Summer movie previews 2010
By Kelsey Hipkin
With all the rain, hail and funnel clouds that have been spotted around Calgary this summer there have been very few days that Calgarians could hit up the usual outdoor summer activities. Because of that one could call this the summer of the movie theater. The Reflector takes a look at some of the good, the bad and the bloody of this summers films.
Eclipse
Edward and Bella discuss the possibility of marriage. Photo courtesy hollywoodnews.com
In the third instalment of the Twilight series we once again play witness to the bloody love story of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Edward and Bella’s love is stronger than ever and Edward would like to seal the deal with a marriage. Bella would like to make a little deal of her own…in the bedroom. Directed this time around by David Slade there’s more action to Eclipse than the first two films, Twilight and New Moon. Jacob still elicits gasps from the female crowd as he parades around shirtless and Edward has upgraded to a Volvo SUV from the Volvo sedan, those Cullen’s change vehicles faster than us warm-bloods change underwear. While the cinematography is well done and there’s a darker more mature tone to the film, some of the screen play is too lame-o even for the hoardes of teeny boppers that watch the film. Example A: Jacob telling Bella, “I know you love me, I can physically feel it”…right. Loads better than New Moon with more action than Twilight.
2.5 stars
Inception
When people leave the theatre after watching Inception you tend to hear a lot of how nice it is to see a movie that has a refreshing plot and not something that’s been hashed, rehashed and hashed again. There was a lot of mystery surrounding the release of the Christopher Nolan directed film and he certainly delivered. Let it be said that Leonardo DiCaprio is the actor of his generation. It seems he can take any role and bring such reality to it that you can’t help but fall into whatever journey he may be taking. Marion Cotillard is gorgeous and that, with the mix of her acting talent, and the ability to mesmerize moviegoers with nothing but the emotion of her eyes is lovely and sometimes even a bit disturbing in the film. Add a great supporting cast and tons of killer effects and you have the movie of the summer plus a major Oscar contender. Great cast, great plot, great effects.
5 stars
The Expendables
Even the fact Sylvester Stallone goes by the name “Barney” in this film isn’t enough to detract from how visually awesome it is. Sure one might think a bunch of muscle heads running around blowing shit up is just another cheap, mens movie, but when those muscle heads include the likes of Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke and Jet Li the tables are turned entirely. The Expendables may run a wee bit short on its script writing but it’s visually awesome. Sometimes with an ensemble film the actors look like they’re each vying for the most on-screen attention but with The Expendables it’s just a bunch of good ol’ boys from the best action films ever made doing what they do best on the big screen; kicking ass and taking names.
4 stars
The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right. Credit: Focus Features, Photo by Suzanne Tenner
What family doesn’t have it’s dysfunctions? Honestly, dysfunction could be considered what makes the average family the average family. In The Kids Are All Right, two of Hollywood’s best leading ladies, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play a lesbian couple who are raising two teenage children. The kids make the decision to hunt down their sperm donor dad and cue Mark Ruffalo. Bening shows her real depth as the bread winner of the family while Julianne Moore shows a real comedic side ( though it should be noted, she still has her fair share of emotional punch as well.) Ruffalo plays the flawed donor immaculately and there’s definitely some Oscar worthy action in kids as well. Director Lisa Cholodenko gets the most out of her cast, taking a look at what makes relationships tick, what love is really about and the hurt of letting go. In the end, it’s all about family.
5 stars
Eat Pray Love
Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat Pray Love hit the bestseller lists like nobody’s business. It was only natural to follow up with a film adaptation. Julia Roberts, Hollywoods golden girl gone Mama Bear extraordinaire does the best she can with a script that seems a little lacklustre at times. Roberts has to cover a lot of emotional range but gets to do so in New York, Italy, India and Bali. Aside from Roberts the real star of this film is the food, there is one scene in particular with a close up of a plate of spaghetti that is indeed drool-worthy, minus the carbs. The stunning vistas of the three countries visited by Roberts are also a highlight of the film but the camera work feels rushed at times and if you are prone to motion sickness makes you sway in your seat a little. Julia rocks it and so does the spaghetti but the age old adage of the book always being better than the movie wins this round. 3 stars
