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Sir Critic’s Holiday Movie Guide, 2008 - updated
There’s a lot to see in the cinema, and here’s a roundup of the lion’s share of it. My busy schedule precluded me from screening every movie I wanted to see, but I hope to add more reviews in the coming days.
Also playing now are Marley & Me (supposedly very charming), The Spirit (supposedly dreadful) and Valkyrie (supposedly decent, not great). I had heard Frost/Nixon was supposed to open in Dayton on Christmas but it hasn’t; it is playing in the Cincinnati area.
Happy Holidays to all who read this, and thank you for reading. It’s been a great month. Feel free to add comments as you see the movies. The letter grades link to full reviews.
New this weekend
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button David Fincher’s chronicle of the life a man (Brad Pitt) who ages backwards resonates with many beautiful individual scenes, thanks largely to the director’s unmistakable and remarkable visual style. However, the whole is a a little less than the sum of its parts because the screenplay never quite figures out a viewpoint from which to tell the story, so I didn’t get to know the characters as well as I wanted. Even so, there are enough great moments to make this a fascinating if somewhat incomplete journey. GRADE: B+
Doubt
Meryl Streep plays a nun who suspects a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of molesting a student. Amy Adams plays the good-hearted nun who plants the seeds of doubt, and the ever-impressive Viola Davis has a knockout scene as the boy’s mother. All four principals have been nominated for Golden Globe and SAG awards, and all are richly deserving. Shot by the great Roger Deakins, the movie very effectively opens up director John Patrick Shanley’s play, which cannily lets the audience make up its own mind. Taken purely as an acting showcase, there’s not a better movie in theaters right now.
GRADE: A
Still playing
Australia
Baz Luhrman’s new film is a big, sprawling, overheated opus — and since this is a movie by the director of hyper-stylized movies like “Moulin Rouge,” I mean that as a compliment. It doesn’t always work, but the movie is made with such passion and verve, it’s still affecting and often dazzling. It’s like nothing in theaters now — or at any other time.
GRADE: A-
Bolt
Disney’s latest animated movie turns out to be one of its best in years, with this cross between The Truman Show and Toy Story. A TV star dog (John Travolta) doesn’t realize he’s not actually a superhero when he sets out to rescue his owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus). Filled with many great sight gags and endearing characters, this movie shows Disney returning to nearly its former strength.
GRADE: A-
The Day the Earth Stood Still
One can’t reasonably expect this remake to measure up to the 1951 classic, but it’s still dispiriting to see it miss as badly as it does. Despite a few imaginative changes here and there, this movie is mostly a portentous mess that gets sillier and dopier as it goes along. Trying to turn the story into a modern-day special effects extravaganza just doesn’t work.
GRADE: D+
Four Christmases
The latest contemporary Christmas comedy is passably entertaining thanks to leads Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon, but talents such as theirs deserve better than the loud and obvious gags this movie drops on their shoulders. There are enough laughs to make it worthwhile, but I’m really tired of movies that skewer Christmas most of the way, then embrace it at the end.
GRADE: B-
Milk
The less one knows about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in San Francisco, the better this biopic is likely to seem. It’s worth seeing for Sean Penn’s outstanding performance alone, but director Gus Van Sant strains too hard for effect, particularly in foreshadowing the tragedy of the story. The movie is loud and obvious when it should be quiet and inventive. It’s a good movie that should have been great.
GRADE: B
Quantum of Solace
James Bond returns but disappoints in this muddled follow-up to Casino Royale. The gritty low-key story is a nice change of pace, both new Bond girls are appealing and Daniel Craig remains excellent as 007. Unfortunately, the action scenes are incoherent, making it impossible to tell who is doing what to whom. When the action scenes don’t work, you don’t have a Bond film. It’s that simple.
GRADE: C+
Seven Pounds
Will Smith and the director of The Pursuit of Happyness try hard to wring tears with this story of a Good Samaritan desperate for redemption. Problem is, the movie tries too hard. The script is so concerned with the Big Twist, it doesn’t reveal its characters enough. I cry easily at movies, and I didn’t even get misty-eyed at this one.
GRADE: C
Slumdog Millionaire
No one you’ve ever heard of is in the cast, but don’t let that stop you from seeing this masterful, wondrous movie, the best live-action film of this calendar year. In telling the story of a young man accused of cheating on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” Danny Boyle directs with boundless energy and imagination. It’s an exhilarating experience that I didn’t want to end. If you see only one movie, make it this one.
GRADE: A+
Twilight
Vampire chick-lit isn’t exactly my vial of blood, but this adaptation of the intensely loved romance series by Stephenie Meyer delivers, thanks to director Catherine Hardwicke’s gifts for working with young actors. The movie has many lines worthy of an eye roll, but leads Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart sell them convincingly enough.
GRADE: B
Yes Man
Sort of a more genteel version of Liar, Liar, this Jim Carrey comedy leans a bit too heavily on his rubber-mugging, as so many of his comedies do. What ultimately puts the movie over is not the comedy, but the romance between Carrey and the delightfully offbeat Zooey Deschanel. She’s Carrey’s best match next to Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
GRADE: B
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Reviews
Comments
By Alice
January 2, 2009 11:05 AM | Link to this
I agree, Sir… I thought it had more to do with the nature of his and the boy’s sexuality and how that was interpreted as evidence of pedophilia, especially given the time period. I think the writer relied on our preconceived notions about priests and altar boys. Good movie and I love Meryl Streep (and Hoffman and Adams)!By Sir Critic
December 30, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this
Those who have not seen Doubt beware of POSSIBLE SPOILERS. My interpretation: The priest was not guilty of molesting the boy in the movie, but there was an incident in his past that he was afraid would come to light amid Streep’s accusation. Hence his “suspicious” conduct.By Alice
December 30, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
I went and saw Doubt on Saturday and it could be the best movie of the year. The crowd I was with was split with those who thought the priest did and those who thought he didn’t and we had a great conversation about it. It was interesting to hear the different perspectives. Couldn’t wait to come on here and ask - do you think he did or didn’t do it?By SRCputt
December 27, 2008 7:01 AM | Link to this
Since Eric didn’t get to it yet: The Tale of Desperaux is beautifully hand-drawn animation. Unfortunately, the filmmakers have tried to jam three books’ worth of plot into one movie, so the film has a bit of a Cliff Notes feel to it. Still, enough of the charm of the characters come through to make me realize why writer-producer Gary Ross was drawn to the idea of adapting the books in the first place. Grade: B