Movie Reviews

Sadly, Spielberg’s populist instincts are in full effect for the film’s finale (which in and of itself is a bit logic-defying), but it’s not enough to detract from the overall power and effectiveness of this very engaging piece of cinema. Even at his schlocky worst, Spielberg remains an absolute master of the form, and War of the Worlds might easily be the best film you’ll see this summer.

War of the Worlds
4 & 1/2 Stars

It’s been quite some time since summer blockbuster season was anything more than mindless explosions, but this year may mark the return of the engaging action film, with Batman Begins and Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds making big time entertainment both smarter, and more emotionally engaging than audiences have been used to.

Marking the fifth incarnation (book, radio play, the 53 film version, a low-budget source-faithful movie made last year, and now this version) of H.G. Wells’ invasion classic, Steven Spielberg brings the Victorian Era thriller into the post 9/11 present, but manages to stay true to the spirit and tone of the original. An improbably cast but still effective Tom Cruise takes the lead as blue-collar Jersey-ite Ray Ferrier whose parental weekend with his two kids (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) is interrupted by the arrival of an alien menace. Seeking only to protect himself and his children, Ray evades the destruction of his city and makes off for Boston, where his ex-wife and family are, dealing with panicked crowds, an unrelenting alien force, and his own sense of responsibility.

After it’s slightly awkward introduction of characters War of the Worlds soon kicks into high gear, with the jaw-dropping spectacle of alien machines rising out of the Earth to destroy everything in its path. From that point forward, you’re totally caught in the grip of a survival story that refuses to let up. Tense, panicked, and just brimming with the urgency of a family desperately trying to reach some kind of sanctuary, Spielberg has moved the focus and perspective of an invasion film from a world at war to one man in a situation he can’t possibly understand fully.

It’s a brilliant choice to limit the information we receive to that which Ray and his kids encounter, and it works to continually unsettle you. There’s very little exposition, no big speeches, and again and again we’re shown just how ineffective the human race is against such a superior force. Most importantly we’re show the destruction of a world through the eyes of a normal man for whom circumstance has forced him step up and fend for people other than himself.

The effects of 9/11 are all over this film, from Dakota Fanning asking a panicked Cruise, “Is it the terrorists again?” (Which, is exactly what a child would ask), to the handmade signs posted by the loved ones of the missing (and most likely dead), and most powerfully, to the equally charitable and selfish actions of people who’ve lost everything except the will to survive.

In an effective set piece (which nonetheless derails the momentum of the film due to it’s length), Ray and his daughter hook up with an addled survivalist Tim Robbins, forcing Ray to decide between fighting back at those who’ve destroyed his home and protecting the life of his daughter. It’s a tense and creepy portion of the film, and one in which you’re uncertain which direction it will eventually go in.

Sadly, Spielberg’s populist instincts are in full effect for the film’s finale (which in and of itself is a bit logic-defying), but it’s not enough to detract from the overall power and effectiveness of this very engaging piece of cinema. Even at his schlocky worst, Spielberg remains an absolute master of the form, and War of the Worlds might easily be the best film you’ll see this summer.

There’s something about sports films that make it impossible to leave a theater not feeling upbeat, and Cinderella Man left me almost giddy by its conclusion. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie for all the right reasons. A serious picture not dark enough to be a blatant Oscar plea in the fall, this film is the perfect movie for filmgoers looking for summer entertainment not stuffed wall to wall with explosions or superheroes. Sure it’s semi standard treacle from Ron Howard, but it’s story and production lift it far beyond it’s mediocre trappings.

Cinderella Man
3 & 1/2 Stars

Let’s get this out of the way right now: I don’t like Russell Crowe. I don’t dispute that he’s a fine actor at times, but there’s just something about him that gets on my nerves. Ditto for Renee Zellweger and her “oh, I just bit a lemon” face. I went into Cinderella Man with no knowledge of the film outside of it being a period piece about a boxer, and that it starred those two actors.

Man, was I in for a surprise.

Just don’t mock his poems

Cinderella Man tells the true story of Jim Braddock (Crowe), a heavy-weight boxer whose bright career was derailed by the Depression and a series of lackluster fights. Unable to secure any work capable of providing for his family, the once proud Braddock is reduced to public assistance and hitting up old boxing aquaintences to get by. That is until his former manager (Paul Giamatti, proving once again he’s one of the best actors in Hollywood) finagles a substitution bout for Braddock which starts him on the road to a title fight against the notoriously powerful champion, Max Baer.

On paper it’s easy to dismiss this film as the period piece Rocky and, to be sure, there are some parallels, but the factual account of Braddock’s comeback and eventual triumph is more powerful than Hollywood is capable of making up. Director Ron Howard proves once again that he’s an absolute master of populist entertainment on par with Capra. I know that’s a heavy claim to lay on Opie, but Cinderella Man should certainly solidify his reputation as a capable storyteller.

The period look suits Crowe, whose natural bulk lends itself to a time when boxers didn’t have multimillion dollar gyms to hone their bodies into chiseled slabs. Crowe looks natural in the ring, and Howard does an excellent job giving us boxing matches that are well shot and satisfyingly real. When Braddock faces off against Baer (a near unrecognizable Craig Beirko), every ounce of force each blow sends is felt, without resorting to thunderous sound effects or cartoonish results.

And against all of my expectations, Crowe turns in a note-perfect portrayal of a proud man trying to provide for his family while holding on to his dignity and self respect. It’s an understated performance which goes a long way to repairing my impression of the actor. Paul Giamatti is, as always, an absolute scene stealer. He’s an actor that I hope like hell will get more leading roles on par with Miles from Sideways, but his supporting work here might just be what pushes Oscar voters to make up for his losing the Best Actor to Jamie Foxx. His work here provides much of the comic relief, but it’s delivered by a man whose situation is just as desperate as Braddock’s, and his crusty demeanor belies a man who knows he’s just moments away from losing his own good fortune.

For once, Renee Zellweger’s pinched look finds a perfect home in Mae Braddock, and she looks utterly natural as a Depression era woman. She’s given little to do besides alternate between worrying about her family and encouraging her husband, but the few times she’s given scenes with any weight, she conveys the weary determination of a woman who will do whatever it takes to keep her family safe and sound.

There’s something about sports films that make it impossible to leave a theater not feeling upbeat, and Cinderella Man left me almost giddy by its conclusion. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie for all the right reasons. A serious picture not dark enough to be a blatant Oscar plea in the fall, this film is the perfect movie for film-goers looking for summer entertainment not stuffed wall to wall with explosions or superheroes.

Overall Lords of Dogtown is a lightweight, but thoroughly entertaining biopic, and one sorely overdue. By taking the videogames, ESPN coverage, and mainstream influence out of skateboarding, it’ll be no wonder if this film manages to inspire a whole new generation of kids out to claim the city streets for their own.

Lords of Dogtown
3 & 1/2 Stars

If any sport just cried out for a decent cinematic treatment, skateboarding would have to be at the top of that list. By its very design it’s urban, counter-culture, and practiced by the kind of die-hard outsiders that Hollywood seems to love. So how is it that to date each attempt has been uniformly awful? Maybe it’s because every previous skateboarder film has been the product of a craze-cashing studio with no real understanding of the sport’s allure and culture. Thankfully, former pro-skater and filmmaker Stacey Peralta has stepped up with director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) to deliver a love song to modern skate boarding’s origins with Lords of Dogtown.

Now that’s just cool

A semi-fictionalized retelling of the tale first show in Peralta’s documentary Dogtown & Z-Boys, The Lords of Dogtown focuses on the skating trifecta of the sports first icon Tony Alva (Victor Rasuk), selfless promoter Stacey Peralta (John Robinson), and unbending purist Jay Adams (Emile Hirsch) as they go from young surf punks to unlikely superstars amid the wreckage of Venice, California and their own lives. A nearly unrecognizable (and truly perfect) Heath Ledger plays Skip Engblom, the founder of the Zephyr Surf shop and the man who took a group of young kids heading nowhere and gave them the opportunity to make something of their lives and of their talent, only to be cast aside as their fame and fortune grew.

While the film conveys upon its characters a little more awareness of their immediate impact than they probably had, Lords of Dogtown has an excellent feel for its characters, and how their lives are changed by their talents and ambitions. The Z-Boys were kids who, above all else, just loved to skate and the three excellent leads never feel forced or contrived in their enthusiasm or relationships to each other. Hirsch is exceptionally good as Adams, the effortless master who can’t be bothered with the trappings and obligations of fame, and his life’s decline is a sharp contrast to how Alva and Peralta’s fortunes continued to rise.

The conflict and confusion these kids must have felt is a bit glossed over, indeed the whole film is a fairly breezy ride once the sponsors and accolades come to them, but the skateboarding is perfectly filmed with a mix of traditional and skate-video style camera work that perfectly captures the intensity and physicality of skateboarding. The Zephyr team was comprised of about 12 kids, so it’s a little disappointing that we’re not given any real opportunity to learn or care about the rest of the team, but thankfully Dogtown & Z-Boys fills in the rest of their sordid and storied history.

Overall Lords of Dogtown is a lightweight, but thoroughly entertaining biopic, and one sorely overdue. By taking the videogames, ESPN coverage, and mainstream influence out of skateboarding, it’ll be no wonder if this film manages to inspire a whole new generation of kids out to claim the city streets for their own.