Enchanted

All hail Princess Giselle; or more specifically, Amy Adams, on who's perky and effortlessly winning shoulders Enchanted rests. The latest offering from Disney is funny, charming, and consistently entertaining, thanks in large part to it's lead actress. Enchanted opens in the animated world of Andalasia, where Giselle (Adams), in true Disney fashion, is a beautiful, strong young woman living in a forest cottage who sings and dances with her cute animal friends while pining for her true love. She meets and falls in love (instantly) with the noble but dim Prince Edward (James Marsden). However, Edward's stepmother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) is unhappy with their pairing, and devises a plan to get rid of Giselle by magically sending her to a place without love or happiness: New York City. At this point, the animation disappears, the aspect ratio changes, and Giselle is now a fully three-dimensional, flesh and blood character. Her personality though, remains cartoonish, acting childlike and even breaking out into song every now and again. As she wanders Manhattan trying to find her way back to Andalasia, she encounters Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a single parent divorce attorney who is kind enough to help her but jaded when it comes to love. The two get to know each other and begin to learn from each other, naturally leading to the choice Giselle must make between Robert and Prince Edward, who has followed her to the real world in search of her.

Enchanted is Disney's attempt to become relevant in the animated world once again on it's own (after years of leaning on Pixar), which they haven't been since the early 1990's with classics like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. It's mostly successful, using a novel approach to blend animation and real-life. Director Kevin Lima (Tarzan) captures the mood and tone of a Disney animated classic, even enlisting Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast) and Stephen Schwartz (Broadway's Wicked) to write the upbeat musical numbers. The story is predictable and cheesy, but you know, in a good way. None of it would work though, without Amy Adams, who is pretty much perfect as Giselle, entirely convincing as an animated character, with a very nice singing voice too. Adams first gained attention with her Oscar-nominated performance in Junebug, and is even more charmingly lovable here. I've been trying very hard to resist the temptation to use the word "enchanting" this entire review, but it really is the best way to describe Adams in this film.

The Mist

Writer-director Frank Darabont returns with his third adaptation of a Stephen King story (after The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), with a more traditional King-style story in The Mist. In the aftermath of a big lightning storm, many residents of a small Maine town have gathered in the local supermarket to stock up on supplies. A huge, foreboding mist begins to envelop the town, and a bloodied man runs in screaming about something terrible out there in the mist. As the crowd decides to stay in the store, the deadly creatures that dwell in the fog begin to make their presence more known. David Drayton (Thomas Jane) is the natural clear-minded alpha male of the group who tries to formulate rational plans and keep order among the increasingly agitated mob, mostly for the sake of his young son (Nathan Gamble). Complicating his efforts is the fanatically religious Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), who believes these events are a sign of the apocalypse and she has been chosen by God to either save the souls of the those in the store or sacrifice those who stand in her way. Her ravings are annoying to everyone at first, but as the surrounding events become more terrifying, more people begin to listen to her. For the most part, The Mist is a creepily effective thriller, with Darabont creating a consistently tense mood and genuinely scary moments. Darabont shoots for more though, trying to make a statement about how fear and paranoia lead to mob mentality and religious fanaticism (a not exactly subtle jab at the current administration). These themes elevate The Mist higher than most horror movies, though they are unfortunately not that well executed. Most of the characters are one-dimensional stereotypes, and their actions are inconsistent and irrational, even considering their situation. Most of the problem comes from Harden's religious freak Mrs. Carmody, who seems to attend the church of the Wicked Witch of the West, and is almost cartoonishly insane in her rantings and ravings. It may seem kinda silly to expect realism in a supernatural horror movie, but since The Mist aims to be a commentary on human behavior, some realistic characters would have been nice. The higher level that Darabont strives for is both a strength and a weakness to an otherwise dark and scarily entertaining fright fest.

Beowulf

Adapted (loosely) from the epic 8th century poem, Beowulf is the latest film to capitalize on the now popular epic fantasy genre, led by Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and recently, 300. Director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) uses the same CGI and performance-capture techniques that he used in The Polar Express to create an animated mythic fantasy world. He tells the story of Beowulf (Ray Winstone), the legendary warrior hired by King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) to kill the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover) and later his mother (Angelina Jolie) who have terrorized their kingdom. Along the way, Beowulf must make choices dealing with such age old issues as lust, betrayal, loyalty, and courage. Let's face it though, pretty much everyone is going to see this movie for the special effects and eye-popping visuals, and to that end, it succeeds spectacularly. This film is a sight to see, with lush colors and landscapes, as well as plenty of slam-bam action sequences (Check it out in 3-D if you can, as the images literally jump of the screen, enhancing the experience). The story is pretty simplistic, but it's reasonably interesting enough to sit through. The performances though, are muted behind the animation, a similar problem in The Polar Express. I'm still not sure I understand the benefit of this new performance-capture technology, other than maybe saving money on mixing live-action and CGI. But as of now, the humans in these movies are all kind of a blank, with dead eyes and limited expression. Until that is perfected, movies like Beowulf still won't feel like complete motion pictures.

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men is the latest effort from the Coen Brothers (Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski) and represents their most ambitious project to date. Adapted from the novel by Cormac McCarthy, the film follows Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin, having a great year), a Texas welder from a trailer park who accidentally stumbles upon a botched drug deal in the desert. Drugs, cash, and dead bodies lay about, and Moss decides to take off with the money, about two million in cash. It's not that easy of course, as people on both sides of deal are now after him, including Anton Chigurgh (Javier Bardem), a truly monstrous killer who roams the land looking for Moss and murdering without any afterthought. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is the local law enforcement who is investigating the crimes that occur. What follows is a trail of bloody violence and suspense that is a lot more complex than it seems. The Coen Brothers, as they usually do, defy all convention and expectation and have crafted a thoughtful meditation on the nature of violence, greed, and morality; similar to the themes of Fargo, but with considerably less broad humor. It can be confusing and the ending is somewhat frustratingly open-ended, and I must admit I was a little flummoxed and had to think about this movie for awhile. To that end, it may not be a movie for everyone, as it breaks the rules at every turn and gives no real closure. But to anyone willing to challenge themselves, No Country for Old Men is undeniably fascinating and engaging, and may actually be brilliant. The acting is universally excellent as well. It says a lot that while Brolin and Jones are outstanding, Bardem still manages to steal the movie. His spine-chilling portrayal of Chigurgh is the probably the most gripping portrayal of a screen villain in the last few years. No Country for Old Men is the Coens at their finest.

American Gangster

Boasting an impressive pedigree that includes acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator), Oscar-winning screenwriter Steve Zaillian (Schindler's List, Gangs of New York), and pairing two of the most respected actors currently working, American Gangster is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. It tells the true story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), who in the 1970's, rose from poverty using some creative thinking and a strong business ethic to become the heroin king of New York, above even the Mafia, unprecedented for a black man during this time. Frank is an interesting character study: a strong-willed, family-oriented gentleman with an unflappable work ethic who is also capable of being ruthless and violent. Russell Crowe stars as Richie Roberts, a Jersey cop who is uncommonly honest and ethical but whose personal life is in shambles. Roberts is assigned to head up a special narcotics squad to make major arrests in the drug world, and his investigation eventually leads him to Lucas. Gangster follows the parallel stories of these two men, contrasting the lives of Frank and Richie until their paths ultimately cross. It's fascinating stuff, following two morally complex individuals on different sides of the law. Scott keeps the pace moving, and the tension is kept up as the two leads get closer and closer to each other. Not surprisingly, Washington and Crowe are more than up to the challenge, giving strong lead performances, although Washington's storyline is more interesting and he is given more to do. Josh Brolin is a nice surprise as a truly corrupt NYPD detective, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is great as usual as Lucas' brother and right-hand man. American Gangster is really good, and while it may not quite make the gangster film hall of fame alongside The Godfather and Goodfellas, it is a very impressive and entertaining addition to the genre.

Theater-Jersey Boys

Winner of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical, Jersey Boys has become a huge hit with fans and perhaps the most popular show currently on Broadway. Taking a cue from many recent rock n' roll biopics, Jersey Boys chronicles the meteoric rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Frankie (John Lloyd Young) and the rest of the group (Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer) are four young blue-collar boys from Newark, all of them having spent some time in jail due to their various petty crimes and connections to the mob. Not exactly stuff you'd expect from the guys who sang "Big Girls Don't Cry." The show follows the group as they struggle and scrap their way to becoming one of the most successful pop groups of the 1960's. And in true Behind the Music-style, once they reach the top, the group must deal with the many of the issues that so often seem to afflict successful musical acts such as drug use, infidelity, and internal group strife.

While the story may be age-old and conventional, the approach to the material and the staging of the musical numbers elevate Jersey Boys to much greater heights. The many hits of the Four Seasons, such as "Walk Like a Man", "Sherry", and "December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)" are incorporated seamlessly into the story, directed with great energy by Des McAnuff. I'm not the biggest Four Seasons fan out there (though I do enjoy some songs), but seeing these numbers performed live (with choreography by Sergio Trujillo) is electrifying. The cast deserves a huge amount of credit for the success of the numbers as well, especially Young, who channels Frankie Valli in voice and performance. It's not just mere mimicry here though, as he creates a truly three-dimensional character out of Valli, well-earning his Best Actor Tony Award. While I tend to lament the rise of these so-called "jukebox musicals" (using the collected pop works of a particular artist, instead of an original score), Jersey Boys seems to be the exception to the rule, using the songs to serve the story and creating a tremendously entertaining night at the theater.