Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The A-Team: A mere C+


Unless you're a 12-year-old guy or a fan of the 1983 TV series, you'll want to skip this one. Even the mega-talented Liam Neeson and the ever-so-sexy Jessica Biel can't save this flop. OK, a few chuckles squeezed to the surface of the idiotic plot and the tweens in nearby seats were loving it, still, you might consider root canal. It will be equally enjoyable.

Knight and Day meets Toy Story 3: Opps



It was a typical day at the multiplex. The Movie Slut plunked down her cash for a tic to "Knight and Day," the Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz product. Advertisements aired, previews played, and the movie finally made it to the screen. So far so good. And it was mildly diverting, until an uniformed AMC guy appeared mumbling something about "getting your money back."
"Weird," the Movie Slut thought, so she shuffled out to see what was amiss. Seems the film lurched ahead, skipping many scenes. Oh, yes, that means the weird transition was more than bad movie-making.
The Movie Slut exchanged her tic for another — "Toy Story 3," since the timing was right.
On this screen, the toys were in trouble, their guy was off to college and they were donated to Toy Hell. Parents of sensitive young tykes beware: There are some scary moments here. But MS thought this movie revealed more emotional truth in one frame than the entire K&D. OK, it's not fair to judge the movie based on a jumbled screening.
Back at "Knight & Day," Diaz and Cruise were still cavorting across continents. Is he a wacko covert FBI agent, or a wacko, who thinks he's a covert FBI agent?
Who cares. The movie remained only mildly diverting. A good rental.

Mademoiselle Chambon: Magnifique


"Mademoiselle Chambon" is a movie that lingers. The camera lingers on the actors' faces, the lush landscape, the charming provincial French town. The sound track lingers on the haunting violin music by composer Ferenc von Vecsey. In fact, it's difficult to image the movie without the music.
Who is Mademoiselle Chambon? Unless there's a sequel, which is as likely as a French version of "Batman" (L'Homme de Batte, n'est pas?) we will never know. But that won't stop us from speculating long after this flick is finished.
As always, the Movie Slut doesn't give the plot away, but she will say that this movie is what "The Bridges of Madison County" should have been. The plot is a simple one, but the subject couldn't be more complex. C'est bon.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Killers: D.O.A.


Killers has three major problems.

  1. Aston Kutcher's hair.
  2. Aston Kutcher's acting or lack thereof.
  3. Aston Kutcher.
Everything else in this madcap rom-com works just fine. Katherine Heigl is the gal to his guy, but don't look for any chemistry here. Catherine O'Hara is hysterical, as usual, as her mother, and Tom Selleck makes a wonderful dad with a few gazillion screws loose.
The Movie Slut never reveals a plot, but she will say that this is a cautionary tale about the importance of knowing a guy before you marry him. Or else...

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Solitary Man: Growing old ungracefully


Once he was a honorable member of the community, a respected businessman, a philanthropist.
No more.
Now he's a serial philanderer, a hard drinker, a pathetic out-of-control jumbo jerk.
Maybe Ben Kalmen (Michael Douglas) has tuned into one too many episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
At times, it's difficult to watch Ben as he trashes everyone and everything in his path — including himself. But then you have Susan Sarandon, as his ex-wife, and Danny Devito as his old pal. They're always a delight on the screen.
Movie-goers have to wait till the end of the flick to learn what's really going on. But you can trust the Movie Slut when she says it's well worth waiting for.

Prince of Persia: Operation desert sword

If only Jake Gyllenhaal had been in The Gulf in 2003. He would have zoomed over to Iraq, discovered there were no weapons of mass destruction and averted a war. Of course he'd have a magic sword to help him change the course of history. If only. Real life is not so perfect. That's why we have the movie, and a smashing good one this is.
Jake is the adopted son of a noble king who is duped into going to war: lots of battle scenes, camels and chemistry with the fetching princess of the neighboring kingdom.
This is the kind of summer movie the Movie Slut remembers seeing at the old RKO when she was a kid. It probably makes as little sense as those flicks but now she's older and infuses them with meaning.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Mother and Child: A Must-See Movie


Annette Bening, Naomi Watts and Kerry Washington are three women whose lives seem to run in parallel lines, but, in fact, connect in a most intimate way. (No spoilers here.) They are also three of the most unique characters to ever grace the big screen. We're talking here about believable, special-effects-free characters.
This is a movie that will make you cry without manipulation. It will also make you laugh without cheap shots.
Some people think M&C is a women's movie. The Movie Slut thinks not. This movie is for anyone who wants to see a human drama played out in a heart-wrenching and heart-warming way.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Letters to Juliet: Sappy, but not crappy


Dear Reader,
The Movie Slut viewed this movie reluctantly. Who wants to see yet another asinine rom-com? Still, see it, she did. (They don't call her the Movie Slut for nothing.)
First, you should know that "Letters" is not a rom-com. It's a strait up romance. As always the MS won't give away the plot, but you will see exquisite cinematic shots of Verona, Italy, the spot Shakespeare chose for his tragic romance. As to why young women seek advice on love from a gal who committed suicide due to problems with her Romeo remains an unanswered question. The miracle is that this movie works.
P.S. Many thanks to the incomparable Vanessa Redgrave for saving this film from its tragic fate.