Best & Worst Movies of 2008

10 Favorite Movies of '08 (in no particular order)	10 Worst Movies of '08 (in no particular order)
The Dark Knight Iron Man The Incredible Hulk Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Kung Fu Panda The Forbidden Kingdom Mongol Let The Right One In Slumdog Millionaire Role Models	Disaster Movie Drillbit Taylor 88 Minutes You Don't Mess with the Zohan The Happening Meet Dave Fools Gold Paranoid Park Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay The Love Guru

REVIEW: Seven Pounds

STARRING: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 12/19/2008 DATE SCREENED: 12/17/2008 The Verdict OK - Wait for the DVD

Will Smith takes on a dramatic role in his 2nd release of 2008, Seven Pounds. The advertising campaign seems to have been carefully crafted to make it difficult to figure out exactly what the film is about. I guess you can get away with that when Will Smith is the star of the movie, but the cryptic nature of the advertising has annoyed me. Word of mouth will probably be very important to the success of this film, and I think people’s feelings will generally be mixed.

The opening scene of Seven Pounds shows a very emotional Ben Thomas (Will Smith) on the phone with 911. He’s reporting a suicide… his own. The story then backs up to show how things got to that point. Ben is an IRS agent who seems to be auditing only people with serious health problems. It turns out he’s not just visiting these people for the IRS, but also for himself. He has some kind of “gift” for these people that will change their lives, but he must figure out if they are worthy of receiving this gift. Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson) is one such person, suffering from heart disease. She takes a liking to Ben once he informs her that her back taxes will be put on hold for the next six months due to her condition. Emily’s smile is irresistible, and Ben’s icy exterior slowly begins to melt. He is soon getting to know her on a more personal level, far beyond what is necessary to decide if she is worthy of his “gift”. Throughout the film there are flashbacks to Ben’s wife, who we can gather must have been killed in a car accident. Between visits with Emily, we also see Ben helping and "interviewing" other sick people. As his relationship with Emily grows stronger it makes it harder to see how Ben is going to become suicidal. All is revealed when the movie kicks into high gear for the conclusion.

The chemistry between Will Smith and Rosario Dawson is very good. Both are very good actors, who are a joy to watch on screen. Their relationship is very touching. The slow build up of their relationship does help to increase the dramatic tension at the end. The problem is that when Will and Rosario were not on screen together I was completely bored. Without knowing what was really going on, it didn’t take long for me to lose interest in a lot of what was happening on screen. Even the build up of Ben and Emily’s relationship started to seem too slow. After 90 minutes I thought I had been sitting for over 2 hours. The ending is well done and very emotional, but I think some people will have problems waiting to get to that ending. I found myself sitting in the theater wishing I had a fast forward button. I grew up in the same neighborhood as Will Smith, so I hope for the very best any time he puts out a movie. But in this case I can only recommend people wait for the DVD of Seven Pounds. The film did receive a good round of applause from the audience, so maye the reaction won't be as mixed as I think it will be.

REVIEW: Gran Torino

STARRING: Clint Eastwood, Ahney Her View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 12/19/2008 DATE SCREENED: 12/16/2008 The Verdict GOOD - See it in the theater

Clint Eastwood directs himself for the first time since 2004 in Gran Torino. The film is generating Oscar buzz for both Eastwood as Best Actor and the film as Best Picture. Eastwood has already won the Best Actor prize from the National Board of Review. Although I walked into the screening with no idea what Gran Torino was actually about, the Oscar buzz I had heard had me walking into the theater with high expectations. Eastwood’s two previous Best Picture awards have already set the bar high for any of his films.

Gran Torino is centered on Eastwood’s character, Walt Kowalski. We are introduced to Walt at his wife’s funeral. After the funeral, when everyone is gathered at Walt’s house, Walt’s character is quickly established. He’s the kind of angry old man that does not fit in with today’s politically correct society. He’s a racist Korean War veteran and retired auto worker, who doesn’t have much a relationship with his own sons and grandchildren. He always says what is on his mind, regardless of how it may hurt someone’s feelings.

A family of Hmong (Southeast Asian) immigrants moves in next door to Walt. It seems Walt’s neighborhood has gone through a drastic change the last few years. Almost all of the white people have moved out, while lower income Asians, blacks and Hispanics have moved in. The young people have formed street gangs based on race, but that doesn’t scare Walt. He calls everyone a racial slur without fear. The Hmong gang forces one of Walt’s neighbors, a teenaged boy named Thao, to try and steal Walt’s prized 1972 Ford Gran Torino. Walt catches him, almost shooting him in the process. When the gang returns to try and force Thao into another initiation, his sister Sue is there to help resist. Things start to get violent and Walt comes to the rescue with his rifle. Unfortunately, pulling out that rifle only launches a cycle of escalating violence. Walt takes a liking to both Sue and Thao, and is soon learning about Hmong culture. He seems to harbor guilt about the Asians he killed in Korea. In his mind he now has the opportunity to make up for it by protecting his neighbors from this street gang.

The great thing about Gran Torino is that it has so many layers to keep you interested throughout. You have action, you have comedy, and there is a moral to the story. Different themes are touched upon. You have the theme of solving problems with violence only creating more violence. There is the theme of a person realizing that other races aren’t that different. There is the theme of a soldier atoning for his war crimes. The meaning of life and death is even explored through Walt’s banter with a priest who checks up on Walt regularly. None of these themes are new, but the film puts it all together in a way that makes for a unique film. A lot of Walt’s racist commentary is played for laughs, and one particular scene in which Walt tries to toughen up Thao at a barber shop was probably the funniest scene I’ve seen in a movie all year. The film isn’t perfect, as some of the events are very contrived. And Walt’s constant stream of racial epitaphs does begin to wear a bit thin. Overall, Gran Torino is a very good movie that’s definitely worth a trip to the theater.

REVIEW: Yes Man

STARRING: Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 12/19/2008 DATE SCREENED: 12/15/2008 The Verdict OK - Wait for the DVD

Jim Carrey goes back to his comedic roots with Yes Man. Carrey was last seen in a dramatic role in The Number 23, a critical and financial disappointment which only grossed $35 million in the U.S. Yes Man marks a swift return to the physical comedy he’s been know for since his days on In Living Color.

In Yes Man, Carrey plays Carl, a divorced loan officer who spends his days rejecting loan applications and his nights watching DVDs. His best friend Peter is constantly trying to get him to go out, but Carl always has some bogus excuse. “No” seems to be Carl’s favorite word. A chance meeting with an old friend introduces Carl to the concept of becoming a “Yes Man”. The friend invites him to the next seminar, promising it will change his life. Carl shows up at the seminar, led by Terrence (Terence Stamp). Carl is singled out as being a new member unsure about the idea of being a “Yes Man”. Terrence is able to convince Carl to honor a covenant of saying “Yes” to every opportunity, no matter what it is, and promises it will change his life. Upon leaving the seminar, Carl reluctantly says yes to a homeless guy asking for a ride. After dropping off the homeless man, Carl ends up stranded on the road, and meets Allison (Zooey Deschanel) at a gas station. Allison seems to be the cute spontaneous girl of his dreams, so Carl becomes committed to being a “Yes Man”. He says yes to things ranging from accepting an offer from persianwives.com, to bungee jumping off of a bridge, to planning his best friend’s wedding shower. Approving every small loan application unwittingly leads to a promotion at work and his relationship with Allison is making him forget about his ex-wife. This saying “yes” thing really works, for the most part. Eventually things begin to unravel and Carl learns important life lessons along the way.

I was never a big fan of Carrey’s work, and “Yes Man” reminded me of “Liar Liar”, in which Carrey is under a spell that prevents him from lying. When I'm watching a Carrey comedy I alternate between laughing and thinking that it's too stupid. This is the typical Carrey comedy. Carrey falls down, Carrey makes funny faces, Carrey runs around, Carrey makes silly jokes... change the scenery and then repeat. Some of it is amusing, but most is not. Then the movie ends with a typical romantic comedy ending. If you are a big fan of Carrey, you should enjoy yourself. If you aren’t, then you shouldn’t spend the time/money to see this in the theater. Wait for the DVD and you will at least get a few laughs while sitting on the couch.

REVIEW: Zach and Miri Make a Porno

STARRING: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 10/22/2008 DATE SCREENED: 10/31/2008 The Verdict OK - Wait for the DVD

The commercials for Zack and Miri Make a Porno leave you with the feeling that this is the latest Judd Apatow comedy. Instead, it’s the latest from writer/director Kevin Smith. Kevin Smith is a very likeable guy who showed a lot of promise in early films like Clerks and Dogma. His more recent films like Jersey Girl and ClerksII have been disappointing. It makes you wonder if he’d rather be an actor when you see him in films like Live Free or Die Hard. But Zack and Miri has been well received on the Film Festival circuit, so I hoped it would be a return to form.

The plot of Zack (Seth Rogen) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks) Make a Porno is very simple. They are roommates who have been platonic friends since grade school. When their electricity is cut off and they can’t pay the bills they come up with a novel idea. They want to produce an amateur porno and sell it. Miri is already a YouTube sensation, as teens had filmed her changing and posted a video of her in her “granny panties”. With the backing of a friend, who is willing to give up the money he was saving to buy a new big screen TV, Zach & Miri assemble an odd cast of characters to make this film. The assembled cast includes former porn star Traci Lords and current porn star Katie Morgan, along with Kevin Smith’s pal Jason Mewes. A funny thing happens when it’s time to start shooting. Zack and Miri really don’t want the other to have sex with anyone else. And when they have sex for the first time on camera, the emotions they had denied start to flow. What started out as a raunchy sex comedy quickly turns into the typical romantic comedy.

Zack and Miri has a few funny sequences and female nudity (not form E. Banks), but is a disappointment overall. Funny early scenes are forgotten as the movie drags on to its predictable conclusion. Zack and Miri’s 10 year high school reunion is a highlight, as Miri hits on her high school crush (Brandon Routh) who turns out to be attending with his gay lover, played hilariously by Justin Long. They originally attempt to make a film called “Star Whores”, a pornographic version of Star Wars. I have no idea how they got George Lucas to allow even the suggestion of a Star Wars porno, but they eventually go in a different direction and make the movie in the coffee shop where Zack works. Seth Rogan does his usual shtick as Zack, and Elizabeth Perkins is likeable enough as Miri. But the film is basically a romantic comedy. It does seem like an original idea to take the making a porno and turn it into something romantic, but I don’t think that’s what the audience of this film really wants to see. It’s certainly not what I wanted to see. There seems to be no reason as to why Miri would fall in love with an overweight slacker like Zack. An awful gross out gag thrown in out of nowhere towards the end is the movie’s low point. A good first half makes the film worth seeing, but wait for the DVD.

- Ade
Black Belt Theater

REVIEW: W.

STARRING: Josh Brolin, Richard Dreyfuss View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 10/17/2008 DATE SCREENED: 10/14/2008 The Verdict GOOD - See it in the theater

At this point many of us have probably wondered how George W. Bush went from being a ‘C’ student and an alcoholic to the President of the United States. A President who had an approval rating of approximately 90% in 2001, but now has one of 23%. Oliver Stone attempts to answer that question with the film “W.”. It’s surprising that this film is being released while Bush is still in office, as the final chapter of Bush’s Presidency is still being written. But unless he captures Osama Bin Laden on his last day in office, it’s safe to say that his Presidency will end being considered one of the worst.

“W.” covers George W. Bush’s (Josh Brolin) life from the time he pledged a fraternity in college until the Iraq war is basically extended indefinitely. He attended Yale and Harvard Business School, thanks to the influence of his father. Bush wandered from job to job after school, trying to find his niche. Along the way he weds Laura Bush (Elizabeth Banks). He eventually ends up as the owner of the Texas Rangers. When Bush Sr. (James Cromwell ) becomes President, he has high hopes that Jeb would be the son to follow in his legacy. But Bush Jr. eventually decides to quit drinking and get into the family business. He loses his first election, but that only serves as extra motivation. In his next election he becomes the Governor of Texas. While Governor, Bush believes that he receives a message from God to run for President. Once President, Bush’s approval rating reaches its peak after the terrorist attacks of 9-11, due to Bush’s strong response to go to war on terror. Bush’s assembled team of advisors includes Vice President Dick Cheney (Richard Dreyfuss), Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove (Toby Jones), Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (Scott Glenn), General Colin Powel (Jeffrey Wright), and Condeleezza Rice (Thandie Newton). The war on terror started out as an attempt to squash Al Qaeda and capture Osama Bin Laden. It quickly moved into an attack on Iraq. Bush himself always told his father that he should have taken out Saddam Hussein. He seems determined to do what his father would not, regardless of the opinion of the countries of the United Nations. Cheney wants to attack Iraq because they control so much of the world’s oil. Colin Powel is the lone voice of reason, preaching patience and saying that a preemptive strike on Iraq is not a good idea. Bush knows that the American public will not approve of going to war based on personal reasons or oil, so they must show that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The strike on Iraq is approved with the slightest bit of “proof”. Saddam is captured and the Bush Administration declares victory. But chaos continues to reign in Iraq, soldiers continue to die, there is no exit strategy, and Bush is eventually forced to admit that there are no WMDs. This is ultimately what will define Bush’s Presidential legacy.

“W.” is a very interesting portrait of George Bush. The father-son relationship is a big part of the film, as Bush is always trying to prove himself to his father. Bush feels that Jeb was always his father’s favorite son. Despite his rich upbringing, Bush is the kind of guy that a lot of America felt they would want to sit down and have a beer with. He never comes across as the rich Ivy League educated man that can not relate to the common person. His brother is the one who comes across that way, and although his brother did eventually become governor of Florida, he doesn’t have that charisma to win the Presidency. Bush’s personality, combined with Karl Rove shaping his views on the issues and debate strategies, are the main factors to his successful Presidential campaigns. Unlike his father, Bush makes his decisions based on gut feelings or “messages from God”, as opposed to thinking things through. As president, this makes it hard for him to sift through all the advice from his advisors and pick out the best course of action.

Josh Brolin IS George Bush in this movie. He does a brilliant acting job. Richard Dryfuss is also great as Dick Cheney. All the actors do good work except for Thandie Newton. She seems to be doing a caricature of Condelleza that is more appropriate for Saturday Night Live. Oliver Stone does his best to cut back and forth between the different periods of Bush’s life, but the movie does still drag in spots. I do think this movie should have been made next year, as opposed to this year. It ends without feeling like you’ve seen a complete story arc. With a movie like this, I do wonder how much of it is completely accurate. With Bush still President, who is leaking stories about what went on in the meetings with his advisers? But the film is an engaging enough portrait of the man to be worth a trip to the theater. I’ll end with a quote from comedian Chris Rock, “A black C student can't do sh__ with his life. A black C student can't be a manager at Burger King, meanwhile a white C student just happens to be the President of the United States.” No wonder this county is in such a dire situation…

REVIEW: The Duchess

STARRING: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 09/26/2008 DATE SCREENED: 09/10/2008 The Verdict GOOD - See it in the theater

The English “Period Piece” is one of my least favorite film genres. Dangerous Liaisons is the one such film that I really love. The Duchess is not only an English period piece set in the 18^th Century, but also stars one of my least favorite actresses, Keira Knightley. I realize that she was the 2^nd highest paid actress in 2007, and was nominated for an Oscar in Pride & Predjudice, but she has never impressed me. I’m sure there are plenty of guys looking forward to seeing her in her corset, but I’m not one of them. I entered the screening with very little hope of being entertained by The Duchess.

The Duchess is based on the true story of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Her marriage to the much older Duke (Ralph Fiennes) was arranged when she was 17, with Georgianna having no idea what was expected of her. Her “job” as Duchess is to produce a male heir, nothing more and nothing less. Instead, the Duchess has multiple miscarriages before producing two daughters. She also becomes famous in her own right as a beautiful fashion icon and gambler. Behind closed doors, The Duke was an abusive husband, who not only forced Gerogianna to take care of his daughter from a previous relationship, but also allow his mistress to live with them. And this mistress was Georgianna’s best friend. The Duke rationalized all this by saying that Georgianna was not doing her “job”. Georgianna eventually does have a son, but by this point she understands that the marriage is a marriage in name only. She must keep herself busy to keep from crying. She begins to assist a childhood friend named Earl Grey with his political career. Her popularity helps him immensely. This eventually evolves into a passionate affair. The two lovebirds plan to run off together, but the Duke will not have it. The Duchess would have no rights to her children, and making an enemy of the Duke would not be a good political move for Earl Grey. Behind the outgoing public persona, Gerogianna is a very troubled woman trying to make the best of a bad situation.

The Duchess started off slowly. I began to wonder if I was going to battle with my eyelids the entire night. But a surprising thing happened as the movie went along. I began to actually get into the story. The film has all the trappings of a period piece film, with lush sets, impressive costume design, backstabbing characters, and great acting performances. Ralph Fiennes adds just the right amount of menace to The Duke, and Keira Knightley impressed me for the first time, portraying all the different emotions of the Duchess as she grows from a naïve teenager into an adult. She might get some Oscar consideration for this performance as well. I found Geogianna’s life as The Duchess to be fascinating. The period piece is not for everyone, but those who enjoy them should enjoy this one. See it in the theater.

- Black Belt Theater