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Here are selected minireviews of films in theaters, listed alphabetically.
Some reviews originate at other newspapers that do not award star ratings.
“Avatar”
Sci-fi Epic. *** 1/2. PG-13. The bells ring sharp, the whistles beckon in James Cameron’s technologically advanced sci-fi epic about a wheelchair bound Marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a moon called Pandora and an indigenous tribe under siege. This movie screens in regular format as well as 3D and IMAX 3D. But it’s the immersive tug of the story — rife with nods to “gone native” flicks, Ray Harryhausen creatures and Cameron’s own “Terminator” and “Aliens” — that make for a wondrous, wild, even wise, ride. Sigourney Weaver stars as head of the research program that links humans telepathically to avatar bodies. (Kennedy) 161 minutes
“Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans”
Crime Drama. ****. R. A dire portrait of a rapist, murderer, drug addict, corrupt cop and degenerate paranoid who’s very apprehensive about iguanas. Nicolas Cage as Terence McDonagh who roams the New Orleans midnight streets without supervision. He Serves and Protects himself. He is the Law, and the Law exists for his personal benefit. (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) 121 minutes
“The Blind Side”
Drama. ***. PG-13. The mystery of what makes Leigh Anne Tuohy such a steely magnolia isn’t resolved in John Lee Hancock’s affirming drama. But Sandra Bullock’s turn as the woman who brings a hulking, shut-down, African American teen named Michael Oher into her well-to-do Memphis family convinces us it has a lot to do with love. Tim McGraw and newcomer Quinton Aaron also star in this adaptation of Michael Lewis terrific nonfiction tale of gridiron star Oher and the Tuohy’s, football and family. (Kennedy) 126 minutes
“Brothers”
Drama. **. R. Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal do strong work as an upstanding Marine and his black sheep brother in this adaptation of a Danish drama about the collateral damages wrought by war but even more so family dynamics. When Sam (Maguire) goes missing in Afghanistan, Tommy (Gyllenhaal) steps up to help his sibling’s wife and daughter. Grace is played with grace by Natalie Portman, who is too often burdened with clunky, sentimental dialog. Jim Sheridan directs David Benioff’s adaptation. (Kennedy) 110 minutes
“La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet”
Documentary. ****. Not Rated. The camera goes into the stately and elegant Palais Garnier in Paris, observing rehearsals, staff meetings and, finally, performances of seven dances, including classics such as “The Nutcracker” and spiky new work by younger choreographers. This is one of the finest dance films ever made, but there’s more to it than that. (A.O. Scott, New York Times) 158 minutes
“Daybreakers”
Vampire Sci-fi. * 1/2. R. In the “Daybreakers” future, the vampires have it all worked out. No longer just nocturnal, they now run the show — day and night. Blood is farmed in gigantic, dairy-style processing facilities, where the few surviving humans are captured and then sucked dry. But that blood supply is about to run out. (Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel) 98 minutes
“Did You Hear About the Morgans?”
Romantic Comedy. * 1/2. PG-13. Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker have good, sometimes great, comedic timing. But their gifts are ill served in writer-director Marc Lawrence’s trout-out-of-water story about a Manhattan couple who must hide out in Wyoming. Sam Elliott (of the comboy baritone) and Mary Steenburgen (doing grit and gumption), are the sheriff and his deputy both in law and love. They’re charged with keeping the witnesses to a murder safe. More, they act as models of a working marriage for Paul and Meryl Morgan who are on the skids. The talent’s here. But so are too many clichés about big city-small town misunderstandings and enlightenment. (Kennedy) 103 minutes
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Animated. ** 1/2. PG. What a delightful outing director-writer Wes Anderson provides in this (and Noah Baumbach’s) adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s tale. When the 0h-so-clever and dapper Vulpes vulpes of the title takes on three gluttonous (and increasingly infuriated) farmers by the names of Boggis, Bunce and Bean, it’s quite the adventure. George Clooney and Meryl Streep provide the voices of Mr. Fox and his no-bull Missus. Jason Schwartman plays their sulkly son Ash, who gives in to the stuff of kid anxieties when his near-perfect cousin Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) arrives. A vivid example of stop-motion animation, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is yet another sign we’re living in an animation heyday. (Kennedy) 88 minutes
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”
Fantasy. ** 1/2. PG-13. Terry Gilliam’s fantasy fable about a man set to lose his daughter to the devil will forever be known as Heath Ledger’s final film. But it is Christopher Plummer’s turn as the immortal Parnassus that delivers the ache. The ancient storyteller and his ragtag troupe, including daughter Valentina (Lily Cole), travel the margins of modern-day London. Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law rise to the sorrowful occasion, playing versions of Ledger’s character on the other side of Parnassus’ looking glass. Tom Waits slouches and teases as Mr. Nick, the Devil all to pleased to up the ante. (Kennedy) 122 minutes
“Invictus”
Drama. *** 1/2. PG-13. In 1995, South Africa was to play host to the rugby World Cup final. Recently elected president Nelson Mandela saw in white-minority favorites the Springboks a chance to unite his deeply divided country. He was in a minority. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon portray Mandela and Francois Pienaar, Springboks captain. Based on John Carlin’s uplifting recounting “Playing the Enemy” and directed by Clint Eastwood, “Invictus” proves a rousing example of how the best sports dramas distill our “more than a game” ambitions. (Kennedy) 133 minutes
“It’s Complicated”
Romantic Comedy. *** 1/3. R. In writer-director Nancy Meyers’ wonderfully adult comedy, there are a lot of double negatives used by Meryl Streep’s character, Jane, a divorced bakery owner who has a fling with her ex-husband, portrayed with cad delight by Alec Baldwin. Steve Martin completes the triangle as an architect. The milieu is upscale fantasy. The absurd laughs are more egalitarian. It’s a hoot. And who cannot not enjoy that? (Kennedy) 120 minutes
“Leap Year”
Romantic Comedy. ***. PG. Amy Adams and Matthew Goode have the charm to float a romantic comedy like “Leap Year.” Amy Adams has been dating a cardiologist for four years. He hasn’t proposed yet. She follows him to Irleand to propose and meets pub owner Matthew Goode. (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) 97 minutes
“The Missing Person”
Detective Drama. *** 1/2. Not Rated. Shannon’s John Rosow, a martini-loving, hardscrabble Chicago private eye, is awakened in the middle of the night with an offer he can’t afford not to take. For $500 a day plus expenses he is to board a train to Los Angeles at 7 a.m. to tail one of its passengers (Frank Wood), who has in tow a little Mexican boy. Rosow is to bring the man, about whom he is initially told nothing, to New York. (Kennedy) 95 minutes
“Nine”
Musical. ***. PG-13. Daniel Day-Lewis captures the creative angst of Italian film director Guido Contini in Rob Marshall’s raucous adaptation of Tony winner “Nine.” But his song and dance isn’t all one might hope. For unforgettable numbers look to Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson from the Black Eyed Peas (singing a tambourine shaking rendition of “Be Italian”) and a jaw-dropping Kate Hudson as a Vogue reporter belting and go-going to lyricist Maury Yeston’s new tune “Cinema Italiano.” The other muses inspiring our all-too-human Apollo are portrayed by Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren and Nicole Kidman. (Kennedy) 90 minutes
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Drama. ****. R. You’ll remember her name. Claireece Precious Jones is an obese, illiterate, abused Harlem teen. Yet Gabourey Sidibe’s performance makes those woefully adjectives insuffient of her humanity. And Mo’Nique’s turn as her brutalizing mother is jaw-dropping. This front runner for an Oscar is directed by Lee Daniels and produced by local company Smokewood Entertainment. Mariah Carey and Paula Patton also star. (Kennedy) 109 minutes
“The Princess and the Frog”
Animated. *** 1/2. G. Disney had trouble deciding whether to herald or repress the fact that this is its first film with an African-American princess. And this reimagining — and then some — of E.D. Baker’s “The Frog Princess” starts as a period piece with freighted images. But once hard-working waitress Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) and Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) leap as frogs into a Louisiana bayou, “The Princess and the Frog” goes from worrisome to wondrous. (Kennedy) 95 minutes
“Sherlock Holmes”
Adventure. ***. PG-13. No trademark “My dear, Watson” in this vim-and-vigor, fisticuffs-and-explosions update of Sir Author Conan Doyle’s ace detective. Robert Downey Jr is the decidely disheveled deductor. Jude Law portrays Dr. John Watson. He’s got kick but nary a whisper of the sidekick to him. Rachel McAdams is pretty but unconvincing as Holmes’ love-nemesis. Mark Strong portrays Lord Blackwell. Guy Ritchie directs with more snap then the script has in this story about a well-connected ritual killer (Mark Strong) who — quite worrisome — returns from the dead. (Kennedy) 90 minutes
“A Single Man”
Drama. *** 1/3. R. A rich meeting of style and feeling can be found in fashion impresario Tom Ford’s directorial debut, featuring an career best performance from Colin Firth. He portrays George Falconer, a college professor who makes a fateful decision in wake of his lover’s death. A student complicates his plans. Julianne Moore is mezmerizing as George’s mod, tippling gal pal. Matthew Goode, as the departed, is winningly warm in flashback. The film is set in L.A. during the height of the Cuban missile crisis. (Kennedy) 99 minutes
“The Squeakquel”
Animated Comedy. *. PG. Whatever slim charms there were in the nostalgic, musically cute and slapstick-friendly first film of chipmunk mania are squished right out of “The Squeakquel” like so much rodent roadkill. The cast is cut-rate, and the script needed a serious visit from a serious gag writer. Apparently, Fox blew the budget on tunes. Songs from Beyoncé and Katy Perry to the Bee Gees and The Kinks are amusingly covered by competing bands of harmonizing forest fauna. (Roger Moore, The Orlando Sentinel) 88 minutes
“Up in the Air”
Comedy. ****. R. Before a sneak preview at the Telluride Film Festival, folks wondered if the Jason Reitman’s comedy starring George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, an frequent flyer who crisscrosses the country helping corporations layoff workers, might have a hard time landing an audience. Its themes of economic downturn were just too glum, too close to the bone. It is precisely Reitman’s whole-hearted, smart-minded depiction of the sorrow of workers, the pitilessness of employers, and the seductive arguments against forming bonds — familial and romantic — that make this classy, sexy comedy so current and enduring. As a fellow traveler and coworker respectively, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick soar as they threaten to clip Ryan’s wings. (Kennedy) 107 minutes
“The Young Victoria”
Historical Romance. ****. PG. “The Young Victoria,” starring Emily Blunt as the 18-year-old queen of England circa 1837, is a rich pastiche of first love, teen empowerment, fabulous fashion and fate. (Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times) 100 minutes
“Youth in Revolt”
Coming-of-age Comedy. ***. R. “Youth in Revolt” gives Michael Cera the twee name Nick Twisp, surrounds his aging virgin act with divorced parents who are both shacked up with lustful vulgarians and then provides him with a dream come true in the person of Sheeni Saunders, played by Portia Doubleday.(Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times) 90 minutes
