Banlieue 13 - Ultimatum (France - 2009)
Starring: Cyril Raffaelli, David Belle, Philippe Torreton
Director: Patrick Alessandrin
Plot: In a future Paris where "districts" have been created to keep out the more violent, undesirable elements, a disgraced super-cop and a local hero try to uncover a high-level conspiracy to force the French Government to destroy the gang-controlled ghettos to make way for high-priced condos.
Review: A sequel signed Luc-Besson (who also penned the script), Banlieue 13 - Ultimatum is a pretty decent sci-fi actioner that proves that the French can do this kind of thing just as well as Hollywood. The story itself is dreadfully familiar, with flashes from everything from Robocop to Escape From New York, and there's no real attempt to make for a logical plot. Though not quite as accomplished or as original as the first, Ultimatum nevertheless has its fair share of thrilling action sequences, from death-defying Parkour acrobatics across rooftops and along the side of buildings, to some fine martial arts fights and over-the-top car stunts. At its best, the movie rolls off the screen like one of the better homage to 80's Hong Kong action / comedy fests. Just like its Asian brethren, the stunts are real, not CGI, and that's thanks to its two returning leads (and real-life urban acrobats) Raffaelli and Belle who make it all look so easy - much like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung did. Case in point, a superb opening sequence (in fact, the movie's highlight) where super-cop Raffaelli slips in a den of thieves disguised as a call-girl (cross-gender jokes, another HK specialty) and ends up taking down the entire gang of criminals single-handed, while protecting a priceless Van Gogh painting. Unfortunately, director Alessandrin can't keep the energy levels up during the moments between the stellar action bits, all of which are too talky and too lengthy, with the story re-treading on itself, spoon feeding each obvious detail in flashbacks. If that wasn't bad enough, the over-handed social commentary on class warfare, the corrupt government, etc. are just plain silly. Nevertheless, the film has enough spunk in its action and the leads enough charisma to move this fluffy contraption past the finish line. And sometimes, that's good enough.
Entertainment: 6/10

Invictus (2009)
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, 
Director: Clint Eastwood
Plot: Having just been elected as the President in apartheid-torn South African, Nelson Mandela enlists the captain of the national rugby team to help unite the country by winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Review: An adaptation of John Carlin’s book Playing The Enemy: Nelson Mandela And The Game That Made A Nation, Invictus has all the makings of a sports movie, with its underdog team facing impossible odds, sympathetic star athlete and social . But what makes it special is the political significance of the endeavour for South Africa's image, and the real focus of the pitcure is really on the legendary figure of Mandela. Running a country still suffering from post-apartheid after himself emerging from almost 30 years as a political prisoner is a daunting task, and the film magnificently evokes the hardships required to lead and heal a people (both black and white) who have nothing but distrust for one another after the decades of apartheid policies. Better yet, director Eastwood (still going strong after such recent dramas like Letters from Iwo Jima) proves he's a director with a conscience who deftly balances the expectations of social drama, biography and mainstream sports flick into a cohesive pacakge. Yes, there are some cliches in the script, and some patches seems to be pretty slow going, even repetitive, but if it plays often to typical genre fervor it just as often shows that its heart in the right place. The downside is that the historical and political upheavals of Mandela's years in power are marginalized to keep the story fixed on the game of rugby, simplifying his administration's successes (and failures) to winning another match on the road to the World Cup. As the Mandela, Freeman imbues the character with quiet dignity, humility and - when he's doing one of his rousing speeches - the necessary gravity and a stubborn lack of showmanship. In contrast, Damon's team captain isn't a very inspirational leader, preferring to lead by example, but it's clear that both are kindred spirits. Invictus may not be subtle and it's not up to the standards of Eastwood's best work, but for mainstream palates it's a fine way to get some insight into this influential and inspiring figure.
Drama: 7/10

The Lovely Bones (2009)
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz
Director: Peter Jackson
Plot: After being murdered by a neighbor, a serial killer, a 14-year old girl tries to influence her grieving father from pergutory to exact justice.
Review: A critical success as a novel, The Lovely Bones was sure to be tough going to bring to the screen. Part nail-biting suspense thriller, part 70's era family drama and part supernatural fantasy, where the dead can still communicate with the living, it's a blend that shouldn't work - yet it does, and brilliantly. Director Jackson, best known for his B-grade horror flicks and a small trilogy called The Lord of the Rings, takes on the challenge. Of course, the sequences in the after-life are right up his alley, and the gorgeous, over-saturated world of the the in-between is inventive and impeccably realized. But above all this is a story of grief, obsession and, finally, healing and for the most part it rings emotionally true, with Jackson showing a restrained, intimate side when it comes to the happy family life and the emotional crash that follows tragedy. And there's no arguing over the superb cast - Sarandon as the eccentric grandmother, Wahlberg as the doting father, Weisz as the grieving mother, and the young Ronan who embodies all the hopes and innocence of youth, making her dashed dreams all the more sad. If much of the more horrifying details of murder and rape are kept off-screen (even so, thr scene is strikingly affecting), the killer of the piece is still truly terrifying, a calculating man whose barely supressed urges and depraved appetites hide behind a facade of a seemingly simple, quiet neighbor. In the hands of Stanley Tucci, he's one of the scariest, most despicable movie villains in recent memory, and his performance is sure to garner award nominations. His interactions with both a suspicious father and the young sister, caught sneaking in his house, make for some nail-biting suspense. Though it strives to capture the essence of the original work, it does take many liberties to make it work in a feature-length running time, some of which may disappoint fans of the book. Taken on its own, though, The Lovely Bones is an affecting, suspenseful tale that weaves its magic throughout.
Drama: 8/10

It's Complicated (2009) 
Starring: Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Krasinski
Director: Nancy Meyers
Plot: After finally coping with her divorce, a middle-aged woman ends up having an affair with her ex-husband during her son's college graduation and finds herself juggling to hide the fact from her children and a potential new love interest.
Review: Another frothy, light-on-its-feet, and light-on-content dramedy, It's Complicated wants to prove that young, good-looking lovers have it easy - wait until they get older, have a family, get divorced and need to handle more than they can chew! The film isn't really isn't that complex, but it does provide some pleasant, shameless entertainment at the relationships constructed over a full life, and more than its share of laughs, most of which are thankfully tasteful - all that is except for a nude scene involving web video-conferencing... Writer-director Meyers (What Women Want, Something's Gotta Give) is making a career of exploring the rom-com genre with older characters (that's 50+ people, folks), a demography that has rarely been given a chance to shine. It sure helps to have a spendid cast with impeccable comic timing to work with, including a scene-stealing, scarily overweight Baldwin as the ego-centric but charming ex, a way-too-down-to-earth Martin as the potential paramour (though a pot-smoking scene redeems the casting choice), and a delightfully funny Krasinski as the son-in-law who can't take keeping secrets. But through all the clichés, upturns and downturns, through melodrama and slapstick, it's the wonderous Streep that keeps it all afloat, proving she's the consummate actress for Oscar bait as well as mainstream fluff. Potraying a giggling, confused, exasperated and guilt-ridden mother and ex-wife, she's proven that she may well be the Queen of Comedy, too. Yes, the movie is unevenly paced, feels familiar and sometimes seems to drag, but It's Complicated is never dull and has enough gumption and energy to keep you smiling throughout.
Comedy: 6/10

Nine (2009)
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Stacy Ferguson, Sophia Loren
Director: Rob Marshall
Plot: Desperate to find an idea for his new film, a famous Italian director struggles with a mid-life crisis and reviews his relationships with the women in his life.
Review: An adaptation of the stage musical, itself a remake and modernization of Federico Fellini’s classic 8 ½, Nine feels like an American’s dream of the classic era of ‘60s Italian cinema. Be warned, however: if you don’t care about existential angst – and it’s hard to love the focal character, an egotistical bastard whose lusts and infidelity ends up destroying him - then you won’t care about the story's emotional content, either. That said, the movie is still a fun look at a behind-the-scenes of creating a movie and all the people involved. The tale also takes lots of opportunities to reminisce on the Italian classics, with snapshots and scenes around Rome, as if getting a Coles Notes version of someone’s appreciation of them. With lots of flash, pizzazz, and abetted by luxurious sets, director Marshall plunges in a Broadway musical adaptation once again following his success in Chicago. For sure, it’s a more involving, affecting work dramatically speaking, but not as energetic or interesting as his previous work. Still, if none of the tunes are really catchy or the dance choreography that original, the dance numbers are varied and do entertain, balancing out the melodrama. The real coup is in the casting: As the self-centered director, Day-Lewis gets most of the focus and he’s as charismatic as ever, even in a rarely sympathetic role, and does OK in the few show bits. But it’s the actresses that take the cake; though most of them have little past musical credits, and none can outdo Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago, they come out of it credibly, and they do seem to have had oodles of fun doing this. Of note, Kidman gets top billing and does well in an only minor part as the starlet, there’s a very sexy Cruz as the clingy mistress, Kate Hudson impresses in one of the show’s highlights “Cinema Italiano”, Dame Judi Dench plays wardrobe manager and confidante, and Italian legend Sophia Loren cameos as the mother. However, it’s Marion Cotillard who steals the show as the long-suffering, alienated wife, and she’s simply brilliant in the show's heartbreaking number "My Husband Makes Movies". If none of it is truly memorable, Nine does provide an entertaining hodge-podge of dancing and drama that’s sure to please audiences looking for a musical with more than the usual “razzle-dazzle”.
Entertainment: 7/10

Sherlock Homes (2009)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Director: Guy Ritchie
Plot: In Victorian London, legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Dr. Watson take on a fiendish secret society and a conspiracy that threatens the country.
Review: Sir Arthur Conan Doyleís popular 19th-century character Sherlock Holmes has been adapted countless times for TV and the big screen, but never has the classic cerebral detective ever been re-invented as an action hero - until now. Enter director Ritchie, a guy who has done wonders to the British gangster genre with movies like Snatch and RocknRolla, infusing his films - as he does here - with his trademark blend of visceral violence, crackling dialogue and dollops of humour, all with an eye on style and quick editing to keep things moving along. Working with his first Hollywood budget, Ritchie gets a chance at a propulsive, large scale adventure in finely-detailed Victorian London, including a climax atop a CGI reproduction of the London Bridge. Despite the ìsacrilegiousî inclusion of typical action tropes in a Holmes story, such as fist fights, global conspiracies, secret societies and, yes, even explosions - things better suited for James Bond, in fact - there's also many opportunities to show off why Holmes is "the world's greatest detective"; through a series of quick-cut, narrated sequences we get an inkling of how his mind works, and what made him such an enduring fictional presence. Adding a despicable new villain, some apparently occult events and lots of the details from Conan Doyle's tales into the mix makes this - no doubt about it - all delectable fun. As played to eccentric perfection by Downey Jr., this version of Holmes is both master at observation and deduction as he is in physical combat, and Downey's own personal history makes his character all the more believable when heís battling his addiction. Adding to the fray, a"stiff upper lipped" Jude Law as his faithful companion manages to keep his own, and, though underused, McAdams gives the movie some romantic spice as Irene Adler, and does get some choice moments. Die-hard, literate fans of the classic hero will scream, but audiences ready to give the character a go as a mainstream blockbuster movie hero are sure to have a blast with this new Sherlock Holmes.
Entertainment: 8/10

The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Terrence Howard, John Goodman
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Plot: When a beautiful young woman encounters a prince whose been cursed into a frog and is desperate to return to being human, her kiss sends them both to an adventure across the Louisiana bayou.
Review: In this market of CGI excesses, the classic cel-based animated feature The Princess and the Frog is a blast from the past. The problem is it is too much so - it all feels too familiar, and neither the story, characters, animation or songs are good enough to be successfully compared to the real golden age of modern Disney fare, when Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King ruled the roost. On the plus side, the directors of The Little Mermaid and Hercules have brought the New Orleans setting to life, there is the occasional verve and some pinches of wit, and the musical numbers with the villainous Voodoo doctor are vibrant and imaginative. As to the tale, Disney finally gives us its first African-American heroine, and she's a hard-working young woman who doesn't (thankfully!) have dreams of simply being swept off her feet as is wont of so many fairy-tale princesses. Alas, for the most part neither the film nor tale are inventive or exciting enough to impress children or adults alike. The main culprit may well be the very center of the film, that of the growing relationship between the two humans-turned-frogs as they cross the Louisiana bayou. There's a Jazz-playing alligator and a grizzled old firefly to keep them company and provide some comic relief, but the romance feels leaden. It doesn't help, perhaps, that we've got a strong-willed heroine teamed up with a vain, smooth-talking (and bland) Prince Charming. An amiable but forgettable effort, The Princess and the Frog doesn't really stretch animation bubble and makes it clear that Disney's traditional fare can't compete with stronger efforts from Pixar and company.
Entertainment: 6/10

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