REVIEWS: ‘Blind Side’, ‘Nine’, ‘2012′ and More….

by John Nolte

Here are capsule reviews of films that have already been covered pretty well here at BH or that just kind of faded away in theatres. That’s not a judgment of how good and bad they are, but all things considered, a full blown review seems unnecessary.

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Nine:

Be Italian!

What say we don’t.

Set in go-go Rome circa 1965, director Rob Marshall (the wildly over-praised Oscar-winning “Chicago”) does a solid job of (intentionally) recreating a time and place straight out of Fellini’s “8 ½.”  And that’s about all he’s got going for him … other than the rare musical that would’ve benefited from the removal of the musical numbers. The songs are dreadful, and other than to prove Kate Hudson’s not her mother, serve no purpose above clunky, tuneless exposition.

Daniel Day-Lewis preserves his dignity as Guido the Film Director who’s without a script or even an idea for one as all the expensive people and pieces are put into place to start shooting in just a few days.  He’s conflicted, you see… Torn between his wife (Marion “The Truther” Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), and his muse (Nicole Kidman) … not to mention the advice he receives from his confidant (Judi Dench) and mother (a completely wasted Sophia Loren).  And in there somewhere is NFL-owner Fergie, typecast as – well, that’s mean – as the Ideal Woman who stirred Guido’s loins as a young man.  

The music couldn’t get my toes tapping and ginning up any kind of sympathy for rich, attractive narcissist adulterers and their troubles is just a bit outside the reach of my Midwestern sophistication.  

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An Education:

It’s 1961 and sixteen year-old Jenny (a superb Carey Mulligan) attends Catholic school in a London suburb, lives with working-class parents, and dreams pretentious dreams of “smoking cigarettes, wearing black, and living in Paris.” A rainstorm and the need of a ride for her and her cello delivers what could be the fast track into the world of Beautiful People in the form of David (an equally superb Peter Sarsgaard), a thirty-something Bohemian disguised by a nice haircut and business suits.

His natural charm, sophistication and the insecurity Jenny’s parents feel over their own financial station in life makes it possible for David to date Jenny out in the open, including a trip to Paris. Which, of course, makes you wonder if this isn’t just another entry into the wishful-thinking Polanski genre. But this story not only keeps you guessing it also has you switching your sympathies on a fairly regular basis, especially near the end as you try and figure where the pieces will finally land.

Obviously this is a coming of age story, but what kind? What are the film’s values? Are the bourgeois parents and Catholic school merely foils for yet another cinematic stamp of approval for the coming Swingin’ Sixties?

The answers are complicated, unpredictable and while not altogether satisfying, still worth a look thanks to excellent, across-the-board performances and a meticulous sense of time and place.

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The Blind Side:

The perfect piece of evidence proving the undeniable power and necessity of the near-extinct species we call The Movie Star. Without Sandra Bullock strutting and sassing things up, “The Blind Side” would feel like a television film. I can’t remember the last theatrical release where for the first hundred minutes there was absolutely no tension or any kind of antagonist. Michael, a homeless young man, wants to be part of a Christian family and they want him to be part of their family — and nothing gets in the way of what everyone wants. I kept waiting for Michael’s mother to tempt him back, or his friends, or for the old life to threaten his opportunity at the real future this new family offered. But until the third act finally introduced some obstacles, this well-intentioned movie is a flat-line of people being nice to each other. It’s also emotionally flat. Where were the “Remember the Titans” wallops of emotion?

But man, Sandra Bullock’s good in this one. The whole show.  She even puts on a Southern accent that meets my level of perfection: I never noticed it. If only Meryl Streep could learn that trick.

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2012:

True story: I was a few minutes late and unknowingly walked into the wrong theatre. Because I was late the fact that the movie had already started didn’t seem strange. Because “2012” is a big-budget, sci-fi spectacular I also didn’t know until it was over that I’d walked into the wrong theatre and completely missed the first hour.

The ninety-minutes I saw were way-cool, though.  

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 A Serious Man:

The Coen Brothers return with their annual offering and while this modern-day take on Job has a lot going for it, there just isn’t enough of an idea or story to sustain a full-length feature film. As a short or even an hour-long “Twilight Zone” episode (there’s a nifty twist at the end), brilliance might have been achieved.

Michael Stuhlberg is very good as Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern college professor whose life completely comes apart in small ways and big. Throughout, he never stops trying to do the right thing and at first watching one indignity and temptation after another pile up is amusing. Unfortunately, the premise quickly becomes repetitive mainly because you have no idea what the movie is about until the very end, and then it’s just too late.

As is expected, “A Serious Man” looks great. Set in 1967, think of “The Wonder Years” with a budget. The performances, score and cinematography are just as top notch. The sum of the parts is what’s lacking, which means “A Serious Man” will make for a fine viewing at home.


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Posted Jan 19th 2010 at 3:37 pm in Film, Reviews | 28 Comments