Merry Christmas, everyone!! In keeping with the present-filled tradition, Christmastime is among the best weekend frames for movies all year. So, minus singing chipmunks, there are some excellent choices out this week, including my personal favorite: the return of one of the best literary detectives of all time! Elementary, my dear readers? You bet. Let’s check out the new movies… [breakdown of new releases after the jump]
1. “Sherlock Holmes” - Just caught this last night, and, honestly, it’s a good time at the movies. Director Guy Ritchie’s (Snatch, Rock ‘n’ Rolla) take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most classic character is revisionist, to be sure, but it wonderfully captures both the adventurous spirit and character details that made Doyle’s stories so irresistible. Led by Robert Downey Jr. in top, witty form as the great detective, and backed up by Jude Law (in one of his best and most likable on-screen turns—who would’ve thought he’d be such a perfect Watson?) and a game Rachel McAdams, Sherlock Holmes is a great ride. The relationships and banter between the characters are pitch-perfect, and, for that, I’m willing to let slide the many, many (quite fun, to be honest) outlandish action sequences. And, like I told my sister when she scoffed at a chop-suey Sherlock Holmes, even Doyle said that that deductive genius knew baritsu and used it on his enemies (aha, that’d be an ancient martial art, one that I’ve never heard of until reading Holmes’ confrontation with Professor Moriarty), so Holmes logically kicking and punching his way through London hoodlums isn’t too far of a stretch. The story is a bit weak in terms of the villain and overall mystery—the Satanist, Lord Blackwood, is well-played by character actor extraordinaire, Mark Strong (Rock ‘n’ Rolla, Stardust, Body of Lies, the upcoming Robin Hood), but he’s not enough of an intellectual match for Holmes. And the puzzles, while clever, don’t tickle and tease the brain like some of Doyle’s original head-scratchers. Hmm…(MINOR SPOILER ALERT) maybe the movie’s much-hinted, always-in-shadows “M” fellow would be a more worthy adversary? And who’s this superstar and old Ritchie collaborator (hint: Snatch) that might just play him in the already-in-preproduction sequel? (END OF SPOILERS) If that’s the route they go, I’m looking forward to see what else this team can conjure up. All in all, I think both fans of the original stories and complete newcomers will enjoy this. This is smart, quite clever entertainment, and what looks to be the start of another excellent franchise for the deserving Comeback King, Robert Downey Jr.
2. “It’s Complicated” - I think this will find a nice, mature niche audience and will probably be a hit. I’m also pretty positive that I will see it later on, most likely on DVD, like I do with all of Nancy Meyers’ romantic comedies. Meyers has given us (whether only through her screenplays or stints as writer/director) the remake of The Parent Trap (with Lindsay Lohan, back when she was a promising, cute, young bundle of talent), the Father of the Bride movies (with Steve Martin, one of the It’s Complicated stars), What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give, and, my personal favorite, the flawed-but-charming The Holiday (with Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Jude Law, and Cameron Diaz). And this one sounds like a solid rom-com recipe: the indisputably-brilliant Meryl Streep plays an aging divorcee, while perennial funnymen Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin play her suitors. That’s the central love triangle, and Streep presumably must figure out where her heart truly lies, with the husband who left her for a much younger woman (Baldwin), or the sweet, shy architect who’s head over heels for her (Martin). Oh, and The Office’s John Krasinski pops up too, as Streep’s supportive future son-in-law (always great to see him! If you look carefully, you’ll see Krasinski in a two-minute guest spot in The Holiday). The odds of this being pleasant and enjoyable are quite high—there is too much talent here to suggest a bad movie, and Streep, Mamma Mia aside, rarely shows poor taste. However, I’m going to approach this with my expectations in check—the reviews are fine, but certainly not glowing, and as much as I like Meyers, her movies sometimes dissolve into too much sap, or simply wear out their welcomes briefly (ie, What Women Want) or completely (ie, the massively overlong Something’s Gotta Give). There are good people here, and it will probably be a safe choice for a grown-up romance, or perhaps just some good character comedy. Most likely, we won’t regret seeing this, though I’m pretty sure this won’t join the ranks of When Harry Met Sally and Love Actually as insightful (and very funny) movies about relationships.
3. “Nine” - At one point, Nine looked like it was going to sweep the awards season with its ridiculous, brimming-with-Oscar-winners cast, strong musical pedigree (from the team that brought you the Best-Picture winner, Chicago), and, potentially, its story—tracing a once-great filmmaker’s existential crisis right before production of his new movie begins. Since then, the buzz has cooled—judging by the decisively mixed reviews, some believe that the musical numbers have a great pop and zing to them, but the rest of the film falters. That’s too bad; the cast boasts Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York, and The Last of the Mohicans—easily one of the best and most unpredictable actors alive), Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies and Big Fish, and the one who’s earning the most raves for her performance here), Penelope Cruz (who just won an Oscar last year, and looks to enter back into the race with her supporting role in this picture), the amazing Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love, the Daniel Craig Bond movies), Kate Hudson (in a welcome return to making more substantial movies), Fergie, and Italian legend Sophia Loren. That’s a lot of star-power (not to mention beautiful women), and it’s supposedly wrapped in a glitzy package by Chicago director, Rob Marshall. From skimming the reviews, the problem seems to lie in the emotional parts of the movie—the characters and Day-Lewis' crisis apparently don’t resonate as much as they should, and the musical numbers, while well-staged, don’t gel as comfortably with the talky parts as Chicago accomplished. Back when Chicago premiered, I was impressed with how comfortably Marshall brought the big-screen, live-action musical back into the public consciousness (I think Moulin Rouge! probably helped to achieve that as well). However, then Marshall made Memoirs of a Geisha, one of the most gorgeous empty-headed films I’ve seen recently. Beautiful to look at, sure, but with no soul underneath all that fancy production design (and let’s ignore that the Memoirs book is an excellent one, and, in my opinion, much easier to adapt as it was than the wrangled, toned-down version we got). Marshall is a talent, and I hope Nine, mixed reviews and all, is some sort of return to form. At the very least, Nine could be a step for him to become a stronger storyteller, an area that he definitely hasn’t mastered yet. His next directing gig looks to be the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film with Johnny Depp (yeah, seriously)—I hope he embraces that out-of-left-field genre for him and knocks it out of the park. As for now, Nine might be worthwhile, and I’m sure I’ll catch it eventually; of all the movies this weekend, I think it stands as a cautious recommendation. I like the cast and behind-the-scenes talent, and even if it’s not the home-run people initially predicted, I think it might still be interesting to check out, flaws and all.
4. “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” - This is a super-limited engagement (its full nationwide release is in January), so for anyone living in either New York, Los Angeles, or Toronto, you’ll be able to catch it this weekend before the rest of the country. This comes to us from visionary director Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys, Brazil, The Brothers Grimm), and is getting lots of attention for being the last full screen performance of the late (and very missed) Heath Ledger. As it should. For anyone who missed it, Ledger tragically died mid-filming, but the quick-thinking Gilliam “completed” his role with old friends Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law. How’d they do it? Apparently, the screenplay allowed for such a shake-up—throughout the course of the film, Ledger’s character steps into a magic mirror, and thus come out a different manifestation of himself. I love that they managed to do that, getting Ledger’s work out there and preserving the heart of his performance (it’s also quite heart-warming to know that Depp, Farrell, and Law all gave their proceeds to Mathilda, Ledger’s daughter). This movie arrives with a lot of goodwill, and from the trailer (check it out below) it looks to be a doozy of a story. In a nutshell: Doctor Parnassus (the great Christopher Plummer) makes a deal with the devil for immortality, allowing him to travel the world for ages with his portable Imaginarium, a vessel for dreams and magic for all who wish to partake in it. Ah, but here’s the catch: as payment, the devil wants Parnassus’ daughter (Lily Cole) on her 16th birthday, a day that’s frighteningly imminent. Along the way, Ledger’s con man comes into play to join the Imaginarium, and a gorgeous-visuals-filled adventure begins.I’m not sure what to make of it, but I can definitely say that I like the footage. There’s lots of visual invention on display, and Ledger (along with his brilliantly chosen three “replacements”) is one of my big reasons for wanting to see it. In all honesty, I respect director Gilliam’s limitless and playful imagination, but I’m pretty hit-and-miss on his films—he has his excesses, and when he tones them down (ie, 12 Monkeys) the results are superb, but when he lets loose and goes crazy with style, they can sometimes be dreadful (ie, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas—never thought that I could hate a Johnny Depp movie). Still, he remains one of our most interesting filmmakers, and, even with weak material like The Brothers Grimm, he could still add some magic and scrappy, underdog charm to the proceedings. With good reviews, this looks like a strong film, bridging both Gilliam’s good storytelling talents (which he definitely has, even if I have problems with some of his films) and his eye for vast visual wonder. It might not be for everyone (even me), but this is one I’ll make sure to check out in theaters.
P.S. Does anyone else think the actors chosen to help finish Ledger’s performance are even more perfect than meets the eye? If you think about it for a second, each represents an aspect of Ledger’s screen work and persona. Depp is the hugely talented character actor, one that tries to mask his good looks to truly challenge himself as an actor (shades of The Dark Knight, The Brothers Grimm, and Brokeback Mountain--all transformative performances from Ledger). Colin Farrell looks to be the scruffy bad boy-type, but is really just a bright young actor, brimming with talent (same with Ledger, who pounced on every role and continued to gain credibility, even if he was initially considered as the Aussie rebel-type). And, finally, Law is the handsome leading man, the one with charm to spare and who can deliver terrific performances without seeming to break a sweat (Ledger was cast in those types of roles as well, like 10 Things I Hate About You and The Four Feathers, but, of course, famously moved on to be the kind of actor he always wanted). All those guys are Ledger’s contemporaries, both in talent and (more or less) age. Thus, I find it all the more fitting that three of our absolute best actors helped to preserve the work of one who would have surely joined their ranks (if he wasn’t already a worthy member).
5. “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel” - I’ll make this short and sweet. I adored the cartoon in elementary school (it actually holds up nicely if you ever check it out now), and, yes, couldn’t resist buying the albums. But the first film looked dreadful—even the presence of my long-time faves Jason Lee and Justin Long (as the voice of Alvin) didn’t drive me to see it. Same here—the lesson (be true to your self…and your music! Kids’ movies love the “don’t sell out” message) looks obvious, and as much as I love new cast members Zachary Levi (Chuck on TV’s Chuck, which comes back January 10!) and Anna Faris (as the voice of one of the Chippettes—yep, that’d be the nearly identical girl chipmunks), I think I’m cool with skipping it. Maybe for very little kids, if nothing else is playing…but, seriously, The Princess and The Frog looks to be the far better choice if you need to find a good kid’s movie. Or, if the predominantly poor reviews pull you away, you could always just rent Up or another gem from the Pixar factory…And that’s it for this busy Christmas weekend. Are you guys going to catch one (or more) of these? If you are, Sherlock Holmes, like Avatar from last week, is a high recommendation.
Have a great time celebrating, everyone (and a Happy belated Hanukkah as well)! We’ll be back very soon with more trailers, reviews, and end-of-the-year lists.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Clips courtesy of Trailer Addict.
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