August 26, 2009 // Uncategorized

Movie Capsules

Todays Catholic

NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Gamer” (Lionsgate/Lakeshore)

Brutal futuristic gladiator tale in which a wrongly convicted death-row inmate (Gerard Butler), who has been bioengineered for remote control, battles to stay alive and eventually win his freedom under the online direction of a rich teen (Logan Lerman) in a combat game developed by an evil genius (Michael C. Hall). Co-writers and directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s dystopian mishmash also samples the mastermind’s other game where players use similarly altered people to act out their sexual fantasies. Constant action violence, much of it gory, mutilation, brief graphic aberrant sexual activity, upper female and rear nudity, a few uses of profanity, and much rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“9” (Focus/Relativity)

Artistically accomplished but intellectually problematic animated fantasy in which the doll-like titular creature (voice of Elijah Wood) leads a band of similar beings (voiced by, among others, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, John C. Reilly and Jennifer Connelly) — each also identified by a number — as they battle giant mechanical monsters amid the ruins of a post-apocalyptic world. Director Shane Acker’s feature debut, an expansion of his 2004 short of the same title, implicitly contrasts a naysaying version of religious faith with enlightening science, a false dichotomy that, despite some eventual modifications, requires mature deliberation by spiritually well-grounded viewers. Complex religious themes, moderate action violence and frequent menace. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Whiteout” (Warner Bros.)

Lackluster thriller in which a federal marshal (Kate Beckinsale) and a U.N. official (Gabriel Macht) investigate a series of murders in Antarctica, assisted by a government medic (Tom Skerritt). Though there are some suspenseful snow-blinded confrontations with the killer, logic is among the casualties in director Dominic Sena’s often grisly adaptation of Greg Rucka’s graphic novel. Frequent gory images, brief streaking scene with full male nudity, partial female shower nudity, suicide, a few uses of profanity, and occasional rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“All About Steve” (Fox)

Tiresome romantic comedy about a motormouthed, trivia-spouting crossword-puzzle writer (Sandra Bullock) whose isolated life is transformed when she falls instantly for a TV news cameraman (Bradley Cooper) she meets on a blind date, her obsessive love prompting her first to throw herself at him in a bid for immediate intimacy, then to dog him from one news event to the next, egged on, as a practical joke, by a vain reporter (Thomas Haden Church) for his network. Director Phil Traill’s feature debut is hobbled by a central character whose supposed quirkiness is grating rather than endearing and, a few digs at media excess aside, neither the humor nor the more serious moments affirming individuality and emotional sensitivity succeed. Nongraphic nonmarital sexual activity, some sexual humor and references, a half-dozen uses of profanity, frequent crude or crass language, and an obscene gesture. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Extract” (Miramax)

The successful owner (Jason Bateman) of a flavor extract factory is convinced by his best friend (Ben Affleck) to hire a young gigolo (Dustin Milligan) to seduce his sex-withholding wife (Kristen Wiig) so that he can have a guilt-free affair with an attractive new employee (Mila Kunis), not realizing that the newcomer is a con artist who is manipulating a fellow worker (Clifton Collins Jr.) into suing him over an on-the-job injury in order to make off with the wounded man’s award money. Though the dialogue is at times undeniably clever, and though the plot moves toward a generally moral wrap-up, writer-director Mike Judge’s comic portrait of a personally and professionally beleaguered entrepreneur showcases skewed marital values and, in at least one instance, gives a pass to infidelity. Adultery, a repeated blasphemous joke, much sexual humor, some profanity and rough language, and frequent crude and crass terms. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“The Final Destination” (New Line/Warner Bros.)

Repellent horror sequel in which a young man’s (Bobby Campo) premonition of impending death saves him, his girlfriend (Shantel VanSanten), two of their pals (Haley Webb and Nick Zano) and a number of strangers from perishing in a speedway accident, but the Grim Reaper is not to be cheated, and the survivors begin to die off in a series of horrifically gruesome misadventures. Director David R. Ellis’ utterly callous fourth installment in the franchise amounts to little more than an exercise in gross-out special effects, with a gratuitous scene of debased casual sex tacked on for bad measure. Conventional and 3-D formats. Pervasive gory violence, including mutilation, brief graphic nonmarital sexual activity, a couple of uses of profanity, and some rough and much crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Halloween II” (Dimension)

Writer-director Scott Zombie creates a horror film so boring and predictable, even Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) looks embarrassed to be put through his desultory homicidal paces. Deborah Myers (Sheri Moon Zombie, the director’s wife), is Michael’s semi-spooky, cliche-spouting ghost of a mother, and Scout Taylor-Compton reprises her scream-queen role as Michael’s disturbingly foulmouthed sister Laurie, with whom he longs to have a violent, delusional reunion. Strong violent content, including multiple stabbings, a strangling and a fatal stomping, fleeting upper female nudity, pervasive rough and crass language, and occasional sexual banter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard” (Paramount Vantage)

Shoddy, vulgar comedy about a failing used-car dealer (James Brolin) who summons a team of crack freelance sales types (led by Jeremy Piven) in a last-gasp bid to save his business. Despite a plotline about freewheeling Piven’s desire to settle down as a family man, director Neal Brennan’s gear-grinding lemon mostly runs on humor and language as sordid as the strip clubs its characters frequent. Strong sexual content, including adultery and brief graphic nonmarital sexual activity, full nudity, drug use, about a dozen uses of profanity, and pervasive rough and much crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Inglourious Basterds” (Weinstein/Universal)

Provocative World War II fantasy in which a team of ruthless Jewish-American commandoes led by a hard-bitten Southern officer (Brad Pitt) and a young French Jewish woman (Melanie Laurent) passing as a gentile cinema owner in occupied Paris plot independently to assassinate key Nazi leaders during a gala film premiere, even as the German officer (Christoph Waltz) who killed her family threatens both schemes. Between episodes of graphic bloodletting, writer-director Quentin Tarentino weaves a suspenseful, though somewhat lurid, alternate history, but the Americans’ systematic brutality toward enemy soldiers can only be accepted within a genre far removed from reality and on the supposition that all Teutonic combatants were Holocaust enablers. Strong violent content, including torture and mutilation, complex moral issues, a few uses of profanity, and much rough and some crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Ponyo” (Disney)

Enchanting English-language version of a Japanese animated fable about a determined goldfish (voice of Noah Cyrus) who escapes from the underwater realm of her domineering wizard father (voice of Liam Neeson) to explore the world beyond, and comes under the protection of a plucky, affectionate 5-year-old boy (voice of Frankie Jonas), whose love for her is tested both before and after her mysterious transformation into a little girl. Originally written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the mythic tale, inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid,” uses masterful artistry to recapture the innocence and wonder of childhood, while deftly delivering a warning against environmental carelessness. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. All ages admitted.

“Post Grad” (Fox Atomic)

After failing to secure her dream job, a recent college graduate (Alexis Bledel) is forced to return home to her eccentric parents (Jane Lynch and Michael Keaton) and feisty grandmother (Carol Burnett) whose antics distract her from her employment search and from her efforts to choose between her longtime boyfriend (Zach Gilford) and a Brazilian-born ladies’ man (Rodrigo Santoro). A talented cast is becalmed, in veteran animation director Vicky Jenson’s live-action debut, by a listless script which, though it boosts family solidarity, also features a passionate encounter between characters who have barely met and repeatedly refers to the importance of condom use. Brief nongraphic, nonmarital sexual activity, occasional sexual references, a half-dozen uses of profanity, at least one use of the F-word, and some crude and crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG- 13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

“Shorts” (Warner Bros.)

Clever children’s fantasy about a rainbow-colored rock that grants the wishes of anyone holding it, and the chaos its misuse wreaks on the lives of a bullied schoolboy (Jimmy Bennett), his parents (Jon Cryer and Leslie Mann), his chief persecutor (terrific newcomer Jolie Vanier), her tycoon father (James Spader) and their suburban community in general. Told in a series of nonsequential episodes, writer-director Robert Rodriguez’s lively yarn, which carries messages about the dangers of power and the isolating effects of contemporary technology, generally makes for appealing family entertainment, though perilous special effects may overwhelm the most sensitive viewers, while some parents may find a story line about a mucus monster unpleasant. Occasional menace and mildly gross humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.