Germany/US) Directed by Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent. Continuing.
From Batman to Indiana Jones, the film industry has no shortage of enduring macho icons. But the James Bond franchise, with its (nearly) bi-annual returns, catchphrases and highly anticipated opening gambits, is more than an icon—it’s a year-end ritual that’s lasted for half a century. Bond films are also a celebration of a certain lifestyle; they are Esquire (or GQ) magazine made film: suits are perfectly tailored, cars are impeccably polished, drinks are ordered with a connoisseur’s flair. If 50th anniversaries and Tom Ford tuxedos don’t particularly move you, what’s left though?
Poor Bradley Cooper. Hollywood’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2011 (according to People magazine) had to executive produce his own films (this, and last year’s portentous thriller Limitless) to land serious roles. Certainly no-brainer stints in films like The A-Team and Hit & Run aren’t earning the guy any serious acting cred; hence this, a semicredible morality tale about a writer wrecked with guilt over undeserved success.
So what’s modern love all about? This poignant predecessor to Juno and (500) Days of Summer is yet another attempt to decipher the unpredictable nature of relationships and the heartaches and daily realities that come along with it. Co-written by real life exes Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the film has the former also playing the titular role. Celeste and Jesse Forever may not reinvent the rom-com genre but it’s still a delightful and well-thought-out entry into the canon.
Four random tales set in modern day Rome. Only if you’re Woody Allen can you pull off what is essentially silly romantic musings about love and life with such aplomb. It also helps that Allen is back on the big screen as his usual neurotic self—yes, it’s been done to death, but when you’re as funny as Allen, with To Rome with Love being essentially a lightweight, absurd farce (you’d be disappointed if you expect anything more)—that combination actually works wonders.
Whether you believe in vampires or not (Twilight fans not counted), the untold story of America’s greatest president Abraham Lincoln as an axe-wielding vampire killer sounds intriguing on paper. After all, the premise of a historical figure with a twisted alter ego is interesting. On the big screen however, director Timur Bekmambetov’s (Wanted) well-known kinetic visual style, featuring endless stop-motion action sequences, transposed to an ancient 1800s setting where the characters dress up like hillbillies, looks nothing short of ridiculous.
This is the kind of film that M Night Shyamalan (Lady in the Water) would have loved to make, except that J.J. Abrams, the erstwhile creator/director of “edge of your seat” TV programs like Lost and Alias, has beat him to it (with a little help from executive producer Steven Spielberg, so you should know what to expect). The result: Mind-numbingly unoriginal and bombastic kid’s entertainment that will have thinking adults (like us) combusting in our seats.
It’s rare that a trip to the cinema proves to be anything but predictable these days, so surely another outing with Po would involve jokes about gluttony, being unfit and a geeky love of martial arts, right? Well, yes, but what you don’t see in the trailer is this film’s tremendous heart.
We love Johnny Depp. We love how the man can elevate silly films (like the Pirates of the Caribbean series) to fun, frothy entertainment. And in the Golden Globe-nominated The Tourist with the always gorgeous (but predictable) Angelina Jolie, he delivers his goofy, flawless charm in spades, elevating the film from a misfire to a likeable adventure-comedy that will have you entertained from start to finish. But first, deposit your brains at the door.
That time of year has arrived once more, but as Potter fans fill theaters (too many dressed in makeshift Hogwarts robes), it is with a mix of anticipation and dread. It’s fitting then that Deathly Hallows Part 1 captures the desire and despair that comes with seeing a much-loved franchise concluded.
