Movie Reviews: Recent Viewing Round-up

by Tim Van Schmidt

***** Excellent
**** Good
*** Average
** Poor
* Not Recommended

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo ****

If you have been a fan of the Swedish trilogy of movies based on the popular "Girl" books, there is much to talk about when comparing the introductory Swedish release with the first of the English language remakes. Details of the stories differ enough to make for plenty of conversation.

What is the same though- which may indicate the true power of the story itself- is the skillful building of tension as the horrible mystery unravels. The details may differ but both movies keep you on the edge of your seat- even when you know the story already.

This is a slicker, more polished version, perhaps- from the settings to the throbbing, harsh soundtrack. The performances of lead actors Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara create believable characters with less self-righteousness and a little more edge than the characters in the Swedish version.

The most curious part of this production is the arty opening sequence which has no real connection to the rest of the movie- and recalled to me the stylized openings to most James Bond movies- and that's not just a cheap reference to Craig's reoccurring turns as 007. But James Bond movies don't have a Led Zeppelin song introducing things, and here, it provides a kind of "keep-awake-for-this-movie" challenge from the very start.

Directed by David Fincher...2011...158 min...featuring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen.

The Silence of the Lambs ****

Horror and suspense are wrapped tightly together in this classic production. The performances of Jodie Foster as an untested FBI agent and Anthony Hopkins as a severely twisted yet brilliant serial murderer are top notch. Her vulnerability offsets the calculating, manipulative cunning of his craziness to create a complicated and fascinating relationship as fragile as the events of the rest of the movie are horrible.

Directed by Jonathan Demme...1991...118 min...featuring Jodie Foster (as Clarice Starling), Anthony Hopkins (as Hannibal Lecter), Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald, Diane Baker.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes ****

An imaginative prequel to the Planet of the Apes story- leaving room for more to come. A lot of the success here is due to the special effects that give the apes in the movie human-like qualities- and that has always been the point of these movies, after all.

However, this one takes it back to the scientific experiments that lead to the dawning of intelligence for the apes. It centers around a company trying to produce a drug that will help repair brain tissue ravaged by diseases such as Alzheimer's. Of course, they try it on chimpanzees first with unexpected results- the apes show signs of increased cognition. The side effects, however, send the scientists back to the drawing board.

One baby chimp is saved by the lead researcher when the other apes involved in the failed experiments are destroyed. The researcher takes the chimp home, names him Caesar and raises him, keeping one eye on his progress and one eye on his aging father, suffering from a brain disease. This begins the series of events that results in a revolt of the many apes held in captivity in various sanctuaries and zoos. The first major showdown between the apes and the humans occurs on the Golden Gate Bridge- and leaves the door open for the story to continue.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt...2011...105 min...featuring James Franco, Andy Serkis (as Caesar), Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo.

Scarface ***

The soundtrack for "Scarface" has aged badly and some of the horrible acts that occur during the rise of a drug kingpin are not as horrible as they seemed then compared to contemporary standards of screen violence, yet actor Al Pacino's performance remains very strong indeed. Pacino is the kind of actor that is so well known, so recognizable that it's hard to forget who is on the screen. But in this movie, his haggard face, heavily accented speech and slack-jawed facial expressions ably creates an indelible character above and beyond Pacino's stardom. Then, when director De Palma revs things up for the nose-in-a-pile-of-cocaine, blazing gun finish, nobody is better at expressing the excess than Pacino.

Directed by Brian De Palma...1983...170 min...featuring Al Pacino (as Tony Montana), Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, F Murray Abraham, Paul Shenar.

Scarface ***

This "Scarface" inspired Brian De Palma's 1983 "Scarface" and like the more contemporary movie it features a very strong male lead. That would be actor Paul Muni who plays the ambitious gangster on the rise- only of the alcohol bootlegging crime network as opposed to cocaine.

Many of the elements in the early movie are echoed in the newer one- the hard relationship between the gangster and his family and the gangster moll that he steals from his boss. Even the ironic motto "The World is Yours" figures into both. Muni's portrayal of the gangster however is less sullen and more dangerous than Pacino's gangster in the 1983 movie. Because he offers a smiling face and exhibits the habit of whistling merrily while en route to commit a murder, Muni's gangster is much harder to read.

It should be mentioned that director Hawks has created some really big scenes here- including the shoot out in the nightclub and the final showdown between the gangster and the police. There are also some visual elements that help tell the story- particularly the the big "x" designs that occur in the background of the scene where he murders his best friend. Even though more than 75 years old, the soundtrack plays better than the 1983 version.

Also important is the opening text that challenges first the Federal government, then citizens themselves to take action toward eliminating the scourge of gangster "rule." This makes the 1932 movie more than a dirty thrill- it makes it a social comment with a purpose.

Directed by Howard Hawks, Richard Rosson...1932...93 min...featuring Paul Muni, Ann Dvorak, Karen Morley, George Reft, Boris Karloff, Edwin Maxwell.

The Lady Vanishes ***

Train travelers investigate a mysterious disappearance while en route and find a conspiracy among the other passengers. Full of strong characters from the start; benefits from a lighter, even humorous approach.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock...1938...96 min...featuring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas

Water for Elephants ***

An epic-style romance with the rough and tumble business of a Depression-era circus as a backdrop. A young man studying to be a veterinarian is orphaned and hits the road, where he finds work as a traveling circus' vet- and becomes part of a dangerous love triangle. The danger comes from the unpredictable behavior of the circus owner, who at once brings the boy into his inner circle but also gets insanely jealous as the sparks fly between the vet and the owner's wife. Actor Christoph Waltz plays the part of August, the circus owner and ringmaster, with relish and single-handedly maintains the true tension in the movie. Beyond that, the circus environment- and the opportunity to "rub elbows" with a variety of strong characters- is there to add considerable flavor to an otherwise familiar love story.

Directed by Francis Lawrence...2011...120 min...featuring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz (as August), Jim Norton, Hal Holbrook, Mark Povinelli.

The Perfect Host ***

A bank robber on the run crashes a dinner party that turns out to be not so fun. The host reveals a crazy side that unnerves the toughened criminal and puts his big money score into jeopardy.

Directed by Nick Tomnay...2010...93 min...featuring David Hyde Pierce, Clayne Crawford, Nathaniel Parker, Helen Reddy.

Shrink ***

Personal pain comes in all kinds of packages, a fact well known to one popular psychiatrist to the stars. His own pain comes from the suicide of his wife and while he continues to work with others, he starts circling the drain personally in a constant cloud of marijuana smoke. However, it ends up being his work that redeems him as interactions with various patients pull him into new territory.

Directed by Jonas Pate...2009...104 min...featuring Kevin Spacey, Mark Webber, Keke Palmer.

TRON: Legacy ***

The continuation of the TRON story, about what lies inside a digital universe. According to "TRON: Legacy," it's a shiny, fast and dangerous place, inexplicably oriented to deadly contests of strength and skill while harboring malicious intent. Despite the tantalizing ideas that swirl around in the movie- a mind-bending bit of electronic mysticism- it all comes back to conflict and power as the heroes fight off antagonists and drill continuously through high speed chase scenes. That begs the question- why do it in the first place? It may be cool "in there" but ultimately is it better? The whole thing is one big, bright special effect, making it entertaining visually, even if the story gets bogged down in presuppositions from the previous movie and awkward attempts at updating them for a new generation.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski...2010...125 min...featuring Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde.

Jolene ***

Experiencing both really bad and some really good luck, a teenaged orphan uses her attractive looks and willingness to put out sexually to get by. Everybody else in the movie is a user or deceiver in some way, so her actions are not shocking considering her environment. The real development here comes through the one steady thing in her life- art- which nonetheless takes a back seat to the tumultuous relationships she gets into throughout the production.

Directed by Dan Ireland...2008...121 min...featuring Jessica Chastain, Frances Fisher, Rupert Friend, Dermot Mulroney, Cazz Palminteri, Theresa Russell, Michael Vartan.

Iron Man 2 ***

It's all about attitude here. Sure, there're lots of special effects featuring high tech science, but what it is mostly is a showcase for Robert Downey Jr. Downey plays Tony Stark, the man leading a double life as uber-wealthy inventor and iron-clad super hero, Iron Man, and he does so with his usual reckless abandon. This turns Iron Man 2 into just another Downey Jr exercise- you don't forget for a moment that you are seeing another display of that madcap, on the edge attitude he has become famous for. What a waste of resources to make this insincere comic book rip off. What a waste of acting talent. No one except maybe Samuel L Jackson shows any relish for the story or their characters, making this something worse- a waste of time. The first movie in the Iron Man series was a breath of fresh air for the comic book movie genre. This sequel is a hackneyed follow-up, despite the shiny package.

Directed by Jon Favreau...2010...124 min...featuring Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Samuel L Jackson.