Three sets of slackening spouses pack up and ship off to “Eden,” a tropical marriage rehab resort, to try to strengthen their holy unions. Actually, only one couple, played by a frigid Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell in business-class chic, hopes to rediscover marital bliss. The others attend at the promise of paradise and to […]
“Bright Star” Shines
“I think that I shall never see / A poem as lovely as a tree.” American writer Joyce Kilmer penned these now ubiquitous words nearly a century after the demise of English poet John Keats. Perhaps Kilmer should have better studied the forefathers of his art. During his tragically short life, John Keats drew upon […]
“Whip It” Has Spunk, Then Loses Steam
“Whip It” is sure to generate a huge new interest in “roller derby,” a thriving underground sport in which two teams of fierce females race around an oblong track on roller-skates to score points. But the roller derby reputation far exceeds that of a battle royale on wheels: it has evolved into a supreme statement […]
“The Invention of Lying” is Inventive, Though Inconsistent
The premise of “The Invention of Lying” seems destined for laughs. In a world where everyone tells the truth, where humans are physically incapable of the neurochemical processes behind fabrication, one man discovers that he has the ability to lie. The film uses both its unfalteringly honest universe and its central character’s unique gift within […]
“Fame” is a Flop
Fame, a remake of the 1980 mini-classic, is, simply put, an incongruous mishmosh. Director Kevin Tancharoen attempts to give us an unflinching look at the intensity of an arts school, rendering and pacing his shots with documentarian-like grit. Meanwhile, a screenplay by Allison Burnett wants to be a character study, offering an intimate glimpse at […]
“The Informant!” Proves a Formidable Comedy
Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… “The Informant!” Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) heralds his newest offbeat comedic entry with exclamation (indeed, with an exclamation point), as if portending the arrival of a superhero. While central character Mark Whitacre dons no cape, his ever-increasing delusions convince him of his […]
“Jennifer’s Body” Is More Than Skin-Deep
“Hell is a teenage girl.” These are the first words spoken in “Jennifer’s Body.” It is also a truth universally acknowledged. And while the film doesn’t quite have the polish of a Jane Austen novel, Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody (“Juno”) does provide a thorough analysis of a young woman’s role in our society. Had the […]
Danger: Steer Clear of the Whiteout
The whiteout: a terrifying natural phenomenon during which heavy snow and raging winds collude to completely obscure visibility. Imagine being trapped in such a nothingness with temperatures cold enough to turn your bare skin into black ash, all while on the most secluded land mass on Earth. It’s the perfect groundwork for bone-chilling (pun intended) […]
