MAMMA MIA!

Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski. Universal. Musical Romantic Comedy.  Written by Catherine Johnson. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Based on the Songs of ABBA. Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus. 7/18/08

FILM SYNOPSIS: Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the feature-film adaptation of the musical that has been seen by more than 30 million people in 160 cities and 8 languages around the world.  An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Streep) is about to let go of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited daughter she’s raised alone.  For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie (Julie Walters) and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski)—from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos.  But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. 

REVIEW: For me, there is a saving grace in Mamma Mia! While I had to endure sloppy camera placement and unimpressive choreography, not to mention a lot of over-the-top humor (bawdiness and a naked male butt always highlight the CHICK flick), we are once again given the miraculous Meryl Streep. A fellow critic leaned over during one of Meryl’s numbers and said, “I didn’t know she could sing.” “She can do anything,” I responded. And that’s a fact. Chameleon like, Ms. Streep becomes an entirely new person with each role, while still injecting her own persona into the different characterizations. She’s witty, she touches the soul, and even in middle age, she’s always fun to look at. I remember Katherine Hepburn as astounding. Ms. Streep may be even better.

I always look forward to musicals, because they are as rare as westerns, and I like a good “chick” flick (Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Enchanted April), but along with the corruptive messages (this gal loved one of the guys, but when he left, within weeks, she slept with two others – free love and living together outside marriage are embraced in the story), Mamma Mia! was a bit too broad, a little too‘70s extravagant, with most songs accompanied by stacked shoes and multi-colored feathery boas. This is a movie women may enjoy more with their hairdressers than with their husbands.

Embarrassing moment: Pierce Brosnan “singing” SOS. I’ll give him this: he’s got more guts than James Bond.

PG-13 (several bawdy moments, mostly in the songs, with the ladies making sexual remarks / using inanimate objects as phallic symbols; a few minor expletives and I thought I heard the f-word twice, though each was mumbled; the expression “Oh My God” and variations of it are muttered at one point or another; several sexual innuendos.

Nudity: Bare male backside in one scene; a man declares that he is gay; he gets affectionate while dancing with another man; some drinking).

Running Time: 90-some
Intended Audience: Teens and older

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MARCH OF THE PENGUINS

Warner Independent Pictures and National Geographic Feature Films bring a fascinating documentary about penguins, raw nature and survival to the screen. In the Antarctic, every March, the quest begins for penguins to find the perfect mate and start a family. This courtship begins with a long journey – a trek that will take hundreds of the tuxedo-suited birds across hundreds of miles of frozen tundra to a location where the courtship will begin.

The purpose of this pair bonding is to produce new life. The film depicts how instinct is so potent in these creatures that they will risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators, not to mention brittle icy winds and unfathomable temperatures, in order to bring forth life.

At some point, the word “awesome” had been incorporated into teen colloquialism, used mostly for the trivial purpose of explaining their delight with a rap CD or an Oscar Meyer wiener. But that word was once a majestic expression applied to majestic occurrences. That’s its use here, for this an unbelievable journey and its portrait here on film is indeed an awesome depiction. Not a flawless production (it might have been more suited to an hour-long National Geographic TV special (it runs 80 minutes), but it is a fascinating, insightful and humorous production.

These birds make this tough journey, court, mate, then the female gives the egg to her monogamous counterpart (well, he’s monogamous for the year). She takes the journey back to store up on food. The male nearly dies of starvation as he incubates the egg. She returns to feed the newborn chick, he then takes the journey in order to return to feed the youngster. And this, you should excuse the expression, is just the tip of the iceberg. Their trials continue as nature does its best to destroy the entire penguin family.

Now, I’ll admit, after hearing that description (which doesn’t do the film justice), most will say, “I don’t want to see a documentary about penguins.”

Well, okay, but you’re cheating yourselves if you don’t go see it. It’s rated G and though it depicts harsh life and death struggles, it does so in a family-friendly way. It’s full of impressive, almost unworldly locations and amazing cinematography, and most importantly, it sends a powerful message concerning the importance of life. Nature is telling us about the sanctity of life.

In a time when audiences are subjected to pro messages concerning euthanasia (“Million Dollar Baby,” “The Sea Inside”), the need for abortion (“Vera Drake”), and desensitizing images of violence toward our fellow man (most films), here is a film that reveals an inbred impulse in living beings that shows creatures in the wild sacrificing all in order to preserve the life.

Though not as amazing as “Winged Migration,” it is funny, informative and impressive. A truly great outdoor film for the entire family.

“March of the Penguins” opens 7/8/05.

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MARTIAN CHILD

John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Joan Cusack. New Line. Comedy/drama. Directed by Menno Meyjes. Opens 11/02/07

FILM SYNOPSIS: A recently widowed science fiction writer forms an unlikely family with a close friend and a young boy he adopts who claims to be from Mars.

REVIEW: The concept and realization of that concept are charming. It's about two disconnected souls connecting, and contains witty dialogue, nice performances by both the star and little Bobby Coleman, and a leisurely pacing by director Menno Meyjes, which allows us to sit back and view a grownup movie.

PG (I caught no obscenity, but Jesus' name is profaned by the lead at least four times; the child is seen in a dangerous position outside a tall building; social drinking in a couple of scenes; statues of the Buddha adorn the lead's house; there's a subtle anti-Bush visual made).

Running Time: 90 min.
Intended Audience: Older teens and adults

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MEET DAVE

Eddie Murphy, Gabriella Union.  20th Century Fox.  Comedy/sci-fi.  Written by Bill Corbett, Rob Greenberg.  Directed by Brian Robbins.  7/11/08

FILM SYNOPSIS:  A miniature space group comes to Earth seeking the answer to their planet’s environmental woes.  (They certainly came to the right place.)  Their spaceship is a mechanical man they control like a robot.  Though wise, they are not accustomed to our ways and attempt to go unnoticed by earthlings while seeking solutions.

REVIEW:  The trailer didn’t do much for me and considering Eddie’s last comedy, Norbit, I wasn’t expecting much.  That is my suggestion.  Don’t expect much.  If you don’t, you’ll be somewhat relieved, surprised and amused.  Eddie’s timing, even as a mechanical man, is precise and his innate talent for humorous takes on ordinary life remains magical.  He’s a funny man.  I laughed several times, out loud. 

I suspect many fans of the Saturday Night Live player and star of 48 Hours and the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, may wish that do something with a bit more bite, but I was impressed that, with only a few exceptions, it was a clean film (read the content), the makers attempting to amuse the entire family.  Indeed, Mr. Murphy’s list of films of recent years seem geared to please all the family. 

PG (there are a couple of mild and veiled sexual innuendoes; the robot sees Earth’s currency and manufactures it within his own body, resulting the copied money is heard coming out of his rectum – he’s seen in a public restroom stall; he is also seen in the stall after winning a hotdog eating contest – we hear sound effects; kids in the audience laughed, adults groaned; I caught no objectionable language; there a few comic perilous situations, but the filmmakers handle them with a regard for the littlest audience members; one exception, the robotic character is suddenly hit by a car – this is played for laughs, but it is jolting; escaping the police, our mechanical hero shoots at objects with his finger, causing explosions; we see a cop car explode; the authorities hold Dave at gunpoint; a couple is falling in love, but no graphic sexual situations; one character comes out of the closet; though this character is played as effeminate, but there are no sexual situations, nor does he come on to those of his own sex).

Running Time: 90-some
Intended Audience: Family

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MICHAEL CLAYTON

George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack. Warner Bros. Pictures. Drama/thriller. Written & directed by Tony Gilroy. Opens 10/5/07.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house "fixer" at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. A former criminal prosecutor, Clayton takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen's dirtiest work at the behest of the firm's co-founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack). Though burned out and hardly content with his job as a fixer, his divorce, a failed business venture and mounting debt have left Clayton inextricably tied to the firm. At U/North, meanwhile, the career of litigator Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) rests on the multi-billion dollar settlement of a class action suit that Clayton's firm is leading to a seemingly successful conclusion. But when Kenner Bach's brilliant and guilt-ridden attorney Arthur Edens (Tom Wilkinson) sabotages the U/North case, Clayton faces the biggest challenge of his career and his life.

REVIEW: its insightful, nonlinear script coupled with trenchant dialogue, engaging directing and masterful performing, Michael Clayton is a masterpiece. That is said from an appreciation of the film's artistic and technical merits. Alas, my appreciation is dampened by the film's often abusive language. Don't worry, for once I won't take up your time with my frustration with the profane use of God's name, Christ's name and the ever present F-word, which dominates the palate of nearly every Hollywood artiste. Suffice it to say, the script is peppered with obscenity and profanity. If you are still bothered by offensive language, as am I, then you probably won't be satisfied with the film's artistic merits.

What a shame, because I thoroughly enjoyed the other elements of this film. The lead is drifting, finding no solace in his work or life, then suddenly finds himself head on with a dilemma whereby he can find a sort of redemption.

Mr. Clooney has never been better. Though I'm often frustrated with his political bent and the fact that he manages to follow God's name with a curse in nearly all of his films, he is truly a movie star. A throwback to old Hollywood, George Clooney reminds me of Burt Lancaster in that he has rugged good looks, a strong persona, a moving talent and a regard for social issues. What's more, I hear he's a nice guy. And he is in fine form here. But doggone it, it's hard to get past that constant misuse of God's name. I know that saying, "Pray for George Clooney" sounds pious to some and corny to some others, but to me he represents all of those in Tinseltown who have been blessed with looks, talent and success, yet seem to disregard a need for Christ's salvation. I don't want to think of him or Britney Spears or Barbra Streisand or anyone else who has entered our consciousness via the entertainment mediums having to face eternity without our Lord's redemption. Again, may this not sound sanctimonious, but perhaps when we see their flagrant disregard for spiritual matters, we should be reminded of those in our daily life who also need spiritual discovery. And then offer up a prayer of gratitude that we have been forgiven for our own misdeeds.

R (around 30 obscenities, mostly the f- and s-words, but with a few other crude terms; around 16 profanities, split mainly between an irreverence for God and an abuse of Christ's name; we see a man overpowered and murdered by an injection; we see a jolting car explosion; there are several very offensive sexual discussions and terminology; these come from a man who is losing his mind; some drinking and smoking).

Running Time: Nearly 120 min.
Intended Audience: Adults.

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MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY

Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Shirley Henderson, Lee Pace, Mark Strong.  Focus Features.  Comedy/drama.  Written by Simon Beaufoy, David Magee.  Directed by Bharat Nalluri.  Opens 3/7/08.

FILM SYNOPSIS:  It’s 1939 London, and a recently dismissed governess seizes an opportunity by taking the job of a “social secretary” for a flamboyant American actress.  It’s a whirlwind adventure.  The wannabe star is having affairs with three men, one a producer she sleeps with to get a career, one she sleeps with to get a good apartment and one she sleeps with because he loves her.  The Prim and proper Miss Pettigrew has her work cut out for her as she tries to straighten out her ambitious but misguided mistress.

REVIEW:  There’s an old English TV series, Jeeves and Wooster, about an unflappable servant and his befuddled employer.  Hugh Laurie from House played the dimwitted gent Bertie Wooster in the finely adapted 1980s series based on P.G. Wodehouse’s witty series of books.  I don’t expect many readers know about the show, as most of my colleagues weren’t even familiar with it.  I wish you were because my analysis depends on it.  You’ll just have to trust me when I say Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day is the feminine answer to those comic stories.  Just not as good.

Where Jeeves served his master in the 1920s England, Miss Pettigrew guides her mistress through the equally delusionary days just before WWII.  Frances McDormand is perfect in her role as the helpful hireling.  And the message is sound: it’s better to wed someone who loves you than to seek happiness with a rich person who’ll cheat on you.  Okay, it doesn’t seem profound.  But evidently there are those who pay the moral no mind.

In the Wodehouse books the satire is funny, but also biting.  Some of that seeped over into the television program, which ran for four years until both its stars decided to break out.  In this production, based on the novel by Winifred Watson, satire, like wit, always takes a backseat to bawdiness.  Certainly, bawdiness was evident in Wooster and Jeeves, but due to the decorum of the author’s time and the forum of 1980s television, risqué humor had to be handled with discretion. 

Though I like Amy Adams, here she acts like an escapee from a Disney cartoon.  She tweets and twitters around like, well, an animated princess suddenly thrust into a live action world.  She was perfect in Enchanted.  Here, she’s not shallow, which the role demands, she’s just cartoonish. 

The look, the music, and Ms. McDormand, as a cross between Mary Poppins and the mother of Oliver Twist, are the reasons to see this one.  But check out the content before deciding.  Some may object to the bawdy drawing room comedy.

PG-13 (a few sexual crudities; several minor expletives (damns, hells) but I caught no obscenity; one profane use of God’s name by Ms. Adams; a fist fight between two men – played for laughs; a bloody nose from the fight; it is implied that Ms. Adams’ character sleeps with just about anybody who can either further her career or supply clothing; partial female nudity as Ms. Adams gets out of a tub; a man is seen naked in bed from behind; lots of social drinking). Running Time: 101 min. Intended Audience: Adults

DVD Alternatives:  Emma.  Gwyneth Paltrow stars in this period romance about a self assured young woman who turns matchmaker for her little English village.  Although a most likable Cupid, she is often off the mark.  The teen comedy, “Clueless” was inspired from this Jane Austen novel.  Not quite in the league with “Sense and Sensibility,” but all of a sudden, about half way through, I was hooked.  Beautiful to look at, amusing to listen to, and oh, yeah, nothing explodes!  PG (I found nothing objectionable - no off-color language, no sexual situations, no violence). 
Or:
I.Q.  Walter Matthau, Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins.  In this romantic comedy,  Albert Einstein (Matthau) has fun putting aside his physics to play Cupid for his pedantic niece and the local good guy/car mechanic.  Romantic, literate and downright funny.  PG (one scene features sexual double entendre and there are two mild expletives, but I caught no sexual situations, violence, or obscene language). 
Or:
Princess Caraboo. A mysterious woman convinces the British well-to-dos that she is a princess from a far-off land. A most entertaining fairy tale, based on a true story.  Phoebe Cates, Kevin Kline.  Rated PG.

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MISS POTTER

Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson, Barbara Flynn, Bill Paterson, Lloyd Owen. MGM. Writer Richard Malby Jr. Director Chris Noonan. Opens12/29/06.

SYNOPSIS: Beatrix Potter has delighted generations of children with her books. But she kept her own private life locked carefully away. Oscar-winning star Renee Zellweger is now bringing her secret story to the screen in Miss Potter, the first film directed by Chris Noonan since his charming 1995 movie, Babe. It is set in the high summer days of late Victorian and Edwardian England, during which Beatrix develops her natural skills as artist and story-teller. When she finally publishes her debut book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, she becomes a writing celebrity. It also leads to courtship and her first love with publisher Norman Warne, played by Ewan McGregor. Their relationship and his marriage proposal in July, 1905, was to change Beatrix’s life for ever.

It was a love she could not announce - or even talk about. In high-society London, her parents had insisted she keep it from friends and neighbors. They considered her proposed wedding a mismatch. Warne, they said, was from “trade” and demanded that she carefully reconsider their life together. Beatrix allowed herself to be persuaded to leave her fiancé and London. It was supposed to be a time for reflection and calm. But, instead, she faced tragedy and loneliness, and returned with a different outlook. She became a woman of strong views and independence. She also built up a farming dynasty in the Lake District - a dynasty over which she took charge long after her writing career virtually ended in 1913. It established her as a woman ahead of her time.

Despite becoming the world’s most successful children’s writer and a wealthy landowner and prize-winning farmer, she never forgot her first love.

REVIEW: Your mission, ladies, should you decide to accept it, is to convince your husbands that this film is a prequel to the Harry Potter series – and not a “chick flick.” (This minor deception should not be tried upon your 14-year-old sons, as they will turn on you, much like ravenous wolves.) It is believed that the men folk will enjoy this production once they are tricked into attending. (After all, I am a man – and all my heroes are cowboys).

It is beautifully photographed, with a witty and sharply written script. Ms. Zellweger plays her part well as an independent woman in an era when that outlook was shunned. What’s more, she radiates joy as a woman who discovers self-respect and one who lives to see her work appreciated. On top of that, Miss Potter is the most romantic film of the year. (Bring hankies – one for you, and yes, one for him).

As always, should you be caught or found out at any point during this Harry Potter pretense, the Movie Reporter will disavow any knowledge of your mission. Good luck. This review will self-destruct in 15 seconds.

PG (Social drinking at a party; there is a tragedy, as a loved one suddenly dies; this is followed by a period of grief, but the film sends a positive message about dealing with loss; this is followed by a sublimely happy ending). Running Time: 92 min. Intended Audience: Girls and their moms - and sensitive dads.

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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III

Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q. Paramount Pictures. Action/adventure. Written by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & J. J. Abrams. Directed by J. J. Abrams. Opens 5/5/06

Tom Cruise returns as Special Agent Ethan Hunt, who faces the mission of his life when his bride to be is kidnapped by a vengeful super crook, a madman attempting to develop a computer virus that will not only destroy the Internet, but mankind as well.

This Mission has had more obstacles than found in the entire TV series. Directors and cast came and went out of creative differences, the studio moved its intended 2005 release nearly a year beyond, and many in the industry began to wonder if the star’s erratic personal behavior would hurt the film’s boxoffice. To top it off, now that we can see it, the writers of the convoluted script expect us to disavow any connection with plausibility. Trying to make sense out of the convoluted script would take a special decoder device evidently handed out only to the film’s producer. That said, this is the best action adventure film I’ve seen in years.

Special effects abound, the action is breakneck, and its star remains charismatic, with a seductive smile granted by the gods of Thespian only to movie stars. And of course, there’s that score. The Mission Impossible theme remains one of the best, topped only by 007’s. The arrangement/orchestration here may even be better than the original. Lively, intense, the film accomplishes its mission. However, please read the content before deciding to attend.

PG-13 (4 obscenities, 2 minor expletives and 2 profanities, one spoken by the film’s star;
there’s a great deal of intense frenetic action involving brutal beatings, countless people killed by gunfire, and some disturbing imagery, as two women are held captive and subjected to harsh torture; the villain is also placed in a perilous situation where he is dangled from the bottom of jet; the action sequences become somewhat nerve-wracking; several people are wounded, their clothing spotted by blood; one steamy sex scene between the lead and his fiancée; the unwed couple live together).

Video Alternative: If you do not wish to support a film containing the profane use of God’s name, try renting the 1965 espionage caper, The Ipcress File with Michael Caine. Although it suggests some sexual activity, it doesn't bombard your senses with a lot of rough language or sexuality like much of today's cinema, but rather focuses on a great spy story.

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MONGOL

Tadanobu Asano.  Picturehouse.  Foreign action/bio from Russian director Sergei Bodrov.   6/20/08

FILM SYNOPSIS:  Recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world, including Russia, in 1206.

Based on scholarly accounts and written by Sergei Bodrov and Arif Aliyev, Mongol delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the Mongolian ruler.  As it follows Temudgin from his perilous childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the film paints a multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror.  The film shows us the foundation on which so much of his greatness rested: his relationship with his wife, Borte, his lifelong love and most trusted advisor. 

REVIEW: For such a long film (126 min.) it leaves out such details as how Temudgin (later dubbed Genghis Kahn) became a warrior with the combined skill of Bruce Lee and Patton.  Much of the film he is seen as a captured slave, often with a yoke around his neck.  Suddenly we see him in battle behaving like a Marvel superhero.  Then there’s the slow pacing, so out of step with the sensibilities of today’s targeted audience, and the slow-mo battle sequences containing blood spraying and bodies twisting ala Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch.  These are turnoffs and setbacks which may cause a quick death at the American box office.  A shame, because despite these shortcomings, it’s the best film I’ve seen so far this year.  Reason: the visceral and poetic nature of Sergei Bodrov and Arif Aliyev’s storytelling.  It’s simply mesmerizing, and fascinating to look at, with its Doctor Zhivago like cinematography.

The technical and artistic achievements are award-worthy, filmed in the very lands where the world conqueror became legend.  Director Sergei Bodrov, who won Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his acclaimed drama Kavkazsky Plennik/Prisoner of the Mountains in 1996, transports us to an exotic locale and period in world history, filming what reportedly is to be the first in a Genghis Kahn trilogy.

R (three obscenities; there are several battle sequences and some harsh treatment of captured slaves-to-be; blood is seen in every battle, some sprayed about much the way Sam Peckinpah introduced the visual in The Wild Bunch; a sex scene between a married couple is played in silhouette; it’s brief and not exploitive, but represents their love and union; brief shot of topless woman bathing; after battles men are seen drunk; the lead character prays to his god; a mystical wolf appears and sets him free from bondage – but the spiritual element is not portrayed with much credibility).

Running Time: 124 min.
Intended Audience: Older teens and above

     DVD Alternatives:  El Cid.  Charlton Heston as the legendary hero who drove the Moors from Spain.  Great spectacle (without being too gruesome), with a literate script and lovely score.  A newly remastered edition features commentaries and featurettes.
Or:
     Spartacus.  Kirk Douglas stars as a slave who heads a rebellion against the tyranny of Rome. It contains terrific acting, score and theme, and in Spartacus, when you see legions of soldiers on the battlefield – they are real, not computer generated.

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MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY

Rowan Atkinson, Emma de Caunes and Willem Dafoe.  Universal.  Comedy.  Written by Hamish McColl and Robin Driscoll.  Directed by Steve Bendelack.  8/24/07

FILM SYNOPSIS:  Rowan Atkinson returns to the iconic role that made him an international star in Mr. Bean’s Holiday.  In his latest misadventure, Mr. Bean—the nearly wordless misfit who seems to be followed by a trail of pratfalls and hijinks—goes on holiday to the French Riviera.  But his trip doesn’t go as smoothly as he had hoped when the bumbling Bean falls face first into a series of mishaps and fortunate coincidences, far-fetched enough to make his own avant-garde film.  Wrongly thought to be a kidnapper due to communication difficulties, he has some serious explaining to do after wreaking chaos across the French countryside and arriving at his vacation spot with a Russian filmmaker’s precocious son and an aspiring actress in tow. 

REVIEW:  Though Atkinson’s Mr. Bean has often been compared to Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp, for me the character, with his muttered, incoherent speech and weird demeanor, has always come across like a creepy version of Jerry Lewis.  His central gag is that while his misadventures cause havoc, he remains oblivious to his error-prone deeds.  When he does notice the caused confusion, he seems uncaring with the result.  But it is a style he’s managed to build into a lengthy career, like Paul Reubens did with his Pee-wee Herman.  Those in America unfamiliar with Atkinson’s shtick sometimes wonder if the character is supposed to be mentally challenged.  Indeed, a lady sitting next to me at the press screening asked, “Is he retarded?”  “No, he’s English,” was my reply.  My attempt at humor seemed to further confuse her, as if the malady was a characteristic of the British, much like the erroneous idea that they all have bad teeth.

The paper-thin plot has Mr. Bean attaining a winning raffle ticket for a trip to the beach at Cannes.  Even before the number is called, his bad luck begins, letting the audience know that this is supposed to be a slapstick comedy, something not to be taken seriously.  He loses his passport, causes people to miss their train, dumps uneaten oysters into a woman’s purse, inadvertently destroys a filmmaker’s set, and pursues a chicken whose claw has attached itself to his train ticket.

At first I was put off with the bizarre nature of the lead character, and the audience seemed unsure of the comic’s ability to amuse for an hour and a half.  I thought it strange that the filmmakers injected a boy into the storyline, in which the seemingly unstable Bean would have to perform a great deal of buffoonery.  But quickly it becomes clear that Mr. Bean is a protector of the child. Realizing he’s no threat to kids, we are then able to enjoy their antics together.  And once the beautiful Emma de Caunes is introduced, we also realize that Bean is much taken with the opposite sex (though sexuality in the film is dealt with delicately, assuring a G rating).

It’s a mixed bag, incorporating a leisurely pacing with Wile E. Coyote temperament. Though the comic has incredible timing and an awkward athleticism that allows him to behave like a cartoon, some of his routines seemed tired, overdone, while others just seemed eerie.  For instance, at one point he dumps raw oysters into a lady’s purse, and then runs away before his horrified victim discovers her cell phone covered with the seafood.  Another visual gag is extremely dark in nature as Bean keeps dialing phone numbers, attempting to locate the boy’s father.  One such call results in a suicidal man jumping from a bridge.  It’s played for laughs.  The audience thought it was funny.  It wasn’t funny.  

That said, most of the film seems to have a child-like quality, even a sweet-spirited agenda.  Eventually the audience and I warmed to both the silly character and the even sillier story.  The film has been a winner in Europe.  Now we shall see how Mr. Bean enjoys his holiday in the States.

G (several slapstick situations, but most of the action is cartoonish and without malice.  The one major exception is a suicidal man seen jumping off a bridge;  we do not learn if he dies from the fall; a couple of minor sight gags, but no graphic sexual situations; though nothing is to be taken seriously, the lead is seen “borrowing” things that don’t belong to him; invariably, they are destroyed because of his actions).

Running Time:  88 min.
Intended Audience: Family

DVD Alternative:  The Party.  Peter Sellers stars as a good-hearted bumbler who accidentally destroys a movie set, and then manages to do the same to a fancy party given by the film’s producer.  There are a few risqué moments, but it is pretty tame by today’s standards.  And extremely funny and good-natured. Sellers is terrific.  This one is more for adults than Mr. Bean’s Holiday, but far funnier.

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MR. BROOKS

Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Danielle Paabaker, Marg Helgenberger, Dane Cook. MGM. Written by Bruce Evans, Raynold Gideon. Directed by Bruce Evans. Opens 6/1/07.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner) is a loving family man and local business icon. But Mr. Brooks is also a serial killer. Struggling with this pathology, he tries to quit, but his alter-ego, “Marshall” (William Hurt), has an altogether different idea. “Marshall” enjoys his “existence” and his “work.” Tenacious Detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore), battling with her own demons, is frustrated at the lack of clues left by the mysterious killer. And when Brooks is compelled to perform one last murder, he is seen by a voyeuristic neighbor. The prying neighbor, Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), has an unusual and disturbing blackmail demand – he wants to commit a murder along with Mr. Brooks. To complicate matters even further, Brooks’ daughter, Jane (Danielle Panabaker), has a sick secret of her own. She also enjoys the thrill of the kill.

REVIEW: This may be Mr. Costner’s best performance, intense, controlled, and mesmerizing. The story, though over the top (three serial killers for the price of one), is nonetheless suspenseful, even terrifying. And the premise is unnerving – an upper crust, praying family man likes to sneak out at night and murder unsuspecting strangers. This guy is beloved in the community and by the wife who thinks he’s off working in his pottery studio while he’s actually breaking into locked houses with the ease of a Mission Impossible regular and shooting people in their beds. Doesn’t get any creepier than that. Therefore, it should satisfy those looking for a scary two hours at the movies.

That said, I have a couple of problems with the film. Along with having to sit through the usual R-rated explicit content, which is neither creative nor soul satisfying, the film puts the notion in your head that each nice person you meet may in fact harbor a dangerous secret side. And it freaks me out to see a character on screen praying for release of his “addiction” then going out and blasting someone he’s been stalking. Are we supposed to relate to this goof simply because we all have undisclosed faults or fantasies?

In my middle-age, I’ve become suspicious of the motives of moviemakers. From years of studying movies and their makers, I get the feeling that some in that industry relish the exploitation of a religious person who is discovered to be a wrongdoer. Perhaps the film’s intent is not so covert. Maybe the fact that Mr. Brooks prays for release from this thrill is used to further unnerve the audience, not denounce religion. But have you noticed, these found-out hypocrites in the movies are never followers of Buddha or Gandhi? It’s always a conservative Christian who turns out to be the real threat. Jesus and those who have lived – and died – for their faith deserve better than “entertainment” that ignores their story in favor of a demoniac’s.

Video Alternative: HARVEY. Here’s a story about another guy with a secret alter ego. James Stewart, Josephine Hull (Best Actress Oscar), Cecil Kellaway, Jesse White. A gentle soul by the name of Elwood P. Dowd likes everybody–including his invisible six-foot rabbit, Harvey. Very funny and very touching.

Mr. Brooks is rated R (a couple of crude sexual comments; around 30 obscenities, mainly the f-word from Mr. Hurt and Ms. Moore; 6 profane uses of God’s name and Christ’s; several very disturbing graphic murders, including point blank shootings, dangerous car chases and one poor soul getting stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors; another victim is beaten with a shovel – that gets real messy; Blood, oh, a lot of blood; one explicit sex act; the killer derives sexual satisfaction from killing and inflicting pain; one scene has full nudity)

Running Time: Around two hours.
Intended Audience: Adults

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MR. MAGORIUM’S WONDER EMPORIUM

Dustin Huffman, Natalie Portman, Jason Bateman.  Fox/Walden.  Family fantasy comedy drama.  Written & directed by Zach Helm.  Opens 11/16/07.

FILM SYNOPSIS:  Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is the strangest magic toy store in the world.  For one thing, everything in it comes to life - including the store itself.  The Emporium only asks one thing of its customers: you must believe it to see it.  As the fantastical Mr. Magorium decides it’s time to move on (and by that I mean its time to go to Heaven) he wants to give his magical store to his devoted employee.  But she feels inadequate to take his place.  And now there’s this little friendless boy and an overworked tax consultant.  Lessons must be learned.  And Mr. Magorium will leave them with a great lesson, a great gift: “Your life is an occasion, rise to it.”

REVIEW:  The obvious comparison would be Willie Wonka and his chocolate factory.  But that film was much darker.  This one, though it deals with the passing of the aged Mr. Magorium, mixes whimsy with an underlying melancholy that gives the film dimension.  It’s an allegory, reminding viewers of the need to believe in ourselves.  What’s more, the parable deepens, telling us that magic can be found all around and warning not to overlook those wonders.  As Auntie Mame once told moviegoers, “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!”

Alas, like Willie Wonka’s universe, this one seems unwilling to pay homage to the biblical Creator.  For instance, when one character says Magorium is going to Heaven, Mr. Magorium is quick to call Heaven by different New Age names.  I wouldn’t be looking for a specific acknowledgement of the true Creator in this film, but I think children can identify with the lonely boy who wants to express himself as an individual, yet be loved by others.  And adults can be reminded by the film of the wondrous journey we are on.

Here’s how it affected me.  There’s a tree just outside my office window.  And right now it is ablaze with Fall’s glory.  Each leaf is a mix of translucent gold and vivid red.  The tree is perfectly shaped as if it belonged outside Snow White’s cottage.  The movie has reminded me to be cognizant of that tree.  It really is something.  It stands there proud, aware that it’s doing its job well.  I’m thankful to God for that tree and later today, I’m going to spend a few minutes with it.  No, I haven’t gone goofy, it’s just that while the TV networks and Bill O’Reilly are constantly telling of travesties by and to mankind, nature is reminding us that despite our folly, God is in control, and that one day all will be well.

That’s not a bad moral to learn from a family-aimed movie.

G (though the store, which seems to have a life of its own, begins to turn gray, angry that Mr. Magorium is going away; Mr. Magorium dies, but it is handled discretely; that said, a parent should be there to reassure little ones).  

Running Time: 90 min.
Intended Audience: Family

MONSTER HOUSE

Voices: Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Jason Lee, Catherine O’Hara, Kathleen Turner, Fred Willard, Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke. Sony Pictures/Columbia. Kids’ comedy/horror. Written by Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, Pamela Pettler. Directed by Gil Kenan (his directorial debut). 7/21/06

In this digitally animated spooky comedy, three kids battle a mysterious house that supernaturally comes to life and threatens anyone who crosses its path.

Witty, scary, it’s a graveyard smash, but something unnerved me about Monster House. With this anthropomorphic house putting children in constant peril, director Gil Kenan crams in as much scariness as the PG rating will allow. Though it’s a wild ride for older kids, I was dismayed to see little ones at the screening. True, none had to be led from the theater while in tears; still, I kept wondering why parents would bring a four- or five-year-old to a movie that had to be scaring the Jujubes out of them. We adults have become so desensitized by the media, I sometimes think many moms and dads are simply unaware what such brutal imaging can do to the psyche of preschoolers. It’s a good film; one that teaches positive lessons about caring for others and doing the right thing, but it isn’t for preschoolers.

PG (one crude word; the boys, too frightened to leave their room, have evidently used a bottle to urinate in; this bottle is seen a couple of times; there is a joke about vomiting; there is some crude humor from the lead’s friend, but mostly the film gets its rating for scary sequences and thematic elements; at one point one of our frightened heroes repeats the phrase “oh my god” several times; the film is jam packed with spooky imagery that may alarm little ones, including a house that comes to life and eats people; the three lead kids are on their own and in constant peril; an old man, looking demonic in opening scenes, is killed – or so we think, with the lead boy believing he caused the death; this same old man is seen grieving over his dead wife – a corpulent woman once caged as a freak at a carnival; it is her soul that has possessed the house; this huge, deceased woman is found in the basement, buried in cement).

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MOONDANCE ALEXANDER

On April 29th  Fox Home Entertainment releases Moondance Alexander, a great outdoor adventure for the entire family.

FILM SYNOPSIS:  Life is a rough ride for awkward, friendless, 12-year-old Moondance.  But when a Pinto pony named Checkers leaps into her life, the young girl pursues a dream she never knew she had.  Convinced that Checkers has champion potential, she enters him in the Bow Valley Classic, and in the process learns that only perseverance lands you in the winner's circle.

Inspired by a true story, the cast includes Kay Panabaker (Nancy Drew, Summerland), Don Johnson (Tin Cup, Miami Vice), Lori Loughlin (Summerland, Full House) and Olympic skating silver medalist Sasha Cohen (Blades Of Glory, Bratz). 

The film showcases an inspirational message of standing by one’s heart and convictions, regardless of the challenges or resistance from other forces that attempt to hinder that vision. Moondance Alexander garnered numerous awards in 2007 including the Dixie Film Festival Award for Best Feature Film and Outstanding Actor/Actress in a Motion Picture, the LA Femme Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay by Michael and Janeen Damian and the Newport Beach Film Festival Award for Best Family Feature Film. The Moondance Alexander DVD features a Laura Wright music video, behind the scenes with cast interview featurette.

REVIEW:  There’s just no shortage of a-girl-and-her-horse movies, beginning with National Velvet, which exemplifies the genre.  Well, this one’s not quite in the same league, but I have nothing negative to say about Moondance.  Young Kay Panabaker is charming, and from what I can tell, a good rider (I used to ride, myself).  The locations are beautiful, some breathtaking, the story-telling is done with regard for family members of all ages (in other words, it’s clean), and positive messages abound.  I especially loved Don Johnson’s line to his young charge when he overhears snobbish girls slight her; “You know why they’re putting you down?  Cause they’re not sure of themselves.”  The message helps kids understand one of the motives of the school bully.

A great outdoor adventure for the entire family.  Phil Boatwright, Preview On Line
Not rated, I caught nothing objectionable.

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MOTHER THERESA (DVD)

DVD release from 20th Century Fox comes to DVD June 13, 2006.

"The most spiritually uplifting film since The Passion of the Christ."
Phil Boatwright, The Movie Reporter

Often, when Hollywood attempts a project about a person of faith, the lead becomes the focus, relegating Christ to the sideline. We can’t help but think of how great that individual was, because he or she is portrayed as so devout. Upon examination of the lives of true giants of the faith, however, it is quickly evident that all glory given them is lifted up to where it truly belongs. What makes this coverage of Mother Teresa’s life stand out is the fact that Jesus, though in proxy, is the main character. While this little nun from India was a lighthouse, Jesus is the light. That’s clear in this film. Though we see her determination and willingness to defeat every obstacle, there is a clarity of God’s power, love and involvement in each situation once she resolves to do His will.

The production values are a bit shaky, especially in the beginning, but soon the love of Christ and this woman’s openness to His leading overshadows production values, performances and all else. Make no mistake, Olivia Hussey – who mesmerized moviegoers in 1968 at the age of 15 in Franco Zeffirelli’s version of Romeo and Juliet – hits all the right chords; her performance is pitch perfect. But it is Mother Teresa’s faith and God’s response to that trust that is the film’s testament. The film, indeed, her life, is a reminder that we will face troubles, more so because we are His followers, but He walks beside us through each valley.

Though our goal should always be to seek things eternal, occasionally a person is brought into our world to remind us of that goal. Mother Teresa cared for the forgotten, the unwanted, the untouchables. The Holy Spirit told her to do that and she acted upon His command and guidance. Her life and this film about her life are testimonies to the power and wonder of our Creator.

Not rated. Fox Home Entertainment. 114 min.

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MUST LOVE DOGS

Diane Lane, John Cusack, Dermot Mulroney, Elizabeth Perkins, Stockard Channing, Christopher Plummer. Warner Bros. Romantic Comedy. W&D-Gary David Goldberg. Opens 7/29/05

A newly divorced woman reenters the dating scene with the enthusiastic but often misguided help of her well-meaning family.

Sharp and witty dialogue highlights this romantic comedy, but much of the humor stems from sexual innuendo. What’s more, the film is devoid of a biblical concept of sexual morality. Not only has sex outside marriage become an accepted practice in our culture, the film makes it seem as if sex on a first-time date is common practice.

Although it keeps bringing up the dishonesty that is rampant in the dating world, (finding dates on the Internet is a dubious practice as no one is telling the truth, including our heroine), still the lead character is willing and matter-of-factly rushes into sexual encounters with the men she barely knows. Yes, I said men. She can’t make up her mind, so she has sex, or tries to, with two men, as if taking a new car for a test drive. During one sexual encounter with a guy she has gone out with twice, the couple frustratingly discovers that neither has a condom. This leads to racing around the city of Los Angeles in desperate need to purchase said item. Their attempts are thwarted. Besides the implausibility of a couple unable to purchase condoms in the city of Los Angeles, the message is sent that it’s okay to have sex with someone you barely know just so long as you apply “safe” sex rules.

Her father, a recent widower, dates several women all at once. Feeling desperate, these women accept this condition. When confronted by his daughter concerning this uncaring attitude, he confides that he had his one great love, now he’s just trying to deal with his loneliness. The dialogue and the nice performance by Christopher Plummer make his self-centeredness sound reasonable.

Then there is the main character’s close friend, a homosexual who lives with his boyfriend. The film, like so many available to moviegoers these days, trivializes homosexual relationships and deals with these couplings in a cartoonish manner. Once again, Hollywood is saying we must accept this form of sexual partnership, while at the same time using these relationships as a comic device. Though this lifestyle is challenged both in the Old and New Testaments, the clumsy message here is that the sexual rights of individuals are primary and should be accepted by all. In Hollywood this new morality is to be accepted – or else.

Ms. Lane has addressed the same subject matter in several of her pictures, evidently in hopes of spreading a secular approval of free and unaccountable sexual lifestyles. I’m sure she feels she is being responsible and caring, but these scripts run contrary to biblical principals.

PG-13 (one profanity, one obscenity and several minor expletives, the film mainly receives its rating for sexual suggestiveness, innuendo and situations, sex outside marriage and homosexuality).

Video Alternative: I.Q. Walter Matthau, Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins. Albert Einstein has fun putting aside his physics to play Cupid for his pedantic niece and the local good guy/car mechanic. Romantic, literate and downright funny. PG (one scene features sexual double entendre and there are two mild expletives, but I caught no sexual situations, violence, or obscene language).

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