BIG OPENINGS: June 26, 2009
By: Myles Hughes
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Transformers opens on a Wednesday for a Big Money Making Weekend...
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We’re now in the heat of the summer movie season, both figuratively and literally (I’ve escaped to the pleasant air-conditioning of a
nearby Starbucks just to write this article). It seems that after a few weeks of nice comedies about aging balloon salesmen, time travel,
Vegas drunkards, and fake marriage, Hollywood is ready to pull out its big guns, by which I mean a nearly 3-hour commercial for cars
and toys linked together by a silly plot and sexy hardware (referring to both the transforming robots and Megan Fox, of course). Also out
this week, a Lifetime melodrama with a theatrical release, the exploits of a cougar before the term was invented, and an Iraq war film
that’s actually about the war and not the politics behind it.
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro
Synopsis: Remember how at the end of the last Transformers it looked like the good robots had defeated the evil robots? Well no
such luck, because there are now more evil robots to contend with, and it’s up to Shia LaBeouf to be quirkily appealing at them as
aggressively as possible, with the fate of the world in the balance.
Critics: There’s probably more to the movie than the description I’ve just given, but I think we all recognized that these are not movies to
be taken seriously around the point in the first one where the action was interrupted for a scene in which the protagonist’s parents
accused him of masturbating while the badass killing machines hid behind his house. As for the sequel, the keyword appears to be
more: more robots, more action, and more runtime. Everything is bigger, but not necessarily better. Much of the charm and humor of
the original is gone, and while the film is fantastic as a spectacle, there isn’t much in the way of interesting plot or characters, and the
film runs about 30 minutes too long.
Oscar Potential: The inevitable Best Visual Effects nod, along with other Artistic/Techs may be all this film is set to garner.
Verdict: This flick has been out since Wednesday, so odds are good that if this is the kind of thing that entertains you, you probably don’
t really care what the critics think. Enjoy.
MY SISTER’S KEEPER
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Jason Patric, and Joan Cusack
Synopsis: An idyllic family life is disrupted when the youngest daughter sues her parents for the right to not have to donate her organs
to save her sister, who is dying of cancer. Mass weeping from both characters and audience ensues.
Critics: No, seriously. According to the vast majority of critics, you will cry if you see this movie, that’s a promise. Though it may be a tad
unsubtle and fairly predictable, it’s executed so appealingly that you can’t help but shed a tear for the family’s plight. The cast is all in
top form, without ever going over the top. Reports on the actual quality of the film have been varied, with some saying it deserves its
emotional responses and others calling it manipulative.
Oscar Potential: The critical reception has been too mixed and the box office looks to be too small for it to make much of an impact on
the race.
Verdict: Have you had a good cry lately? Do you want to?
THE HURT LOCKER
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, and Guy Pearce
Synopsis: Tells the story of the last several weeks of an elite bomb squad detection unit, and how the group is shaken up by the
introduction of a new team leader.
Critics: Finally, a war film set in Iraq that’s not only good, but actually great on its own merits. Garnering some of the best non-Pixar
reviews so far this year, this film has everything: gritty and intense combat sequences, interesting and well-defined characters, and a
singular focus that’s guaranteed to keep audience members on the edge of their seat. The three leads are all superb, and while the
cameos by such great performers as Pearce, Fiennes, and David Morse are somewhat underutilized, the film is involving on so many
levels that it’ll be hard to mind.
Oscar Potential: Now that the Academy has extended the number of Best Picture nominees from 5 to 10, a timely war picture like this
may be just what the doctor ordered. It’ll need to keep a strong campaign over the rest of the year, but the quality is certainly there for
discussion in Best Picture, Director, Actor (Renner), Screenplay, and Cinematography.
Verdict: If you can handle the intensity of the experience, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK:
CHERI – Michelle Pfieffer stars as a retired courtesan in pre-WWI Paris who forms a romantic attachment to the young layabout son of
her rival. Though it brings out solid work from Pfieffer and Bates, the key performance from Rupert Friend is somewhat muted,
resulting in a lack of chemistry between the leads. The film as a whole feels too inert to be particularly engaging.
COMING NEXT WEEK:
Next week, Jack Sparrow takes on Batman in 1930s Chicago for the crime thriller Public Enemies, while a series of prehistoric
mammals goof around well past their prime in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
TOP FILMS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
1. FUNNY PEOPLE – My co-writer Joey constantly reminding me that this movie exists and will likely awesome has kept my
anticipation high. Will Judd Apatow finally be able to make it to the Oscars?
2. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS – The new trailer hasn’t hurt, and it’s easy to be excited over Quentin Tarantino’s latest. No doubt one of
the more entertaining films on the horizon.
3. MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS – A trip to IMDb recently reminded me that this film is still coming out, and the comedic tale of a
government unit specializing in the paranormal starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey sounds as
intriguing as ever.
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