Erin Brockovich

MUST-SEE: (Steven Soderbergh) Well, this is an oldie - yes... but if you know me at all, you know I have a long list of stuff I should have seen years ago. In my defense, this movie came out when I was too young to see Rated R movies, this one apparently too provocative (i.e. the way EB dresses).

But, alas, many years later... It came on television one rainy afternoon (and, let's be real - this one is always on television), and I settled in for what turned out to be a riveting and unforgettable story. That story is of the real-life Erin Brockovich - a single mom working for a local lawyer to pay off her legal fees from an accident case. Wearing mini skirts and low-cut tops, Brockovich struts through the corporate world, raising highbrows higher than her heels, but somehow making a reputation for herself that stretched beyond those hemlines. Given a menial task by her boss, she uncovers a multi-million dollar case against P&G. Apparently, their plants leaked fatal chemicals into the city's water system, exposing hundreds of families to life threatening diseases that would be carried through generations.

A true David versus Goliath fight, Brockovich claims a right-hand seat to steer the case for the benefit of the people, inspiring her own colleagues to fight for humanity. Its a story of love and loss and keeping your head up... as well as sacrifice and compromise. Brockovich puts it all on the line (family, love, reputation, her job) to reach a hand out to the people of this unfortunate town, proving that you can mix love and business.

I know most of the world has seen this flick, but for the minority out there - I encourage you to put it on your list. It's inspiring and fascinating, both a tremendous performance from Julia Roberts and a well-adapted screenplay. I wish movies were still this unique!

The White Ribbon

WORTH-IT: (Michael Haneke) Nominated for best Foreign Film and Cinematography this year at the Oscars and winner of The Palm D'Or at Cannes, The White Ribbon is clearly something to see. It's the story of a small German town, a community seemingly simple and serene, filled with homely and vanilla people. No one has more than they need. Everyone knows each other. For the most part, life is a routine. From our perspective, it seems like the routine has been the same for hundreds of years, until an ill-intended practical joke sets off a series of horrific and unexplained acts violence. The unexplained hatred hints at its origins throughout the movie (a vengeful farmer, a jealous father, joking children, etc.) revealing that even in the simplest of societies, human nature remains the same and, above all, emotions rule. Haneke marks his forte with the unexplained crimes and pointing fingers, persuading the audience to believe one thing over another before showing them that they're wrong. As he does in all his film, he piles up pounds of evidence, all pointing in different directions, leaving you to solve the mystery for yourself. Or, not to solve it at all. Haneke's unique stories never seem to have an clear ending, or even a clear morale. He simply illustrates humanity, bringing unspoken circumstances to the surface. Haneke's work isn't for everyone. His black-hole endings will surely frustrate some viewers, and in this particular film, the simplistic characters and monochromatic canvas will leave some feeling slighted. But, I encourage those who appreciate a spooky and timeless tale of unsolved mystery and murder to settle into this black and white and have fun trying to put his pieces together.

The Brothers Bloom

MUST-SEE: (Rian Johnson) This movie is incredible. It has everything: hilarity,cunning, unpredictability, suspense, wit. Absolutely nothing in this film disappoints. Mark Ruffalo is stand-out as the older of the Bloom brothers--I would say his best performance ever. From hustling teeny-boppers, orphaned for their bad behavior, they grew to be the best con men in the world, millionaires riding on the earnings of those less savvy to keep up. The problem is with Adrien Brody's "Bloom," the younger brother with somewhat of a heart you might say, who wants out of the business... but not before one last con of course, one where they swindle an innocent heiress into a wild goose-jaunt across the globe. Rachel Weisz plays this Penelope Stamp, a girl locked in her own home at a young age, sheltered from the world but curious beyond sanity. She is the mark, per say, for the con, but the group (including a fiery performance by Babel's Rinko Kikuchi) finds themselves never knowing who actually is running the show. The story is a wild ride of self-discovery and imagination, but also about letting loose, trying on different hats, and overall, enjoying life as it happens. Bloom fights to escape a written life by his brother, but discovers that it's impossible to avoid love and kinship whether on purpose or not. I can't say rave more about this film. I was expertly entertained and left wanting everyone I know to see it. It's The Prestige meets Oceans Eleven and never lets you catch your breath to think what the magic ingredient is that makes it so good. Tackling every angle for any kind of audience, you'll leave with a dose of honest love, harsh life lessons, and a curiosity sparked for travel and adventure. Added to the spectacle is a muted color palette, resembling that of an old fable, Grimm's-like and fantastic. Enjoy what Johnson has created--letting yourself go on an adventure where truth is irrelevant in the face of success and good times.

Watchmen

MUST-SEE: (Zack Snyder) Again, I claim ignorance to the true character that is "superhero movies." I never read the comics--or in this case graphic novel (but I plan to!)--and I certainly didn't grow up watching the cartoons (not sure this is even relevant here). So honestly, the film is the blank canvas on which my mind develops an opinion--and in this case, an affinity--regarding the infamous Watchmen. To start, the film enlists a fascinating cast. No one makes this a must see simply due to their stardom. Sure, the cast have their credits, but Laurie Jupiter's resume (Malin Akerman) really only consists of 27 Dresses (not your usual ladder towards a superhero scene). Patrick Wilson, Night Owl 2 has starred in several independent successes, but again, nothing proving his ability to fight crime in a latex suit and night vision goggles (e.g. Little Children, Hard Candy). Little Children's Jackie Earle Hayley plays the film's most identifiable character, but is unrecognizable for 85% of the film due to his Rorschach's ink blot mask. Billy Crudup is blue-man Dr. Manhattan, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy, P.S. I Love You), Carla Gugino and Matthew Goode make up the rest of the cast. But they make it work, and they do it well. In retrospect, nothing seems better than to cast a bunch of nobodies in the genre industry to play rejects and retirees from the fictional industry. Genius. The story is fine-tuned with intelligent humor, realistic nonsense and just enough action to leave us wondering how the hell these nobodies learned to fight (but ultimately accepting it and enjoying the show). The Watchmen goes by in one colorless and mystifying swoop, yet it lingers on for what seems like infinite. It takes an approach that asks you to accept the surreal as a possibility and the impossible as reality. It won't color in the lines for you, but instead assumes you're okay with the stated conditions and dives right into the story. That done, it's a wild ride of action, mystery, camaraderie and politics all rolled into a comic book and slapped onscreen. It plays like a comic thanks to Rorschach's narration and lack of circular dialogue, but succeeds as a stand-alone (my own acceptance, proof of this). I've seen nothing like it and can't express more how different it is from anything within the genre: A refreshing take on a popular hobby. Give this a chance and no doubt, you'll be pleased. Blockbusters don't need Brad Pitt.

Rendition

WORTH-IT: (Gavin Hood) CIA Analyst Douglas Freeman, played by a wimpy Jake Gyllenhal questions his newest assignment after witnessing an unorthodox interrogation by secret detention officers, outside the US. When Egyptian-native, now-US resident, Anwar El-Ibrahimi, played by Omar Metwally, goes missing seemingly in the air on a flight to America from South Africa, his wife, Reese Witherspoon searches for answers to his suspicious disappearance. What she discovers is not only a brick wall surrounding the CIA's covert operations for terrorist control, but an icy Meryl Streep who refuses to budge in favor of her American counterparts. Rendition is the story of an uncovering of hard and ugly truth of a counter-terrorist plan taking extreme measures to hold its reputation. There are too many turns to give you a bare-boned plot in this review, but I can say that the film moves through them easily. Hood seamlessly entraps his audience into a whats wrong and right and who is in the wrong and right. Until the end, no one knows the truth and that keeps this film on its feet. he might have played up the darkness too much, as well as the silence, no doubt trying to overlay the film with El-Ibrahimi's torture, but all in all the film comes across as it should: sad, hopeless, but good and truthful. No Oscar-worthiness here, but a good story, a jolt of reality, and a pleasing film.

El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

PHENOMENAL: (Juan Antonio Bayona) Laura is a young and fiery girl living in an orphanage with 5 other children. They are too old to be adopted and innocently pressing the patience of some of the employees. But Laura is the lucky one of her firends, and gets adopted at the age of 11. She never hears of the orphanage again, except that eventually everyone was gone and the house was left abandoned. At present, adult Laura (Belen Rueda) brings her family back to the house where her dream is re-open the house as a home for special needs children. Unfortunately, the house has others plans. Plans that reveal her little friends may have been poorly treated and their disappearance not to normal. Slowly, eerie occurances start to happen, noises in the walls, suspicious visitors to the house, and her son, claims to be friends with littel chuirldren no one else can see. For weeks Simon plays games with the children, doing scavenger hunts, playing hide-and-seek, leaving Laura avoiding the obvious, that these imaginary friends are her friends from the orphanage. The tipping point comes when her son goes missing during a masquerade party. They don't see him in the house, on the property, or even in the surrounding areas. Search crews find nothing and her husband loses hope. But, as a last resort, she hires a ghost whisperer, who uncovers a blazing tragedy from the past, facing Laura with the decision to stay in the house alone to solve the mystery the children have left for her. Her search uncovers the truth she was lucky enough to escape, and forces her to play witht he children as Simon did in hopes they will reveal his whereabouts. Produced by Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth, The Orphanage follows suite with the same dark thematic and fantastic reality. Also similarly, The Orphanage places our main character in a state of mind questioning the line between fantasy and reality, ultimately leaving her to choose which state makes her happiest. The Orphanage seamlessly pulls together the story of Laura's love for her past and for her dreams, but easily opens the door for thrilling possibility. Expect to hold your breath as you watch grown-up Laura initiate a chilling game of tag with the ghosts, hoping to get answers in return for playing. Shaking, she knocks three times on the wall until finally she turns around to see 5 little children frozen in position, waiting for another knock to move forward. It is the best scene I have ever seen, and established the precedent that The Orphange is more than just a scary movie, it is a phenomenal ghost story that tests love and sanity with passion and brevity. Scenes like this appear throughout the film, never letting you get comfortable or bored, and constantly questioning what is real and what is not. The Orphanage is powerful, intelligent and overall genius. Don't miss this bone-chilling experience.

King of California

WORTH-IT: (Cahill) Kudos to Mike Cahill for his debut film, King of California: a terrific, absolutely terrific, film about believing in yourself, and in your family. Performances from Evan Rachel Wood and Michael Douglas credit this film for the acclaim it deserved (and received) at Sundance this year. The film is eclectic with a Little Miss Sunshine feel, but it digs deeper into the mind, shifting towards a Big Fish storyline. To trust your father or not trust your father? That is the common question. It combines fantasy and real-life in such a way that makes you question which is authentic and which deserves more attention? Douglas's Charlie is a single hippie father freshly discharged from a mental hospital and living without restriction in the house he can't pay for. Daughter Miranda, who has been supporting herself by selling McD's for the last two years, rolls her eyes in constant frustration over her father's relentless insistence that while he was in the hospital, he discovered a journal revealing the location of a large Spanish treasure dropped in the 17th century. Once home, he delves into finding the buried treasure, dragging Miranda along. The journey the two take around California's developing hillside easily turns into a desire to grow closer together and get to know each other again. The script touches on learning to trust, learning to accept family, and learning to hope. Above all, it emphasizes to whole-heartedly believe in what you believe in. Chase your dreams to the end is the motto Charlie seems to live by, illustrated by his constant effort to continue a seemingly dead-end search. Even when the X-marked spot is six feet under a cement and re bar Costco floor, Charlie sees no reason to quit. The film is fantastic. It is funny, warm, smart, and silly. More than you'll swim in emotion, you'll giggle softly, rethink lines, and re-evaluate whether or not you too believe Charlie, or believe your own dreams. See this film for the phenomenal first-time film maker's success. It's a winner.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

MUST-SEE: Up from the depths of hardly-released, almost-forgotten, and extremely-underrated films, comes Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Do not miss seeing this film. Of all the artful cinematic films I have seen lately, this Pink Panther/Pulp Fiction genre proved light-hearted and bloody and witty enough to rank just as high in credibility, if not even higher in entertainment. It is packed with phenomenal dialogue, hilarious wit, and perfect characters. Of the scant 7 in the theatre with me, no one was left silent. We were roaring, biting our lip, and clapping at the pure genius that went into making this film what it is. Don't underestimate it! Homophobes, Kilmer is not what you expect. Prudes, it's too clever not to appreciate. Film snobs, it carries strong dialogue, plot, and characters throughout, signing it up as the most credible mainstream flick I've seen since viewing the two I compared. There's plenty of blood and guns to acquiesce the bad-guy, wit and humor to tease the comedian, and a somewhat (depends on your outlook) happy ending to appease the stereotypical viewer. Go get this film! Delight your mind!

The Good Shepperd: Good Try

ALMOST: Wow, this movie doesn't work. I was disappointed in the result, as I eagerly anticipated a dramatic suspenseful film filled with twists and turns along the path to the CIA. What I got was a jumbled time line of scenes without any guide as to how to connect the dots. The scenes were wonderful. Great acting from Damon, DeNiro, Jolie, Hurt, etc (all-star cast). Great dialogue and powerful emotion within each frame. Unfortunately, they don't work as a whole. The dateline pops up at the beginning of every scene, making it confusing to keep up and keep a hold on when is when and what happened when. I was lost on who was who, and who worked for who. I also wasn't convinced by Damon's Edward Wilson to be a good guy. And the movie is way too long. After watching, I cannot decide if it could have worked as a chronological story or as simply one flashback, but whichever, they didn't achieve it this way. Too many people with too many stories and too many sides makes it one big flop in my opinion. If you're willing to watch this nearly 3-hour ride, you might eventually put together what happened, but until then, you and I both will remain in the dark on the birth of the CIA.

Mr. Brooks

WORTH-IT: First of all, this is a serial killer movie, so no matter what critics say regarding its graphic intensity, suspense level, or what not, it still has murders that center around a serial killer who is sick and twisted in the mind, beyond the average life-happy human being. That said, this isn't really a story about killing people. I promise that makes sense. The actual story is really ABOUT the serial killer. Costner's Mr. Brooks is an addict tormented by his evil alter ego (a haughty William Hurt) to continue killing people in his same "Thumbprint Killer" style. The story is compelling. Because it's told from Brooks pov, the audience is, of course, meant to sympathize for him. We're on his side. Strangely, we're on the side of the detective (Demi Moore) as well. And so is Brooks. Confusing? I promise it will make sense. What we have here is a good film: a compelling story about a man with an addiction. He loves his family and his life, but he hates his self. It's also a story about another man (Dane Cook, pretty much as Dane Cook) with an addiction. He can't control it, and he's slightly dense. But his ignorance and attitude leave him as a least favorite. I enjoyed the movie. I felt the intensity that was created by telling the story from an altered viewpoint left a deeper impact than one would have been from the victims. It was suspenseful and meaningful. A good time.

Fracture

WORTH-IT: (Gregory Hoblit) Fracture is an entertaining movie. The acting was great, the story was compelling, and the trickiness is awesome. As far as one of my favorite movies... it didn't make the cut. (Which is rare, but I am working on narrowing my scope). I was thoroughly entertained. I love Anthony Hopkins and he mastered this role, as his usual bad guy. Gosling I have developed a much deeper respect for and am excited to see him continue to pursue roles with this kind of depth. He did a wonderful job. I hated him and then was on his side, and was completely convinced each time. My confusion is that the twist to the story seemed obvious the whole time. Therefore I could not figure out whether we were supposed to have figured it out and the point was to simply enjoy watching Gosling's character suffer to figure it out, or if I just caught on early, in which case, it was way too obvious. Either way, I liked it for whichever it attempted to be and think it can appeal to anyone looking for a good courtroom drama mixed with a Hopkins-esque psycho defendant.