Also in theaters
Published 3:10 pm Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Other choices at the multiplex
Want more options? Here’s the lowdown on other recent movie releases:
“Atonement”
Double duty: A fine adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel, which succeeds as both a grand romantic story and a devastating suggestion about the power of storytelling itself. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy are lovers in 1930s England whose lives are affected by a single lie and by World War II.
Rated: R rating is for violence, language
“Alvin and the Chipmunks”
So-so: It’s about what you’d expect from a trio of animated rodents. But children might like its gags and flatulence jokes.
Rated: PG rating is for some mild rude humor
“The Diving Bell And The Butterfly”
Courageous: Celebrated painter Julian Schnabel directs this true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), who wakes up one day unable to move anything but one eyelid — a fact that doesn’t stop him from writing a memoir. The film makes you live through this incredible feat, yet it seems full of life despite the character’s dilemma. (In French, with English subtitles.)
Rated: PG-13 rating is for subject matter.
“The Golden Compass”
No sizzle: The first book in Philip Pullman’s best-selling trilogy of young-adult novels, given a somewhat watered-down adaptation for movies. It’s about a 12-year-old girl fighting the evil Magisterium with help from an armored polar bear, witches and assorted magical others. Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig lend grown-up heft, but the movie relies more on computer effects than genuine sizzle.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for violence, subject matter
“I Am Legend”
Slick but empty: Another version of a revered Richard Matheson novel about the last man standing (Will Smith) after a virus brings on the apocalypse. The expected shots of ruined Manhattan are slick and impressive, but the movie generates no flow and it bungles its spiritual aspects.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for violence, subject matter
“The Kite Runner”
Melodramatic: Tale, based on the best-selling novel, about two boys in 1978 Kabul, and their parting destinies after a traumatic event. The actors are good, and the central issue of moral courage is durable, despite director Marc Forster’s literal-minded approach. (In Dari and English, with English subtitles.)
Rated: PG-13 rating is for violence, subject matter
“National Treasure: Book of Secrets”
Fun: Sequel to the enjoyable “Da Vinci Code”-style adventure, with treasure hunter Nicolas Cage trying to clear the name of an ancestor involved in the Lincoln assassination, and incidentally searching for a hidden cave of Aztec gold. Huh? It’s all overdone, but some of the fun of the first film is still here.
Rated: PG rating is for violence
“P.S. I Love You”
Scenic: Grieving widow Hilary Swank receives letters posted by her dead husband (Gerard Butler), giving her advice on getting her life in order. Director Richard LaGravenese always finds the human element, but the movie leans a little too heavily on easy Irish scenery and female bonding.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for language, subject matter
“Starting Out in the Evening”
A gem: A fine, moody character study, boasting a beautiful performance by Frank Langella as a novelist trying to finish his last work in the face of old age. Lauren Ambrose plays the bothersome grad student who invades his carefully-ordered life.
Rated: PG-13 rating is for language, subject matter
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Splendid: A fittingly dark-hued version of Stephen Sondheim’s famous stage musical about the vengeful barber, played here with typical commitment by Johnny Depp. The movie doesn’t solve all the problems of stage-to-film adaptations, but Burton’s visualizations of bloody 19th-century London are splendid, and the score is a classic. With Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman.
Rated: R rating is for violence
“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”
Not as funny as it sounds: Parody of musical biopics, with John C. Reilly as a rocker whose career mirrors pop history and follows the cliches of the form. It should be funnier than it is, even though a lot of it is uproarious in a scattershot sort of way. With Jenna Fischer.
Rated: R rating is for nudity, language, subject matter
“Youth Without Youth”
Puzzling: Francis Coppola’s return to filmmaking after a 10-year layoff is a mystifying metaphysical indulgence about a Romanian professor (Tim Roth) who regresses to a younger age after being hit by lightning. The movie looks great, but the director is out of his depth.
Rated: R rating is for language, subject matter
