Quickie: Let the Right One In
Let the Right One In (2008)–**** Quickie Review A 12-year-old boy is bullied at school, but finds a friend in a vampire girl who looks his age. A puncture wound of a film, this Swedish vampire picture is so small and so simple you hardly know how deep it goes until the infection sets in. The film has more in common with dark indie dramas than other horror movies, but it burrows inside your mind like the best of the genre. Watch for Lina Leandersson’s amazing debut performance as the young vampire whose childlike glances morph into the determined looks of an aged soul with serious agenda. Directed by Tomas Alfredson and starring Kåre Hedebrant as the...
Read MoreQuickie: Rachel Getting Married
Rachel Getting Married (2008)–**** Quickie Review Just out of rehab, Kym returns home for her sister’s wedding, but it may be more than she and her family can handle. A rare family drama that is both unnervingly raw and decidedly heartfelt, this Jonathan Demme picture can take pride in its acute realism. It never sensationalizes the tragic subject matter, avoiding melodrama with an inspired cinéma vérité style that would make even Paul Greengrass envious. Anne Hathaway’s star-making turn as ex-junkie Kym propels this former Disney princess into serious actress territory for the first time after a few solid tries. Also starring an equally superb Rosemarie DeWitt as the title character. Rachel Getting Married is in theaters...
Read MoreQuickie: Religulous
Religulous (2008)–*** Quickie Review Comedian Bill Maher takes us on trips to small town churches, the holy sites of world religions, and a few Christian-themed tourist traps to make his point: Religion is not only illogical, but also dangerous. A hilarious, biting indictment of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, this Larry Charles-directed documentary would be considered offensive if I thought anyone watching it disagreed with the tour guide. The film tends to, if you’ll pardon the cliché, preach to the choir. Lucky for those of us in the pews, this preacher is hip, funny, and pretty damn smart. Featuring an ex-Jew for Jesus, gay Muslims, a heterosexual gay man, a pious scientist, and a guy who plays Jesus at the Holy Land theme...
Read MoreQuickie: Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading (2008)–** Quickie Review A pair of gym trainers find a disk containing the memoirs of an ex-CIA agent and attempt to blackmail the agent for cosmetic surgery money. What could have been another superb Coen Brothers anti-thriller in the vein of Fargo turns into a sad spy farce. The layered characters are barely visible behind caricatures played to excess by a cast too good to look this bad. There’s a smart film beyond the static, I just wish we could have seen it. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and Tilda...
Read MoreQuickie: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)–***1/2 Quickie Review Vicky: …you’re trying to lose yourself in empty sex. Juan Antonio: Empty sex? Do you have such a low opinion of yourself? Two American tourists on vacation in Barcelona get caught up in love affair with an artist and his unstable ex-wife. This scrumptious and entertaining drama from aging auteur Woody Allen woes the audience with its uber-sexy cast and beautiful locales. Once we are engaged, Allen works his magic, challenging us with complex relationships, celebrating sexual liberation, and making us laugh a little in the process. It’s not classic Woody, but watching the director work with his latest muse, Scarlett Johansson (as Cristina), and an international all-star cast shows there are still some new tricks in this old dog. Also starring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Patricia Clarkson, and Rebecca Hall as...
Read MoreQuickie: Pineapple Express
Pineapple Express (2008)–***1/2 Quickie Review A high-flying process server witnesses a murder and goes on the run, bringing his pot dealer along for the ride. A genre melting pot, this bromance/stoner comedy/action thriller mixes buckets of laughs with gallons of blood. Seth Rogen breaks the Team Apatow team mold with his hilarious screenplay while Southern Goth director David Gordon Green channels his inner Tarantino. Oh, the film is messy–but in the best way possible. Watch for Danny McBride’s scene-stealing turn as middleman dealer Red. Also starring James...
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