Under A 'New Moon,' A Surprising Lack Of Passion
()If you have teenage girls in your life, you don't need to be told that New Moon, the second part of The Twilight Saga, hits movie theaters this weekend. Even though the world may have had enough of star-crossed sweethearts Edward and Bella by the series' end, critic Kenneth Turan says there's not enough of them in this installment.
'Broken Embraces': The Very Picture Of Romance()
November 20, 2009 Brace yourself: Things are about to get meta. Pedro Almodovar's latest picture strings a colorfully knotty love story across layers of dark film-within-a-film intrigue. Complex of plot, deft in its blending of comedy and melodrama, and a treasure trove of golden-age movie references, the film is what you might call a lushly tragic lark — a heartfelt, if not quite heartbreaking, paean to romance and to the romance of cinema. (Recommended)
John Woo's 'Red Cliff': An Epic Cut Down To Size()
November 19, 2009 The director of Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II returns to his Hong Kong-cinema roots with a battle epic based on a war fought in China 18 centuries ago. Critic Mark Jenkins says that while Red Cliff's scope is certainly impressive, the edited-down U.S. release could use some psychological strife to go with its clanging swords and clashing ships.
Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant': He's Crescent City Crazy()
November 19, 2009 "A man without a gun, that's not a man," says the pain-wracked, drug-addled anti-hero cop at the center of Port of Call: New Orleans. You get the feeling that director Werner Herzog, that dedicated chronicler of alpha-male lunacy, agrees — and you can't help but notice that his crime drama is every bit as over-the-top eccentric as its protagonist.
In 'Blind Side,' A Tunnel-Vision Take On A True Story()
November 19, 2009 Based on Michael Lewis' acclaimed book, John Lee Hancock's julep-sweet screenplay turns a well-told true story into a feel-good fantasy for white liberals — a movie that doesn't dig deep and too often seems content to trade in stereotype. But as ever in Hollywood, the based-on-reality defense will provide a certain amount of cover, and Hancock will probably have an audience pleaser on his hands.
'The Messenger': After The Battle, Brothers In Arms()
November 15, 2009 A soldier returns home from Iraq, his mind is on his own griefs. Assigned to notify families about war casualties, he finds wise counsel in the person of his more experienced partner. Critic Bob Mondello says that for a film that comes bearing sad reminders about the costs of war, The Messenger is peopled by characters who seem gratifyingly alive. (Recommended)
'2012': Disaster Strikes (And Strikes, And Strikes)()
November 13, 2009 Roland Emmerich's latest cinematic apocalypse posits that the end of the world is due in a little over three years from now. Critic Bob Mondello says it's surprisingly convincing — at least in the sense that by the time it's over, you'll feel like it is 2012 already, and you'll have such a headache that it'd be kind of nice if the whole world went away.
In 'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' The Dazzle Is In The Details()
November 13, 2009 Director Wes Anderson's first foray into animation, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, is based on the charmingly wicked children's book by Roald Dahl. The film follows a battle of wits between the sly fox (voiced by George Clooney) and three formidable farmers. Critic Kenneth Turan says the film's stop-motion animation is tailor-made for the sort of quirky details that Anderson employs.
'Pirate Radio' Tunes Into Rock-Revolution Nostalgia()
November 12, 2009 The latest film from British writer-director Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Love Actually) is a true-story-inspired comedy about the bawdy crew of an oceangoing rock-music radio station in '60s Britain. Critic Ella Taylor calls the film "endearingly inept," and suggests that the soundtrack might be its saving grace.
'Disturbing the Universe': William Kunstler 101()
November 13, 2009 Lawyer William Kunstler famously took on controversial cases: from radical Abbie Hoffman to mobster John Gotti to Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, Kunstler's clients earned him both praise and loathing. In a new documentary, his own daughters ask whether his choices made Kunstler a great man — a question critic Mark Jenkins says they never really answer.
The (Surprisingly) Real Feel of 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'()
November 12, 2009 Director Wes Anderson's first animated film is based on Roald Dahl's cheerfully wicked children's book about a wily fox who wages war on three farmers. Critic David Edelstein says the film — with its stop-motion animation, big-name voice talent and quirky mannerisms — achieves a degree of realism that isn't always apparent in the cult director's work.
About Movie Reviews
Opinions on current offerings at the cinema from a slate of reviewers, including Fresh Air contributor David Edelstein, Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times and NPR's Bob Mondello.
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