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The Proposal

Movie name: The Proposal
Year of release: 2009
Director: Anne Fletcher
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White, Denis O'Hare, Malin Akerman, Oscar Nunez, Michael Nouri
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4

Synopsis:
"The Proposal" follows the story of Margaret Tate, a senior executive at a publishing house in New York. Margaret is Canadian, and is facing deportation since she didn't take care of her paperwork in time, and as a last minute resort she decides to forge a fake marriage with her personal assistant Andrew (blackmailing him to it). Andrew comes from a small town in Alaska, where his family is very well off, and both travel there to inform his family of their decision.
This is basically the premise for "The Proposal", the new film from Anne Fletcher who directed previously "27 Dresses" and "Step Up", and whose main career has been as choreographer for several films. This film in particular follows all the formulas and traditional plot points of what is commonly referred as "chick flick". What is interesting is that Peter Weir tackled a similar plot line in 1990 with his "Green Card", which was a lot more interesting and had good performances from Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell. Anne Fletcher ends up conforming to the usual cliches of the genre, and the reason the film is watchable is due to the performers, in particular Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Betty White. It's sad to see actors of the caliber of Mary Steenburgen waisted in such supporting and barely there roles, but in the end, this is a film that only allows for some mild chuckles, and that doesn't add much to the genre itself.

The Taking of Pelham 123

Movie name: The Taking of Pelham 123
Year of release: 2009
Director: Tony Scott
Stars: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli, John Benjamin Hickey, Gary Basaraba
Genre: Action, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4

Synopsis:
This is the 4th collaboration between Tony Scott and Denzel Washington, following "Crimson Tide", "Man on Fire" and "Deja Vu". With the exception of Crimson Tide, they all pretty much look and feel alike. Tony Scott has a background in commercials and video-clips, and that is something that comes across in all his films - the jump cut editing, the over saturated photography. If he sometimes produces interesting results, such as "The Hunger" and "True Romance", most of his films are mediocre where style is always treasured over substance. "The Taking of Pelham 123" is a remake of a film from 1974 with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, and follows the events that unravel when a train is taken hostage in New York. The highjackers demand a huge ransom and if their demands aren't met, they will start shooting every hostage. Walter Garber the person coordinating the train schedule and routes that day ends up being the negotiator in the entire process, and the game of cat and mouse that starts ends up with unexpected results. The film is pretty standard in it's approach, and Tony Scott tries to infuse some life to the story by fast forwarding and inserting graphical cue cards, but no matter what, the film feels stalled and lifeless. His usual visual style doesn't help the story and the actors end up being the rescuers of the whole thing. Denzel Washington, John Travolta and James Gandolfini save the film from total oblivion, but can't really make very interesting.

The Hangover

Movie name: The Hangover
Year of release: 2009
Director: Todd Philips
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham, Sasha Barrese, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken Jeong, Rachael Harris
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
Looking at the previous films from director Todd Philips' career, it comes as no surprise that "The Hangover" is another of his films. What surprises is the fact that this is actually a really funny and well done comedy. The film starts with a group of friends getting together for a bachelor party in Las Vegas. They all decide to have the time of their lives, but after the first night they wake up in their trashed out penthouse without any recollection of what happened to them. Inside the penthouse they find a baby, a tiger and not a trace of one of their friends. What they try to do is trace their actions of the previous night in order to get their friend back for him not to miss his wedding. The film could have easily been another toss away raunchy comedy about a bunch of friends in Las Vegas (Cameron Diaz was in the terrible film "What happens in Vegas", which is a good example), but Todd Philips and his writers go in a different direction. They opt with placing a group of average looking characters, all of whom are out of their wits towards what happened to them. The situations are just smartly created and the laughs come from the reactions of the characters and how over the top the situations they are involved all are. Zach Galifianakis makes a memorable character out of sheer awkward moments. A very funny film worth checking out!

Land of the Lost

Movie name: Land of the Lost
Year of release: 2009
Director: Brad Silberling
Stars: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1

Synopsis:
Brad Silberling is an interesting talent. He oscillates between more personal and independent films and big blockbusters, usually with big stars (and mediocre results). "Moonlight Mile" was a fantastic and personal film for Silberling, but since then his output has been irregular, with "Lemony Snicket's" being just an average family entertainment and "10 items or less" barely registering. "Land of the Lost" based on the TV show, is his latest offering and quite possibly is worst film. The film follows the story of Dr. Rick Marshall, who has a theory about alternate space and time and who gets ridiculed by his peers. Upon the visit of a young British scientist he sets out to investigate an area where they believe can prove his theories. Alongside Will, the responsible for a decrepit amusement park, they all end up in a parallel space and time, where they meet all sorts of interesting creatures. The problem with this film starts with the story/screenplay, that shoots off in different directions, never really creating any sort of engaging scenarios or situational comedy for that matter. The actors are somehow expected to carry the story and make something out of nothing, but even for Will Ferrell that's a lot to expect. He can only stretch idiocy so far. The film tries to showcase good special effects and a sense of humor, but both fail abysmally - the effects look cheap and the humor barely registers. The only point this gets is for Dion Beebe's photography and Bo Welch's production design. This is a film to forget.

Drag me to Hell

Movie name: Drag me to Hell
Year of release: 2009
Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao, David Paymer, Adriana Barraza, Chelcie Ross, Reggie Lee
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
"Drag me to Hell" is the latest effort from Sam Raimi, fresh off his big budget films that were the Spider Man trilogy (so far). This is in a way going back to his roots, since Raimi started his career directing the "Evil Dead" trilogy back in the 80s. "Drag me to Hell" follows the story of Christine, a young bank assistant who is vying for a higher position within the bank. She has competition from a young, ruthless colleague who just joined the bank. Christine is also trying to impress her boyfriend's parents, who vie for a woman of wealth for their son. When an elderly lady comes to the back to ask for a postponement on her mortgage, Christine decides to take a tough decision and denies the application, in hopes that will help in her bid for a higher position. The elderly lady ends up cursing Christine who has to find help in order not to be dragged to hell. The film is surprisingly well done and achieved, since Raimi knows exactly which keys to press. It breathes the spirit of B-movies, unlike the horror that is done these days which relies mostly on gore ("Saw" franchise, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and so forth). Alison Lohman plays a likeable Christine, and embarks on the trip that Raimi creates, one that is populated mostly with shadows and suggestions, presenting scares and frights with humor, as always been his trademark. This is a film well done worth checking out.

UP

Movie name: Up
Year of release: 2009
Director: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
Stars: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Delroy Lindo, Bob Peterson, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:
After the fantastic "Wall E" from 2008, the new Pixar release is a smaller story in scope, but every bit as engaging as the previous release. The film follows the story of Carl Fredricksen, a 78 year old widower who recently lost his wife and who decides to embark on a trip that he and his wife always wanted to take but never managed to. Following an altercation with a construction worker, Carl decides to make his trip happen and for that he populates his house with balloons in order to take off. Much to Carl's surprise, he finds out that when he took off, he had a small passenger with him, a young boy scout named Russell. Their adventure takes them to South America and to find a dog with a special collar and an unusual bird that develops a strange affection for Russell. The story is simple, but filled with the metaphors and analogies that have been the standard of Pixar. Their sense of humor is also fantastic, without resorting to simplistic overtones. What is consistent in Pixar films is the quality of the screenplays and the beautiful animation, which is again dazzling and superb. This is a film definitely worth watching!

Terminator: Salvation

Movie name: Terminator: Salvation
Year of release: 2009
Director: McG
Stars: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Helena Bonham Carter, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Michael Ironside, Jane Alexander, Jadagrace
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
Picking up after the events of "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" that Jonathan Mostow directed in 2003 (to mediocre results), McG picks up the action and the responsibility of making the franchise that James Cameron began in 1984, respectable and interesting. Whereas James Cameron created two action films that had the perfect combination of relentless action with character development, Jonathan Mostow went with a tone that almost made it a bit of a self parody (the concept of the female terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger too old to play the part and so forth). McG is a director whose previous experience comes from directing video clips - his features thus far, namely "Charlie's Angels" (and the sequel) and "We are Marshall" are all quite mediocre. "Terminator: Salvation" is however his best film so far. Using a script that was devised by John Brancato and Michael Ferris (with other polishes from other writers, namely Jonathan Nolan), McG creates a film that is gritty, more "realistic" in it's approach towards a post-apocalyptic world. The film follows an adult John Connor, now a senior ranking officer within the resistence, and his partner Kate, who is expecting their first baby. John is trying to save his father, Kyle Reese, now a teenager (and whom he will send to the past in order to protect his mother) from being killed by Skynet. Into this equation arrives Marcus Wright, a young man with a deadly secret that can destroy John's efforts. Thanks to a credible cast, which also includes the fantastically talented Helena Bonham Carter and Sam Worthington, McG builds a film that has non-stop action, but that doesn't feel overtly saturated with explosions (as do most of Michael Bay's films) and nonsensical plot lines. The film does falter a bit in the development of the surrounding characters, but manages to be exhilarating and well paced. It ends up being an improvement when compared with the last installment. Worth checking out!

Star Trek

Movie name: Star Trek
Year of release: 2009
Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Winona Ryder, Leonard Nimoy, Clifton Collins Jr., Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Tyler Perry, Rachel Nichols, Jennifer Morrison, Ben Cross
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
J.J. Abrams is quite possibly one of the busiest men in Hollywood these days. Besides supervising successful tv shows as "Lost" and "Fringe", he still continues to produce other films, such as last year's "Cloverfield". Abrams started his career as a screenwriter, having written "Regarding Henry" for Mike Nichols and later on evolved his career to a successful series of shows as "Felicity" and "Alias" (both of whom made stars of their leading ladies, respectively Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner). The huge box office hit that is "Star Trek" implies a good future for his directorial career, considering this is only his second film in the director's chair, after "Mission Impossible III". J.J. Abrams is clearly someone that understands the concept of entertainment and spectacle. He has worked with blockbusters before, namely "Armageddon" (for Michael Bay), but whereas those films were shallow and brought nothing forth, beyond some technical virtuosity, Abrams tries to build interesting characters, and bring some depth to them (as opposed to create cardboard characters, which is the case of all the films of Michael Bay). "Star Trek" is basically an origin film, of how the original crew of the Enterprise got chosen and picked and their first true adventure in space. Gene Roddenberry the original creator of the "Star Trek" universe would not be disappointed: the film is swift, entertaining, with great production values and special effects, something that his tv show and later on, the films, never really managed to successfully have. The only falter in the film is really the story/screenplay: all that speed hides some shallowness in the development of what could've been a far more interesting story. The characters are interesting, but most of them are sketches (I wish Winona Ryder had had more screen time, her character seemed genuinely interesting). The final result is an entertaining film, that displays an industrial savoir faire. Hopefully the following films will also bring a more personal perspective.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Movie name: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year of release: 2009
Director: Gavin Hood
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds, Lynn Colins, Kevin Durand, Taylor Kitsch, Dominic Monaghan, Daniel Henney, Tim Pocock, William Adams
Genre: Action
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:
Twentieth Century Fox holds the rights to some of the most interesting characters of the Marvel Universe, but so far, the results of the films seem to be incredibly mediocre. "Daredevil", "Elektra", "Fantastic Four 1 & 2" were all quite bad, but somehow "X-Men" and "X-Men 2", both directed by Bryan Singer were the stalwarts for good adaptations of comic books (the third episode from Brett Ratner belongs alongside the other dreadful ones). What Bryan Singer and his team of writers managed to do, particularly with the second film, was to create a coherent and well plotted film, that respected the stories of the comics, but allowed the characters to be flushed out. The character Wolverine always occupied the center stage in those films, as played by Hugh Jackman. When talks of character based films began, Wolverine seemed the perfect choice, and indeed the material is there and the character has plenty of interest to hold a good film together. What this film now released shows, is how not to create a comic book adaptation. After the interesting results of Jon Favreau with "Iron Man" and Christopher Nolan with "The Dark Night", it's with a big disappointment that Wolverine comes out. The film is an origin story, showing the character as a child, his friendship with Victor Creed and both their growth through times and wars. As they grow, their personal differences begin to show and Wolverine chooses to lead a secluded life, away from special forces or violence. But in the end, all those secrets come back to haunt him with a vengeance. What could have been a great story, ends up being a mess, with the film trying to build character development, and in the following moment introduces an action set piece that is borderline badly executed, with bad special effects. The characters go in and out without any apparent explanation and after one third of the movie has gone by, the action starts to develop, but with no coherent plot line. Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber are clearly talented actors, but there's only so much they can do. Gavin Hood is a mediocre talent, as was proven by his previous effort, "Rendition". The next one needs some serious rethinking and hopefully a good talent in the director's chair.

The Soloist

Movie name: The Soloist
Year of release: 2008
Director: Joe Wright
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Todd Hollander, Stephen Root, Justin Martin, Rachael Harris, Rob Nagle
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
Following the success of "Atonement", Joe Wright returns with another prestige film, based on the book by Steve Lopez. "The Soloist" follows the story of two men, both damaged by life, both trying to resume their paths in some way. The film starts by introducing us to Steve Lopez, a divorced journalist, trying to find a good story to report (his newspaper is cutting away on its' staff). When he accidentally meets Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless man with a strange aptitude for music, he begins researching his life and how someone that talented ended up on the streets of LA. His findings and his attempts to improve Nathaniel's life end up changing not only Nathaniel but himself. The film has a very interesting assumption, but ends up falling under the fallacy that people who have mental illnesses are somehow more sensitive and in tune with the beauty of life, than everyone else (who are too busy with mundane things). What saves the film from drowning in it's sappiness are the performances of Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr and Catherine Keener. They all create believable people, not stereotypes. Downey Jr. and Catherine Keener in particular create people who have their flaws, but who are trying to go on with their lives retaining some sense of artistic integrity and also make a difference in the world. This is a film that though with it's shortcomings has great production values, in particular the beautiful photography of Seamus McGarvey. Worth checking out.

Observe and Report

Movie name: Observe and Report
Year of release: 2009
Director: Jody Hill
Stars: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Michael Pena, Ray Liotta, Celia Weston, Patton Oswald, Dan Bakkedahl, Collete Wolfe, Alston Brown, Danny McBride
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:
Jody Hill is one of the cases where his first independent and small budgeted film got seen by the right people and placed him on the right track. "The Foot Fist Way" was a small film that showcased the talents of Danny McBride, who has since then graced films as diverse as "The Heartbreak Kid" (directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly) and "Tropic of Thunder" (directed by Ben Stiller), but it caught the attention of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, allowing Jody Hill to move to bigger adventures. His second film, "Observe and Report" stars Judd Apatow's regular collaborator Seth Rogen and the fantastic Anna Faris. The film follows a young security guard, Ronnie Barnhardt, who is desperately trying to get the attention of Brandi, a clerk on the makeup counter. Ronnie sees himself as the last stand for all that is decent and straight in law and order - the mall is his domain. When a flasher appears and starts disrupting the mall, Ronnie sees this as an opportunity to get closer to Brandi. The appearance of a relaxed police officer starts a rivalry path for Ronnie, in order to get Brandi's affections. "Observe and Report" has a tone that oscillates between the hilarious (usually when Brandi shows up) and the painful awkward (the attempts of Ronnie to be a police officer). Seth Rogen makes Ronnie a naive and eternally deluded young man, eager to make himself noticed and seen. His mom, the hilarious Celia Weston, is eternally drunk and blames him for his father leaving. The funniest moments of the film belong to Anna Faris, who makes Brandi a white trashy slut, who loves partying and drinking vodka shots. The film has it's dark moments, but somehow they never really get developed enough to resonate. As it is, this is a comedy with some bite, but that feels unbalanced and with the need of a different perspective to really push the buttons.

Monsters vs Aliens

Movie name: Monsters vs Aliens
Year of release: 2009
Director: Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Paul Rudd, Renee Zellweger, Jeffrey Tambor
Genre: Comedy, Animation, Action, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
The new animated Dreamworks picture comes in the heels of the hugely successful "Kung Fu Panda", which was released in 2008. And this year, again as last, Pixar will release their yearly film/event, this year that task falling upon "Up". "Monsters vs. Aliens" follows the life of a young woman, about to be married, who is transformed into a giant when a meteor collides with Earth. She is captured by the government and placed in a special unit, alongside other "monsters". When an alien threat appears on the horizon, the government sends this group to thwart their plans. The group eventually finds the true meaning of friendship and of belonging, no matter how different you really are. As is tradition in the Dreamworks Animation releases, the animation is fantastic and the level of detail and eye candy quite impressive. Where Dreamworks falters, when compared to Pixar, is in the narrative behind their visuals. Monsters vs Aliens brings humor (as usual), and again some pop culture references that children may miss, but is nonetheless a good effort to join the impressive library of titles that the studio already has created.

Gomorra

Movie name: Gomorra
Year of release: 2008
Director: Matteo Garrone
Stars: Salvatore Abruzzese, Simone Sacchettino, Salvatore Ruocco, Vincenzo Fabricino
Genre: Drama, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:
"Gomorra" was Italy's official Foreign film oscar entry for the 2008 Oscar competition. It's a film that brings forth the story of the crime tentacles that are spreading around that country and throughout Europe (and the world in general). There has been a tradition in detailing the Mafia and Organized Crime stories that have always existed in Italy, something that RAI explored in the 80s with the very successful TV Show "La Piovra". However Matteo Garrone goes in a different path in his approach. He focuses on a particular microcosms of life, people that are connected to directly or are somehow involved with the way organized crime is processed. His film has a documentary look and feel, very close to the lives of people that deal with these realities every day. There is nothing glamorous in this reality, no instant gratification, and the painful deaths are very real. This is a film that haunts you for what it displays and that gives you shudders for the little hope that presents in the future.

I Love You, Man

Movie name: I Love You, Man
Year of release: 2008
Director: John Hamburg
Stars: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, JK Simmons, Jane Curtin, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Sarah Burns, Thomas Lennon, Rob Huebel
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:
"I Love You, Man" follows the story of Peter Klaven, a young real estate broker, who is an all around nice guy, who proposes to his girlfriend Zooey and who has no real male friends. When Zooey and her girlfriends make some comments on how Peter does not have male friends, he decides to get help from his mom and gay brother who set him up on a couple of man-dates. These dates end up all without much success, but on one of his open houses, Peter meets Sydney, a young slacker who's out to meet some divorcees, and whose honesty and directness makes Peter immediately feel at ease. With the encouragement of Zooey, Peter starts going out more with Sydney in the hopes of having a best man for his wedding. The premise of this film is one that is rich with misshaps, and for some scenes the film succeeds in being funny, but most of the times it barely resonates. The choice of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel is spot on, since they both have come to tipify the characters they play: Rudd as the good guy who needs to get loose and Segel as the eternal slacker who needs to mature. However, unlike Judd Apatow's comedies that have a heart and a brain, this one has the willingness to debate things you don't see in romantic comedies, but it also has a lot of the Farrely Brothers school of comedy (the more "physical" part). It's a comedy that hits some spots, but one that in the end, doesn't register much.