April 29th

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (Miramax)

Julian Schnabel nearly made himself a household name in the United States by directing this French film.  He was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to the Coen brothers (No Country For Old Men).  If you ask me, the Academy got it wrong.  But what’s new?  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is simply one of the most unbelievable stories I have ever witnessed.  What makes it more unbelievable is the fact that it is true.  The film tells the story of French Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, at the age of 42, suffers a massive and immobilizing stroke.  Physicians determine he has Locked-In Syndrome.  He can hear and comprehend; he just cannot move or communicate.  That is until his speech therapist, Henriette, guides him through the tedious and exhausting process of communicating with his left eye, the only body part he can move.  He can blink it so she wants him to use it.  Basically, Henriette recites the letters of the alphabet and Jean-Dominique blinks when she gets to the next letter in the word he’s trying to convey.  I know what you’re thinking.  That would require insane amounts of patience.  Well, consider this . . . Bauby blinked out his entire autobiography, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and his assistant, Claude, transcribed the whole manuscript.  Look!  This is amazing.  Schnabel shoots much of the movie from Jean-Do’s point of view from his one good eye.  The direction is ingenious, the performances are sensational and the film is inspirational.  This is a rare MUST SEE!  GRADE:  B+     

April 29th

The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema)

This mystical, and sometimes magical adventure flick is written and directed by Chris Weitz, who gave us 2002’s comedy-drama About a Boy.  This endeavor is a far more elaborate undertaking than that Hugh Grant vehicle.  In fact, it’s a trilogy that its stars, Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, committed to before the first installment ever wrapped.  The Golden Compass is a Lord-of-the-Rings/Narnia-type effort that achieves only half the results.  It’s like Rachel Ray making a meal in 35 or 40 minutes.  It slightly disappoints.  Lord of the Rings had me hooked.  When Part One of that trilogy ended, I couldn’t wait for the next eleven months to zip by so I could see Part Two.  (You know a film is a success if it makes you will your life away so you can hurry up and get to the sequel).  Excuse the following pun, I didn’t get that same “reading” from The Golden Compass.  This story, about a strange phenomenon called “Dust” and a bizarre cult called “The Magisterium” is so complex and weird, I’m just not sure I care what happens next.   GRADE:  B-  

May 6th

Over Her Dead Body (New Line)

What a great idea!  Her dead body!  Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria stars as Kate, a woman crushed on her wedding day by a gigantic and tacky ice sculpture!  Now, don’t feel too badly.  She got on my nerves and deserved it.  In fact, if I was at the wedding and the ice sculpture hit her, then broke into a thousand bits on the pavement, I would have been the first to scream, “No harm done!  Get some fruit flavoring and we’ll make slushies!”  Over Her Dead Body is full of juvenile, slapstick comedy and is chock-full of one-trick ponies (Hey!  There’s your obligatory Kentucky Derby reference!  It is News 4U‘s May edition after all!)  Eva Longoria proves that Gabrielle Solis is the only character she can play.  Paul Rudd does his tired, one-expression (smug) routine.  Lake Bell (whoever the hell that is) is as mechanical as C-3PO.  And Jason Biggs reminds us that the only time he was funny was when he was deflowering his mother’s apple pie.  Will anyone I know rent this?  Over my dead body!  GRADE:  F     

May 20th

National Treasure:  Book of Secrets (Buena Vista)

The 2007 holiday movie season was full of disappointments.  Sweeney Todd made me want shave my face off and Charlie Wilson’s War made me want to strap explosives to my body like an Afghan rebel.  If you had tried to convince me that National Treasure was going to be one of the surprises of December, I would have called the white coats and had you carted off for some electroshock therapy.  I didn’t care for 2004’s National Treasure at all and I was dreading the sequel like a hernia test.  But Book of Secrets is an action-packed delight.  Sometimes a good old-fashioned popcorn flick is just what the doctor (or Orville Redenbacher) ordered.  And I must mention the glorious Helen Mirren, who stars as Ben Gates’ (Nicolas Cage) mother.  Even in a rollicking action flick, she proves she is The Queen.  GRADE:  B-