“My Week with Marilyn” and “The Descendants”

 

It’s good to be a moviegoer.  The Oscar-worthy movies are beginning their majesty roll that starts around Thanksgiving and doesn’t stop until mid-January.  Some directors and producers are sorely disappointed as their post-Thanksgiving plans lack the proper gobble resulting in zero nominations, but the smart money is smart.  And two of the winners are “My Week with Marilyn” and “The Descendants.”

 

As promised, the performances by Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe and Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier are praiseworthy.  The criticism that Williams doesn’t look like Marilyn is folly; nobody looks like Marilyn so let it go.  Her portrayal of the biggest movie star of the 50’s and 60’s is believable and eye-catching.  She is on my short list.

 

The movie is based on the diary notes of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) who was the Third Assistant Director of the movie “The Prince and the Showgirl” which was being shot in England under the direction of Olivier.  Marilyn came swooping in from America with her insecurities and international fame and immediately butted heads with the classically trained Olivier.

 

Marilyn had recently married Arthur Miller, but she had her curves pointed at any man that would pay attention to her including the young Third Assistant Director.  She “devours” men.  Maybe so, but I enjoyed watching Michelle Williams’ creation of her Marilyn and when she finished her dance routine on set while shooting the Olivier movie, I almost stood up to applaud.

 

Is this a great movie?  No, but the story and acting are superb and it comes very close to being worthy of a Best Picture nom.  The other big winners are Director Simon Curtis, Redmayne, and Emma Watson as Lucy who proved that she can really act other than playing Hermoine Granger in the “Harry Potter” franchise.

 

I saw “Marilyn” at the newly furbished Sundance Theatres in downtown Houston which has taken the place of the Angelika.  I’m thrilled to announce that the facilities are handsome and comfortable and there is assigned seating.  When purchasing a ticket, a computer screen is presented to the customer who then touches the screen to pick a seat.  I sat in K16.

 

I have been enjoying the Thanksgiving holidays and must cut short this piece because I’m on the way to see Pawpaw and Mawmaw, but suffice it to say that George Clooney is a cinch for a nomination in “The Descendants” which will endear all fans of Hawaii.  This is a GREAT movie and the big surprise to me was the stunning performance by 19 year old Shailene Woodley as Clooney’s teenager daughter who explains to her dad that “…Mom was cheating on you.”  Mom is in a coma and dad and his fellow descendants are about to get rich from selling 25,000 acres of pristine Hawaii real estate.   The numerous quick switches from comedy to sadness in this flick are a thing of beauty.

 

Go see Marilyn and George.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grades:  “My Week with Marilyn”  90.     “The Descendants”  93.            Larry H.

This move will be remembered for the performance by Keira Knightley as the sexually complicated patient of Dr. Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) even though 2011 will be remembered as the year of Michael Fassbender.  In the year 2011, Fassbender is also credited with starring roles in “Shame” “X-Men: First Class” “Jane Eyre” “Haywire” and a short film entitled “Pitch Black Heist.”   Fassbender versus Ryan Gosling who starred in “Drive” “Crazy, Stupid Love” and Clooney’s “The Ides of March.”

 

If you don’t know who Fassbender and Gosling are, then you are too old or not going to enough movies.  But that’s ok because I’m young and go to a lot of movies and you are my friend so we’re good.  My 19 year old niece, Lizzie B., knows them quite well.

 

Knightley’s Sabina Speilrein has a shot at a nomination for Best Supporting Actress because I believed her when she went into contortions when asked by the famous Dr. Jung “…tell me about the first time your father beat you.”   The movie is based on a true account of the relationships between Jung and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Jung and his Russian patient/lover Speilrein.  I’m not letting the cat out of the bag if you know your psychoanalysis history.  Freud and Jung were the founding fathers of what we now casually call “therapy.”   There is much controversy about Freud’s relating most events to sex, but these guys got it all started.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

 

Director David “A History of Violence” Cronenberg, 67, created a beautifully constructed film that articulates an intriguing story of the mysteries of Freud and Jung in the early twentieth century.  I don’t know much about these guys, but occasionally I’m pretty sure I have a Freudian slip.

 

While I’m touting Knightley, let’s remember that Fassbender and Mortensen are outstanding not to mention Vincent “Black Swan” Cassel’s magnificent portrayal of Otto Gross, but quite simply, Knightley won the acting contest among these four accomplished actors.  Cronenberg is one of our best and this movie is extraordinary and will reach classic status because of the odd subject matter matched with a brilliant production.  It’s just not a fun movie and will never have a broad appeal, but if you are searching for a fascinating plot, sensational acting and editing, memorable costumes and set designs, and captivating music, then this is the movie for you.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 90.  Larry H.

"Bad Teacher" is a bad movie; that's too easy. There are too many chuckles and good performances from a very talented cast for it to be dubbed a bad movie. How about bad script? Ok, now we're getting warmer.

Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg are credited with writing so they have to take the hit. I'll cut Gene some slack because his last name is "Stupnitsky" and that must be a heavy burden, but don't feel too sorry for him because he is also one of the Executive Producers and Writers for "The Office." His connection might also explain the co-starring role of Phyllis Smith as one of the teachers at John Adams Middle School in Illinois; she plays Phyllis on "The Office."

The big star as the Bad Teacher is none other than the very hot and sexy Cameron Diaz. I've been sweet on Ms. Diaz for a long time. If a director ever needs a beautiful, appealing star that can deliver the comedic goods, Diaz is the go-to gal. And I'm confident that Director Jake Kasdan didn't ponder long when choosing Diaz as the middle school teacher who wore short, tight skirts and drank at her desk and smoked a little weed with the gym teacher.

Diaz' Bad Teacher was so bad that she abused her students by throwing things at them, mocking their insecurities, and stealing cash from the class car wash. This teacher would do almost anything to raise money to help finance a new set of breasts, and she didn't care who knew about it. Now that's a bad teacher with just enough charm to keep the audience from hating her.

Diaz walked a fine line playing the amoral skank, Elizabeth Halsey, with a pinch of allure and charisma. Her scenes of wet shorts and tight shirt while shimming at the car wash were memorable.

But this film will also be remembered for bringing together two of Hollywood's cute boys: Justin Timberlake, age 30, and Jason Segel, age 31 (loveable Marshall from "How I Met Your Mother"). And a breakout role by Lucy Punch who plays the teacher with an attitude and an eye for Timberlake.

I think this movie will be perfect for viewing on a late Saturday night in about two years when it is showing on Channel 397. Have a few friends over and after a couple of beers, the script will be funnier. Rock 'n Roll.

Grade 86. Larry H

“Barney’s Version” is currently showing exclusively at Landmarks’ River Oaks Theatre which is the Grand Dame of theatres in the Houston area. I love the River Oaks. This movie did not start until 1:20 PM on Friday which is far too late for my Friday’s schedule. By the time I got back to my office to wind down my week, it was too late to write this review. It’s now Saturday morning and the weather is beautiful and not freezing and I do not want to be inside.

However, I woke up this morning at 6:32 AM after dreaming that I was writing my “Barney” review; it was spewing out of me. Now that I’ve had a couple cups of coffee, I’m ready to share my thoughts with you.

The tagline and summary of Barney Panofsky for this movie is: “First he got married. Then he got married again. Then he met the love of his life.” Paul Giamatti plays the 65 year- old Jewish, cigar-chomping, hard drinking, hockey fanatic who has a few relationship problems. Ok, he has relationship problems with everyone. Barney falls in love at first sight with Miriam (Rosamund Pike) while at his second wedding reception and he is suspected of murdering his best friend. Minor problems for a self absorbed, obnoxious TV producer of a soap opera. Yet, Barney is loveable and “wears his heart on his sleeve.”

The story is told through flashbacks beginning with Barney’s younger and wilder days in Rome. Giamatti superbly portrays Barney over a 40 year period and does so through brilliant acting, exquisite makeup and marvelous costumes. I’ve been a huge fan of Paul G. since he played Miles in “Sideways” (2004). Even though he earned a Master’s Degree from Yale and is an accomplished actor, Paul G’s mug, balding head, and belly were ideal for Barney.

The screenplay by Michael Konyves was skillfully adapted from the acclaimed novel by Canadian Mordecai Richler. Director Richard J. Lewis pulled it all together into a cohesive story that was easy to follow and believable albeit a tad too long – 132 minutes.

Minnie Driver was funny and an extremely authentic Jewish Princess as Barney’s second wife. But the enormously big winner was Rosamund Pike as Barney’s true love. Her Miriam was genuine, beautiful, graceful, and extremely vulnerable and confident all rolled into one part. Bravo Ms. Pike; you will be a big star. Dustin Hoffman is cute as Izzy Panofsky, Barney’s father, and Jake Hoffman is Barney’s son. Trivia: Jake is Dustin’s son in real life not his grandson.

The over 50 crowd will like this film much more than the Eric H. generation, but it is good movie-making and I enjoyed it. Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 88. Larry H.

“The world is at war….” That’s a pretty serious statement, but when Santa Monica is designated as a major “bomb drop” by Warthogs and B-52’s, then world war is understandable. The setting for most of the action is present day California because the world has apparently been invaded by an alien force that does not stop to ask questions before delivering their own laser guided bombs and wreaking general havoc on an unsuspecting world.

At first, the news media warned of an intense meteor shower but soon the military and government knew that up to 20 countries worldwide were being bombarded by aliens with bad intentions. For the first thirty minutes of the film, the audience is not sure who or why the invasion has taken place. Thousands have been killed and fires and destruction are rampant. Much of the mystique is maintained by Director Jonathan Liebesman through very tight camera shots of faces and small scenes. The scenes and the action grew rapidly, though, but we did not learn of the identity and size of the “shark” a la Spielberg too soon.


The action is nearly non-stop and, quite frankly, I think the movie would have been more entertaining with less bombs and fire fights that looked just like the ones that took place about two minutes ago. However, this is a sci-fi action film and part of the strength and beauty also lies in the terror and fear of fighting the aliens who appear to be unstoppable.

The movie is revealed through a small squad of U.S. Marines who are ordered to go to Santa Monica, CA, to rescue some civilians trapped in an abandoned police station. They are told to accomplish the rescue in three hours or risk being caught in the bomb drop. Their primary weapon is the good ole M-16 albeit with the latest scopes and gadgets.

The star of the film and leader of the Marines is Staff Sgt. Mike Nantz (Aaron Eckhart, age 42) who has just tendered his notice to retire after 20 years of service. Announcing one’s retirement in an epic war movie is the kiss of death because we know that means that the “retiring” character will be front and center for the upcoming battle. The character development of the brave, young Marines is adequate yet formulaic. The only deep character development is reserved for Eckhart’s SSGT Nantz.


And Eckhart and his agent should be thrilled with this movie. He comes off as a World War II, John Wayne-type character who takes no prisoners and ain’t scared of taking on an attacking space ship single-handedly. Nantz does not smile or crack jokes; he just keeps fighting to save his men and some innocent civilians. I started paying attention to Eckhart in 2005 when he played the goofy Nick Naylor in “Thank You for Not Smoking,” and then last year he was superb opposite Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole.” Part of the reason that Kidman was nominated for Best Actress was a direct result of the power of Eckhart’s character. It’s nice to see another pretty face make good in Hollywood.

Who will see this movie? A lot of people. There were 91 folks at the first showing at AMC First Colony on opening day March 11th. With just a slight tweaking of the Melissa AMC Semi-Scientific Poll, we can accurately predict that the opening weekend box office gross will be approximately $28 million. Here’s the math: 91 divided by 3.25 multiplied by $1,000.000.00 = $28 million. Hey, Larry H., who wins the war? Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 88. Larry H.

Oh, the smell of popcorn in the morning.  Monique H. and I went to the movies at AMC First Colony on a recent Saturday morning (10:20 am) to see this latest international thriller starring Matt Damon as the husband of a woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) who has contracted a mysterious disease that kills quickly and spreads rapidly.

It is truly an international setting in that the disease swiftly moves from Hong Kong to the United States and around the world, but it is not a thriller.  This movie would probably win the Sundance Film Festival Award for Best Documentary; not that there’s anything wrong with that.  But Director Steven Soderbergh has created “Oceans” 11, 12, and 13 not to mention “Erin Brockovich” so we know he and Damon know a thing or two about action-packed thrillers and how to put some fun in a movie.

If I didn’t know better I’d think that Soderbergh and Damon were on the take from Purell Sanitizing Hand Wipes to scare the viewing audience into taking special pre-cautions by minimizing disease that is spread primarily through touching.   We’ve seen some good movies with this theme and the cast of Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, and John Hawkes was appropriately professional but, geez, what a waste of talent.

There is a scene in this sad, little film where Matt Damon runs into his backyard with a loaded shotgun to protect his teenage daughter from coming into contact with her boyfriend lest he kiss her and my audience laughed.  That’s right; they laughed heartily instead of expressing and feeling anguish.  Soderbergh would have been devastated to hear an audience giggle when his film was building into angst and sorrow.   Sorry, Steven, moviemaking is hard and this one is a bust.

Sometimes a virus breaks out and causes the whole experience to be full of coughs and sneezes and in this case, it gave me a runny nose.  Rock ‘n  Roll.

Grade 69.  Larry H.

We’ve been waiting on “Country Strong” because the rumor mill was very loud in touting Gwyneth Paltrow as Best Actress. For me, this movie was the missing piece in making final decisions for Best Actress and Picture. Well the mystery is over; Paltrow is not country strong and neither is “Country Strong.” So much for rumors.

Paltrow (age 38) plays Kelly Canter who has had too many vodkas and is in the proverbial treatment center for stars. She probably needed to stay in rehab a little bit longer, but her husband (Tim “Don’t call me Tug” McGraw) needed her more to get back to the stage so he could continue gravy training off her.

Every comeback superstar needs an opening act so they hire her sponsor who is a young, new talented C&W. singer who claims he’d rather be true to his music than chase the big bucks. Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedland) is the hunky opening act that is supposed to help keep Kelly away from alcohol while also under the very watchful eye of hubby. Throw in another young former beauty queen (Leighton Meester) from Dallas who has written enough of her own music to make an album and we now have four crazies that make the love triangle take on an additional side.

If I was Paltrow’s agent, I would have pushed this movie on her and told her that this was going to be the role that would bring her a second Oscar (Shakespeare in Love – 1998). How could this movie not be a big winner? Drunken superstar singer attempts comeback with Tim McGraw as husband and two young stars that idolize her. It’s got forgiveness, redemption, love, tears, beauty, a big stage, and the back stage.

I blame Director Shana Feste. I never heard of her either (The Greatest 2009) but only a director can make a movie which doesn’t work that has a great story with great actors. I could tell that it was made by a chick and the chicks will like it and therefore it is a chick flick for three reasons. First, the insight into the character and heart of Kelly Canter was poignant; secondly, Garrett Hedland is super sexy (not that I know about those sorts of things) and the audience was full of chicks.

Paltrow will not miss a beat because at times she was brilliant, so she will win a second Oscar; just not for a performance in 2010. Her performance wasn’t even number one in this movie. Hedlund and Meester are the big winners and will get the big bounce. And McGraw starred last year as Sandra Bullock’s husband in “The Blind Side” so he’s on a roll for playing opposite hot superstars; way to go Tug; I mean Tim. I’m glad I saw this movie but I don’t care if I ever see it again. Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 83. Larry H.

I just saw this powerful movie at First Colony AMC on a beautiful Saturday afternoon (October 22, 2011) and am sending this review to my men friends only.  Everyone should see this movie, but I want to encourage my men friends to take the time to see this spectacular story.   This movie is about four Deputy Sheriffs who grow spiritually and through their Christian faith after tragedy and disappointment hit them squarely in the face.

 

Watching this film was one of the most moving and emotionally-fueled experiences in my movie career.  I was teary-eyed for about a third of the film.  It is unabashedly Christian with a theme that fathers have a responsibility to their wives and children and they are “doubly accountable” to each other and to God.  Simple theme:  spend time with your kids.

 

This is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures which is  part of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA.  Here is the storyline as lifted from IMDB which is my favorite source for movies:

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they face danger every day. Yet when tragedy strikes close to home, these fathers are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, and their faith. From this struggle will come a decision that changes all of their lives. With action, drama, and humor, the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures embraces God's promise to "turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers." Souls will be stirred, and hearts will be challenged to be ... courageous!

 

The star, co-writer, and director is Alan Kendrick who plays Deputy Adam Mitchell.  While watching this movie, it became abundantly clear to me that Mr. Kendrick has been touched by God and is a commanding witness for The Lord.  He reminded me a lot of my friend, Steve D., who is an experienced law enforcement officer; the two of them look, act, and talk like one another.  Sorry, Steve, but I thought about you (and Eric H.) the entire movie and you will be rewarded if you see this movie, if you have not already seen it, and of course, you will not think you look anything like Kendrick.

 

Here is the short bio on Alan Kendrick as it appears on IMDB:

 

Born in Athens, Georgia as the middle of three sons to Larry and Rhonwyn Kendrick. Grew up in Smyrna, GA and graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor's degree in Communications. Worked as a Christian DJ for two radio stations before attending New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and being ordained into the ministry. Served as a minister to college students in Marietta, GA for four years. Married his wife, Christina, and moved to Albany, GA where he served as Associate Pastor of Media at Sherwood Baptist Church. While at Sherwood, he founded Sherwood Pictures and began writing, producing, acting, and directing feature films. Also co-wrote three novels and the Love Dare, which made it to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Alex and his wife now have six children.

 

Thanks also to my friend Johnny M. and my mother-in-law Carol M. who encouraged me to see this wonderful movie.  Now, I am encouraging each of you to see it.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 95.  Larry H.

 

I stayed almost an hour before I walked out; that's a good effort.  Let me start with what I liked about the re-make of the original "Footloose" circa 1984.  The theater at AMC The Fountains was air conditioned and seemed to be a clean venue.

 

And then the rest of the story.  I did not like:  1.  The dancing   2. The music  3.  The acting   4. The story  5. The sound           6. Set design   7. The fact that Andie MacDowell is 53 and no longer worthy of being my girlfriend but rather the mom of the bad-girl teenager   8. Everyone in the movie was 8-10 years older than their character, and  9. Director Craig Brewer ("Hustle &Flow" and "Black Snake Moan")  should have known better.

 

Brewer also co-wrote this updated version of the classic "Footloose" and tried to walk that fine line of modernization while capturing the soul of the original.  His rejuvenation of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon '84 and newcomer Kenny Wormald '11) and Ariel Moore (Lori Singer '84 and Julianne Hough '11) was acceptable and almost hit a chord but the music died a sad tune and I didn't like these two young performers and their redneck town of Bomont population 19,300.

 

In this version, the town of Bomont lost five of its popular teenagers in a car wreck on the way home from a party where there was much dancing and drinking.  The town council led by Ariel's father Reverend Moore (John Lithgow '84 and Dennis Quaid '11) quickly passed a law that banned dancing by minors at any function not sponsored by the school, church, or government.  And no loud music.  Ren got a ticket from the local Barney Fife for blaring music while driving his beat-up VW Beetle.  The script was

trite, silly, and lacked imagination.

 

I wanted Ren to act more like Kevin Bacon with a sprinkle of James Dean (or The Situation), but he was more like a cross between Fonzie and Ricky Nelson.  No, wait a minute; I've messed that up.  This Ren was more like Kevin Dillon from "Entourage."  Shoot, I  don't know what this Ren was.  I liked his hair, though.  And this Ariel was a cheap, unappealing harlot who had the morals of a groundhog and the appeal of a streetwalker in cutoffs.

Dennis Quaid never found his character as the ultra-conservative preacher and Andie MacDowell might as well not have been in the movie as her part as Quaid's wife had little more than grunts and lines like "...when did you get home...did you have fun?"

 

Who should see this movie?  Maybe frustrated teenager girls that want to run away from home and boys who want to run away with them.  Surely, this movie is not as bad as I think it is.  But, what if I'm right?  Rock 'n Roll.

 

Grade 69W.  Larry H.

I have to write this review very fast as I am late for a doctor’s appointment; can't keep a doctor waiting on a Friday afternoon.

 

As long as I am inside; when I got out of AMC's First Colony, the temperature was 105 degrees.  That's not fit for man nor beast.

 

And "Green Lantern" is fit for only those who are comically tested and DC committed.  As in DC Comics.  I did not read comics when I was a poor child from the rice fields of Bay City, so I really don't care a wit about a superhero in a green outfit.

 

But I do love a great movie. Unfortunately, this movie is full of great special effects and 3D visuals, but just another comic book trying to make it big on the big screen.

 

"In brightest day, in blackest night,

no evil shall escape my sight!

Let those who worship evil's might,

beware my power.. Green Lantern's light!"

 

That's a beautiful oath of the Green Lantern.  I threw that in for the freaks.  There's a lot to like and admire about this flick, but I was not impressed with the story although the visual effects and overall production value were outstanding.

 

Ryan Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern and he is clearly the next Ryan Reynolds.  Oh, I see, he's already a Hollywood hunk with charming eyes and a cut body.  Actually, RR was a bright spot for this sophomoric mess, but not near as hot as Blake Lively as Carol Ferris.  Lively is the big winner!  Tim Robbins plays a simpleton US Senator; maybe that's an oxymoron.

 

Anyway, it's been nice, but I gotta go.  Rock 'n Roll.

 

Grade 79.  Larry H.

I bet the actors that signed up for this movie thought it would be clever, well directed, and fun. Especially since the Farrelly Brothers (Bobby and Peter) would be directing the project. The Farrellys have done some memorable work: Stuck on You, Shallow Hal, Me Myself and Irene, and their crown jewel – “There’s Something About Mary.” But Mary starring Cameron Diaz hit the big screen in 1998. What have the Farrelly Brothers done for me lately? These boys are not the Coens.

What is a Hall Pass? It is permission from your wife to have an affair. Well, not exactly. The rules are sort of loose but the spouse is given a week off from marriage to do…whatever. Our middle class, late thirties, buffoons Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (SNL’s Jason Sudeikis) think this is the chance of a lifetime and an easy trip down memory lane to enjoy sweet success with the babes. They are so confident of their sexual prowess that they invite their married friends to come along to watch them work. The escapade begins at Applebees.

Rick is married to Maggie played by Jenna Fischer who is best known for her role as Pam Beesley of “The Office.” Fred is married to Grace played by Christiana Applegate who has been a fox ever since she began her stardom as Kelly on “Married With Children.” All four of the main characters were ideally cast and performed professionally and predictable. This mess is not the actors’ fault; the screenplay by Pete Jones and the Farrellys was lifeless and dull. There were a few moments of humor but nothing more than a chuckle and several scenes that evoked passion and tenderness but the story required too much effort for such a simple film.

And the creators committed the Cardinal Sin: characters without depth. I didn’t like anybody, anywhere, at anytime during the movie. I’ll admit that in the end I conjured up some compassion for the plight of the characters or I would have left the theatre screaming. As it was, I merely left the theatre as quickly as possible upon seeing the slightest hint of the closing credits.

Big winner: I suppose it would have to be Jenna Fischer since this was her biggest movie role by far and she showed that she can play with the big boys and girls. She’s come a long way since her days as the cute, nerdy reception on “The Office.” Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 73. Larry H. Note: Oscars are this Sunday night!

As the title implies, this is the second cute and cuddly animated movie about the loveable penguins who struggle to survive in their Emperor Penguin World.  The story hardly mattered to me.  The film is just a beautiful, touching movie about the little tuxedo creatures who are loveable because of their cuteness and their nonaggressive nature.

What happens when there is a large block of ice that traps the penguin nation?  If you are intrigue by this dilemma, then pack your bags and go see this movie and/or wait ‘till it comes to your local cable/satellite company.

Elijah Woods returns as Mumbles and the sexy voice of Sofia Vergara as the slinky penguin Carmen debuts. 
 Vergara’s accent is identical to her Gloria on the hugely popular TV hit “Modern Family.”  And the duo of
 Brad Pitt and Matt Damon lend their distinctive voices to create Will the Krill and Bill the Krill.   Yes, they were
 adorable as the renegade krills that wanted to escape from the masses of the shrimp-like creatures who serve
 as food for others.  I think it was Will (Pitt), hard to tell as all the krill look alike to me, that delivered the
 best line of the movie:  “I’m one in a krillion.”   

I saw this show in IMAX 3D and I highly recommend that you, too, see this movie with the big, bulky glasses; it’s cinematography spectacular and the special effects are genius and dominate.  The editing is disjointed and the story is a wandering fool, thus rendering the written word secondary to the penguin world of ice and snow.  There should not be a Happy Feet Three, but that won’t stop Director George Miller who appeared to be quite enamored with this project.  I was not.  Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 78.  Larry H.    

 

I chose this flick because it had some really funny people in it in spite of

a peculiar plot of killing three bosses that were dreadfully mean and

overbearing.  But do they deserve to be killed?

 

Well, our three goofy employees certainly think their bosses are worthy of

being whacked.  How do you hire a hit man?  Should we do it ourselves?

These are the universal questions confronting Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale

(Charlie Day), and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis).

 

Their bosses are wonderfully cast albeit the choices seem odd.  Nick's

(Bateman) hated boss is Kevin Spacey playing a tyrant who constantly

belittles Nick while repeatedly promising him a huge promotion. 

 

Jennifer Aniston is magnificent as an over-sexed dentist who sprays water

on Dale's dental assistant's uniform and explains that she is a "squirter."

Dale is a registered sex offender because he urinated in a school

playground.  Dele (Day) defends himself by declaring that it was at night,

no kids were around and it was next to a bar and that's "entrapment."

Meanwhile, it's difficult for a sex offender to get another job so he

endures the sexual harassment from his hot boss.  Poor Dale is engaged and

wants to get married.

 

Kurt's (Sudeikis) horrible boss is Colin Farrell who is a cokehead that

inherited his daddy's (Donald Sutherland) chemical business and hates

everyone, especially fat people and the handicapped.

 

Ok, enough of this ridiculous plot.  The actors make this movie work in

spite of its believability.  One must let one's practical side take a

vacation in order to enjoy this farce and just let these comedians do their

thing.  There are parts of this movie that made me laugh big-time even

though I struggled with the basic story. 

 

I was especially happy to see my boy Charlie Day hold his own with some big

stars.  Day, age 35, is part of the trio-genius of "It's Always Sunny in

Philadelphia" where he co-stars, writes, and executive produces one of the

truly outstanding comedies currently on TV.  If you have not seen "Sunny"

then you need to check your local listings - re-runs on Comedy Central

nighttime.  The series routinely is described as "Seinfeld" on steroids.

That's fair.

 

My staff wanted to see this movie but I discouraged them; didn't want them

to get any ideas.  This movie is better than being in the heat and probably

better than "Zookeeper" so give it a try.

 

Grade 85.  Larry H.            

I was excited when I sat down in Theatre #2 at AMC First Colony because I was the only person in the auditorium and I was about to see a Martin Scorsese movie.  In 3D no less; I had my glasses already perched on my nose.  I look good in 3D glasses.  Please see attached photo.

 

Just as the final trailers had run, two women sauntered in and noisily walked past my aisle seat.  I knew they were close friends because they were talking non-stop and had difficulty choosing their perfect seat.  They had 349 choices but seemed baffled.  They finally chose a seat not far from me and began using their cell phone and chatting energetically.  I considered hollering to them in a stage whisper “…hey, I can hear ya...” but they looked a little rough and I didn’t want to get beat up by two middle-aged women so I let it go.

 

The cast includes Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen who both shone brightly as well as young Asa Butterfield as the orphaned boy who lives in the walls of a train station in 1930’s Paris.  Sounds like an intriguing plot full of covert camera angles and imaginative editing, but not so much.

 

To see a Scorsese movie is a privilege and I often thought about the creative process of Scorsese as I was watching the film.  Let’s take a minute to list some of his accomplishments:  Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, The Color of Money, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed.  He’s considered one of the greatest and the critics are raving about “Hugo” as though it is Oscar-worthy.  But not this critic.

 

Scorsese has created a beautiful, 3D movie with a tender yet mysterious and suspenseful story with great acting, but I didn’t enjoy the film.  No matter how well-made and skillful the director, if I don’t enjoy my experience in the dark of the theatre, then grades will suffer.  Sorry, Marty, I know Steven returns your phone call, and certainly Leo does, but this project with the gorgeous 3D effects is not a great movie.

 

How do I know?  The two ladies who were sitting close to me walked out with about 30 minutes left in the movie.  Are you kidding me?  They walked it and left me in the theatre all by my lonesome?  Step One is to admit it happened.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 79.  Larry H.

Last week, I blamed Brian Grazer for producing “Tower Heist” because he was the big daddy of the movie so it had to be his fault.  This week’s responsibility lies with Director Clint Eastwood because you can’t get any “bigger daddy” than Eastwood.  And I would criticize Clint, but I don’t blaspheme and, quite frankly, I’m scared of him.

 

But if I had the guts to write the truth, I’d mention that Clint spent 90+ minutes getting the audience pointed in the right direction before my audience gave a hoot about J. Edgar Hoover as the long-term dictatorial director of the newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigation.  I remember as a kid wanting to be a G-Man and carrying a machine gun and arresting bad guys like Baby Face Nelson and Machine Gun Kelly.   The FBI under the big shadow of Hoover was a revered group of lawmen on the cutting edge of technique and technology due in large part to the mysterious Hoover.

 

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as J. Edgar and he is magnificent in spite of a lackluster script by Dustin Lance Black who also wrote “Milk.”  You might remember that Sean Penn won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, so Leo must have been quickly lured to this project that had the dynamic duo of Eastwood and Black.  I saw this film on 11-11-11 which just happened to be Leo’s 37^th birthday.  I don’t know what that means but I had to share.

 

I’m a huge fan of DiCaprio and thought he was robbed of an Oscar for his portrayal of Jack Dawson in “Titanic” (1997).  That’s what happens when you play opposite Kate Winslet’s Rose.  Leo is one of the giants of his generation; nominated twice for Best Actor for “The Aviator” (2004) and “Blood Diamond” (2006).  Will lightning strike and gold appear on Billy Crystal’s stage in the spring?  Leo will probably be nominated but it will be strike three for him.

 

Eastwood beautifully captured the essence of Hoover and the intricacies and intrigue of the FBI for Hoover’s almost 50-year reign, but this movie lacked compassion and continuity.  Too many flashbacks and flash forwards.   The editing was peculiar and the story disjointed and uninteresting.

 

As I stated, if I was criticizing Eastwood, which I am not, the movie was boring for at least 90 minutes.  After about an hour and half, DiCaprio’s J. Edgar finally connected with the audience  and scored well in the last act.  Finally.

 

Armie Hammer, age 25, played Clyde Tolson who was Hoover’s second in command and most believed him to be much more than Hoover’s confidant.  Eastwood skillfully pieced together the Hoover/Tolson story by making the homosexual aspect a balanced piece of the complicated  man who never married and lived with his mother.  Hammer’s performance is worthy of a nomination, but the competition for Best Supporting Actor is historically unpredictable so we shall wait and see.

 

The subject matter of this movie about a heavy-handed lawman that kept secret files on six US presidents and millions of innocent Americans seems to be a natural for a great movie, but Eastwood’s directorial gun did not have the right bullets; not that there’s anything wrong with that.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 79.  Larry H.

 

PS: Brian Grazer was also a producer for “J. Edgar.”  Grazer’s everywhere; and now he’s taken over as the producer of the 84^th Academy Awards show.

 

I had to work Friday afternoon so I missed my noon movie start time.  However, I came home after a long week and proposed dinner and a date to Monique H. and she thought that was a lovely idea.  I was so excited I cooked the meal and it was delicious.  I go to the movies at least once a week because it’s what I do, but Monique H. only goes to movies that she thinks she will like.  A Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts film is hard to turn down.

 

Hanks co-wrote with Nia “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” Vardalos to ensure that the feminine side was well represented, but it's his movie as he also directed and produced.  Oh, and he stars as Larry Crowne.  Why do writers routinely use the name "Larry" for characters that are out of work and not fully employed or fully engaged?  "Larry" was one of the Three Stooges.  I don't get it; Larry is such a dynamic and powerful name!

 

Hanks' Larry has been fired from U-Mart where he had excelled as a Team Leader, but the goofy managers explain to him that he does not have a college education so he must go.  Being a quick wit with few options, Larry enrolls in the local community college.  He's down and out and starts selling his worldly possessions just to stay afloat.

 

His first college class is Speech 217 taught by Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts, age 43).  Professor Tainot is equally down on her luck but she at least has a job that she hates.  She has marital discord, drives a ten year old Ford Taurus, starts drinking at nine in the morning, and does not look or act sexy.  I suppose Hanks wanted Ms. Tainot to be un-cool like his Larry Crowne, but can't you at least let that Roberts sex appeal seep through just a tad?  It is my preference.

 

The nerdy Larry Crowne (dang it, now this "Larry" also has to be nerdy) wears his polo shirt tucked in.  Double dang it; sometimes I do that.  So quit saying "dang it" repeatedly and perhaps you might be less nerdy.  Ok; be there or be square and/or get of town.  Let it go, Larry H.

 

The script was unbelievable and the characters were shallow and silly.  Larry Crowne's school chums rode scooters and claimed to be in a "gang."

Yeah, a nerd gang.

 

I had big fun because Monique H. is a fun date, but I might have walked out of this movie if she had not appeared to have liked it.  When I think she is not looking, I take little side glances to gauge her enjoyment factor and my take was that she was delighted with this meaningless love story that was targeted for women.  That's it; it's a chick flick!  Rock 'n Roll.

 

Grade 79.  Larry H.

 

Hooray, Hooray!  This is an excellent movie.  I’ve been in a slump lately and began wondering if I was ever going to see an outstanding movie this fall.  I know that the “sure bets” for an Academy Award nomination tend to hold back until after Thanksgiving but this one might have slipped through.

 

A “margin call” is the extra deposit required by a broker when an investor’s account has fallen below the broker’s formula.  However, this movie is about an unnamed Wall Street Investment Bank that smells a lot like Lehman Brothers did in 2008 immediately before the big crash that caused your 401K to be renamed 101K.  Those were dark and scary financial times for the United States and the world markets for that matter.

 

Screenwriter and Director J. C. Chandor has knocked a home run ( see World Series) with this spectacularly scripted story about the men (and Demi Moore) that huddled together as the collapse of the home mortgage market was about to come crumbling down and take all of Wall Street with it.  The film is described as a thriller and a mystery rightfully as Chandor presents a brilliant first act that sets the tone and the tension of the fear, terror, and greed of the players at this fictional Wall Street firm that has had a storied past of prestige and wealth.

 

One of my pet peeves is the sin of gathering a seemingly magnificent cast and then burying them with a horrid script.  The resumes of this cast are legendary and each one of them shone brightly precisely because of the printed words of Chandor the Great.  Kevin Spacey got top billing but I’m betting there was great discussions about how to list this cast.  Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci were rewarded in opening credits with “And” and “With” to honor their presence because the list of stars was too long and the egos too big.

 

In addition to Spacey, Moore, and Tucci, we were blessed with Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary “Heroes” Quinto, Simon “The Mentalist” Baker, Assif “The Daily Show” Mandvi, and 24 year-old Penn Badgley.  My favorites were Spacey, Irons, and Quinto.  Partially because I’m familiar with their body of work and have great respect for their talent and partially because they were dynamite in “Margin Call.”

 

At one point in the movie, I noted to myself that if Quinto had one more major scene where he dominated as he had earlier, then he would have a shot at a nomination for Best Supporting Actor; that scene never happened.  But Quinto was exceptional as the young analyst with the PhD that blew the whistle on the watered-down firm.   Spacey is pure artistry and outplayed even the great Jeremy Irons.

 

My crowd at AMC 30 on Dunvale was mesmerized and left the theatre quietly and reverently.  Currently, “Margin Call” is in limited release so it will be a while before it makes it to the ‘burgs, but put this trip on your calendar.  I was honored to see a historically accurate piece so well done; bravo J.C. Chandor!  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 93.  Larry H.

If I had any guts, I would have walked out of this sorry excuse for an action movie.  Shame on you Brad Bird, director of the latest film of the Mission Impossible franchise.  I didn’t like any of the characters, couldn’t stay focused enough to fully follow the plot, and clearly the little-used God Bomb Theory kicked in.

 

If you’ve forgotten the meaning of the God Bomb Theory , please see www.larryhmoviereviews.com.  You people need to go to my website more often so it will look like I have a lot of traffic and a successful web page and Google will love me; they really, really will.

 

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt.  I don’t care.  Jeremy “The Hurt Locker” Renner joins as a pseudo analyst/agent; I don’t care.  One of the team members was a beautiful skank; ok, I care a little bit.  What is “Ghost Protocol?”  It happens when the IMF completely disavows the mission and shuts down all operations; I don’t care.

 

There was a huge crowd at my Saturday afternoon showing at First Colony AMC and it will be a blockbuster; I don’t care.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 69.  Larry H.

“We’re just sex buddies….that’s impossible.” So goes the exchange between Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and his neighbor. His sex buddy is Emma (Natalie Portman) who he has known since middle school. They are both single and in their late 20’s and having a purely physical relationship with “no strings attached” seemed like a win/win.

Yeah right, if you live in Never, Never Land. But good ole Adam who works as an assistant on a TV show that smacks of “Glee” and the neurotic Emma who is in her medical residency attempt to pull off the ultimate good deal. I think Jerry and Elaine tried this in the 90’s and they had their challenges as I remember. Jerry and Elaine set up some ground rules as did Adam and Emma. We all know that at the bottom of all healthy relationships are the dreaded ground rules. What are ground rules and how do you implement them? Where’s the love?

Ah, the ground rules take the place of love. And Jerry/Adam said “…now we’re getting somewhere.” And George Constanza would say “…who do you think you’re fooling?” And Adam and Emma’s friends would say “…are you crazy…it’ll never work.”

But Emma and Adam have quick sex in the car, storage rooms, bedrooms, and various other places. And the noose starts to tighten. Who will break the ground rules first and stagger into love? Will it be Adam? Emma?

Much to the credit of a cleverly written and spirited screenplay by Elizabeth Meriwether, I actually liked these two crazy kids and thought it was a very skillfully produced movie about nothing. Kutcher proved that he can act in spite of being viewed as just a hunk of meat for most of his career; the poor schmuck. And Natalie Portman already has proven that she is Oscar-worthy (Black Swan) but she was charming in this film that is aimed at the lowest common denominator of our sexual best.

But as my grandmother use to say “…that girl’s too skinny; we need to fatten her up.” Ms. Portman lost 20 pounds to play the contorted ballerina in “Black Swan” and she obviously had not re-gained that weight when playing Emma. I know: you can’t be too think or too rich but I’m telling you that Natalie needed a little more meat on her bones.

Director Ivan Reitman made this movie in his own image which means it was superbly edited and funny. My audience laughed often and loud. Reitman has done some great work (“Animal House 1978 “Ghostbusters 1984”) over the years and it was good to see that he can still direct and produce hilarious pictures with a new crop of talented actors.

One of the Executive Producers is Natalie Portman; is she hot or what? She will be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress on January 25th for “Black Swan” at a time when this whimsical love story is making it big at the box office. Two big winners besides Kutcher and Portman: Ludacris as Adam’s cool, sage friend and Lake Bell as the klutzy co-worker who has a crush on Adam.

If you are seeking a mindless flick that will cause Cary Grant and Doris Day to turn over in their graves, then this is the movie for you. Note: Doris Day is not dead; age 88. Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 88. Larry H.

This is a uniquely Houston movie about a lawsuit filed by two local personal injury lawyers who are fighting the anti-trust aspects of the non-distribution of safe syringes.  The opening scene is in 1995 when a hospital worker is “punctured” by a needle in a Houston hospital ER room; the female worker contracts AIDS.   Flash forward to 1998 when our two hero lawyers find out about the policy of most US hospitals’  refusal to buy the new, safer needles that will prevent hundreds of thousands of lives each year.

 

One of the young, underfunded lawyers is Michael Weiss who leads the David v. Goliath charge against the huge medical supply corporation which thwarts the  distribution of the much safer syringe.  Weiss is fighting his own demons of sex, drugs, and delusion.  This movie is based on a true story as originally told by Weiss’ partner Paul Danziger who faithfully fights this legal battle in spite of the small law firm’s limited resources.  Danziger’s wife is pregnant and Weiss is a drug addict who runs with prostitutes and street dealers.  Life gets complicated.

 

Chris “Captain America” Evans is exceptional as the drug addled Weiss and carried the movie as the central character.  I loved Weiss the gallant, hard-fighting lawyer willing to go to war for his client, but Directors Mark and Adam Kassen did not allow enough character development to win me over as a fan.   All the other players were merely adequate second fiddlers as this is Chris Evan’s movie.

 

Speaking of some of the other actors, I saw this film at Landmark’s River Oaks and had not been there since I screened the Michael Biehn movie “The Victim.”  As you might recall, Biehn introduced “The Victim” to the audience and then took questions after the showing.  Biehn and his wife had small parts in “Puncture” as well.  “The Victim” is a better movie.

 

I had extremely high hopes for this movie because I wanted a movie about personal injury attorneys to be a smashing hit since we/they do the Lord’s Work.  The disappointment was palpable; it was a clock-watcher.  I was bored and frustrated almost from the beginning.  There was only ten of us at the 11:15 AM showing on this beautiful Friday, so unless the wind blows in another direction and I missed something, this movie will be known as a nice little Houston movie that had a great story, but just couldn’t pull it together for main-stream entertainment.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 80.  Larry H.

Dear Movie Fans, we must be patient until after the Oscars on February 27th. The second and third tier movies fill the void while we wait for the Academy Awards to be announced. Then the public rushes out to see the newly crowned Best Picture and the other winners. That process takes most of March and April and then things heat up again in May.

The “Sanctums” of the movie world meanwhile trudge along until help arrives. Now here’s the catch; occasionally there are really great movies that slip through the clouds and shine brightly because the Hollywood gurus didn’t realize that they had a blockbuster and/or a piece of art. We know that we could help them cull the losers and pick the winners if only “they” would show us the movies and put us in their focus groups.

But, noooooooooo, they show new movies to the crazies that live in Hollywood studios and don’t know us. We need to form our own focus group and charge a huge fee for watching movies. We would be glad to tell them that their movies stink. (Please don’t forget about the independent films)

Let’s get down to business. “Sanctum” is a Tier Two movie unlike the University of Houston which is Tier One. I know the Aggies and Horns are also Tier One but I want to give props to the Coogs. Even mentioning colleges is risky business because now the Red Raiders and Bears are miffed.

I attended “Sanctum” by driving slowly to First Colony AMC on Snow Day, but there was no snow. I’ve heard the explanations by the meteorologists about the warm air blah, blah, blah, but I wanted snow. You said that there would be 1-3 inches of snow; I didn’t see any snow. I stayed up late and left the lights on so I could marvel at the little flakes falling gently in the night. No snow.

So I went to the movies on Snow Day; did I mention that there was no snow? I saw “Sanctum” in IMAX 3D; ooh ah, how exciting! Not. The screen had areas that were fuzzy and out of focus and nothing jumped off the screen. The stage for this movie is an extremely deep cave and water and diving and treachery and …who cares.

“Sanctum” is ok for Tier Two and a pretty good Tier Three movie, but I want to see Tier One every time I go to the movies. But that’s why I’m paid the big bucks; I go to the movies as a sacrifice for you people. Geez, I just re-read this piece and it sounds like Andy Rooney wrote it. Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 79. Larry H.

This is a compelling and timely movie by British Director Steve McQueen; and “no” he was not the star of “Bullit,” which came out the year before Steve Rodney McQueen was born.  This Steve McQueen is 42 years old and was born in London in 1969.  His previous movie that received some acclaim was “Hunger” (2008) about a Northern Irish prison hunger strike.  I did not see “Hunger” so “no comment,” but his directorial talent is quite obvious in “Shame,” which he co-wrote with Abi Morgan.

 

“Shame” is set in New York and is about sexual addiction starring Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan.  This Brandon is conflicted and confused and clearly addicted to sexual encounters and acts out with all the stereo-typical behavior of taking things too far and taking unreasonable risks.  He’s an addict.  The movie will be controversial to some.

 

I’d heard that the movie was about sexual addiction which seemed like a bold move for everyone involved, but the whole addiction aspect slipped up on me before I realized that Brandon was in way over his head and out of control.  But the progression was subtle; much to the credit of McQueen and Fassbender.  With a subject like sexual addiction, which still is a social taboo, the movie takes the audience intimately into Brandon’s life and he seems, at first, like a normal, red-blooded American young man that likes women.  Then the hook is set and Brandon take us down a road that is scary and emotionally perplexing.

 

I’m not sure I still have my arms around this movie.  McQueen has used the big screen to tell a story that is very sensitive to most of us.  Sensitive is not the right word; uncomfortable is probably more correct, but if you are willing to set aside the nudity and pain, then this is worth the price of admission.

 

The acting by Fassbender is off-the-charts good.  He’s on a major roll of great parts and has earned the reputation as one of the super talents in current Hollywood.  He’s got the rugged good looks and the ability to play a wide range of characters.  So does his co-star Carey Mulligan who plays Sissy Sullivan and sings “New York, New York.”  Mulligan should get a nomination for her performance and that song!  I admit that I’m a huge fan of the 26 year-old actress.  I was one of the few to crown her queen in 2009 when she earned her first Sugar Award for Best Actress in “An Education.”   See LarryHmoviereviews.com for more details about Sugar Awards.

 

This movie might be remembered historically when the old-timers fondly reminisce about that movie that teamed McQueen, Fassbender, and Mulligan.  Fascinating movie.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 93.  Larry H.

The star of this movie is Director and Co-writer Zack Snyder.  The techniques used in this movie will be copied and tweaked for years.  Snyder’s implementation of music, visual effects and digital artistry is magical.  Camera angles and editing were sometimes at a rapid clip then quickly changed to slow motion, up-close and/or a tender touch of humanity.

Such colors and cinematography combinations are rare without the induction of psychedelic drugs and I’m giving Snyder the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was sober when creating this movie.  I’m just saying.  

At 44, Snyder is a young director, but he has already brought “300” and “Watchmen” to the big screen so that should give you an inkling of his creative mind.  I intend to monitor his career more closely now that we’ve shared the experience of “Sucker Punch.”  I’m trying to write a review about this movie but the truth requires that I disclose that I’m not sure I fully understood this movie.  No, I’m confident I did not.  I need to see this movie again and I’d love to see it with Snyder.  He provided a tremendous amount of information and it was coming at me too fast. 

The story sounds simple:  a young woman named Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is institutionalized by her evil stepfather after her mother and sister die and the staff at the Vermont facility for the insane plan to give her a lobotomy.   Baby Doll retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy while she plans her escape.  I think there were three realities but whose counting. 

While creating the alternative realties of the film, Director Snyder either took a hit of peyote or has played one too many video games and became quite comfortable in the fantasy stream of consciousness for Baby Doll and her cohorts Sweat Pea, Rocket, Blondie, and Amber.  We travelled back and forth between worlds in a flash and most often just in the nick of time. 

The cast was not the problem; the script was disjointed and made empathy for Baby Doll and the other girls nearly impossible.   I think this movie was genius, but I don’t know for sure.  It is a combination of “The Matrix,” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” with just a pinch of “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”  Problem: I did not enjoy most of the movie.  

Accolades: Oscar Isaac as the slimy Blue Jones and Carla “Entourage” Gugino as Dr. Vera Gorski as the conflicted psychiatrist.  Jon Hamm even has a small but significant part.All of the young actresses as girls trapped with Baby Doll gave performances that will bode well for their careers.  Listed in order of importance:  Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jamie Chan.  And let’s not forget the venerable 69 year-old Scott Glenn as the “Wise Man.”  

I went to this movie, in part, because my good friend Jeff S. strongly urged me to see it and report back to him.  So, here it is, Jeff.  Rock ‘n Roll. 

Grade 79.    Larry H.

This is a Matt Damon Movie. What do you mean, Larry H.? Damon has become such a big star that he can completely carry a movie by his mere presence especially when he can marshal his still youthful good looks and play a guy that the audience understands and can root for him to succeed. And in this case, success is the possible love of his life.

This will be a box office smash. I know these things because I saw it on opening day at 1:10 PM and when I checked in at the ticket counter, Melissa told me that 70 people attended the first showing that started at 11:20 AM. I think we can all agree that Melissa’s calculations are as good as any Hollywood scientific statistical poll. Here’s how the AMC Melissa Semi-Scientific Poll works: determine the total number of attendees on opening day (Friday) first showing; divide that number by two and multiply it by one million and that equals the weekend gross. Let’s breakdown like this: 70 divided by 2 = 35 X $1,000,000.00 = $35,000,000.00 opening weekend gross! Damon, Damon, Damon!

Along with the star power of Damon, this movie had an interesting (not crisp) plot and the universal theme of all themes: will love conquer all? Writer, Director and Producer George Nolfi proved that he can artfully direct as well as write. We’ve known he can turn in a winning screenplay (The Bourne Ultimatum – 2007 and Ocean’s Twelve – 2007.) Common denominator – Matt Damon. But Nolfi has to take the responsibility for this movie because Matt Damon played Matt Damon as the mysterious, conflicted guy that was being chased by bad guys, so we know the blemishes of this film were not the fault of Matt.

What blemishes? I thought you said this was going to be a box office hit. It will make a ton of money (see previous poll results), but that is in spite of it being a mediocre movie. Damon plays a New York politician (David Norris) that just lost a US Senate race and passionately kisses Elise (Emily “The Young Victoria” Blunt) in the men’s room while he is practicing his concession speech. He had never met Elise before this “chance” meeting and she slipped out of his life before David even knew her name. Is this fate?

Unfortunately for David and Elise, there are some extremely mystifying men, dressed in drab suits and hats from the 1950’s, who seem to be tracking David’s every move in an attempt to keep him from hooking up with the elusive Elise. The setting is present day Manhattan and the action gives new meaning to doors, tunnels and subways. Is this an action film? Not exactly, it is a hybrid of action, mystery, sci-fi, and love. Nice combination, but even this seemingly clever plot and syrupy story appeared to take breaks and then try to play catch-up in an attempt to win the audience. Nolfi allowed too many of those “breaks” for me. I did not hate this film but I was disappointed. Here’s some good news: Emily Blunt is spectacular and her career will get a boost. But much of

this movie needed a slight adjustment by the bureau. Rock ‘n Roll. Grade 86. Larry H.

 

The Conspirator is Marry Surratt (Robin Wright); allegedly.  The backdrop of this movie is the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln who was shot by John Wilkes Booth, the actor, on April 14, 1865.  The plot to kill the president also included attempts on the lives of the Vice-President and Secretary of State. 

 

As we all know, the beloved Lincoln died from his gunshot wound and the country was very ticked off at whoever killed their president and tried to kill other government officials.  The Civil War was still fully engaged so there was plenty of hatred for Southerners and anybody that disagreed with one’s team.  And the homely, widowed Mary Surratt, age 42, owned a local boarding house where seven of the accused killers lived and met prior to the assassination.  One of those men was her own son.  Surely, she is guilty of something.

 

Much of the movie takes place in a small military courtroom where the main defendant is Mary Surratt who is represented by her reluctant attorney Captain Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy).  Lawyer Aiken is my new hero and I hereby nominate him for the 2011 Atticus Finch Award.  McAvoy’s portrayal of the 28 year old Yankee war hero who is coerced into defending the Surratt woman was stupendous.  His blend of courage, integrity, and fear was remarkable. 

 

Captain Aiken is the star of this movie; not Madam Surratt.  Do not be fooled; this movie is primarily about the need for the protections of the US Constitution when its citizenry is hell bent on revenge based on their deep sense of being morally right.   That balance of power is not very sexy, but Director Robert Redford was not afraid to attempt such a lofty goal while also trying to make a movie that will make him richer.  Not many directors could sell this script. 

 

Side note:  I came to the theatre late on a beautiful Friday afternoon and had to sit on the second row because the theatre was crowded and Larry H. doesn’t sit close enough to another human lest they accidentally touch him.  Discovery while sitting about 10 feet from the front right corner of the screen:  I could hear folks in the courtroom mumbling and making little pithy comments that were part of today’s advanced sound recordings.  I felt like I was in the courtroom sitting next to the spittoon.    

 

 

Director Robert “Sundance” Redford has made an outstanding film and shown his skills for movie-making, but it lacked the wow factor and entertainment aspect.  It is thought- provoking and even enthralling at times, but not worthy of four stars.  And since I don’t award stars, I don’t even know what “four stars” means.   Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 89.  Larry H. 

 

"The Debt" starring Helen Mirren; I want to see any film starring Ms. Mirren.  Her run of great performances is arguably unsurpassed lately.  At 65, she is still a powerhouse.  In the last 10 years, she has been nominated three times and won Best Actress for "The Queen" (2006). 

 

Problem: she was more like a co-star or maybe even Supporting Actress in this spy thriller about the hunt and capture of a wicked Nazi known as the Doctor of Birkenau.  Mirren's character is a young Israeli Mossad agent name Rachel who teams up with David (Claran Hinds) and Stephan (Tom Wilkinson) in the early 60's to bring back Herr Doktor to Israel to stand trial and provide some justice for all the horrible crimes he has committed against Jewish people. 

 

These three Cold War agents are at retirement age during the movie so most of the story is revealed through flashbacks and the three characters are played by the younger actors - Jessica Chastain, Sam "Avatar" Worthington, and Morton Csokas respectively.  Now I'm confused.  And that was part of the problem for Director John Madden (not sportscaster Madden).  The plot was very complicated and required much geographical jumping and jiving.  I did not have a problem following the action or understanding the perspective, but I had a huge problem developing empathy for any of the characters. 

 

I didn't care who died or lived and was not sure which team I was on.  And that is the kiss of death if one's goal is greatness.  The acting was marvelous and Mirren was dazzling when on the screen, but I wasn't buying what they were selling. 

 

Director Madden scared me with some Hitchcockian moves and sudden jolts of pain and anguish with just the slightest insert to startle the audience, but I did not take heed.  I merely sat up straight and then quickly went back to deep breathing and a wandering mind.  

 

This movie will reach its maximum enjoyment on a rainy Sunday afternoon when it is on HBO Channel 446.  Rock 'n Roll.

 

Grade 81.  Larry H.

You just saw your best friend’s wife kissing and romantically entangled with another man; what do you do and when? Not a problem, I’d tell him immediately; not so fast, don’t tell him at all and stay out of his marriage. If you tell him, when do you tell him? What if he is involved in the biggest business opportunity of his life and he needs a little time before getting devastating news?

Welcome to the dilemma of Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn) and his naïve best friend Nick (Kevin James). This movie has the best second half and ending to any movie I’ve seen in a long time that had such a horrific first half. The beginning of a well-made movie is reserved for the precious moments of character development that is vital to the remainder of the film. About 30 minutes into this comedy directed by Ron “Opie” Howard, I came to the sad conclusion that I didn’t care who was sleeping with who because I thought they were all buffoons and not worthy of my empathy.

I was getting drowsy and the lady sitting three seats to my right laid her head on her husband’s shoulder and became quite still. And then the magic kicked in and Vince Vaughn caught fire and the two of us were sitting on the edge of our seats and were enraptured with the tenderness and warmth of this complicated, well-written screenplay by Allan Loeb. I give Opie a lot of credit, too, partly because he and I have been friends for over 50 years and partly because in the end, the story and characters came together in a marvelous blend of compassion and comedy. I had sweaty palms and tears in one of the final scenes when Nick and Ronny were trying to close their big business deal.

What about the ladies? Jennifer Connelly, who won an Oscar in Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind,” was brilliant as Vince Vaughn’s wife and Winona Ryder was amazing as the cheating wife of Kevin James’ Nick. At first, I couldn’t stand Ryder’s character and hoped she was caught and flogged, yet I was able to muster empathy and respect for her character by movie’s end. Now that takes some great acting, direction, and a sophisticated screenplay. However, the biggest winner might be Channing Tatum who played Ryder’s paramour lover with a cross between emotional instability and sneaky humor.

I love Jennifer Connelly (40) and think she is one of the most accomplished actresses of her generation. Evidently, Ron Howard does, too. But she won me over in her performance as the pitiful young woman in “House of Fog and Sand” in 2003 rather than “A Beautiful Mind” in 2001. Director Howard has an eye for talent and is certainly a loyal old dog. He consistently hires his family for supporting roles for his movies. Can you spot his brother Clint Howard and his father Rance Howard in this movie?

This is a good date movie. Rock ‘n Roll

Grade 89. Larry H..

 

Director David Fincher (“The Social Network”) has done the impossible.  His remake of the Swedish version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2009) is as good or better than the original.  And I liked the original immensely.   Fincher basically stuck to the original film and novel (trilogy by Stieg Larsson) so you will not feel cheated if you are a fan of the first movie and the books about the young, troubled computer hacker that has a vivid tattoo of a dragon on her back.

 

In describing Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) physically, one cannot merely be limited by the dragon tattoo as she has multiple piercings, spiked hair, and an angry scowl on her face, and she prefers black leather, smokes like a chimney, and rides a motorcycle.   Mara’s Lisbeth is as memorable as the same character played by Noomi Rapace in 2009.  Rooney and Noomi.

 

Rooney Mara is actually from NFL royalty in addition to being an accomplished actress.  Her maternal great grandfather was Art Rooney, Sr., founder of the Pittsburg Steelers and her paternal great grandfather was Tim Mara, founder of the New York Giants. So let’s not make fun of her seemingly odd name as it may be one of the coolest names in American sports/entertainment.

 

Back to the story, a young woman from a very wealthy family in Sweden has been missing or murdered for 40 years and the family patriarch hires a disgraced magazine reporter (Daniel Craig) to take a fresh look at unraveling the mystery.   The reporter, Mikael Blomkvist, needs an assistant to do some of the research so he teams up with Lisbeth who is one of the best, but she “..is different…in every way.”  That’s an understatement.

 

She has been a ward of the state for many years and must report to an overseer who abuses her mentally and sexually.  These scenes are horribly graphic and are a turn-off to many, but integral to the Lisbeth story.

 

Craig gained weight for this movie and does not have his James Bond good looks but he is perfect for the part.  His chemistry with Rooney Mara is dead-on.  Credit David Fincher for making every aspect of this film click without ever having to apologize for producing a re-make of an already internationally accepted movie.  Of course, it helped slightly that Fincher did not have to use English subtitles as the 2009 Swedish version.

 

The action is fast and mystery intriguing in spite of the fact that I knew the details of the story as I was a huge fan of the first Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  This movie is 158 minutes of great movie-making by Fincher who also directed “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008).  There will be a lot of outstanding movies to see during the holidays so put this one on your gift list even though it is rated R and should be rated X.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 93.  Larry H.

Simple, sophomoric, and stupid. Seth Rogen stars as the Green Hornet, co-wrote and was an executive producer; ole Seth had too much weed.

Cameron Diaz is still one of the biggest foxes of all time. Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 73. Larry H..

This a unique movie in that this subject is new to the film industry.  The smart money has known for a long time that the immensely popular novel by Kathryn Stockett would be made into a movie.  My sister Suzanne B. has been telling me for months that it was a great read.

 

The setting is Jackson, Mississippi, in the early 1960's and the narrative is primarily from the perspective of the black women who worked for white families for very low, under-the-radar wages.  Their job description entailed serving as maids, housekeepers, cooks, observers, and primary raisers of the white children.  This was the time of Jim Crow Laws and the beginning of the movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others who were killed like Medgar Evers. 

 

There were many lines that separated races and the economically haves and have-nots.  One of the young white women (Emma Stone) who had recently graduated from college and wanted to be a writer came back to her home in Jackson and convinced some of the black women to tell their stories.

 

The two housekeepers that took the lead and showed the courage to contribute their takes on the white way of life are Abileen (Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer).  You will recognize Davis as the Oscar-nominated actress for her supporting role in "Doubt" (2008).  Could lightning strike twice for Ms. Davis? 

 

The ensemble of strong women characters is the hallmark of this complicated and well-written script.  Emma Stone is brilliant as the young Skeeter who is willing to shock her bigoted neighbors with her new book.  Her mother is played by the venerable Allison Janney and the esteemed Sissy Spacek as Missus Walters brings some much needed humor to the mix.  And Grand Dame Cicely Tyson appears in flashbacks as Constantine Jefferson. 

 

My audience laughed at every opportunity and I am convinced that Director Tate Taylor would be pleased at their reaction per his plan, but I didn't laugh.  Ok, I laughed once about the story of the pie.  You'll remember the pie story if you ever see this movie; it's classic. 

 

I just didn't enjoy the movie.  I'm not sure if it's because I was already painfully aware of every nuance of this period piece since I was born in 1950, or that Taylor spent too much time in telling an account from too many perspectives.  I wanted to like the movie as much as my audience because I knew the acting was outstanding and the story was significant, but this movie is not for me.  Rock 'n Roll.

 

Grade 82.  Larry H.          

 

Clooney loses a squeaker.  Nah, that's being too kind.  He lost big-time in a runoff.  Pretty Boy George Clooney co-wrote, directed, and starred in this political intrigue centered on an Ohio primary race for President of the United States.  Clooney played Governor Mike Morris who was running for President and desperately needed to win Ohio, but actually was the co-star.  "Desperate" also means treacherous in national politics.

 

The star of this movie is soon-to-be superstar Ryan Gosling who is the seemingly naïve campaign staffer and second banana to the campaign chair played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Gosling has recently had winning roles in "Crazy, Stupid Love" and "Drive" not to mention his fantastic performance in "Blue Valentine" but he was taken to the woodshed by Hoffman and Paul Giamatti who played the campaign manager for Morris' Democratic primary opponent.

 

Gosling's performance, however, is to be commended if for no other reason than he did not exhibit his six-pack abs and still performed admirably.  But he was no match for Hoffman ("Doubt" and "Capote") and Giamatti ("Barney's Version" and "Sideways").  Don't worry, Ryan, I'm not sure Clooney is worthy of Hoffman and Giamatti and I'm a huge fan of Clooney.  Let's be candid, Hoffman and Giamatti might be two of the best actors to ever step in front of a camera.  Come on, Larry H. aren't you exaggerating just to make people think you are a real move critic?  Well, there's that, too, but Hoffman and Giamatti are that good.  I found their prowess distracting.

 

My comments have centered on the acting partially because the ensemble that also included Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood was outstanding, but more importantly because the script was weak, not engaging, and lacked significant character development.  I was pulling for everyone and no one.

 

Surprisingly, the movie was not boring at any point, but did not engender much emotion even when Clooney was trying to make his biggest moves.  I give Clooney high marks for being able to produce and direct a movie, but moviemaking is hard and all of the pieces did not fit in this political jigsaw.

 

I made an exception and allowed my dear friend Robert B. to accompany me to this movie, but he came by to pick me up in his brand new, custom-built 1968 Ford Shelby Mustang GT 500CR.  That car is so cool and sounds like Steve McQueen was driving.  We had a blast.  Rock 'n Roll.

 

Grade 82.  Larry H. 

Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is the" Lincoln Lawyer" because his law office is the back seat of a1980’s vintage Lincoln Town Car.　He’s lost his driver’s license so he is driven around to the various courthouses in the Los Angeles area by his trusted chauffer Earl.　Occasionally, he is paid in cash stuffed inside an envelope that is slipped through a half-opened window of his back seat office.　If Mick has to postpone a criminal case so he can get paid by a client or tells a lie for what he sees as the betterment of his situation, then so be it as part of the "judicial system" that he embraces and bends.

In the first ten minutes of the film, we know that Mick Haller is a slick, smooth-talking, criminal defense lawyer who has an edge and his ethics are questionable.　But he is charming and terribly flawed, so the audience quickly chooses Mick’s side. His former wife (Marisa Tomei) is an assistant DA and they have a daughter together. His investigator is Frank Levin (long-haired William H. Macy) who has the knack for timely unearthing the key fact or piece of evidence that would make Paul Drake (Perry Mason) proud.

Mick gets a big case that involves a rich 32 year-old man charged with brutally assaulting a woman.　His retainer is $100,000.00 plus expenses and another $100,000.00 if the case goes to trial.　I knew for sure I was pulling for Mick when the cash was flowing; I can’t stop myself.　

What is the reality factor for this lawyer movie?　Actually, pretty high; certainly above average.　I spent way too much time during the movie, trying to analyze the legal nuances of the story and pondering the probable reaction of my criminal defense lawyer friends.　Since I only practice civil law, I defer to the criminal defense bar concerning some of the ethical dilemmas of Mick, but you will understand his quandary as well.　

Please note that I am staying clear of the plot details as this is a mystery so I don’t want to spoil the ride for you.　This movie had enormous chemistry for developing a suspenseful storyline much to the credit of Director Brad Furman and novelist Michael Connelly who was a newspaper crime reporter.　

My audience was fully engaged and large for midday on a Friday.　"The Lincoln Lawyer" will be a big success at the box office and McConaughey is the huge winner!　The pretty boy from UT and Uvalde, TX, was magnificent in several scenes and it was the best work he’s done in years.　The entire ensemble was cast well and made this movie into a memorable, noteworthy film.　The plot revelations never stopped building and taking the audience to new places.　

This is an enjoyable, challenging, and fun movie.　Rock ‘n Roll.

Grade 90.　Larry H.

 

I saw this movie at The River Oaks Landmark on August 17, 2011, at a special screening in downtown Houston which was co-sponsored by the Houston Film Critics Society and Odyssey Pictures.  Michael Biehn, the director, star, and writer was also in attendance along with his wife Jennifer Blanc Biehn who starred and produced “The Victim.”  This is very much the Michael and Jennifer show; they graciously introduced the film and then took questions from the audience after the showing of “The Victim.”

 

They were “gracious” because they seemed to be genuinely nice people and not too Hollywood-ified; I had interviewed them earlier that same day.  But they own a movie that is truly an indie and they hope to sell it when Michael “…gets good and bleeping ready.”  After the movie, Biehn stood outside the theatre and allowed folks to take photos of themselves with him and sign autographs; he did this with a smile and good humor for a long line of admirers.  After all, he is Johnny Ringo from "Tombstone."    

 

This is a grindhouse movie and you should not forget that when you get a chance to see it.  The movie’s webpage is grindhousethevictim.com.   The Wikipedia definition for grindhouse: an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.

 

The modern version of grindhouse is best defined today with reviewing the quintessential movies of "Grindhouse" which is a 2007 action-horror/exploitation double feature co-written, produced, and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.  Biehn likes to quote his friend Rodriquez and apparently has Rodriquez' blessing for his efforts for "The Victim."

 

I'm a lukewarm fan of grindhouse movies but having Biehn and Blanc intro the movie and dare the audience to laugh and have fun made me just a little prejudice; I was definitely pulling for the success of this movie.  The audience of about 200 was pumped.

 

Jennifer Blanc plays Annie who is a stripper and likes to party with her friend Mary (Danielle Harris) and two local Deputy Sheriffs who supply the cocaine.  The opening scene of Deputy Harrison (Ryan Honey) and Mary having sex starts the movie off with a laugh.  A laugh?  Yeah, everything in this movie is done with tongue-in-cheek and with the seriousness of "Rocky Horror Picture Show."

 

Biehn plays a hermit who lives in the woods and Annie lands on his doorstep with the two dirty cops hot on her trail. 

 

We have dirty cops, drugs, strippers, sex, murder, guns, chases on foot, dirt, and up-close and in-your-face torture.  What's not to laugh at?  We have loyalty and deceit; dreams and double crossing.  And acting that is threatening to go over the top at any moment but stays just this side of the cliff. 

 

I laughed about five times really hard and enjoyed the movie, but my audience probably laughed 50+ times.  The movie was shot in 12 days and the script by Biehn was partially on paper but primarily free-flowing out of Biehn's directorial consciousness. 

 

The best compliment I can pay a movie is that I want to see it again.  If this movie was showing anywhere, I'd go again today.  But it may be a long time before we see "The Victim" in your local theatres.  Rock 'n Roll.

 

Grade 89.  Larry H.      

Thor is the fourth film released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe based on the characters of Marvel Comics.  In this version, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has become crossways with his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and is banished to earth instead of becoming king.  Here is the exchange between father and son - Odin: “You are a vain, greedy boy.”  Thor: “And you are an old man, and a fool!”  

 

 I was pretty sure that Thor had busted his plate with daddy at that point and that he had best start packing his bags for a little intergalactic time travel.  Shortly thereafter, Thor wakes up in the middle of nowhere saying “…Oh, no…this is earth, isn’t it?”   Of course, he had just been hit by a vehicle driven by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and was having a hard time with reality since he appeared to be a human in present-day America with a Viking’s accent and a desire to find a fast horse for travelling purposes. 

 

Welcome to America, Big Fella, where’s your hammer?  And this Thor is tall, blond, and very muscular.  The cute, goofy girl with glasses says “…You know, for a crazy homeless person, he’s pretty cut.”  The ladies will like Hemsworth without a shirt!

 

Odin has already explained that “whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.”   Not a problem.  Let’s just get our hands on that hammer and start kicking some butt.  There’s always a problem with a mythical power hammer.

 

This is a fun and exciting story and if you think you will like this type of movie, then you will like Director Kenneth Branagh’s version which is stylistically beautiful and visually spectacular.  The cast is solid, but it’s still a cartoon on steroids.  

 

I saw “Thor” on the big screen, the really big screen, in 3D-IMAX and I thought it was worth the effort to wear the silly glasses.  Be sure to stay until the entire end credits have run so you can see the teaser for “The Avengers” (2012) with a brief appearance by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.   Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 85.  Larry H.  

The film is an adaptation from a John le Carre novel about the investigation by retired British agent George Smiley to determine the identity of a Russian mole during the Cold War.  The codes names of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are used for ease in communication among the key spies involved in this extremely complicated plot that jumps from scene to scene and country to country through a series of flashbacks.

 

One could benefit from a program to keep up with all the players.  Here is a short list of the spies and suspects (not real names): Percy Alleline, Bill Haydon, Roy Bland, Tony Esterhase, Jim Prideaux, and Control who is the head of the Circus.  Oh yeah, “Circus” is the upper echelon also known as M16 (Secret Intelligence Service) which was tasked to collect foreign intelligence.  During the Cold War of the 1950’s and 1960’s, these guys were some genuine spooks and they are accurately portrayed in this movie as pretty skilled spies.  The lead is superbly played by Gary Oldham (George Smiley) who methodically gathers clues and tightens the net in his quest to find the Russian mole.

 

This movie is not for everyone, but those of you who love a good whodunit and are willing to be patient and follow small clues and tidbits in a very confusing and convoluted story, then this movie is for you.  I got a little confused, but please don’t tell anyone as I’m supposed to be a professional moviegoer.  Oops.

 

Major footnote and mild newsflash:  I’ve made a terrible mistake by missing “Drive” which debuted in September starring Ryan Gosling.  The trailers were seemingly dull to me and I didn’t bother seeing this movie until I obtained a DVD via the Houston Film Critics Society.  “Drive” is an absolutely fantastic movie and should be on your must-see list.  I will be sorely disappointed if Gosling is not nominated for Best Actor.  Let me put it in plain terms, Gosling plays a two-bit Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a wheelman and gets involved in a heist that goes deadly wrong and the bad guys come after him.

 

Ok, here’s the plain part:  Gosling’s character is so stoic and cool at the same time that he reminded me of a combo of a young Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood.  Does that make him a god?  Just kidding because I’ve already told you people that I don’t blaspheme, but Ryan G. accomplished this feat without packing a pistol or showing his internationally known six pack.  And there are other outstanding performances by the great Carey Mulligan (see “Shame” also) and Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman as heavies.  Bryan Cranston as Shannon is memorable even though he gets slightly lost because there are so many great performances.  “Drive” is worthy of a nomination.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”  Grade 85.  Larry H

 

This is the season for movie awards for 2011.  The Golden Globes have been announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on Sunday January 15^th.  Some of those awards will be foretelling of Oscars, which are the only awards that count, but never forget that the Globes are the result of voting by foreigners, and they ain’t from around here.

 

Often we will see double winners so we will see some Globe winners repeated on Oscar night February 26^th hosted by Billy Crystal.  But this piece is to give you a heads-up and a head start on the movies that need to be seen in the next six weeks so you will not be out of the loop when the Oscars are announced.  Get ready for the madness to begin as the nominations for Oscars are revealed in the early morning of January 24^th.

 

The broadcast of the Oscar nominations on NBC is thrilling for me because we finally see the favorites named by the academy and can start the speculation and whining.  Invariably, there are some nominations that tick me off for the inclusion of my pans and exclusion  of my picks.  And the nominations happen quickly; the impact of the lists revealed from a stark stage behind a simple podium on January 24th are overwhelming to me so I watched them with paper, pen, and a cup of coffee to enhance my focus and immediately start the process.  When the nominations are revealed on NBC around 7:40 am, I take a deep breath and let it flow over me, then I let the games begin.

 

In an effort to get you up to speed and ready for the Oscars, here are the must-see movies:  The Descendants, War Horse, Shame, Drive, Albert Nobbs, My Week with Marilyn, The Artist, The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tree of Life, Bridesmaids, Margin Call, Rampart, Carnage, A Dangerous Method, Iron Lady, Beginners, Hugo, The Adventures of Tintin, Rango, Puss ‘n Boots, I Saw the Devil, 13 Assassins, Project Nim,  and Harry Potter.  Have fun.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Larry H.      January 16, 2011

 

I blame Brian Grazer for this debacle.  Who is Brian Grazer?  He is one of the premier Hollywood producers of this generation; his movies have grossed over $13 billion in recent years.  Grazer is an entertainment genius as a writer and producer; his movies have garnered 52 Oscar nominations and his TV shows have 94 Emmy nominations.  In 2001, he won an Oscar for Best Picture for “A Beautiful Mind” where he teamed up with his partner/director Ron Howard.  The Producers Guild of America gave him the David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement award and he has really cool hair for a 60 year old, but he ain’t perfect.

 

If you don’t believe me, then spend 10 bucks to see this piece of crap.  Grazer was the Big Daddy Producer for “Tower Heist;” he and Eddie Murphy supposedly worked on the story and tweaked the script for years.  And this is the best you can do?  I’ve said many times:  “Making a great movie is very hard.”  And that is a direct quote from Larry H.  Feel free to quote me.

 

By now you’ve seen a trailer or heard about this fortuitously well-time movie about a band of regular 99 percenters trying to steal money ($20 million) from Mr. Big (aka Madoff) after learning that he lost their pension money in a Ponzi scheme.  The poor working stiffs are employed at the Tower in Manhattan which is a posh high rise  where the average price for an apartment costs $5.6 million.

 

Great cast so how did you muck this up, Grazer?  Script!  That same script that he, Murphy and 42 year-old Director Brett Ratner worked on so hard for years.  The script sun got in their eyes.  Or they were blinded by lure of Ben Stiller and Matthew Broderick.

 

So, whose hosting and producing the 84^th Academy Awards ceremony next spring?  None other than Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner.  At least there won’t be a conflict of interest as these two will not be nominated for an Oscar so they can concentrate on making a great show for us to enjoy.  They owe us one.  We forgive. and all will be forgotten and everyone involved will live happily ever after and continue to get richer.  Because we all know that making a great movie is hard!

 

I don’t want to write any more about this flop so I’ll stop now; travel at your own risk.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 69.  Larry H.

I started watching this movie on November 18^th which was the opening day for this final segment of the Twilight love story of Edward the Vampire and Bella Swan the once-innocent teenager from Forks, Washington.  And a love story can’t exist without a third wheel and that would be the werewolf Jacob.  I finished watching this movie on November 19^th Sugar Land Central Standard Time because we walked out of giant theatre #13 at approximately 12:20 am.

 

My personal saga began around 9 pm on the 18th when I decided that I would hurry to AMC First Colony and catch the next Twilight even though it was late on a Friday and against the rules.  Not to be denied, I scampered into gear since the next showing began at 9:25 pm.  As I was getting checked in and my comp ticket, AMC’s Gabriela explained to me that the mass of people to my right that snaked around the corner and down the hallway were waiting to get in the 9:25 and it was sold out!

 

By now the 20 year-old assistant manager had arrived so I inquired about her allowing me in a side door or something so I wouldn’t have to stand in line.  Surely, she knew Larry H.  She said “not a problem” for the 10:00 pm showing and that I could take the elevator up to the second floor and go in the top of theatre 13 as soon as they were finished cleaning.  It was only 9:15 pm but I decided to accept Carolina’s offer.  I immediately called home to tell Monique H. that I had landed in a sea of chaos and extremely excited to participate with all the other Twilight crazies.

 

By far, the Twilight crowd consists of teenage girls, but there are some men and “older” folks.  I’ve never taken the AMC theatre elevator to the second floor and entered from the top but when I poked my head in at the gargantuan theatre, the cleaning crew were tidying up the last mess closest to the screen.  The top area was spotless.  Hooray for the cleaning crew.

 

I sat down in my chair way at the top on the end to appear as inconspicuous as possible; the time was 9:17 pm and no one else was in the auditorium except a few employees.  Carolina, the efficient assistant manager, had already informed me that they would be allowing the crowd to enter around 9:30 pm; a full thirty minutes before the trailers even began.  And sure enough, at the crack of 9:30 pm, the Twihards started rolling in.  It was more like running.  People were pushing and shoving and jockeying for the best center seats and squealing and laughing and hollering at their friends.  It was a free-for-all.  But peaceful and full of anticipation.  Almost immediately there were 100 hardcore patrons as I watched from above and soon the next 600+ began streaming in.  It was quite a sight and I enjoyed the spectacle for the next 50 minutes until the start of the movie.

 

The teenage couple that sat next to me (with an empty chair between us) to my left were very much in love and stared into each other’s eyes a lot.  About 20 minutes into this process, the girl became tired and laid down on her chair by going into a half curl and putting her head on his lap.  I think she went to sleep and did not move a muscle until the instant of the beginning of the movie.  I only tell this story because it’s true and needed to be documented.

 

This Twilight is extremely well done and starts with a bang; the hype said that Jacob (Taylor Lautner) takes his shirt off to reveal his extremely buffed body about 26 seconds into the movie; it’s more like six seconds.  And the girls screamed when Lautner first appeared hitting about an 8.2 on the Richter scale.  The initial applause and screeches for  Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen) as soon as their faces lit up the screen were 3.2 and 6.1 respectfully.  The vote is in and it is final; Lautner won.

 

I liked the previous three Twilights and this was my favorite.  Atta boy Director Bill Condon and thanks for not overplaying your hand.  The story immediately moves into the wedding of Edward and Bella and I think folks would be lost and unable to appreciate the moment if they had not previously participated in the Twilight saga.  Do not decide that you want to become a Twi-hard with a purchase of a ticket for this movie, but it is an absolute must see for those who have been waiting for this installment.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 91.  Larry H.

 

Spielberg wins by a neck.  This World War I drama about a courageous, beautiful horse has the magnificent splendor of “Gone With the Wind,” the emotional texture of “Field of Dreams” and the bloody reality of “Saving Private Ryan.”    Spielberg is back and so is his buddy Kathleen Kennedy who is the coolest Executive Producer in Hollywood.  Ok, coolest female producer.

 

Here is a blurb from Wikipedia about film producer Kathleen Kennedy: “ She was born in 1953 and in 1981 she co-founded Amblin Entertainment with her husband, Frank Marshall and Steven Spielberg.  She is known for producing Jurassic Park films and E.T.; she is the second-most successful film producer of all time after Steven Spielberg with domestic box office receipts of just over $5 billion.”  In 1981, I might have been persuaded to form a film- producing company with Steven S.; I’m not a thousand percent sure but I’m darn confident that I could have raised some cash for that endeavor.  Call me, Steven.   Anyway, I’m amazed at the number of movies produced by Kathleen Kennedy, so if Steven won’t call me, KK, will you call me?

 

This touching story begins in Devon, England, as The Great World looms on the horizon and the Germans are surely about to attack the rest of Europe and force the British into the Kaiser’s war.  Meanwhile, young Albert’s war-torn father buys a horse that appears to be a horrible investment.  Albert names the horse “Joey” and they bond quickly and become close in spite of the doubters.  Good times don’t last long before Joey is sold to the British military and off he goes to fight the war in the Calvary.  Albert is too young to join the British military so Joey and Albert tearfully part ways.

 

And by this time, I have already had five sets of goose bumps; this movie ripped my heart.  I loved this movie.  And here is a list of the things I liked about “War Horse:”

Acting, editing, cinematography, script, music, and directing.  This film is my current pick for Best Picture of the Year 2011; nominations will abound.  Spielberg and Kennedy and Harrison will be extremely happy  when the accolades start rolling in; it has already garnered a Golden Globe nomination.  Spielberg, Kennedy, and Harrison, oh my, I can see it now – The Sugar Shack Shows!  We’ll have to work on our brand, but I have some ideas we can kick around.  I’m so excited.

 

The movie is 146 minutes, so you should eat your ham and potato salad early Christmas Day, take a short nap, then catch a three o’clock showing of “War Horse” which opens nationwide on Christmas Day.  I’m just going by saying, but I think I can get along with Steven and Kathleen; I’m willing to listen to their ideas, too, so long as we make quality movies.   Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 94.  Larry H

 

A bad script (Richard LaGravenese) certainly can not be saved by mediocre direction (Francis Lawrence.)  Mr. Lawrence has a long list of directorial victories in the music video business for Will Smith, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Aerosmith, but he needs a little work before claiming any prizes in the film industry.  I bet he can score a ticket to “American Idol.”   

 

The story began in 1931 as told by Hal Holbrook as he reminisced about his youthful experiences in a second-rate circus where he served as the veterinarian even though he had not finished vet school at Cornell before dropping out due to a family tragedy.  But times were hard in the Great Depression so the young Jacob (Robert Pattinson) did the next right thing and hopped on a train with nothing more than the clothes on his back.  Life in the circus was cutthroat and the owner (Christoph Waltz) would cut your throat or throw you off the train literally if you did not perform and help sell tickets.

 

And every tyrannical owner of a Depression-era circus must have a blond skanky wife (Reese Witherspoon) that he can abuse along with mistreatment of the animals.  I’m getting sad all over again just thinking about this pitiful movie.  It is so dreadful that I laughed at the characters and made mocking noises during the ending, suspenseful scenes.  I wasn’t buying what they were selling which was an unbelievable love triangle and characters that were not worthy of redemption.  I liked the elephant. 

 

Let’s look at the numbers:  Waltz was born in 1956; Witherspoon in 1976 and Pattinson in 1986.  Yeah, right; that’s a love triangle made in heaven.  Here’s the other numbers:  two Academy Awards by Waltz and Witherspoon and one Twilight series for Pattinson.  How can you go wrong at the box office?  This movie might make a lot of money, so kudos to the producers for putting it together but I suspect that Sara Gruen, the novelist, would prefer that you read her book.

 

All three of the main actors will survive this movie; especially Pattinson who needed a role other than Edward Cullen.  And Monique H. and I had a good time at the movies in spite of this mess; we like a challenge and it makes us feel superior when we can ridicule others on the big screen.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 71.  Larry H.

 

I saw this movie on a Tuesday night at a special screening at The Edwards in Houston.  Monique H. was my date; we are celebrating 30 years of marriage – hooray for Monique and Larry H.!  Going to movies is good for a marriage.  I didn’t always think that, but now that I’m a mature young man, I see the light and all things good at the cinema. 

 

Paul Giamatti is the star of “Win Win” and is truly on a roll of hugely successful and critically acclaimed films:  Sideways (2004), TV series “John Adams,” “The Last Station,” and the very recent “Barney’s Version.”  Giamatti is in big demand and his paycheck must be skyrocketing.  He kills in this movie.

 

Giamatti, age 43, plays a small-town lawyer, Mike Flaherty, in New Jersey who is not successful in his legal practice and takes on the job of Head Coach of wrestling at the local high school to make ends meet and feed his family.   And pay the bills at his office that has a broken down copying machine and a boiler that makes loud noises during client interviews.  This movie cooks so well that the full-capacity audience at The Edwards laughed with gusto every time the boiler made its distinctive grumbling noise that echoed throughout Flaherty’s law office.    Getting a laugh from a simple burp of a boiler is the mark of an extremely well-written screenplay, outstanding direction, and great timing by the actors. 

 

The audience laughed often and throughout the movie even though much of the story involves sad and complicated issues of abandonment, dishonesty, dementia, drug addition, and desperation.   Not to worry; you can handle this movie and will enjoy it as much and Monique and I did.  This is the best movie of the year so far. 

 

Here are my criticisms:  none.  Ok, there was one: Flaherty the lawyer is depicted as perhaps not being fully honest (shady in his dealings as a guardian of an elderly client) but I can’t believe an attorney would do anything unethical.   This is where I would insert “LOL” if I was texting you. 

 

The cast was amazing.  Amy “The Office" Ryan play Mrs. Flaherty and she was funny, charming, and motherly with just the right amount of stubbornness.  Jeffrey Tambor plays Giamatti’s curmudgeon partner and assistant wrestling coach; Tambor never misses and he scores a takedown on this one.  My favorite surprise was Flaherty’s best friend and also an assistant wrestling coach Bobby Cannavale.  For a pretty boy, he was shockingly hilarious.  These three wrestling coaches were an absolute scream.

 

All the trailers and movie posters show Paul Giamatti sitting next to a blond teenage boy named Kyle (Alex Shaffer) wearing a wrestling outfit.   This is Shaffer’s first movie but it won’t be his last.  The kid can act and he was exceedingly convincing and fascinating as the wayward kid with tremendous talent who needs a loving coach to point him in the right direction. 

 

This is a Thomas McCarthy’s movie; he wrote the screenplay and directed.  He has arrived.  But the three that will get the biggest bump from this movie are:  Ryan, Cannavale, and Shaffer.  Giamatti is now a huge star and he didn’t need this movie, but it certainly will not hurt when the big box office numbers start rolling in.  Rock ‘n Roll.

 

Grade 92.  Larry H.