030: Weekend Reviews 1
Submitted by pce_azn on Mon, 09/25/2006 - 05:31
Tags:
- All The Kings Men (2006)
- directed by Steven Zaillion
- Willie Stark...Sean Penn
- Jack Burden...Jude Law
- Judge Irwin...Anthony Hopkins
- Anne Stanton...Kate Winslet
- Adam Stanton...Mark Ruffalo
- Sadie Burke...Patricia Clarkson
- Tiny Duffy...James Gandolfini
- There is only so much information one can put into a two hour movie so naturally the viewer expects that parts will be cut out. But not the parts that connect the characters. Having spent most of the movie trying to figure out exactly how all the characters knew each other was exhausting and left absolutely no room for actual enjoyment of the movie. And that's it's weak spot. The plot is decent but the cast, no matter how A-list they are, cannot pull off these characters. Sean Penn prances around the screen as if drunk while watching Jude Law's portrayal of Jack Burden is like watching him reinact his Cold Mountain role. The other actors have such a small amount of screen time it's easy to forget about them and their talent goes to waste. Nevertheless the movie was not an entire waste. Always amazing no matter how dreary the film is Anthony Hopkins who is superb, as per usual. However, I'd wait to see him in Bobby, Emilio Estevez' film about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. In the end bad accents, shaky camera and a predictable plot all add up to a bad movie and not even Anthony Hopkins can save it.
- Rating: ** out of *****
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- Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
- directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
- Olive...Abigail Breslin
- Richard...Greg Kinnear
- Dwayne...Paul Dano
- Grandpa Edwin...Alan Arkin
- Sheryl...Toni Collette
- Frank...Steve Carrell
- Put a beauty-queen wannabe, a motivational speaker, a silent emo, a heroin-snorting grandfather, a slightly-overweight woman and a suicidal gay together and what do you get? No, not another season of The Real World. This is the cast of characters in the new independant film Little Miss Sunshine, proving once again why cheaper movies are considerably better than what Hollywood's been putting out lately. Packed with non-stop laughs, this film about a dysfunctional family road-trip is definately looking at some awards in its future. For those that like movies like Donnie Darko and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this is definately the movie for you. And if not, see it anyway. You might be surprised.
- Rating: ***** out of *****
