Weekend Wrapup

Movies instead of TV this time. While I’m not in love with the Oscar nominations this year, my inner geek generally drives me to see most of them. And, you know, some other crap along the way. Was going to do these in “60 words per” style, but figure movies are twice as long, so the reviews can be, too:

Children of Men

It’s 2027 and the world has gone to hell because all women are infertile. A miracle mother appears on the scene, and who does it fall to to protect her? Clive Owen, in disaffected shaggy former hero mode.

While this is pretty bleak and British stuff, it’s absolutely fantastic. Expect a little more exposition than you’d like at the beginning, but pretty quick it’s off and running. The vision of the future is chillingly realistic, as is the way it’s shot. Most of the movie is rough and handheld, culminating with an uninterrupted sequence that might make Scorsese jealous. After reinvigorating the Harry Potter series (with Prisoner of Azkaban) Alfonso Cuaron really comes into his own with this masterpiece.

Night at the Museum

Ben Stiller’s a divorced dad in need of a job, so signs up to be a night watchman at the Museum of Natural History. Which is more surprising, that the exhibits come to life at night or that the events of the movie rekindle the relationship with his son?

That said, good(ish) special effects, a handful of laughs, and a nice “those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it message” make for mildly amusing and harmless fun. Stiller cranks out his standard humor, Owen Wilson does his schtick, Carla Gugino is lovely as always, and of particular note – Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney are, in fact, alive.

Catch and Release

Jennifer Garner’s wedding becomes a wake when her fiancé dies unexpectedly. Even more surprising is the fact that it turns out he fathered a child with a New Age massage therapist from LA. As you might guess, complications (romantic and otherwise) ensue.

C & R is a messy movie about a messy situation, and while it’s not terrifically successful, its heart is in the right place. Garner’s great – good to see she can handle a movie without handling a gun. Timothy Olyphant’s solid as the unlikely love interest. Kevin Smith steps out from behind the camera to play almost a parody of himself, and while it’s pretty broad, it’s also pretty funny. Not high art, but not bad either.

Blood Diamond

The global diamond-mining crisis, complete with warring clans and chopped off hands, gets boiled down into sort of a buddy movie. Kind of like if you crossed Lethal Weapon 2 with Kanye West’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.”

Despite the fact that it feels a bit pat, Blood Diamond’s really quite good. Leo rocks a Rhodesian accent (at least I assume so, having never heard one before), Djimon Hounsou’s terrific in everything he’s in, and Jennifer Connelly, while not terribly compelling as a hard-as-nails journalist, is pretty enough to get a pass. Edward Zwick directed, and this feels a lot like his recent Last Samurai, where the overarching backdrop is secondary to two men bonding. Liked it, didn’t love it.