My Best Friend (2007) – After a funeral, a Parisian antiques art dealer (Cache’s Daniel Auteuil) is challenged to produce his best friend by some business acquaintances. After failing miserably, he employs a talkative taxi driver to teach him how to be sociable and friendly – predictably becoming good friends in the process. The climax involves the French version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and the phone-a-friend bit. That is so 20th century. There’s not enough plot for a full-length movie, but it’s acted well and quietly effective. B-
The Invisible (2007) – A high schooler (Justin Chatwin) is left for dead by a Jessica Alba look-a-like when she thinks he turned her into the cops for jewel theft. His ghost then walks around as the cops bungle the case, his best friend whimpers and whines, and his would-be murderer suffers a tough home life. Because all juvenile delinquents who murder and deal drugs really have a heart of gold if you would just listen, man. I willfully suspend belief for movies like this, but this one has nonsensical plot holes the size of Beyonce’s ass. C-
Astronaut Farmer (2007) – It’s like Field of Dreams – without the magic, charm, and great performances. Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) is building a rocket on his Southwest ranch so he can finally make it to outer space years after retiring from NASA. The movie begins with the rocket almost completed, basically admitting that the plot is so preposterous, we might as well skip the first act because you’ll never believe it. When he’s not being father of the year by taking his kids out of school to help him, he’s being a good citizen by throwing bricks through windows and insulting every government employee in sight. How dare they have the audacity to use common sense. Bastards. Pretty great cinematography, though. D+
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) – Adam Sandler smugs his way through another one of his ham-fisted “comedies”. In short, Sandler and Kevin James get married so James can keep his pension. They must act as a couple while they are being investigated. Jessica Biel shows up in her underwear and a nude Ving Rhames picks up not 1 but 2 bars of soap off of the shower floor. Awesome. The height of irony is insisting you’re promoting gay rights while you’re completely undermining them through ridicule. D+
Ratatouille (2007) – It’s a little more disgusting than I expected with its realistic depictions of the way rats look, climb, and run. But it also has the trademark Pixar 4-star storytelling and endless cast of unique characters. It’s weird that their animated characters have more dimensions than nearly all live-action movies. The color palette is shockingly beautiful with the use of golds and yellows. And director Brad Bird’s action scenes rank with anyone else working in Hollywood. Anyone may be able to cook, but no one except Pixar makes movies this consistently excellent. A-
2 comments:
My Best Friend looked like it could be really good based on the preview, but its hard to escape that formula.
I wish Billy Bob would write another movie instead of starring in Mr. Woodcock and the Astronaut Farmer. Bad Santa is greatness, though.
I laugh at some of Sandler's movies, but this one seemed like the perfect (worst) storm of cliched jokes and PC gay themes for me to decline my invitation.
Rat is in my list of movies to watch with the kids someday.
In Paul Schrader's commentary of the Taxi Driver DVD, he said he got into screenwriting for therapeutic reasons. And said the reason some screenwriters today get in are mercenary. I thought of Damon/Affleck first, then Billy Bob.
For what it's worth, my 4-year old thought Rat was too frightening, but has no problem with most other cartoons.
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