The Hurt Locker

Movie name: The Hurt Locker
Year of release: 2008
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Christian Camargo, Evangeline Lilly
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:For such a gifted and interesting filmmaker, Kathryn Bigelow has had a low output since her career began. If her more recognizable films are "Point Break" and "Strange Days", her other efforts, namely "Near Dark" and "Blue Steel" are cult films. "The Hurt Locker" premiered at the 2008 Venice Film Festival to fantastic reviews and applause. Deservedly so - it's another fantastic film from an artist that has always tried to be original and daring in all her work.
The film follows a group of troops in Iraq that specialize in defusing bombs. The leader of the team suffers a fatal accident and his replacement, Sergeant William James, introduces a new dynamic in the way the tasks are approached. Most of the men on the team are looking forward for their rotation so they can return home. Their hopes are mostly of staying alive to go back.
The film follows the lives of these soldiers up close and personal. The film breathes the tension, fears and hopes of these young men as they risk their lives in a foreign land. The pacing feels real and does the wounds that these men suffer - we feel their anxieties and worries. The film is realistic in it's approach, but never sensationalistic. It touches you with it's emotional core and intelligence. A great film from a very underrated director.

Public Enemies

Movie name: Public Enemies
Year of release: 2009
Director: Michael Mann
Stars: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup, Stephen Dorff, Jason Clarke, David Wenham, Rory Cochrane, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, Lili Taylor, Leelee Sobieski, James Russo
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Michael Mann is one of the most interesting directors working these days. After the overlooked "Miami Vice" in 2006, Mann turned his attention to John Dillinger and to the crime wave of the 1930s (Mann has approached crime with great results in "Heat" and "Collateral"). John Dillinger had been the subject matter of John Millus' film from 1973, "Dillinger" with Warren Oates, Michelle Phillips and Cloris Leachman. The film introduces us to John Dillinger as he is breaking some associates of his from prison. Dillinger himself had been arrested for a considerable time, and goes on a bank robbing spree in Chicago. In one of his nights out, he meets Billie Frechette for whom he develops an immediate infatuation. His criminal undertakings end up bringing a lot of attention upon himself, forcing J. Edgar Hoover to declare him, public enemy number 1 and force the creation of a special task force to deal with him (and that type of crime). Leading that task force is Melvin Purvis, a resilient and resorceful agent. What follows is a game of cat and mouse, with Purvis trying to reach Dillinger as fast as possible.
"Public Enemies" has a lot going for it, from the artistry and perfectionism from the director, to the fantastic cast that has been assembled. Particularly Johnny Depp imbues the character with a mix of steel-eyed coldness and vulnerability that makes the character more three dimensional. The problems of this film are also very evident, starting from the screenplay, that introduces characters which are discarded as quickly as they appear. Some characters are also quite uni dimensional, from Melvin Purvis to Billie Frechette. You never know much about them, besides their cardboard definitions (police and girlfriend respectively). The film ends up living from the sense of urgency that creates and the impeccable production values. Worth checking out with some reservations.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Movie name: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Year of release: 2009
Director: David Yates
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Bonnie Wright, Geraldine Somerville, Jessie Cave
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:
Harry Potter number 6 finds the main characters grown up, going through adolescence, and under the grim and menacing threat of the dark lord Voldemort. The principal of Hogwarts, Dumbledore, continues to prepare Harry for a confrontation that he knows will be dangerous for him. These events lead to a sad and tragic demise at the school.
The "Harry Potter" franchise has been thus far directed by different filmmakers, with decidedly mediocre results. The films have always primed more for the production values, than for any ideas of film making. In their attempt to be so faithful to the books, the films have always felt stalled and in some cases, downright academic. Chris Columbus who directed the first two, set a pretty low bar, however David Yates with the previous "Order of the Phoenix" and particularly with this film, has managed to create a film that is entertaining and mature enough to hold interest. Again the production values are fantastic, starting with the stunning photography of Oscar nominee Bruno Delbonnel (who usually works with Jean Pierre Jeunet) and the score of Nicholas Hooper. The acting is very good, with highlights going to Alan Rickman, Michael Gambon and Helena Bonham Carter. This is a film that manages to balance the entertainment that is expected of the series, with a sophistication and expertise from a solid filmmaker. Worth checking out!

Bruno

Movie name: Bruno
Year of release: 2009
Director: Larry Charles
Stars: Sacha Baron Cohen, Gustaf Hammersten, Clifford Banagale
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4

Synopsis:
Sacha Baron Cohen is back with another provocation-film, following the huge success of "Borat", also directed by Larry Charles. Also based on a character he created as part of the "Ali G Show", Baron Cohen invests in a format close to the one that proved so successful for "Borat". "Bruno" follows the life of fashion stalwart Bruno, who is fired from his Austrian TV show after a disastrous presence in a fashion show. Bruno decides to come to America and attempt to revive his career and life and in the process become a celebrity. Accompanied by his assistant Lutz, Bruno embarks in a series of interviews and attempts at stardom that culminate in his decision to shed his "gay" persona and embark in a "straight" lifestyle. Unlike "Borat" that had a very documentarian look and feel to it, "Bruno" definitely has more of a narrative oriented goal, and the hybrid solution makes the final product lack in filmic interest. It's an interesting film in the sense that it pushes buttons, makes the viewer think and is funny in certain sections, but as an overall film experience, it leaves a lot to be desired. Sacha Baron Cohen is without a doubt a great talent, but "Bruno" is not the best showcase for it.

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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.