About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2011)
Some releases may not be showing locally this week. THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (PG- 13) The trailers do nothing lor the cut of this latest Philip K. Dick adaptation Matt Damon and Emily Blunt play star- crossed lovers, David and Elise. being kept apart by the Adjustment Bureau, who resemble a team of Mad Men in suits and hats (one is even played by “Mad Men's silver-haired, silver- tongued John Slattery). These angels as pencil pushers and bureaucrats make sure The Plan, as envisioned by The Chairman (one of many names for the man upstairs), is adhered to. The love affair between David and Elise is not part of the plan, and the Bureau will stop at nothing, even sending in their heavy hitter (Terence Stamp), to ensure the couple does not end up together. Writer-director George Nolfi meshes romance and sci-fi with more coolly intricate success than you would suspect. Damon and Blunt generate surprisingly easy chemistry, and the men in hats idea works well thanks to Slattery. Stamp and The Huh Locked undervalued Anthony Mackie. A new score from Thomas Newman and gor geous urban cinematography from Oscar winner John Toll merely ice this romantic cake. The Adjustment Bureau is one of the better films of young 2011. ATLAS SHRUGGED: PART ONE (PG-13) Ayn Rand would be the one shrugging were she able to see the low quality of creative talent brought together to bring her magnum opus of Objectivism to the big screen Unless the producers have some mighty deep pockets, ihs highly doubtful this piece of cinematic soap (opera) scum will make enough money to pay for its promised second and third parts. The central mystery of Rand's novel kept me awake long after any other film this boring, poorly acted/written/directed/ scored would have sent me dreaming. “Who is John Galt?* asks the man on the street in the dystopian United States of 2016 to Randls heroes of 'ethical egoism’ or ‘rational selfishness.’ wealthy industrialists Dagny Taggart (some robotic unknown named Taylor Schilling) and Hank Rearden (Grant Bowler, almost good enough to pull it off), as they fight the evil socialists in Washington. The filmmakers smartly chopped this massive, nigh-unfilmable novel into the book’s three parts, but this film is no better than television quality. To deprive audiences of their hard-earned money for an inferior product sure seems anti-Randian. Also, how does the struggle of a bunch of rich white people strike a chord with the majority of small town Tea Partiers? BATTLE: LOS ANGELES (PG-13) I still don't quite get how Battle: Los .Angeles was inspired by true events. In February 1942, over 1,400 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition were unleashed over the skies of L.A., at what was thought to be Japanese aircraft. This real-life event somehow led to this science fiction/war movie about the battle fought over Los Angeles during an alien invasion. A group of mixed military personnel (led by Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Ne-Yo) try to get back to the FOB (Forward Operating Base) before bombs are dropped that will hopefully wipe out the invading extraterrestri als. Many of the supporting military cast die. mowed down during shaky cam gunfights with aliens inspired by District 9. Battle: LA offers noth ing new to either the war or science fiction genres it mashes together, but the action movie manages to engage for its near-two-hour running time without being particularly interesting or entertaining. Strangely, this needlessly cacophonous, visually unintelligible movie is better during its quiet, still moments as opposed to its textbook sacrifices and acts of cowboy bravado. BEASTLY (PG-13) A literal modem day fairy tale, Beastly stars I Am Number Foul’s Alex Pettyfer (how did this guy escape The CW for the big screen?) as vain, misunderstood, rich boy, Kyle. When Kyle runs afoul of a witch (Mary-Kate Olsen) at his ridicu lously posh private high school, she turns him into a hideously scarred and tattooed “monster’ with a year to find someone who’ll love him. Of course, he chooses scholarship girl with a drug addict dad. Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens). The unforgivably unlikely setup for this limp take on Beauty and the Beast requires Lindy to be sequestered in Kyle's hideaway due to a threat against her life. Beastly is all pretty much bland teen romance and drama. BRIDESMAIDS (R) Annie (the indis- pensible Kristen Wiig, who also cow rote the script with Annie Mumolo) gets more than she bargained for as Maid of Honor for her friend Lillian's (Maya Rudolph) wedding. No Bride Wars jokes, please. This female-centered comedy comes from a producing Judd Apatow and ‘Freaks and Geeks’ creator Paul Feig. directing his first feature since 2006 s Unaccompanied Minors. With Rose Byrne. Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm and Jill Clayburgh, in her final appearance before dying in 2010 from leukemia. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES (PG) I really enjoyed the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, and its sequel, Rcdrick Rules, is no different. Middle schooler Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon, who could be a lost Savage brother) must contend with brotherly abuse from his mean older sibling, Rodrick (Devon Bostick). Adding to Greg's middle school misery is the return of Chirag Gupta (Karan Brar) and an unrequited crush on Holly Hills (Peyton List). Fortunately, Greg still has best bud, Rowley (Robert Capron), by his side. ILs a tribute to Jeff Kinney's fantastic series of books and a terrific ensemble of actors, both child and adult, that a kiddie franchise could be this funny. If they can keep the quality up, I'd love see all Kinney’s Wimpy Kid books turned into movies. DYLAN DOG: DEAD OF NIGHT (PG-13) Wearing a red shirt black jacket and jeans, private detective Dylan Dog (former Superman^fandon Routh) investigates the supernatural in New Orleans and the surrounding Louisiana bayou. Now he must find a trinket to stop a war between the vampires, werewolves and zombies who hire him. Director Kevin Munroe last helmed the animated TMNT feature. Apparently. Dylan Dog is a popular Italian horror comic. With Sam Huntington (Jimmy Olsen to Routh's Superman), Peter Stormare, Taye Diggs and Anita Briem. EVERYTHING MUST GO (R)Will Ferrell goes indie again as Nick Halsey, who loses his job and wife but rediscovers his life by selling all his worldly possessions from his front lawn. Luckily. Rebecca Hall (who doesn't love her at the moment?) and Notorious B.I.G.'s son, Christopher Jordan Wallace, play his helpful neigh bors. Based on a Raymond Carver short story, Everything Must Go is the directing and writing debut of Dan Rush. With Michael Pena, Laura Dern, Stephen Root and ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glenn Howerton. FAST FIVE (PG-13) As the'plot' goes. Dorn (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker) and DomS sister/ Brians squeeze, Mia (Jordana Brewster), are on the lam after a daring, non-tatal prison break. In Rio, the trio runs afoul of super drug lord. Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida, doing what Joaquim de Almeida does best, intimidate in a bespoke suit). They also have to outwit federal bounty hunter Hobbs (a more gigantic than usual Dwayne Johnson). Other stuff goes on to set up the *Ocean's 11 on wheels’ heist that cre ates the climax. THE GIRL BY THE LAKE (NR) 2007. The body of a young girl is found near an alpine lake in northern Italy. Sanzio (Toni Servillo). a detective from the nearby city, is called on to investigate, but nearing retirement and with an ill wife, ne has problems of his own. Nominated for a staggering 15 Davids, the film won 10. including Best Film, Best Actor (Servillo), Best Director (Andrea Molaioli), Best New Director and Best Screenplay. GNOMEO& JULIET (G) This backyard version of Romeo and Juliet definitely succeeds in its cuteness quotient The two battling terracotta clans, the Reds and the Blues, contain enough distinctive-looking members. Too bad the movie doesnl do a better job establishing this colorful retinue beyond a montage of here and there. Instead, we focus on the blossoming romance between star-crossed lovers. Gnomeo (v. James McAvoy), son of Lady Blueberry (v. Maggie Smith), and Juliet (v. Emily Blunt), beloved daugh ter of Lord Redbrick (v. Michael Caine). In between ceramic smooches are lawnmower races against red baddie, Tybalt (v. Jason Statham), and the silly machinations of a loopy pink flamingo (v. Jim Cummings) from an abandoned garden next door. HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL (PG) As noted in this magazinels very pages, I really enjoyed the original Hoodwinked. I even own the DVD and the soundtrack. Yet I had no interest in seeing a sequel to that tiny, creative animated jewel, and Hoodwinked Too! Hood VS Evil is every reason why. Lazy riffs on Scarf ace and Goodfellas are recycled again (Who's the audi ence for this movie anyway? Kids who don't get the jokes or adults who don't think they're funny anymore?): the voice casting is little more than poorly thought out stunts (Cheech and Chong as two of the three little pigs?); the rest of the vcice actors seem bored. Even the unimpressive 3D conversion is a late addition. Had Hoodwinked Too! simply been released straight to DVD, no one would have been the wiser, and the movie could have saved itself the critical emoarrassment. I doubt the producers will make back their extraor dinary marketing expenditure. I AM NUMBER FOUR (PG-13) I Am Number Four feels like a feafure film pilot for a new CW series to replace “Smallville,’ whose creators, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (with help from •“Buffy“’s Marti Noxon), happen to have written Number Foufs script. A power ful orphaned alien, John AKA Number Four (stone-jawed Alex Pettyfer), is on the run from extraterrestrial hunt ers. With his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant; are you watching him on 'Justified?' If not. you should be), John moves to Paradise, Ohio, where he meets a girl (Dianna Agron, better known as Quinn from “Glee") and a new pal (Callan McAuliffe). Just when he feels like he’s found a home, the alien hunters (led by the versatile vil lain Kevin Durand) arrive. Fortunately, so does another powerful teen-lien, Number Six (Teresa Palmer). (The numbers are the order in which these X-Terrestrials must be killed.) Mixing Superman and the X-Men with a tinge of Twilight, I Am Number Four, based on a bestselling book series cowritten under a pseudonym by James Frey (yes. THAT James Frey), probably will not reach the franchise heights to which it aspires. It would make a kick- ass CW show though. JANE EYRE (PG-13) Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel (just ask any high schooler) is brought to the big screen yet again, this time by an intriguing filmmaker, Sin Nombres Cary Fukunaga. The titular, mousy gov erness (Mia Wasikowska, who is every^ where right now) falls for her employer, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender), only to dislfover he harbors a horrible secret. Screenwriter Moira Buffini also wrote last year's ‘Tamara Drewe.’ With Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot}, Imogen Poots (Solitary Man), Sally Hawkins (Happy- Go-Lucky) and Dame Judi Dench. JUMPING THE BROOM (PG-13) Jumping the Broom has all the familial melodrama of a Tyler Perry production without Madea’s tonal aggression. When uptown girl Sabrina (Paula Patton) meets downtown boy Jason (Laz Alonso), they quickly get engaged. The wedding on Martha's Vineyard highlights the divide between the two families, led by tough-verging-on- unlikable matgarchs played by Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine. In his first feature, veteran television director Salim Akil (‘Girlfriends,’ “The Game’) shows a better understanding of cinematic conventions than Perry did in his 10th. Jumping the Broom isn't much more than a made-for-TV movie writ large, but the family dramedy goes down smoothly thanks to an appealing cast and a stolid behind-the-camera foundation. MADEA’S BIG HAPPY FAMILY (PG- 13) Having written, directed, produced and/or starred in 11 movies since 2005, Tyler Perry has become predict able. The broad, slapstick antics of mad matriarch Madea (Perry) are jar ringly meshed with a faith-based melo dramatic family drama. The family in Perry's newest movie belongs to sweet Shirley (Loretta Devine), who is dying of cancer. Not that her awful brood seems to care Baby Byron (Shad “Bow Wow" Moss) is caught between two, to quote Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis, wiio has more fun than anyone that$ not Perry), *hos,’ both of whom want him to start slinging dope again. Shirley’s two daughters are venomous, angry women trapped in loveless, at least from their viewpoint, marriages. PRIEST (PG-13) After the not-so- swell (nice way of saying crappy) Legion, director Scott Stewart and star Paul Bettany reunite for another doomsday-ish, supernatural action thriller. In a postapocalyptic world, a priest (Bettany), assisted by a young sheriff and a warrior priestess, tracks down the vamps who kidnapped his niece. The movie is based on the manhwa (Korean comic) by Min- Woo Hyung. With Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q (CWs “Nikita"), Karl Urban. “True Blood”s Stephen Moyer and Christopher Plummer. PROM (PG) Prom isn't a movie made for anyone who has actually ever been to a prom. Even then, gaggles of middle school girls giggled their way through the trials and tribulations of high schoolers (led by 'Friday Night Lights” Aimee Teegarden) struggling to find dates and dresses for the 'most magical night of their lives’ until the rest of their life actually happens. Several even left early, making the salient, if incorrect, observalion that Prom was the worst movie ever. RIO (G) Another week, another aver age animated children's movie that won't quite pain the adults forced to accompany them. After Rango, 20111s animated output has some minor big. quirky boots to fill. Rio isn't quirky. It mashes together several popular cartoon plotlines. A pet out of water— Blu, a domesticated macaw quite well-voiced by The Social Networks Jesse Eisenberg—must negotiate the MOVIE LISTINGS Schedules often change after our deadline. Please call ahead. ACC LIBRARY (706-613-3650) The Girt by the Lake (NR) 7:00 (Th. 5/12) CINl (706-353-3343) Certified Copy (NR) 5:00 (W. 5/11 & Th. 5/12) Jane Eyre (PG-13) 4:30, 7:00, 9:45 (no 9:45 show Su. 5/15) Laboring Under ar Illusion: Hass Media Childbirth vs. the Real Thing (NR) 3:00 (Su. 5/15) The Room (R) 12:00 (F. 5/13) Win Win (R) 7:15, 9:30 (W. 5/11 & Th. 5/12) Winter in Wartime (R) 5:00, 7:15, 9:30 (starts F. 5.13) (no 9:30 show Su. 5/15) Accurate movie times for the CARMIKE 12 (706-354-0016), BEECHWOOD STADIUM 11 (706-546-1011) and GEORGIA SQUARE 5 (706-548-3426) cinemas are not available by press ^time^isi^ww^flagpole^con^ wide world in order to finds its owner, Linda (perfectly voiced by Leslie Mann) again But what will he learn on the way 7 SCREAM 4 (R) By no means a disappointment as many wish it to be, Scream 4 (Scre4m) shows Kevin Williamson can still entertainingly tackle the tropes of the horror genre. After a decade-long absence during which the genre saw nearly all its clas sics remade. Ghostface’s fourth mur derous rampage naturally sends up the remake craze. Scream 4 does nothing particularly wrong, but the series lost its brains and its boos after the brilliant first two. SOMETHING BORROWED (PG- 13) Something Borrowed, something blew. In an in-spirit, if not in-name sequel to Bride Wars, another greater, more appealing actress withers when matched with the poisonous Kate Hudson. I love Ginnifer Goodwin, but she is no match for KHud, whose career continues to spawn entries on my personal worst movies list. Rachel (Goodwin) and Darcy (Hudson) have been friends since they were, like, iittle girls. Now Darcy is on the verge of get ting married to Rachel’s longtime, law school crush, Dex (Colin Egglesfield), forcing Rachel to do something or lose him forever. SOUL SURFER (PG) The sec ond release from new distributor FilmDistrict, Soul Suher is based on the true story of teenaged surfer Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb), who lost her arm1)ut not her desire to hang ten to a shark attack. A ludicrously buff Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt appear as Bethany's father and mother. Writer-director Sean McNamara has a long history of Nickelodeon/Disney TV movies and shows as well as the features Raise Your Voice anti Bratz THOR (PG-13) See Movie Pick. UN CHIEN ANDALOU/ L'AGE D OR (NR) 1929/1930 A couple of surreal, avant-garde masterpieces from Spanish filmmaker Luis Bunuel (Belle du Joui) hit the Georgia Museum ol Art to coin cide with the exhibit. “Dali Illustrates Dante's ‘Divine Comedy ” Bunuel and Dali teamed up for the classic short film. Un Chien Andalou Paired with that seminal film is Bunuels first feature, L'Age d'Or, a decidedly surreal ist affair (it was meant to be another collaboration with Dali) about a couple whose attempts to consummate their passion are continually frustrated by family, the Church and society. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS (NR) Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) has only his finals left to go before his dream life as a veterinarian can begin. Those dreams are cut short by the death of his parents in a car accident. In a magical twist of plot-driven fate, Jacob hops a train carrying the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth to its next stop. Soon, he con vinces ringmaster August Rosenbluth (an absolutely terrifying Christoph Waltz) to hire him as .the circus’ vet. And when Benzini Brothers gets a new star attraction, Rosie the elephant, Jacob becomes the all-important bull man (i.e., elephant trainer). WIN WIN (R) What a great little independent movie! Filmmaker Thomas McCarthy (The Station Agent and The Visitor) does it again. Through a string of nicely connected events, down-on- his-luck attorney Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), who also coaches the local high school wrestling team, winds up discovering a superstar, Kyle (Alex Shaffer). Win Win is one ol those gen uine gems that goes beyond the film festival circuit only to fail due to tack of availability and adequate marketing If this film is still at CinS when you read this, check it out. Drew Wheeler 10 FLAGPOLE.COM -MAY 11,2011
