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Movie Watch

Coming to Theatres February 22, 2008
by Chad Boudreau

 

In my February 15 installment of Movie Watch, I said the latter half of February was going to be a lot stronger than the first half of the month. I’m true to my word. Three of the four movies hitting theatres on February 22 are going to be worth a look. Let’s take a gander…

 

***

 

Vantage Point

 

Eight people witness the apparent assassination of the President of the United States. If you’ve seen the trailer you know there is a lot of mystery surrounding this assassination, including the fact the “real” President wasn’t even at the event at which he was assassinated. The mysteries are then revealed through the re-telling of the same event from the perspective of each of the eight witnesses, each point of view told in fifteen minutes.

A couple new faces are responsible for this movie behind the scenes: Director Pete Travis and writer Barry Levy. This makes me worry that the movie will get tedious in a mishandling of the Rashomon narrative style. If done incorrectly, audiences are going to get bored watching the same event again and again even if new pieces of the puzzle are revealed each time. Fortunately, there are a number of seasoned actors in front of the camera including Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver. Matthew Fox plays alongside this talent, thus securing his spot on the hot new actors list.

I’m attracted to the talent but lukewarm on the story. What seals the deal for me though is the crackerjack trailer. It looks like intense action and Hollywood style intrigue from start to finish. Clocking in at only 90 minutes, Vantage Point looks to be a heck of ride. It might just be the jolt we need to get us out of the February doldrums.

 

Charlie Bartlett

 

Hollywood loves quirky. The studios are constantly on the lookout for the next quirky little comedy that is going to touch audiences and critics with its combination of funny and heart. Movies that fall into this category are Rushmore, Lost in Translation, Little Miss Sunshine and Juno. Charlie Bartlett hopes to join this illustrious list.

What those movies have that Charlie Bartlett might not is at least one of its feet grounded close to reality. Quirky characters and silly situations aren’t going to have heart if there isn’t a ring of truth. With its story of a high school student becoming the self-appointed psychiatrist of his school, Charlie Bartlett feels a little too far out in left-field. It might miss the opportunity to connect with its audience. With that said, early buzz says different, suggesting there is a ring of truth to its young adult angst. Therefore, I’m willing to give Charlie Bartlett a chance.

Be Kind Rewind

 

This film goes into the WTF department and for that reason alone it’s worth the price of admission.

Two video store clerks accidentally erase all the VHS in the store. The two then hatch a plan to film their own versions of the films and offer them to rent with the hopes that their most loyal patron doesn’t notice the difference.  

The plot is ludicrous, but so too is the idea that a love story can be told almost entirely within the memories of a character even as those memories are eradicated by an experimental procedure. Does that familiar? It’s the premise of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of the best films of 2004. I mention it because the co-writer and director of that movie also wrote and directed Be Kind Rewind.

Go ahead and say it: WTF.

Early reports suggest this movie feels loose in its structure, with a reliance on improvisation. I’m well aware Jack Black can handle his own in the ring of improv, but co-star Mos Def isn’t exactly known for his body of comedic work.

Yes, we need to say it again: WTF.

This movie is going to go one of two ways: Train wreck or cult classic. I’m betting on the latter.

Witless Protection

 

I won’t claim to understand or support it, but Larry the Cable Guy has a fan following and those fans make his movies a financial success. (This is also made possible because the movies cost very little to make.) Witless Protection is the latest Larry the Cable Guy vehicle. By teaming up with Jenny McCarthy, Larry the Cable Guy is sure to snatch up enough bucks to ensure his continued existence.

The Signal

 

I remember following the early buzz gathering around Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later and waiting anxiously and far too long for it to finally hit North American shores. I’m getting a similar feeling about The Signal, a horror film that is generating some positive buzz, and while this is a North American production it’s only available in limited release come February 22, which means I might have to keep waiting.

The plot sounds familiar: A mysterious signal invades cellular phones, television and radios and turns people into killers. It’s a mix of The Crazies, Stephen King’s Cell, Pulse and most likely other horror material I’m forgetting or am not familiar with.

Recycling and repackaging familiar material is nothing new in pop culture so I’m not going to slight a movie or its filmmakers for doing so. What The Signal apparently has is a refreshing approach to horror—something that goes beyond the torture porn that is the current trend for Hollywood horror.

 

***

 

February 22 doesn’t give us many new movies, but it does give us three movies worth checking out, and that’s a sight better than what we’ve been given in the previous weeks. Vantage Point will give us action in a 90 minute package. Charlie Bartlett will give us laughs and quirky insight. The Signal will give us chills and thrills. And, if you’re looking for a more traditional date movie, Fool’s Gold and Definitely, Maybe are probably still in theatres near you.

 

Coming up next week, February 29 heralds the return of Will Ferrell. ‘Nuff said.

posted by: lightning at 16:12 | link | comments |
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