Nancy Drew

Emma Roberts is one spunky teenage detective, in this modern, movie version of the well known series of books. The film is perfect for 12 year old girls. It's got mystery, action, comic relief, and PG romance.

For anyone else, I would say, skip it unless you have a 12 year old daughter or a tweener niece.

Knocked Up

I wasn't expecting much when I heard about this film but I was pleasantly surprised when "Knocked Up" turned out to actually be a sweet romantic comedy that contains many "laugh out loud" moments. As with his earlier film, "40 Year Old Virgin", writer-director Judd Apatow has a great ability to mix sophomoric humor with tender moments to create an engaging comedy.

The premise of the stoned slacker winning the love of the beautiful, successful girl strains credibility but Seth Rogan's "Ben Stone" is such a lovable loser that you begin to really root for him. Katherine Heigl doesn't stray that far from her TV character, "Izzy Stevens", but does show she can hold her own on the "big" screen too.

Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd co-star as Ms. Heigl's sister and her husband and they almost steal the film. Mr. Rogan's slacker buddies are all humorous in their own way but a bit underdeveloped as full characters themselves.

"Knocked Up" ends up a pleasant surprise. Much like the results of the title. Be warned, however, there is some strong language and a graphic birthing scene.

Once

  An Indy film in the truest sense of the word, "Once" features non-actors in a simple but effective story filmed on a shoestring budget. Starring Glen Hansard (lead singer of The Frames) and Marketa Irglova as struggling musicians carving out a life on the streets of Dublin, "Once" doesn't compromise for a Hollywood audience. 
 
     As a relationship develops between the two leads, the music they produce propels the story. At times the film feels like one long music video, but overall, it's vibrant and charming. A number of scenes are very effective and Mr. Hansard and Ms. Irglova are honest and true to their characters.
 
      Music is integral to the story and many of the songs are heard repeatedly throughout the film with varying arrangements. You will probably find yourself seeking out the soundtrack after you've left the theater. "Once" is a little film with a big heart.

Pirates of The Caribbean 3: At World's End

Did you hear about the new Pirate movie? It's rated....AAARGGGH
Bloated doesn't begin to describe this almost 3 hour soulless spectacle. The few action sequences scattered throughout the convoluted plot are overdone and seemingly go on forever. I wish the film editor had walked the plank. Most of this mess is just confusing dialog with double and triple crosses that ultimately go nowhere.

Johnny Depp's "Jack Sparrow" is little more than a cameo in this story and all his charm from the other films has been reduced to ham in this one. The last few minutes of the film belong to Depp as if someone remembered he was the central character. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly have lost all their chemistry and Knightly has become outright annoying.Chow Yun-Fat is wasted as a Chinese pirate with very little to do and little time to do it.The best acting in the film belongs to Bill Nighy as "Davy Jones" and Geoffrey Rush as "Captain Barbossa". Nighy manages to convey a great deal of emotion under many layers of octopus makeup and Rush looks like he's actually having fun.

More is not necessarily better and there was probably an excellent 90 minute movie buried in this mess. On a positive note, the visuals are excellent and look great on a big screen but if you can wait for the DVD, do yourself a favor so you can watch it with your finger on the fast forward button.

Shrek The Third

Inevitably by the time you get to the 3rd film in a series, much of the magic and originality wears off. The return of Shrek and all the other familiar characters though, is like visiting old friends and there is certainly still a large amount of enjoyment to be found in their company.

Donkey and Puss make a terrific comic duo and the banter between Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas is priceless. Fiona and the other fairy tale women steal the movie as they give new meaning to girl power. Justin Timberlake joins the cast as "Artie", a young pre- King Arthur but his character doesn't really make the impact he should considering the storyline.

There is plenty of mushy sentiment this time around, much of which has to do with babies and becoming a good father and/or king. The sight gags are plenty and the animation continues to astound but like other "Part 3" films out now, the studios should give the characters a rest for a while and we'll appreciate them more for it.

28 Weeks Later

If you enjoyed the first film, "28 Days Later", you will probably want to see this sequel. Cillian Murphy decided not to participate in this one but Robert Carlyle kick starts the action as a surviving father of "the virus", reunited with his teenage daughter and 12 year old son.

From the opening moments, there are unexpected twists in the story and no one is safe which keeps the suspense level high. The camera work is frenetic and the various scenes of a deserted England are very convincing. There is plenty of violence and bloodshed as you would expect when fighting off blood thirsty zombies but there is also an underlying social commentary on the government's actions to contain the virus.

The ending leaves the door open for a third installment, probably to be known as "28 Months Later". And in this day and age of endless sequels, we'll probably have "28 Years Later" to look forward to at some point. There's always an audience for a good "zombie" movie.

Year of The Dog

From the mind of Mike White, who has given us "Chuck & Buck" and "The Good Girl" comes this very quirky comedy/drama about how just far our love for animals can take us.

Molly Shannon stars as Peggy, a woman crazy about her beagle "Pencil". When Pencil accidentally dies, Peggy's world crumbles until she meets Newt (a very good Peter Sarsgaard), a animal shelter worker and dog trainer. Newt introduces her to "Valentine", a German Shepherd with some behavior issues. Peggy adopts him and begins to spend more and more time with Newt as well. Animals take center stage in their relationship and Peggy's passion begins to overwhelm all aspects of her life.

The film also stars John C. Reilly as Peggy's neighbor, Laura Dern as her sister-in-law, and Regina King as her boy crazy girlfriend. Peggy's obsession with dogs leads to various odd scenes with all these characters as well as her boss, played by Josh Pais.

The dogs in the film are terrific and adorable. The story starts out light and fun but takes a more dramatic turn as the film goes on. Ultimately, it tells us that our happiness in life can sometimes be found in very unlikely places but we go where our heart takes us.

Spiderman 3

Well, the bloom is off the rose. If you have invested the time in the first 2 films, of course you will want to see how it all turns out but...the magic is gone. The film deserves an A for action but it also gets a B for bloated.

The seduction of Spiderman to the dark side takes too long to get going and Venom's appearance is too little and too late, showing up for the climatic battle (where Mary Jane is menaced by...a taxi cab and a dump truck...Yikes!! The dialog is sappy and many of the secondary characters have lost their zip (Jonah Jameson, for one). Toby Macguire's attempts to be dark and evil are just silly and a scene where he tries to make Mary Jane jealous with Gwen Stacy is just ridiculous.

The action sequences, however, are terrific and Thomas Hayden Church steals the film as The Sandman. His CGI is fantastic and in his human form, his acting is fresh and believable. Too bad, the screenplay messes with the original facts about the character's backstory and motivation to suit the plot. Devotees of the comic will be annoyed with that as well as the introduction of Gwen Stacy as a rival for Peter Parker's affection. Gwen's backstory is also tweaked to suit the plot and Bryce Howard is wasted in a poorly written character. Credit though, must also be given to Topher Grace who adds a breath of life to the role of Eddie Brock.

We are being teased with the prospect of Spiderman 4 (after all, Doc Connors has appeared in all 3 films so far and fans know what happens to him) but this film should make enough money to put the franchise to rest. Let's see what Robert Downy Jr. can do with next year's "Iron Man" movie.

The Air I Breathe

Another screening at the Tribeca Film Festival, "The Air I Breathe" features a great cast entwined in 4 overlapping stories. Forest Whitaker is a quiet businessman who bets his life on a horse race, a gangster's enforcer (an excellent Brendan Fraiser) sees the future, a pop star (a better than expected Sarah Michelle Gellar) gets involved with a crime boss ( a typical Andy Garcia), and a doctor ( always reliable, Kevin Bacon) must try to save the love of his life.

The director, Jieho Lee, uses the overlapping technique we've seen before in films like "Pulp Fiction" and "Amores Perros" and for the most part makes it work (although just a little too neatly).

The stories are based on a Chinese proverb focusing on the four cornerstones of life: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. It is a strong drama with some harrowing scenes but it does reward in little ways throughout the film.

A Dirty Carnival

Screening at The Tribeca Film Festival, "A Dirty Carnival" is about the rise and fall of a Korean gangster. The title is a metaphor for the life gangster, Byung-doo, leads on the mean streets of Seoul.

The film is an exciting crime drama filled with all the elements you would expect including greed, betrayal, violence, and tragedy. Interestingly, there is very little on screen blood for such a violent film. The weapon of choice for these Korean gangsters is a metal bat and while it inflicts much pain, it leaves the film without the usual bloodshed. In fact, there are practically no guns at all in the film, which for that fact alone, makes it very interesting to watch.

The action scenes are choreographed beautifully and are very exciting. The story has been told before but the acting and charisma of the lead characters keep the viewer involved throughout the 141 minute running time.

The film is in Korean with English subtitles. No American release date is set.

Hot Fuzz

From the folks that brought you "Shaun of The Dead", "Hot Fuzz" is a loving satire of almost every action cop movie from the 80's and 90's. Played for laughs and yet deadly serious, this British comedy works on many levels.

What makes the serious nature of the film so funny is the presence of so many distinguished English actors. Steve Coogan, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, Edward Woodward, Jim Broadbent, and Timothy Dalton are the most recognizable faces for an American audience and they are all terrific in both minor and major roles. The lead character, Sgt. Nicholas Angel, is played by Simon Pegg, who also co-wrote the film. His dim witted side kick, P.C. Danny Butterman, is played by Nick Frost.

Sgt. Angel is a super cop making the rest of the London police force look bad so he is promptly promoted and sent off to work in a sleepy little village in the English countryside. Of course, nothing is what it seems and total mayhem ensues. There are liberal amounts of blood and gore in the more violent moments which are so over the top, the filmmakers could only think "more gore equals more laughs" and you'll swear Michael Bay directed the last 20 minutes. If you're a fan of British humor in a "Monty Python" vein, grab a pint and don't miss "Hot Fuzz".

The Hoax

Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, and Marcia Gay Harden star in the apparently true story of Clifford Irving's royal scam of McGraw-Hill in the 70's. Irving made claims that he personally knew and interviewed reclusive Billionaire, Howard Hughes. He managed to get a million dollar advance out of McGraw Hill for the publishing rights. The story has been documented many times over but "The Hoax" still manages to entertain and amuse.

Gere and Molina are a terrific team...a modern day Laurel & Hardy playing well against each other with Gere as Irving and Molina as Dick Suskind, his best friend and co-conspirator. Ms. Harden plays Edith Irving in what I can only assume is a spot on depiction of the real Edith. Hope Davis plays Andrea Tate, the lead editor at McGraw Hill who is first to be suckered by Irving.

Director Lasse Hallstrom captures the period of the 70's perfectly with costumes, makeup and an accurate and appealing soundtrack. "The Hoax" is interesting, both in subject and performance but ultimately will play just as well on DVD.

Black Book

A great return to form for director Paul Verhoeven. Going back to his Dutch roots, Verhoeven co-writes and directs this WWII story inspired by real events. The story centers on a Jewish woman hiding from the Nazi's in 1944 German occupied Holland.

After a series of horrific circumstances force Rachel Stein to join the Dutch resistance, she dyes her hair blonde and changes her name to Ellis de Vries. When she meets a high ranking Nazi officer, Ubercaptain Muentze, on a train, Ellis goes undercover as his clerk and lover. An unlikely romance begins between them and their situation become more complicated and dangerous as the film goes on.

At a very quick paced 2 & 1/2 hours, this film has it all. Romance, sex, intrigue, action, last second escapes, double and triple crosses, and terrific acting from the principle cast. Carice van Houten is wonderful as Rachel/Ellis and Sebastian Koch, so good in "The Lives of Others", stays true to form as her sympathetic Nazi lover, Muentze.

For the most part Verhoeven drives the story with some restraint towards bad taste however, be warned, there a few few scenes that push the envelope. After all, this is the same man who brought us "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls". But don't let that stop you from a exciting and satisfying movie experience. "Black Book" is in English, German and Dutch.

The Namesake

A thoughtful and emotional drama that explores one's place in family and society. When the Ganguli family moves to America from India, their American born son, Gogol, rebels against his traditional values and drifts further and further away from his family. He changes his lifestyle, his name, and integrates himself into the life of his girl friend's family.

Events occur that force Gogol to re-evaluate his life and the story is propelled on a journey of self discovery. The film moves at a leisurely pace beginning with the arranged marriage of Gogol's parents and moves through the years with much attention to detail.

We are exposed to much Indian culture as the film divides it's time between India and the U.S. but the story, at it's heart, is a universal one. Each generation must discover their own identity and yet, maintain the traditions and values that help shape the individual they are to become.

Kal Penn, a long way from "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle", stars as Gogol with a terrific multi-layered performance. Irrfan khan and Tabu play his parents and both are excellent. The entire cast does a wonderful job bringing all the characters to life. Directed by Mira Nair, "The Namesake" is a richly woven fabric that will appeal to an audience looking for a film with depth and feeling.

Grindhouse

Certainly not for everyone's taste but if you like fast cars, blood spattered zombies, loose women and big explosions, then this one's for you. Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have teamed up to bring you the full experience of "Grindhouse" movies from the early 70's. "Grindhouse" features great fake coming attractions for films like "Werewolf Women of the SS" and "Machete". It also includes scratchy film, missing reels, bad acting, cheesy sets and dialog, old animated ratings messages, psychedelic previews of coming attractions and lots and lots of blood.

Each director has made a "grindhouse" film and both have their appeal. The two films, "Planet Terror" and "Deathproof" are bound together by the fake coming attractions and the three hour experience is a fun return to the glory days of cult films being shown all along 42nd street in New York and similar neighborhoods across America.

"Planet Terror" stars Rose McGowan and Freddy Rodriguez battling killer zombies. If you've seen the ads, you'll know Rose ends up with a machine gun for a leg and is quite the CGI highpoint. "Deathproof" stars Kurt Russell as a crazed stuntman driver who likes to crash into and run down women. At first you think the film exploits women but Mr. Tarantino is clever enough to turn the genre on it's head and portray the women as the heroes of the film. "Deathproof" has some great Tarantino dialog and a terrific car chase climax. Rosario Dawson is along for the ride in "Deathproof" but literally takes a backseat to Zoe Bell and Tracie Thoms.

Both films have many cameos including Bruce Willis, Naveen Andrews, and Michael Parks, as well as cult horror film directors like Eli Roth and Tom Savini. For fans of the genre, Grindhouse is lots of fun and a visual treat but as I started out by saying, it's not for everyone.

Meet The Robinsons

The Disney machine cranks out another mass market advertisement for it's merchandising, theme parks, website and anything else it owns or can partner with to make a buck.

Expanding on a quote from from Walt himself, "Keep Moving Forward", "Meet The Robinsons" strings together plot points from other movies (liberally from "Back To The Future") to move the Disney machine forward. The plot is confusing for very small kids and mildly entertaining for older kids. The pop reference "in-jokes" are few and far between and the "twist" can be seen coming midway through the story.

When Lewis, the hero of the film, finally meets the Robinson family, he is introduced to a wide assortment of comic characters who are never fully developed resulting in an attitude of "who cares" about any of them. They all have individual oddities that have lots of potential which is never explored.

The saving grace for the film is the terrific animation and lively 3D effects (if you see it in 3D). Even without the 3D, the quality of the animation is still what you've come to expect from Disney. The film is preceded by a experimental 3D Donald Duck cartoon from 1953. In 3D or not, it's better than the feature film.

Red Road

Another new film from the New Directors/New Films Festival at Lincoln Center, "Red Road" centers on the particular path chosen by a lonely woman who works for the Glasgow, Scotland "City Eye" agency. Apparently Glasgow has surveillance cameras set up all over the city and "City Eye" monitors activity 24 hours a day.

When "Jackie", played by Kate Dickie glimpses a man from her past during her surveillance shift, it sets in motion a life changing series of events. To reveal more would spoil a terrific 3rd act when many answers come in unexpected ways.

The film is very slow to start. It's a deliberate act by the director to pull you into the boredom of Jackie's world. As the film progresses, the pace quickens and leads to a highly emotional payoff. This is a story of grief, forgiveness, redemption, and renewal. Kate Dickie is excellent as "Jackie", a woman longing for a closure buried deep inside her. Martin Compston, who showed promise in "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints", is volatile as "Stevie" and Tony Curran is terrific as "Clyde", a man with a terrible past trying to start again.

The strong Scottish accents are supported by subtitles for an American audience. Opens in limited release April 13th.

Salty Air

From the New Directors/New Films series at Lincoln Center comes this emotional debut feature by Alessandro Angelini. When a social worker in an Italian prison begins to suspect a newly transferred prisoner may be his father, whom he hasn't seen for 20 years, guilt, grief, and redemption collide as a family's old wounds reopen.

The acting is terrific especially by Giorgio Pasetti as Sparti, the convict forced to confront his past. Directed with authority by Mr. Angelini, "Salty Air" packs an emotional punch that will stay with you long after you leave the theater. In Italian, with no set American release date as yet.

300

Short on plot but long on action, "300" tells the story of the 300 Spartan soldiers who did their best to defend Greece from the advance of an overwhelming Persian army. The film borrows the plot from history but is literally based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller.

As shot, the film basically plays as a live action graphic novel much in the vein of "Sin City", another Frank Miller graphic novel brought to the screen. It is a dark and moody film. The cinematography is awash in blacks and grays offset by splashes of red blood. Much of the film is CGI generated but seamlessly incorporated into the visuals.

The action is ferocious, violent and a visceral treat for fans of the genre. If this type of film appeals to you, try your best to see it on an IMAX screen where it can truly overwhelm your senses.

The Lives of Others

Winner of the Oscar for last years best foreign film, I can see now why this beat out my favorite film of last year, "Pan's Labyrinth". Written and directed by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck, "Lives of Others" is his feature film debut. Based on this outstanding drama, you would think Mr. Henckel Von Donnersmarck was a seasoned film maker with many films already in his resume.

Set in East Berlin, circa 1984, "The Lives Of Others" centers on The Stasi, the East German secret police and their hold over the populace of pre-Glasnost East Germany. When one Stasi agent is assigned to spy on a writer and his actress girlfriend, he finds himself beginning to question his own beliefs and values.

The acting is just exceptional, particularly Ulrich Muhe as the Stasi agent, Captain Weisler. Without a car chase in sight, the tension mounts as many lives hang in the balance of one man's actions. The film has so many subtle moments of emotional impact, it will haunt you for days. The last half hour, in particular, is riveting right up to the very end.

Do not miss this amazing film. In German, with English subtitles.