The Book Thief

The Book Thief is not the Hitler Youth movie I was hoping for.

I never would have thought we actually needed a Hitler Youth movie, or for that matter any other movie about kids during the Holocaust-- World War II has been depicted onscreen so many times in the last decade that we at least need a moratorium, if not an outright command to move on to other wars. But The Book Thief, based on the popular novel by Markus Zusak, manages to come across a new angle on this war, exploring the friendship between two young children who wear Swastika armbands and sing songs to Hitler not because they are evil or brainwashed, but because they live in a small German town and this is as common and ordinary as joining the Boy Scouts.

That might be enough story for a single sweet, war-torn coming of age story, but The Book Thief feels compelled cram in at least half a dozen other tropes, including the Jew hiding from the Nazis, the orphan girl warming to her new parents, the mysterious older lady benefactor helping our plucky heroine, the tentative pre-adolescent romance, and of course, the saga of survival amid air raid sirens and war. The fact that there's also occasional voiceover from the Grim Reaper may sound like a joke, but I assure you, it's in there too. A rambling, howlingly sentimental story that seems to be grabbing for awards at every turn, The Book Thief dares to burrow deep inside the complex world of German civilians during World War II and come away with nothing except mawkish, soft-focus nonsense.

Sophie Nelisse, a French-Canadian up and comer, is all wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder as Liesel, the girl orphaned when her mother is arrested for being a Communist; her younger brother, for unknown reasons, dies while en route to their adoptive parents, so Liesel arrives alone to live with stern Rosa (Emily Watson) and twinkle-eyed Hans (Geoffrey Rush) in their small German village. Shy and closed-off at first, Liesel eventually learns to read with Hans's encouragement, strikes up a friendship with cutie neighbor Rudy (Nico Liersch), and develops an even deeper bond with a Jewish refugee (Ben Schentzer) hiding out in the basement. The book thieving comes in much later, when the mayor's wife (Kirsten Block) notices Liesel snatch a copy of The Invisible Man off a pile of tomes the Nazis have opted to burn; instead of turning Liesel in, the woman invites the girl into her expansive library for afternoon reading sessions.

Director Brian Percival, a veteran of Downton Abbey, does a nice job at first of depicting the slow creep of National Socialism into Liesel's life. The nationalistic songs she sings with her school chorus, the armband on her school uniform and the Nazi flag kept by law in the family basement eventually lead to local men conscripted into service, nights in an air raid shelter and a terror of refugee Max being found out. But the further The Book Thief gets into the war the less nuance and revelations it contains, until the cobblestoned streets and jackbooted soldiers start to look like every single other World War II movie. The occasional return of the Grim Reaper's voice reminds you that this, like so many other World War II movies, won't end with tragedy, but you still may not be prepared for the laughable melodrama that closes this story out.

I can imagine curling up with and enjoying the book version of The Book Thief, where there's time to get into the coming-of-age rhythms and dig into the constant conflict of being a decent person in a country that's on the wrong side of a war. But the glossy, completely surface-level movie version of The Book Thief feels committed to scrubbing all that nuance out. From the presence of Rush and Watson to the generically sentimental score from John Williams, it's a soulless chimera of every Oscar-bait trope, cobbled from a story that actually deserved better.

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About Time

Coming from the creator of Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, you might understandably expect About Time to be a romantic comedy. After all, it is fronted by Rachel McAdams and Anna Karenina's Domhnall Gleeson. Don't be fooled. This is not a movie about romance. It's about a far more encompassing idea of love, embracing lovers, friends, and family in a way that makes About Time a rich and wonderful narrative.

If you could relive moments of your life until you get them just as you want, what would you do? "For me, it was always going to be all about love," says young Tim (Gleeson), the eager but na?ve romantic at the center of Curtis's latest dramedy. On his 21st birthday, Tim's loving father (the deeply charming Bill Nighy) tells him of the incredible inheritance to which he is now entitled. It's not money, but rather the Y-chromosome imprinted ability to travel back within his own lifetime. His father warns him this gift should be used as a tool to help him get what he really wants in life. And for the first half of the film, Tim really wants a girlfriend.

He uses his powers to get a second chance at a first kiss or make a better introduction to a girl he thinks might be the one (McAdams), and to plan a marriage proposal. Gleeson and McAdams are adorable as a couple in love, but just as this plotline begins to run thin, Curtis shifts focus from this story of romance to a more mature themes that involve Tim's relationship with his screw-up little sister (Lydia Wilson) and his father, who sadly not even time travel can make immortal.

Science-fiction fans may gnash their teeth over the inconsistencies in Curtis's brand of time travel, as clarity and consistency are sacrificed in favor of dramatic pacing. Here, time travel is used as a tool to discuss the choices we make to do what's best for us or what's best for our loved ones, which sometimes means giving up on living in the past. Curtis's exploration of this theme is emotionally profound, underlined by a pitch perfect soundtrack that includes songs from Nick Cave, Ben Folds, and Jimmy Fontana-- guaranteed to draw tears as he presents a pocket of possibility for time travel that is beautiful and bittersweet. Yet Curtis's ear for snappy dialogue gives About Time an effervescence, while the cast imbues it with a rich warmth.

Gleeson is darling as our lanky hero, handling the awkward romantic introductions as well as the father-son plotline with a vibrant humor. Outstanding support is given by Lindsay Duncan as Tim's brusque mother, Lydia Wilson as his wild child sister, Richard Cordery as the lovably befuddled Uncle Desmond, and Tom Hollander as Tim's ever-furious playwright friend Harry. But it's Nighy who grounds the movie with his role as the time-traveling bookworm who is an easy-going patriarch to this clan. His performance seems so effortless that his and Tim's relationship feels authentically lived-in, making the film's final act all the more powerful.

Sadly McAdams is a weak spot. She's cute and affable as Mary, but she seems miscast, especially with the costuming department desperately playing down McAdams's natural beauty, saddling her with a bad haircut and clunky matronly clothes. And her charm, while welcome, is wasted on a character that is more a plot necessity than a person. There's no conflict or complexity to her character. She's just a tool to teach us about Tim. Mary doesn't care about the details of her wedding to Tim. He can pick the when, where and who of it all. She'll just show up in an unconventional dress and look glorious and be a perfect symbol of marital happiness achieved.

Aside from this underwritten character and bizarre casting choice, Curtis has made a fantastic and inventive modern-day fable. Tim's extraordinary ability sets him apart from the rest of the world, giving him a chance to relive any day of his life again. Yet in doing that he discovers he really isn't that different from the rest of us. His choices are just like ours, deciding to get caught up in what has passed, or to live for today and accept that life goes on. Curtis creates this narrative with a sensational sense of joy and a ribbon of tragedy that makes the former all the sweeter. Beyond being a movie that will make you laugh and cry, About Time is that rare cinematic treat that can make you better appreciate life itself.?

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Homefront

When I first heard about Homefront I was giddy. Jason Statham versus James Franco in a movie written by Sylvester Stallone about a man defending his home against a malicious meth dealer? It seemed a recipe for fantastically over the top action and machismo, with plenty of opportunity for these charismatic stars to chew scenery in a spectacular showdown. Basically I expected the shades of Statham from Crank and Franco from Spring Breakers. What I got was a dour crime drama that takes itself very seriously, and sadly demands its stars do the same.

Statham fronts Homefront as Phil Broker, an undercover DEA agent, widower and single father who is trying to start a new life in Rayville, Louisiana, a place that boasts a meth-making ring and a proud tradition of family feuds. Poor Broker is just trying to keep his head down in the wake of a drug bust gone very bad. But it turns out teaching your ten-year-old to defend herself by hurling bullies into the dirt is not the best idea. In no time, Broker and his daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic) have sparked the slathering fury of Cassie (a scrawny but fearsome Kate Bosworth), sister to local kingpin Gator (Franco). As payback, Gator begins harassing father and daughter. But when he uncovers Broker's DEA past, Gator concocts a grander, more convoluted plan for bloody revenge, calling in the drug dealing crew Broker burned before.

I realized pretty quickly my mistake in assuming Homefront would be a willfully bonkers action movie. This was no winking Expendables with one-liners and meta humor. The closest we ever come to a signature line is "whatever you're thinking, rethink it." Its action scenes offer graphic violence, but nothing in the way of witty repartee or fun mayhem. I could have accepted these sterner intentions if Homefront delivered as a compelling action drama. But it absolutely does not.

For one thing, I couldn't call it "action-packed," more action bookended. There's the opening sequence with graphic violence, gunfights and car chases, and the carnage-strewn climax, but little action in between. I counted just three action scenes for the middle hour of the movie. Two of these are brief scuffles Broker has with rednecks who hardly offer a fight, and the third the aforementioned takedown of a schoolyard bully by little Maddy. Worse yet, the big bookending action sequences are incoherently shot with lacking attention paid to establishing geography, making for downright confusing construction.

Even as a drama Homefront falls painfully flat. Statham is charming enough as a single dad, but a lackluster subplot about his romancing Maddy's teacher feels tacked on and unnecessary. Plus, Broker is unbelievably bad at being a DEA agent, hiding classified papers about his cases in boxes lying around his unlocked home, squabbling with his kid instead of fleeing the house when he knows killers are on the way, and inviting a friendly bystander into the inevitable crossfire. But maybe that is fitting as Gator is also wildly inept in his role as antagonist.

While Franco tries his best to glower and wear a grungy goatee like a backwoods thug, he comes off as little more than a movie star slumming it. (The perfect white teeth every meth addict in the movie brandishes is laughable in its own right.) But Stallone's lame script undercuts even these meager efforts at menace by giving Gator ridiculous revenge plans like decapitating one of Maddy's stuffed animals and abducting her pet kitten. These are the tactics of teenage bullies at best, and can hardly be taken seriously from a movie's key villain. All this leads to a final showdown that is a total letdown. It's just Broker beating up a dopey drug dealer, far from entertaining or satisfying.

Even Winona Ryder is a supporting turn as Gator's "meth skank" girlfriend can't elevate this subpar material. Like Statham and Franco, she just feels miscast in this swampy redneck-riddled setting. But cheers to Bosworth. She's petite and rangy, yet she channels an incredible energy into her performance that radiates danger as she spits threats and her arms tremble like live wires of rage. Wild and desperate, she is as close to interesting as this movie gets, but regrettably her screentime is all too brief.

It's depressing to think Stallone got an Oscar nomination for screenwriting Rocky, and this insipid snore is what he's turning out now. It's too devoid of worthwhile action set pieces to satisfy as an action film, too dull to work as a thriller, and too dumb to work as an earnest crime drama. All in all, Homefront is a dud.

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Nebraska

If you only see one black and white movie this year centering on a 70 year old drunk with dementia driving across the American Midwest with his son, that movie should be Nebraska. Admittedly your options in this category may be fairly limited, but don?t let that devalue the recommendation ? there are few features out there now with as much heart, honesty and genuine laughs as the new movie from director Alexander Payne.

Based on an original screenplay by Bob Nelson, the film tells the story of an aging, alcoholic man named Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), who receives a sweepstakes notification in the mail telling him that he may have won a $1 million prize. Despite warnings that the letter is just a hoax from both his sons, David (Will Forte) and Ross (Bob Odenkirk), and his wife (June Squibb), Woody is convinced that he has become a millionaire and is willing to walk all the way to Nebraska from his Montana home in order to pick up his supposed winnings. Fearing for his father?s safety and knowing that he won?t be able to convince him that the contest is a fraud, David opts to drive his father to Nebraska so that he can learn the truth ? and in the process the son discovers a side to his dad that he never saw before.

Similar to material we?ve seen from Payne before, Nebraska wonderfully straddles the distinctive line between comedy and drama, with an impressive balance of tone on both sides. The entire movie is peppered with strange, awkward little moments between characters that will have audiences laughing out loud, from David having a debate with two hillbilly cousins about how long it takes to drive from Montana to Nebraska to Woody complaining that Mt. Rushmore looks incomplete and lazy. At the same time, though, the movie can immediately have you going from chuckling to being concerned about the welfare of the main characters and contemplating what it means to get old and the idea of never being able to go home again. Each half of the story never lessens the other, and instead they work together to create an incredibly fulfilling movie-going experience.

Aesthetically, the film is almost a perfect contrast to Payne?s last feature, 2011?s The Descendants. In his previous effort the director got to capture the lush landscapes and incredible colors that exist in Hawaii, but Nebraska is filmed in stark black and white and possesses its own kind of special beauty. As any road movie should be, the new film is flush with amazing, sweeping countryside photography, but more than just showing us the setting the direction and camera work also helps the audience see deeper into the characters. Regular close-ups of the aging Dern alone tell us everything we need to know about Woody, the actor able to communicate degrees of reflection, pain and regret with single expressions while the camera focuses on the contours and wrinkles of his face.

Bringing to life a emotionally complex and interesting character, Dern delivers the stand-out performance of Nebraska. There are many facets to Woody Grant, both relatable and unlikable, and Dern finds every moment. The character?s selfishness, stubbornness and bad habits can make you want to just give up on him, but Dern regularly brings him back from the brink, making him empathetic in his weakest moments and hilarious in his strongest. The entire film is filled with great turns, as Forte brings a wonderful earnestness to David and Squibb delivers some of the best moments, but Dern alone makes the movie worth the price of admission.

There is a lot packed in to the story of Nebraska, the film hitting on themes ranging from father-son relationships to homecomings to growing old, but it?s all deftly packaged together in a warm, emotionally honest, beautifully-shot package. It can't match the heft of Payne titles like Sideways and The Descendants, but the filmmaker has once again proven that few can make funny, captivating, character-driven dramedies quite on the level that he can.

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Disney's Frozen

Disney's Frozen Lest you forget amid all the noise made by Marvel Studios and Star Wars rumors, Walt Disney Pictures still does big business in princesses, and they're aiming to prove it with their mammoth new holiday season release Frozen. Very, very loosely adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, it's the story of a vaguely Nordic kingdom and the two orphaned sisters, Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell), charged with running it. The spunky heroine and lonely castle hearken back to recent hit Tangled; the sisterly conflict feels like The Little Mermaid; the knowing fairy tales riffs are pure Enchanted. This is rigorous Disney hit-making at its finest, but with enough charm to get away with it.

Even before Elsa's powers of shooting ice and snow from her fingertips run rampant, the animation guided by directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee is stunning-- Elsa and Anna's parents perish in a single shot of a howling storm at sea, and the stony cliffs surrounding the village of Arrendel are dramatic even before coated in ice. Elsa revels in her powers as a little girl, but after a close call with Anna and a poorly aimed bolt of ice, she's convinced to hide her strengths and retreat from their tight sisterly bond. The death of the king and queen means Elsa must take over, but the stress of her coronation (and Anna's dumb-cluck decision to get engaged to a hunky prince she just met) makes her lose control. Elsa storms up into the mountains, leaving ice castles and blizzards in her wake and belting the power ballad "Let It Go." Especially as sung by Menzel it's a shameless riff on Wicked's "Defying Gravity"; that hasn't kept it from sticking in my head for weeks now, and good luck shaking it out of yours.

Anna's heroic journey is, refreshingly, not about a boy or even about herself-- she travels into the mountains to convince Elsa to return, and teams up with rugged ice salesman Kristof (Jonathan Groff) to get there. Kristof and Anna are going to fall for each other eventually, of course, and she'll ditch that princely fianc? Hans (Santino Fontana), but the focus remains firmly on Anna and Elsa, as Lee's screenplay repeatedly subverts fairy tale tropes to make them about sisterly, not romantic, love. The beats of the story and the catchy songs can feel a bit factory-produced-- funny sidekicks in the form of mountain trolls show up at the exact right time for a laugh, and the old man villains are shipped directly from Gaston's mob in Beauty and the Beast. But Frozen has all the right modern touches too, without falling into winky-wink Shrek territory.

It also pulls off a miracle in Olaf, the buck-toothed snowman you've seen in every ad and voiced by Book of Mormon's Josh Gad. The goofy sidekick is usually an exasperating pander to younger kids who might get restless after too much story, and even in the brilliant Mormon Gad tended to overplay his schlubby goofball hand. But Olaf is consistently, actually funny, and even has the film's best song in "In Summer," dreaming of how great a snowman's life will be in warmer times (Anna and Kristof don't have the heart to tell him the truth). Even Olaf's origin story helps highlight the relationship between the sisters-- Frozen's story may sometimes feel machine-made perfect, but there's satisfaction in watching a production this big stay so resolutely on point.

Debuting her serious pipes after making her name on television, Kristen Bell is a righteously spunky and funny heroine, while Menzel ably shoulders the film's heaviest drama (and by far the best princess dresses, to be seen on Halloween racks everywhere next fall). Both girls are heroines on the level of Belle, Jasmine or Ariel, and do them one better by choosing family over more conventional romance-- a nice contrast to, say, Bella of Twilight. Big animated movies are under crazy pressure to teach kids the "right" lessons, but Frozen wears that pressure lightly, putting much more focus on its gorgeous animation, its insanely catchy songs and its well-earned emotional highs. Especially as Disney turns toward revamping older princesses like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella for live-action dramas, it's a pleasure to see the studio go back to what they've always done well and prove they've still got it.

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Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis Ever since walking out of the theater after watching Joel and Ethan Coen?s Inside Llewyn Davis I?ve tried to pick the perfect adjective to define the film?s titular character. ?Asshole? was certainly a heavy consideration, as it?s the preferred insult thrown at Llewyn by Jean, the lead?s tempestuous former lover, played by Carey Mulligan. Ultimately, however, I settled on ?Loser.? The term fits easily in the pejorative sense, as he is a deadbeat who spends his weeks couch-surfing and hitchhiking, but really it?s the definitive sense that fits flawlessly. Llewyn Davis is a man who loses. All together Inside Llewyn Davis is a beautiful, sad/funny folk song about failure ? but the ending irony is that the film succeeds on every level.

Set over the course of a week, the movie follows Llewyn as he desperately tries to keep his head above water navigating the folk music scene of New York City?s Greenwich Village in 1961. Recovering from the suicide of his best friend and singing partner, he works to establish himself as a solo act, but with his caustic and cynical attitude he finds himself constantly surrounded by blood-boiling cheap phonies and sell-outs doling out disappointment and rejection around every corner. He?s unable to keep any portion of his life in working order ? losing his friend?s cat, impregnating his best friend?s girlfriend, mission out on big breaks ? and it all contributes to a never-ending, self-fulfilling cycle of defeat.

It?s a great credit to star Oscar Isaac that a character as bullheaded, ornery and misanthropic as Llewyn can come to life and be as entertaining and engaging as he is in the film. As bad an attitude as the protagonist may have, he earns respect from the audience, not necessarily for his convictions or even the fact that he?s right, but because he?s both entertaining to watch on a comedic, Buster Keaton level and incredibly talented as a musician. From the very opening of the movie, which features Llewyn sitting on a starkly-lit stage in a caf? singing a rendition of Dave Van Ronk?s ?Hang Me, Oh Hang Me,? we become entranced by the soul in Isaac?s vocal and guitar performance and that impression only grows stronger over the course of multiple performances in the story.

Of course, it wouldn?t be a Coen brothers film without a roster of terrific character actors as off-beat supporting players. Llewyn?s path through small vignettes that make up his week find him connecting with a full variety of friends, family members and strangers who almost exclusively bring out the worst in him, painting a handsomely hideous portrait of the lead while also weaving a smart, funny and entertaining story. Mulligan?s Jean is a scene-stealer thanks to an acid tongue that rightly and regularly calls out Llewyn on his bullshit and cuts him down to size, but really every performer puts on a markedly memorable performance, from Adam Driver as a baritone-voiced backup singer on a stupidly catchy pop song called ?Please Mr. Kennedy? to Coen veteran John Goodman as a patronizing, dickish jazz musician who takes every opportunity he can to belittle Llewyn?s very existence. It?s a collection of characters you?d learn about in a Bob Dylan song, each one adding their bit of color to a world covered in grey.

Reflecting the general misery of the lead character, the atmosphere of Inside Llewyn Davis is painted in muted tones and deep contrasts and has its own unique dark beauty. After years of working with the genius Roger Deakins, the Coens put the photography in the hands of cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, but rather than suffering in the shadow of his predecessor he has lit and filmed one of the directors? most gorgeous films to date. Soft lighting brings the chill of a New York winter right into the theater, while darkness surrounding Llewyn as he plays a set develops an isolation for the character while creating an intimacy for the audience.

Due to the fact that the Coen brothers are two of my favorite filmmakers, I hold their movies to a different standard when I enter a theater and I am constantly amazed at how they continue to produce at such an astonishing, brilliant level. Each time out they present something bold, innovative and different. While the musical influence may remind audiences of the great O Brother Where Art Thou and the pitch black humor is in the same vein as A Serious Man, Inside Llewyn Davis is unlike anything the directors have made and is a phenomenal piece of art.

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Oldboy

Oldboy Who should you feel sorriest for watching the new Oldboy? Josh Brolin, for both shedding and gaining weight to play the lead role? Elizabeth Olsen, for enduring both a nude scene and a near-rape scene as a thankless expository character? Sharlto Copley, for committing to a theatrically over-the-top villain with nowhere to go? Or Spike Lee, a genuinely important and unique director, hiding his light under a bushel and disappearing into a remake that everyone knew from the start had no reason to exist?

It's probably kindest to feel sorry for everyone then move on as quickly as possible, since this Oldboy-- a remake of the 2003 South Korean cult favorite-- has almost nothing that will last in your memory. It lifts the exact same plot of mysterious imprisonment and violent revenge, with Brolin stepping in the role as a rowdy businessman who goes on a bender the night of his daughter's birthday and, for no apparent reason, is imprisoned in a hotel-room-like cell for 20 years. The prison scenes are among the most interesting, thanks to the surreal presence of an imaginary bellboy and Brolin's own ferocity, but Lee also marks the passage of time with exploitative footage of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina-- a scattershot approach that's a sign of the sloppiness to come.

Brolin's Joe Doucett is busy plotting his escape when he's suddenly freed, and sets about trying to figure out who imprisoned him, and why. Joining him is Olsen's Marie, a young doctor with no apparent reason to be interested in this manic man, plus Michael Imperioli as Joe's old friend. The search gets even trickier when Copley's villain, all sculpted facial hair and unplaceable European accent, shows up to confess he's responsible, but then issues Joe a challenge. If Joe can't figure out who Copley is and why he tortured him for 20 years, Copley will kill Joe's daughter, whom he apparently has held captive.

A tale of revenge, and even one that maintains the famous crazy twists at the end of Park Chan-wook's original Oldboy, could be translated in a fascinating way to America, where we're basically obsessed with getting revenge in the most violent way possible. But no one is able to get out of the original film's shadow, much less Lee, who incorporates his signature double dolly shot and a few characters staring directly at the camera, but who also seems hamstrung by recreating the first film's signature moments. Yes, there is a hallway fight scene in which Brolin is armed with a hammer, and yes, it takes place (almost) in a single take. But the choreography feels stagey and goofy, and the scene's placement in the film just a little off. Lee has complained specifically about that shot-- his original cut was three hours, and the final film is 102 minutes-- but it's hard to know that what he had there was any better. Lee, not exactly known for shooting hand-to-hand action, was given a no-win situation in recreating that scene, and it's baffling that they didn't want to scrap it entirely and replace it with something new.

As Oldboy moves on it feels more and more generic, as if a studio grabbed hold of the wheel and turned it into something more resembling a late-90s Ashley Judd thriller than either the original or any of Lee's films. Samuel L. Jackson (as the hotel prison manager) and Copley give wildly campy performances that are badly out of of step with the grim-faced Olsen and Brolin, who often seem disconnected even when sharing a scene. Something, somewhere got lost in translation, not even counting the travel from Korea to the anonymous American city where this takes place (seeing Lee separated from New York is possibly the most heartbreaking part of this). A remake of Oldboy could still, in theory, be good. But one this muddled, this blatantly confused about its own purpose, only makes everyone involved look worse for being part of it.

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American Hustle

Martin Scorsese has his Goodfellas. David O. Russell answers with his Mediocre-fellas.

Set in a similarly colorful and equally absurd universe of seedy, over-dramatized miscreants, American Hustle relays the mostly-true details of the controversial ABSCAM case, admitting up front in a title card that only ?some of this actually happened.? Playing fast and loose with the facts isn?t the issue dogging Hustle, however. The picture can?t switch into a higher gear as Russell maneuvers this sluggish crime comedy through grotesque, cartoonish but pointless transitions as his black comedy searches for a laugh.

Decked out in the appropriately hideous attire of 1978, the FBI ? led by maverick, sociopathic agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) ? stage an elaborate long con meant to ensnare numerous corrupt politicians, including an opportunistic New Jersey mayor (Jeremy Renner), a handful of greedy U.S. congressmen, and a crooked senator. To help him pull off this complicated scheme, DiMaso blackmails Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), low-level grifters who were getting ?fat? off of easily duped Jersey entrepreneurs.

Like most hastily hatched schemes, the plan is designed to be simple. What a boring movie that would make. DiMaso?s strategy eventually grows unwieldy, targeting those with broader political influence. In turn, the stakes also raise ? putting Rosenfeld and Prosser in boiling-hot water while also threatening the well being of numerous seemingly innocent bystanders (including Rosenfeld?s wife, played by Jennifer Lawrence).

The Goodfellas reference isn?t by accident. Russell employs his usual suspects, but digs deep into Scorsese?s trademark bag of tricks for Hustle, bending his distended story around filmmaking gimmicks we associate with the legendary director (but ones that, admittedly, do not belong to Scorsese, alone).

The biggest similarity has to be the picture?s over-reliance on narration, with Hustle characters talking ? and talking, and talking ? us through an unnecessarily convoluted script. Con games require exposition. The last thing a director wants to do in a bait-and-switch story is leave the audience in the dust. But Hustle, adopting the breathy tone of a 1940s noir, explains and explains until the unusual becomes mundane. And given the amount of ?unusual? on display here, that?s saying a lot.

Russell, in the process, does continue to establish his own film vocabulary. Hustle has as much in common with the blue-collar bombast of The Fighter as it does with Scorsese?s gaudy, dangerous Casino. The camera violently pans and scans, zooming in on a character?s hands, or tracking a briefcase filled with money as if it contains a bomb, ready to explode. As he has done in movies past, Russell laces a bed of recognizable period tunes behind his action. Yet even that?s a mixed bag. He makes good use of Elton John?s Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road, then nearly torpedoes Lawrence?s burgeoning career by asking her to sing Wings? Live and Let Die in a cringingly embarrassing scene. Hustle actually lacks that one memorable marriage of scene and song, a sequence that drills its way into the core of a moment the way Led Zeppelin?s What Is (And What Should Never Be) captured the heartbreaking confusion of Cooper?s vicious breakdown in last year?s Silver Linings Playbook. Then again, Hustle often seems to be chasing the deliberately messy structure that worked so well in Playbook but doesn?t gel here.

You end up noticing these glaring problems because Hustle ultimately doesn?t crackle with the energy needed to sell the con. The first hour passes by because it?s easy to stay busy criticizing the period-glam of Russell?s garish cast. The ?razzle dazzle,? as Lawrence?s suburban housewife describes it. The movie opens with an extended shot of a bloated Bale ? looking like iconic producer Robert Evans ? doctoring the disastrous hairpiece that rests atop his head like rescued road kill. From there, we?re practically dared by Russell to look away from Renner?s Frankie Vali coif, Adams? persistent side boob, Cooper?s greasy perm and Lawrence?s nail polish (which smells like an intoxicating blend of flowers and garbage).

But it?s all window dressing. The clothes, the hair, the accents, the ?science oven? ? they?re all distractions that are supposed to keep us entertained because, without them, Russell?s holding an empty box of half-truths, silly caricatures, and disappointing conclusions. The hustle ends up being on those who came to American Hustle seeking substance behind the flash.

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Out Of The Furnace

Out Of The Furnace Writer-director Scott Cooper broke into the cinema landscape in a big way in 2009 with his two-time Academy Award-winning drama Crazy Heart. As this debut won its star Jeff Bridges an Oscar for Best Actor, it's little surprise Cooper's follow-up Out Of The Furnace has attracted a cast of heavy hitters like Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Sam Shepard, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, and to a lesser degree Casey Affleck and Zoe Saldana. Unfortunately, Cooper doesn't know what to do with all these greats' smolder. So, this slow burn thriller never achieves a good burn or anything in the way of thrills.

The screenplay by Cooper and Brad Ingelsby centers on brothers Rodney and Russell Baze, played by Affleck and Bale respectively. Both are screw-ups with good hearts making the best out of the hardscrabble life offered in the Pittsburgh suburb of Braddock. But with Rodney being a soldier practically vibrating with rage and Russell being an ex-con with limited options, the two find little but heartbreak and disappointment in just about every corner of their lives. Then after messing with a bare-knuckle boxing ring in nearby New Jersey, Rodney goes missing, leaving Russell to seek him out or at least seek justice.

The bare bones of this drama are promising, but Cooper seems dedicated to keeping anything from getting hot or even engaging. The main thrust of the plot--Russell's search for his brother--doesn't even kick off until an hour and a half into the 116 minute film's running time! Until then, Out Of The Furnace is a barrage of melancholy scenes of idle activity and miserable moments of the many disappointments of Russell Baze. It is face-meltingly dull and unforgivably maudlin.

Perhaps you're thinking of the cast, and assuming I'm crazy. Bale plus Harrelson plus Dafoe! How could that be dull? The simple answer is Cooper never grounds the story, so its stakes are lost. Bale is interesting as Russell, a man of integrity who nonetheless has made some bad decisions that he actually owns up to. I admired Russell, but didn't empathize with him. He felt too much like an abstraction. So all the tragedies that wash over him and his brother felt vaguely depressing but not impactful or harrowing.

Sadly, Dafoe is declawed here, playing a weary old kingpin who's no match for the ferocity of Harrelson's drug-dealing, bareknuckle-brawling hick Harlan DeGroat. Hell, he's apparently no match for scrappy Rodney, who demands his way to a fighting circle he has no business being in. Affleck is a major problem in the plot. While much of the main cast can affect a burn of danger with ease, he struggles to look suitably intimidating. Frankly, he can't stand up against the talent levied against him. In scenes where he faces off against Bale, Harrelson and Dafoe, Affleck is clearly miscast, straining and screaming to attain the level of intimidating manliness they exude so effortlessly. He seems a runt running with the big dogs.

Honestly, I couldn't wait for Out of the Furnace to end. Cooper aimed for a slow burn tone he never achieves, and so the film just spirals out without poignancy or purpose. It wants to be The Deer Hunter, but woefully misses the mark. Instead, it's painfully predictable and willfully anticlimactic, both which I believe were intentional moves that didn't play as Cooper had hoped. I suspect we're meant to know what's coming and deeply dread it. Instead, I predicted what was coming and then had to wait two hours for it to just happen already. While some of the performances--Bale's, Dafoe's and Harrelson's for instance--are interesting, they are not enough to elevate this stagnant story.

The greatest enjoyment Out of the Furnace offered me personally was the rich setting of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Frequently embraced by the thick clouds of steel factory smokestacks, held together by rusted bridges, and riddled with dilapidated houses, the town itself is oddly beautiful and projects a story of a tough life of sacrifice and fleeting glory. It's the perfect setting for the movie Out of the Furnace wanted to be, but ultimately the film fails its setting and setup at every turn.

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Philomena

My mom and her friends are going to adore Philomena.

They?ll take in a matinee, then follow it up with an early dinner. They?ll gush over Dame Judi Dench?s lived-in performance as a spartan, stubborn Englishwoman who?s eager to solve a personal mystery before her time on this planet has passed. They?ll chuckle as they recall some of Steve Coogan?s driest one-liners, delivered with the right amount of frustration and compassion. They?ll grouse about Hollywood?s inability to make more movies like this, which can be enjoyed ? unapologetically ? by ticket-buying members of ?The Greatest Generation.?

And do you know what? They?re right. Director Stephen Frears pushes every button and pulls every string in such a fashion that Philomena satisfies multiple demographics but ultimately wins over its older target demographic. The events on which Frears? story is based dictate those decisions, for sure. But it?s to that audience ? the people wondering what happened to the great Angela Lansbury and her wonderful Murder, She Wrote mysteries ? that I can whole-heartedly recommend Philomena. Everyone else might find it too slight.

This story actually happened. Frears and his screenwriters, Coogan and Jeff Pope, pull from BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith?s scandalous book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, published in 2009. As Frears? drama gets underway, Sixsmith (Coogan) is a disgraced correspondent with a sullied reputation who is seeking fresh purpose. He?s handed the human-interest story of Philomena (Dench), a woman hoping to locate the son she was forced to give up while under the care of controlling nuns at the Roscrea country convent.

Though Sixsmith looks down on the assignment, he agrees to help Philomena with her search (primarily because he wants to impress an editor with his newshound abilities). They hit multiple roadblocks at Roscrea and around England, eventually following a lukewarm lead across the pond to the States, where hard truths about Philomena?s son start to muddy the waters swirling around our duo?s quest.

Philomena is closer in tone, tempo and execution to Frears? early, British television projects than to the director?s transcendental feature films ? movies that challenged the viewer?s moral center, from Dirty Pretty Things and The Grifters to Dangerous Liaisons and the underappreciated Hero. Are Dench and Coogan tested in these roles? No, but they bring enough wit and curiosity to their interactions to keep Philomena on track until the mysteries of the lead character?s missing son is revealed.

Along the way, Frears leans on the built-in sympathies of the situations (and some heavy-handed musical cues by composer Alexandre Desplat) to construct a mildly suspenseful, occasionally amusing crowd pleaser that entertains as it unfurls, but slowly fades into the mists of the English countryside.

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The Best Man Holiday

The Best Man Holiday The last 15 minutes of The Best Man Holiday deliver, without question, the craziest sequence of events I've ever seen unfold on screen ? maybe ever. Out of context, we witness, in order: 1) An NFL player breaking the league?s single-season rushing record during a Christmas Day game; 2) The death and burial of a significant character; 3) A passionate hook-up at the post-funeral family gathering; 4) A pregnant character?s water breaking, leading to an awkward child birth in the back of a speeding Escalade; 5) And finally, a marriage proposal, setting up what?s sure to be the third chapter in this expanding franchise.

The unpredictability of Malcolm D. Lee?s sequel convinces me that if and when the next Best Man arrives, I?ll be there on opening day.?

The strange part is that prior to the whirlwind conclusion ? which rushes staple tidy conclusions to every character?s storylines ? The Best Man Holiday was (and is) a realistic, honest, uncomfortable, funny, sexy and smart conversation between long-time friends reuniting after years apart for a weekend-long holiday gathering. If you first met these characters back in Lee?s crowd-pleasing 1999 comedy The Best Man and buy a ticket expecting more of the same, the movie pretty much delivers.

A well-edited montage catches us up on everyone?s progress since last we left them. Author Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) published his autobiographical novel ?Unfinished Business? and rode a wave of support ? but hasn?t written anything close to that book?s success, and is panicking because he and Robin (Sanaa Lathan) have their first child on the way. After getting dumped by Murch (Harold Perrineau), the sassy and outspoken Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) has established herself as a pop-culture diva on a ?Real Housewives? program. Jordan (Nia Long) has climbed the ranks at MSNBC ? and found herself a handsome, white boyfriend (Eddie Cibrian). As for Quentin (Terrence Howard), he?s still living the single-man?s dream, though personal changes might be on his horizon.

Large ensemble comedies usually need time to establish chemistry. The Best Man cast can (and does) hit the ground running. There?s a familiarity of friendship and camaraderie between Lee?s actors, giving solid foundation to the complicated relationship conversations, the raw sex talk, and the tender proclamations of commitment and love that bind the Best Man script. This scenario ? friends reunited for a weekend getaway ? too often triggers broad slapstick. Lee, as he did in the initial Best Man, trusts his gifted cast to slice to the heart of several recognizable topics with truthful, catty digs, keen observations and laugh-out-loud situational humor ? mostly provided by Howard. His cell-phone bit with the beautiful Regina Hall had our preview audience howling.

Actually, that happened more than once during The Best Man Holiday. There was another sequence, a choreographed dance routine set to New Edition?s ?Can You Stand the Rain,? where the crowd appeared to be having as much fun as the actors. Those moments are rare, and when they happen, you recognize the value of a credible connection between a movie and its viewer.

In truth, movies like Best Man Holiday are rare ? insightful relationship studies populated by formidable African-American actors that doesn?t have to placate to an embarrassing ?Madea? character in order to justify its production budget. Lee and his cast members will tell you that the one movie they were asked about often was the original The Best Man, as in, ?When will you all get back together and make a sequel?? The movie spoke to a large audience. This sequel will too. And I hope that means we won?t have to wait nearly 15 years to see what happens next in the lives of these interesting, relatable characters. Superheroes aren?t the only ones who deserve sequels.

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Thor: The Dark World

The imaginary line separating stoic fantasy epics like Game of Thrones from campy regional Renaissance fairs isn?t as pronounced as you might assume.

I realized that repeatedly during Alan Taylor?s Thor: The Dark World. An effects-driven extension of Marvel?s expanding Cinematic Universe, this traditional sequel sidesteps the inherent Shakespearean tragedies that are supposed to sustain the franchise, and instead embraces the relatively weightless comic-book roots of the main character and his universes ? for better and for worse. The result is alternately silly and spectacular, fun yet frivolous ? a placeholder in an evolving superhero story that will continue to be told in subsequent Marvel movies. Buy your tickets now.

By this point, Marvel assumes you are up to date not only with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the denizens of his celestial realms, but with the blockbusters that built up to The Dark World (most notably Joss Whedon?s The Avengers). After a brief prologue that establishes Thor?s eventual antagonist, The Dark World begins with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) on trial in Asgard for his malevolent actions in New York City. As punishment, the demigod?s surrogate father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins, sleepwalking), banishes Loki to Asgard?s sleek, stark prison for the remainder of his days. The heroic Thor isn?t able to immediately ascend to Asgard?s throne, however. Order must be restored to the Nine Realms, meaning Hemsworth and his sword-wielding sidekicks can travel on the repaired bifrost bridge to engage in conventionally choreographed battles in mystical lands like Vanaheim or Svartalfheim. They look a little like Iceland.

Thor establishes peace, though it doesn?t last long. Back on Earth, in an effort to restore communication with her galaxy-hopping lover, astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) quite literally stumbles on the hiding spot of an ancient dark force known as the Aether. She?s immediately infected, morphed into a vessel for the demonic fluid (or gas, or something ? it?s hard to really tell what the Aether is, or what it can do). Jane?s unleashing of the Aether creates a much bigger problem for Thor and Asgard. The release of the dark force awakens Malekith the Accursed (Christopher Eccleston), leader of the Dark Elves, who once tried to use the Aether to poison the universe. Now that the Aether is free, he?s going to try again.

You can assume Marvel Studios hired Taylor because of his experience helming episodes of HBO?s Game of Thrones, and he brings a weathered, lived-in approach that enhances the authenticity of The Dark World by dwelling in unexpected corners of Asgard. Thor fans who criticized Kenneth Branagh?s origin film for being too cold, small and digital will appreciate the larger scope of Taylor?s battles, and the quieter moments in well-constructed Asgard sets representing the jail cells, throne rooms and taverns of this mystical comic realm.

Taylor?s background as an established television director also benefits the episodic nature of The Dark World and its place in the Marvel tapestry, in general. Because Thor takes place in the midst of Marvel?s Phase Two, it?s difficult for the film to ever succeed as a pure standalone story. Individual sequences deliver commendable comic book thrills. Thor and Loki?s escape from Asgard in a borrowed Dark Elves ship rises to a level Whedon established with The Avengers, and alone justifies the cost of a 3D ticket. But half of the action in The Dark World plays as a springboard for events that could mean more later, as when Loki deceives key characters or Thor makes deals with Odin that will direct his future relationship with Jane. (I apologize for keeping it vague, but spoilers have no place in a review.)

The nagging issue of Thor: The Dark World is that significant points in the screenplay (credited to Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely) make no sense outside of the pages of a colorful comic book. Believe me, I understand it's a fool's errand nitpicking the logic of a comic book blockbuster. But Thor clumsily dances over solutions to problems that should derail the hero?s quest. Explanations exist, but they are rushed or, worse, ignored. Questions raised about the Aether, its powers, the presence of important characters and their actions waged in defense of our planet are met with head-scratching resolutions. (It's tough to elaborate without spoiling, but I believe these issues will be obvious as you watch The Dark World.)

Comic book logic covers a multitude of sins, and Thor entertains its significant fan base in assorted ways. Hiddleston continues to steal the show as Loki-- it?s hardly a coincidence that The Dark World is unshackled from a mild stasis when the villain is released from his prison cell. And Hemsworth remains engaged as the titular hero, though his supporting cast disengages because the script gives them precious little to do. The return trip to Asgard (and beyond) was appreciated, but The Dark World stops just shy of establishing itself as anything more than a stepping stone to the next Avengers movie, which can?t get here quick enough.

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

With any great success in Hollywood comes great anticipation and expectations for a follow-up. It?s a challenge that director Francis Lawrence meets with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which boldly builds on the world first seen in Gary Ross? 2012 film. Constructing dark and complex themes and introducing dynamic new characters and stars, it's a satisfying and dramatic new adventure in the now-blockbuster franchise.

Picking up only a short time after the end of the last film, the sequel begins as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) venture through the 12 districts on a the Victory Tour, ?celebrating? their win in the 74th annual Hunger Games. This is bad news for President Snow (Donald Sutherland), however, as the two young champions have managed to spark ideas of revolution in the country of Panem. Scheming for a way to permanently take the faces of the rebellion out of the picture, it?s announced that the 75th annual Hunger Games ? a special event known as the Quarter Quell ? will put previous champions back into the arena.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire deliberately mirrors its predecessor, from the opening scene with Katniss and Gale hunting in the woods to the march towards the Hunger Games, wonderfully and horrifically reflects how the world of Panem has changed since Katniss and Peeta?s victory in the arena. It lures you into feeling comfortable with familiar scenarios, situations and characters, but then freely pulls a switch that changes everything.

Differentiating the film from some of its YA-spawned brethren, the movie also continues to develop one of the most interesting action movie female protagonists we?ve seen in a long time. Not only does Lawrence fully embody Katniss and completely melt into her performance, Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt?s script keeps her on an engaging path and continues to flesh her out as a three-dimensional character ? warts and all. Yes, Katniss is strong-willed, brave and tough, but she is also bullheaded, impulsive, and basically socially retarded. She is a hero ? but a grounded and real one that audiences can really cheer for.

The character?s relationships with both Peeta and Gale move forward in a major way too, but the film avoids all the trappings of on-screen teenage romance by using both men to show a deep fracture in Katniss? psychology post-Hunger Games. Suffering from clear symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, Katniss completely rejects Peeta and embraces Gale after her return home--- as the former is forever tied in her mind to the most horrific event in her young life. But when it comes time to return to the arena she reaches for Peeta, who was with her inside and helped her survive. Unfortunately this dynamic really only reflects on Katniss, as Peeta and Gale once again remain rather underdeveloped, but the film ultimately executes its message and is stronger for it.

More than just building on what was established in the first movie, Catching Fire has plenty new to offer and it?s impressive just how much of it the film actually pulls off. Going back to the Games, Katniss and Peeta are introduced to a whole new class of tributes played by some wonderful performers ? from Jeffrey Wright to Amanda Plummer to Jena Malone. The unexpected and surprisingly excellent standout amongst the group is Sam Claflin, who infuses the slippery Finnick with an excellent blend of charm and slyness; the audience may continually debate whether the story?s heroes should trust him or chop his head off with an axe.

Another outstanding new addition is Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays Plutarch Heavensbee, the new Head Gamemaker replacing the dearly departed Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) from the first movie. The Oscar winner is utilized perfectly, not just because he?s a good fit for the character, but just because of the sheer amount of gravitas he brings to the table. You hang on every word watching Hoffman?s Plutarch and Sutherland?s President Snow quietly and confidently discuss the need to quell all whispers of uprising in Panem.

Without giving anything away, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire does suffer from a severe case of what I?m going to call ?Part Two Syndrome,? as the movie comes to a sharp and abrupt end that makes the story feel incomplete and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Still, the sequel solidifies what was already a solid trajectory for the franchise, and I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

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Delivery Man

Delivery Man Funny as he can be, Vince Vaughn has stagnated over the last few years, starring in a string of underwhelming studio comedies and playing the same guy again and again. It turns out all he needed to cure the bad streak was to try something a little bit more serious. In writer/director Ken Scott?s Delivery Man, Vaughn gets the chance to branch out of his comfort zone, and while the movie as a whole has its problems it also features the star?s best performance in a long time.

An English-language remake of Scott?s own 2011 film Starbuck, the new movie tells the story of David Wozniak (Vaughn), a likable underachiever who is more than happy to just coast through life without any responsibility driving a delivery truck for his father?s butcher shop. This chosen lifestyle is rocked when he learns that his police officer girlfriend Emma (Cobie Smulders) has accidentally become pregnant. Things quickly go from bad to worse when a lawyer informs David that, due to many anonymous donations to a local fertility clinic years earlier, he's the genetic father of 533 children ? 142 of whom have formed a class action lawsuit to reveal his identity. His first reaction is to fight the case, teaming up with his hapless lawyer friend Brett (Chris Pratt) to try and keep himself anonymous, but when he begins to get personally involved with some of his children?s lives anonymously, he begins to contemplate what it would mean to go public with his secret.

It?s an over the top premise that Scott winds up finding a lot of emotion in, painting the film as much more of a dramedy than a straight comedy. Rather than turning each of David?s kids into some kind of hyper-real gag, the writer/director instead works to bring out the humanity and reality of the characters as well as the variety in all of their individual lifestyles. As a narrative device this has hit-or-miss results. Many of the confrontations he has and the relationships he starts are great and develop both the story and David?s character, but others are too coincidentally dealing with major life issues at the exact moment that they meet the movie?s hero. This results in a good amount of unevenness in Delivery Man, but it holds itself together well enough to fly.

While Vaughn has been caught in recent years playing the same comedic character over and over again ? regularly starring as the overconfident jerk - Delivery Man allows the actor to show a different side of his skills, and it?s surprisingly refreshing. Seemingly embracing the fact that he is starring in a dramedy instead of a straight comedy, Vaughn brings the energy level down, but is able to supplant it with unexpected emotion and an interesting relatabilty ? which is essential in getting the story across. You laugh as David fumbles trying to play guardian angel to his ?kids? ? subbing in as a barista while one goes to an acting audition, going on multiple historical walking tours with a son who is a guide, and tipping a lot of money to another kid who is a street performer ? but more importantly the performance makes you care about the reasons for David?s actions, the hero beginning to learn how to claim responsibility. Vaughn?s performance opens up the character of David and makes you actually care about what happens to him through his ridiculous plight.

With Vaughn playing a more subdued, straight man role most of the film?s laughs go to Pratt, who shines in the spotlight. In addition to his role as David?s less-than-stellar lawyer who suffers under the weight of his mother?s expectations, Brett is also used to showcase the mini-horrors of being a father. Many of Pratt?s scenes have him surrounded by a gaggle of kids who either comedically ignore their dad or treat his face like Play-Doh ? all of which the actor rolls with perfectly to great result. As the main comic relief character Brett is the cherry role in the movie, but it doesn?t make the actor?s performance any less impressive.

In many ways Delivery Man is very similar to its main character: it has a fair number of faults that make you question its value, but ultimately you can?t help but accept it for its charm.

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We took a look at The Neighbors for you and laughed our butts off

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Th second DVD set, completing the Tintin adventures in cartoon form, is now available and we decided to give it an early check-up to see how it turned out. Make sure to place your preorders now!

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John Carpenter took a closer look at the HBO series "Bored To Death" that is now available on DVD.

Desperate Housewives: The Complete Sixth Season
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One of the most successful TV series on the air, this show regularly astounds by tackling some of the most serious issues of modern life. But not to worry, there's always Gabby to lighten things up...

Thriller
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Unavailable for the longest time on home video at all, finally we have the opportunity to enjoy these classic horror stories from one of TV's most acclaimed classic shows.

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