"THE FAMILY STONE"
Rating: PG-13
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Running Time: 102 minutes
Starring: Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica Parker
What seemed like a funny movie along the same lines as Ben Stiller's "Meet The Parents" turned out to be a predictable family drama. Save your money; the few and far between funny parts are all in the previews. In reality, the movie turns out to be more of a poorly executed comedy, drama and tearjerker hybrid. The climax came across as random and unrealistic, involving cancer and brothers who swap girlfriends.
The movie failed to entertain, but I managed to stay awake by guessing what the transparent characters would do next. Quick, chase the bus and make her come back to you; now kiss and confess it to your brother. The actors failed to make me sympathize with the characters they portrayed. Diane Keaton is extremely talented, but the plot is so predictable even she can't save the movie. Overall, it's a disappointing film — not the side-splitting comedy I expected.
Acting: 3 stars
Cinematography: 1 star
Plot: 1 star
Music: 2 stars
Overall: 2 stars
"THE PRODUCERS"
Rating: PG-13
Director: Susan Stroman
Running Time: 134 minutes
Starring: Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick
A Broadway play titled "Springtime for Hitler" is sure to close on opening night, right? Max Bialystock, played by Nathan Lane, is a once-great Broadway producer who is down on his luck. When his accountant Leo Bloom, played by Matthew Broderick, mentions that a producer could make more on a Broadway flop than a hit, Bialystock sees his chance for a comeback. After reading every play imaginable, they settle on a musical dedicated to praising Adolf Hitler. That's a topic sure to offend almost everyone.
While slightly derogatory to Germans, when taken with a grain of salt, this movie is not just funny, it's hilarious. Lane and Broderick have great chemistry together, and Will Ferrell is perfect as the Nazi writer of "Springtime for Hitler." Equally impressive is the choreography in this adaptation of the Broadway play to the screen.
The all-star cast lives up to expectations, and every actor successfully portrays each eccentric character. The humor is good, if you like this sort of thing, but over the top and slightly offensive if you don't. Overall, it's an offbeat film that is sure to please some audiences, but definitely not a universal hit.
Acting: 4 stars
Cinematography: 2 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Music: 4 stars
Overall: 3 stars
"PRIDE & PREJUDICE"
Rating: PG
Director: Joe Wright
Running Time: 127 minutes
Starring: Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen
This is not the first attempt to adapt Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" to the big screen, but it is by far the most successful. Joe Wright manages to capture the spirit of the novel and still simplify it enough to make a watchable movie. Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen are genius casting decisions. Knightley, who plays the proud Elizabeth Bennet, seems to be born for the role. And MacFadyen pulls off the aloofness of Mr. Darcy without making us hate him.
The film takes place in Georgian England and captures the beauty of the landscape. Every shot is soft and colorful, bringing the viewer back to the romantic days when girls wore corsets and men rode horses.
There are no unrealistic Hollywood sex scenes polluting the classic tale. Wright leaves us with just a simple kiss at the very end of the film that constitutes the most romantic 10 minutes I have ever seen on screen.
Overall, the movie is a simple love story, complete with the usual obstacles for the would-be lovers. Wright pulls it off, and you are totally enthralled in the classic story. It's visually appealing, well acted and leaves you anxious to fall in love.
Acting: 4 stars
Cinematography: 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Music: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars
"KING KONG"
Rating: PG-13
Director: Peter Jackson
Running Time: 187 minutes
Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black
It's been done, and done, and done, and I have to admit I wasn't excited to see another version of "King Kong," but Peter Jackson didn't care. His version of the classic movie is a little bit scarier than the original, with a lot more action.
Jack Black plays Carl Denham, the scheming movie producer who connives a plan to take a ship to Skull Island to film his movie. Jackson creatively incorporates the concept of fun adventure turned dangerous. In the film, one of the sailors on the trip is reading Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness." The theme of the novel parallels the film as things get grimmer for Denham and his crew of actors and sailors.
The cinematography in the movie is some of the best I have seen. There are many action sequences, more than I felt were necessary. I particularly didn't understand an extra long battle between Jack Driscoll, played by Adrien Brody, and some giant prehistoric insects. But for the most part Jackson manages to please. This newest version of "King Kong" manages to put an original spin on that age old question — who is the real beast?
Acting: 3 stars
Cinematography: 4 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Music: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars
"SYRIANA"
Rating: R
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Running Time: 126 minutes
Starring: George Clooney, Matt Damon
"Syriana" deals with the complicated and timely political issue of the global oil industry. The film is shown through the eyes of a Pakistani teenager, a CIA operative, an oil broker, two different Gulf princes and a corporate lawyer. Stephen Gaghan weaves all these different perspectives together to give the viewer a sense of the far-reaching impact the oil industry has.
The film questions the integrity of the oil industry through the stories it tells. Each person's experience exposes a different kind of corruption and desire for power. The story progresses slowly, and the climax sort of just arrives. Gaghan employs less immediate action, and slowly builds until everything comes together. This technique takes away a little bit of the film's urgency, but allows the viewer to really take in the weight of everything happening.
George Clooney proves himself to be a versatile and capable actor, portraying a career CIA operative who discovers he has not been working toward the cause he thought he was.
It's an insightful and moving addition to the recent trend of politically charged films. "Syriana" is a valuable film tackling an important issue.
Acting: 4 stars
Cinematography: 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Music: 3 stars
Overall: 4 stars
