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Disney's A Christmas Carol: A Fun New Spin on an Old Favorite
Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol is, quite literally, a tale as old as time. Hollywood has already turned the novel into countless films, so how do you keep it fresh to entertain old and young audiences alike? You give them a pair of 3-D glasses.
Love Happens: Not Happenin'
Love Happens is not a romantic comedy, like the promo photos of Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston smooshed together might have you believe. The real focus of the film is Burke (Eckhart), a widower who's hooked on Grey Goose and his own delusion that he's "a-okay" like the title of his self-help book suggests. He's constantly quoting his own chapters, with turning-lemons-into-lemonade kind of lessons, as a means to get through his day — frankly, the guy's a downer.
9: A Small Film With a Giant (Albeit Dark) Heart
I was a bit apprehensive about going to see 9, because it didn't look like your typical animated movie. However, the buzz on it has been huge (the short film on which it's based was Academy Award nominated), and Tim Burton is one of the producers, so I figured it had to be twisted good fun to get his stamp of approval.
Directed by first-time feature film director, Shane Acker, the film opens with our robot hero, 9, in the workshop of his scientist creator — who has just died on the floor after completing his final invention.
Inglourious Basterds: Graphic, but Good
Meet the Inglorious Bastards, er, the Inglourious Basterds: a quintessential Quentin Tarantino clan (see also Reservoir Dogs) helmed by an accent-affected Brad Pitt. Pitt, who plays a sort of Tennessean hillbilly, is the ringleader of the group of mostly Jewish-American soldiers whose aim is to kill — specifically by scalping — Nazis. It's as disgusting as it sounds, but the film is not all gory and the Basterds are only one in a series of interwoven stories.
The Time Traveler's Wife: Doesn't Fulfill Its Destiny
What makes the book The Time Traveler's Wife so magical is how well it marries two genres: romance and sci-fi. But the big-screen adaptation leans more toward old-fashioned Hollywood love story, with the attendant schmaltz and a touch of slapstick.
Fans of the cherished book — myself included — had many hopes and fears about the film.
The Ugly Truth: A Misogynistic Mess
When reviewing The Ugly Truth, it's impossible to ignore what Katherine Heigl had to say in 2007 about her film Knocked Up: "It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days. I’m playing such a b*tch; why is she being such a killjoy?
Humpday: Wonderfully, Uncomfortably Awkward
Bromance: it's a trendy topic. Between Brody Jenner's reality show, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel's I Love You, Man, and practically anything Judd Apatow touches, it's clear that platonic man-love on film is here to stay. Sundance darling Humpday takes the notion to an entirely new level, but not in the way you might expect.
(500) Days of Summer: A Fantastical Unromance For Realists
The unnecessary parentheses in the movie's title are the first sign that (500) Days of Summer might be too cute and contrived for its own good. Often, it is: the female lead (played by Zooey Deschanel) is named Summer, the wardrobes and apartments are impossibly hip, and shopping at Ikea acts as a relationship milestone. I'm willing to forgive much of that, however, because despite its overly indie constructs, (500) Days of Summer captures many achingly real sentiments.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Back and Darker Than Ever
From the moment the opening credits start to roll and we hear that telltale theme song, there's one thing that’s very clear about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: this is not the bright, shiny Hogwarts we came to know back in the first movie.
For one thing, the wizard world has been turned on its head by the Dark Lord and his followers, and now everyone knows it. The Death Eaters have been wreaking havoc, and the chaos has gotten so out of hand that it's even affecting the Muggle (nonwizarding world).
Bruno: Makes You Squirm More Than Think
There are cringe-inducing comedies, and there are grossout shockfests, and then there is Bruno. Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie brazenly mates both genres while thrusting in a touch of documentary and hardcore porn.
Bruno made me squirm, but not in the way that Borat did.
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