Year of the Dog (2007)

Molly Shannon plays Peggy -- one of those people who are "nice" but impossible to have any kind of meaningful conversation or relationship with because she's so busy being nice she's forgotten to come up with a personality. She's a giver, not a taker. She's a listener, not a talker. She's a doormat, not a person. I don't get people like that and I doubt seriously they get themselves.

The only time her blankly pleasant expression is replaced by a real one is when she's with her little beagle, Pencil. But Pencil accidentally eats some poison early on in the film and Peggy's grief is so all-encompassing that no one has the patience for it. Where can she turn? Well, another dog is the logical place.

This is one weird movie. I thought it was going to be a comedy with a cast I admire (Peter Sarsgaard! Laura Dern!), but it's an exercise in extreme uncomfortableness. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the acting -- it's almost too good. I mean, some of the scenes felt so real that I just wanted to get OUT of them. I'd hate these people in real life and spending film time with them was nearly as bad as being in an actual room with them.

I kind of liked where the movie wound up, but getting there was far from enjoyable. Also, I thought the ending was a little false. Did Peggy think she'd found her niche? Possibly...but I think the clear conclusion is that she fits nowhere.

C-

Caged (1950)

We follow Marie, a 19-year-old widow, as she serves out her prison sentence for being an unwitting accomplice to the attempted robbery during which her husband was killed. Her naive innocence is almost too much at times -- we get it, she's a poor sweet kid who's getting a raw deal -- but it's still pretty effective (especially when you consider the era in which this was made).

The inmates are a tad too tame and protective of each other, but there's a massive sadist of a matron (Oscar-nominated Hope Emerson) on hand to keep things from being a walk in the park. She takes pleasure in humiliation and gets away with it thanks to her friends in high places.

The progression from soft sweetie to hard floozy is predictable but fairly well-handled...I bought it as the "right" outcome. The acting's good and the look is fantastic.

B

Blades of Glory (2007)

This was much funnier than I expected since Will Ferrell doesn't usually tickle me when he's in over-the-top mode. Much of the credit here goes to Heder -- as ridiculous as his role was, he played it endearingly. Lots of gross-out gags, tons of "obvious" stuff (the brother/sister duo were particularly unfunny), but also enough heart and truly charming portions to make it watchable.

We laughed a lot but I can't imagine watching it again.

C+

My Bodyguard (1980)

Clean-cut kid Clifford Peach is the new boy at a rougher-than-he's-used-to school. He doesn't know the rules and quickly runs into trouble with the classroom bully and his toadies. But there's one mysterious student in the class that even the bullies fear...can the clean-cut kid work out some kind of a deal? What do you think?

It's not bad -- but the style is undeniably '80s, complete with smiling montage of silent motorcycle joyriding (preceded by a weird slo-mo joy dance when the right part is found to fix the bike). Also, we spend a lot of time at Clifford's "home": an upscale hotel managed by his father. His randy grandmother lives with them (mom's dead, I think) and she's always causing problems by hitting on every guy in the bar. Also, dad's being watched by the second-in-command who'd love to see him fired. That stuff is kind of interesting, but it doesn't feel like it fits with the school half of the film. Sure, our situation at home might not always reflect in our situation in public, but if that's the point they're making, it wasn't very clear.

The coolest thing about this movie is seeing early roles of the oh-so-young Matt Dillon, Joan Cusack, and Adam Baldwin.

B-

Billy Budd (1962)

Sweet-natured Billy (Terence Stamp) is requisitioned from his merchant vessel to serve aboard a British warship. He's almost laughably agile at winning over the hearts of almost every single man aboard the ship. It's a testament to the story-telling and acting that I didn't laugh at him. He won me over, too! But master-at-arms Claggart isn't like me and all the other men on the ship. Rather than a mascot, Billy's his personal demon: confusingly and maddeningly pure.

Peter Ustinov directed and picked a beauty of a role for himself in Captain Vere and he's simply magnificent. Forced to uphold justice when he knows it shouldn't apply, he's conflicted, steadfast, and undeniably righteous.

Great film.

A

The Lives of Others (2006)

I've been sitting in front of the blank screen for quite some time, trying to figure out the proper words to express how much I love this movie. Quite frankly, I don't think I can do it.

The story concerns Georg Dreyman, a German playwright, and the secret service officer charged by a high-ranking official with monitoring every sound in his apartment. It's obvious the SS agent loves his work -- he believes in what he's doing and is quite good at finding hidden truth. He knows deception when he hears it so, conversely, he recognizes the honesty of what he hears in Dreyman's home. He's rather like Javert (and I consider that the highest of praise).

It's a masterpiece, all the way to the very last line -- perfect.

A+

Infamous (2006)

Covers the same ground Capote did a year back, but manages to add in enough new anecdotes to make this more than a reprise.

Toby Jones as Truman Capote looks good and sounds good, Sandra Bullock is surprisingly well-cast as the understated Harper Lee, and there's a lot of fun in the gossipy cameo-laden New York segments (as well as in the more conservative, but still gossipy, Kansas-set dinner parties).

Still. Capote's better. Way better.

B

High School Musical 2 (2007)

The songs are unmemorable, the choreography's lazy, and pink-capped toadie Ryan is the most likable character. Bad ideas, all.

More bad ideas: not editing out Gabriella's gape-mouthed smile and so-overly-cute-it's-awful giggling, making the camerawork during dance numbers so schizophrenic that it was difficult to even tell what was going on, and thinking that it makes sense that the boy who was willing to sacrifice his reputation over his desire to sing loud and proud would now treat singing as though it was just a whim he's now over.

With so many poor songs, it's hard to choose one as the poorest -- but I believe the spot has to go to Troy's overwrought golf course number. He wants us to bet on it bet on it bet on it (repeat ad nauseum), and he drives this point home by grabbing fistfuls of sandtrap and hair. It was an insane embarrassment.

D

The Lookout (2007)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. He's just so good no matter who he's portraying: damaged teen hustler, violently angry delinquent, fast-talking crime solver, or here a head-injury victim dealing with his new mental limitations. He was probably a decent alien too -- but I didn't watch the show, so I can't say so with any real confidence.

Chris's struggles are real and sad. He used to be a golden boy -- handsome, popular, star hockey player -- and now he has trouble distinguishing the garlic press from the can opener. His roommate is a spouter of pithiness who's blind, a role that could have seemed contrived but is neatly explained by the fact that they were matched as roommates through their life skills center. His relationship to his rich parents is, perhaps, the most heartbreaking of the entire film. They obviously love him -- but they don't know how to behave around him and seem to think that he might just turn back into who he used to be if they remain optimistic.

The main story here happens with Chris meets up with a guy who claims to have dated his sister in high school. This rough group seems happy to pal around with Chris and he gets special attention from "Luvlee Lemons," who makes him believe she's lucky to be with him. Of course, what his new friends really want is access to the bank he cleans at night...and that's when the story becomes rather less than it was. It's not bad, but it feels like thousands of other movies in the last third or so.

B+

Step Up (2006)

I've got an embarrassing weakness for both teen dramas and movies about dancing. Save the Last Dance and Center Stage are examples of how to correctly merge the two -- Step Up is an example of how to get it howlingly wrong.

Here are a couple of free tips on how not to make the same silly errors this film made when producing your own teentastic dance story: 1) hire good dancers, especially in the lead roles. It's not enough to get kids who can keep the beat and do a decent leap -- they have to be graceful and light up when they're performing -- this takes precedence over prettiness. You might want to go to a few Broadway shows and talk to the standouts backstage afterward. 2) hire good actors, especially in the lead roles. No reason at all to hand a role to the mannequin Channing Tatum who mumbled his lines (except his "nooooooo" wail while holding a bleeding pal -- a scene that probably shouldn't have resulted in me giggling). 3) hire good writers. You can't just have the good dancers and/or actors procured in points 1 and 2 stuck in a story that clearly bores them to tears (good example of why this is bad: Rachel Griffiths).

Easy peasy, really.

D

An Unreasonable Man (2007)

Ralph Nader, there is little doubt, is a genuinely good guy. He has sacrificed a personal life to crusade for the public in so many arenas it's dizzying. Air bags, seat belts, the Clean Air Act, cigarette warnings, and OSHA are just a few of his contributions to the betterment of America.

So how did a man who, for four decades, possessed a spotless reputation and the power to inspire hundreds of enthusiastic supporters to do something get to the point where he could be labeled "unreasonable"? Simple: he had the audacity to run for President the year that George W. Bush was elected. It's laughable to hear caught-on-tape former campaign supporters -- people who should know better -- contradict themselves as they place blame on Nader for the fact that Gore didn't have the votes to land in the White House.

But the Presidential bid(s) and the aftermath is the least interesting portion of the film. Nader's accomplishments are so vast and his story so amazing that I wanted to hear more of that. I sincerely hope that the Nader legacy won't be permanently overshadowed by his unrealized hope that he could make a difference as the leader of our country.

B

Looking for Kitty (2006)

I'm not much of an Edward Burns fan, but this movie really worked for me. The rapport between the two actors was super -- completely believable after a rather worrisome start. David Krumholtz's character seemed as though he was going to be a stereotypical "clueless boob from out of town in the big city," but he settles in pretty quickly.

Just a nice, easygoing vibe and a satisfying story that felt like a slice-of-life. I'm pretty surprised this was delayed for a couple of years after production. It's a shame.

B

Accepted (2006)

Sloppily done. It reminded me of a slapped-together '80s comedy more than a few times.

Still, I'm embarrassed to say that it got to me on an emotional level (let me stress that I did NOT find it funny -- ever). I couldn't help but consider the "message" of the movie. I probably got way more out of it than anyone intended! But why does college have to suck so hard? Why must all of the life be drained from most of the classes? I mean, students are going after the thing they're going to spend the rest of their lives doing and school reduces the pursuit to rote memorization and dry lectures.

Yeah, the movie pretty much stinks but it's not completely devoid of worth.

C-

Disturbia (2007)

This is a play on "Rear Window" -- with a house-arrested teen acting as our eyes to the outside world.

Shia LeBeouf is an extremely charming and talented leading man here. Most of the script is recycled from other (sometimes better) films -- but he makes most of it work. I do wish that the love interest (Sarah Roemer) had a bit more spunk and expressiveness as her delivery looks rather somnambulant next to Shia's.

Now, I know this is just a silly little jump movie, but is it too much to expect that the payoff at least make some sense? I mean, if the killer has a labyrinthine catacomb underneath his house, why in the world is he stuffing corpses in his walls where they can be seen through the vents?

B-

Zodiac (2007)

The "Zodiac" was a self-named serial killer who terrorized California's Bay Area in 1969 and 1970 and then made sure he remained in the public consciousness for the following decade by sending letters to the cops and newspapers.

This is a compelling film. I was right there with them every step of the way: the shy cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) who becomes overwhelmingly obsessed in figuring out the identity of the killer, the frustrated detective (Mark Ruffalo) who's hamstrung by protocol and the limitations of information-sharing in law enforcement, and the cynical reporter (Robert Downey Jr.) who eventually falls apart.

Because it's based on a true story about a case that's still unsolved, I know it's ridiculous to expect satisfactory closure -- but that doesn't mean that I don't want it. The movie points a finger, but there's no knowing for sure it's in the right direction. That's frustrating after sitting through a 160-minute movie...how it must wreck those who've spent years on it.

B+

Derailed (2005)

Clive Owen's in a happy -- though maybe a little stale -- marriage. He winds up flirting a bit with a fellow commuter (Jennifer Aniston) and can't leave well enough alone. So he checks her company's website and gives her a call...then they grab a bite and enjoy each other's company...then they decide to enjoy each other even more.

The fun ends before it can really start when their hotel room is invaded, Owen is knocked down, and Aniston is assaulted right in front of him. Saying much more could spoil the script's "surprise" -- but, basically, his life becomes a nightmare. An eye-rolling nightmare, but still.

Between this and Fatal Attraction, I don't know why men ever cheat.

C-

Kinky Boots (2006)

Charlie's life was just starting -- snippy fiancée who's all red lips and determination, new flat in London, and a new career -- when his dad dies and it's up to him to figure out what to do with the small-town shoe factory.

Though the easiest thing to do would be to shut the place down, a cute little worker (with bare, rather than red, lips) he's just fired makes him realize, you know, the employees are people. In short order, he finds out that that cross-dressers are people, too: people with manly feet who wear womanly shoes. There's the set-up. So...can you guess what happens?

It's never riotously funny and the collision of the blue-collar drag queen worlds is done in by the fact that everyone involved is a stereotype.

C

Sweet Land (2005)

I love it when I know nothing about a film going in and it winds up being so good (as this one does) that I feel so lucky to have seen it -- it's kind of like when I'm thisclose to missing a shooting star but turn my head on chance just in time.

This is a mail-order bride story set around 1920. Inge has arrived in Minnesota to marry a quiet farmer. They run into some time-consuming opposition with the town and, in particular, the preacher, when it's discovered that she only speaks German and comes from a socialist background. The subject matter is weighty, but doesn't weigh everything down.

I don't think the bookending really worked. I'd have preferred that the story took place naturally rather than in flashback -- one of the same complaints I had about The Bridges of Madison County. I don't need a modern-day perspective to appreciate the real story; it stands on its own.

A-

Starter for 10 (2007)

This is a fairly standard "freshman-year-of-college" deal. The film is set in 1985 -- which is, coincidentally, the same year I was a freshman in college. That may explain some of my fondness for it...I remember how I was going to reinvent myself but, somehow, wound up just being me again.

This is one of those few films that improves upon its source material (novel is called, for some reason, A Question of Attraction in the states). The book forces humor and the main character is both pathetic and selfish, while the movie is good-humored with an awkward and rather sweet lead. Nothing terribly unexpected happens here, but so what? This works in the same way that Notting Hill worked. It feels authentic, has an eager cast (especially the charming as all get out McAvoy), and just made me happy. I don't mind when a movie feels familiar -- it's when it feels tired that there's a problem.

B+

Elizabethtown (2005)

A failure on every conceivable level (except maybe the soundtrack).

1) The premise is ludicrous: supremely ugly and stupidly named sports shoes ("Spasmodica"!) make a company lose more than 900 million dollars. How is that even possible in a country that embraced day-glo crocs? And if I suspend my disbelief on the point that the public ignores ugly (or renames it something better) when it's the "next big thing" -- I'll ask a) did no one at the company have eyes? b) did they not test them? c) why did they spend so damn much on such a risky venture? It's absolutely mindboggling that one kid has to take entire blame for this and would fall apart over it rather than lash back at the company who let him fail.

2) The voice over is stilted and is neither poetic nor meaningful enough to be an asset.

3) Orlando Bloom looks about 10 years younger than (and bears no physical similarity to) Judy Greer, yet is cast as her older brother.

4) Susan Sarandon, someone most people can agree is a pretty decent actress, actually made me CRINGE in her big scene on the stage. It was so awful that I forced Gary to sit through it so that, in years to come when I refer to the hideous scene, he'll know what the heck I'm talking about.

5) The love story was crazy. Kirsten Dunst is a possible stalker and seems to have way more time than everyone else in the movie. How else to explain that she was able to put together a tailored scrapbook complete with maps, photos, and mix CDs for a days-long road trip all timed precisely for the driving time? That project was the type of thing that college-level art students are assigned at the beginning of a semester to be completed as part of their final grades. The only way it's even possible she'd be able to present that to him would be if she'd pre-made several in her spare time to be used as needed.

6) Absolutely no one in this movie was real: none of the central characters, none of the peripheral family members, none of the people at the shoe company, and none of the people in the hotel's ubiquitous wedding party. They were all bad actors playing characters in a sucky sitcom -- something on ABCFamily, maybe.

Seriously, nothing worked in this movie. It's a terrible mash-up. I'm sure I'm not the first person to call this movie Cameron Crowe's Spasmodica. I just hope he doesn't go all "suicide bike" over it.

F

Hot Fuzz (2007)

By-the-book super cop is given a "promotion" and sent off to a sleepy little hamlet so that his fellow police can have a break from looking incompetent by comparison.

This is a buddy cop movie the way the same team's "Shaun of the Dead" was a zombie movie. It takes all of the familiar elements of the genre and doesn't exactly spoof them so much as take them to extremes while obviously having a blast doing so.

I'm gonna be a bit of a spoilsport, though...the central crime organization is SO ridiculously over-the-top that it gets borderline tiresome. Still, it's hard to fault such a fun movie.

B