In Woody Allen’s latest film “Whatever Works” Larry David (Curb your Enthusiasm) plays Boris Yellnikoff, an eccentric old man with an estranged view on the world who finds himself roomed with a beautiful young girl from Mississippi named Melodie; played by Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler, Across the Universe).

Larry David’s character, Boris, is a character audiences are more familiar being played by Woody Allen. What Woody Allen has written is a character we’ve seen before, but here the circumstances are a little different. Boris Yellnikoff‘s major hang up is that he is the only one who can see the “big picture,” but a lot of things change when Melodie comes in to that “big picture.”

Melodie St. Anne Celestine is a homeless runaway who Boris, though hesitant at first, invites into his home but just for the night. One night turns into a few days, days turn into weeks, and eventually Melodie is living there. The two get to know each other and a romance is brewed. Young, naïve Melodie starts to fall in love with old Boris and, over time, Boris finds feelings for her.

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Public Enemies is a film riddled with great performances, an excellent plot, and some amazing direction. Michael Mann has pieced together a beautiful picture.

Public Enemies follows the story of bank robber and notorious gangster, John Dillinger; played by Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Sweeny Todd). Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Terminator Salvation) plays Melvin Purvis, the cop whose main objective is to capture and arrest John Dillinger. The film is based on the true story of John Dillinger and is actually an adaptation of Bryan Burrough’s book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34.

Every single person in this film gives a fantastic performance. Some of the actors are barely recognizable. The cast includes: Billy Crudup (Watchmen) as J. Edgar Hoover, Channing Tatum (Step Up) as Pretty Boy Floyd, Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan) as Alvin Karpis, Stephen Dorff (Backbeat, Cecile B. Demented) as Homer Van Meter, and David Wenham (Lord of the Rings) as Harry ‘Pete’ Pierpont.

Johnny Depp is as great as usual. This won’t garner him any Oscars or even a nomination but he delivers a very subtly, powerful performance. Depp’s performance of Dillinger makes you root for him despite the innumerable amount of crimes he’s committed. There’s not much to say about Depp’s performance other than, if you’re a fan of his work then here’s another one for the books.

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This film would be fantastic had it not fallen victim to its own second half. The only things that keep this film from being anything less than three stars are the laughs it delivers and Allison Janney.

Away We Go follows the many misadventures of Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) as they search for the perfect place to live and raise their soon-to-be-born daughter. This film was executed creatively and, at times, is unquestionably hilarious. At its heart; Away We Go is a love story. After Burt’s parents announce they are moving away, the couple decides to follow suit and so the misadventures begin.

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I wasn’t very familiar with Easy Virtue before I saw it. Aside from the cast and knowing it was a period film, I had anticipated it would be boring and artsy. I was pleasantly surprised.

Easy Virtue, a film I would describe as a Meet the Parents type comedy, is an adaptation of Noel Coward’s play of the same name.

John Whitaker, a young Englishman (Ben Barnes), and famed American race car driver and widow Larita (Jessica Biel) meet and marry on a whim. The two go to England to stay with John’s parents. The family is shocked to find John has married an American, and without notice, but all take it pretty well, except for John’s mother (Kristin Scott Thomas). What first starts as Larita’s fight for acceptance turns into a war of wits against her mother-in-law.

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Lackluster but endurable

My expectations for this film were not very high to begin with, but like with any sequel, I would at least expect it to be as good as the first (which I did enjoy). Needless to say, Battle of the Smithsonian did not meet this expectation. However, I suppose there is a chance that younger kids might enjoy this film and after all that is who this film was made for.

Let me start by saying, boy oh boy is Ben Stiller’s shtick getting old. Actually, scratch that, it IS old. The whole stuttering and stammering talk with his head bobbing and hand gestures, it’s like he doesn’t even try anymore. Nothing in this film is new for Stiller. It’s just the same old rehashed performance we’ve seen him do in countless other films.

It kinda pains me to watch Stiller do this same act when I know he can pull off great comedy behind the camera. It’s amazing to me that the guy who wrote and directed the hilarious Tropic Thunder still performs his dated act every single time he’s in front of the camera (including Tropic Thunder).

Another actor I think might be heading down the “one trick pony” spiral is Jonah Hill (Superbad). His part is small but his act is the same we saw in Superbad. I have hope for Jonah Hill so I’ll reserve my judgment until he does a few more films.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian starts off two years after Larry Daily (Ben Stiller) has quit his night guard job at the Museum of Natural History and has started a very successful business selling products of his own invention (i.e. the glow-in-the-dark flashlight). One day he drops by the Museum of Natural History for a quick visit and soon finds that all of the exhibits are being moved to the Smithsonian and being replaced by hologram, interactive exhibits. But the tablet, the one that brings all of the exhibits to life at night, is not going with them.

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Director J.J. Abrams (Cloverfiled, Lost) has created a masterful symphony of sound of picture. Star Trek grabs you instantaneously and never let’s go.

I have to make a confession right off the bat so people know exactly where I stand in the whole Trek universe. I have never seen any of the previous films nor have I ever seen even one episode of the series. So I’m definitely not a Star Trek fan, but that really speaks to the power of this film.  However, unless you’ve been living under a rock your whole life you’ve heard the phrase, “live long and prosper.” So, it almost goes without saying that this film is absolutely accessible to the mainstream audience, but it also serves the fanbase probably in more ways than I’m aware of.

The only way to review this film is to just let you in on the highlights and not go into any summary; because if you do decide to see the film you’ll definitely want to experience everything on your own. (more…)

Rudo y Cursi follows the story of Beto, nicknamed Rudo, played by Diego Luna (The Terminal, Milk) and Tato, a.k.a. Cursi, played by Gael Garcia Bernal (The Science of Sleep, Babel). The film follows their rise to fame and fortune as soccer players, playing for opposing teams.

In the beginning, Rudo and Cursi are working as banana farmers in Mexico, enjoying soccer as nothing more than a hobby. Cursi has dreams of becoming a singer, but talent eludes him. He totes around his accordion and performs for his friends who don’t seem to mind his mediocre talent. Rudo is a compulsive gambler who insists that he has a system, but it’s one that always seems to fail him.

The two are brothers and no strangers to sibling rivalry. They are always in competition to see who can be the best or who can be the first. This rivalry is put to the ultimate test when one day they run into Baton (Guillermo Francella), an agent who has represented some of soccer’s biggest stars.

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I wish I could have been there for every stage of production for this film.  Because the story, though seemingly familiar; the direction; and the acting all achieve certain levels of greatness.  But as a whole, the film falls short by just a hair. There are moments that will paste a grin on your face while other scenes might bring a tear to your eye, but it’s most powerful element is the acting.

Is Anybody There? follows the story of Edward (played by 14 year old Bill Milner, in his second film), a boy who lives in Lark Hall, a retirement home run by his family, who befriends the home’s newest resident, retired magician, Clarence (Sir Michael Caine). Edward and Clarence fuse a tight bond, but their relationship is strained due to Clarence’s debilitating health, amongst other personal issues that plague the both of them.

 

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