Love’s brother

This directorial debut of accomplished Ozzie screenwriter Jan Sardi (Oscar nom for Shine) is the old-fashioned telling of a simple story. Set in a close-knit Italian immigrant community in Melbourne in the ’50s, it involves a pair of brothers. The homely Angelo (Giovanni Ribisi), after being continually turned down in his attempts to woo a mail-order bride from Italy, includes in his next letter, to a beauty named Rosetta (Amelia Warner), a photo of his more handsome brother Gino (Adam Garcia, making up for Coyote Ugly), passing it off as himself. She accepts and travels to Australia and certain disappointment, but Sardi sidesteps the obvious. This dessert flick will not show you anything new, and the outcome is fairly predictable, but the getting there is singularly sweet, and it’s hard to dislike. Compared to the plastic, contrived and melodramatic romantic comedies being churned out by Hollywood these days, this is a breath of fresh air. Beautifully filmed by Andrew Lesnie, who shot LOTR. (103 min)

Cinema 52

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Dry English wit meets gothic horror in this Oscar-winning masterpiece by stop-action animation genius Nick Park (Chicken Run). If you’re not familiar with this dynamic duo—the ever-optimistic, reality-challenged inventor Wallace and his vastly more intelligent and mature dog Gromit—the film starts out with a few sequences to bring you up to scratch. Plot has to do with Lady Tottington’s upcoming annual Giant Vegetable Fete, for which Wallace and Gromit are responsible for seeing that none of the entrants gets eaten by those pesky (but cute) rabbits. The pair operates a PETA-approved animal control service (called “Anti-Pesto”) in which they utilize a giant bunny vacuum. But their skills are challenged with the emergence of what seems to be a giant, ravenous super-rabbit. (The movie’s tag line is “Something wicked this way hops.”) Voice talent includes Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Peter Sallis (as always) as Wallace; Gromit doesn’t talk. It’s an antidote to all those recent dazzling but content-free CG animations and the feel-good movie of the year. (85 min)

Cinemas 35 49 102 110 112 113 116 117 119 120

Cursed

Lousy, lackadaisical, lycanthrope looniness lacks originality or entertainment value, and may be the most witless werewolf movie ever made. Christina Ricci (Why, Christina?) puts in a career-worst performance as a recently bitten person trying to find and behead the lobo that bit her, etc. Call this unfunny, not-very-scary schlock-fest the flipside of the Scream series, the previous collaboration between director Wes Craven, who should know better, and screenwriter Kevin Williamson, whose trademark wit is glaringly absent. Bad acting, screen-saver special effects, lame attempts at humor. No bite. (96 min)

Cinemas 5 102

Eight Below

In this remake of Japan’s 1983 Nankyoku Monogatari, eight sled dogs are reluctantly left behind when a monster storm approaches their Antarctic research facility. There’s not really much doubt that all or most will survive; movies like this don’t end badly. But it’s still a knuckle-biter, thanks to its focus on the dogs, which have been only slightly anthropomorphized as they go about their (curiously well-lit for an Antarctic winter) efforts to survive (the leopard-seal attack lifted me off my seat), and the Disney schmaltz is kept to a minimum. Jack London would’ve enjoyed this movie. (120 min)

Cinemas 11 34 50 61 96 102 110 112 117 120

Last Days
Gus Van Sant’s haunting art film for grungers is a minimalist look at the last days of a dope-exhausted rock star who may or may not be Kurt Cobain. It’s a brilliant mood piece, maybe Van Sant’s recent best. The glints of humor are wry and the construction not necessarily linear. The main character (Michael Pitt) mostly wanders around a big house, fails to react to people (including a Yellow Pages salesman and some Mormons), makes a little music and eventually, without drama and probably without even knowing it, dies. There are no reasons offered, no details explained. Stays with you. (97 min)

Cinema 20

Two for the Money

Boys Night Out B-Movie is about fulfilling one’s potential, manipulating emotions, making money and saying f**k a lot. Poor but uncannily accurate Vegas sports handicapper (Matthew McConaughey) is headhunted by the frenetic owner of a successful New York sports betting hotline (Al Pacino in a role that seems like it was written for him, and probably was). He rises to the top while we get an education and a look at the underbelly of the sports business, but then starts believing he’s psychic, loses his mojo, and begins a melodramatic downhill slide that’s far less interesting than his rise. (122 min)

Cinema 43

A History of Violence

David Cronenberg’s most “mainstream” effort to date, when compared to such mindblowers as Scanners, The Fly, Naked Lunch and Dead Ringers, is still a Cronenberg movie, which means that it’s slyly subversive, psychologically complex and, of course, totally original. Tom Stall, a mild-mannered small-town Indiana café owner (a finely balanced performance by Viggo Mortensen) gets his 15 minutes of fame when he is lucky enough to get the better of and shoot a pair of murder-minded thugs that have invaded his diner. But the ensuing TV coverage of this local hero catches the attention of some Philly mob types (a wonderfully villainous performance by Ed Harris) who think Tom is really Joey the hit man who disappeared 20 years ago, and nothing Tom says or does can convince them that this is not true. This deliberation on the meaning of identity unfolds in a linear fashion and seems clear-cut, but look again. Cronenberg doesn’t do clear-cut. Also Maria Bello and Ashton Holmes, and William Hurt has a small but singularly effective role toward the end. (95 min)

Cinemas 44 91

Aeon Flux

Sci-fi romp with a lot of good actors (Charlize Theron, Jonny Lee Miller, Sophie Okonedo, Frances McDormand, Pete Postlethwaite), but not much good acting. Maybe this is one of those films actors take on in the belief that it will “round out” their filmographies. Whatever. Takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where hairstylists seem to have run amok, with an autocratic government, scruffy rebels, etc. It’s not wholly uninteresting; there is some nice imagery and an intriguing metaphysical plot, if you can find it. But it’s mostly people running around blowing things up and shooting each other. (95 min)

Cinemas 3 11 26 45 60 70 90 95 96 99 102 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

First, this is not really a horror movie. While there may be a few defibrillator-level shocks, don’t expect any of that pea soup-spewing stuff. This one comes at it from a courtroom drama angle:
a priest is on trial in the death of the title character in an exorcism gone wrong, as told in flashbacks. But it’s not explained how the jury is to decide. If they believe in God and the devil, he’s innocent. If not, he isn’t. Shaky premise aside, this hybrid does explore some legal and ethical issues, and the acting, by Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott and Laura Linney, is top-notch. (113 min)

Cinemas 2 10 26 56 61 70 90 95 96 99 102 107 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

Tommy Lee Jones’s directorial debut is an homage to old-time loyalty and honor. When an illegal-immigrant friend (Julio Cedillo) of a ranch foreman (Jones) is mistakenly shot and killed by a cruel, stupid border guard (Barry Pepper) and the Law does nothing about it, the foreman, who’s slightly mad, decides to dispense a little justice on his own, but of the poetic, lesson-learning kind. He kidnaps the guard, digs up his friend, and the three set out on a spiritual as well as physical odyssey to the man’s village in Mexico for a proper burial. Unhurried, observant of human nature and darkly humorous. (121 min)

Cinema 100

Mad Hot Ballroom

Wise and sweet documentary about an American Ballroom Theater program to teach 5th graders from 60 New York schools how to tango, rumba, fox trot and meringue. It’s Spellbound for ballroom dancing, except that these are just ordinary everykids. The filmmakers followed teams from three diverse neighborhoods through to the citywide final competition. Though a bit repetitive, it’s fascinating to watch the magical learning process from the kids’ awkward beginnings to a gradual gaining of self-confidence. They matter. What was cool to me was the racial harmony, and how much they care. (120 min)

Cinema 99

Manderlay

Danish polemicist Lars Von Trier loves to bash America, a country he has never visited. In this second installment of his US trilogy, after Dogville, gangster-daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard replacing a bailed Nicole Kidman) stumbles onto a small Alabama town where slavery still exists. LVT’s snide, ham-fisted criticism, shrill moralizing and simplistic views underline the fact that his opinions, which are not without basis, are nonetheless secondhand. And tedious. Ironically, his hatred sabotages his own story and dilutes any thought-provoking ideas (Iraq War allegories) he may come up with. (139 min)

Cinema 52

Touch the Sound

Almost mystical performance documentary by Thomas Riedelsheimer about Evelyn Glennie, a renowned Scottish percussionist who happens to be deaf, using her body cavity, hands and feet to sense vibrations. “Hearing is a form of touch,” she says. It is said that the loss of one of the five senses results in the remaining four compensating, and Glennie proves this demonstrably in every scene. The film follows her to Germany, New York and Tokyo (nice impromptu performance with available items in a Japanese restaurant). Her finale, a marimba piece with Fred Frith on guitar, is especially effective. (113 min)

Cinemas 25

Syriana

This deeply troubling look into the international oil industry is a geopolitical thriller that defies reviewing. The more I say, the less sense I will make. It’s way too complex to synopsize. Suffice it to say that there are three densely packed, interlocking plot threads: Veteran Middle East CIA operative (George Clooney, leading a huge cast) becomes a liability to his government; a reform-minded Emir-to-be wants what’s best for his people, which may not be what’s best for the US of A. And two major oil companies contemplate a merger. Don’t be dismayed if you can’t figure out what the hell is going on; I think the point is that even the characters involved (or their real-world counterparts) can’t, so convoluted is the global market for oil and the myriad conspiracies to get it. Structurally, it’s reminiscent of Traffic, the screenplay for which was adapted by writer/director Stephen Gaghan. Plot-driven, cynical, realistic and mesmerizing, this one challenges you on many levels, but if you pay close attention—maybe even in a second viewing—you will get more out of it. (126 min)

Cinemas 1 23 27 40 65 71 82 90 102 109 111 112 113 114 116 117 118 119 120

Brokeback Mountain

If the subject matter in this groundbreaking film by Ang Lee makes you uncomfortable and you’ve already moronically simplified it as “that gay cowboy movie,” then stop reading this and go back to your PlayStation. But by the same token, if you’re a contemporary gay person, please understand that this is not about you either. These guys are not coming out of the closet; they don’t even know there is a closet. It’s a universal story about longing and passion crippled by society that may cause you to remember some path not taken. It never grandstands and there’s no “message.” (134 min)

Cinema 20

The Chronicles of Narnia

Four London kids evacuated to a country mansion during the Blitz discover a door in the back of a closet that leads to a fantasy world in which the forces of good, represented by a big, computer-generated lion who thinks he’s Christ, are battling the forces of evil, represented by Tilda Swinton, who prefers the air-conditioning kept on “winter.” Directed by Andrew Adamson (Shrek 1 & 2), who knows what he’s doing, this C.S. Lewis children’s tale is a lot of fun for kids and parents alike, assuming you can get past the Christian allegorical underpinnings. Call it Lord of the Rings lite. (140 min)

Cinemas 4 5 47 60 70 81 90 95 96 98 99 102 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120

Saint Ralph

“Spunky” (caught masturbating) 14-year-old Catholic schoolboy in Ontario is told by his Nietzsche-spouting track coach (Campbell Scott) that his winning the Boston Marathon would be a miracle. And doctors have told him that only a miracle will bring his sainted mom out of her coma. He puts two and two together and comes up with five: that the former will cause the latter to happen. Yes, it’s another cornball Canadian Catholic cross-country comedy-drama, rife with stereotypes (especially the unrealistically disapproving headmaster) and bogus spiritual advice. Recommend it? That’d be a miracle. (98 min)

Cinema 22

Walk the Line

This one escapes the musical biopic formula by focusing on one of the best love stories ever brought to the screen. It’s the story of Johnny Cash’s (Joaquin Phoenix) relationship with June Carter Cash (Reese Witherspoon), a famed singer in her own right (Cash died in 2003, four months after his wife). The film chronicles his initial success, the pills and the booze, and his recovery, thanks to June. Historically interesting are the early concert tours he did with the likes of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. You’ll like this one whether or not you were a fan. And, well, knock me down and stomp on my face! Phoenix and Witherspoon, in addition to their Oscar-worthy performances, do their own singing! And if you were a fan, you’ll be glad to know that, unlike some such flicks, most of the songs are played all the way through. And he really did propose marriage to June on stage in the middle of a concert. Chemistry to spare. No offense to country music fans, but this one rocks! (135 min)

Cinemas 8 42 96 102 116 117 119

Crash

The idea in this intelligent examination of racism in America by Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby screenplay) is that all, yes, all of us—black, white, Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern—are to a certain degree racist under the surface, no matter how nobly we deny the charge, and that the assumptions we have of other races prevent us from seeing what’s really there. Its intricately constructed plot consists of interconnecting story lines, like Magnolia or Short Cuts, that crash into one another to produce unexpected results. A strong ensemble cast (Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Brendan Fraser, Sandra Bullock, Ryan Phillippe) brings to life characters we can care about. Particularly strong is the scene in which Newton and Dillon have their second encounter, a rescue sequence that’s exciting and moving at the same time. This cautionary tale is actually about something, avoids cliché, is never preachy and is fascinating because we never know what’s going to happen next. One of the best, and certainly most compelling, films of the year. (122 min)

Cinemas 7 52 91 112 116 119

Munich

Steven Spielberg more than atones for War of the Worlds with this “based on fact” fiction about an unofficial revenge squad sent out by Israel to kill the 11 Black September terrorists responsible for the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972. It’s a hard one to label; it’s a brutal and unsettling edge-of-your-seat thriller, and at the same time a haunting ethical argument and a brave cry for peace. The team, led by Eric Bana in a flawless performance, soon finds out that this eye-for-an-eye business gets a lot more complicated than one initially expects, as what began as patriotism turns to moral ambiguity and the hunters become the hunted. Spielberg takes both sides (or neither), as he asks what do revenge killings accomplish when each victim is immediately replaced by someone even worse, and the main result is a (truly) vicious cycle of mutual reprisal? In this it is as relevant today as in the early 1970s. Perhaps more. You will go away thinking. (164 min)

Cinemas 4 5 30 48 63 71 81 90 96 99 102 109 111 112 113 114 116 117 118 119 120

Would you like to comment on this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp .