Lorna's Silence (2009)

Deeply felt movie about a woman caught up in a Belgium green card scheme -- kind of a tit-for-tat deal where she marries to get a card and then has to marry someone else to give a card -- but she's longing to get out because her humanity has caught up to her.

I spent most of the movie somewhat off-balance as we're kind of just dropped into the middle of things (is that her boyfriend? No. Her roommate. No, wait, her husband?), but the confusion somehow works to the story's advantage and the acting is quite good.

B+

Cheri (2009)

What a surprise this film was. It was tragic and moving and just so full of love and heartbreak and yet I know it's not for everyone.

The relationship at the center of the film is between Cheri, the hedonistic son of an aging courtesan, and Lea, the still lovely but also aging courtesan who agrees help train her friend's son. Cheri moves onto Lea's estate and they fall into an easy and, eventually, very loving relationship that lasts six years.

But Cheri was always meant to move on even though it has become glaringly obvious to the viewer that he must stay. The two, despite the many years in age difference, are undeniably soul mates, but their separation makes it clear to the two that they are also undeniably incompatible. Sometimes circumstances simply will not allow what absolutely should be -- and this film made me feel the injustice of that truth.

A-

Stop-Loss (2008)

A little too preachy and slightly questionable -- I mean, does any soldier escape being completely fucked-up when he comes back to the states? But it shines a spotlight on the horrible, unfair practice of shipping back kids who have completed their tours, and that's worth something.

C-

It's Complicated (2009)

Uh, no...it's really not all that complicated.

Jane (Meryl Streep) is dissatisfied and wants more even though she runs a successful business in a field she clearly enjoys, has a trio of children who adore her, and owns a lovely home. This dissatisfaction is depicted in the nutshell of her 10-year yearning for a "dream kitchen" even though her current kitchen is gorgeous and probably more amazing than 99% of America's kitchens. So, because she's got this vague empty-nest dissatisfaction, she kind of falls into a hotel hook-up with her now-married-to-the-younger-woman-with-whom-he-cheated-on-Jane ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) while also entertaining the welcome attentions of her kitchen contractor/architect (Steve Martin).

The fantastic cast is having a whale of a time on screen, as was everyone in the theater, us included. (Quick aside: the theater was PACKED with old people. I mean golf-cap wearing men and polyester-slacksed women -- I felt positively pubescent.) But, even though the movie was enjoyable, it was more on the level of a well-done sitcom than a movie. It lacked the heft to resonate in any lasting way.

One huge oversight was that we didn't find out until the film was nearly over just how traumatic Jane and Jake's break-up had been. The children told us in a "remember when Dad wasn't even allowed inside?" conversation but, to that point, we didn't even have a hint that the couple had ever behaved as anything other than respectful adults. A quick montage of a raging plate-throwing brawl complete with blanket-swaddled crying jag and broken-hearted children -- as much as I loathe stuff like that -- would've helped us understand the situation so much better. As it was, their post-divorce affair didn't seem all that earth-shattering. From the first scene, it seemed as though they liked each other so why WOULDN'T they get together?

B

A Perfect Getaway (2009)

Something (and, no, it wasn't the winky references to red herrings and second-act twists torturously worked into the dialogue) told me not to trust that things were as they seemed, which caused me to guess correctly what was going on, but that didn't really ruin it.

I think the film *could* come off a little better on a second viewing. Things that felt a little forced would probably fit a bit better with the "for-sure" knowledge of the endgame. Still, it's just a lightweight summer thriller that I'll probably forget in a week.

B-

Away We Go (2009)

Young, unconventional couple expecting their first child find themselves untethered and decide to find a new home. The way they go about this is by traveling to stay with various friends and family to see if any of the cities fit.

While I really enjoyed the main couple's dynamic, I was confused as to why most of the people they visited had to be such lunatics. And why the city they liked best with the friends they liked best were rejected simply because the wife was depressed over a recent miscarriage (at least that's how it seemed). I guess I would've appreciated a bit more expository as to why they decided on the home they chose.

Anyway, I liked it better than I thought I would and that's down to the chemistry of the two leads and the "lost but not losers" vibe they generated.

B

In the Loop (2009)

Funny throughout -- and I mean truly laugh-out-loud funny -- but I'm not sure there's much to take away. I suspect that the hilarity may have been a bit of an illusion brought on by the unflagging pace.

Very entertaining, regardless.

B+

The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936)

What we take for granted now: "doctors, you should wash your hands! And, while you're at it, wash your instruments, too," was, at one point, thought of as not only ridiculous but superstitious.

Though stiffly told, it'd be hard to dampen the power of this amazing story.

B

Broken Embraces (2009)

Beautiful-looking film that otherwise, surprisingly, falls flat.

I'm not quite sure what's going wrong here. I'd say that, in general, I'm an Almodovar fan: the four I've reviewed on this site (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Talk to Her, Bad Education, and Volver) were graded B, A, A-, and A- respectively.

Here, however, the story is downright boring. The bulk of the film is a flashback to a heady romance between a director and his young starlet, who happens to be the kept woman of the film's producer, all while the producer's icky son spies on their relationship, complete with video camera, at the behest of his father. That sounds exciting, no? No. I'm not sure how it got so lifeless and predictable, but it did. Quite the disappointment.

C

Up in the Air (2009)

Gary liked this movie, but I flat-out loved it. In talking about it afterwards (and the conversation went on for more than a week -- it's that kind of movie), I realized that our basic understandings of what happened were different, which was why we couldn't quite agree on what it meant.

He saw the story of an emotionally-removed man who admits, at the urging of others, that there's a lack in his life and takes steps to find what's missing. I saw the story of a very content man and the busybodies who refuse to believe that contentedness could look like anything other than the "house, family, true love" standard.

Little story: when my younger son was about six years old, he played baseball in a youth league. He didn't really understand the rules but, for the first two games, every time he stepped up to the plate, he hit the pitched ball hard and was able to make it to at least first base. He liked baseball a lot for those two games. Then the coach decided to teach him how to hit the ball because AJ wasn't "doing it quite right." There was talk about stance and bat position and, hand to heaven, AJ didn't hit another ball the entire season.

That's what this movie reminded me of. The hero of the story wasn't lost or unhappy...but enough people insisted that he should be. What gave them the right? And, more importantly, why is it so hard to dismiss joy-killing criticism?

A+

Precious (2009)

I refuse to type out that whole "Tyler Perry presents Tyler Perry in Tyler Perry's..."-type title. Enough.

Amazing film -- devastating and hopeful -- that I never want to see again. Anyway, I doubt I'll ever forget it.

A-

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

A marked improvement over the second installment, but still felt way too TV to be shown in theaters. Zac Efron is adorable...and Vanessa Hudgens still believes she is, which continues to annoy me. I know the two are a real-life couple, but I imagine that's it's much like actual high school. He's there, she's there, they're both cute and the choices are limited so why not? I imagine that as his career grows and hers remains right where it is (eventually culminating in a string of Hallmark movies about a sad but perky widow's dream of finding love again or somesuch), he'll wake up and find a girl more like him -- and by that I mean talented.

And the last number (below) was just hilarious. Basically, "the High School Musical franchise made us and we are, apparently, contractually obligated to never forget that!"

C

Every Little Step (2009)

Fascinating documentary chronicling both the casting of A Chorus Line's 2006 Broadway revival and the story behind the creation of the 1975 original.

I love behind-the-scenes stuff, especially when it comes to acting and music. Add in a dash of the "who will make it" reality-TV vibe and you're hitting almost all of my entertainment favorites. I just loved this.

A

World's Greatest Dad (2009)

Robin Williams plays a Lance, a bland guy who's failing at almost everything: he's single-parenting an abrasive jerk of a son, he's teaching high school poetry to kids who don't care about poetry, publishers aren't interested in his manuscripts, and his fellow-teacher girlfriend doesn't want anyone to know they're dating. When his kid dies during auto-erotic asphyxiation, he stages a more dignified death -- a deliberate act complete with sensitive suicide note -- out of love for his son. Well, that desire to "clean up" his son's embarrassing death turns Lance's life around. He's suddenly the interesting father of a misunderstood angel.

There's a good core here, but it's surrounded by such broad characters that the whole thing wound up hitting clanging false notes. The students, girlfriend, colleagues, and talking heads behaved like cartoons rather than actual people who mattered, making Lance come off as though he belonged to a different species altogether.

Oh...and...for me to agree to see Robin Williams naked ever again, it'd have to be in service of a MUCH better movie.

C-