Movie Reviews
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(*Updated 09/03/10*)
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Flipped
Directed by Rob Reiner.
Based on the novel by Wendelin Van Draanen. During the summer of 1957, second grader Bryce Loski (Ryan Ketzner) moves into a new neighborhood with his mother, Patsy (Rebecca De Mornay), father, Steven (Anthony Edwards), and older sister, Lynetta (Cody Horn). His neighbor, Juli Baker (Morgan Lily), also a second grader, lives across the street and instantly develops a crush on him. She loves his eyes, his smell and everything else about him, but he doesn’t feel quite thrilled when she pays so much attention to him in school. Six years later, Juli (now played by Madeline Carroll) still stalks Bryce (now played by Callan McAuliffe) and he still tries to avoid her. He turns down her request to sit beside her on a tree branch of her favorite sycamore tree and secretly throws away eggs that she repeatedly delivers to him for free as a gift. Bryce’s father can’t stand the Bakers, though, especially because of how they never keep up their lawn. The Loskis are afraid of salmonella poisoning from the fresh eggs from Juli’s hens that she raises in her backyard. Bryce begins to realize that perhaps he likes Juli after all her once his grandfather, Chet (John Mahoney), befriends her and after his parents invite the Bakers over. Concurrently, Juli questions her own attraction to Bryce. Aidan Quinn plays Juli’s loving father who spends his time painting and knows that she has her eyes on Bryce. Director/co-writer Rob Reiner has taken a simple story about young love and turned it into a sweet, tender and true-to-life romantic drama that everyone will be able to relate to. Rarely has a film glowed with such genuine feelings of warmth and pure, unadulterated, uplifting spirit. You’ll actually be able to feel the palpable chemistry between Bryce and Julie onscreen. If you grew up in the 50’s and 60’s, you might feel like you’re going down a trip through memory lane. Sure, there’s a good amount of voice-over narration, but it serves the story well. The same can be said for the shifts from Bryce’s perspective to Juli’s which feel refreshing. Reiner includes plenty of tuneful doo-wop songs of the era and exquisite cinematography which fit so well with the film’s tone. Each member of the cast gives a terrific, convincing performance that will keep you engrossed from start to finish. At an ideal running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, Flipped is a wholesome, genuinely heartfelt, sweet and uplifting story that everyone, young and old, can easily fall in love with.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Now playing at the Village East Cinema and AMC/Loews Lincoln Square. 
Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) leads a secret team of experts who enter people’s dreams to steal ideas from them. Saito (Ken Watanabe), a powerful and wealthy businessman, desperately wants Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy), the heir to a rival corporation, to split apart his corporation before he inherits it from his dying father, Maurice (Pete Postlethwaite). He offers Cobb a deal: if he and his team are able to successfully implant the idea inside Fischer’s mind through the challenging process of inception, he will make one phone call that will drop Cobb’s murder charges for murdering his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), so that he can safely travel back home to reunite with his two beloved kids. Cobb takes the leap of faith and assembles a team of experts, namely, Eames (Tom Hardy), Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Yusuf (Dileep Rao), and Ariadne (Ellen Page), the architect. To explain the plot any further wouldn’t do it any justice and, on top of that, it would spoil the many unpredictable surprises and awe-inspiring thrills throughout Cobb’s elaborately designed mission that grows increasingly intricate and complex as it progresses. Writer/director Christopher Nolan has woven a mind-boggling, profoundly imaginative sci-fi thriller that has all the elements that turn into a classic because it’s consistently clever, well-acted, suspenseful, intricately layered, timeless, intriguing and even moving when it comes to Cobb’s longing for Mal. Each and every scene counts, so please be sure to listen carefully to every line of dialogue. Inception is essentially a refreshing, well-needed oasis in a year inundated with dumbed-down, unoriginal and forgettable blockbusters. Many sequences, which won’t be spoiled here, will haunt your psyche and leave you in sheer awe. The use of action and CGI never becomes excessive or unnecessary because it’s actually used to serve and compliment the story rather than the other way around. Nolan will probably connect with many of you when he has Ariadne say in the middle of an important scene, “Wait. Whose subconscious are we going into again?” Audience members with Attention Deficit Disorder will feel very perplexed and probably end up misconstruing the film, but attentive audience members will be rewarded by its many layers of sheer brilliance and intricacies which beg for intellectual discussions and repeated viewings. At a running time of 2 hours and 28 minutes, Inception is a groundbreaking, intriguing, exhilarating and brilliant sci-fi thriller that’s destined to become a timeless classic. Mark my words: It will be remembered for years to come. Please see it in glorious IMAX for a completely immersive experience. Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Opens nationwide. 
The Kids Are All Right
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko.
Nic (Annette Bening) works as a doctor while her wife, Jules (Julianne Moore), stays at their suburban California home to take care of their two teenage children, 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson) and 18-year-old Joni (Mia Wasikowska). Nic and Jules’ romantic spark has been waning, and their sex life has become lackluster. Now that Joni’s 18, Laser persuades her to find and meet their biological father, Paul (Mark Ruffalo), who had donated his sperm to Nic and Jules. It turns out that he runs an organic restaurant and an organic garden. He’s has never settled down with anyone before, so his meeting with Joni, Laser, Nic and Jules awakens his desire to embrace the value of family. He and Jules begin a sexually-charged affair with one another while she visits his home using the excuse to Nic that she’s designing his backyard as part of her new business as a landscape designer. Director/co-writer Lisa Cholodenko has woven very believable, unpretentious and intricate portrait of an American family that has rarely been captured with such sensitivity, warmth, pathos and humor. Nic and Jules suffer from marital problems that any married couple can relate to, but, most importantly, the way that they deal with their issues to try to save their marriage is handled very maturely, honestly and perceptively. Sure, Nic agitates Jules with her micromanaging, drinks wine too much and is a workaholic, but, thanks to Annette Bening’s strong, well-nuanced performance, she’s also very fragile and loving at her core. Julianne Moore also delivers a brave, resonating performance, although, Cholodenko allows for each and every actor onscreen to shine. Each character comes to life because the screenplay, co-written by Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, treats them as complex human beings who have flaws and issues to deal with just like any other person could go through. It’s refreshing to watch such a non-preachy film that never insults your intelligence while remaining emotionally resonating and captivating from start to finish. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, The Kids Are All Right is a captivating, honest, unpretentious and intelligent portrait of an American family that’s genuinely poignant, warm and funny. It brims with well-nuanced, brave and resonating performances.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by Focus Features. Opens at AMC/Loews village 7, Chelsea Clearview and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. 
Despicable Me
Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud.
Gru (voice of Steve Carell) desperately wants to regain his status as the greatest thief in the world, so he devises a plan to steal the moon. Before the scheme could work, he needs to steal a shrink ray from the hands Vector (voice of Jason Segel), a villain who now represents new competition for him after he had stolen the Great Pyramid of Giza. Three orphaned girls, Agnes (Elsie Fisher), Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), and Edith (Dana Gaier), arrive at Gru’s door selling cookies and, not surprisingly, he grumpily rejects their offer, but when he witnesses them successfully getting into the large mansion of Vector to sell him the cookies, he suddenly gets the idea to adopt them so that he could use them to help steal the much-needed shrink ray. Gru introduces his newly adopted children to his mean-looking dog, his small yellow minions, and his mad scientist, Dr. Nefario (voice of Russell Brand). The imaginative screenplay by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul supplies plenty of clever humor, witty dialogue and, to top off, a healthy dose of poignant moments that gently tug at your heartstrings. You can sense that a lot of thought went into the script because of all of the attention to details which will induce laughter if you’re attentive. For instance, at the entrance of the “Bank of Evil”, where Gru attempts to get a loan for his diabolical plan, there’s a sign that reads “Formerly Lehman Brothers.” Gru’s minions seem to be speaking their own unique language, but every now and then you’ll hear a little bit of Russian and Spanish such as when they say “para tu.” It’s worth noting that Gru actually has a backstory provided showing his failed attempts to impress his mom (voice of Julie Andrews). Co-directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud move the film along at an appropriately brisk pace and include impressive animation and 3D effects which never become too distracting. There’s never a dull moment to be found and, fortunately, the story itself doesn’t lose any momentum, so you’ll find yourself wishing to see more adventures of Gru and his adopted kids. At an ideal running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, Despicable Me never overstays its welcome. It’s a triumph of both story and animation that's thrilling, witty, hilarious, heartfelt and entertaining for kids and adults simultaneously.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by Universal Pictures.Now playing nationwide. 
Restrepo
Directed by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger.
This provocative and timely documentary follows a U.S. army platoon deployed in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan from May 2007 to June 2008. The soldiers set up a remote 15-man outpost called Restrepo, named after one of the soldiers, PFC Juan Restrepo, who died in battle with the Taliban. A soldier recalls his fear of the unknown as he and his platoon flies toward the Korengal Valley via helicopter. As the view of the valley emerges in front of them, they know that they’re in for an experience that they never been through before. Co-director Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger film the soldiers’ daily lives at Restrepo without resorting to excessive talking heads or focusing extensively on any of the particular soldiers. The only voice-overs are from the soldiers themselves as they reminisce about their experiences and candidly express their sentiments after their deployment. You’ll feel as though you’re in the heat of the action as one of the soldiers aims his gun at a distant hill in hopes of killing a member of the Taliban. The local living in and around the hills might have valuable information regarding the whereabouts of the Taliban, so a group of them are rounded up and questioned. Images of carnage or bloodshed that occurred throughout the deployment isn’t shown or, in one case, kept offscreen as soldiers cover the body of a recently-killed soldier. Some of the soldiers explain why they had cried and felt pure trepidation after that death. A soldier explains how he called his parents to tell them that everything’s fine even though it wasn’t. Another soldier recalls in vivid detail how Private Juan Restrepo had died. All they can think about is returning home as their deployment finally comes to an end one year later. Wisely, the co-directors avoid preachiness by not providing their own commentaries or assessments of what you’re watching. They trust that you, as an intelligent audience member, can process all of the documented footage and post-deployment interviews on your own and come up with your own conclusions. At a running time of only 1 hour and 34 minutes, Restrepo is genuinely engrossing, harrowing and unflinching. It’s one of the most important, timely and provocative documentaries of the year.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by National Geographic Entertainment. Opens at the Angelika Film Center. 
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg.
This wildly entertaining, hilarious and surprisingly moving documentary focuses on the life and work of 76-year-old comedian and television personality Joan Rivers. On stage while she’s performing her stand-up comedy routines she projects fearlessness, charisma, energy and plenty of pizzazz. She’s relentlessly fierce and irreverent when it comes to her sense of humor which often results in uproarious laughter from her open-minded audiences. If you’re familiar with her work, you’ll already know that she started out as a thespian in the play Seawood before performing in comedy clubs during a time when female comedians weren’t so vulgar and sexually explicit in their comedy routines. In many ways, Rivers broke through that barrier and paved the way for many other brave female comedians nowadays, such as Kathy Griffin who considers Joan to be her inspiration. River gained a lot of fame through her appearances on The Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson, but their friendship took a nosedive when she accepted to host a rival show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers. Soon after, her business partner and husband, Edgar Rosenberg, committed suicide, yet she continued to make her fans laugh as she remained a television personality. Co-directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg do an impeccable job of providing you with background information about Joan Rivers’ uphill battles as a comedian as well as shedding light on what she has learned from all of her struggles. Sociologist Erving Goffman once noted that everyone has a frontstage life and a backstage life. Stern and Sunderberg gives a rare glimpse of what Rivers is truly life backstage behind that obstructing curtain. Backstage, Rivers maintains her razor sharp humor, boldness and panache, but, most importantly, she comes across as an honest, intelligent, self-aware and sensitive human being. She candidly admits that no one has ever called her “beautiful” and that she knows that without continuing to work so diligently every day from morning 'til night, she can easily become unemployed which is her greatest fear. If you’ve never seen Rivers without her makeup on, well, now’s your chance. At a running time of only 1 hour and 24 minutes, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work manages to be a gut-bustingly funny, endearing and unflinchingly honest documentary that find just the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them intellectually as well as emotionally. Joan River’s perseverance, audacity and sheer brilliance is an inspiration for everyone.
Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by IFC Films. Now playing at the Quad Cinema. 
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Directed by Bansky.
This wildly entertaining documentary follows the shifting dynamics between French shop keeper/amateur videographer Thierry Guetta and the notorious street artist Bansky. Guetta is so obsessed with using his video camera that he records almost everything non-stop, everywhere, including such footages a toilet flushing. He’s mostly interested in capturing street artists at work, so when he discovered that one of his cousins happens to be a street artist that goes by the name of Space Invader, he traveled all the way to Los Angeles with his camera to capture him on the streets. While at a Kinko’s, he befriended and earned the trust of another street artist, Shepard Fairey, who let him follow him around the city as he illegally hung up his artwork and even gave him the task of finding good locations for the art. Fairey’s the artist responsible for designing the stylish “Hope” poster with Obama’s face on it. Even though Guetta shot a lot of footage of many street artists, he still hadn’t met the one artist he had always wanted to film: Bansky. When he finally got that opportunity and tells Bansky that he’s making a documentary out of all the footage, Guetta squanders career as a documentarian because Bansky viscerally hated the version of the film that he had seen. That’s the point at which Exit Through the Gift Shop becomes a refreshingly twisted and unpredictable documentary. Guetta suddenly decided to become a street artist himself, under the pseudonym Mr. Brainwash, and, on top of that, opened up his own gallery showcasing his artwork in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Bansky, whose voice remains altered and face in a shadow to hide his true identity from the audience, points the camera at Guetta to film his every move. To explain what happens as Guetta struggles to open up his gallery would be to spoil all the fun and excitement. You don’t have to be fan of street art to be totally immersed in this documentary because the artists onscreen are filled with lots of charisma, a sense of humor and candidness. At a running time of 1 hour and 27 minutes, Exit Through the Gift Shop manages to be a wildly entertaining, funny, suspenseful and invigorating documentary regardless of whether you’re a fan of street art or not.Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by Producers Distribution Agency. Now playing at Landmark Sunshine Cinema. 
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