Movie/TV Reviews

A Cinderella Story

Susan Granger’s review of “A Cinderella Story” (Warner Bros.)

Perky Cinderella no longer needs Prince Charming to save her in this awkward, updated fairy tale. She not only saves herself but him, too – at least his psyche. It’s 2004 in the San Fernando Valley, where high school senior Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff) juggles being a straight-A student – dreaming of going to Princeton – with the demands of her job, bussing tables at the ’50s diner that her obnoxious stepmother (Jennifer Coolidge) inherited from her father. Despite the fact that she’s smart and pretty, Sam’s constantly ridiculed by her silly stepsisters (Andrea Avery, Madeline Zima) which lowers her self-esteem. But she has a secret admirer, a sensitive soul from an Internet chat room. He goes to her school but she has no idea who he is, so they agree to meet at the Halloween Dance. But how can Sam go? And what will she wear? That’s where the waitress Rhonda (Regina King) comes to the rescue. Then Sam freaks out when she discovers that her Prince Charming is Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray), the Big Man on Campus: the popular captain of the football team. Austin aims for Princeton and not fulfill his father’s demand that he play football for USC. But Austin can’t figure out who his cyber-Cinderella really is. The only clue she left behind was her cellphone. Written by Leigh Dunlap and directed by Mark Rosman, the concept tries to capture the insecure angst of contemporary teens. Problem is: supposedly smart Austin as thick as a plank, and the unbelievable script drowns in so many clichŽs that it becomes tedious – except for Hilary Duff’s most devoted “Lizzie McGuire” fans. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “A Cinderella Story” is a shallow, bland, fluffy 4, outclassed by “Mean Girls” and “Ella Enchanted.”

A Cinderella Story Read More »

The Door in the Floor

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “The Door in the Floor” (Focus Features)

Based on the first portion of John Irving’s 1998 best-seller, “A Widow for One Year,” this is the story of an emotionally ravaged couple coping with the death of their two teenage sons in a tragic automobile accident. They still have a young daughter, but their marriage has fallen apart. Set in the beach community of East Hampton, New York, the plot chronicles one pivotal summer when a Eddie (Jon Foster), a 16 year-old prep school student, comes to work as an assistant to children’s book author Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges) and moves in with the estranged family, including Cole’s wife Marion (Kim Basinger) and their precocious four year-old (Elle Fanning). Inexorably, Eddie is drawn into their perverse angst, becoming a reluctant witness to Ted’s rampant infidelity and discovering his own sexuality as Marion blatantly seduces him. Since the Coles are totally self-centered, erratic and hedonistic, leaving other people’s shattered lives in their wake, writer/director Tod Williams has astutely cast two distinctly likable actors: Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger. Exuding a roguish charm, Bridges cleverly captures Ted’s callously manipulative promiscuity, while Basinger embodies Marion’s sad, enigmatic fragility. An artist in his off-screen life, Bridges’ own drawings personalize his performance as an illustrator, as he delves into the dark, complex, multi-layered and intricately constructed narrative, which is sensitively photographed by Terry Stacey. The stalwart supporting cast includes Jon Foster, Elle Fanning (Dakota’s little sister), Mimi Rogers and Bijou Phillips. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Door in the Floor” is a strange, provocative, sordid 7, examining how two people deal with a devastating tragedy, each in a different way.

The Door in the Floor Read More »

Sleepover

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Sleepover” (MGM release)

En route to its rightful place on the home video shelf, this bubblegum comedy is aimed directly at the girl-power pubescent market, known as ‘tweeners, and set at the beginning of the unsettling summer after graduation from junior high before beginning high school. It’s a time, as the narration goes, when you’re too young to have teenage fun but not too young to crave it. “Spy Kids” heroine Alexa Vega stars as 14 year-old Julie, who’s set for a slumber party with her closest chums – Hannah (Mika Boorem), Farrah (Scout Taylor-Compton) and Yancy (Kallie Flynn Childress). Only their celebratory plans are complicated when these nice-but-unpopular friends accept an all-night scavenger hunt challenge from the in-crowd girls with the prize being a prime lunch table located by the fountain – and the social status it conveys. The losers will be relegated to a table with the scum by the smelly dumpster. With her mom (Jane Lynch) out gyrating at a nightclub and her dad (Jeff Garlin) installing a water purifier under the kitchen sink, Julie doesn’t have much trouble sneaking out of the house. But then it’s onto the illicit nocturnal adventure that involve sneaking into an trendy bar, rearranging clothes on store mannequins at the mall, stealing boxer shorts from the coolest neighborhood hunk (Sean Faris), and swiping the king or queen’s crown at the high school dance. Written by Elisa Bell (“Vegas Vacation”) and directed by Joe Nussbaum (“George Lucas in Love”), the derivative and disturbing script encompasses almost every coarse adolescent comedy clichŽ and encourages outright lying and deception. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Sleepover” is a superficial, lame, tasteless 2. Bottom line: “Sleepover” is a banal yawn.

Sleepover Read More »

I, Robot

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “I, Robot” (20th Century-Fox)

Fans of the visionary science-fiction guru Isaac Asimov should keep in mind that this high-tech thriller is “suggested by” his short stories and adapted by Jeff Vintar and Akiva Goldsmith. Set in Chicago in 2035, the futuristic story begins as robotophobic homicide detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) suspects that a rogue robot, Sonny, (voiced by British actor Alan Tudyk) may have killed its ‘father,’ inventor Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell). This archaic concept is ridiculed by U.S. Robotics’ CEO (Bruce Greenwood) and his icy, humorless robo-psychiatrist (Bridget Moynahan), particularly since the company is set to roll out its new, more sophisticated prototype. Even Spooner’s supervisor (Chi McBride) and his grandmother (Adrian Ricard) dismiss his Luddite fears as irrational. Everyone knows robots are benign machines, hard-wired never to harm a human and programmed to cheerfully do menial work. But Spooner’s paranoia pays off when, inexplicably, a computer wildly malfunctions, inciting a robotics rebellion. While the actors are certainly credible, Australian director Alex Proyas (“The Crow,” “Dark City”) concentrates on the combative visuals in this familiar, derivative, yet ironic, “ghosts in the machine” fantasy-action-adventure, relying on CGI legions of androgynous, human-faced, blue-eyed, “evolved” robots to repeatedly smash up the screen. The contrived dialogue is predictable and, curiously, the crux of a sub-plot involving a teenager (Shia La-Beouf) must have landed on the cutting-room floor – and what’s with the Converse sneakers product-placement? While not as good as “Blade Runner” or “A.I.,” on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “I, Robot” is a sleek, stylish, sinister 8, a fun flick with a speculative metaphysical ending that makes you think.

I, Robot Read More »

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” (New Line Cinema)

Everything old is new again in this silly, subversive stoner comedy that evokes memories of Cheech & Chong, along with”American Pie,” “Road Trip” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?” The goofy, ganga-tinged adventure revolves around a shy, low-level New Jersey accountant, Harold Lee (John Cho) and his foul-mouthed, rebellious, pre-med-school buddy, Kumar Patel (Kal Penn), who develop a craving for a succulent White Castle burger after a mind-altering smoking session in front of Friday night TV. But their nocturnal quest for this tasty, mouth-watering ‘munchie’ is fraught with mishaps. Along with coping with racist cops and jocks, hang-gliding and riding a cheetah, they have a satirical encounter with hitchhiking “Doogie Howser” (Neil Patrick Harris). Plus Fred Willard, Christopher Meloni and Ryan Reynolds cameos. And, somehow, along the way, they discover more about who they are and what they want to be. Written by Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg and directed by Danny Leiner (“Dude, Where’s My Car?”), it’s a broad, episodic, cannabis-inspired riff, minus the subtlety and deft touches that could have made it far funnier. But at least no one can accuse them of racial and ethnic stereotyping. And the White Castle executives are so thrilled at the advertising exposure that they’ve inducted the actors, writers and director into the White Castle Craver’s Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio, which honors individuals who go “above and beyond” to get to the restaurant chain. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” is a raunchy, high 5, aimed specifically at an audience of less-than-sober young adults. Or, as a Canadian colleague of mine remarked, “So many bodily functions, so little time!”

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle Read More »

The Bourne Supremacy

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “The Bourne Supremacy” (Universal)

Two years ago, “The Bourne Identity” introduced Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), a trained CIA contract killer who has amnesia when he’s pulled out of the sea. While attempting to recover his memory and adjust to a new life, he must not only evade malevolent operatives from his former life but also protect his relationship with Marie (Franka Potente) who has befriended him. After a somewhat confusing set-up, particularly if you’re not familiar with the characters, Jason and Marie are being chased through the streets of Goa, India, by a killer (Karl Urban). Meanwhile, the CIA is coping with a botched Berlin assignment which CIA watchdog Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) links with Jason, who finds his to way to Naples, then Munich and Berlin. From a CIA field agent (Julia Stiles), he discovers that he’s been framed and eludes various hit-men. Eventually, the deadly spy game travels by train to Moscow, where much of the action takes place, along with a terrific car chase, and the groundwork is laid for a third installment. Based on Robert Ludlum’s best-seller, adapted by Tony Gilroy (co-screenwriter on “The Bourne Identity”) and helmed by British director Paul Greengrass (“Bloody Sunday”), the enigmatic character-driven story evolves into another high-stakes, globe-trotting, post-Cold War action-adventure that, this time, has the subtext of a rogue assassin’s journey of atonement. Matt Damon infuses Jason Bourne with a deep sadness, along with justifiable paranoia, and he’s suitably surrounded by stalwart supporting players. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Bourne Supremacy” is a tension-filled, fast-paced 6, with the shaky, hand-held camera-work and quick-cut editing presumably geared to spur on a feeling of relentless urgency.

The Bourne Supremacy Read More »

Garden State

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Garden State” (Fox Searchlight)

Every generation, it seems, has its alienated youth-coming-of-age picture. Think “The Graduate.” Think “Reality Bites.” Now, 28 year-old actor/writer/director Zach Braff of NBC’s sitcom “Scrubs” stars in his own quirky romantic comedy riff on crossing the bridge to maturity. Andrew Largeman’s (Braff) journey begins when he’s summoned home to suburban New Jersey to attend his mother’s funeral. Not only was his mother a paraplegic but his psychiatrist-dad (Ian Holm), has been prescribing medications that have so tranquilized Large, as he’s called, that he’s been emotionally numb for years. Having forgotten his meds in Los Angeles, where he’s an actor on a television series, the clueless Large suddenly finds himself facing real life without sedation. It’s easy connecting with funky old friends whose life is as lost as his own – like a stoner (Peter Sarsgaard) who works as a grave-digger – but then he meets ditsy Samantha (Natalie Portman), a cheery compulsive liar with problems of her own. Over a bizarre four-day period, their poignant relationship grows, as Large realizes he doesn’t have to be lonely anymore. As writer, Braff has concocted an intriguing premise with empathetic characters, a few of whom get lost in the shuffle, like Sam’s appealing African “brother” and a classmate who invents silent Velcro. As director, Braff elicits the most charismatic Natalie Portman performance since “Beautiful Girls” and, visually makes the most of many sight-gags, including the inherent lunacy of working as a knight at Medieval Times. But, as an actor, Braff seems to channel Ray Romano, whose genial, earnest persona was better suited to the small screen. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Garden State” is an amusing, absurdist 7, endearing in its sweet solemnity.

Garden State Read More »

Catwoman

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Catwoman” (Warner Bros.)

When there’s a big-budget, major studio cat-astrophe like this, it’s often interesting to analyze what happened. Back in 1992, the Catwoman movie concept was conceived after Michelle Pfeiffer embodied the character in “Batman Returns.” When Pfeiffer bowed out of a reprise, Halle Berry, who’d just won an Oscar for “Monster’s Ball,” pounced. Not only did she bank $12.5 million for the title role, she also became the first African-American actress to propel an expensive, effects-laden action film. “This movie presented to me a whole new challenge, something I haven’t done. It allowed me an opportunity to prove…a woman of color can open one of these summer movies,” she explained. Previously, Berry had scored big as Jinx, a sexy, supporting player to Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond in “Die Another Day.” In “Catwoman,” Berry is Patience Phillips, a graphics designer at a cosmetics firm who finds out that her boss (Lambert Wilson) and his ex-model wife (Sharon Stone) ready to market new, anti-aging product, “Beau-Line,” that is toxic and addictive. This discovery leads to her drowning death, but she’s resurrected by a cat and admired by an adoring cop (Benjamin Bratt). Now imbued with wall-scaling powers and a dominatrix outfit, Patience/Catwoman wreaks revenge. Episodically written by John Brancato, Michael Ferris and John Rogers, based on Bob Kane’s characters, it’s directed in quick-cut MTV-style by a Frenchman named Pitof. What unfolds is dull feline drivel, so deadly serious in tone that it can’t even be enjoyed as camp. It’s clichŽ’d, boring and a dreadful embarrassment. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Catwoman” descends to a dull, preposterous, outrageous 1. If a cat has nine lives, save us from the sequels.

Catwoman Read More »

The Laws of Attraction

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “The Laws of Attraction” (New Line Cinema)

Remember the sparkle of fun when Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy sparred in cinematic combat? That’s what this comedy was supposed to be like. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Intelligent but insecure Audrey Woods (Julianne Moore) is a top-notch Manhattan divorce attorney who has never lost a big case until she meets up with disheveled Daniel Rafferty (Pierce Brosnan) who outsmarts her. On the next divorce, she bests him. Sparks fly ’till they get drunk and wind up in bed. While negotiating on behalf of their clients, a philandering British rock star (Michael Sheen) and his shrill fashion-designer wife (Parker Posey), they have a boozy interlude in Ireland, where they impulsively get married. Still, they’re rivals – and she’s perpetually angry. Problem is: the fizzle quickly goes flat. Why? Working off a shallow screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna and Robert Harling, director Peter Howitt seems desperate for the witty, amusing dialogue that’s absent, yet essential in a screwball comedy. So he goes for slapstick, pushing his supporting players over-the-top. Without a workable, believable character, Julianne Moore (“Far From Heaven,” “The Hours”), flounders, lacking the manipulative edginess that her role requires. That leaves roguish Pierce Brosnan (a.k.a. James Bond) with a sugary confection, like a Snowball, to play off. He gamely banters but there’s no return. And these are supposed to be intelligent, insightful, interesting people! Instead, caustic Frances Fisher (“House of Sand and Fog”) shamelessly steals scenes as Moore’s fun-loving, youth-addicted mother. (Although off-screen, Fisher’s only eight years older than Moore.) On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Laws of Attraction” is a lame, faltering 5. It’s a romantic comedy that’s just not funny.

The Laws of Attraction Read More »

Godsend

Movie/TV Reviews / Susan

Susan Granger’s review of “Godsend” (Lion’s Gate Films)

While the concept of bringing back a loved one who has died propels this cautionary tale, another question occurs: what’s happened to the script sense of actor Robert DeNiro? As the story begins, Paul (Greg Kinnear) and Jessie (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) Duncan lose their only child, eight year-old Adam (Cameron Bright), in a tragic accident. Along comes a mysterious genetic scientist, Dr. Richard Wells (that’s DeNiro), who makes the bereaved couple a Faustian offer they cannot refuse. If they will turn over their deceased son’s body to him within 72 hours, sever all ties with friends and family and move to a lakefront mansion near his fertility clinic, the Godsend Institute, in rural Vermont, he will clone them a new Adam. And he does. The new Adam is an adorable child until his eighth birthday. Then weird things begin to happen. “Did I die?” he queries his parents. Adam has creepy nightmares and exhibits disturbing behavior. Then he hallucinates about a boy named Zachary, a parochial school and a fire, all somehow connected to Dr. Wells, who obsessively rotates two steel balls clenched in his palm. While the provocative premise seems to be about the ethics of human cloning, writer Mark Bomback and director Nick Hamm soon veer off into the sloppy, senseless clichŽs of low-budget horror movies. Lots of banal shocks, shtick and schlock. The actors manage to play their parts as authentically as possible, given the awful script, but one wonders if they even read this drivel before reporting to work. Supposedly, Hamm filmed five different endings. Whatever they were, he must have picked the worst. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Godsend” is a ghostly, ghoulish, ghastly 1. Given the credibility of its cast, it’s the worst picture so far this year.

Godsend Read More »