The Night Listener (2006)

Moody little movie about Gabriel Noone, a late-night radio show host (Robin Williams -- somehow NOT bugging the crap out of me) who has used his life as material for the stories he tells on the air.

His long-term relationship with his boyfriend, well-known to listeners, is coming to an end. He's able to fill the emotional void somewhat by reaching out, via phone, to a young teen who's written a memoir about his childhood abuse. As Gabriel gets more attached to the boy, doubt about who the boy is -- and if he even actually exists -- becomes too big to ignore.

I liked the tension of the screenplay and thought the acting was just right. What I didn't like was the movie's need to provide a definitive answer to the audience while Noone was denied one.

B

The Queen (2006)

I thought this movie was fascinating. It felt so formal but so human. I really felt as though we were truly given a sense of what it might be like to hold such a figurehead position: constantly being judged while trying to live a dignified life of service. I actually found myself on the side of the royals -- which I guess was probably kinda the point.

Gary and I disagreed, though, on the meaning of the stag. It was so clear to me that he represented Diana and that Queen Elizabeth finally understood how the constant pursuit that became a part of Diana's life when she was made royal was what killed her -- that she was compelled to protect the buck as a belated gesture for her lost daughter-in-law. Gary was equally sure that the Queen saw the deer as herself -- that she was imperious but the world was ready to dispose of her. I surely see his point and think it's likely that's what the filmmakers were intending...but I like what I saw in it so much better!

B+

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

James McAvoy (love this guy) is Garrigan, a privileged son of a doctor fresh out of medical school who can't stand the thought of living the same dull life that his parents do. So he hits the road to become a doctor in the first place -- no, make that the second place if the first is too boring -- his finger lands on the spinning globe.

Garrigan's a definite antihero, self-interest is at the fore of his every decision. Sure, he works at a poorly appointed local clinic, but it seems more about playing soccer with the kids, flirting with the hot missionary's wife, and being the town's white savior than actually serving. When he's offered the swank job of personal physician to the new Ugandan leader, Idi Amin, he takes it right quick.

The rest of the movie deals with Amin's dual nature of affability and violent rage and Garrigan's position as trusted confidant becoming less secure by the day. Some of the dangerous decisions made by the doctor were needlessly frustrating, making this feel more like a thriller than historical fiction. Limiting us to the doctor's viewpoint made us have to care about the small picture -- and that felt a little like a cheat.

Whitaker is good, McAvoy is great, and there's no denying that this is a powerful movie...but is it a good one? The answer I land on is "not particularly."

B-

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

I was talking about this movie with a friend -- well, more like arguing about this movie with him. The conversation went something like this.

--Me: Everything was so contrived.
--Him: Everything was so funny.
--I didn't think it was funny...maybe humorous at times.
--No -- it was hilarious.
--Come on, though. Nomination for best picture? And Abigail Breslin gets a frickin' acting nomination?" (little aside -- the SNL bit with Dakota Fanning interviewing nominee Abigail "I-did-a-funny-dance" Breslin through clenched teeth KILLED ME)
--She was supposed to be a quirky kid and she did fine.
--And, please. As soon as we were introduced to "vow of silence boy," you just knew he'd be talking by the end of the movie (um...I guess that could be a spoiler but, like I said, you pretty much know it's gonna happen as soon as you meet him. Don't yell at me if you haven't seen it yet.)
--Well, yeah. It's a movie. Things HAPPEN in movies.
And on and on.

Basically, he had a great time with the film and complaints about the plot seemed like nitpicking to him. I didn't have a great time and felt like if he'd just stop defending it for a second he'd have to admit that a decent sitcom delivers more laughs. Then again, this is the same guy who recommended Life Aquatic to me. Maybe we'll never convince each other of anything.

C

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

Even our ice-storm-provided private theater couldn't elevate this movie any higher than "loud and stupid waste of time." There was no tension -- just snakes, snakes, snakes.

How boring.

D+

Memento (2000)

We were hit by a terrible ice storm that knocked out our power (and most of the city's) for 12 days, so we were sleeping in the sanctuary at the church for which I work when we watched this. As crappy as it was to not be cozy at home -- it was pretty cool to have our own private theater with big screen and surround-sound and lots of room to spread out.

This was the fourth time I've seen this film and while I can't say it gets better with each viewing, I can definitely say it's just as good every time. I've never been interested in watching it backward (or the "correct" order) as I know some of the special edition discs allow; it's absolutely brilliant as edited. As much as I usually hate being confused, it's the only sensible way to go here. I just don't think it would work if we weren't every bit as "in the dark" as our no-short-term-memory hero.

A+

Joyeux Noël (2006)

There was a lot to absorb right out of the gate. We meet everyone rather quickly and barely have time to register their differences before being asked by the script to keep them straight (a feat I didn't accomplish until well into the story). Set at Christmastime on a French battlefield during the first World War, there are three trenches in close proximity: 1) the French -- led by a meek lieutenant who'd rather be home 2) the Scots -- including a couple of high-blooded brothers and their parish priest and 3) the Germans -- the commander of which is a humorless guy who barely tolerates the famous singer serving under him.

Christmas Eve rolls around and each group is enjoying separate "celebrations," which eventually merge into one. The mindlessness of war hits almost everyone on screen once Christmas is over and it's time to go back to being enemies. Beautiful story that's nicely acted -- but in making all (save one) of the soldiers so likable and eager to lay weapons aside, the filmmakers expose their willingness to sacrifice realism for a few warm fuzzies.

B+

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Journalism graduate with a regular Joe boyfriend and Wal-Mart wardrobe takes a job as an assistant in the fashion world because it's "either this or Auto Universe." She goes from poking fun at the attention given to choosing between two indiscernible belts for a magazine spread, complaining about the "clackers" (girls in stilettos) to her boyfriend, and mindlessly ladeling corn chowder into her lunchbowl to raiding the company's wardrobe for her own use, missing her man's birthday party, and dieting herself down a couple of sizes. Surprised? Neither was I.

Just a "nice girl with nice life loses sight of WHAT'S IMPORTANT but remembers before it's too late -- whew" story, which is elevated a full letter grade on the strength of Meryl Streep's performance. She's cruel and cold and, in a couple of scenes, amazingly real.

B

Superman Returns (2006)

So, Superman's been gone for five years and Metropolis is coping without him and Lois Lane has led the way with her Pulitzer Prize-winning essay "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." Nothing like a woman scorned, amiright?

After watching this, I think that bitter, lonely Lois had it right. Seriously, does the world need Superman? More to the point, did multiplexes need another Superman movie? Especially one this joyless? The franchise had been dormant for 19 years -- another few while they hammered out a more interesting script and found more vibrant stars to flesh it out would've been acceptable.

In a word: sigh.

C

The Break-Up (2006)

I received an e-mail from a friend about this movie. The entire content of his message was this:

"Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston have wonderful chemistry. Some would liken The Break Up to "War of the Roses" but it's something entirely different. It turns out to be a movie of less comedy and less darkness, but more raw feeling. The darkness that is felt is natural. The screenwriters did a wonderful job of it.

MeMe... the reviews are poor, but see the film. It's raw, gritty and truthful."

Except for the "screenwriters did a wonderful job of it" line, I don't really disagree with his write-up. The arguments felt extremely real -- even frustrating in their familiarity at times. I finally told Gary that I had to stop watching it with him because it was reminding me of long-ago forgiven and forgotten ugly arguments we'd had and revisiting those feelings with him at my side was making me incredibly uncomfortable and unhappy.

Yes, the "couple annihilating their coupledom" portions felt honest, but it certainly didn't make for an entertaining movie. So, how did the screenwriters choose to balance the film's hard edge? By making three people in Jennifer Aniston's life ridiculously colorful. She's got a fey co-worker (Justin Long: baby-voiced, skittish, and permanently on cheer-up patrol), a cartoonishly imperious boss (Judy Davis: love her, but this performance is so over-the-top that Marlon Brando would've cringed), and an acapella-singing, surprise fighting, possibly gay brother (John Michael Higgins: uh, whatever).

The comic relief never worked and the straight stuff just hurt. Aniston and Vaughn do a great job, but waste their efforts in this disjointed and unenjoyable film.

C-