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.

Evan Rachel Wood gives a very charismatic performance. She plays the balance between being a cartoony redneck and a naïve Mississippi girl well. Her character isn’t meant to be completely stupid, just ignorant to other points of view and Evan Rachel Wood never plays the character too much in either direction. My only complaint is that Wood, herself, isn’t very funny. Some of the punch lines got a delayed response from the audience because it was hard to tell when her joke ended. She’s not the punchy comedian everybody else in the film.

When it comes to Larry David’s performance as Boris, it’s as if Woody Allen has retired his classic “narcotic Jew” character and passed the torch to David. Larry David plays the character almost exactly how Allen would play it. This isn’t a bad thing though. Larry David’s timing and ability to deliver long, complicated dialogue in one take is very impressive. This was a very good career move on Larry David’s part. I’m sure a lot of people were telling him not to do it for fear of being type cast, but really it proved his ability as an actor in a lot of ways.

The moral of this film is basically, “despite what society dictates or what your peers or family say, life is what you make it. There is no right or wrong you just do whatever works.” To me, it seems that this was a very personal film for Woody. He has been criticized for having a relationship with a much younger woman and this film seems to parallel some aspects of Woody’s life. Even though I personally enjoyed some of Woody’s recent films more, there is something that is special about this one. I think much more people will relate to it and connect to its characters.

If you find yourself, one day, feeling like seeing a movie and you can’t decide what to see, see Whatever Works. It’s funny, smart, and enjoyable.

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.

Marion Cotillard (La Vie en rose) is equally great in this film. She plays Billie Frechette, Dillinger’s girlfriend. Cotillard definitely has the most emotionally demanding role of the cast. Of particular note is a scene in which she is captured by the police, who are looking for Dillinger. It’s a gut-wrenching performance.

I’m personally not a fan of Christian Bale, but here he fills his spot well. Melvin Purvis is a cop with a sole purpose: to catch and condemn John Dillinger. There isn’t much of an emotional or even dramatic demand here but, admittedly, Bale works very well with what he has.

What really brings the entire film together is Michael Mann’s visual style. I’m not sure how he did it, but the look of the film is beautiful and unique. I don’t really know how to describe it. At times, it looks real and almost documentary like. It’s just something you’ll have to see for yourself.

It appears that the way films are being made is changing, the same as back when films were overacted and started to become more natural. There is a definitive new style being born and Public Enemies, though it may not be the game changer that everyone remembers, does bring a new style to the world of film.

This film has action, performance, and gorgeous direction. Watch it and see some truly great and original filmmaking.

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.

As the couple travels, they meet with old friends and distant family members, all of which have some sort of issue or lunacy. Their journey begins on a very high point (for the film) as Burt and Verona travel to Phoenix and meet up with a couple of their old college friends (played brilliantly by Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan). Every time Allison Janney opened her mouth I almost died laughing. Gaffigan sported his typical shtick but it works well to his advantage here. Sadly, however, it’s all downhill from there.

The film has plenty of comedy throughout but as it moves along, the jokes (at least the funny ones) become less and less and the pacing takes a dive. The film really lost me at Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character; the hippie/free spirited mother of three. There was a great ending to her part but I think what really detracted me was her performance. I just never really bought into her character nor was it funny enough to keep my interest.

After that, the film starts to take a more dramatic turn as it shows the more emotional and inner parts of Burt and Verona’s relationship. Kransinski is a great talent and perfect for his part. He is utterly believable and a joy to watch on screen. When it comes to the more dramatic stuff, Maya Rudolph retains the believability but never blows you away with her talent. I guess her character wasn’t meant, necessarily, to overwhelm you with emotion and I suppose in that respect she was excellent. There is one scene, in the end, where she delivers a monologue about her past, however, that I thought gave her a great opportunity to show her stuff but fell a little short.

Director Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty) put together what I think is a perfectly middle-of-the-road dramedy. It’s a love story at its core and a comedy in its shell.

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.

On the performance side, Jessica Biel came pretty close to ruining this movie for me. Every word that came out of her mouth made me cringe from its horrible delivery. Her performance was hard to watch initially but I grew used to it as the film progressed.

Everybody’s performance (aside from Biel) is very fun and a bit quirky. Colin Firth (Mama Mia, Bridget Jones Diary) gave a nicely subtle but charismatic performance. A favorite character of mine was Furber, the butler played by Kris Marshall. Marshall’s comedic timing is perfectly flawless in each of his scenes.

John’s sisters are wonderfully eccentric in their own respects. Hilda (Kimberly Nixon) is seemingly destined to never get married but wants to very badly. John’s other sister, Marion (Katherine Parkinson), forever awaits her obviously never returning boyfriend.

Easy Virtue has many great moments that will make you gasp in shock, laugh from the hilarity, or, sometimes, both. There are two scenes in particular that will both leave your mouth agape and have you laughing in the aisle. One involves a dog and the other the can-can. I’ll let your imagination run wild with that, but you’ll have to see it to believe it.

Also a cool little tidbit to this film: Easy Virtue has the greatest “say the movie title in the film” moment of any film I can recount. I usually find it really cheesy when that is done (like in Gone Baby Gone) but here it struck a slight smile across my face.

Easy Virtue has a great mix of characters and is a fun take on the classic battle of the in-laws tale. Watch Easy Virtue and be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Lackluster but endurable

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.

The exhibits get moved to the Smithsonian. At home, Larry Daily gets a frantic phone call from the miniature cowboy Jedadiah (Owen Wilson) saying that the tablet was shipped with them and they are being attacked. Now the tablet is at the Smithsonian. The worlds biggest museum is about to come to life! Stiller rushes to their aid and so the adventure begins.

At the museum, Larry Daily is reluctantly partnered with Amelia Earhart, played by the wonderfully charismatic Amy Adams (Enchanted, Doubt). She is the only one in this movie who gives a worthy, well-suited performance.

One giant, and I mean giant, mistake this film makes is by failing to follow its own rules. It’s well established in the first film that the tablet must be inside the museum to bring the characters to life. We know this because in the first film the old men take it away the night Larry Daily brings his son to the museum and the exhibits don’t awake. However, in Battle of the Smithsonian, Larry takes the tablet from the Smithsonian to the Museum of Natural History warning one creature at the Smithsonian only to “be in by sunrise.”

Also, not to say it is a flaw necessarily, but it sort of irked me to see things that weren’t exhibits come to life. In the trailer, you see a bunch of little Einstein’s come to life but these are souvenirs not exhibits. The filmmakers seemed to want to stretch the powers of the tablet but did it without concerning themselves with the continuity. The film, like I said, is aimed for a younger audience and they probably won’t concern themselves with such issues.

On the plus side, the film does have a few small laughs.  The first one had a tone and energy that the second definitely lacks.

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.

The film starts on an action-packed note with a space battle that is surely one for the books. There is such a perfect mix of music, sound, and visual effects. I know it’s early in the year to be calling the shots, but I suspect that this movie will make a clean sweep of the technical awards. None of the CG stuck out to me as blatantly fake or cheesy. Even in this technological age, that’s really some achievement. For me, even Benjamin Button’s effects had its moments though it was praised all over the place.

J. J. Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise is essentially an origin story. Not to delve too much into detail, but the movie explores the beginnings of some of the characters. Star Trek is written by one of Hollywood’s most predominant and in-demand writing partners, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers, Fringe). The duo is definitely making a name for themselves in the popcorn movie genre but Trek is beyond that title to me.

I was somewhat shocked initially to find that Star Trek was written by the Transformer team because of Transformers mediocre writing. It’s funny that the same guys who wrote that cornball intro monologue that Optimus Prime gives wrote this Star Trek gem. Now, I don’t think that the story itself is greatest thing since sliced bread, but it’s obvious these guys have a handle on the Trekverse. They managed to fit in some of the taglines and catchphrases without coming across as gimmicky or clichéd.

All of the actors give solid performances. Let me also say that Abrams has brought together an excellent cast. A lot of the actors you might not suspect to be in a big-budget franchise but they all play perfectly into their characters, particularly Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) as Scotty and Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings) as Bones. I stopped watching NBC’s Heroes after the lackluster season 2 but it felt like Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock, was mostly channeling a tamer Sylar. Also of specific mention is Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett, Terminator Salvation) as Pavel Chekov.

A lot of critics made comments on the usage of lens flares in the film. Lens flares are the beams of light that go across the screen and most people found that the filmmakers overused them and it became distracting. Let me just note that after the opening sequence I had forgotten they were even there. They definitely add an excellent atmosphere and tone to the film but I didn’t find them, in the least, to be annoying or distracting.

When people say, “experience the movies” this is the type f film they’re talking about. Star Trek is more than just a bunch of effects and snappy one-liners; it’s a movie-going experience. I would highly, highly recommend you see it in IMAX. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

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.

Gael Garcia Bernal has flexed his comedic muscle in other films, but in this film we see him attempt nothing else but to be funny. He succeeds, particularly in a scene where Cursi gets to make a music video. His performance isn’t lathered with nuances or subtleties.  Instead, Bernal plays the character honest and simple; a good choice for an honest, simple comedy.

Diego Luna plays the jealous brother/frustrated compulsive gambler well. It’s pretty obvious that drama is his true strength, and he’s never really forced too much out of his comfort zone. He spends a lot of time playing either the envious sibling or the angry gambler who just lost his hand. It’s nothing to write home about but a good performance nonetheless.

Since the two are playing brothers, I had hoped that Luna and Bernal would have better chemistry. They play well off each other at times, but they come across more as best friends rather than the deeper, more involved relationship of brothers.

The supporting cast all play very well in their respective roles; especially Guillermo Francella as Baton. Baton’s real name is Batuta but has garnered this nickname in a way that I’ll leave for the film to explain. Baton is charismatic and suave, always with a different woman, but Francella never plays him sleazy. He’s the kind of player you want to like.

I feel that this film is very well made but may not find success amongst an English speaking audience. Not because of a lack of a good story or some other creative aspect, but because of a few technical and probably unavoidable issues.

For one, the subtitles are very fast. You may find yourself trying harder to keep up with the text rather than watching the film. Also, sometimes (perhaps just once or twice) the white text became pretty much invisible against a white background. One instance I remember specifically was a shot of the sky in which some of the subtitles disappeared into the clouds.

Rudo y Cursi is a pretty straightforward comedy but with a dramatic visual style. There are some brief moments of drama but they are kicked into play with a joke or two. The most dramatic elements involve Rudo and his gambling problem, but the emotion never weighs too heavy on the viewer.

Carlos Cuaron directs a very well executed comedy about two competitive brothers and the game of soccer. The performances are good, the writing is excellent, and the direction is superb.

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.

As probably any child surrounded by the old and “on their way out” would, Edward develops a fascination with death and the afterlife. While his parents are overwhelmed and distracted by the struggles of keeping the retirement home running, Edward attempts to capture some sign of an afterlife. In trying to uncover the mysteries of death, Edward hides a tape recorder in the rooms of Lark Hall’s residents and records tapes of audio, hoping to find at least the notion of a ghost. While listening back to the tapes he discovers something, not from the afterlife, but something much more real and devastating.

Bill Milner’s performance as Edward is delivered very well by the young actor. It’s honest and fueled with emotion. Milner has a way about him that makes you think he’s been doing this longer than he actually has. His chemistry with Sir Caine is truly something to behold. It’s mesmerizing to watch him hold his own, while co-starring with one of the most famous, legendary, and respected actors of our time.   

And while on the topic of Sir Michael Caine, it should be duly noted that he gives a tsunami of an emotional performance.  Caine’s straight-from-the-heart delivery of The Amazing Clarence should be on Oscar’s “films to remember at awards season” list. It’s the kind of performance that is so deeply moving and unflinchingly honest that I wouldn’t be surprised if his family, who I’m sure have seen many of his films, might find themselves unable to watch . 

Clarence, once renowned for his magic act which he performed with his wife, moves into Lark Hall, his wife now passed, he has no ambition for magic tricks or even life itself. With the encouragement of young Edward, Clarence’s life starts to take a brighter turn. But, in the face of this new life comes new troubles and past regrets as Clarence slowly becomes senile. 

The overall tone is dark but not depressing. The film has a bitter-sweet feeling to it. There are some comedic moments, though coming from dark subject matter, which will be the oasis of joy. There is a finely tuned balance of subtle comedy and drama in this film that prevents you from leaving the theater feeling down.

 I suppose the only major flaw is the fact that it feels like this story has been told before. There are certain clichés and moments you know are coming, but you won’t hate the film for it. Director John Crowley, an award-winning theatre director, knows how to direct a performance, and that’s where this film shines it’s brightest.