THE ODD LIFE OF TOMOTHY GREEN 3.5*** You may recognize The Odd Life of Timothy Green as the new movie with the boy with leaves growing out of his legs. This quirky, “feel-good” movie from Walt Disney, starring Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton, tells a warm emotional story about family, about being “different”, and love and adoption . The movie offers audiences a light-hearted, heart-warming movie experience. The film revolves around Jim and Cindy Green (played by Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner) who have tried desperately to have a child of their own, but it has simply come to the sad ending that it will not happen. To close the book on the subject, they write down on pieces of paper what their dream child would be & be able to do and accomplish. The pieces of paper are put in a wooden box and buried in their vegetable garden, both literally and figuratively burying the subject forever. It is time to move on. But something strange happens in the night. A hard rain targeted just on the Green’s property falls and a mysterious intruder comes into the house. After some chasing and hiding, the Greens meet Timothy who literally sprouted from the ground where the dream child box was buried. He has some unique characteristics, namely the leaves that are attached to his lower legs, but this kid is definitely the offspring of their hopes and dreams. As it turns out, he is a gift not only to them, but also to their struggling small town of Stanleyville. The movie has a range of emotional issues such as father/son relationships, sibling rivalry, being different/odd, bullying, competition, love and sadness. Part of the movie is a fantasy (who has a child sprout up from the garden?) and part is reality (infertility, difficult people, work problems, etc.). It is perfect for children and enjoyable and entertaining for adults. The Odd Life of Timothy Green is one of the best family-friendly, live-action films released this year. Actress and real-life mother of three Jennifer Garner brings the emotion needed in her role as Cindy, a woman anxious to be a mom. Joel Edgerton plays Cindy’s husband Jim, completing the believable couple. Newcomer CJ Adams is beyond adorable, a good fit for the distinct role of Timothy. Clark 3.5 ****

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD… 3.5 ***




If you are looking for something completely different from all the other popcorn flick that have playing this summer, then” Beasts of the Southern Wild” is the movie for you. Beasts is a low budget, independent, dramedy masterpiece. Beasts is a truly original story, and more creative than most of the other films that have come out so far this year. Beasts stormed through the independent film festival circuit winning several awards at the Cannes Film Festival, and the top Grand Jury Prize at this year's 2012 Sundance Festival. It has a truly fresh screenplay that sucks you in from the opening moments and never lets you go until the credits roll. The remarkable believable cast is headlined with tiny Quvenzhane Wallis, only 6 years old, who plays Hushpuppy, and puts on an acting showcase seldom seen from someone so young. The range of emotion shown on her face is a shocking marvel. I would not be surprised to see an Oscar nomination go to the pint sized star.

The story is about Hushpuppy, a fearless, six-year-old girl who lives with her father, Wink, in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother and instead finds her place in the universe.

This is a beautiful film in which the story hints at natural revelation as well as being an apocalyptic tale. We are taken through the story by the narration of Hushpuppy. Her story is one of love; survival, the importance of community and how we are all connected in this universe and no one and nothing is inconsequential. Hushpuppy is always stopping and listening for the heartbeat of whatever she comes across or touches whether it be a cat or a leaf. She shows us how everything she crosses has a purpose in her eyes, and we can tell that there is something bigger at work in the universe.

Clark

MEN IN BLACK/BACK IN TIME 3.0***

It’s been 10 years since the poor made sequel to the Men In Black series. Thank goodness this movie uses a fresher, newer perspective. The result is a film that returns to its roots and gives audiences the chance to relive much of what they first enjoyed in the or9iginal MIB –a smart, sci-fi, buddy comedy that embraces everything weird and wonderful about the unknown universe.

In his first movie role in nearly 4 years, Will Smith's Agent J is the usual charming, witty wiseass we expect him to be. Still teamed up with the laconic Agent K (wrinkly Tommy Lee Jones) he is no closer to cracking his older partner’s deadpan demeanor but their relationship issues take a back seat when a nemesis from K’s past, Boris the Animal, turns up to exact revenge for having been captured by Agent K imprisoned on the moon 40 years ago. Boris’ elaborate plan takes him back in the past to the day he was caught but this time he kills K, and sets ripples in the present, where K no longer exists and a different reality results. J has to then literally time jump (off the Empire State building no less) and fix the past for normalcy to return in the present.
. The big surprise is how well Josh Brolin impersonates tommy Lee Jones in the role of a younger K – which should not be a surprise considering Brolin's recent, impressive body of work as a bonafide actor, most notably in W. So chameleon-like is his performance that you forget it's him and actually believe it's just a younger version of Tommy Lee Jones that you're seeing.

The films primary achievement and a true signal of its return to form though are the scenes set in the past. Not only is Josh Brolin a dead ringer for Tommy Lee's K during his youth, but the hip musical vibes of the late 60's/early 70's allow for plenty of playfulness to ensue with a particularly hilarious segment devoted to Andy Warhol. If that isn't enough, everything very neatly ties into another historic scientific moment from that time period and ends on a moment of satisfying emotionality that provides not only closure to the film but the series as a whole. If that doesn't make you forgive all the wrongs that the sequel did and embrace this film as one of the years better movie franchise offerings, the only thing that might work on you is J or K’s neutralize.
This is a fun, fascinating probable ending to the MIB series… and a well done one at that.
Clark

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES 4.0****



“The Dark Knight Rises” is a lot more daring than most would expect. It's a superhero movie that cares more about heroism than just action. The scale is large and explosive. It is a fitting end to this amazing trilogy. I still think The Dark Knight ( Heath Ledger) is the best of the three. But, “The Dark Knight Rises” is an excellent grand film experience. Christopher Nolan (the Director of this and the other 2) has skillfully crafted an ambitious superhero movie that adds more dimension to the superhero genre. Here is the epic (2 and 3/4 hours!) conclusion to a beloved trilogy that has forever changed its genre.


The film, it’s been eight years after Batman took the blame for Harvey Dent's crimes and Dent is now revered while Batman is hated. Wayne/Batman face a new threat - the towering, ominous terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy in a remarkably gripping performance and an empowering presence) who threatens to destroy Gotham city. Hardy is ruthlessly terrific as Bane as he manages to instill fear in all of Gotham (and most of the audience). It would be unfair to compare him to Heath Ledger's pitch perfect portrayal of the Joker because they are two completely different characters. Whereas the Joker aimed for a battle of psychological wits, Bane aspires to uterly destroy Batman and all of Gotham.

There is a pervasive sense of haunting dread and gloom throughout the movie, especiall in the first 2 hours. But the last 30 minutes contais nothing but great, sometimes spectacular action sequences which all leads to an emotionally satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The stunts are spectacular and the CGI effects are amazing, especially those of the stadium scene and scenes involving "the Bat" and the "Bat-cycle”.
You have to admire Christian Bale's dedication to the Batman role in this film. At times he is weak, lacking confidence, and shrouded in gloom. At other times his eyes show the painful return to his self-determination and perseverance. Yes his Batman no doubt is still the best interpretation of the character, and here we see Bruce Wayne as a single, rich recluse with a limp in one leg, aided only by his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine in his most emotional performance of the trilogy. Anne Hathaway, as Catwoman, looks mesmerizingly beautiful while giving a devilishly cunning performance as a specialized thief/con-woman who is not what she seems. Marion Cottilard provides a more gentler shade for the lonely, love-lorn Bruce to rely on, or does she ?? Playing a young dedicated cop, Joseph Gordon-Levitt serves as a somewhat younger shadow of Bruce. Scenes Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman are fine too but have less notable roles although they are still very active in the film's climax.

"The Dark Knight Rises" is a mainstream triumph, putting new levels of fear and dread in a superhero movie. Nolan’s vision for his Batman character shines through completely and makes his trilogy rightfully stand out as "The Godfather" trilogy of superhero films. Hats off to Nolan, Bale, Hardy and the rest of the cast and crew, past and present, for delivering the truest interpretation of the Batman character that has ever been or ever will be seen again .


Clark

PEOPLE LIKE US 3.0***
In "People Like Us", members of two families come to realize their lives might not have been what they thought they were. There have been hidden secrets, hidden family members and important gaps in the communication that families often experience. Here a son, Sam, (Chris Pine) discovers from the attorney for his recently deceased father, that the father had a rather starling family secret. He then does some detective work which gets him closer to the truth ( there is another family associated with his father that the son knew nothing about ), only to realize that human relationships, especially those which involve one's own family are very complicated.

At first, seeing how Sam ( Pine ) meets the other family, Frankie ( Elizabeth Banks) and her son sets off a few doubts about the direction and intention of the film. It just looks too much like a set up, and this is exactly where the film proves us wrong. There is depth to the dialog and careful attention given to the direction and character development. In particular, Banks' range is amazing, as her character grows in several ways in front of our eyes: Her background slowly unfolds in front of us, revealing the origin of her flaws, her pain, her inability to find peace, until Sam comes into to show her there were pieces missing in her family picture. Also, I enjoyed how the film depicted her interaction with her son, in a loving, realistic, frustrating way. Yes, we have seen fractured relationships before, but they have rarely been shown in such a honest and natural way.

There is more to praise in the film, as Sam's mother comes to share her concealed memories, and how the new developments might affect her future. The ending will most likely warm your heart. It's a love reflection on humanity,, trust, and how complex our lives really are, and how in more than one way the title shows us we have more in common than we think.
The film is a little too long and the secret about relationships is strung out too long….it gets to the point where you want to shout to Sam… go ahead and tell her !! You’ll know what I mean once you see the film… don’t want to spoil it for you.
Clark

ted 3.4***
Seth MacFarlane (the creator of 'FAMILY GUY') makes his feature-length live-action directorial debut . The film stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis with MacFarlane voicing the computer animated title character, Ted The film is a fantasy comedy film about a teddy bear that comes to life to grant a child's wish and becomes a burden on his romantic relationship when he's a grown man. The movie is surprisingly well made for MacFarlane's first feature effort and has more hits than misses with laughs. It's mostly a crowd pleaser IF you know what you're getting into.

Wahlberg stars as John Bennett. As a child John was an outcast and had no friends so when his parents get him a stuffed teddy bear for Christmas he makes it his imaginary best friend. One day he wishes that the stuffed bear could talk back to him and a falling star grants him that wish. The two grow up together and the teddy bear, known as Ted (MacFarlane), helps John overcome his insecurities. Their friendship is finally put to the test though when John's girlfriend of four years, Lori (Kunis), wants John to stop spending so much time with Ted so they can further their relationship together.

The animation is amazing… you quickly reach the point where you accept Ted for being real. These special effects are seamless even in high action scenes such as the hilarious fight scene between Wahlberg and Ted.

The movie is crude and vulgar but nothing more than one should expect from the creator of 'FAMILY GUY'. MacFarlane's direction is surprisingly impressive and the jokes for the most part work. Wahlberg is good and likable in the lead and Mila Kunis continues to show her talent. And the movie actually has a lot more heart than you'd expect from it. It's actually a positive story of friendship that could have played out the same way even if one of the characters wasn't a magical stuffed bear . BUT, take note, it is extremely crude and raunchy but quite funny hilarious at times, and there's definitely heart to it and it's a good, well intentioned buddy film!

Clark

BERNIE 3.0****




In this movie Jack Black plays Bernie Tiede, a friendly and effeminate mortician in the small town of Carthage, Texas, who is loved by many of his fellow citizens of the community. He's loved because he's friendly to everyone around him. One day, he meets a wealthy widow, Marjorie Nugent (a great Shirley MacLaine). This character is the complete opposite of Bernie in terms of likability. She's so hated by many people in the town that no one even bothers to speak her. Throughout the years, she's had no close family members or friends and lives alone by herself in a mansion. Bernie though believes that there is a good side to her. Bernie uses his warm heart to find the time to visit her and keeps her company. Eventually, they become close friends and he's living the life that many dream. As times goes by, Marjorie shows her true colors to Bernie and she myteriously goes missing. As it turns out, this is a true story and apparently the movie gets it right.
There are some really hilarious scenes and one in particular where a local resident of Texas explains to the audience the different parts of Texas. This person is actually one of many of the local non-actor people interviewed throughout the movie. This is a clever plot device that is often quite effective as it is here.
Jack Black acts different in this movie from any that he’s been in before. - more restraint, more focused, and at times more intense.. His humor here is low-key and not physical. Here is a guy who is loved by everyone - who must be loved by everyone, and who can never say no. It is both an interesting and challenging role for him but he pulls it off in a great way.

Shirley MacLaine is also very different here – she usually ha had a sweet, somewhat cheeky personality in her previous films of late. But for this movie there's a cold, demeaning aura around her, and her steely eyes sell it. Matthew McConaughey as the ruthless district attorney has certainly improved in his acting range - just check out the courtroom scenes.

I really appreciate the small-town setting of the film. The film is told by ''interviews'' with the friendly small-town folk, giving a quirky and homely feel to the film, . The film moves at a strong clip but never feels rushed nor draggy. The screenplay has balances just the right amount of screen- time to establish the story and characters, notably Bernie. Just when you think the film is about to end - there's always another interesting thing happening that keeps the audience glued.

The movie is an entertaining movie to watch. It's Texas based movie that has a dark and sharp sense of humor. If you can find it near you, you should check it out.

Clark