WAITING FOR SUPERMAN 3.0***



This documentary sends out shock-waves of frustration and a sense of futility when it explores the state of America's public schools. Interviews with education specialists, school superintendents and even Bill Gates add up to an impressive assembly of informed adults who know what the problem is, but haven't figured out a way to fix it on a large scale.

Washington, D.C. schools superintendent Michelle Rhee says it well when she summarizes the basic problem: "Public schools fail when children's education becomes about the adults." The adults who fail these children are not limited to public officials and government bureaucrats although a large portion of the blame is reserved for ineffective teachers and the teachers' unions who ensure that those bad teachers receive tenure and cannot be removed from schools even for cause.. The documentary focuses on five public school children who represent inner-city kids with broken families and day-to-day financial struggles (except for a student of middle-class parents in the Silicon Valley). With that one exception, all are enrolled in failing public elementary schools and have little chance of graduating high school if they move on to the regularly assigned secondary schools in their districts. Often their only hope is to literally win the a lottery drawing for limited spaces at public charter schools and rare, effective public schools within or outside of their district. The film deals with a tangled web of adult issues that make a child's education more difficult, which probably puts it outside the spectrum of interest for most kids under age 12. .
Top of Form
Waiting for Superman is useful as a way to get people who have no idea what's going on what is going on to at least get the cliff-notes version of it. It is, in short, a good documentary but not quite a great
one, and will be a big upper or a big downer depending on who you are in the audience, if you have kids, if you're a teacher, or if you're a politician.

Clark

LET ME IN 4.0*** for the genre and 3.5*** overall

To begin with, I was quite skeptical at the thought of an American version/remake of the beautifully haunting Swedish film “Let The Right One”. But after seeing it, I'm happy to report that Director Matt Reeves has knocked it out of the park! This is an incredible movie... dare I say even as good as “Let The Right One In”. It is truly hard to believe that flawless adaptations ( it's based on the same book) of this great story could be done this well twice. But the level of skill on every point is startling. These are two of the best vampire film stories to come around in years. And since Director Reeves faithfully sticks to the story it means an audience who may not have watched the subtitled original will get a chance to take it in.

“Let Me In” is not the in-your-face horror movie as the previews would lead you to believe. “Let Me In” is actually a rather tender tale of boy meets vampire girl and how they come to bond with each other. Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a twelve year-old who is constantly and brutally bullied at school and has no friends and lives with an alcoholic mother. One night, Owen meets a strange, but friendly girl who moves in next door. She is 12 (more or less) and appears perfectly normal except she walks around barefoot in the snow. Her name is Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz) and as Owen gradually learns, she is anything but normal… she is a 250 year old vampire who was frozen in time as a 12 year old girl when she was vampirized .

Nobody could have ever predicted that someone could reproduce “Let the Right One In” in a way that is both original and different but at the same time faithful to the story. The performances by Kodi Smit-Mcphee and Chloe Grace Moretz are absolutely stunning. The films directing is right on…he let the child actors teach him what 12 year olds are like and he learned well…and the sound track is awesome… somber and lilting during the quiet moments and “Psycho”- like during the horror moments…great contrast.

The story and the film are a wonderful study of human nature and asks important questions. Are there truly evil people in the world? And are they always evil, or can they actually be wonderful in the eyes of someone else ? One of the great strengths of this film is that it constantly moves between two worlds--the sweetness of youth, and the true horror of what a vampire really is. We get a front row seat to both you’re left to decide if the evil outweighs the good.

If you’re a vampire movie fan, it’s a must see. If you’re a novice at this kind of film, this is a good one to “cut your teeth on”.

Clak

MY NAME IS KHAN 4.0***

If there is a movie worth watching this year, then it has to be this one as it contains a pure and simple message, not just for one person, or a religion, but for everyone, a message for humanity. The lead character, Rizvan Khan, suffers from Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism that allows the person to function more than otherwise. Born with this social interaction disability, Rizvan detests anything yellow or loud, but is gifted with the ability of repairing most any kind of appliance.. Events lead him to the US to live with his brother where he falls in love with and marries the vivacious Mandira who has a son by a prior marriage. Things change after 9/11 when Mandira’s son is killed as the outgrowth of intense communal hatred for Muslims and, therefore, his Muslim last name ‘Khan’. Heartbroken Mandira comes to hate her husband, Rizvan, for marrying her and giving her and her now dead son his Muslim last name. It is now up to Khan to regain his lost love!
The movie brings home very vividly the message that not every Muslim is a terrorist, and Rizvan’s mission, his obsession, is to tell this to the US President, and by doing so, he hopes to win back Mandira. Many obstacles are thrown in his path, including his being suspected of being a terrorist and the imprisonment and torture that follows. But nothing deters our undaunted hero who even generously offers to repair the air conditioner in the prison! Ah yes, he also teaches us about the correct pronunciation of his Muslim name “Khan”
Khan’s perception of life is as his beloved mother taught him: the world includes only two groups of people – good people and bad people. This may be overly general yet is so very true. The memory of his mother follows him always. The portrayal of Rizvan’s childhood is amazing. His relationship with the love of his life, Mandira who works as a hairdresser and who ultimately agrees to marry him, is totally charming. And his efforts to win her back are awe-inspiring and heartwarming, and are guaranteed to bring many tears to your eyes.
Simply stated this is a wonderful film that should not be missed. It comes out of India from the Bollywood franchise but is way beyond their usual fare. This is excellent and should be nominated for Best Foreign film and should probably win,

NOTE: You’ll have to rent this one as it came out earlier this year. Also, since it’s an authentic Indian film, you’ll have to read subtitles most of the time BUT it is worth it.


Clark

WALL STREET MONEY NEVER SLEEPS 3.5***
Oliver Stone's 1987 film "Wall Street" took viewers into the exotic world of high finance and stock trading. Now, 23 years later, Oliver Stone returns with its sequel. This is the first ever sequel Stone has directed. The first movie was a huge hit as it came at time when financial news was just news and suddenly there was this movie on banking that was a thriller. This time there's nothing ground breaking about it except in gets into exotic mortgage securities and the outlandish sale of insurance to cover losses on them. This is the rare sequel that took its time (23 years) and not only advances the story but also has something new to say. Stone and his writers have crafted a tale that takes advantage of viewers' newfound knowledge and cynicism about banking and high finance and “being too big to fail.”.

Also, Stone brings Gordon Gekko back to the big screen with Michael Douglas reprising his screen-stealing role as Gekko. He is but one of many talented actors who make up the strong cast, which include Shia LeBeouf (Transformers, 2007), Carey Mulligan (An Education, 2009), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, 2008), Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, 2007), and Charlie Sheen, who played Bud Fox, a lead character in the first Wall Street, also makes a cameo appearance.


The story settles quickly on young proprietary trader Jake Moore (LaBeouf), who just happens to be in love with Winnie Gekko (Mulligan), Gekko’s estranged daughter. Despite Gekko's attempts to warn Wall Street of the economic downturn and impending stock market crash, no one takes him seriously because of his early crimes for insider trading. Then Gekko tries through Jake to rebuild his relationship with his daughter who blames him for her brother's suicide. In the mean while, the global economy is on the verge of disaster,

Can Douglas win two Oscars playing the same role? An actor rarely gets the opportunity to revive a breakthrough role in a way that allows him to rethink the character and to reflect on where fatal flaws once lay. Douglas does this brilliantly and, in my opinion, coupled with his probable death from throat cancer, he could win the Oscar posthumously. LaBeouf is top notch. He nicely balances his character's idealism and shrewdness. Mulligan and Brolin deliver strong supporting roles with attention-grabbing characters.

I say that you should go to this movie to experience Gordon Gekko after 23 years and to experience a well done classy movie by Oliver Stone. Oh too, it has a nice romantic story and is a thriller.

Clark

THE TOWN 4.0****
A bank robbery goes different than planned when one of the robbers takes a hostage. She is let go and Doug (Ben Affleck) has to duty to check up on the hostage to see if she knows anything about the crew. Surprise, no shock, but somehow it’s believable that they start dating. Can he continue his life of robbing banks and have a love life with the hostage? Will his crew accept that he is with her? Will she ever find out? This is a part of “The Town”.

“Gone Baby Gone was Affleck’s first directorial effort set in the city of Boston. “The Town” is his second. Ben obviously loves the city and if he keeps making films like these two, I'll be happy with more Boston Flick. And
this time Affleck is behind and in front of the camera. He seems to have left his pretty boy blockbuster image behind him. I'm thankful, I can only take so many Armageddon’s or Pearl Harbors. He's matured as an actor. Of course he's had some fun films in between, but he's probably the best thing about those.

For “The Town” he has assembled quite the cast. Jeremy Renner, who is hot off of “The Hurt Locker” plays his long time buddy with an attitude who won't think twice about pulling the trigger . TV’s “Mad Men's” Jon Hamm is the relentless, tough FBI agent on their trail. Blake Lively has a small but stunning role of the almost slutty ex-girlfriend. Rebecca Hall ( the brunette in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”) has the difficult role of playing the woman who is dating her abductor. Things never really look promising for the relationship but…..

“The Town” also shows Affleck's ability at directing action sequences. The movie is full gunfights and car chases.. There are three separate heists in the film, the opening, the middle section and the climactic ending. All three are different from each other, one is in a bank, the other a armored truck and finally a baseball stadium. Each heist is tense and exciting.
The Town is a successful and suspenseful film made for adults. It's slick, well acted and has enough thrilling moments to keep you very entertained. “The Town” does its job as a movie quite well and Ben Affleck has found himself a new career.
NOTE: The title gets its name from the section of Boston where the movie takes place… Charlestown which in reality has the distinction of having more bank robbers from there than any other place in the world.
Clark

THE AMERICAN 2.75*** (almost 3.0***)

Before anybody goes to see "The American," let me give you a heads up. If you are expecting another Jason Bourne or James Bond-style of movie with a lot of action sequences ,you may want to stay home. The advertising campaign and previews give you the impression that George Clooney is taking on a role in a movie like Liam Neeson did in that marvelously powerful thriller "Taken". But that is not the case. "The American" was shot on a foreign location (Italy mostly), features a lot of foreign dialect, and was made by an Italian director with a mostly Italian cast. In other words, it's not really an American action film. It's an Italian melodrama.

We know and find out very little about our lead character (George Clooney) who goes by two names: Jack and Edward. All you know is that he's a trained killer, somebody hires him to custom make a special rifle for an assassination, and that's about it. Clooney is an American sent into an Italian town for a last assignment. While he is doing the work which is meticulous, he’s tries to avoid being killed by other trained killers who are after him for some unknown reason, and begins a special relationship with a beautiful prostitute….his almost only human contact is with prostitutes because in his line of work, there is too much risk in having any friends.

He does not relish the work, but is driven to do it well. This also requires that he constantly distance himself from others. Jack demonstrates this in the opening rather shocking scene set in Sweden in which his calculating actions are far more chilling than the frozen landscape where it takes place. Clooney, with an understated performance that registers mostly through his eyes and the tightening of his jaw, portrays a man who has literally grown afraid of human attachment. Here, Clooney is at his best when toggling between extremes - when urgency is required, he tacks toward watchful; when things seem mellow, he's on the verge of jumping out of his skin. It's been a while since he's let himself be alone at the center of a storm like this, and with his gun-metal gray hair and gaunt appearance, he's a far cry from the jovial ringmaster of the "Ocean's Eleven" films.
Rated “R” for strong violence , simulated sex including full female and partial male nudity, gory and bloody imagery, and scattered strong sexual language (profanity). Running time: 105 minutes.

Clark

GOING THE DISTANCE 2.5*** (but barely)

In “Going the Distance”, Garrett (Justin Long) and Erin (Drew Barrymore) meet while arguing over a computer game of Centipede at a bar. Video games turn into beer. Beers turn into beer bongs. Bongs turn drunk and drunk turns into sex at Garrett’s place. However, their initial one night stand turns into 6 incredible weeks. Unfortunately, 6 is all they get the easy way. Erin's internship at the New York Chronicle in NYC is soon over and she's headed back to San Francisco to finish grad school. Unwilling to call it quits, Garrett suggests that they have a long distance relationship to hold onto what they believe is a good thing.

Easier said than done as is shown by the many obstacles such as the long wait between visits, endless phone calls and Skyping, and the pain of loneliness. They even try phone sex which ends up as a funny disaster. Long distance relationships are nothing new in the realm of chick flicks. However the story is rather predictable and at times trite. But the comedy in the movie was fairly good so it was enjoyable at times but not enough times to be more than an average Rom-Com.

Drew Barrymore plays a less kooky character than usual and is all the more likable and believable for it. But I don't buy Justin Long as the leading man. He just seems too young for the part and is not believable in the role. I couldn’t get past this and it nagged at me during the whole movie.

There is a lot of profanity in the movie ( got a “R” rating) with heavy doses of the F-word which at times seems to be for the sole purpose of shocking or titillating the viewers. It also has toilet humor and some rather embarrassing sexual sequences. It may be a “chick” flick but with the “R” stuff, a lot of the guys will probably enjoy it.


Clark