CONVICTION (2010). This relates the true-life tale of Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank), who spends close to two decades trying to prove the innocence of her brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell). Charged with murder, Kenny’s serving a life sentence thanks in no small part to the efforts of a humorless police officer (Melissa Leo) and the testimonies of his wife (Clea DuVall) and girlfriend (Juliette Lewis). But Betty Anne is convinced that he’s not guilty, so this woman of limited education concentrates on the single goal of becoming a lawyer so she can work to free her sibling. The cast members, especially Swank and Rockwell, do their best to sell what on paper is a worthy story, but their game efforts come up short against the thudding treatment by director Tony Goldwyn and scripter Pamela Gray. The two filmmakers are so myopic in their focus on their heroine’s pitbull approach to judiciary matters that they fail to provide much in the way of context, with important background details either painted in broad strokes or ignored altogether.
Blu-ray extras include a 10-minute conversation between Goldwyn and the real Betty Anne Waters, and theatrical trailers.
Movie: **
Extras: *1/2
GET LOW (2010). The great Robert Duvall is usually incapable of delivering a performance that’s less than acceptable, but his now rigid devotion to the image of the folksy Southern sage does mean that he’s long lost the ability to surprise. Get Low finds him in familiar territory: He plays Felix Bush, a 1930s Tennessee hermit who has lived in self-imposed exile for decades. But Felix needs help to pull off his unique idea — he wants a funeral party thrown for him while he’s still living, so he can attend it and finally reveal his deep, dark secret — so he turns to a shady funeral home director, Frank Quinn (Bill Murray), to handle the preparations. Felix’s unburdening of his secret to a mob of partygoers feels anticlimactic given the lengthy buildup, and the plot points directly tied to this event — flashbacks, testy relationships with old acquaintances — stir little interest. Where the movie succeeds in its ability to successfully pit Duvall’s no-nonsense Felix against Murray’s calculating Frank. Rather than appearing out of place in this rustic setting, Murray flourishes, relying on his trademark wit and deadpan delivery to not only bring out the best in Duvall but also to frequently one-up him. A failed Oscar campaign was built around Duvall, but it’s really Murray who allows Get Low to hit its high notes.
DVD extras include audio commentary by Duvall, Spacek, director Aaron Schneider and producer Dean Zanuck; an 8-minute making-of piece; a 10-minute cast and crew Q&A at the Tribeca Film Festival; and theatrical trailers.
Movie: **1/2
Extras: **1/2
NEVER LET ME GO (2010). A fairly good movie that had greatness within its grasp, Never Let Me Go, based on the acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, uses softcore science fiction to jump-start its tale of an Earth in which cloning became a reality decades ago. The result is that people are now being produced specifically for the purpose of donating as many organs as possible before death takes them away; three of the young adults facing this dreadful fate are imperturbable Kathy (Carey Mulligan), impetuous Ruth (Keira Knightley) and impressionable Tommy (Andrew Garfield). Perhaps mindful of its British setting, director Mark Romanek outfits the entire picture with a stiff upper lip, never allowing for any variations of tone and counting on the material to jolt the audience into emotional awareness. It’s an interesting gambit that’s only partly successful, respecting the viewers’ intelligence but too often reducing the capable actors to blank slates and the storyline to a glass that’s only half full.
Blu-ray extras include a 30-minute making-of featurette; three minutes of stills; and looks at the graphics (e.g. Tommy’s artwork, organ program propaganda) created for the film’s storyline.
Movie: **1/2
Extras: **1/2
WILD TARGET (2010). Director Jonathan Lynn, who has repeatedly displayed the comic instincts of a pillowcase (credits include Clue and Nuns on the Run), brings his usual flatline style to Wild Target, the disappointing remake of a 1993 French farce. Bill Nighy headlines as Victor Maynard, a sexually ambiguous hitman who unexpectedly decides to assist his latest assignment rather than bump her off; that would be Rose (Emily Blunt), a con artist who’s just scammed an influential mobster (Rupert Everett). Victor ends up protecting the lovely yet prickly Rose from other assassins, with an innocent bystander named Tony (Rupert Grint) swept up in all the intrigue. As Victor figures out how to stay one step ahead of his kill-crazy colleagues, he also tries to sort out his feelings toward both Rose and Tony. Wild Target is the sort of madcap comedy that breaks a sweat trying to generate a steady stream of laughs, but between Lucinda Coxon’s lurching screenplay and Lynn’s inability to maintain momentum, the film only works in fits and starts. That’s a shame given the contributions of the principals: Nighy displays his typical droll sensibility, Blunt contributes a spirited turn, and Grint makes a game effort at breaking away from Ron Weasley. But in too many other respects, this one misses its mark by a wide berth.
Blu-ray extras include a 4-minute interview with Blunt and theatrical trailers.
Movie: **
Extras: *1/2
This article appears in Feb 15-21, 2011.
