“You can’t handle the truth.” — Jack Nicholson (as Col. Nathan R. Jessep) in A Few Good Men (1992).
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El Norte (1983) Hey, I tried, but this film is so sociopolitically earnest I instinctively turned against it. It begins graphically enough, with Mayan peasants being brutally suppressed by Guatemalan landowners and their military lackeys, but in between the few action scenes you endure lengthy barrages of Marxist-style propaganda about the inherent nobility and goodness of los indios, expressed in soulful stares toward the heavens as words about solidarity are intoned, accompanied by sad harp music — dragged out in the slowest possible manner to make sure you get the message. Jesus, just tell the goddamn story already, and let it deliver the message! I swear, this must be the kind of stuff North Koreans are forced to sit through. |
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Land of the Lost (2009) Will Ferrell looked like he had fun making this movie, and I had fun watching it. It’s adult enough to be interesting, in an immature way. If you’re a Will Ferrell fan, you’ll probably love it. This is the kind of movie no one would never admit going to see in a theater, but that everyone rents when it comes out on DVD. |
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The Maiden Heist (2009) Walken, Freeman, and Macy make a cute team. Almost as cute as Malden and Lemmon in Grumpy Old Men . . . and almost as old. Everything in this movie seems slow-paced and deliberate, so if you’re afflicted with ADD you may not enjoy it. But try to slow down to Peter Hewitt’s pace and you’ll probably love it. It’s a nice story with a comprehensible plot, engaging characters, and no sex or violence: a pleasant break from the standard fare. My only quibble? The unbelievably crappy painting the boys are after. They couldn’t have written the script around a real painting, like the Dutch Master Morgan Freeman’s character wants to steal? We’re supposed to believe Christopher Walken is in love with a piece of Asian back-alley sweatshop motel art? Get outta here! |
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The Proposal (2009) “I will have to sit through this for my wife’s sake . . . fortunately, I like looking at Sandra Bullock.” I wrote that before I’d actually seen the movie. I’ll be big and admit that in spite of myself I enjoyed The Proposal, and not just because I have a crush on Sandra Bullock. Sure, it’s a chick flick, but the smart-ass repartee between the main characters, Andrew and Margaret, not to mention several good comedic scenes, are more than enough to keep a guy entertained, at least through the first three quarters of the movie . . . I must say it did get a bit mushy toward the end. Betty White is great as always, and it was a hoot to see Aasif Mandvi (a regular on The Daily Show) and Oscar Nuñez (from The Office) in solid comedic roles. |
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Food, Inc. (2009) A stark, intelligent documentary on the food industry, full of alarming, Michael Moore-worthy facts, without Michael Moore’s over-the-top delivery. I suppose that’s because it’s not a Michael Moore documentary . . . duh . . . but my point is that a documentary can be effective without pyrotechnics. Food, Inc. is full of food for thought, if I may make the obvious pun. If you take anything away from Food, Inc., take away the fact that American farmers, like the legions of American workers who have seen their living wages, medical coverage, and pensions stolen and are now forced to work for low wages with few benefits, are being turned into sharecroppers, owned outright by four or five major corporations. We don’t need a Michael Moore to tell us to take back what’s ours before our betters turn us all into serfs and peons again, do we? |
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Dark Matter (2009) It’s hardly news that entrenched ideas, ego, and politics reign supreme in academia, and that bucking the system, however brilliant you may be, is asking for trouble. But you could make a hell of a good movie about it. This movie, though, falls a little short. The characters — Chinese post-graduate students, their doctoral advisors, and other members of the academic community — are realistic and well-played, and the parallel glimpses of Liu Xing’s family back in China, which form the backdrop for Liu’s letters home, are an interesting and nice touch. And until near the end of the movie, the story is believable. Where it breaks down, and where this movie falls short, is Liu’s inexplicable descent into madness. The Liu we meet and come to know earlier in the movie is too balanced and practical to go postal. His actions aren’t believable. The ending feels added on . . . it doesn’t fit the rest of the movie. But this director, Chen Shi-Zheng, has a sort of M. Knight Shyamalan thing going, and I’ll look forward to his next movie. |
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The Answer Man (2009) A harmless & somewhat entertaining romantic comedy, with Jeff Daniels as an unlikely male lead. The opening scene, where Jeff Daniel’s character is interrupted during his meditation, made me laugh out loud. The rest was predictable, but not annoyingly so. A nice DVD to share with your spouse, and who knows, you might get lucky. |
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Incendiary (2008) A woman’s life is torn apart by terrorism and guilt, becoming a metaphor for rebuilding and healing. As the sign on the bombed-out stadium said: “Rebuilding Our Club. Rebuilding Our Lives.” I have to say this movie surprised me in any number of pleasant ways. |
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12 (2007) A Russian film about a jury considering the fate of a Chechen accused of murder, reminiscent of the 1957 American film 12 Angry Men. You need to make a deal with this movie: stick with it for the first 30 minutes, patiently, and it will pay you back in spades. If this had been an American film, it would have swept the Oscars — it is that good. Fantastic acting, gripping plot, Russian soul. But don’t put it in the DVR unless you’re ready for a long evening — it’s nearly three hours long. |
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Martian Child (2007) Forgettable formula flick with an annoying child actor. It would have been better if the child a) really was a Martian, b) died. But the people who make these kinds of movies have no guts. |