Here are selected capsule reviews of movies in current release. Information is based on the most up-to-date theater schedules available and subject to change.
The Aviator (star)(star)(star)(star)
Martin Scorsese’s flamboyant, brilliantly crafted bio-drama on Howard Hughes, visionary airplane tycoon, unbuttoned movie mogul and one of the great, wild American figures. With star Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes and Cate Blanchett as Kate Hepburn, the film misses some rich possibilities but it’s still the year’s best: seething with life, gorgeously designed and thrillingly articulated. PG-13. 2:46.–M.W.
Be Cool (star)(star)1/2
Even if you enjoyed the meanly funny 1995 Elmore Leonard-derived, John Travolta crime comedy “Get Shorty,” this forced sequel based on the follow-up book is a comedown. A colorful, bright, misfiring semi-dud, which wastes Travolta (as Chili Palmer), Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Cedric the Entertainer, Harvey Keitel, The Rock and Leonard’s smart, tough lines. Directed by F. Gary Gray. PG-13. 1:59.–M.W.
Born Into Brothels (star)(star)(star)
One of the most heavily awarded documentaries of 2004, “Born into Brothels” plunges us into an exotic, painful world: the daily lives of a group of children, whose mothers work as prostitutes in Calcutta and who are pushed toward education and taught photography by Zana Briski (who co-directed with Ross Kauffman). Shot on HD, stunning looking, sometimes intensely moving. In Bengali and English with English subtitles. R. 1:25.–M.W.
The Boys & Girl from County Clare (star)(star)(star)1/2
A sweet, affecting and highly musical tale of two rival brothers vying to win the same traditional music contest in 1966. Years ago, they vied for the same girl, and one of them (Colm Meaney) impregnated and abandoned her. A pleasant mix of bathos and blarney, the movie is crisply directed, well-acted and thoroughly entertaining, not to mention chock-full of great fiddling. No MPAA rating (parents cautioned for nudity, adult situations and language). 1:30.–S.S.
Bride and Prejudice (star)(star)(star)
Gurinder Chadha (“Bend It Like Beckham”) makes a goofy and voluptuous labor-of-love: a big, gorgeously shot imitation Bollywood-Hollywood musical loosely based on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” with Bollywood’s biggest star, Aishwarya Rai, as leading lady. It’s a pretty crazy movie, but it’s knowingly crazy–and entertaining, if you’re in an adventurous mood. In English, Hindi and Punjabi with English subtitles. PG-13. 1:51.–M.W.
Constantine (star)(star)
Keanu Reeves is caught between heaven and hell in his latest fantasy thriller, playing doomed L.A. exorcist John Constantine (from the graphic novel series “Hellblazer”)–and though the source is interesting and the visuals sometimes spellbinding, the movie itself is stranded in the purgatory of the second-rate. “Matrix” it isn’t. With Rachel Weisz, Tilda Swinton and Peter Stormare. R. 2:01.–M.W.
Cursed (star)(star)
The latest terrorfest from Wes Craven, not at his bloody best here–even though the movie reunites him with “Scream” writer Kevin Williamson. It’s another somewhat tongue-in-cheek Hollywood horror pastiche, starring Christina Ricci and Jesse Eisenberg as siblings faced with werewolf attacks, but the screams and laughs are fewer, less clever and less startling. PG-13. 1:36.–M.W.
Dear Frankie (star)(star)(star)
Shona Auerbach’s debut feature is an engaging, intimate story of a tender deception. Frankie (Jack McElhone), a deaf and whip-smart 10-year-old, moves across Scotland with his mother and grandma while exchanging letters with his estranged dad. Problems ensue when it’s revealed Frankie’s mom is actually writing the letters. PG-13. 1:42.–R.E.
D.E.B.S. (star)(star)(star)
In this grrrl-power spy satire, a squad of secret agents is tasked with capturing criminal mastermind Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster). When a stakeout goes awry and D.E.B. Amy (Sara Foster) finds herself head to head with Diamond, a size 2 lesbian looking for love, sparks fly. Writer/director Angela Robinson never strays far from her satiric base and her ensemble cast meets the challenge. PG-13. 1:31.–A.B.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (star)1/2
It starts like a soap opera: cheated wife Kimberly Elise tossed out of her mansion by mean hubby Steve Harris. But this mix of glam-romance, sentimentality and raunchy jokes from writer-producer-actor Tyler Perry (who appears as bad-mouth Aunt Madea and two others) blends Redd Foxx raunchiness with pop sermonizing. It’s strange, silly, unpredictable. Directed by Darren R. Grant. PG-13. 1:56.–M.W.
Downfall (Der Untergang) (star)(star)(star)(star)
This extraordinarily gripping bio-drama takes us inside Hitler’s bunker during his last 10 days. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel and producer-screenwriter Bernd Eichinger use Hitler secretary Traudl Junge’s eyewitness account, with Alexandra Maria Lara fine as the naive Junge, and Bruno Ganz’s great performance as a mad, vulnerable Hitler heading a brilliant cast and crack production. In German with English subtitles. No MPAA rating (adult, parents cautioned for violence, sensuality and language. 2:28.–M.W.
Finding Neverland (star)(star)(star)1/2
Johnny Depp surprises us again with a portrayal of writer James M. Barrie brimming with insight and whimsy. The story, about Barrie’s bond with a widow (Kate Winslet) and her boys, the inspiration for “Peter Pan,” is a charmer too. Director Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball”) avoids darker speculations, giving us a period bio of visual delight and honest sentiment. With Dustin Hoffman and Julie Christie. PG. 1:56.–M.W.
Guess Who (star)(star)
Ashton Kutcher plays white boy Simon Green, a big-shot financial whiz whom black fiance Theresa brings home to meet mom (Judith Scott) and dad (Bernie Mac) without advance warning of his pasty complexion in this misguided, lazy and broad comic remake of the Stanley Kramer classic “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” PG-13. 1:45.–A.B.
Gunner Palace (star)(star)
Michael Tucker lets his subjects and loud, messy images speak for themselves in this document of the two months he spent in Iraq with the 2/3 Field Artillery’s 400 soldiers–nicknamed Gunners–in a bombed-out palace that used to be Uday Hussein’s pleasure pad. His images–flashing, frenzied, fragmented–are arresting, but Tucker lacks the maturity and finesse to illuminate them. PG-13. 1:25.–A.B.
Hitch (star)(star)
In this flashy, cliched romantic comedy, Will Smith plays a romance-savvy dating doctor who runs into troubles with his coaching (of shy Kevin James) and his own love life, wooing hard-case tabloid columnist (Eva Mendes). Most of the good gags are in the trailers, and the strongest chemistry is between Smith and James. Directed by Andy Tennant (“Sweet Home Alabama”). PG-13. 1:57.–M.W.
Hostage (star)(star)1/2
A snazzy, full-throttle cop thriller with lots of style and energy but much less sense or impact, “Hostage” stars Bruce Willis as a burnt-out ex-L.A. hostage negotiator, pulled into a perilous standoff with street thieves, gangsters and a rich accountant. It’s a mixed bag of a picture, at first entertaining, then sinking into mad implausibility. Directed by French thriller ace Florent Siri (“The Nest”). R. 1:53.–M.W.
Hotel Rwanda (star)(star)(star)1/2
Don Cheadle gives a phenomenal performance as Paul Rusesabagina, a quiet, meticulous hotel manager who, in the face of the 1994 massacres, became a real-life hero and unlikely savior. Director-co-writer Terry George’s film is a calm, riveting ground-zero look at a terrible slice of history. But Cheadle, backed by Sophie Okonedo and Nick Nolte, is superb, humbling in his humanity. PG-13. 2:01.–M.W.
Ice Princess (star)(star)
All the usual suspects line up in Disney’s entirely predictable and utterly soothing new ice skating flick: bookworm-cum-beauty (Michelle Trachtenberg), disapproving parent (Joan Cusack), popular girl who is dying on the inside (Hayden Panettiere) and her controlling mom (Kim Cattrall). Oh yes, and the dream to skate. G. 1:32.–A.B.
Melinda and Melinda (star)(star)(star)1/2
Woody Allen has elegant fun with the interchangeability of comedy and tragedy. Focusing on beautiful, complex young Melinda (Radha Mitchell), he waltzes her through two different stories, one comic, one dramatic. No Woody this time, but another crack ensemble (Will Ferrell, Chloe Sevigny, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Wally Shawn) keeps it witty or moving. PG-13. 1:40.–M.W.
Million Dollar Baby (star)(star)(star)(star)
Clint Eastwood admirably returns as both director-producer after last year’s classic “Mystic River”–for a tough, pungent boxing drama with a delayed-action wallop. One of Eastwood’s best, it starts out like another “Rocky”-style Cinderella story, but turns dark, savage and heart-breaking in its final act. With Hilary Swank (as the contender) and Morgan Freeman. PG-13. 2:12.–M.W.
Millions (star)(star)(star)1/2
A magical British film about two boys (Alexander Etel and Lewis McGibbon) in a Liverpool suburb, stumbling on piles of money and having their lives radically changed, this Christian fable/fantasy about Mammon and kids is done with wide-eyed wonder, wit and imagination. Director Danny Boyle (“Trainspotting”) and writer Frank Cottrell Boyce (“24 Hour Party People”) shine. PG. 1:37.–M.W.
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (star)1/2
FBI agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) gets another makeover, this time to become the new face of the Bureau, traveling the country with her entourage–stylist Joel (Diedrich Bader), hair, makeup and partner Sam Fuller (Regina King), a problem agent with anger management issues. When old pageant pals are kidnapped in Vegas, guess which stiletto-heeled Miss FBI saves the day? PG-13. 1:55.–A.B.
Off the Map (star)(star)(star)1/2
The mysterious alchemy of art is the central subject of actor-director Campbell Scott’s lovely little comedy-drama, set in the New Mexico desert and based on Joan Ackermann’s play: the story of a sweetly eccentric, unself-consciously artistic family (Joan Allen, Sam Elliott and Valentina de Angelis) that helps turn its uptight IRS investigator (Jim True-Frost) into a cult-idol painter. PG-13. 1:51.–M.W.
Oldboy (star)(star)(star)(star)
A stunner from Korea: Park Chanwook’s high voltage revenge saga about the deadly cat-and-mouse game waged between a rich sadist (Yoo Ji-tae) and his dangerous prey: a businessman-turned-killer (Choi Min-sik, star of “Chihwaseon”) and his Seoul angel (Gang Hye-jung). Set in a noir wilderness, it’s a movie of jaw-dropping violence and dazzling style. Grand Jury Prize Winner, Cannes 2004. In Korean with English subtitles. R. 2:00.–M.W.
The Pacifier (star)1/2
Vin Diesel tries to follow in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Kindergarten Cop,” playing a tough guy hero tamed by adorable kiddies. “Cop” wasn’t very good, but this is worse: a bland, dopey, over-produced comedy that mixes crude humor with gooey sentimentality and wastes a good cast: Diesel, Lauren Graham, Carol Kane, Brad Garrett. Directed by Adam Shankman. PG. 1:37.–M.W.
Racing Stripes (star)(star)1/2
In this endearing but predictable celebrity- and joke-packed talking-animal pic, a zebra with an identity crisis (voiced by Frankie Muniz) dreams of racing at the Kentucky Open, a widower and former prize trainer struggles to find his way back to the track, and his daughter just wants to ride. PG. 1:34.–A.B.
The Ring Two (star)(star)
This creepy follow-up to the 2002 American remake of Japan’s most popular horror movie, the1998 “Ringu” (about the killer video that destroys its audiences), turns into just another unnecessary sequel. Directed by “Ringu’s” helmer, Hideo Nakata, parts of it are stunningly made and star Naomi Watts acts well above the call of duty. But it’s still a pointless, if fitfully scary project. PG-13. 1:50.–M.W.
Robots (star)(star)(star)
A young sparkplug of an inventor, Rodney Copperbottom (Ewan McGregor), visits Robot City in search of fame, but instead finds corruption and misfits (Robin Williams, Drew Carey). Wildly inventive and sweetly subversive, even the occasional dent can’t keep animated “Robots” from being a compelling bit of comic clockwork. PG. 1:31.–R.E.
Sideways (star)(star)(star)(star)
Alexander Payne’s great movie of Rex Pickett’s novel–a boisterous, brilliant, heart-warming tale of aging college buddies Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church and their last bachelor fling through the California wine country–mixes road film, drama and romantic comedy with vintage perfection. Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh fuel the romance and comedy. R. 2:04.–M.W.
Steamboy (star)(star)
“Akira” director Katsuhiro Otomo returns to familiar motifs of city-leveling monstrosities and human unworthiness to wield destructive power in “Steamboy,” the story of young inventor Ray Steam. In a flawed but visually rich tale, Ray must save Victorian England from arms dealers using steam technology for world domination. PG-13. 1:46.–R.E.
Up and Down (star)(star)(star)1/2
Czech director Jan Hrebejk brings a disparate and–initially at least–incompatible series of personal turmoils to a gentle boil, tracking a couple struggling with the decision to adopt an abandoned baby and a family separated by divorce and impending death. What makes the movie work is the director’s decision to love his characters, their pain and their terrible, unequivocal decisions. R.1:48.–A.O.
The Upside of Anger (star)(star)
An ambitious but unsatisfying little suburban comedy-drama, with Joan Allen and Kevin Costner enjoyable as an unconventional couple who stumble into a fortysomething affair when the woman’s husband disappears. The rest of the film, involving Allen’s four unlikely daughters (Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell, et al.), is less credible. R. 2:01.–M.W.
