Mr. Bean's Holiday

© 2007 Ray Wong

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Fans of Mr. Bean are not going to be surprised by his comeback 10 years after the 1997 movie Bean. Those who are not familiar with the British rubber-limp character may be in for a pleasant surprise.

picture1Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) must the luckiest man in London -- he wins an all-expense-paid vacation to Cannes and a brand new camcorder. Armed with his camera and passport, Mr. Bean gleefully embarks on his exciting journey to the beach and records everything that amuses him. But is he really that lucky?

picture2While changing trains in Paris, he inadvertently separates a father (Karel Roden) and his son (Max Baldry). Trying to get the boy and his father back together, Mr. Bean loses his luggage, passport, tickets, and everything he owns except the camcorder. On his way, he meets beautiful actress Sabine (Emma de Caunes), who is in town filming a commercial for director Carson Clay (Willem Defoe). Going to a premiere at Cannes, Sabine gives them a ride when the entire France is looking for Mr. Bean and the "kidnapped" boy.

picture3Rowan Atkinson (Love Actually) reprises one of his most beloved characters with the same childlike quality. Coming from the same school of physical comedy as Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey, Atkinson's rubber face and limps are hilarious, and yet he maintains his innocence even if he's doing something entirely inappropriate. And there are many inappropriate moments, ones that make you cringe and laugh at the same time.

picture4As Sabine, Emma de Caunes (Short Order) is beautiful, sweet and effervescent, reminding me of the young Olivia Hussey. She doesn't have much to do except for the film's last act, but she leaves a good impression with her comic timing. Willem Defoe (Spider-Man 3) is exceptionally outrageous as the self-absorbed famous director -- the mock art film of his is hilarious all by itself. Karel Roden (The Bourne Supremacy) plays the concerned father/French director with heart, and Max Baldry (Rome) gives a heartfelt performance as the hapless lad who forms an unlikely friendship with Mr. Bean.

picture5Written by Hamish McColl (Foley & McColl) and Simon McBurney (The Last King of Scotland) and based on Rowen Atkinson's character, the screenplay is typical British farce. Buoyed by Atkinson's affecting performance, the flaws of the screenplay can easily to be overlooked. One simply can't see a Mr. Bean movie and pick the plot apart -- to do so is to ask for trouble. And yet, kudos to the screenwriters for coming up with a coherent, simple story line with a soft heart at the core. The dialogue is kept to a minimum (it is, however, surprising to hear Mr. Bean speak!) with the focus on the cartoonish action.

picture6Director Steve Bendelack (The League of Gentlemen) knows what Mr. Bean is all about, and he sticks with the tone: the human cartoon, the childlike ignorance, and an overall fairy tale quality. Mr. Bean is not real. His adventures are by and large a fantasy of the Jerry Lewis' kind. Bendelack succeeds in keeping the tone light and the situations surreal. There are moments of pure comedy and joy that seriously tickle the funny bone.

picture7In the days of Borat! and Superbad, Mr. Bean might seem old-fashioned and passe, but to me, it's a breath of fresh air for those who enjoy physical comedies without potty humor and fart jokes. With its slapstick humor, a surreal plot (and a crowd-pleasing ending), and a warm heart at the center, the movie is a simple pleasure and a jolly good holiday.

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Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Emma de Caunes, Willem Defoe, Karel Roden, Max Baldry, Jean Rochefort
Director: Steve Bendelack
Writers: Simon McBurney, Hamish McColl, Robin Driscoll
Distributor: Universal
MPAA Rating: G for general public
Running Time: 90 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 7
Direction – 8
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 7
Editing – 6
Production – 7

Total – 7.1 out of 10

Invasion

© 2007 Ray Wong

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Loosely based on Jack Finney's novel and the sci-fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the new film tells of a familiar story of alien abduction with a shot of social commentary.

photo1After the space shuttle crashed on Earth, CDC director Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northam) is notified of the alien life-form on the shuttle's remnants. His ex-wife, Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman), is a psychiatrist living in Washington, D.C. with her son Oliver (Jackson Bond). As a strange flu sweeps across the globe, Carol begins to notice strange behaviors in people around her. They're disconnected and emotionless, sometimes hostile.

photo2Tucker returns to D.C. and asks to see his son. Carol reluctantly obliges and leaves Oliver with Tucker. When Carol discovers a strange biological mutation, she sends a sample to her physician colleagues Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) and Stephen Galeano (Jeffrey Wright) for investigation. They identify it as an alien organism that attacks the human body, especially the neurons in the brain cells. The organism replicates and takes over during the infected person's REM sleep cycle. Once taken over, the human hosts would appear normal physically, retaining all their memories and knowledge, and yet they would have no control over their thoughts and action.

photo3Tucker initiates a nationwide inoculation to control the spread of the "flu" but more and more people become infected. Carol realizes that Tucker has been infected and her son is in danger. She also realizes that her son may be key to finding a cure. Meanwhile, the infected are out there killing the uninfected. Carol must race against time to save herself and her son, in hope to help the research team in finding a cure.

photo4Nicole Kidman (Fur) is intense and likable as the heroine. Driven by her maternal instinct, she delivers a believable, if somewhat typical, performance. Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) is solid as her colleague and love interest. He adds some warmth to the story as his affection for Kidman's character is evident.

photo5Jeremy Northam (The Payback) is wonderfully creepy as Carol's ex. Unfortunately, he doesn't show enough personality difference before the infection to make us really care about his character. Basically, it's a one-dimensional character all set up to the villain. Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale) is amiable as Dr. Galeano, but his role is too peripheral to make a real impact. Jackson Bond (Dead of Winter) is very good as Oliver, without a lot of exaggerated emoting or overacting.

photo6The screenplay by newcomer Dave Kajganich is taut and suspenseful. He sets up a quick prologue to foreshadow what has to come (although I may argue that such a "thrilling" set up is not necessary -- the film could have started with the space shuttle crash), and then skillfully unfolds the plot. The buildup is rather effective and creates good tension, even though we know what to expect. Unfortunately, there are moments that stretch credibility, and the plot is rather linear. It would be more interesting had there been a subplot or two. By the second half of the film, the plot becomes predictable. Also, Kajganich hasn't spent enough time developing the characters -- what we know about them are very shallow -- so, apart from Carol and Oliver, we can't really relate to them and so we don't necessarily care what happens to these people.

photo7German director Oliver Hirshbiegel (Experiment, Das) makes his American directorial debut with precise execution. There is enough suspense and thrills to do justice to the genre. The action is tight and the production value good. Yet, as a sci-fi horror, the science fiction part is rather flimsy, and the horror part is somewhat tame. The film could have done more to scare us with its socio-political themes, but it falls short in that regard. It touches on the context superficially by way of a soviet diplomat (played by Roger Rees) and ends with a haunting voiceover about humanity. Perhaps the filmmakers realize they're not making a socially significant movie -- it is, after all, a commercial thriller.

photo8With that in mind, Invasion is solid entertainment, and should have no problem making an invasion into your video library some day.

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jackson Bond, Jeffrey Wright, Veronica Cartwright
Directors: Oliver Hirschbiegel, James McTeigue
Writers: David Kajganich (based on Jack Finney's novel The Body Snatchers)
Distributor: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: R for language
Running Time: 93 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 7
Direction – 7
Cinematography – 8
Music/Sound– 7
Editing – 8
Production – 8

Total – 7.4 out of 10

Stardust

© 2007 Ray Wong

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Fans of fantasy have adored Neil Gaiman's graphic novels. In the tradition of The Princess Bride, Gaiman's Stardust is an epic fairy tale and adventure that tickles our imagination.

photo1As the narrator (Ian McKellen) tells us, the story begins about 150 years ago in an English town named Wall, which was built beside a guarded wall that separates the real world and the magical kingdom Stromhold. A local boy, Dunstan (Nathaniel Parker) crosses the wall one night and meets a slave girl named Una (Kate Magowan). Nine months later, Una sends their infant son to Dunstan to raise.

photo2Years later, before the King of Stromhold (Peter O'Toole) dies, he hurls a ruby necklace into the sky and tells his sons that whoever finds the ruby will be the rightful king to Stromhold. The stone knocks a star off the sky and falls to Stromhold. Tristan (Charlie Cox), now a young man, promises the object of his affection, Victoria (Sienna Miller), to bring back the star for her. Meanwhile, the wicked witch Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) also looks for the star so she and her two sisters can consume its heart to restore their youth and beauty.

photo3Tristan is the first to find the star, which is actually a woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes). Tristan promises to send Yvaine home after he's presented her to Victoria. On the way, they are chased and attacked by Lamia as well as the princes headed by Septimus (Mark Strong). Helped by pirate king Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), they barely escape. While trying to return to Wall, Tristan and Yvaine falls in love.

photo4As Tristan, Charlie Cox (Cassanova) effectively conveys the character's cherubic and naive qualities. His boyish good looks and ernest disposition also help make us care for the hero. Claire Danes (Evening) is not quite spectacular as the (literal) star. She's fine with her sarcasm and feistiness, just not as impressive as I'd expected.

photo5While the young protagonists are adorable, it is the veterans who shine. Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray) is delicious as Lamia: she's self-absorbed, ruthless, conniving, giddy, frustrated, impatient, and the list goes on. She plays Lamia with a delightful energy and purpose. Robert De Niro (The Good Shepherd) is equally fun and delicious as Captain Shakespeare, the pirate king with a secret. His scenes alone were worth the price of admission. The rest of the cast is a fun bunch, including Peter O'Toole (Ratatouille) as the King, and Mark Strong (Sunshine) as Septimus.

photo6Adapted from Neil Gaiman's successful novel, the screenplay by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) maintains a whimsical, fun, tongue-in-cheek spirit. The story and treatment take after the same feel of favorites such as The Princess Bride and Ella Enchanted.
The plot is, of course, fantastical and magical and requires a good dose of suspense of disbelief (but that's why it's fun). There are enough inconsistencies to make one go "Wha?" but the point of the story is to live by the moment, and once we learn to do that, the plot moves along briskly with strong energy and twists.

photo7It's not to say it's not devoid of cliches and conventions. You can't really get away from such with a story about witches, princes, pirates and star-crossed lovers. Yet, when combined, the plot elements and characters breathe some fresh air into the genre, and the imagination is rather magical.

photo8It's all about execution, and director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake) brings a good energy to the production. The visuals are wonderful and the storybook technique works extremely well. There's a consistent jolliness throughout the film, and Vaughn doesn't clutter or bog down the story with convoluted plot threads. The story maintains its focus until the "happily ever after." Stardust is a delight for adults and older children alike.

Stars: Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Peter O'Toole, Rupert Everett, Mark Strong, Sienna Miller, Ian McKellen
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn (based on Neil Gaiman's novel)
Distributor: Paramount
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some fantasy violence and risque humor
Running Time: 130 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 8
Direction – 8
Cinematography – 8
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 8
Production – 8

Total – 7.9 out of 10

No Reservations

© 2007 Ray Wong

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I like movie titles that are double entendres, and No Reservations is a brilliant title. It tells us what we need to know about the film: it's about restaurants, and it's about letting loose and embracing life.

photo1Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a celebrated chef, specializing in gourmet French cuisine, at the restaurant 22 Bleecker, owned by Paula (Patricia Clarkson). Kate's uptight, aloof, and tough. Despite insisting on running the kitchen by herself, she lacks people skills, and she's always at odds with her boss and the customers. Work is her whole life, and she's not letting anyone else into that life. She's also a total control freak. In other words, she's brilliant with her cooking, but failing with her personal life.

photo2After her sister dies in an auto accident, Kate becomes the legal guardian of her niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin). She has no idea how to live with anyone else, let along taking care of a child. During Kate's leave of absence to figure things out, Paula hires a new sous chef, Nick (Aaron Eckhart), without Kate's approval. Nick is the complete opposite of Kate: carefree, charismatic, touchy-feely...and he loves opera and specializes in Italian cuisine! Immediately Kate dislikes Nick and avoids him at all cost. Slowly, Kate warms up to Nick as she juggles between her career and taking care of Zoe, who is having a hard time dealing with her mother's death and adjusting to living with her emotionally detached aunt.

photo3After a short hiatus, Catherine Zeta-Jones (The Legend of Zorro) returns to contemporary roles by playing an ice princess, a departure from her previous, more passionate roles. She looks radiant (has she ever played an ugly role?) and shows good emotional depth despite having to play someone who is emotionally stunted. She also looks the part as a chef by turning down her star wattage. Meanwhile, Aaron Eckhart (The Wicker Man) is having a good time playing the good guy, all shaggy hair, stubble, and toothy grin. His character is tremendously warm and likable, offsetting Zeta-Jones's uptightness. Yet, because of that, his character is also rather one-note and superficial -- does this guy have any flaws?

photo4Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) shows us that she can indeed act. She is good in expressing her character's despair, loneliness, confusion, vulnerability, and joy. That's quite a lot of emotions for such a young actress. Patricia Clarkson (All the King's Men) always has a commanding presence on screen. Her character is neither a hero or a villain -- just bossy -- and Clarkson makes her human and relatable. Jenny Wade (Rumor Has It) gets our attention as Kate's amiable, reasonable colleague, Leah. Together with Bob Balaban (For Your Consideration) as the therapist (albeit a small, almost-insignificant role), they're Kate's Jiminy Cricket.

photo5Carol Fuchs and Sandra Nettelback's (Sergeant Pepper) script is filled to the brim with chick flick cliches: the difficult heroine, the charming knight-in-armor, the broody little girl, the supportive sidekicks, the tough boss, and death. Yet, the writers put a new coat of paint on this old house and deliver something that is rather satisfying. The dialogue is witty without being cheesy, and the drama unfolds with enough emotional weight. There is something mundane about the plot, however, and it never quite rises above the material to deliver the strong emotional punches we expect. Perhaps I'm jaded for having seen too many romantic comedies and chick flicks.

photo6Director Scott Hicks (Hearts in Atlantis) does well in giving us a visually pleasant film. The locations, the lighting, the sets, and other details all work together. Hicks also lets his actors do their magic, and his camera never betrays his beautiful costars. Zeta-Jones and Eckhart are very sexy together.

photo7There are some rough spots that drag, and subplots that can be cut without losing anything; and as good as Bob Balaban is, his scenes with Zeta-Jones feel extraneous and expository, what with there psycho-babble. On the other hand, Philip Glass gives us one of his warmest, most romantic and least intrusive scores -- even with his signature repetitiveness, I have to double check to make sure this is, in fact, a Glass score. The soundtrack is light and effective. And like in Ratatouille, one of the stars in the film is the food. Chances are you will want to go to a fine restaurant right out of the theater.

photo8Even with its predictable plot and slow pacing, No Reservations is a pleasant and sweet film because of its likable stars, solid production, and beautiful soundtrack. It may not be as scrumptious as the finest foie gras, but it's delectable like a familiar shrimp scampi -- you may have tasted it before, but you can't help but enjoy tasting it again. No reservations required.

Stars: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Patricia Clarkson, Jenny Wade, Bob Balaban
Director: Scott Hicks
Writers: Carol Fuchs, Sandra Nettelback
Distributor: Warner Bros.
MPAA Rating: PG for some sensuality and language
Running Time: 103 Minutes

Ratings:

Script – 6
Performance – 7
Direction – 6
Cinematography – 8
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 7
Production – 8

Total – 7.5 out of 10