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[COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]Norbit - It's terrible, yes, and a grotesque cartoon that milks one joke (the fat shrew is fat!), but it's not as terrible as I expected and that in and of itself… More
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[COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]Norbit - It's terrible, yes, and a grotesque cartoon that milks one joke (the fat shrew is fat!), but it's not as terrible as I expected and that in and of itself must be something of a small victory. The candy-coated direction and ghastly realistic makeup effects elevate the wretched material, and I'm ashamed to admit that I did indeed laugh a few times, albeit only a few. Rick Baker's makeup will likely win yet another Oscar, which means we will be stuck with the tragic sentence "Academy Award-winning [I]Norbit[/I]" for the rest of our lives. The fabulous makeup can bring these wretched characters to vivid life, including an odd racist depiction of Murphy as an old Asian man, but what's the point of expert mimicry if it can be recreated on a physical level? Murphy's comedic gifts seem like they will be replaced by technology instead of complimenting what he has to offer. Then again, there's no technology that can make Norbit funnier. I hope you're happy with the money you have reaped from this mean-spirited, unfunny crass comedy, because the advertising for this almost certainly cost you, Eddie Murphy, a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for [I]Dreamgirls[/I]. Then again, that movie wasn't too great either.
Nate's Grade: D+
Blood and Chocolate - A werewolf tale set in Europe where the remaining handful of werewolves hunt men for sport by night and swish around being Eurotrash by day. The film plays closely to the teens-as-super creatures formula that seems to be chiseled by the likes of [I]The Craft[/I], [I]Underworld[/I], and [I]The Covenant[/I]. What's kind of hilariously goofy is that these werewolves actually just turn into normal, White Fang-looking wolves; no hulking man-beasts. They tend to run, and in a feat of cheesy special effects, blur into a wolf thanks to a magical glow. But there are instances when they would be much better off staying as people than transforming into wolves, like for ridiculous wolf-on-wolf fight scenes. The whole concept seems rather uninspiring; would you feel a sense of power simply because you could transform into a medium sized canine at will? I can't see many practical instances where this would benefit someone. What's the appeal? Regardless, the peculiarly titled film is rather dim with plot and character and whimpers to a hasty yet predictable conclusion. Agnes Bruckner, that's a talented and beautiful young actress. Someone out there find here something worthy.
Nate's Grade: D+
Shooter - A passable albeit mediocre action thriller, this humorless tale about an elite sniper framed for a presidential assassination is more interested in the nitty gritty of sharp-shooters than building a credible plot. Mark Wahlberg grumbles through uninspired action sequences but who really draws attention is a villainous Danny Glover. The man has a lisp and carries it until the end of the film, and it is never explained. It's so weird and distracting and it feels superfluous, like Glover was hard-pressed to make his rote villain interesting, so he thought, "Why not a lisp?" [I]Shooter[/I] is more proof to my ongoing assertion that Antoine Fuqua ([I]King Arthur[/I], [I]Tears of the Sun[/I]) is a shoddy director and has no valid interest in storytelling; he's studied at the Tony Scott school of Visual Indulgence. The characters are either stock roles or superhuman, and how in the world does a man get pinned for almost taking out the President and then buy mass quantities of weapons with the clever disguise of sunglasses?
Nate's Grade: C
Freedom Writers - Add this to the feel-good genre of true-life teacher-makes-a-difference movies. It is suitably well acted and uplifting and doesn't necessarily pander even if it does hit all the expected stops of the genre. These kids have grown up in an area heavy with gang affiliations, and the film earns extra credit for dealing with the heavy reality of gangs better than most any other teacher-in-urban-setting flick. Hillary Swank relies on her mega-watt smile to communicate her character's perseverance and idealism and does a fine job along with a strong supporting cast including Imelda Staunton as the doubtful, pessimistic, dismissive principal. [I]Freedom Writers[/I] clings to the us-vs.-them model and builds a believable underdog tale that actually could inspire a few future educators out there. This film is cozy and familiar but it also made will skill and care.
Nate's Grade: B
The Lives of Others - A mesmerizing and piercing human drama that burns into your memory long after it's over. This Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Film actually deserved to beat out [I]Pan's Labyrinth[/I]. This vastly intriguing, dense, and extremely moving film explores life inside East Germany before the Wall fell, a life not often seen in the movies. The crux of the movie follows a career officer (Ulrich Mühe) in the secret police who has been assigned to eavesdrop on a playwright and his actress girlfriend. It is this assignment that shakes the man's blind faith in his government, and [I]The Lives of Others[/I] becomes nerve-wracking when our silent listener decides to become active in trying to protect his subjects from his boss. This is masterful, artistically illuminating filmmaking with a tight, deeply felt story and superb acting and direction. Germany has been crafting some of the world's finest cinema as of late, including Oscar-winner [I]Nowhere in Africa[/I] and Oscar-nominees [I]Downfall[/I] and [I]Sophie Scholl[/I]. See this film before Hollywood remakes it and ruins it. Tragically, Mühe died of stomach cancer in July 2007 just as American audiences began to see [I]The Lives of Others[/I] and witness the depths of his talent. He will be missed by the world of cinema but his work in [I]The Lives of Others[/I] is a lasting testament.
Nate's Grade: A
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