INVINCIBLE

True sports story

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Mark Wahlberg: Vincent (Vince) Papale, 30-year old substitute teacher and part-time bartender
Michael Rispoli: owner of Max’s bar in South Philly
Greg Kinnear: first year coach of the NFL Philadelphia Eagles Dick Vermeil
Kevin Conway: Vince’s working class dad
Elizabeth Banks: Max’s cousin and new bartender Janet

REVIEW
As usual when one of the senior crew is responsible for more than one key production area (Ericson Core is both Director and Cinematographer) the results are often less that ideal. Both aspects generally suffer: in this case the acting is generally mediocre at best while the cinematography is pretty unexciting with only the few overhead shots even remotely of interest.

Although it is a good story, one that to many would be considered inspirational, it is unfortunately not one that’s been well told. Die-hard Eagles fans will no doubt overlook any shortcomings. But the rest of us can’t.

One more thing: it has one of the worst endings I’ve seen in years. Seems like someone stood up on the set one day and said “That’s it. Go home.” And they did.

CLASSIFICATION
for sports violence

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
During the open try-out it is evident it was filmed over a period of time because the shadows cut across the yard lines at different angles from one shot to the next.


P.S.
Bit of an exaggeration to title the movie as Invincible.
 Definition: incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued.
Granted Vince has to deal with some difficulties, but don’t we all? That hardly warrants his being described as someone who is invincible.

BON COP BAD COP

Crime/Comedy
Bilingual (French and English) with English subtitles

BACKGROUND
The plot involves people and events associated with Canada’s national game, hockey. As such it is good to keep in mind the following:

Peter Pocklington is a Canadian business man who made his fortune in the meat packing industry. He is the former owner of the National Hockey League team Edmonton Oilers.

Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed "The Great One," is described in The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL as "the greatest hockey player of all time.” He played for the Edmonton Oilers and wore #99 on his jersey.

In what became known as “The Trade”, Pocklington traded Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. This upset Canadians to the extent that a member of Parliament demanded the government block it. To many hockey fans, Pocklington became the most-hated man in the NHL, if not in all of Canada. Pocklington was burned in effigy in many parts of the country.

Gary Bettman has served as Commissioner of the NHL since February 1993. He has come under heavy criticism from many Canadian hockey fans for his attempts to increasingly Americanize the NHL and has the reputation of being anti-Canadian. A diminutive man, this has also been a subject of derision.

Don Cherry is a hockey commentator for CBC Television and co-hosts the "Coach's Corner" intermission segment on the long running sports program Hockey Night in Canada. Known for his outspoken, opioniated comments he is not well liked by everyone.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Patrick Huard: Quebec Provincial Police Detective David Bouchard
Lucie Laurier: his ex-wife Suzie
Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse: their 15-year-old daughter Gabrielle
Colm Feore: Ontario Provincial Police Detective Martin Ward
Sarian Boylan: his sister Iris
Rick Mercer: Tom Berry, bombastic hockey television commentator
Peter Pickleton, owner of a hockey team
Harry Buttman, Hockey League Commissioner

REVIEW
To quote the official website “a feature film where the cultural differences of our country are at the heart of the story. It is a film where Anglophones speak French, where Francophones speak English and, in perfectly Canadian fashion, nobody can understand one another.”

They could have also added “nobody can understand the plot.” It’s all rather confusing but perhaps not all that important since clearly there are good guys and bad guys at odds with one another. Lots of clever lines and some outright chuckles as they poke fun at the stereotypical English and French Canadians.

A couple of scenes are a little too graphic and several jokes may be offensive to some.

CLASSIFICATION
for some sexuality and violence.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
When Tom Berry is interviewing the two detectives, he starts out with his tie nicely centered but part way through it’s off to the side.

P.S.
Tête carrée: literal translation square head. Historically viewed as derogatory term for an Anglophone (an English speaker in the province of Quebec), nowadays often used in a humourous manner.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Comedy/drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Greg Kinnear: Richard Hoover the dad, a motivational speaker
Toni Collette: Sheryl the mom
Paul Dano: Dwayne the teenage son
Abigail Breslin: Olive the 9-year-old daughter, a beauty pageant addict
Steve Carell: their Uncle Frank
Alan Arkin: Richard’s dad and potty mouth grandfather

REVIEW
Good performances by all and crisp editing make this an entertaining, sometimes funny movie that weaves together an eclectic family group all working together, albeit somewhat reluctantly for some. Although there are a lot of chuckles at the family’s misadventures, it’s not hard to see the reality of it either.

CLASSIFICATION
for some sexual remarks, drug use and language (quite a few f-words)

P.S.
Marcel Proust (July 1871 – November 1922) was a French intellectual, novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of In Search of Lost Time.

TALLADEGA NIGHTS

Sports adventure/Comedy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Will Ferrell: Ricky Bobby, NASCAR race car driver
John C. Reilly: his teammate and best friend, Cal Naughton Jr.
Leslie Bibb: Ricky’s wife Carley
Amy Adams: Ricky’s assistant? Susan
Sacha Baron Cohen: former Formula One race car driver, Frenchman Jean Girard

REVIEW
Whether you like the movie or not depends upon whether you fall into one of the following categories
1. big fan of Will Ferrel
2. a teenager (the “target audience”)
3. a NASCAR fanatic

Since I do not meet any of the foregoing, sitting through the movie was painful. All around me I heard chuckles and even outright laughter at some of the dumbest gags and the most inane dialog to come along in years. Sexual situations, crude jokes and innuendoes were greeted with audible sounds of oohs and ahs. Must have been lots of testosterone in the theatre that night.

The story line is so predictable, the outcome is a given and the acting generally is pretty poor. And of course if that’s not enough, Will Farrel “does his thing” getting undressed and acting a fool.

By the way: the audience very much enjoyed all the stupid “outtakes” that are shown before the end credits. They should have been left on the cutting room floor where they belong.

CLASSIFICATION
for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
1..When Ricky is saying grace while sitting down at the table, his glass of lemonade is sometimes full and other times about one quarter missing.

2..While Ricky is being held down on the pool table, his fingers change position between the closeups and medium length shots. Sometimes his pinky is down the side, sometimes on top together with the rest of his fingers and in one instance his entire hand is grasping the inside of the rail and the next shot it’s laying on top.

3..After talking to someone on the phone, the caller hangs up on Cal and we hear a dial tone. The fact is the line goes dead when the call is terminated. The dial tone is only heard prior to dialing.

4..When Ricky and Susan are in the bar, neither one touchs their drink but his glass is sometimes half full, sometimes just a third and when Susan gets up off her chair and approaches him, it’s almost empty.

5..When Ricky’s father picks up the tickets to the race being held on Sunday he gets them from the ticket window clearly marked for the Saturday race.

P.S.
This movie beats them all in product placement. Chances are the producers made themselves a ton of money even before the first showing in a theater. It’s so bad there is a real ad for Applebee’s midway through. That’s a little too much.

CROSSING THE BRIDGE: THE SOUND OF INSTANBUL

Documentary
In German and Turkish with English subtitles

REVIEW
If your idea of a good documentary is trying to read the lyrics of Middle Eastern and rap songs sung in rapid-fire Turkish, then this is one movie you should not miss.

For the rest of us, it is a big waste of time and the reason I walked out (but not before three others did.)

CLASSIFICATION
for some drug use.

WORLD TRADE CENTER

Drama
Based on a true story

BACKGROUND
The Port Authority Police Department is one of the largest police departments in the United States. Yet, many people do not know of its existence. The PAPD suffers from this lack of recognition because of its unique policing mission which places its officers within the jurisdictions of other police departments.

The PAPD is responsible for policing the facilities owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a bi-state public agency. Among others, these facilities include:
- Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Airports
- The Subway System that runs between New York City and New Jersey
- The Port Authority Bus Terminal in Times Square, New York City
- Port Newark and Port Elizabeth
- The George Washington and the Staten Island Bridges
- The Lincoln and Holland Tunnels
- the former World Trade Center

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Nicolas Cage: Sergeant John McLoughlin of the Port Authority Police Department
Michael Peña: PAPD rookie Officer William (Will) Jimeno
Maria Bello: John’s wife Donna
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Will’s wife Allison
Michael Shannon: Marine Sgt. Dave Karnes

REVIEW
Heard in the lobby:
“Riveting”
“I was transfixed, not wanting to take my eyes off the screen for a moment”
“Powerful”

I think these comments represent the majority of those who chose to see this movie about the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.

CLASSIFICATION
for intense and emotional content, some disturbing images and language.

SCOOP

Mystery

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Ian McShane: former investigative reporter Joe Strombel
Scarlett Johansson: Sondra Pransky, an American student journalist
Woody Allen: Sid Waterman, a vaudeville magician, the Great Splendini
Hugh Jackman: prominent wealthy aristocrat Peter
Julian Glover: his father Lord Lyman

REVIEW
It is usually not a good sign when someone has more than one role in the production of the movie: in this instance, Woody Allen is writer, director and actor. He does none of them well. The writing is replete with goofy one-liners that are mildly amusing at best and the story line seems déjà vu. As the director he should have reshot many scenes with Scarlett Johansson in them because her acting is not up to par, seemingly just going through the motions (at least for the first half). And as actor, what can you say? Woody Allen does his thing and it’s often annoying, especially his habit of repeating himself ad nauseam.

CLASSIFICATION
for sexual situations, profanity

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
While Sondra and Sid are walking quickly past the dental office you can catch a glimpse of the cameraman’s reflection in the windows behind them.

While having breakfast, Sondra’s glass of orange juice is one third empty when viewed from Sid’s perspective. But seen from behind Sondra, it is almost completely full.