From Grant Heslov, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s awesome sidekick in True Lies and yes, also George Clooney’s producing and writing collaborator (on such films as Leatherheads and Good Night and Good Luck) comes The Men Who Stare At Goats, which stars none other than Clooney as the psychic soldier Lynn Cassady.

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Surprise! It’s Matthew McConaughey! In a romantic comedy! Surprise! Yes, the McConaughey is back with another predictable romantic comedy, this one starring Jennifer Garner. Thankfully, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past has a funny enough premise that it can at least somewhat make up for its cliché pitfalls.

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Just when you thought Battlestar Galactica was over, it starts all over again with Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, which looks back at the nuclear assault on Caprica and the months that followed from the Cylons’ point of view. The return to the beloved series, however, is not as incredible as you’d expect. (more…)

Ellie, Diego, John Leguizamo, Manny and the rest are back in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, but hold the celebration: the movie is the weakest of the franchise, and that’s saying something when the franchise has never been very good to begin with.

I’ve never understood why the Ice Age movies have been so popular; the three films made so far have made nearly two billion dollars worldwide, not counting DVD and merchandise sales. The first one was boring and the second, while better, was still lackluster. The third film, unfortunately, is the weakest of the three. (more…)

It’s already the end of October, which means that the studio films aiming for Oscar glory are beginning to trickle into theaters. The first major film of the season to have much promise is Amelia, about the short-lived life of famous female pilot Amelia Earhart. The tragic tale seemed destined for greatness, if only for the fact that the movie stars Hilary Swank and is directed by Mira Nair. Unfortunately, Amelia is nothing more than a standard biopic, an unimaginative and uninteresting story that is less an examination of the woman and more a snapshot of some historic events. (more…)

In American Violet, Nicole Beharie makes a strong debut as Dee Roberts, an African-American single mother of four who finds her life turned upside down when she is falsely arrested for selling crack cocaine. After the chief D.A. offers her a plea deal in exchange for no jail time – versus a long, expensive court battle in which she could face years in prison away from her children, she becomes aware of a plot that involves racism and manipulation of the U.S. legal system.

Based on a true story, American Violet is essentially a direct-to-DVD release, having earned just over half a million dollars during its theatrical run earlier in 2009. Most movies go straight to DVD for a reason, but every once in a while one slips through the cracks. American Violet is one of those films. Why Samuel Goldwyn chose to sit on this one is anyone’s guess.

Beharie is excellent in the lead, delivering an emotional, heartfelt performance. She’s supported by a very good and more experienced supporting cast that includes Will Patton, Alfre Woodard, Michael O’Keefe and Tim Blake Nelson. O’Keefe does a particularly good job playing the film’s villain.

The movie works on account of its story, which tackles the issue of racism in the legal system. The plot drives the film more so than anything else, and this works both for and against it. American Violet is succinct and to-the-point; it moves along at a fast clip, presenting the plot points, turns and developments in an engaging and entertaining way. And yet, when you compare it to the great legal films of the last several decades, it feels small and insignificant, not because of what it’s about but because of what it’s missing. The characters are good but not particularly developed; what drives them and keeps them up at night is never explored. How Dee is affected by her circumstances are shown but never felt. American Violet is an engaging film, but not a gripping one. It lacks the emotional drama necessary to take it to the next level.

Nonetheless, the movie’s still worth seeing; it just isn’t award caliber. American Violet is remarkable for the story it presents and the actress it introduces – Nicole Beharie. Recommended.

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Rising and fading stars converge in The Proposal, a pretty typical romantic comedy from the director of 27 Dresses and Step Up. And yet, just like Anne Fletcher’s other films, there’s something that just works about the movie.

Ryan Reynolds, who after years of circling mainstream exposure finally burst onto the scene with such 2009 hits as X-Men: Wolverine and this film (and has subsequently been given his own Deadpool and Green Lantern movies), stars as Andrew Paxton, a young, ambitious man who’s worked as an assistant to a bitch of a boss, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock). Margaret has ruled his life with an iron fist, but when she learns that she is to be deported to Canada, she finds herself as Andrew’s mercy. Though the government suspects their deception, the two head off for a weekend with Andrew’s family in preparation for the big day: their sudden wedding.

The Proposal is your standard romantic comedy: the two leads hate each other and due to a goofy premise, they slowly warm to one another. Some conflict arises, the two go their separate ways, and then the man has to chase the woman down to confess his true feelings. Yep, pretty standard. Still, as mentioned earlier, The Proposal clicks more often than not. Writer Pete Chiarelli has devised a decent screenplay with enough funny lines and moments to string audiences along. Bullock, an unlikely candidate to play a cold boss-witch, is actually quite good, and Reynolds is as enjoyable as always, bringing his ability to deliver sarcastic one-liners with him. The Proposal benefits from the odd chemistry the two have.

Nevertheless, The Proposal suffers from a stereotypical third act that doesn’t live up to what’s presented earlier. This is one of those rare romantic comedies that could have actually worked had the two leads not gotten together at the end. In fact, it would have felt much more natural. While Bullock and Reynolds have good comedic chemistry together, their romantic chemistry isn’t nearly so strong; they’re funny, but it’s hard to see them as anything more than that. The transition from enemies to lovers is pretty questionable, and The Proposal would have been much more satisfying had Chairelli and Fletcher taken things in a more believable direction.

Beyond the sketchy romance that evolves in the final act, The Proposal also becomes dull as it nears the end. Its cleverness fades as it becomes more and more routine. There aren’t many funny moments in the final moments, and the romantic reunion isn’t anything to scream home about.

And still, The Proposal is a generally entertaining romantic comedy with enough laughs to keep both guys and girls engaged. Bullock still looks in form, and Reynolds shows that he can headline a major release. Betty White is also a show stealer in many of her scenes. Recommended.

The Blu-Ray includes outtakes, as well as an alternative ending and some deleted scenes, all with optional commentary. The only item exclusive to the Blu-Ray is an additional deleted scene – wow. Strangely, when I started the film, it defaulted to subtitles of the director’s commentary, which, in fact, made the movie all that more amusing.

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Steven Soderbergh is one of those directors that just doesn’t seem to care how marketable his films are. Here’s a man who put himself on the map in the early 2000’s with such popular films as Erin Brockovich, Traffic and Ocean’s Eleven, but who then followed those up with Solaris, Eros, The Good German and Che. His movies fluctuate between pitch perfect mainstream films and niche art, which is quite rare this day and age; even the most independent of directors, once they hit the big time, seem to sell out. But that’s not Soderbergh.

In his first of two 2009 films (the other being The Informant, which I saw last night), he hires gorgeous porn star Sasha Grey to play Chelsea, a high-end Manhattan call girl who’s attempting to balance her boyfriend, clients and career. Seeking “reviews” to take her prominence to the next level, she finds herself at odds with her boyfriend, a rare man who’s willing to look the other way – most of the time – while she goes out and pleasures other men. When she meets a client who could be something more, however, she puts everything in jeopardy.

The Girlfriend Experience follows Chelsea as she navigates these dilemmas, presenting them as fragmented snapshots out of chronological order. Surprisingly, the movie’s narrative is strong and easy to follow and is not nearly as confusing as expected. The movie, shot on a budget of less than $2 million, is simple, and yet Soderbergh makes it look like it could have cost ten times as much. The direction is superb.

Grey, of course, is an unlikely choice to headline a drama by an Oscar-winning director. The 21-year old actress has 180 movies to her credit, but almost all of them are pornos. That’s a lot of porn to do in just three years. Despite the odd choice, Grey turns out to be a good choice for Soderbergh; she’s gorgeous and has a surprisingly classy look. Furthermore, while she isn’t asked to have a lot of emotional range in the picture, she portrays a very likable and yet emotionally tragic figure with ease.

Thanks to Grey’s performance, Soderbergh’s direction and a pretty good screenplay, The Girlfriend Experience is an easy-to-watch drama that examines a career line that is rarely represented in such a humanistic way. The movie isn’t spellbinding or overpowering, but it works as an effective character study.

The Girlfriend Experience, for obvious reasons, is not for everyone, but if you’ve liked Soderbergh’s other indie films, this is another quality entry on his résumé.

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Aside from the Ocean’s trilogy, Steven Soderbergh hasn’t had a lot of success in recent years. Though some of his films were never going to make much money (Eros, Full Frontal), others, such as The Good German and Che, have failed to resonate as expected. Che, especially, had to be tough; an epic so grand that it had to be split into two parts, the $30-million movie was an instant flop and didn’t even garner any Oscar attention. Thus, it was pertinent that his latest film – The Informant! – got off on the right foot. Matt Damon to the rescue!

Damon stars as Mark Whitacre, an executive who is well known for being the highest-level informant and whistleblower the United States has ever seen. The company he works for, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), is engaged in a major price-fixing scheme with its international competitors, and Whitacre teams with the FBI (represented by Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) to bring them down. He goes on to gather more than 200 tapes worth of evidence, but his battle with undiagnosed bipolar disorder and some improprieties put him in the crosshairs as well.

Though based on a true story (specifically on the book by Kurt Eichenwald), Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns add a comedic slant, portraying Whitacre as an intelligent but off-note goofball who is incapable of fully telling the truth. Lie upon lie upon lie becomes standard, to the point where it’s never clear what the truth is and what is not. Damon, who gained approximately 25 pounds for the role, runs around with a cheesy 90’s moustache and wig, narrating to the camera random facts that have nothing to do with the story at hand. The FBI agents and Justice Department officials become increasingly frustrated with the man as more and more damaging facts are revealed, placing their investigation and integrity into question. Meanwhile, Whitacre never seems to be aware that his actions are indeed a problem.

The Informant! is not your typical comedy. In fact, it’s a comedy that not everyone will like, and you have it to see it when in the right mood. For instance, don’t see it when you’re tired, because the movie can be slow at times. Don’t see it if you’re looking for a laugh-out-loud riot, because the movie will generally draw brief chuckles, nothing more. Do see it if you like high-brow, comedy-meets-drama-meets-thriller antics and strong acting performances.

The movie is good, but not that good. The story is interesting, the character compelling and the performance by Damon memorable, but it’s not a movie that stands out in any particular way. Soderbergh’s direction, combined with fanciful music by Marvin Hamlisch, is catchy, but also off-putting. The movie is so matter-of-fact, and at the same time off-the-wall, that it’s hard to get swept along in the story. There are segments that are pretty slow, and the fact that it’s a comedy without a lot of direct comedy leaves it drifting in a nether-genre where you can’t decide whether you’re enjoying yourself or bored out of your mind.

The Informant! is not for everyone, but who it is for it’s hard to say. Hell, I’m not sure if it’s even for me. The movie has its moments, and when all is said it’s pretty well done, but it’s so unconventional that it’s challenging to just sit back and enjoy it from beginning to end. The second half is definitely better than the first, but Damon’s excellent performance persists throughout. It’s worth seeing, but will be better viewed on DVD, where you’ll be able to determine pretty quickly whether the movie is right for you.

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Review by Nathan Samdahl (B+)

In the latest British historical film from the Oscar-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon), The Damned United is a sports movie not really about sports, but about the crazy personalities that populate them.  Certainly on a much smaller scale than Morgan’s previous two films, the story here is probably one not known to most outside of Great Britain, or to most non-soccer fans (i.e. the majority of Americans).  Despite this, the film is in many ways more satisfying to watch than Frost/Nixon or The Queen.

This satisfaction mostly comes from watching Morgan’s fave Michael Sheen deliver his best and most noticeable performance to date.  I say "noticeable" because he finally plays the character that people will take away from the movie, unlike Frost/Nixon where Frank Langella stole most of the accolades and The Queen where the contemporary figure of Tony Blair overshadowed Sheen’s great character work.  In Damned United, Sheen is manager Brian Clough, the star, an unpredictable, ruthless, cocky asshole that you love (or hate, but in a good way). 

Structurally, the film operates in two time periods, in the present (1974) where Sheen’s character takes over Leeds United (English soccer/football’s best team) replacing the team’s most accomplished coach Don Revie, and in the past (about five years earlier) showing Sheen’s rise from his humble yet wildly successful beginnings as coach of a couple lower division teams.  One of my only issues with the film is that the initial sequences in the past take a while to get going or at least get to the core of the film (Sheen’s competitive feud with Revie).  I found the 1974 sequences much more engrossing and was a bit bummed to get pulled away at the best parts to jump back in time.  However, the film quickly picks up steam in both time periods and finishes strong with a great scene involving Sheen groveling to his longtime assistant manager Peter Taylor played by Timothy Spall (who he undeniably needs to succeed).

This film may not immediately appeal to everyone given the subject matter, but once audiences realize the movie is primarily a great story about the friendship between two men (Clough and Taylor) and the long-simmering feud between two egomaniacs (Clough and Revie), more interest should be created.  If nothing else, see the film because Sheen, Spall and Revie (played by Colm Meaney – yes, from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine for all you Trekkies out there)) are all outstanding.  Or see the film because overall all it’s one of the better ones out there in the thus-far barren wilderness of 2009 films. 

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