ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
This adaptation of the Belgian author’s books is Steven Spielberg’s first animated film. It follows an earnest young reporter on an adventure for lost treasure…yes, there are Indiana Jones parallels. This is the first time that the motion capture technique really works: the characters’ eyes don’t look creepy and the realism (although stylized) is quite impressive. It’s crammed full of dizzying crane shots, dynamic staging and complex action sequences. As a matter of fact, it may be too full. After a while the over-the-top action lacks impact. The characters and story aren’t particularly compelling, but the overall style packs a visual wallop.
CARNAGE
Two couples gather for a civilized discussion about an incident between their young sons. Before it’s over, barriers drop and things get real. It’s a strong cast (Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, Christopher Waltz), but with the exception of Reilly, they aren’t known for their comic chops (and neither is director Roman Polanski). Making it worse, the script isn’t funny. The film starts with promise and potential, but never escalates to outrageous or deteriorates to dull. It stays at the same, uninspired level of energetic ennui.
DANGEROUS METHOD
Be warned: any film that puts Karl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) in the same room is going to be talky and loaded with psycho-babble. Toss in a sexually disturbed woman (Keira Knightley) and you’ve got kink, anguish and strife. Based on real events, this story looks at the relationship of the three and it’s effects on the early days of psychiatry (also known as “the talking cure,” this film is the talking curse!) Not enough happens and when it does, the detached direction (Cronenberg) keeps it from being emotionally involving. It’s beautiful to look at and the performances are strong, but the slow pacing makes it a painful session.
DESCENDANTS
George Clooney stars as the father of two girls (10 & 17), to whom he can’t connect. This is thrown into relief because his estranged wife is in a life-ending coma. Although the previews would have you believe this is a dark comedy, it isn’t. There’s lots of tears and just because people cry a lot does not make it moving. The occasional laughs are provided by a teenage dude friend. Clooney’s performance is one of his best and the rest of the cast is equally strong. Writer/director Alexander Payne has crafted a mature interpersonal drama set in the everyday world of Hawaii. While much of it is engaging, some of it is slow and flat.
EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE
After his father (Tom Hanks) perishes in the World Trade Center, an obsessive boy searches for the lock that fits a key from his father. This journey takes him throughout New York’s boroughs and helps him grow in the process (no surprise there). The story has a few good surprises, but the unhurried pacing and the boy’s neurotic behavior make the experience wearisome and frustrating.
GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
If you’ve seen the original Swedish version, there’s not much new here. If you haven’t, this is the American-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel about a journalist (Daniel Craig) and his unusual assistant (Rooney Mara). He’s hired by a wealthy old man to solve the mystery of his missing granddaughter, but discovers a series of brutal murders. Meanwhile, she’s got her own problems, when she’s enlisted to help him on his search. This film, which runs 2:38, unfolds with a slow anxiety, but never really manages much tension. Even the violent scenes are underplayed. Perhaps it’s that cold Swedish outlook. The musical score is often pervasive and occasionally in the way. Director David Fincher has crafted a compelling, but slightly-confusing film.
HAYWIRE
Gina Carano, a famous MMA fighter, has thrown her hat into the action star ring. Under Steven Soderbergh’s direction, she got stuck in a lackluster plot of international intrigue. He’s surrounded her by a strong cast (Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas) to help boost her adequate acting. Unfortunately, much of the movie’s time is spent with low-key dialogue and uneventful chases. The infrequent fight scenes are well-staged, but not especially original or impressive. Soderberg’s detached style doesn’t blend well with this genre. As a result, there’s too much mediocre activity and not enough action.
HUGO
Some may interpret this as a children’s film, but its artistry expands beyond that audience. It follows the adventures of a boy who lives in a Paris train station and has a fascination with all things mechanical. The plot and dialogue are minimal, making this an almost silent film. The visuals, on the other hand, are amazing. This is director Martin Scorsese’s most stylishly inventive film and the 3D is spectacular. The story sinks a bit with his film restoration messages and this drags the pacing slightly, but the brilliance of a master filmmaker makes this a masterpiece.
IRON LADY
Meryl Streep plays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but this isn’t a typical biopic. It follows her career from outspoken Oxford student to her resignation as PM, but spends too much time flashing back from her waning years. Although this device has been used many times before (most recently in “J. Edgar"), there’s usually a clear timeline and a fleshed-out story. In this case, she’s sometimes pitiful and haunted by the past. Streep turns in a complex, compelling performance and the rest of the cast is strong. It’s just the screenplay that keeps the film from becoming an stirring story.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL
This one has everything that we expect from the series: taut action, cool gadgets, exotic locales and elaborate operations. Tom Cruise and his trimmed-down team has to run outside the system to stop a nuclear terrorist, but not before some tense and exciting sequences (especially the amazing climb outside the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). Simon Pegg adds just the right dash of humor, but it’s director Brad Bird’s ability to keep the accelerator to the floor that makes this film well-paced, non-stop fun.
SHAME
Director Steve McQueen started as a cinema artist and that shows in his commercial work. There are extended takes & minimal dialogue (hence, slow pacing) and episodes that add up to an impression (as opposed to a storyline). Michael Fassbinder plays a New York stud, who’s obsessed with sex and afraid of intimacy. As a result, there two primary types of scenes: sex (including random pickups, masturbation & full-frontal nudity) and struggle (rueful staring and disaffected relationships). It’s compelling on several levels, but too cerebral to be powerful. The most shameful thing is that the distributors had the conviction to release it in NC-17 (with all the attendant barriers) and it’s not worth the risk.
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS
This sequel has very little of what made the original so much fun. Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) talk way too much and most of it’s not witty. Worse yet, the plot is confusing and convoluted. The action sequences are edited so fast and blurry that’s it’s impossible to tell what’s going on. Director Ritchie has thrown around plenty of his stylistic flourishes, but they just add flash and noise. There’s nothing about this film to recommend it.
THE ARTIST
With the advent of the talkies in Hollywood, the career of a silent film star declines, as a cute young starlet is on the rise. In keeping with the period, it’s in 1.33:1 ratio black and white with a musical accompaniment. There are title cards to explain some of the dialogue (they’re on screen much faster than in the 30s). Besides all these devices, the simple story proves engaging, the actors are appealing and the director has added some clever flourishes to freshen it up. This is not an important film, as much as a sweet and charming homage.
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
This big-screen adaptation of the le Carre novel is not like most modern spy flicks: There are no chases, fights or shocking twists. It revolves around an English spy organization in the 70s and the search for a Russian mole in the higher ranks. Gary Oldman heads the impressive cast as the man hired to find the culprit. The complex machinations are carried out methodically, which means very slowly. Much of what happens, suspicious glances, swiping folders and other dull dealings, is simply confusing (guess it helps to read the novel). When the truth is revealed, it’s really no big surprise, making the movie even more of a letdown.
WAR HORSE
Spielberg’s live-action holiday entry is an adoption of the novel and play about an intrepid, remarkable horse and the people who cared for it. It starts on an English farm, where a young boy raises and trains Joey. With the onset of World War I, Joey travels involve the British and German armies and a French girl. All shot in a lush, low-angle, highly-lit version of Hollywood in the Golden Age. There’s no denying that Speilberg is a master storyteller and this film has some spectacular sequences. It’s also full of emotional twists and turns that left many in the cinema wiping their eyes. For me, I appreciated the craft more than I cared about the characters.
