This page contains Dave's reviews of films seen from April through June 2009.

“The Hangover”: I have a soft spot for comic genius. Unfortunately, it’s often trapped in bad films, meaning I seldom witness it. As a result, I’ve softened my standards (somewhat) to embrace the modern world of Judd Apatow and Paul Rudd (and others) by opening myself up to excellent comedies like “Knocked Up” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” The latest in this genre is “The Hangover,” a real raunch-fest about a wild bachelor party in Las Vegas. Doug (Justin Bartha) is two days away from getting married, so his closest buddies, Stu (Ed Helms, “The Office”) and Phil (Bradley Cooper), along with his future brother-in-law, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) decide to throw him a stag party in Vegas. Of course, uptight Stu the dentist tells his girlfriend they’re going to Napa Valley, and high school teacher Phil, well, he’s too much of a free spirit to care what anyone thinks. But the party is with the socially-awkward (though he doesn’t realize it) Alan, who, in his desperation to fit in, will say and do just about anything. The real action of “The Hangover” is what happens after the group blacks out and loses Doug – with mere hours to go before he’s supposed to show up at the church to get married. And to make matters more complicated, there’s a baby in their hotel room and a tiger in the bathroom. Oh, and numerous strangers (and Mike Tyson, in an effective cameo) are out for their blood, but the group, who have zero recollection of the night before (thanks to a batch of “roofies”) are now left to make amends and find their friend -- by retracing their steps from the night before. “The Hangover” was directed by Todd Phillips (“Old School”) and written by Jeremy Garelick, Scott Moore and Jon Lucas, who, collectively, have made a fairly-inventive and very funny movie about a traditional rite of passage. The cast is very good, especially Zach Galifianakis, who is flat-out hysterical as the groom’s loser brother-in-law. He is blessed with great comic-timing and some memorable dialogue. “The Hangover” certainly isn’t for everyone, but fans of the genre should, well, laugh their asses off. *** (out of) **** (6/26/09)

“Taken”: Sheepishly, I admit I was “taken” in by the trailer for “Taken,” a tough-guy drama about an ex-special forces dude (played by Liam Neeson) who uses his skills to track down the kidnappers who snatched his teenage daughter, Kim (played by Maggie Grace) and her friend, Amanda (Katie Cassidy) while they were travelling in Paris. I suspected it wouldn’t amount to much and I was correct. But I’m a sucker for a good kick-ass James Bonds/Jason Bourne spy thriller so I watched it anyway (hey, it was a rental at a friend’s house). The end result is very predictable stuff from the writer of the “The Fifth Element” and “The Professional” (Luc Besson), who was working with the director, Pierre Morel (“13th District”) for a second time. Skip it. * ½ (out of) **** (On DVD) (6/22/09)

“Lemon Tree”: Hiam Abbass (“The Visitor”) stars as Salma Zidane, a Palestinian widow with nothing in her life except her lemon grove, which has been in her family for over fifty years and is her sole source of income. Unfortunately for her, the grove rests right next to the Palestine/Israel border where Israel defense minister Israel Navon (Doron Tavory) is building his house. Naturally, for a man in his position, Navon and his secret service team are very security-minded and not at all comfortable with the thought that the cover of a thick forest of lemon trees could allow a Palestinian terrorist to attack Navon and his family, including his neglected wife, Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael). Navon’s people serve Salma with a notice that she must cut down the lemon trees, a task for which she will be compensated. Naturally, she’s deeply offended and is encouraged by her friends to not take any of “their” money, leaving litigation as her only honest recourse. She enlists the aid of Ziad Daud (“Paradise Now”), a young and ambitious attorney who is immediately taken by the much older Salma. Their budding romance is mostly subtle, but does not go entirely unnoticed by the conservative community – many who have fond memories of her late husband. But that’s a side story to what should be the real crux of “Lemon Tree,” that of the political underpinnings of Salma’s situation. “Lemon Tree,” co-written and directed by Eran Riklis, isn’t the first film to use regional conflict as a backdrop for a larger idea (Riklis’ previous film, “The Syrian Bride,” is an example) and while Riklis doesn’t abuse that premise, he doesn’t seem to know where to focus his attention: the romance, the conflict, the lemon trees. Riklis also throws in the defense minister’s sympathetic wife. It’s a nice film that’s supported by good performances from its cast (especially Hiam Abbass), but doesn’t quite tie all its ideas together well enough to push it over the top. *** (out of) **** (In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles) (6/13/09)

“The Secret Life of Bees”: Dakota Fanning stars as Lily Owens, a 14 year-old girl, who, with her nanny, Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), runs away from Lily’s father (played by Paul Bettany), who was abusive to Lily’s mother, which indirectly led to her death. With nowhere else to go, the pair end up on the doorstep of August Boatwright (Queen Latifah). August and her sisters, May (Sophie Okonedo) and June (Alicia Keys), are beekeepers who jar and sell honey to local businesses in the Tiburon, South Carolina area. It’s 1964, and it's a tough time to be a black person in the south, but the Boatwright sisters keep to themselves and generally have the respect of the community; but when Lily strikes up a friendship with Zach (Tristan Wilds, “The Wire”), that respect is challenged. “The Secret Life of Bees” is based on the beloved novel by Sue Monk Kidd, and was adapted and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love and Basketball”), who does a fantastic job of balancing all that is going on with the story, while minimizing the heavy-handedness and clichés normally associated with these subjects. She’s also assisted by strong performances from her excellent ensemble cast. Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo were especially good, but I want to single out Dakota Fanning, who gives a remarkably mature performance as Lily, who is haunted by memories of her mother, but has accepted that her life is now with the Boatwrights. I predict this young woman will not only survive those tough child-star teen years, but will thrive into her twenties and beyond. “The Secret Life of Bees” is a terrific film. *** ½ (out of) **** (On DVD) (6/12/09)

“Drag Me to Hell”: Writer-director Sam Raimi has had quite a film career. He started out in the low budget/cult field with films like the “Evil Dead” series, before breaking into Hollywood with a few pedestrian movies like “The Quick and the Dead,” “A Simple Plan,” and “For Love of the Game.” And then there’s the television work (“Hercules” and “Xena”). It wasn’t until he hit pay-dirt with the “Spiderman” films that he finally gained enough clout to return to his roots to make the films he wants to make. Next year promises us another “Evil Dead” film and just recently, Raimi’s latest film, “Drag Me to Hell” was released to near-unanimous critical praise. I typically avoid the horror genre, but I just had to see what the fuss was all about. Needless to say, I now understand. “Drag Me to Hell” stars Alison Lohman (“Matchstick Men”) stars as Christine Brown, a meek loan officer at a small bank. Her boss (played by David Paymer) encourages her to be tough at her job, which, unfortunately, leads her to turn down an extension for an elderly lady (played by Lorna Raver), which will keep the gypsy-like woman in her home. In a fit of anger, places a curse upon Christine, who quickly learns it’s all for real when one scary incident after the other starts happening to her. Her boyfriend, Clay (Justin Long) and a fortune-teller (Dileep Rao) offer support and solutions, but removing the curse proves to be very difficult. Alison Lohman, Lorna Raver and Dileep Rao were spot-on in their roles, but Justin Long needs to stick to those PC vs. Mac commercials. The real star of this film is Sam Raimi’s enormously fun vision. Raimi, along with his writing partner and brother, Ivan, take every single cliché, throw it into the proverbial blender and then force the resulting concoction into our eyeballs. It’s a wild, wild ride complete with a loud (and very appropriate) score that seems to mock itself. In fact, the whole film makes fun of what’s going on (including several deliberate continuity errors), but never winks directly at the camera and doesn’t come off as a direct spoof. Instead, this PG-13 film (surprise!) keeps the script just serious enough so the resulting frenzy of scares (and there are a lot) don’t come off as too over-the-top. Yes, Raimi turns it up more than a few notches during several segments of his film, but you’re still there, having lapped up every crazy moment. “Drag Me to Hell” is recommended to anyone who appreciates a good scare and who has an affinity for horror films, especially the awful ones we endured as adolescents. *** ½ (out of) **** (6/07/09)

“Summer Hours”: The French have a way of making films that make you wonder aloud what that was you just viewed. And that is a very, very good thing. Three siblings: Frederic (Charles Berling), Adrienne (Juliette Binoche) and Jeremie (Jeremie Renier), are among the many family members who gather at their mother’s beautiful French country estate in celebration of her 75th birthday. The mother, Helene (Edith Scob), is delighted to have her entire family (including the grandchildren) together again. Since Jeremie works in China (in operations for a shoe company) and Adrienne is a designer based out of New York City, Helene is left with France resident Frederic to help her oversee her important things. And it’s that day – her birthday -- when her thoughts turn to how she wants her estate managed. This is all very upsetting to Frederic, but less than a year later, the three siblings are together again in France – to bury their beloved mother. They also have to decide what to do with the wonderful house and all its various ‘important’ pieces of art. They rattle off a host of artists, all supposedly famous, but they mean nothing to this viewer. And it doesn’t seem to matter too much to Frederic’s troubled teenage daughter (played by Alice de Lencquesaing), who would rather grow up too fast than fawn over ‘priceless’ treasures. The latter point is made pretty subtly by the film’s writer and director, Olivier Assayas, who takes family and material possessions and turns it into a thought-provoking film. His cast is wonderful, especially the lovely Edith Scob as the family matriarch and Charles Berling as the devoted son who is trying to keep it altogether despite all those moments of chaos that seemed to surround him throughout the story. “Summer Hours” has a very well put-together beginning and end that speak volumes about its middle. It all makes for an immensely intelligent and satisfying film-going experience. *** ½ (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles) (6/06/09)

“Away We Go”: It was pretty apparent from the first minute of “Away We Go,” Sam Mendes’ latest foray into the dysfunctional family, that this would be one of those love it or hate it films. There’s not a lot of area in-between. If you love deliberately quirky characters, then this film is for you. If you don’t, skip the rest of this review. “Away We Go” stars John Krasinski (Jim from “The Office”) as Burt Farlander, a reasonably successful insurance salesman who wouldn’t mind just a little bit more. Burt, along with his very pregnant girlfriend, Verona (Maya Rudolph from “SNL”), take one last road-trip before their baby is to be born, with the idea of “auditioning” places to raise their family. The trip becomes necessary when they discover that Burt’s flighty parents (played by Catherine O’Hara and Jeff Daniels) have decided to move overseas – one month before their grandchild is to be born, scotching the couple’s plans to live close to the family. The first stop is Phoenix to visit Verona’s old co-worker, Lily (Allison Janney), who is a walking disaster of a human being and doesn’t seem to mind dragging her family down with her. Then there’s Burt’s old friend, Ellen (Maggie Gyllenhaal) in Madison, Wisconsin. “LN” (as she is now known) takes over-the-top-hippie to new extremes. They couldn’t drive away fast enough. It isn’t until they get to Montreal to see old friends (played by Melanie Lynskey and Chris Messina) that they begin to feel like they’ve found a place to settle. But life intervenes and takes them to one last place on their journey: Miami, where they receive an unexpected reality. I bought into “Away We Go,” which mines a different angle of dysfunction in director Sam Mendes’ continued fascination with the effects of turmoil upon the family unit. Whereas “American Beauty,” “Road to Perdition,” “Revolutionary Road” limited its scope, “Away We Go” takes us on a cross-country warning label tour of what would happen to a small child if she grew up around “those people.” The film’s performances are uniformly good, especially from the appropriately glowing Maya Rudolph, who is a revelation as Verona. John Krasinski, who is wonderful in “The Office,” tweaks his Jim persona ever so slightly to play Burt, the man in love who is about to become a father. It’s a sweet portrayal. The film’s script was written by author Dave Eggers (“A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”) and his wife Vendela Vida (“Girls on the Verge”), who based “Away’s” story of a lot of their own experiences. “Away We Go” is a bitingly funny and tender film, and is highly recommended. *** ½ (out of) **** (6/02/09)

“Bottle Shock”: I love movies that play to my interests. California (where I’m from); the Seventies (my favorite era), and wine -- which for me, is a growing curiosity. It’s all combined in “Bottle Shock,” a small film about an important part of the history of wine. The film stars Alan Rickman as Steven Spurrier, the sommelier (not the football coach/mid-70s quarterback for the San Francisco Forty-Niners). Spurrier is a Brit who owns a wine shop in Paris and is open-minded enough to be willing to travel to the wine region (Napa Valley) of northern California to look for some new ideas. Spurrier kept hearing about the excellent wines produced in America and just had to try them. He was also organizing the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, and decided to scout out the best of the best to bring back to Paris. Shortly after arriving in California, he met up with local vineyard owner Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman), who, along with his wild son, Bo (Chris Pine, “Star Trek”), and foreman, Gustavo Brambila (Freddy Rodriguez, “Six Feet Under”), barely manage to make ends meet at his Chateau Montelena winery. In fact, it was Spurrier’s visit – and his insistence that he pay for the tastings – that opened up a whole new avenue for Barrett and his fellow winery owners. Needless to say, Spurrier was very impressed with what he tried during his visit and the end result changed the way the world tasted wine. As a history lesson, “Bottle Shock” was a very good film. In fact, my wife and I are planning a trip to the region this month and we’ll be visiting some of the wineries depicted in this film. The rest of the film was a bit formulaic and definitely looked low-budget, but benefitted from some nice performances, including Rachael Taylor as Sam, the love interest of both Bo and Gustavo. Bill Pullman was solid, as was the barely recognizable Chris Pine as Bo -- and of course, the always-good Freddy Rodriguez as the hard-working foreman with dreams of his own. “Bottle Shock” was co-written (with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz) and directed by Randall Miller (“Nobel Son”), who apparently ran a little loose with the facts, but stayed pretty true to the mid-70s era of the film, which is a big plus for me. Recommended. *** (out of) **** (On DVD) (5/31/09)

“Up”: It is films like “Up” that make me want to write essays, not just a simple review. First of all, “Up” isn’t “Wall-E,” which, after repeated viewings, I’ve concluded is the finest work that Pixar Animation Studios has ever done. Instead, “Up” is just a very, very good film with several moments of greatness, especially during its first act. It’s in that first twenty minutes or so that we get the Cliffs Notes version of Carl Fredrickson’s life. We see young Carl (initially voiced by Jeremy Leary, later by Ed Asner) watching his pulp-film hero, Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), on the big screen and and like any impressionable boy, trying to duplicate his actions. But it all changes when he meets Ellie (Elie Docter), who would become the love of his life, complete with all the wonders and obstacles that followed. It’s this masterful sequence, told in near-silence -- and with great economy, that separates Pixar from the ordinary. Animated films aren’t supposed to be this thought-provoking, this carefully constructed. I hesitate to give away too much, but the gist of “Up” is an aging man trying to keep a long-ago promise to the woman he loves. When he first met Ellie nearly 70 years earlier, she was a young girl with a real sense of adventure. She also had a dream of visiting a place on her childhood postcard, near the edge of the waterfalls in a specific spot in South America. Life intervened and the couple never realized that dream. And it isn’t until their beloved home is threatened that Carl decided it’s time to make good. Faced with a bulldozer and life in a nursing home, Carl, a balloon salesman during his working years, turns his home and old inventory into a floatation device designed to fly all the way to South America. Tagging along for good measure is Russell (Jordan Nagai), a Wilderness Scout, who is lacking just one badge (Helping the Elderly) to reach senior scout status. It’s at this point when you check your “yeah, right” reality button at the door and when the children’s version of “Up” kicks in. That’s not a bad thing, just that the momentum of the incredible first act doesn’t have as much helium as Carl’s balloons. We discover a strange-looking bird, a talking dog (and a pack of his buddies), and that Carl’s ageless boyhood hero is still alive and apparently not the same person from some 70 years ago. But their scenes – with Carl’s Spencer Tracy persona and Charles Muntz’s obvious ode to Kirk Douglas – are pretty darn entertaining, as is “Up” as a whole. This beautifully animated and imaginative film was directed by Pete Docter (“Monster’s Inc.”) and written by Bob Peterson (“Finding Nemo”), who also supplied the voice of Dug, the talking dog (“Squirrel!”). Continuing with “Up,” Pixar is 14 years and ten films into their unblemished winning streak, with no end in sight. And may that end never come. *** ½ (out of) **** (5/30/09)

“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”: In recent years, the Hollywood summer blockbuster season has lost its luster. It went from the promise of “Jaws” and “E.T.” to a series of sequels and remakes. Having said that…thanks to the recent remake of “Star Trek” and the sequel to 2006’s “Night of the Museum,” it is safe to say the marred annual event has at least two bright spots. Ben Stiller reprises his role as Larry Daley, except he has moved on from his job as night guard at New York’s Museum of Natural History to running his own successful company. But he still hungers for that connection to his old job. He finds it when he learns many of the pieces that came to life before his eyes (depicted in the first film) are on their way to Washington, D.C. He also learns that a Pharaoh, Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) is trying to get his hands on the magical tablet that controls the historical figures. Oh, and he has to stop it. Yeah, the plot is ridiculous, but that doesn’t explain the smile on your face while you’re watching it unfold, or your appreciative grin while admiring Amy Adams’ marvelous performance as Amelia Earhart. This film probably won’t win any awards, but Adams needs to be recognized for her role. She’s not only nails the era – down to the mannerisms and goofy dialogue (courtesy of the script from “Reno 911!” vets Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon), but the also the look and charm (oh my). It’s enough to make you pause for a second from stuffing your face with all that popcorn that this film makes you want to eat (I lied. I don’t eat popcorn at the movies, but if I did…). In short, despite its silliness and preposterous storyline, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” was just too much fun to dismiss. See it. *** (out of) **** (5/25/09)

“Nothing but the Truth”: Former film critic turned writer-director, Rod Lurie has made himself a modest career as the maker of political thrillers. “The Contender” and “Deterrence” were made several years ago, followed by a directorial stint with “The Last Castle” and some TV work. He’s back with “Nothing but the Truth;” a ripped-from-the-headlines story of a newspaper reporter, Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) and her battle of ethics. Armstrong stumbles across information that a woman she very casually knows through her child’s school, works for the CIA. Through a newspaper article, she exposes the woman as part of a larger story about a foreign power’s possible involvement in an assassination attempt of the U.S. President. And now it seems like the whole world wants to know her source, including a special prosecutor (played by Matt Dillon) who is willing to lock her up indefinitely until that source is revealed. But by sticking to her convictions and serving the jail time, Armstrong is willing to risk her marriage (her husband is played by David Schwimmer) and relationship with her child to conceal that person. It’s a slightly exaggerated version of the Judith Miller/Valerie Plame story from earlier this decade, and has a decent amount of “juice factor,” but it never feels like more than a TV movie. Like me -- wait for the DVD. (On DVD) **½ (out of) **** (5/23/09)

“Star Trek”: Hollywood has a way of taking successful franchises and squeezing every last dollar out of them. It’s been nearly 45 years since Gene Roddenberry introduced us to his memorable television show, “Star Trek.” Several TV spinoffs and eleven movies later, we are left at the near beginning with “Star Trek,” 2009-style. This version stars Chris Pine as James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock in a sort of prequel. The film is set in the beginning days of the Starship Enterprise (mid-23rd century). Kirk, the son of a former captain (albeit, briefly) of the doomed U.S.S. Kelvin, is not yet the new captain and is still just a cocky punk, while Spock is a little less disciplined but is still, well, Spock. And thanks to some good ol’ space-time continuum, we even get a peek at his older self (courtesy of an extended cameo from the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy). Karl Urban plays Bones; Simon Pegg (!) is Scotty, and Zoe Saldana gives Uhura a hip, fresh look. It’s a good mixture of strong performances and good casting (and you have to love the resemblances of the two leads to their 60s counterparts). That helps make up for the jumbled plot/excuse for action that generally revolves around a vengeful Romulan baddie (played by Eric Bana), the green Captain James T. Kirk and the latter’s face getting in the way of a lot of fists. Having said all that, it somehow added up to an entertaining film – once you checked your brain at the door. “Lost” creator, J.J. Abrams teamed up with his “Mission Impossible III” writing partners, Roberto Orci and Robert Kurtzman, for a story that used a healthy mix of character development and action (even if it was sometimes hard to follow), something that is often missed when trying to formulate the typical Hollywood blockbuster. It all makes for what was easily the most satisfying experience from this franchise since “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan,” some 27 years ago. *** ½ (out of) **** (5/17/09)

“Every Little Step”: It’s been 34 years since “A Chorus Line” started its hugely successful run on Broadway (6,137 performances). The famed musical has reached audiences in 22 countries and spawned a revival in 2006. Through the eyes of producer-directors James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo, their documentary, “Every Little Step,” gives us a glimpse of the casting process for that revival as well as a good feel for the origins of the original musical. Stern and Del Deo’s cameras follow the hopefuls from first audition to the “good news” and are also afforded archive footage and interviews from the original, including Baayork Lee, who played Connie on Broadway and choreographed the revival. I confess to not having seen the musical in any form, but it’s easy to understand its appeal. I think it’s safe to conclude that “Every Little Step” would be of high interest to any devotee of “A Chorus Line.” *** (out of) **** (5/10/09)

“Food, Inc”: is a fascinating documentary about the process our food goes through from seed to supermarket. Produced and directed by Robert Kenner, his film uses extensive commentary by Michael Pollan (author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”) and Eric Schlosser (“Fast Food Nation”) to deliver an eye-opening account of what goes on behind the scene with the food that will end up on our dinner tables. Kenner examines the chicken industry and how the largest companies basically own the farmers. We also get a peek at the beef industry, as well as corn and soybeans. Not surprisingly, none of the major producing corporations gave interviews for this documentary, which is decidedly one-sided though it’s doubtful the companies would’ve provided much of a rebuttal. What Kenner exposes is often shocking, but really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as stories of corporate greed over employee welfare are well-known. Sadly, in a political environment that preaches (but doesn’t necessarily practice) less government, the regulatory bodies already in place, the USDA and FDA, are doing little to stop the often-sickening practices conducted by the corporations. After all, pro-business politicians know which side their bread is buttered on. As a result, favorable legislation is passed that aid the companies, but often hurt the farmers. And it leads to the opposite of what should be happening: we get affordable junk food that contributes to an unhealthy society, while fruit and vegetable prices rise. And guess how this influences the consumers? To learn more, check out the film's website. “Food, Inc.” will definitely change the way you think about food. *** ½ (out of) **** (4/26/09)

“The Girl from Monaco”: is an overstuffed French film with an identity crisis. Should it be a drama, a comedy or a thriller? Fabrice Luchini plays a lawyer named Bertrand Beauvois. The nature of Bertrand’s job (a mob trial) means he requires a bodyguard (played by Barack Obama lookalike, Roschdy Zem), who takes his job a little too seriously, while the lawyer would rather just run around at night. During one of his nocturnal jaunts, Bertrand meets local weathergirl, Audrey (Louise Bourgoin). Audrey is a pretty young thing, but her dance-card is already full, yet adding a successful lawyer to her active bed may not be a bad thing, well, except that it’s already been occupied by the bodyguard, who now has an extra reason to keep Bertrand away from Audrey. Director and co-writer, Anne Fontaine (“How I Killed My Father”), had me going for the first hour. I thought this was another winning French comedy, but then she had to kill it by adding unnecessary elements to the last twenty minutes or so, leaving me a little conflicted about how I ultimately felt about the film. A little betrayed is probably a fair description. “The Girl from Monaco” has nice performances from likeable actors playing less-than-likeable characters, but the last part makes it a little hard to like what they’re putting on the screen. ** (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles) (4/24/09)

“Role Models”: I freely admit I’m a big Paul Rudd fan. That, and some promising word-of-mouth, is why I checked out “Role Models,” a film I wouldn’t have otherwise given a glance if, say, it was an Adam Sandler movie. Danny (Rudd) and his buddy, Wheeler (Seann William Scott, whom I ‘somehow’ missed in each of his previous 20 films), are sentenced to 150 hours of community service for a Big Brother-style program, mentoring a group of wayward kids who desperately need male figures in their lives. This is the pair’s ‘punishment’ for taking their amped up Red Bull-style truck on a destructive joy ride. Danny is assigned to Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, aka ‘McLovin’ from “Superbad”). Danny is a sweet kid, but allows his obsessive venture into a strange medieval reenactment/D&D game to substitute for a normal reality. Wheeler ends up with Ronnie, a foul-mouthed nine year-old with attitude (played by the talented Bobb’e J. Thompson). Mix in Elizabeth Banks as Danny’s impatient girlfriend, Jane Lynch as the too-weird-for-words head of the program, and some funny character actors like Ken Jeong (the memorable doctor from “Knocked Up”) and you have about 90 minutes of a few big laughs, several chuckles and some likeable performances from a strong cast. “Role Models” was directed and co-written (along with Rudd) by “The State” vet, David Wain. It’s far from high art, but still worth catching on cable. ** ½ (out of) **** (On DVD) (4/22/09)

“Sin Nombre”: Translates to “without a name” from Spanish to English. The title refers to the thousands of immigrants who illegally travel to America; how they’re often anonymous until it’s safe for them to have a name. These immigrants – many just searching for a way to give their family a better life – are just “illegal aliens” to some Americans who forget that they too, in most cases, were once immigrants. “Sin Nombre” is primarily the story of two young people whose lives are initially separate but ultimately converge. Willy, or El Casper (played by Edgar Flores) as he is known on the streets, is a member of the notorious gang, Mara Salvatrucha, a real outfit whose activities have spread from Central America to the United States. In this film, his gang’s home base is in south Mexico. Casper is on thin ice with the gang’s leader, who preaches loyalty and honesty, but Casper’s secret girlfriend violates those tenets. To help make amends, Casper recruits a very young boy (played by Kristyan Ferrer) to join M.S., but in return the leader eliminates Casper’s “problem.” Torn, angry and confused, Casper’s get his revenge, but the price he pays is his head, which every gang member all the way up to Los Angeles is now after. The second story originates in Honduras and involves a young girl named Sayra (Paulina Gaitan). The Honduran teenager has just been reunited with her recently-deported father, who, as it turns out, has another family in New Jersey. She, along with her father and uncle decide to journey by train-tops all the way to America. A little while into their journey is when Sayra meets Casper/Willy, who is now on the run from his gang, and who very reluctantly strikes up a friendship with the pretty girl, who, in the movie’s biggest cliché, is drawn to the tattooed bad boy. The film’s story, written by its impressive young director, Cary Fukunaga, is actually a lot more complex and involving than I just described, but it’s best left to the eyes of the viewer, who will be for a visual treat. Fukunaga’s research for the film included actually riding along on the tops of trains down in Mexico. He’s also admitted to being inspired by Terrence Malick’s film, “Days of Heaven,” which had a similar sequence. With the help of his cinematographer, Adriano Goldman, he is able to create a very nice look. And to his credit, Fukunaga’s story is not preachy, though after watching it unfold, one can hope the audience will come away with a slightly different point-of-view on the migrant issue. The performances, by mostly amateurs, are uniformly good, but it’s the one pro, Paulina Gaitan (“Trade”) as Sayra, who shines through. You can’t help but believe and admire her heart. In the end, “Sin Nombre” falls short of greatness, but it’s still a movie that’s undeniably steeped in quality, created by a filmmaker with a very, very bright future. *** ½ (out of) **** (In Spanish with English subtitles) (4/19/09)

“State of Play”: The political thriller. It’s one of my favorite film genres, yet I’m lucky to see one good example every couple of years. Stephen Gaghan’s “Syriana” jumps to mind, as well as “Breach.” You could also argue the Jason Bourne series (with its intrigue underpinnings) qualifies. Director Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”), along with several writers (including Tony Gilroy and Peter Morgan, who added re-writes), takes a stab at remaking “State of Play,” the acclaimed 2003 six-hour BBC series of the same name. Russell Crowe stars as newspaper reporter Cal McAffrey. Cal works for the D.C. paper, the Washington Globe, under the watchful eye of his editor, Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren), who spends most of her days trying to adapt to the editorial tone of the newspaper’s new owners. The beginning of “State of Play” cuts straight to the chase. A petty thief is killed when he makes the mistake of stealing documents from the wrong person. A witness to the killing is shot and left for dead. Very shortly afterwards, a young woman appears to commit suicide by throwing herself in front of Metro train. I don’t think I’m giving too much away when I tell you the deaths are connected. Also connected is up-and-coming congressman, Representative Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), who was having an affair with the young woman, who worked for him as a researcher for an ongoing investigation Collins was conducting against the Blackstone-style government contractor company, PointCorp. Did I mention that the newspaper reporter and the politician were college buddies and were once rivals for the affections of the politician’s wife (played by Robin Wright Penn)? The newspaper’s young blogger, Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) makes the connections, and McAffrey spends the rest of the movie trying to chase the real story, while holding onto his relationships with the Collins,’ and keeping the gossip-hungry blogger away from mistakenly ruining some innocent lives. It’s a heavy plot and a delicate web that Macdonald and his all-star writers have to weave, but they manage it for the most part. Their film channels “All the President’s Men,” but to its credit, “State of Play” has some credible twists (that’s crucial if you’re going to make a successful film in this genre) and solid performances, but suffers a little from the presence of Ben Affleck, who is a little too weak as the powerful congressman. And Mirren and Wright-Penn were given far too little to do in their underwritten roles. But as far as political thrillers go, “State of Play” keeps your attention from beginning to end and that’s more than half the battle. Recommended. *** (out of) **** (4/18/09)

“Cadillac Records”: Adrien Brody stars as Leonard Chess in a very, very loose interpretation of the events that happened during the history of his famed Chess Records label, the same company responsible for such acts as Muddy Waters (portrayed here by the always wonderful Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Etta James (Beyoncé Knowles) and Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer). “Cadillac Records” was written and directed by TV director, Darnell Martin, who overloads his movie with various factual inaccuracies and anachronisms consistent with just not bothering to do the proper research and/or not hiring a continuity person. In fact, I just re-read Roy's review of this film and to be honest, there isn't a whole lot more I could add. I loved the music, and I was very impressed with Beyoncé Knowles' performance as Etta James (she can sing AND act). But after learning the background of the actual events, I felt a little betrayed by the filmmakers. That aside, as a film, it's pretty good and has enough going for it (especially if you love music) to give it a recommendation, but musical purists should be offended. **1/2 (out of ) **** (On DVD) (4/17/09)

“Paris 36”: It’s Paris, France in 1936. The 40 hour work week has just been created and the modest working-class neighborhood known as “The Faubourg” is home to among other things, a music hall called “The Chansonia.” The place has definitely seen better days – and better shows. As a result, it’s forced to close, which impacts several lives, especially its standhand, Pigoil (Gerard Jugout), whose loss of employment indirectly costs him his marriage and custody of his beloved 12 year-old son, Jojo (Maxence Perrin), who’d rather be with his dad but is now forced to live with his philandering gold-digging mother and her new boyfriend. There’s also Milou, the hall’s electrician/lighting director and unofficial union organizer (Clovis Cornillac), and Jacky (Kad Merad), the Chansonia’s former concessionaire, would love to get a chance to show-off his hidden entertainment skills. Armed with an attractive new singer (played by Nora Arnezeder) and the desire to put on one great show, the trio pool their collective talents and re-open the theater. “Paris 36” was written and directed by Christopher Barratier, who clearly borrowed from the standard musical formula, but still cobbles together an entertaining two hours. His film is highlighted by crisp storytelling (albeit with the usual clichés, including the requisite bad guy), a likeable cast and good performances. Recommended. *** (out of) **** (In French with English subtitles). (4/05/09)