Page 2 of 4
FINDING NEVERLAND Approximately one year after being treated to a delightful live-action version of Peter Pan, we now get a fanciful tale that seeks to explain how playwright J.M. Barrie initially came up with the idea for this children's classic. What ends up on the screen is as much fiction as fact (probably more so), but it's the sort of moving saga that will make audiences wish this was the way it really happened. A gentle Johnny Depp is just right as Barrie, whose inspiration comes from a widow (Kate Winslet) and her four sons, particularly the moody Peter (Freddie Highmore). Director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball) and scripter David Magee have made a film that's full of warmth and wit.
THE INCREDIBLES Writer-director Brad Bird refreshingly panders to no demographic, meaning that we're left with a, well, incredible animated tale that's more than just another superhero yarn. The bulk of the comic relief comes from costume designer Edna Mode, an Edith Head caricature voiced by Bird himself; the drama comes from the Incredibles, presented as the modern American family that's expected to conform to the societal status quo (i.e., blend with the bland) rather than champion its own uniqueness. The domestic conflicts triggered by their suburban ennui give way to an acceptance of their individuality and, consequently, an ability to pool their resources as both crime fighters and family members. It's emotional without being sticky-sweet, and just one of the reasons why this gem, for all its kid-friendly sops, feels like one of the most mature movies currently gracing theaters. 1/2
KINSEY Professor Alfred Kinsey spent 20 years studying gall wasps before his attention turned to a subject intrinsically more interesting: human sexuality. His controversial research formed the basis for his 1948 bestseller Sexual Behavior In the Human Male, and the ramifications of his groundbreaking work are still being felt -- and refuted -- today. Writer-director Bill Condon's intelligent movie is an exploration of the life and times of this complex individual, a man whose outrageous career choices were often at odds with his square appearance. And because of the dangerous direction this country continues to take, the film, anchored by excellent work from Liam Neeson and Laura Linney, emerges not only as a movie about another time but as a movie of our time, a reminder that progress can only be made when someone's willing to step up to the plate and challenge conformity and hypocrisy. 1/2
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS Even in Jim Carrey's broadest work, it's difficult to see the gears in motion -- his comedic instincts are so fine-tuned, he morphs into his personas with amazing ease. Not so in this new picture, adapted from the best-selling children's series. As Count Olaf, a villainous actor who seeks to inherit a fortune by knocking off three orphans, Carrey delivers a disappointing performance, the sort of calculated turn we had come to routinely expect from Robin Williams. This pale imitation of the Harry Potter legend is merely an excuse to watch Carrey ham it up in various guises, and the showboating grows tiresome before long. Luckily, other elements of the project come to the rescue, from smart casting in the supporting ranks to a visual look that manages to be beautiful in its beastliness. 1/2
THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU Despite their off-kilter charms, writer-director Wes Anderson's Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums were little more than computer programs downloaded in "Quirk" Express, heady rushes of whimsy that never felt entirely sincere in their efforts to humanize the strained shenanigans. This one, about a struggling oceanographer (Bill Murray) tracking down the Jaguar Shark that killed his partner, is basically more of the same, yet for all its clinically detached idiosyncrasy, it keeps us watching. And it does so not because we especially care about the fates of the characters, but because we sense the story will invariably play out in trippy, unconventional ways that will surprise and maybe even delight us. It may be impossible to love The Life Aquatic, but it's remarkably easy to drown in its sea of eccentricity.
MEET THE FOCKERS The drop in quality between a hit movie and its sequel is usually so steep that just thinking about it could lead to a broken neck. Happily, no such falloff exists between Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers. The freshness of the premise may have dissipated, but the attention to the differences between the central characters -- the primary reason the first film raked in the dough -- still exists. So once again we find Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) seeking the approval of prospective father-in-law Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), with added stress coming from the presence of Greg's old-hippie parents (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand). The primary pleasure is watching veteran comedian Stiller once again squaring off against De Niro, whose recent attempts at shtick have only worked in this series.