The problem with horror is it can be hard to make your audience “feel it.” If you’re sitting around a campfire, and someone tells you about a haunted house, adding, “Pretty scary, huh?” you might agree (certainly out of politeness if nothing else). However, if you lived in said haunted house, you would probably get used to it after a while, and terror at seeing the furniture move would quickly devolve into annoyance. Horror filmmakers, of course, don’t particularly want to make a film about annoyance—and so are under constant pressure to continually build the horror up to something bigger, often regardless of what implications that might have for plot and character.
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Note: this review was originally published February 8, 2008

Tim Burton tends to be at his best, in my opinion, when his films are not entirely his own. With occasional exceptions (such as Corpse Bride), his more self-indulgent pictures tend to come off as little more than Revenge of the Goths. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with a good gothic film—just that Burton’s always seem to have been made for Tim Burton, and only Tim Burton, with relative indifference as to whether there’s an audience for it (possibly because he knows he can always trust the Hot Topic crowd to show up).
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If I had to describe the films of Ang Lee in one word it would be “passionate.” He is passionate about story, about character, about emotion. His new film, Lust, Caution, is his first return to making a Chinese-language film in many years and in it he shows his passion for his country … his roots. Based upon the writings of Eileen Chang, Lust, Caution is a confidently directed espionage thriller but is possessed with an overbearing desire to push the envelope of decency.
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The title card at the beginning of the film reads, “Once - not long ago - a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this…It wasn’t that important.” What an understated way to begin such a charming, funny, heartfelt, insightful, bittersweet, and life affirming film, but once you’ve reached the end, you realize that it could not have started any other way.
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21 is essentially a film that wants to be a combination of A Beautiful Mind and Catch Me if You Can for the teenybopper set, and it comes relatively close to making it over the bar. It’s not as smart as either one of those two, but it’s got a modicum of substance—plus it’s got style coming out the wazoo. There’s not an explosion to be had here, but there’s so much visual flourish that you really have to see it on the big screen (unless, of course, you’re one of those people with one of those 1,000-inch plasma screens and Dolby 500.3 Surround Sound—in which case, give some money to the poor, dude).
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I’d love to tell you that Definitely, Maybe somehow reinvents the romantic comedy, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. It’s simply a very good specimen of the formula. It’s not especially memorable, but it’s very well done, with a smart script, a talented cast, some excellent editing, and some unexpected twists here and there. This is a genre picture through and through, but you’re not likely to find a better one anytime soon.
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The options this week are pretty decent. There aren’t necessarily any great films, but you’ve got a pretty wide variety to choose from. You’ll almost certainly find something that interests you somewhat this week.

21
Personally, I hate it when producers spell their movie titles with numerals. Note to Hollywood: please consult your MLA handbook before titling any more movies. You’re not as cool as you think. Thank you. Anyway, Twenty-one (as I’m going to call it from now on) is the story of an MIT math student who discovers he can pay for college by spinning the rules of blackjack in his favor. Call it Ocean’s Eleven (not Ocean’s 11, by the way) for smart people. It’s “Based on a true story!” which is almost never a good sign…but I think this one looks pretty intriguing. Count me in.

Recommended if you like Catch Me if You Can, gambling, or statistics

Run, Fat Boy, Run
The directorial debut of David Schwimmer…yes, that David Schwimmer. Ross made a movie. This one’s a British romantic comedy, and if anyone knows how to do romantic comedies, it’s the British. Shakespeare…Austen…Fielding…it’s all good. Thing is, Schwimmer’s an American working in Britain…so I’m not promising you anything. It does have Hank Azaria in it, though, so it’s got some potential.

Recommended if you like Along Came Polly, Bridget Jones’s Diary, or Hitch

Stop-Loss
Is anyone else sick of MTV pretending to be antiwar because they think it gives them some sort of credibility with the young ‘uns? I’m no fan of the U.S.’s current foreign policy, but come on, guys…you’re a music station (and, what’s more, one that doesn’t even play music anymore). That doesn’t exactly give you a lot of credibility on complicated global issues. Can’t you stick to the latest Britney gossip, or something? Regardless, this one is a drama about a soldier from the Iraq war who fights back when Uncle Sam tries to extend his tour of duty. It’s got the potential to be a decent drama…but I wouldn’t count on it, if its politics are even half as heavy-handed as they come off in the trailer.

Recommended if you like Three Kings, The Kingdom, or pretending to be politically active by sitting in an air-conditioned theater and eating snacks

Superhero Movie
Free tip: if a movie has the word “Movie” in the title, just don’t go. Just stay away. This one works amazingly well: you’d avoid all the craptastic parodies of the last ten years like Scary Movie, but you’d also avoid Santa Claus: The Movie, Garfield: The Movie, Left Behind: The Movie and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. You really can’t lose with this one.

Recommended if you like movies that think they’re clever because they’re like other movies

You have to give Satoshi Kon credit for trying something new. Anime is generally about one of two things: giant robots, or (less frequently) Japanese mythology. For his directorial debut, he took the medium, and did something almost unheard of beforehand: a psychological thriller.
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Eclectic release week, satisfying your need for uncompromising horror, controversial drama, or comic bizarreness.

The Mist

The Mist - MovieZeal rating - 5 out of 5 stars
Stephen King adaptations over the past few decades have been both numerous and crappy. Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) has been the only director to really deliver the master of horror to the silver screen with any kind of competency. This one, however, is difficult to recommend. As you can see from the rating above, I’ve accorded it masterpiece status, but it is not an easy film to watch. Take 1 part monster movie, 1 part religious cultism, and toss in the most uncompromising ending to grace a studio picture in a long time, and you have one of the most powerful films of last year. If you see it, be sure to approach with fear and trembling.

Recommended if you liked IT, Pet Semetary, or Dreamcatcher (well, just pretend that last one was actually good)

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner
The controversy surrounding this film made more of a splash than the film did itself. The two young leads and their families fled Afghanistan amid concerns that they would be targeted by the Taliban because of the inclusion of a rape scene. They claimed they had no foreknowledge of the scene; Dreamworks and director Marc Forster said otherwise. Regardless, the adaptation received a lukewarm critical reaction, perhaps because of the love lavished on the source material.

Recommended if you liked Finding Neverland but wished it had been set in Afghanistan

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Wristcutters: A Love Story - MovieZeal rating - 3 out of 5 stars
Say what? Similar to last week’s Southland Tales, you’ve never seen anything quite like this. Apparently, when you commit suicide, you go to a place that’s just like here, except more boring. One wristcutter attempts to find his lost love in the colorless landscape, running into a veritable carnival of quirky characters (including Will Arnett, aka Gob Bluth of Arrested Development fame).

Recommended if you like unique, bizarre black comedies about suicide and the afterlife

The power that cinema can exert over us is a mysterious thing. There are moments when a film will reach out and grasp us by the temples, refusing to let our gaze drift elsewhere; forcing us to consider the sermon it has to preach. And make no mistake that the director serves as preacher, delivering his view of life and humanity through the silver screen while we sit and listen in the dark and quiet. On our part, it is an act of submission, sometimes foolishly so. The extent to which we submit and the strength with which the sermon is preached is where the mystery enters in. Why does one film utterly captivate me while another finds it repulsive? Why does one story stir me to the core while another can only summon a tepid indifference?
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A young man commits suicide and discovers love and second chances in this oddly predictable indie outing based on the short story Kneller’s Happy Campers. Ultimately slight, the film attempts to mine an afterlife to posit meaning in this life but succeeds only as a mildly amusing romance in a post-suicidal dystopia.
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Name a good movie that begins with the words “The Wedding.” Go ahead—think of one. The Wedding Singer? Yeah, no. The Wedding Party? Not so much. The Wedding Planner? Ugh. Do I really need to name any more here? Good. Now guess whether The Wedding Date is worth seeing.
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The work of Dr. Seuss has not had an easy life on the silver screen. Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas should top any conscious filmgoer’s list of worst Christmas films and the even more despicable The Cat in the Hat surely caused more than one heart attack at the Seuss estate. It is with these two films in mind that I walked into Blue Sky Animation’s production of Horton Hears a Who with trepidation. Would Hollywood again ravage the work of my favorite childhood author and leave it bleeding on the side of the road?
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Funny Games

The second round of our debate on the validity or worthlessness of Funny Games. A summary of the posts so far:

• Round 1 of our debate, including an overview of the Double Shot ground rules
• My original zero star review
• Luke Harrington’s 4 star review
• Ghost Lyon’s 1 1/2 star review of Haneke’s original 1997 version

Here is round two of Luke and I’s debate. For redundancy’s sake, I am arguing against the film, while Luke is arguing for it. Comments and further insights are, of course, encouraged and welcomed (although I noticed a distinct trend toward siding with Luke last time…tsk tsk guys, I’m obviously correct here).

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The pickings are a little slim this week for those of us who like, you know, real movies. This might be a good week to stay home and rent a DVD. Or to go outside and get some exercise. Or to catch Caramel at the local arthouse (you know you’ve been meaning to check that place out for, like, ever). But here’s what’s coming out, if you’re still interested.

Drillbit Taylor

Drillbit Taylor
Get this: Owen Wilson stars in…a stupid comedy. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. In this one, he plays a mercenary bodyguard who gets hired by some high school students to beat up bullies. This one doesn’t look great, but it’s got an impressive pedigree: It was produced by Judd Apatow (who brought you Freaks and Geeks and Knocked Up), and it was based on a concept by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). So it might not be terrible.

Recommended if you like Superbad, Zoolander, or Napoleon Dynamite.

Shutter

Shutter
The latest in the ridiculous trend of unnecessary Hollywood remakes of successful Asian horror films, this one is yet another technophobic potboiler–this time focusing on cameras. Are cameras more or less scary than VCRs? You decide. (All you really need to know about this one is that the poster reads, “From the executive producers of The Grudge and The Ring!”)

Recommended if you liked Dark Water, Fear Dot Com or guys with Polaroid cameras and really awful mustaches

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns
Tyler Perry is nothing if not prolific–he’s been churning out two or three movies a year since ‘05–plus numerous plays–an he’s showing no signs of slowing down (fun fact: he’s got a role in the upcoming Star Trek film–seriously). This time around, he’s given us a film about woman who reconnects with her roots after her estranged father dies. Expect this one to do well, as it’s the only movie coming out that has any chance of appealing to adults.

Recommended if you liked any other film that had the words “Tyler Perry’s” in the title

WALL•E

Pixar is the King Midas of Hollywood right now. Although this trailer is a bit old (well, its a week old, but those of you addicted to the internets have likely already seen it), it needs mention here. I admit that neither Finding Nemo, Cars, or Ratatouille initially piqued my film geek zeal (although they were all great to one extent or another), but this trailer serves up the fix. Revealing more story than any of the previous teasers have, I am already lining up to purchase my ticket.

WALL•E in High Definition (choose Trailer 3 from the options)

The films of Ingmar Bergman are an entity unto themselves, often polarizing film aficionados and confusing ardent movie lovers. At times, his direction can be very straightforward (see The Virgin Spring), and at other times he can be the most perplexing and unfathomable of artists (see Persona). Hour of the Wolf, Bergman’s only horror film, lies in the middle of that continuum. It is a conventional horror film in as much as his other films are conventional dramas … and if you’re at all familiar with Ingmar, you’ll probably recognize that this doesn’t mean much.
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Note: the second round of our debate can be found here

Tentatively titled DoubleShot, this feature will involve two of us hashing it out in the public forum over a film we strongly disagree on. Although battle axes and morning stars in a cage match to the death would undoubtedly be more entertaining for you, the blood thirsty masses, we have instead elected to duel with words and wit. Here are the ground rules:

• Round 1: Each critic makes one argument for/against the film, specifically citing the opposing author’s review. Each critic then gets a rebuttal.
  
• Round 2: Round 1 is repeated, with two more assertions and the accompanying rebuttals.
• Round 3: Each critic gets a closing statement and a chance to respond to the other’s overall position.

Obviously, we encourage participation from you, whether you have seen the film in question or not. This exercise will only be successful if others get in the ring with us.

Funny Games

Our first film up for debate is Michael Haneke’s recent remake of his own film, Funny Games. A good primer would be to read our original reviews.
You can read my zero star review here.
You can read Luke’s 4 star review here.
Ghost Lyon, another contributer, reviewed Haneke’s original version, which he gave 1 1/2 stars, and you can find that review here.

Here is the first round of points and counter-points. Look for round 2 and 3 later this week.

Let the games begin (no pun intended).
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What a great week for movies on DVD. You have three pretty good, and quite different, films to choose from. Hit the titles for reviews on each of them. The movies after the jump…well, I’m sure someone will take pity and give ‘em a rent.

Enchanted

Enchanted
The concept for this film - animated Disney princess is transported to the real world - was ripe for failure. They have instead pulled off an impressive and immensely watchable homage to all things Disney, due in large part to Amy Adams’ brilliant performance. I heartily recommend this for the guys and the girls - a more charming film you will not find.

Recommended if you love Disney films with princesses or making fun of Disney films with princesses…just recommended period

Atonement

Atonement - MovieZeal Rating - 3.5 out of 5 stars
Atonement was hot to trot at this years Oscars, netting an impressive amount of nominations, but walking away with only one (Best Original Score). It is a meticulously crafted adaptation of Ian McEwan’s bestseller, but it is also a bit misleading. See the poster over there to the left? See how James McAvoy and Keira Knightly are prominently featured, leading one to believe the movie is about them? Well, it’s not. They are an integral part, but the film’s story belongs to the little girl, played by three different actresses of three different ages. Too bad they don’t have a Best Casting category, as Atonement would have hit that one out of the park.

Recommended if you liked Far and Away or Pride and Prejudice (the recent one with Knightly)

I Am Legend

I Am Legend - MovieZeal Rating - 1.5 out of 5 stars
To be honest, the star rating here doesn’t really reflect the worth of this film. I fully acknowledge it’s a rating based on subjectivity, but you’ll have to read the review to understand why. Will Smith gives a powerful performance, and apocalyptic popcorn thrills don’t get delivered much better than this. You will most likely find it a satisfying film, although I would recommend reading the book instead and never watching the movie.

Recommended if you liked 28 Days Later, War of the Worlds, or Independence Day
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Funny Games is, as many people will tell you, a commentary on film and a criticism of audience expectations. And, while it is made well enough, and it does get the message across, is this mish-mash of social commentary, artsy cinematography, and self-aware horror enough of what it wants to be to make it worth experiencing?
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