Movie/TV Reviews

State of Play

Susan Granger’s review of “State of Play” (Universal Pictures)

When Sonia Baker (Maria Thayer), the pretty research assistant/mistress of Philadelphia Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is run over by a Washington, D.C. subway in front of hundreds of witnesses, veteran newspaper reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) reluctantly teams up with newbie political, highly opinionated gossip blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) to look into how she wound up under that train. Did she really commit suicide or is there some connection with the shooting of a young black man on the same day?
Based on Paul Abbott’s far-better 2003 BBC miniseries that’s been consecutively condensed by a seasoned triumvirate of screenwriters (Tony Gilroy, Matthew Michael Carnahan and Billy Ray) and tautly directed by Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”), it’s a melodramatic thriller that’s filled with unexpected – and improbable – twists, turns and government conspiracies, since it seems the victim had connections to a Blackwater-like military enforcement corporation called PointCorp – think Halliburton or Bechtel – that Cal has been investigating.
Russell Crowe’s terrific as the slobby, double-cheeseburger-with-chili gobbling, whiskey-soaked journalist who’s been on the metro beat too long, while Robin Wright Penn shines as Anne, Congressman Collins’ shocked wife, who happens to be an old flame of Cal’s, with Helen Mirren as the hard-driving Washington Globe editor, under pressure from the paper’s new corporate ownership. Jeff Daniels turns up as a priggishly Christian congressman but it’s Jason Bateman who steals scenes as a sleazy, outrageously bisexual publicist. Unfortunately, Ben Affleck is the weak link, coming across as far too lightweight and unseasoned to play an allegedly charismatic politician and too young to have been Crowe’s college roommate. Crowe’s 45 and Affleck’s 36 – and the generational differences are obvious.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “State of Play” is a somewhat incoherent, sinister 6. Just don’t compare it with more credible journalism-themed movies like “All the President’s Men,” “The Parallax View,” “Absence of Malice,” “Zodiac” or even the Cary Grant/Rosalind Russell classic comedy “His Girl Friday.”

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Crank: High Voltage

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Crank: High Voltage” (Lionsgate)

British action star Jason Statham reprises his role of Chev Chelios in this dubious sequel which picks up where the original left off – as Chev is plummeting from a helicopter to certain death on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Only, of course, he doesn’t die and he won’t, not when people keep plunking down money at the box-office.
This time, instead of trying to keep his adrenaline pumping to counteract the effects of a deadly poison, Chev’s heart is forcibly removed and transplanted into the chest of Poon Dong (David Carradine), an ailing Chinese crime boss with a Fu Manchu beard. So until his underworld surgeon friend, Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam), can find a suitable organ replacement, Chev must make do with a mechanical model with a battery pack that he has to keep activated with jolts of electricity. That involves utilizing a variety of devices (jumper cables, stun guns, dog collars, etc.) on himself so he doesn’t collapse. When those devices are not available, he resorts to static electricity caused by sexual friction, aided by Eve (Amy Smart), his ever-ready, pole-dancing girl-friend, and Ria (Bai Ling), a fanatical Asian prostitute. (Although there’s R-rated nudity, the graphic ‘coupling’ is obscured by pixilation.) Above all, Chev is determined to track down the culprits who, literally, stole his heart, or, as he terms it in Cockney, his “strawberry tart.”
Directors/screenwriters Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor have constructed what amounts to a cinematic video game in that it is neither coherent nor credible but certainly gruesome and bigoted, excitedly abusing Asians, Mexicans, women and the disabled, complete with an anal rape with a shotgun.
For mainstream audiences, on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Crank: High Voltage” is an adrenaline-propelled, outrageously offensive 3, culminating with overstressed Chev’s finally turning to the audience and giving them the middle finger. But I suspect that if you really relish this kind of amped-up, testosterone-drenched lunacy, you weren’t waiting for the review anyway.

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Every Little Step

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Every Little Step” (Sony Pictures Classics)

This documentary by James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo attempts not only to be the behind-the-scenes story of how the revival of the Broadway musical “A Chorus Line” was re-cast in 2006 but also a semi-biography of the late Michael Bennett, the inspired director/choreographer who built the original story around audiotapes of 22 young singers and dancers candidly talking about their lives and aspirations.
With music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a compelling book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, “A Chorus Line” originally opened in 1975 and went on to set a record for the longest-running musical in Broadway history – a title it lost in 1997, when “Cats” eclipsed its run.
Obviously, some of the 3,000 “gypsies” (as the dancers call themselves) who audition this time ‘round are better than others, like Jason Tam who absolutely nails Paul’s character-defining monologue about his coming out as a gay man and his parents’ reaction, Deidre Goodwin’s Sheila and Charlottee D’Amboise’s Cassie. Thankfully, it’s only the most promising handful of contestants who are profiled in detail, particularly dance captain Baayork Lee’s preference for one particular performer to recreate the role of Connie which she originated.
But in recent years, reality TV shows like “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars” have explored similar emotional terrain in our contemporary socio-culture, so veteran choreographer/director Bob Avian’s artistic decisions lack the poignant punch they once could have had, as do the participants’ heartfelt “I got it!” or “I didn’t get it” reactions.
The filmmakers shot some 500 hours of footage at the casting calls and callbacks which they intercut with archival footage, including Donna McKechnie’s incomparable “The Music and the Mirror” as the original Cassie, and contemporary interviews, including composer Marvin Hamlish.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Every Little Step” is a stage-struck, sentimental 7, showing what these earnest, passionate performers still do for love. Or, you could just watch the first five minutes of Bob Fosse’s “All That Jazz.”

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Earth

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Earth” (DisneyNature)

While this gloriously-filmed, environmentally-propelled documentary follows the remarkable story of three animal families, it may look more than a trifle familiar to those who frequently watch the Discovery Channel or who have seen the 11-part BBC miniseries, “Planet Earth,” first presented in 2007. That’s because it features reworked footage from that highly acclaimed, groundbreaking nature series.
Anthropomorphically narrated by James Earl Jones, it attributes human emotions and behavior patterns to three “families,” spanning continents and oceans, over the period of a year. A polar bear Mom and her two cubs emerge from hibernation beneath the snow, while Dad’s survival is challenged by a walrus on prematurely melting Arctic ice that limits his ability to forage for food. As a herd of African elephants is migrating toward the floodwaters of the Okavango Delta, a baby is separated from its mother and dies (off-camera). And deep beneath the surface of the sea, a mother humpback whale and her newborn swim thousands of miles from the tropics to Antarctica’s feeding grounds.
Unlike the BBC mini-series, however, this blandly sanitized, G-rated Disney version delicately avoids disturbing depictions of death. On the African plain, there’s stalking, chasing and pouncing but the carnivores’ graphic consumption of their prey is not shown.
“Disney was keen to strengthen the happy ending but over-all was very interested in being scientifically accurate,” notes Alastair Fothergill who created the BBC’s “Planet Earth” with Mark Linfield. As a result, their footage has been gracefully edited into a cohesive compilation, offering eye-popping glimpses of other wildlife like walruses, penguins, sharks, baboons, cheetah, wolves, Papua New Guinea birds of paradise and demoiselle cranes crossing the Himalayas. The time-lapse cinematography and aerial shots are amazing, and George Fenton’s score adds an effective musical counterpoint.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Earth” is a spectacular 9, capturing wildlife images that – with the threat of climate change as a result of global warming – may not be around for our children and our children’s children. If your family enjoys this kind of entertainment, do yourself a favor and rent Discovery’s “Planet Earth.”

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April 10 DVD Update

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s dvd/video update for week of Friday, April 10:

Several years ago, Jim Carrey played a lawyer who was forced to tell the truth for 24 hours in “Liar, Liar” and, in the just-released “Yes Man,” he continues that behavior modification concept as a negativity-prone junior loan officer whose life is changed by a self-help guru (Terence Stamp) who preaches, “Yes is the new no.”
In “The Caller,” a mind-bending, psychological thriller about responsibility and redemption, Frank Langella plays a corporate exec who knows he’s through in the international global energy business, so he calls a private detective (Elliott Gould) to keep an eye on him until his anticipated demise.
“The Mysterious Cities of Gold,” an animated NBC/Nickelodeon series of the 1980s, mixes ancient history, archaeology and science fiction, following three children who set out on an amazing adventure. The special Deluxe Edition includes a 32-page booklet, a 12-page historical pamphlet, postcards and double-sided fold-out poster.
Rich in humor and warmth, “Live and Become” is the epic tale of an Ethiopian boy who is airlifted to Israel from a Sudanese refugee camp in 1984 during Operation Moses. But he has two big secrets: his is neither a Jew nor an orphan, just an African lad struggling to fulfill his mother’s parting request that he “go, live and become.”
Less impressive: “The Tale of Despereaux” is an animated tale about a brave little mouse with endearingly elephantine ears who devours stories about brave knights vanquishing dragons and rescuing fair maidens. And Adam Sandler’s tepid, tedious “Bedtime Stories” is a compilation of superficial wish-fulfillment fantasies; it’s a strong indictment of the writing when a bug-eyed guinea pig gets the most laughs.
And for film buffs: The First Weekend Club is a non-profit, virtual club that promotes great Canadian films; if you’re interested, access www.firstweekendclub.ca/become-a-member-today.html.
PICK OF THE WEEK: With five Oscar nominations, “Doubt” brings to life a fierce battle of wits between a rigidly old-fashioned nun (Meryl Streep) and a free-thinking priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman), played out in a crucible of sexual politics and religious piety – with superb supporting performances by Viola Davis and Amy Adams.

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Observe and Report

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Observe and Report” (Warner Bros.)

Mix a bit of the psychologically complex Travis Bickle anti-hero character from “Taxi Driver” with the overzealous “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and you have Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen), the lonely, self-delusional, misanthropic chief of security at the suburban Forest Ridge Mall, an authority figure ever on the alert for shoplifters and skateboarders.
While Ronnie still lives at home with his foul-mouthed, domineering, alcoholic mother (Celia Weston), he has a major crush on Brandi (Anna Faris), a sexy cosmetics-counter clerk. So when an elusive flasher in a trench coat and sneakers accosts customers in the parking lot, Ronnie is determined to protect patrons from this pervert and maintain control within his tiny fiefdom. Problem is: mall management has already summoned a real law-enforcement officer, Det. Harrison (Ray Liotta), to handle the situation. The cynical, tough Conway policeman has little patience for Ronnie’s arrogance, and the sentiment is mutual. Soon it becomes a brutal, full-fledged turf war.
Writer/director Jody Hill (“The Foot Fist Way”) amuses, astonishes and appalls with his incongruous, unpredictable, angst-and-anarchy impropriety, including disturbing violence, date rape, drugs and full-frontal male nudity. An advocate of “cringe comedy,” Hill acknowledges that he was influenced by Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” (1976) and “King of Comedy” (1982). But Hill’s subversive characters, storyline and execution are far too uneven.
Seth Rogen audaciously captures the creepy, bi-polar persona of a pathetic vigilante with serious rage issues, expanding his range from comedies like “Superbad” and “Knocked Up,” while Ray Liotta embodies the cocky, hard-nosed veteran officer. Anna Faris proves why she’s one of the most reliable comediennes on the silver screen, and there’s a stalwart supporting cast, headed by Michael Pena (as a member of Ronnie’s security staff) and including Patton Oswalt and Azis Ansari.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Observe and Report” is an edgy, exploitive 5, earning its R-rating for pushing the acceptable boundaries of crude, dark comedy. But it’s not for mainstream audiences.

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Hannah Montana: The Movie

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Hannah Montana: The Movie” (Walt Disney)

Movies should be reviewed with their intended audience in mind so, if you’re old enough to drive yourself to the theater, this is not for you. But if you have a ‘tween girl living in your household, for her, it’s a must-see.
Based on the hit Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana is the pop-star alter-ego of Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus). So the story opens with Miley trying to get into Hannah’s concert with her best-friend Lilly (Emily Osment). Because no one knows that Miley’s really Hannah, the girls have to sneak backstage where Miley’s dad, Robby Rae (Billy Ray Cyrus, her real-life father), is teed off at their tardiness. Then – voila! – with a blonde wig, sequins, spangles and stilettos – mild-mannered Miley turns into Hannah, the rock chick.
The dramatic dilemma that the ‘celebrified’ Miley/Hannah faces is her lack of time for friends and family. So in a typical “Father Knows Best” maneuver, Robby Rae totes his daughter ‘down home,’ back to Crowley’s Corners, Tennessee, for a much-needed reality check and “Hannah detox” on her grandma’s (Margo Martindale) farm. Coincidentally, there happens to be this cute cowboy chum, Travis (Lucas Till), and a local lovely, Lorelei (Melora Hardin), who catches the widower Robby Rae’s eye. But villains abound, too, exemplified by a nosy British tabloid reporter (Peter Gunn) and a greedy developer (Barry Bostwick), who threatens to turn a bucolic meadow into a shopping mall. (Obviously, this was filmed before last year’s real estate collapse.)
Written by Dan Berendsen (“Cheetah Girls: One World”) and directed by Peter Chelsom (“Hear My Song”), it’s formulaic and predictable in its likeable folksiness, complete with a hot/mild sauce switch and a climactic identity crisis, reminiscent of “Home Sweet Alabama.” Yet the musical numbers are diverting, particularly the “Hoedown Throwdown,” and an interlude with Taylor Swift.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Hannah Montana: The Movie” is a charming diversion for girls, ages 6-14, but about a 6 for the rest of us. And expect Miley-mania to continue with the upcoming publication of Cyrus’s 16 year-old’s version of “memoirs.”

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April 3 DVD Update

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s dvd/video update for week of April 3:

Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are lonely, middle-aged losers who develop a supportively comforting relationship in the charming “Last Chance Harvey,” as he struggles to overcome the hurt and humiliation he’s experiencing in both his personal and professional life and find a path for the future.
Spiritual redemption is the theme of Will Smith’s “Seven Pounds,” which begins with him making a 911 call regarding his upcoming suicide. He’s haunted by a terrible mistake he made years ago and, as penance, he’s determined to aid others in the most meaningful ways imaginable, particularly a sad-eyed cardiac patient (Rosario Dawson).
In “Marley & Me,” it’s all about John Grogan’s (Owen Wilson) amazingly untrained yellow Labrador who runs amok for 13 years as his master not only grows but also matures, as does his wife (Jennifer Aniston) and children. There are 22 different canines that play “the world’s worst dog” in this heartfelt story about how a dog, even a badly behaved one, becomes an integral part of a family.
“Ricky Gervais: Out of England” is the British comedian’s stand-up comedy special, taped at Madison Square Garden, expounding on issues such as fundraising, fame, nursery rhymes, Nazis, moronic friends and obesity.
For classic film lovers, there are two-disc Hi-Def Blu-Ray Special Editions of two of my favorite 1950s musicals: “An American in Paris” with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, and “Gigi” with Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier and Leslie Caron. And in anticipation of Easter later this month, “Quo Vadis” is now on Blu-Ray Hi-Def; filmed on location in Rome, it stars Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn and Peter Ustinov.
PICK OF THE WEEK: If you haven’t seen the Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” in theaters, now’s your chance to enjoy this intoxicating, rags-to-riches tale set in Mumbi against the backdrop of India’s version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” The story revolves around an 18 year-old orphan (Dev Patel) who’s suspected of cheating by the game show’s host and, while being grilled by a police inspector, he reluctantly reveals how his Dickensian life experiences have informed his knowledge.

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Fast and Furious

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Fast and Furious” (Universal Pictures)

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are at odds once again when a crime brings them back to the gritty streets of Los Angeles, amid the oil derricks, but this time ex-con Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and former undercover cop Brian O’Conner (Walker) must work together. There’s bad blood between them so that’s not easy since O’Conner infiltrated Dom’s juiced-up gang, dating-and-dumping his sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), in 2001’s original “Fast & Furious.” But, as Brian explains to Mia, “The one thing I learned from Dom is that nothing really matters unless you have a code.”
So what unites Dom and Brian is a quest to capture a dastardly, elusive drug kingpin. Brian needs the guy because he’s a key witness for the FBI, and Dom is determined to wreak revenge. And that leads them into a series of elaborately staged races and chases. Vroom! Vroom! So who emerges triumphant?
As NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt once said, “The winner ain’t the one with the fastest car; it’s the one who refuses to lose.”
Since the plot devised by screenwriter Chris Morgan (“The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” “Wanted”) is formulaic, along with the dim-witted dialogue (“Let’s go before it’s too late.” “It’s already too late”), director Justin Lin concentrates on choreographing the action sequences. Beginning with the opener in the Dominican Republic, where Dom, along with his girl-friend (Michelle Rodriguez), hijack a speeding, double-sectioned tanker truck, to the climactic underground chase through a tunnel connecting the U.S. and Mexico, it’s all about screeching breaks, shattered glass, crunched metal and burning rubber, a veritable demolition derby.
Neither of the leading men – Diesel or Walker – exudes an iota of charisma, while the supporting women – Brewster and Rodriguez – are saddled with parts that simply lack relevance. And the bad guys, John Ortiz and Laz Alonso, are equally underwhelming. So on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Fast & Furious” flames out with a 2. You don’t need a road map to conclude this franchise has run out of gas and is going nowhere.

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Adventureland

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Adventureland” (Miramax Films)

‘Come summer back in 1987, recent college graduate James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), having attained a B.A. in comparative literature, realizes his shortcomings in the job market, “Turns out I’m not even qualified for manual labor.”
He’d had dreams of traipsing through Europe with a buddy, followed by graduate school in journalism at New York’s Columbia University, but when his parents (Jack Gilpin, Wendie Malick) pull the plug financially, James has no other choice but to man the rigged arcade games at an amusement park near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While he’d prefer to work the rides, the mom-and-pop proprietors (Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig of “SN”) deem him “a game guy.” So he finds himself calling a make-believe horse race on the midway, listening to the repetitive strains of “Rock Me Amadeus” on the loudspeakers, befriending brainy oddball Joel (Martin Starr), and flirting with sexy Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva), surrounded by the giant plush pandas he’s forbidden to give away. What he can dispense, however, is part of a stash of weed that he’s ‘accidentally’ acquired.
Not surprisingly, James is immediately attracted to sullen Em Lewin (Kristen Stewart), who is secretly involved with urbane Mike Connell (Ryan Reynolds), a married maintenance man, who spins stories about the famous rock musicians he’s jammed with – like Lou Reed. (Not that Connell’s very convincing but his braggadocio does invite the use of Reed’s “Satellite of Love” on the potent soundtrack.)
During this short-lived summer, virginal James learns more at the theme park than in past four years he’s spent in academia. From the bumper cars to the Tilt-a-Whirl to the Tunnel of Love, it’s not all fun and games.
Writer/director Greg Mottola (“Superbad,” “The Daytrippers”) is obviously comfortable with underdog nostalgia, dipping a bit into Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused” territory with this semi-autobiographical reminiscence that’s extremely well-acted by Jesse Eisenberg (“The Squid and the Whale”) and Kristen Stewart (“Twilight”). So on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Adventureland” is a sweet-natured 7. It’s amiable and appealing.

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