homes. The richest one percent of Americans now hold more wealth than the bottom 95 percent combined. Deftly moving from pathos to humor, Moore gives us a film that both informs and entertains. For me, one of the most memorable segments shows us never before publicly viewed film footage of Franklin Roosevelt calling for a Second Bill of Rights for Americans. His words were put on film less than a year before his death. Sadly, the rights he calls for have never been achieved. Permit me to end this review with a prediction: If your politics and view of history leads you to have higher regard for Ronald Reagan than for Franklin Roosevelt, you will probably avoid this film or will be highly critical of it. Barbara and I agree that it is difficult to evaluate documentary films using the same criteria used on films in other genres. And politically charged films are even harder to evaluate. Even so, we were both impressed by this film and award it relatively high marks. Mine is slightly higher than Barb’s. GRADE A-/B+

CAPOTE: Truman Capote was an incredibly complicated man and a brilliant and completely self-absorbed writer. He was a fixture on the New York party scene and was as well known for his high-pitched, lisping voice, outrageous manner of dress, and wild fabrications about acquaintances and events as he was for his literary output. (from Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia.) In November, 1959, the town of Holcomb, Kansas became the scene of a brutal massacre. Four members of the Clutter family were murdered in their home. Capote became interested in the story and, with his childhood friend, Harper Lee, traveled to Kansas for the purpose of researching an article for The NewYorker magazine. He soon realized that the story was too big for an article and decided to write a book. When Perry Smith and Dick Hickock were arrested for the murders, he became fascinated with Smith. The two men were sentenced to death, but Capote needed time to gather material for his book. He hired an attorney to file an appeal for Smith and Hickock, thereby postponing their execution. That gave him the time needed to befriend Smith and use that friendship to gain insight into the man and the murders. The book that resulted, In Cold Blood, made Capote a world-famous author. Philip Seymour Hoffman doesn’t just play Truman Capote, he becomes Capote. That he is able to play a supreme narcissist who will sacrifice anything for his work, and make him achingly human is a testament to his skill as an actor. His performance is definitely worth an Oscar nomination and should not be missed. Catherine Keener is Harper Lee, Clifton Collins Jr. is Perry Smith, Bruce Greenwood is Jack Dunphy, Capote’s longtime companion, and Chris Cooper is Alvin Dewey, the Kansas agent in charge of the case. Hoffman’s performance is an A+. Because the film’s measured pace sometimes seems too slow, we rate the film at B-. However, since Capote, the man, is Capote the film we give it a B+. GRADE B+

Not only does Mr. Hoffman achieve an impressive physical and vocal transformation - mimicking Capote's chirpy drawl and appearing to shrink to his elfin stature - but he also conveys, with clarity and subtlety, the complexities of Capote's temperament. (from A.O. Scott’s review in the New York Times)

CAPTAIN CORELLI'S MANDOLIN: If watching the movie, ENCHANTED APRIL, made you want to rent a villa in Tuscany, then watching this film will make you long for a vacation in the Greek Isles. The WWII love/war story is set on the Greek Island of Cephalonia, and the scenery is magnificent. We can understand why most critics think the scenery is the best thing in the movie. The New York Times reviewer thought the script was "plodding," and some critics thought the love story lacked chemistry. Almost all the critics I read hated the accents. However, the accents didn't bother us and we thought the love story was convincing. The story did plod a bit at the beginning, but once we got into it, we quite enjoyed it. Nicholas Cage is Captain Corelli, an Italian soldier who is sent to occupy Cephalonia, along with a contingent of German soldiers. He and his squad have never been in battle, and they seem to prefer singing and drinking to fighting. Penelope Cruz is Pelagia, the beautiful daughter of the local doctor. John Hurt is the second best thing in the movie: He gives Dr. Iannis great dignity and wisdom. Pelagia is betrothed to a local fisherman who is now fighting with the Greek resistance, but she falls in love with Corelli in spite of the fact that he is "the enemy." When the Italian Army surrenders to the Allies, the Italian soldiers on Cephalonia are ordered to surrender their arms to the Germans. And that's when the real trouble begins. There are some stirring pyrotechnics in a vigorous, though confusing, battle scene and also in an earthquake scene. (Life on Cephalonia is not as peaceful as it looks!.) Roger Ebert didn't care for the movie, but he was very fond of the 1994 novel from which the screenplay was taken. When you love a book, you often don't like the movie: Too many details and wonderful characters have to be eliminated. The movie did make me think I might like to read the book. We give it a B. GRADE B

CASANOVA: If asked to compile a list of the most widely recognized proper names in the English language, "Casanova" would have to be high on the list. It would be rare to find anyone living today who has read the autobiography of Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798), but it would be equally rare to find anyone who does not recognize the name and associate it with sexual excess, sexual compulsiveness, or sexual conquest. For over two hundred years the escapades of Casanova have titillated the imagination of writers and readers. The 2005 movie of that title is inspired fantasy. It puts a comic twist on Casanova’s life and results in a playful romp through eighteenth century Venice. Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) effectively plays the title role, and Sienna Miller is lovely as the woman who capture’s Casanova’s heart. Also worth mention are Lena Olin, Jeremy Irons, Charlie Cox, and the funny and always excellent Oliver Platt. Lasse Hallström (The Shipping News, Cider House Rule, An Unfinished Life) is the director. For us, it was a solid B movie. GRADE B

CASINO ROYALE: See Bond run. Run, Bond, run. Daniel Craig does a lot of running in this latest Bond film, and he is very good at it. In fact, he’s good at everything "Bondian." In this film, James has just earned his double O status and is on his first mission. He’s a younger Bond than we are used to seeing, but he is Bond through and through. Ever since I saw him in 2004’s Layer Cake, I have been a Daniel Craig fan. His appearances in Munich and Infamous increased my admiration for his acting ability. This film proves he can fight and womanize with the best of them. He is a tougher Bond—a man who looks like he doesn’t give a damn if his martini is shaken or stirred. And when he fights, he actually bleeds. I know there was a lot of controversy when it was announced that Craig was chosen out of 200 actors to play Bond. I think this film will silence the dissenters. According to U.S.A. Today, "Except for his blond mane, new James Bond star Daniel Craig is closer to Ian Fleming's original physical description of British Secret Agent 007 than others who have played the part." The Danish actor, Mads Mikkelsen, makes an interesting villain, and Eva Green is not your typical Bond girl. She is smart and definitely worthy of Bond’s affection. I’m glad that the Bond movies don’t sacrifice plot for impossible stunts and explosions. (Although there are some thrilling action scenes.) I’m glad they kept Judi Dench in the role of "M." I’m glad we saw a tender side of James. But most of all, I’m glad that Daniel Craig is playing Bond, James Bond. GRADE B+

CAST AWAY: We walked out of this film marveling at the ability of Tom Hanks to become invisible in any role that he undertakes. He is such a familiar actor, and yet here we completely accept him as Chuck Noland, a workaholic manager for Federal Express. I'm sure you have seen the ads for this movie and realize that Noland is the only survivor of a plane crash. He washes up on the shore of a deserted island and must learn to survive with only the help of some Federal Express packages that wash up on the same shore. It is on the island that Hanks and the movie excel. With no one to talk to, Noland creates a friend named Wilson. Wilson is volleyball, and yet he becomes another character for us as well as for the castaway. Many critics have been disappointed with the ending of this film, and we can understand why. The final scenes are manipulative and ultimately unsatisfying. I also thought that the pace of the final scenes was too slow, and I wish the last scene had been more ambiguous. In addition, I was a bit confused by the opening scenes, and, since I knew what was coming, I kept waiting for the crash. The crash itself was not disappointing. It is a terrifying and wonderful crash! We also decided that Helen Hunt was not the right actress for Kelly Frears, the girl who loved Noland, mourned his "death," and moved on with her life. We sensed no chemistry between Hunt and Hanks. (Sounds like a vaudeville duo, doesn't it?) Hunt is in real danger of being overexposed. She was good in her TV show, but I don't think she is right for some of the movie parts she has had recently--especially this one. A better choice would have been Laura Linney or Tea Leoni--in other words, a better actress. Robert Zemeckis, who teamed with Hanks on Forrest Gump, directed Castaway. Gary was bothered by the ending even more than I, hence his grade of B-. Grade B/B-

CATCH AND RELEASE: When you go to a romantic comedy film, you have to expect some schmaltz. Yes, this movie does have a bit of schmaltz, and it has a happy ending—but isn’t that what romantic comedies are all about? We both enjoyed Catch and Release, and we don’t know why the critics have been so hard on it. The movie has a lot of charm, some unpredictable moments and some clever dialogue. It is both tender and amusing. The Los Angeles Times reviewer said it was "neither a comedy nor a drama but existing in that comfortable space in between." Jennifer Garner is lovely as Gray, whose fiancé, Grady, dies just before their wedding. In her grief, she turns to Grady’s best friends. Before long, Gray learns that Grady was not exactly the man she thought he was, and she has to deal with the secrets he kept. Timothy Olyphant* (TV’s Deadwood) displays real star quality as Fritz, a documentary filmmaker who comes from Los Angeles for the funeral. Kevin Smith, who you may remember as Silent Bob in the Clerks movies, is one of Grady’s friends. Smith is a large man—huge, in fact— but he’s also hugely funny and appealing. Juliette Lewis, as one of Grady’s secrets, and Fiona Shaw as Grady’s grieving mother, are both excellent. Cynical critics called the film "...forgettable seriocomic blather," "bland," and "banal," but we thought it was thoroughly likeable. GRADE B

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Frank Abagnale Jr. practiced medicine without attending medical school, practiced law without a law degree and passed as a pilot without attending flight school. And--he did it all before he was 19. Steven Spielberg brings Abagnale's remarkable story to vivid life in Catch Me If You Can. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Abagnale is, in the words of the New York Times, sensational. We agree. Also impressive is Tom Hanks as Carl Hanratty, the FBI agent who doggedly pursues Abagnale and eventually brings him to justice. We see enough of Abagnale's family life to understand why he became such an accomplished imposter. As Hanratty says to him near the end of the film, "Sometimes it's easier to live the lie." The graphics behind the opening credits are great fun and help set the mood for this entertaining film. Christopher Walken, who has made a career by playing strange often evil men, appears here as Frank Abagnale Sr., and his delightful, sly performance is one of his best. Martin Sheen appears in a small role as does Jennifer Garner (TV's Alias). We saw the film with two Movie Viewer friends, Carl and Joanna S., Phoenix, AZ. They, too, enjoyed the movie and both would give the film an A. I'll say A-, only because a movie has to really blow me away to get an A. Gary agrees.

THE CAT'S MEOW: In November of 1924, the publishing giant William Randolph Hearst invited some guests to join him on his yacht, Oneida. His mistress, Marion Davies was on board, along with Charlie Chaplin, gossip columnist, Louella Parsons, writer Elinor Glyn, movie producer Thomas Ince, and miscellaneous friends. The cruise proved fatal to Thomas Ince who was taken off the boat in grave condition and died a few days later in his own home. Did Hurst shoot him? Did he die of a heart attack? No one knows. The Police never questioned anyone about his death and no one on board the yacht during the cruise ever talked about it. But there were plenty of whispers and rumors. Peter Bogdanovich weaves his film around one plausible scenario--"the whisper heard most often." Watching these celebrities at play is a way for Bogdanovich to give us an idea of what Hollywood was like in the 1920s, when movie celebrities could do pretty much anything they wanted. We thought Herrmann and Dunst were especially good as Hearst and Davies. Likewise Eddie Izzard as Charlie Chaplin. Jennifer Tilly gives an interesting performance as Louella Parsons, who, it is rumored, my have witnessed Hearst shoot Ince. The price of her silence was a lifetime contract with Hearst Publications. We particularly enjoyed Joanna Lumley's protrayal of Elinor Glyn. Her wry narration is the best thing in the film. I thought this one got off to a rather slow start, but it picked up quite a bit when the murder occurred. Both Gary and I put this one in the B to B- range.

THE CELL: Gary wanted to see this film because Ebert thought it was one of the year's best. He was disappointed. A ridiculous story and bizarre visual images added up to a C movie for him. I agree that the story is ridiculous: a child therapist, who can enter the mind of a coma patient, enters the mind of a serial killer to try and locate his current victim before she dies. The science is definitely fiction and that is not our favorite genre. However, I was impressed with the stunning visual imagery and feel the movie is worth a B. The imagery takes precedence over the story. I regretted that we never learn much about the central characters. Jennifer Lopez is the therapist and Vince Vaughn is an FBI agent. Vincent D'Onofrio is the warped serial killer. GRADE: B/C

CELLULAR: Everywhere you look today people are talking on cell phones. Cellular technology has transformed the way we communicate. It's not surprising that an enterprising writer made cell phones the basis for a movie. This is a tightly plotted, exciting and reasonably plausible thriller. A young man receives a call on his cell phone from a woman he doesn't know. She tells him she has been kidnapped and begs for his help. When he finally realizes that her story is true, we see him race through Los Angeles traffic jams and over barricades in a desperate attempt to stay on his phone and do what he can to help. It is always necessary to suspend your disbelief in a movie like this, but here the tension is so continuous that you don't have time to question the improbable coincidence of events. You're just along for the ride and enjoying every minute of it. Chris Evans is the man on the phone and Kim Basinger is the kidnapped woman and both are excellent. Roger Ebert thinks that this was a star-making role for Evans, and he may be right. Jason Statham is memorable as the leader of the kidnappers, and the ubiquitous William H. Macy appears as a weary but curious cop. Larry Cohen, who collaborated on this project also was involved in 2002's Phone Booth. Gary gave that film an A- but gives this one a B+. I liked this movie better than Phone Booth, which I rated a B. I agree with a B+ for Cellular. GRADE B+

CENTER STAGE: This is your standard young-student-dancers-trying-to-get-into-a-ballet-company plot. It covers stage mothers, bulimia, bad feet, sore feet, and the inevitable coming from the corps d'ballet to star in a ballet. However, the performers are so appealing and the dancing is so wonderful that we both really enjoyed the movie. As Roger Ebert said, "The movie uses the materials of melodrama, but is gentle with them." Ethan Stiefel, who plays the star of the company, is a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater and there are many people who think he is the greatest dancer in the world. They may be right. He also plays his part well. Amanda Schull, who is a member of the San Francisco Ballet is Jody, the girl who no one thinks will make it. Zoe Saldana plays a student with attitude, and Susan May Pratt is Maureen, a talented dancer who is living her mother's dream, not her own. (Debra Monk of TV's NYPD Blue is Maureen's mother.) Sascha Radetsky, a dancer with the American Ballet Theater, is Charlie, one of Amada's suitors. The dancing is so beautiful is almost brings tears to your eyes. Gary liked it even better than I did. GRADE: B/B+

CHANGELING: Clint Eastwood has directed this true story in his typical spare and direct style. It is a story of a lost child, incredible police corruption and a serial killer. It is an emotional story, but Eastwood doesn’t let those emotions go out of control. He tells the story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) in a linear fashion beginning with the love this young single mother has for Walter, her 8-year-old son. He shows us her fear and worry when she discovers that Walter is missing and her frustration in dealing with a police department that can’t find him. When she is told that the they have found her son, she is thrilled, but the instant she sees the boy, she knows he is not Walter. The Los Angeles Police Department, currently under siege from all sides for rampant corruption, got some positive press from the case and they cannot afford to admit a mistake. Consequently, they go to great lengths to insist that the boy is Walter and that Christine is psychotic. Even to the length of having her forcibly committed to a psychiatric ward. If it weren’t for the efforts of a local Presbyterian minister, Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), Christine’s true story might never have been told. Briegleb had made it his mission to expose corruption in the Los Angeles government, specifically in the police department. Eastwood has done a masterful job of re-creating the look of Los Angeles in 1928—houses, street cars, clothes, automobiles, all quite amazing. Jeffrey Donovan (TV’ Burn Notice) is very good as a malicious police captain. I’m sure he is thrilled to be in an Eastwood film, but I hope we can see him soon in a more positive role where he can use his considerable charm. Jolie is wonderful, as is Malkovich. I did think that one scene toward the end was unnecessary and didn’t add much except length to a film that had a running time of 2 hours and 21 minutes. This film can’t compare with Unforgiven or Million Dollar Baby, but an Eastwood film is always worth seeing, and you will not fail to be touched by Jolie’s performance. GRADE B

CHANGING LANES: Two men are involved in a fender bender and the accident sets off a chain of actions that causes each man to examine his life and his conscience. It's too bad that the film's trailer gave away the entire sequence of events. I don't know why Hollywood does that--it spoils the movie for the viewer. However, the trailer shows only the events, not the consequences, and it is the consequences that make this a better than average film. Each man reacts in a way that he later comes to regret. Each man experiences insight and learns something about his values from the terrible events of the day. Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) is a young partner in a prestigious corporate law firm. He is on his way to the court to deliver an important file when the accident with Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson) occurs. In his haste to get to court, Banek is rude and arrogant. He also leaves behind the important file, and Gipson retrieves it. The rest of the film is the story of Banek's attempts to retrieve the file. Sydney Pollack is Banek's boss and father-in-law. Toni Collette is a colleague, and William Hurt appears as Gipson's AA sponser. The film was directed by Roger Michell and the screenplay was written by Chap Taylor and Michael Tolkin. (Tolkin wrote the novel and screenplay for The Player.) The writers tell us who these two men are and how they got to this day in their lives. We both enjoyed the movie and were impressed with Affleck. He is turning into a fine actor. Jackson, of course, is superb as always. GRADE B+

CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR: This film is a double delight: you learn something while being entertained. Based on the true story of U.S. Congressman Wilson whose position on three key committees allowed him to arm the Afghanistan Mujahedin and help them triumph over the Russian invaders. It was a win-win situation at the time—we helped end the Cold War by helping Afghanistan overthrow our mutual enemy. Only in the light of current events, do we understand the consequences of that covert war. But, as I said, you will be entertained, especially by the performances of Hanks as Wilson and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust, an unlikely C.I.A. agent. They are both splendid. Julia Roberts takes the part of Joanne Herring the real-life socialite who joined Wilson in the scheme to defeat the Communists. Roberts looks great. Amy Adams proves that she is just as good playing a real girl as she was playing a Princess in Enchanted. But the real star of the film is the crackling smart dialogue of Aaron Sorkin. It’s like watching the best of The West Wing and really made me miss those first few years of that terrific TV show. Did I mention that it’s also quite amusing? Knowledge, amusement and Oscar-worthy performances all rolled up into one film. Gary says A– and I agree. GRADE A-

Joanne: Why is Congress saying one thing and doing another?

Charlie: Tradition, mostly.

CHARLIE'S ANGELS: The plot is non-existent, the stunts are stupefying, the explosions are abundant, and both the heroines and the bad guys are ridiculously resilient. Are my comments a bit over-the-top? Well, so is the movie. The angels are in great form, though. I doubt the three of them ate as much during the filming as I can put away in a day. There's no reason to see this film except to watch the girls do impossible things wearing as little as possible. And what they do wear is skin tight. Gary thought they were trying to make a spoof of action films. Is that possible? Action films have become animated comic books, and as comic books go, this one has some style: The action is fast and furious, Bill Murray supplies some humor, and Charlie's operatives are stylish and perky to a fault. If that's your cup of tea, you might get a kick out of it. We didn't. GRADE: C-

CHẾRI: Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the most beautiful women in movies today, and she looks gorgeous in the elaborate costumes and hats of La Belle Epoch. She is believable as a famous courtesan whose beauty has only just begun to fade. Her Lea de Lonval is the original cougar, taking as a lover a young man whose nickname is Chéri. Intending only to "make a man of him," she makes a mistake that she has heretofore avoided: She falls in love. When Chéri’s mother arranges a marriage for him, we witness a lot of heartbreak and pining on both their parts. The slim screenplay is based on what I imagine is a slim novel by Collette. Except for Pfeiffer and the costuming, there isn’t much to this film, and we were both slightly bored. Rupert Friend’s Chéri is supremely arrogant and such a cold fish that we wondered what it was that attracted such a sophisticated and experienced woman. I suspect he made her feel young again. The poignant closing shot of Pfeiffer looking at herself in a mirror is the best scene in the film. The film is lovely to look at, but there’s not enough there to give it more than a C. GRADE C

CHICAGO: It's the Jazz Age in Chicago where murder is theater and killers are celebrities. At least according to this stunning adaptation of one of the best of Broadway's musicals. I've never seen a stage musical brought to such vibrant life on screen. All the excitement of the marvelous Fosse production numbers is here, along with a realistic telling of the tale of Roxie Hart (Renee Zelleweger). She killed her lover, it's true, but she wasn't a criminal--simply the victim of liquor and jazz. Richard Gere is surprising as Roxie's lawyer, Billy Flynn. His tap dancing will astound you. The courtroom scene where Billy must tap dance to get Roxie off is an example of the creative intercutting between staged numbers and real-life action. When Roxie is acquited and can't understand why the formerly fawning press has deserted her for a new husband-killer, Billy says, "It's Chicago, Babe. You can't beat fresh blood on the walls." Queen Latifa may be the best Mama ever. She plays the Prison Matron with great verve and she shines in her big musical number, "When You're Good to Mama." Catherine-Zeta Jones, a former dancer, is Velma Kelly personified and she is dynamite in the opening number, All That Jazz. She brings glamour and a touch of low class to the role of a nightclub singer who killed her husband and her sister. She caught them rehearsing something that wasn't in the act. And Renee Zellweger is perfect as the sweet-looking Roxie. Sweet-looking, but really a bit of a bitch, yet we like her anyway. John C. Reilly plays Roxie's faithful husband and with his pudding face he is the perfect nebbish. His rendition of Mr. Cellophone is charming and poignant. The director, Rob Marshall, is a stage veteran making his big screen debut and he does it with great style. This is definitely an A movie! GRADE A ---- (Ebert quote: Chicago continues the reinvention of the musical that started with Moulin Rouge. Although modern audiences don't like to see stories interrupted by songs, apparently they like songs interrupted by stories.")

THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI: This film is based on the experiences of George Hogg, a British journalist who, along with an Australian nurse, saved a group of orphaned children during the Japanese occupation of China in 1937. Hoping to get a scoop for his newspaper, Hogg (Johnathan Rhys Meyers) witnesses unspeakable atrocities and is almost beheaded by the Japanese. He is saved from a terrible death by Chen (Chow Yun Fat), a leader of a Chinese partisan group. Sent to a safe town to recuperate from his bullet wound, Hogg stumbles upon a run-down orphanage housing sixty young boys. The adults have all fled, and Hogg reluctantly takes over the place. With perseverance and hard work, he manages to protect, feed, and teach the boys. A travelling nurse, Lee (Radha Mitchell) provides some occasional help, as does a local businesswoman. Concerned that the Chinese Nationalist Army might conscript the young boys into their army, he leads the children on an extraordinary journey. They travel over 700 miles on foot across the snow-bound Liu Pan Shan mountains to safety on the edge of the Mongolian desert. Meyers is believable as a young journalist who came to China for some excitement and a good story and instead found the true meaning of courage. Chow Yun Fat, so memorable in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is equally charismatic here, and Mitchell, providing the story with some love interest, is appealing as the brave nurse. This is a moving story proving once again that heroes are created by circumstances. It is also a reminder of the devastating effect that war has on anyone who comes close to it. Readers Sam & Sharon B, AZ saw this one and said they "loved it." GRADE B

CHILDREN OF MEN: This movie is another grim view of the future. And not all that far in the future, either. The year is 2027, and all the women in the world are infertile. There are no more children. The story begins with the death of Baby Diego, the world’s youngest person—An 18 year old young man. The story is set in London, where the government gives out tranquilizers and suicide kits to the citizens, and the army rounds up all non-citizens for deportation. They are housed in detainment camps that remind one of Nazi concentration camps. Several sects, opposed to the government, roam the streets bombing and shooting indiscriminately. It’s a very ugly world! Clive Owen is a disillusioned, depressed government bureaucrat. The story revolves around his decision to protect a young pregnant women and deliver her to a group called "The Human Project," where she and her child will be safe. The hope is that this child will restore some faith in the future for the peoples of the world. (They make their final escape in a small boat, which made us think of the baby Moses and the bull rushes.) In his TV review, Roeper said that he hoped someday someone would do a movie where the future was in pastels and everyone was happy. This is not that movie. This one is shot in blues and grays and nobody is happy. Also appearing briefly are Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, and Danny Huston. Owen is excellent, as is Claire-Hope Ashitey who plays the pregnant woman. There are a lot of very scruffy-looking extras who look appropriately menacing. Be warned. This is not a feel-good movie. GRADE B

CHOKE: If you are tired of quirky independent films that revel in gratuitous sex, you may want to skip this one. Choke centers on Victor, brilliantly played by Sam Rockwell, a sex-addicted tortured loser with mommy issues. Mommy is, of course, brilliantly played by Anjelica Huston, who is living out her final years in a private institution. It all sounds terribly depressing, but in fairness, the despair is broken with humor and the likablity of a scruffy Sam Rockwell and the unexpected lucidity of his delusional mother. Victor is able to afford the private institutions with an effective scam involving the Heimlich maneuver and the tendency of people to feel somehow responsible for those they have saved. Special mention should be made of Kelly MacDonald and Brad William Henke who effectively fill out the talented cast. Although we laughed out loud a few times and admired the acting, neither Barbara nor I can give high marks to this film. GRADE C

CHOCOLAT: I may have gained five pounds just watching this movie! Juliet Binoche plays Vianne Rocher, who wanders into a small French town with her daughter and opens a chocolate shop. The local Mayor, Count de Reynaud (Alfred Molina) is enraged because she opens her shop at the beginning of Lent. Actually, Reynaud is more than just a mayor: He is the spiritual conscience of the entire town. Reynaud considers Vianne's shop, which is devoted to the pleasure of eating sweets, as a temptation sent by the devil to destroy the piety of the townspeople. Our local critic called Chocolat a fairy tale, and it certainly does have a whimsical quality. We aren't quite sure if Vianne is a druid princess, a witch, or simply a woman who believes chocolate can cure the ills of the soul and the body. (One of her special confections seems to work like chocolate Viagra.) Sitting over a cup of hot chocolate, she hears the confessions and dreams of some of the local citizens. Judy Dench, playing her typical crotchety old lady, is a woman who is estranged from her daughter and longing to see her grandson. Lena Olin is a woman trapped in a brutal marriage who wants to start a new life. Both are helped by a good dose of chocolate and Vianne's kindly meddling. The conflict between piety and licentiousness is heightened when a group of river gypsies stops in town. To Count Reynaud, they represent the ultimate immorality. Vianne, naturally, sees them as kindred spirits. (Of course it doesn't hurt that Johnny Depp, looking incredibly hot, is their leader.) The local priest has the last word when he tells his congregation that you shouldn't define goodness by what you don't do and who you exclude, but by what you embrace and who you include. The characters here are typical of a fairy tal, and we have no trouble telling the good guys from the bad guys. We also have no trouble predicting from the beginning who will win in the end. However, the tale is told with such charm and grace that we think its worth a B+. Binoche, Olin, Depp and Molina (Enchanted April, Topsy-Turvy) are splendid. Lasse Hallstrom (My Life As A Dog, Cider House Rules) directed this film based on a novel by Joanne Harris. GRADE: B+

CINDERELLA MAN: I don’t usually care for prizefight movies and I don’t much like Russell Crowe, but this is a very good movie. I liked it—a lot. Cinderella Man tells the story of an American hero, Jim Braddock, who won the Heavyweight Championship in 1935. He had fought in the late 20s and was known for never having been knocked out. However, repeated injuries ruined what appeared to be a promising career. He and his wife and three children were beaten down by the Great Depression. Without enough money to pay for heat electricity, and food, Braddock was finally reduced to applying for public assistance and begging former associates for a handout. Then, his former manager was able to get him one fight—one fight that would be Braddock’s farewell to Madison Garden and the fight game. But that fight turned out to be the beginning of an improbable comeback. Braddock was too old and too tired to win, but win is exactly what he did. He became a hero to the working people: a living example of what a man can do with a second chance. Crowe is excellent as Braddock and Renee Zellweger shines in the role of Braddock’s supportive wife. Giamatti brings all his considerable skill to bear in the part of Braddock’s manager and creates a memorable character. And once again, Ron Howard proves what a talented director he is. Although I found the punishing fight scenes difficult to watch, I can agree with Gary’s grade of A-. GRADE A-

CITY OF GOD: Watching this movie, I knew I was seeing a very well made film. First time director Meirelles began as a director of TV commercials and he doesn't waste any time telling his story. The quick cuts and mobile, hand-held camera techniques added to the realism of this gritty story of life in the slum projects of Rio de Janeiro. It almost seemed like a documentary. Life in the City of God (the name of the housing project) is hard: you are either a worker or a hoodlum. Most are hoodlums. The only way to make a living is by dealing drugs, and running a drug business requires a lot of killing. The violence is constant--too much for Gary. I was stunned by the casual attitude toward killing, especially in very young boys. The film is sort of a Brazilian Goodfellows and it is a sobering look at what happens to people who have no hope and few choices. One young man, Rocket, is remarkable in that he avoids becoming a hoodlum and at the end of the film, he actually seems to have a future. This is a memorable film, but not a very enjoyable one. It is hard to grade. From a filmmaking standpoint it is at least a B+, but Gary wouldn't give it more than a C based on his emotional reaction to it. I think that I will remember this one for quite a while, though, so I would have to give it a B. It is in Portuguese with English subtitles and is based on a true story.

THE CLAIM: Magnificent scenery and a classic tale of love and betrayal combine to create a compelling movie. It is set in the mining town of Kingdom Come located in high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The year is 1869, and all the elements of that time period are faithfully reproduced here. A man named Dillon (Peter Mullan) owns Kingdom Come and he rules it with an iron fist. The Union Pacific has sent a survey crew to the area and the results of their work will determine that path of the transcontinental railroad. It could mean everything to Kingdom Come and to Mr. Dillon if the path of the railway is through the town. The survey crew is headed by Donald Dalglish (Wes Bently). Into this mix comes Elena Burns (Natassja Kinski) and her daughter, Hope (Sara Polley). Their arrival triggers painful memories for Dillon, and they serve as living reminders of what is truly important in life. Milla Jovovich is quite affecting as an entertainer/madame who loves Dillon. Our local critic thought the story plodded along and said, "Nothing happens in this movie." We strongly disagree. Everything happens in THE CLAIM. The story is the stuff of grand opera. It should come as no surprise that THE CLAIM is based on Thomas Hardy's 1886 British novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. We believe the film compares favorably with Altman's McCABE AND MRS. MILLER. However, it is fairly heavy going and totally devoid of humor. It is also very dark--the sun NEVER shines and the interior scenes are light circa 1869. That may turn off some viewers. (THE CLAIM was #3 on Richard Roeper's list of the ten best films of 2000.) GRADE: B+

THE CLASS (Entre les murs): (2008) This subtitled French film was nominated by The Academy for Best Foreign Language Film. It didn’t win, but it has won several other awards including the Golden Palm award at Cannes Film Festival. François Bégaudeau, teacher and novelist, wrote the screenplay and plays himself as a high school teacher in a tough neighborhood. I have had 30 years experience teaching in classrooms and giving students anything resembling an education can be tough even under the best circumstances. When cultures and attitudes clash in the inner city, a teacher may feel fortunate to just survive. The film has the feel of a documentary. If you chose to go, don’t expect a Hollywood happy ending. It doesn’t end in tragedy, but it has no resemblance to films like To Sir, with Love or Stand and Deliver. The teacher is sincere and dedicated, but flawed. He wants and sometimes demands respect in a permissive atmosphere. He wants honesty from his students, but his standards are tested when students begin to challenge his methods. Barbara and I liked the film, but I was hoping for better. GRADE B

THE CLEARING: The Clearing is the first film directed by the successful producer Pieter Jan Brugge (The Insider, The Pelican Brief, Heat). The screenplay is by Brugge and Justin Haythe, a British novelist. Brugge was able to attract a dynamite cast. Robert Redford is Wayne Hayes, a successful businessman who lives a rich life with his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren). One morning, on his way to work, he is kidnapped by Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe). When he fails to come home that night, his wife reports him missing and the FBI gets involved. Mack handcuffs Hayes and forces him on a long walk through the woods. At home, Eileen waits anxiously for some word. Eventually there is a ransom demand. The movie intercuts between two story lines but the time lines of the two stories are not parallel. The conversations between the kidnapper and his victim are well written and exceptionally well acted. Helen Mirren is perfect as a concerned wife who knows that she wants her husband back even though their marriage is less than perfect. This film does not have wide distribution--it is playing in only one theater in Phoenix. If you miss it in the theater, you might want to look for it at BlockBusters. GRADE B

CLERKS II: The original Clerks, released in 1994, is now considered by many as an independent film classic and Clerks II has been favorably received by most critics who have given it an average grade of "B." If memory serves, Barbara and I both liked the low budget off-beat original film, but her insistence that I write this review leaves me to believe she was less impressed with the sequel. Let me start with a warning. If you avoided The Aristocrats (2005) because you heard it was raunchy and filled with unspeakable obscenities, you will also want to avoid Clerks II. Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) are a decade older but their days of working at the strip-mall Quick Stop end abruptly, and in this film they spend their days at Mooby’s Fast Food. Life isn’t much different with Jay and Silent Bob setting themselves up as fixtures--hanging out and selling weed in front of the store. A welcome newcomer is Rosario Dawson playing the sanest member of the group. Also appearing in cameo roles are Wanda Sykes, Ben Affleck, and Jason Lee. It may be a reflection of my advancing age, but I thought they might have pushed the envelope a smidgen too far with the protracted scene of "interspecies erotica" involving a donkey. (Don’t ask.) GRADE C-

CLOSER: The four characters in this film are flawed individuals. None of them has a clue about maintaining a relationship. Lies come easier to their lips than the truth. (Although, to be fair, their occasional truths cause them more problems than do their lies.) Anna (Julia Roberts) is a photographer, Dan (Jude Law) writes obituaries, Alice (Natalie Portman) is a former stripper, now a waitress, and Larry is a dermatologist. Their lives are disastrously intertwined. The story is told in episodic scenes that, for the most part, jump forward in time. Except for a line from a cabdriver, the only dialogue in the movie is from the four actors. The dialogue is superb, and the acting is flawless. Mike Nichols (director) certainly knows how the cast a film and how to get the very best from his actors. Gary was impressed with the acting and directing, but his failure to identify with, or even like, any of the characters resulted in a grade of A-. I agree that there is no hero here, but I found that I did care about each of them. For me, it's an A film. GRADE A/A-

(Quote from Ebert's review: What is unique about Closer. . . is that the characters do not understand each other, or themselves. They know how to go through the motions of pushing the right buttons, and how to pretend their buttons have been pushed, but do they truly experience anything at all except their own pleasure?

THE CLOSET: (French--subtitled) When Francois learns he is about to be fired from a job he has had for twenty years, he is suicidal. His life is in shambles. He is divorced from a woman he loves and his teenaged son refuses to spend time with him. A new neighbor (Michel Aumont) stops Daniel from ending it all and comes up with a solution. He suggests that they spread a rumor that Daniel is gay, and his company, a condom manufacturer, will be afraid of the bad publicity associated with firing a gay employee. The neighbor cautions Daniel that he must act no differently. The difference will be in how others perceive him. What follows is fairly predictable. The personnel manager (Gerard Depardieu) at the condom plant is a loutish bigot who has always tormented the meek Francois. The funniest scenes are those in which Depardieu tries to befriend Francois to show that he is not a gay-basher. Francois is played by Daniel Auteuil, a very popular French actor and he reminded me a bit of the prissy Felix as played by Tony Randall. Gary very much enjoyed this movie, but I confess that I had trouble keeping my eyes open--you really miss a lot when you close your eyes at a subtitled movie! Actually, I was enjoying it, but fatigue overwhelmed me. Gary says it's worth a B+. I wouldn't rank it quite that high but it wouldn't be fair of me to give it a grade. GRADE B+

CLOSING ESCROW: Christopher Guest is a genius at mockumentary, and it’s obvious that the directors of this real estate comedy admire his work. What makes a Guest film so good is that he takes real-life elements of a situation and exaggerates them just enough to be both hilarious and believable. In the uneven Closing Escrow, the writer/director chose a situation that is fraught with humor: home buyers working with realtors. Unfortunately, he often exaggerates too much and loses the humor along with the realism. We can’t fault the acting—it’s uniformly good. Also, some of the characters are truly funny. But, too often, the writing goes over the edge. Bruce Thomas, who played the UPS guy in Legally Blonde is particularly good as a realtor who spends hours working with a couple only to have them decide to stay where they are. Having been a realtor for a couple of years, I could empathize with his frustration. We saw the film at its first showing in Phoenix and the projection operator was unable to fit the film to the screen. No only was it off-center, it was very dark. We were told it was on a DVD, not on film. I hope they can figure out how to fit the image to the screen and brighten it up for subsequent viewers. GRADE C-.

COACH CARTER: Movies based on a real-life inspirational coach aren’t new, but they are almost always satisfying. This film tells the story of Ken Carter, a businessman in Richmond, California, who became a high school basketball coach in an inner-city school. It was a school where only 50% of the students graduated and very few graduates ever went to college. The job of coach paid only a $1500 stipend, but Carter threw his heart and soul into the work. He was determined that his "boys" would graduate and go to college. He taught them much more than how to play basketball. Samuel L. Jackson is memorable as Coach Carter, and it is moving to watch as he changes the lives of the boys who play for him. We particularly liked Rob Brown (Finding Forester) and Rick Gonzales (The Rookie, Old School). The star of the team, Junior Battle, is played by a tall young man named Nana Gbewonyo who has no other film credits, but who was a basketball star in both high school and college. We enjoyed the film and were quite moved by the story. The basketball scenes looked authentic and were quite exciting. I think it’s a good solid B movie, but Gary gives it a B+. GRADE B+/B

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES: I have an idea about the meaning of this film: If you drink enough coffee and smoke a sufficient number of cigarettes you are guaranteed to have many boring conversations. The best scene in this black and white film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch supports my point: The scene between Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan is funny and interesting, but they are drinking tea, not coffee. We also liked the scene with Cate Blanchett in a dual role, and I did think Steve Buscemi's theory on Elvis was funny. But I thought most of it was tedious. Jarmusch has spent years working on this film. He produced three previous short films with the same title. Each film features one of the scenes from the current film. The 1986 version consisted of a scene between Roberto Benigni and Steven Wright. In 1989 the scene was with Joie Lee, Cinque Lee and Steve Buscemi and, in 1993, Jaramusch filmed the scene between Iggy Pop and Tom Waits. We don't recommend that anyone make a special trip to a theater for this one. If you're at all interested in it, we suggest waiting for the video/DVD. Critics have been quite divided on this one. Ebert gave it a B, the Chicago Tribune gave it a C+. E Online gave it an A-, and the S.F. Chronicle gave it a D+. I'd have to say C-. Gary liked it a bit better than I, and because of some very good scenes, he says C. GRADE C-/C

Jaramusch must have a lot of friends that are willing to work with him. Here is a complete cast list: Roberto Benigni, Steven Wright, Joie Lee, Cinque Lee, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Joe Rigano, Vinny Vella, Vinny Vella Jr., Renee French, E.J. Rodriguez, Alex Descas, Isaach De Bankole, Cate Blanchett, Meg White, Jack White, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, GZA, RZA, Bill Murray, Bill Rice and Taylor Mead.

COLD MOUNTAIN: This somber story of love and war is overly long at 155 minutes. We both thought it would have benefited from a judicious cutting. Ada (Nicole Kidman) and Inman (Jude Law) are together only briefly before Inman leaves to fight for the South in the Civil War. They've shared only one kiss, but it must have been quite a kiss, because for the rest of the movie, Inman tries to get back to Cold Mountain and to Ida, and Ida waits for Inman to return. That would be tedious if it weren't for the supporting characters--and I do mean "characters." . Philip Semour Hoffman is terrific as a preacher who Inman meets on the way back home. Giovanni Ribisi and Natalie Portman are also characters who figure in Inman's adventures. We particularly liked Eileen Atkins as a mountain woman who helps Inman. Back in Cold Mountain, Ida, whose father has died, is having a hard time running the family farm. But then, Rugy (Renee Zellweger) appears on the scene and things pick up quite a bit. Brenden Gleeson is memorable as Ruby's fiddle-playing father Oh yes, there is a scene at the beginning that illustrates the horror of war. It helps to justify Inman's deserting the army--something that was punishable by death. The movie shows much of man's inhumanity to man--too much, I think, for a love story. I did enjoy looking at Jude Law's handsome face. I can understand waiting a long time for him. We would have liked it better if Ada and Inman hadn't taken themselves quite so seriously. I felt the same way about the lovers in Anthony Minghella's previous film, The English Patient. He does photograph beautiful movies, though. GRADE B

COLLATERAL: Tom Cruise makes a sensational hired killer. And that salt and pepper hair is a winner! When we first meet Vincent (Cruise) getting into a taxi driven by Max (Jamie Foxx), he seems like a very cool, nice guy. Boy, are first impressions wrong. Vincent is in town to dispatch five witnesses in the trial of a notorious drug lord. Vincent commandeers Max and his taxi for the evening, and what follows is a very unusual buddy movie. Collateral is a character-driven thriller and that makes it unique and compelling. Gary thought the first half of the movie was just about perfect. However, some of the final chase scenes strained the boundaries of credibility and reduced what he thought was an A movie to a B+. Michael Mann keeps the tension high throughout and both Cruise and Foxx are equal to the task. A frantic nightclub scene that is shot with handheld cameras crackles with energy. But, as is often the case with that technique, it's also rather confusing. I couldn't always tell who was shooting at whom. But Cruise has a move in that scene that is terrific! Jada Pinkett Smith is beautiful and believable as the prosecuting attorney in the drug case. Irma P. Hall has a nice cameo as Max's ailing mother, and Javier Bardem is very nasty as Felix, the drug kingpin. GRADE B+

THE COLOR OF PARADISE: We don't recommend that you go out of your way to see this Iranian film. It can't compare with last year's Children of Heaven. Although the photography is outstanding and serves as a travelogue of the Iranian countryside, the story is pure melodrama. The story is of a blind boy and the difficulty his father has dealing with his care. The father was most unsympathetic-partly because of the script and partly because of his amateurish acting. The boy was very good and a look at the school for the blind he attended was quite interesting. His grandmother and two sisters were also nicely played. GRADE: C-

COMEDIAN: C "Dying is easy; comedy is hard." This quote has been attributed to many famous actors, and it accurately reflects the main idea of this documentary--comedy is hard. We learn this as we watch Jerry Seinfeld working the comedy clubs trying out new material. In spite of his success, he is still overcome with performance anxiety. During the documentary, Seinfeld interacts with other comedians such as Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, Bill Cosby, Jay Leno and a young aspiring comic named Orny Adams. We could identify with the feelings of the comics as they stand in the wings waiting to be introduced, wondering "Why am I doing this?" Based on the conversations between comics, stand up comedy seems to be an addiction. However, the first 10 or 15 minutes of the film were irritating. The background music was so loud that it was difficult to hear the people talking. Plus, the filming seemed amateurish--grainy and jittery. I also thought the film lacked dramatic flow and wasn't particularly revealing. Orny Adams is the only one who seems to honestly put his arrogance and insecurities on display. Interesting at times, but a mediocre documentary. GRADE C

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND: Since I rate this film slightly higher than Barbara, I volunteered to do the review. The film is based on a 1984 Chuck Barris book humerously titled Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind: An Unauthorized Autobiography. With that title, it is impossible to know what in the film, if anything to take seriously. It plays a little with your mind, as one would expect in a screenplay by Charlie Kaufmann (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation). Chuck Barris, creator of TV fare like The Dating Game, and The Gong Show also claims to have killed 33 people as a CIA operative. George Clooney who directs as well as takes a major role in the film wisely leaves room for considerable interpretation. Sam Rockwell perfectly inhabits the role of Chuck Barris. Drew Barrymore is well cast as Barris's girlfriend, Penny, and Julia Roberts and George Clooney fill out a talented cast. Rutger Hauer is memorable in a cameo role. The film is well acted, well directed, thought provoking, and I think, a lot of fun. Grade: B/B-

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC: This movie is adapted from a series of popular books by Sophie Kinsella. I read one of the books and although I can’t remember much about it, the book was enjoyable while I was reading it. I suspected that the movie would be the same. I was wrong. It was definitely forgettable but I didn’t enjoy watching it. The movie tried desperately to be funny, but came off as merely desperate. The screenwriters were apparently unable to duplicate the charm of the books. They relied far too much on pratfalls and slapstick to make up for the lack of clever dialogue. Even Julie Hagerty, so funny in those Airplane movies, couldn’t help. I hoped that I would at least enjoy the fashions, being something of a shopper myself, but I thought the clothes were bizarre. Some of the combinations reminded by of the clothes worn by Betty on TV’s Ugly Betty, and they are supposed to look awful. Isla Fisher, who plays the shopaholic, is undeniable cute, but she needed better material to shine. Joan Cusak and John Goodman played Fisher’s parents and they were both way over the top. The only actor who played it straight was Hugh Dancy as Fisher’s boss and love interest, and he came off looking the best. Gary really disliked this movie and said that whatever grade I gave it, he would be two grades lower. If I say D+, that makes his grade G+ (?). The only reason that we went to this one is that we were desperate to see a move, and there’s not much out there this time of the year. We should have stayed home. GRADE D+

CONFIDENCE: Ed Burns and Rachel Weisz make a pretty good pair of grifters in this year's version of that all-time great confidence-game film, The Sting. Of course, it can't compare to that great Newman/Redford film, and it isn't as good as David Mamet's The House of Games either. The plot is well crafted and it looks great, but, as Roger Ebert said in his review, you don't care much about the people. It's interesting to follow the twist and turns of the plot, but not particularly involving. We thought Burns was appropriately cool under pressure, and we very much enjoyed Dustin Hoffman's sleezy crime boss. This is the second film we've seen recently with Rachel Weisz (See our review of The Shape of Things). She is both beautiful and skilled--we hope to see a lot more of her. Andy Garcia appears as Gunther Butan, a Federal Agent hot on the trail of Jake Vig (Ed Burns), and he does his best to create a unique character, with limited success. The ubiquitous Luis Guzman plays a cop in the film--half as smart and twice as crooked as the criminals he arrests. The theater was cool and our Phoenix weather was over 100°, so it was a resonably pleasant afternoon. Grade B-.

CONNIE AND CARLA: This film received mixed reviews from the professional critics. Roger Ebert says the plot is creaky and the jokes laborious. The Chicago Tribune says it is pleasurable but uneven, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gives the film a B+ and calls it uproarious. It also received mixed reviews in our household. I thought the corny situations and lame script were only worth a C. Gary liked it quite a lot and gave it a solid B. Connie and Carla is a take-off on Some Like It Hot. (One critic referred to it as "Some Like It Warm.") Connie and Carla are two mediocre singers whose ultimate goal is to star in dinner theater productions. Debbie Reynolds is their idol. When they witness a mob hit, they run away from Chicago to Los Angeles where they hide out as drag queen performers. Since all they do to impersonate drag queens is to slather on layers of makeup, wear outrageous wigs and pitch their voices a bit lower, they really aren't all that hidden. Surprisingly, they become stars--the darlings of the mostly gay audience in West Hollywood. Nina Vardalous of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame is Connie and Toni Collette, looking remarkably different from her usual movie persona, is Carla. In Some Like It Hot Tony Curtis, as a woman, falls in love with Marilyn Monroe. In this movie, Vardalos, impersonating a man impersonating a woman, falls in love with David Duchovny, a man trying to come to terms with his drag queen brother. The musical numbers were the best things in the movie and I was impressed with Collete's ability to handle the production numbers so convincingly. She does make for a scary-looking drag queen, though. GRADE B/C

THE CONSTANT GARDENER: Based on a novel by John Le Carre, this film is an indictment of the pharmaceutical companies that test their new drugs on the disadvantaged people of Africa. When the testing doesn’t go well, it’s easier to alter the test results than it is to take the drug back to the laboratory and improve it. The drug companies are aided by governments—in this case, the British government. Justin Qualye (Ralph Finnes) is a medium-level government official living in Kenya. His wife, Tessa (the beautiful Rachel Weisz), is murdered at the beginning of the film, and we learn the particulars of her death along with Justin. We do not know just what Tessa was doing in Africa, but it gradually becomes clear that she had discovered a conspiracy that was killing people. Justin believe that to honor his wife he must uncover the conspiracy. It takes a while to get into the meat of the story, but eventually it becomes quite gripping. Bill Nighy, so amusing as the aging rock star in Love, Actually, makes a very proper, and thoroughly evil, bureaucrat. Danny Huston (The Aviator, 21 Grams) appears to be Justin’s friend, but proves to be duplicitous. Finnes is wonderfully sympathetic as a man who has doubts about his wife’s fidelity but eventually discovers just how courageous and noble she was. The film has some wonderful photography of Kenya, some fine acting, and a strong point of view. A.O. Scott, of the NY Times said, "The movie shows a willingness to risk didacticism in the service of encouraging discussion." He believes that would be annoying "if (Fernanco) Meirelles were not such a skilled and subtle filmmaker and if his cast were not so sensitive and sly." GRADE B+

THE CONTENDER: The performances are the best things in this political drama written and directed by Rod Lurie. Joan Allen as Senator Laine Hanson is certain to get an Academy Award nomination. President Evans (Jeff Bridges) has nominated Senator Hanson to fill the vacant office of Vice President. Gary Oldman is Rep. Shelly Runyon a conservative Republican who is determined to sabotage the liberal Senator's confirmation. He so inhabits his character that if I hadn't known it was Oldman playing the part I would never have recognized him. He, too, is a cinch to be recognized at award time. There is a terrific lunch meeting between Hanson and Runyon. We also liked Jeff Bridges as a Clinton-like president who is obsessed with ordering food from the White House Kitchen. It was nice to see him with a good haircut for a change. Sam Elliott is Chief of Staff and Christian Slater is a freshman representative who allies himself with Runyon but proves to be more principled in the end. Napoleon is quoted in the film as saying that a leader needs both pettiness and greatness-pettiness in order to get into power and greatness to lead. Both qualities are evident in the politicians depicted in The Contender. Lurie wrote this film for Allen and he refused to do the film with anyone else in the lead role. I thought a couple of the plot elements lacked credibility, so I settled on a grade of B+. I would, however, give the performances an A. The plot devices didn't bother Gary-he thought it was a solid A movie. GRADE: B+/A

THE COOLER: Bernie is a loser. So much a loser that he works as a "cooler" for the fictitious Shangri La casino in downtown Vegas. All he has to do it touch a roulette wheel to make it come up on house numbers. If he stands behind a player at the crap table, the shooter is sure to lose. His presence at a Blackjack table guarantees the dealer will get a Blackjack. But then something extraordinary happens. Bernie falls in love with Natalie, a Shangri La cocktail waitress, and his bad luck evaporates. This is good for Bernie, but bad for his boss, Shelly (Alec Baldwin) who doesn't want to lose the best cooler in the business. Baldwin is remarkable as the old-school casino manager who is being threatened by younger men who want to remake the Shangri La. Shelly is a contradictory combination of cruelty and sentimentality, and Baldwin is totally credible. It is a notable performance. Of course, William H. Macy is perfect at bringing the nebbishy Bernie to life. His Howdy Doody grin is a wonder to behold. Maria Bellow (she played a doctor on TV's ER) is wonderful as Natalie and she and Macy make the surprising love story believable and touching. Paul Sorvino is very good in a brief appearance as a washed-up singer. This is quite a story and we thought it was beautifully directed and acted. The film is rated R for nudity, language and violence, and there's quite a bit of all three. But if that doesn't bother you, be all means see The Cooler! (Did I mention that it's also quite funny?) GRADE A-

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO: The classic tale of love, betrayal and revenge, written by Alexandre Dumas, is retold here in a gloriously old-fashioned style. No attempt has been made to update the story or to add any glitzy special effects. And that's the way it ought to be. It reminded us of the movies we used to see as kids, except better photographed and better acted. James Caviezel (Frequenty) is the perfect hero. He is equally good as the bitter imprisoned Edmund Dantes, and as the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. Guy Pearce (Momento, L.A. Confidential) is easy to loathe as the evil Mondego--the man who betrayed his friend. James Frain, as Villefort the villainous prosecutor who sent Dantes to prison, is a proper weasel. The love of Edmund Dantes's life, Mercedes, is played by an actress named Dagmara Dominczyk whom we had never seen before. Richard Harris is wonderful as an imprisoned priest--the man who teaches Dantes to read and write and, oh yes, to wield a sword with devastating effect. This is great fun. We recommend it. GRADE B

THE COUNTERFEITERS: Winner of this year’s foreign-language Oscar, this fact-based drama from Austria demonstrates that not all the good stories from WWII have been told. The engaging and ethically provocative screenplay is based on a memoir by Adolf Burger who is now 90 and living in Prague. He was part of the world’s largest counterfeiting operation, which was set up by the Nazis to destabilize the economies of Great Britain and United States. The operation was staffed by concentration camp prisoners. The lead is ably played by Karl Markovics who portrays a master forger and a skilled artist who learned before the war he could make more money by printing money than by making conventional art. As a Jew in a concentration camp he would never have survived without his unusual skill. But the film also explores his human side, which makes for a moving film experience. Both Barbara and I thought this was a well made film. GRADE B+

COUPLES RETREAT: You won’t find many surprises in this film, but there are a few chuckles. Both Barbara and I like Vince Vaughn and we decided to give this couples comedy a try in spite of the lack of enthusiasm from the professional critics. In a director’s chair for the first time is Peter Billingsley (Remember the cute kid, Ralphie, in A Christmas Story?) Four Midwestern couples get a bargain rate on a tropical island vacation only to learn that couples therapy is a mandatory part of the package. This provides an opportunity for a few laughs and a few groans, but, if you like Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau, a pleasant couple of hours. We thought the ensemble cast brought energy to a predictable script. Even the French guru (Jean Reno) and the"over-the-top" yoga instructor who was a Fabio look alike brought a few smiles. There will be no Academy Award nominations coming from this film, but we think it has enough in it to recommend a slightly above average grade. GRADE C+ THE COVE: Let me start with a little honesty. The Cove is an award winning and heartbreaking documentary that almost no one will see. That is just a harsh reality that documentary film makers face. They are often as skilled and passionate as the makers of more popular films, but their passion, dedication, and skill is rarely rewarded with a large audience. This well made documentary is about the slaughter of dolphins and I confess that the memory of this film will forever change my attitude toward a multi-billion dollar industry that has entertained me in the past. If you were born before 1960, your image of dolphins was probably influenced by a popular TV show, Flipper. Flipper was an intelligent, playful, and lovable bottlenose dolphin played by five lovable dolphins that had been captured and trained by Ric O’Barry. Flipper was so popular around the world that it directly (or indirectly) led to the enormous popularity of shows using trained dolphins. There is now an enormous demand for healthy unblemished dolphins. So how could this lead to the barbaric slaughter of thousands of dolphins every year? That is the story Ric O’Barry would like to spread. He and a large filming crew risked jail time and possible physical retaliation to make a documentary that sometimes plays like a spy thriller. Barbara and I agree on an above average grade. GRADE B

THE CRADLE WILL ROCK: The Cradle Will Rock was a labor of love for Writer/director Tim Robbins. People interested in theater will appreciate the historical value of the subject matter. The Federal Theater Project was part of Roosevelt's WPA, and produced plays all over the country from 1935 until 1939. This movie tells the story of a musical/drama that was directed by Orson Wells and produced by John Houseman. The Cradle Will Rock was mounted in 1937, when the Federal Theater Project was already in trouble with the House Un-American Activities Committee@-- accused of having communists working for the project. Budget cuts forced theaters to close, and when the actors and audience came to the theater on opening night, they were denied entry. Houseman was able to find another space, and lead the entire crowd down the middle of the street to the new theater. One mistake Robbins made was to try to tell too many stories. He included Nelson Rockerfeller's conflict with Diego Rivera over a mural, and Mussolini's efforts to get money for his war effort by selling great works of art. I think many moviegoers will be puzzled as to what it's all about. In addition, Robbins used a lot of motion shots which can be difficult to watch, and he was overly fond of overlapping dialogue. However, we did talk about it afterwards, and that's a good sign. We saw the film with our niece, Kate Jordan. She liked it better than we did and would give it a B. Gary votes for B- and I can only go as high as C+.
Grade C+/B-

CRASH: "In any other city, you brush past people. In L.A. nobody touches. Sometimes we crash into each other just to touch." Don Cheadle, an LA detective, speaks these opening words. He is a passenger in car that has been rear-ended on a freeway. This movie introduces many characters whose stories overlap in sometimes surprising ways. Director Paul Haggis (screenwriter for Million Dollar Baby) keeps the viewer totally involved as he shows us the many ways that we form snap judgements about people based on race. LA is truly a melting pot and race relations are a tricky business in that sprawling city. In addition to Cheadle’s detective, we meet his Hispanic partner & lover (Jennifer Esposito), a racist cop (Matt Dillon), a rookie cop (Ryan Phillippe), a district attorney (Brendan Frazier) and his angry wife (Sandra Bullock), two car-jacking young black men, an upscale Black television director (Terrance Howard) and his beautiful wife (Thandie Newton), a Persian storeowner, and a Korean couple. One of the tag lines for the film is:

Moving at the speed of life, we are bound to collide with each other.

It is the collisions of these lives that keep us engrossed. None of the people are all good or all bad. Each one is prejudiced in his or her own way. As are we all. The New York Times reviewer found the film to be crudely manipulative, while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone thought that despite its preachy moments, the film is a knockout. We agree with Travers. This is one of the best films of the year. GRADE A

CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL: The plot of this teenage romance is pretty standard: Two high school students from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love. Nicole (Kirsten Dunst) lives in the Malibu Hills with her Congressman father and wicked stepmother, while Carlos (Jay Hernandez) spends two hours getting from his home in the barrio to Pacific High in Malibu. He is a good student and hopes to enter the Naval Academy and become a pilot. She hates high school and cuts class most of the time. She is suicidal and totally messed up. He lives with his mother, studies hard and is upright in every way. She wears almost nonexistent crop tops and has that Meg Ryan "I'm too cool to comb my hair" hairstyle. What distinguishes Crazy/Beautiful is the script. Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi are credited with the writing, and it is much better than average. According to Roger Ebert, the story, which has an appealing toughness, would have been even tougher "if the studio hadn't toned it down to get the PG-13 rating." But even a good script doesn't guarantee success. You have to have actors capable of bringing the story to life and making the viewer care. Fortunately, Dunst and Hernandez are more than equal to the task. Dunst is probably the best of the very young actors working today. She was outstanding in Virgin Suicides. The handsome Hernandez is a newcomer to the screen, but I expect we will see more of him in the future. Bruce Davison plays Nicole's clueless father and Lucinda Jenny is Courtney, the stepmother who has given up on Nicole, has an effective scene toward the end of the film. GRADE B+

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: Gary said that only the spectacular scenery kept him from giving this movie a grade of F. He was exquisitely bored with all of it. So many critics have put this film on their ten best lists, that I expect we are missing something. It does have style and the charisma of Chow Yun Fat. It also has unbelievable (and I mean that literally) and beautifully choreographed martial arts sequences that go on and on and on. The flying leaps reminded me of The Matrix, so I was not surprised to learn action scenes in Crouching Tiger were designed by Yuen Wo-Ping, whose credits include The Matrix. The Chinese value an extremely low-key style of acting. While this can be effective sometimes, it doesn't capture your emotions to watch people sit still and talk to each other--interminably--with virtually no facial expression. And the subtitles don't help convey any nuances. I confess to enjoying the scene where a slight young woman destroys a gang of World Federation type goons. It was also interesting to see two women face off with swords. The young love story had its moments, but I can't give this one more than a C- for enjoyment. It does deserve a B for the beauty of the filming. The film was directed by Ang Lee who also directed The Ice Storm and Sense and Sensibility. Grade C/D-

THE CROUPIER: The setup in this film is more interesting than the payoff. Too many loose ends dilute the effectiveness of the ending. Jack (Clive Owen) is an unpublished writer working as a croupier in a London casino. He prides himself on never gambling, yet he is addicted to watching people gamble, especially to watching them lose. He is the ultimate observer-even to the point of observing himself. Jack narrates is own story and refers to himself in the third person. While he never plays any games of chance, he routinely, takes chances with his life. His job at the casino gives him the idea for a novel about a croupier named Jake, and before long the fictional Jake has become Jack's alter ego. Soon Jack is doing things he would never do-things that Jake would do. When he agrees to be the inside man on a plan to rob the casino, he is acting as Jake. (We could never understand exactly why the robbers needed him. That is one of the loose ends.) We liked the mood of the film, the inside look at a casino, and Owen. We also liked Alex Kingston (from TV's ER) who played one of the women in his life. GRADE B

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON: I loved this movie. So much so, that in spite of its 2 hour and 47 minute running time, I didn’t want it to end. It captivated me the entire time. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was born under unusual circumstances: Born with the look and the body of a man in his 80s, he grew younger as he grew up. For Benjamin, the clock of time ran backwards. The film is adapted from a 1920 short story by F. Scott Fitzerald, and is an example of how important good writing is to good filmmaking. The film is beautifully photographed, and the technical aspects, while impressive, never detracted from our involvement. Director David Fincher did a marvelous job of making the unbelievable believable. Pitt is wonderful in the role and we also like Tilda Swinton as Benjamin’s first love and Cate Blanchett as his last. Although several different people were used to portray Benjamin, the face was always Pitt’s. And what a face it is! The Boston Globe critic thought that the movie "Wasn’t about anything more important than Pitt's very handsomeness, which. . .is a wonderful subject for study." He got the handsome part right but I think he missed the larger message. The film is about life and its impermanence. It’s about learning to appreciate both the perfections and the imperfections of each stage of life. The film is a touching love story and a reminder to us all that, like Benjamin, we cannot stop the clock of time. Lynn W., AZ, a Movie Views reader, also loved the film. She said for her it was a definite A. It is for me, too. Gary agrees. GRADE A