CONTINUING
Here are selected minireviews of films in theaters, listed alphabetically. Ratings range from zero to four stars.
“Babel”
DRAMA|*** 1/2|R|The director who brought us the cohesive chaos of “21 Grams” and “Amores Perros” takes his philosophy of inter-connectedness around the globe. Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu believes in following the widespread consequences of one random act of violence, and the results here are typically spectacular. Morrocan boys fire a rifle into the distance and nearly kill tourist Cate Blanchett; her husband (Brad Pitt) scrambles to find her a doctor while back in Los Angeles, his nanny takes the kids on a harrowing trip to Mexico. In Japan, the original owner of the rifle copes with his own family problems. The acting performances are powerful, and frequently moving to the point of tears. (Michael Booth)|135 minutes
“Borat”
COMEDY|*** 1/2|R |What’s the word somewhere between outrageous and unredeemable? Sacha Baron Cohen takes his fake-Kazakhstan journalist character so deep into racism, sexism, any kind of -ism, you have to follow wholeheartedly or give up and walk out. Using comic confrontations with real people, Cohen gives narrow-minded Americans just enough rope to hang themselves with. Parents should know it’s one of the crudest movies released in years – it often makes “Jackass” look erudite – though this reviewer found it irresistibly hilarious. (Booth)|77 minutes
“The Departed”
CRIME DRAMA|***|R|Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon bring edge and finesse to the tarnished fellas they play in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed.” Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is a state cop rookie who never walks a beat before he’s plunged into an identity-snuffing undercover job, working for Boston mobster Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Damon brings more than a bit of Tom Ripley to his portrayal of the talented Detective Colin Sullivan, who surreptitiously keeps surrogate dad Costello informed. With flashes of razor-sharp dialogue by William Monahan, and a pack of guys who can wield the rough langauge to brutal and amusing effect (Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin, in particular), “The Departed” doesn’t approach Scor-
sese greatness. Still, it flexes performances by two young actors strong enough to counter Nicholson’s impressively repellent portrayal of Costello. (Lisa Kennedy)|135 minutes
“Flags of Our Fathers”
WAR DRAMA|*** 1/2|R|Based on James Bradley and Ron Powers’ best seller, “Flags of Our Fathers” follows the three surviving flag raisers made famous by Joe Rosenthal’s photo “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.” Bereft of their three other comrades, they climb an ersatz Mount Suribachi. They traverse the nation selling war bonds. They flashback to the carnage that has them proclaimed heroes. Few directors capture America’s contradictions the way Eastwood does. With a sturdy ensemble that includes Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and a breakout performance by Adam Beach as the Pima Indian Ira Hayes, he compassionately engages themes of heroism (real and imagined), patriotism (earnest and manipulated), duty to country and love of battlefield comrades. (Kennedy)
|132 minutes
“Flushed Away”
CG TOON|***|PG|From the glorious nation of Kazakhstan comes the heart-warming tale of a pet mouse….Wait wrong movie. “Flushed Away” may have a bathroom-humor title, but the characters’ dental work gives it away. This is Aardman territory (the Wallace & Gromit folks) with the ooomph of DreamWorks CG muscle. When Roddy St. James (Hugh Jackman) takes an unexpected porcelain ride into London’s sewer system, he lands in a rat-infested metropolis full of characters and mischief. Toad (Ian McKellen) is trying to retrieve from scavenger rat Rita (Kate Winslet) a goodie he needs to carry out a very bad deed. Indeed. Written with the snap and pop of wet towel in a locker-room, “Flushed Away,” has fine banter for adults and plenty of inventive action – and serenading slugs – for the kids. (Kennedy)|84 minutes
“A Good Year”
ROMANTIC COMEDY|** 1/2|PG-13|The words “Russell Crowe” and “lighthearted provincial comedy” rarely blend well. Crowe tries his hardest, but the strain of the work shows through in this unfocused, mildly amusing fish-out-of-water story. Crowe plays rich London bond trader Max Skinner, who is left a Provence vineyard by his old tomcat uncle (Albert Finney). Subplots are introduced and then dropped, and Crowe has too many women to chase to make the happy ending very satisfying. Both Crowe and director Ridley Scott are better with tough-guy (or tough-gal) movies. (Booth)|110 minutes
“Harsh Times”
DRAMA|***|R|An intriguing look at the chasm between the worlds of urban gang violence and the police forces that attempt to control it. Christian Bale stars as a troubled ex-Army Ranger, recently discharged, who returns to the mean streets of South Central Los Angeles to pursue a career in police work. Freddy Rodriquez is his best friend. A powerful film that serves as an important wake-up call to young people drifting through dangerous times and places.|120 minutes
“Marie Antoinette”
PERIOD DRAMA|**|PG-13|Much has been made of Sofia Coppola updating the familiar Marie Antoinette, let-them-
eat-cake costume fest with rock music and high fashion; such innovation, alas, only amounts to a glimpse of a pair of Converse tennies and a new-wave-revival sound track. The rest is all pretty costumes, elaborate desserts and empty heads. Kirsten Dunst is appealing, but she’s given nothing to say or do. We revel in the filthy wealth of the French royal dynasty, but see and hear nothing of the political and class turmoil outside of Versailles. In the end it’s no deeper than a John Hughes movie … “Pretty in Palaces”? (Booth)|123 minutes
“Open Season”
ANIMATED ANIMALS|***|PG|Ranger Beth rescued Boog when he was just a cub. Raised with a cozy bed of his own and a stuffed teddy, this bear’s necessities include a lullaby and the use of a toilet. He’s even the star of the local nature talk. So imagine the big fella’s dismay when a sugar-fueled misunderstanding in the tolerant burg of Timberline has him deported – days before hunting season. The call of the wild is a jarring thing for an ursine guy who refers to townsfolk as his “peeps.” “Open Season” refers not just to the bad timing of Boog’s exile, but to the payback the fauna give the hunters gathered for the opening of shoot-to-stuff season. As battles go, the onslaught is inventive fun. Even the hunters in the theater might be game for the joke. (Kennedy)|87 minutes
“The Prestige”
PERIOD THRILLER|*** 1/2|PG-13|The “prestige” is the third part of an elaborate magic trick that surprises the audience and reveals the omniscient power of the illusionist. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan have built their entire film as such a trick, requiring at least two viewings to understand all the twists and turns. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are feuding magicians during the golden era of magic at the dawn of the 20th century, and their disputes lead to sequential violence and revenge. Christopher Nolan (“Memento”) is the master of unfolding a story like an origami, revealing slightly less than you need to know, and only just after it’s driving you crazy not to know. A grand entertainment. (Booth)|120 minutes
“The Queen”
DRAMA|****|PG-13|This masterful insight into a remarkable week in pop-culture history should make most short lists for best picture. Helen Mirren brings all her smart charms to the role of Queen Elizabeth II, in the week after the former Princess of Wales, Diana, is killed in a Parisian auto accident. Newly elected prime minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) has the unenviable task of teaching the reclusive, out-of-touch royal family how the mourning British public wants to handle the tragedy. There’s plenty of comedy at the royals’ expense, but Stephen Frears makes everyone all too human. Why did we demand such a public beatification of Diana? “The Queen” will have you questioning your own headline habits. (Booth)
|101 minutes
“Running With Scissors”
FAMILY DRAMEDY|** 1/2|R|Director-writer Ryan Murphy’s version of Augusten Burroughs’ tart, best-selling memoir hits its highest highs and its most brooding lows thanks to Annette Bening’s engaging, hurting portrayal of Augusten’s mother. Dierdre is a woman lit up by poetic possibility but also dimmed by bipolar disorder. When her marriage ends (Alec Baldwin does fine work as Augusten’s flummoxed, drinking dad), she leaves young Augusten in the care of her highly unethical shrink and his bent family. She might as well institutionalize him. Indeed, “Running With Scissors” suffers a bit from comparisons to other movies about families too mad for words. But Bening has delivered another “for your consideration” worthy performance. Joseph Cross plays our narrator. Brian Cox, Jill Clayburgh, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Evan Wood and Joseph Fiennes are Dr. Finch and his skittish clan. (Kennedy)|121 minutes
“Stranger Than Fiction”
TRAGICOMEDY|****|PG-13|Not since “Groundhog Day” has a tickler been so metaphysically engaging while being just as lovingly entertaining. And though this tale about Harold Crick, an IRS auditor who discovers that he’s a character in a novel and is soon to die, also stars and “SNL” alum – Will Ferrell – it achieves its abundant, generous moral with nary a smirk and maybe even a few tears. Emma Thompson is marvelously tormented as author Karen Eiffel, who can’t figure out how to kill of her protagonist. When Harold protagonist locates her, her dilemma becomes profound. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays bakery owner Ana Pascal, the subject of Harold’s audit and affections. Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah add flavor to this delight, directed by Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland”) and written by newcomer Zach Helm. (Kennedy)|113 minutes
GIANT SCREEN
“Greece: Secrets of the Past”
IMAX: The story of a 21st-century Greek archaeologist who is uncovering the secret history of his ancient ancestors|$8, $6 ages 3-12 and 65-plus|Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., 303-322-7009, dmns.org
“Roving Mars”
IMAX: A documentary of the MER mission|$8, $6 ages 3-12 and 65-plus|Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., 303-322-7009, dmns.org
Wildlife Experience
IWERKS: The museum presents “Beavers” and “Dolphins” on its 45-by-60-
foot screen|$4.95-$7.95; free 2 and under|10035 S. Peoria St., 720-488-3300, wildlifeexperience.org|PARKER
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
“Off the Grid”
-SU|Warren Miller’s 2006 film follows athletes in their quest to “expose the undiscovered side of winter.” 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. today, 3, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturday, 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Sunday. $22, $23 |Paramount Theater, 1621 Glenarm Place,
303-830-8497, 800-523-7117,
warrenmiller.com
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