Written by: Stanley Weiser

Starring: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Richard Dreyfuss, and Thandie Newton

Release: October 17, 2008

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Oliver Stone is well known for his strange, off-color presidential biographies.  The best way to prepare you for this debut of W. is likely to watch Nixon, which is probably the most sympathetic biography of a corrupt son-of-a-bitch I know of.  With that said, W. is probably going to disappoint a large crowd of people looking for some scathing commentary on evil, dim lighting, plotting, and eating small African children.  For you, Stone does not deliver.

The story begins and ends with Brolin as our president in Rangers Ballpark listening to an empty stadium roaring with cheering fans.  The symbolism, of course, is acceptance and notoriety.  What Stone does so brilliantly is paint the story of a man who constantly was living in his father’s shadow.  Like George W. or not, you have to admire his story.  Breaking away from a life of failure, booze, and drugs is truly an American story.  Of course, what is lightly glazed over is the fact that ‘Junior’ had an awful lot of help from his father from getting out of jail to getting into Harvard business school.  There is much more emphases on W.’s perseverance in overcoming adversity, but it is not by any means a stretch.

I think the biggest complaint about this film will be that people honestly were looking for a den of scary, evil people plotting the demise of the greater Western world.  Instead, what Stone shows is a man driven by his own determination to do what he believes is right.  Plus, there is very little mention of puppetry and none by Dick Cheney.  In my personal opinion, I think it was a necessary angle.  The problem with many people’s views on this Bush presidency is that they truly believe he is an idiot and everyone around him are criminal masterminds just sneaking by the judicial system throwing down their gavel of truth and righteousness.  What Stone does instead is depicts a real guy out there to make things right by his own standards.  Now, you or I may not agree with those standards or those beliefs and we may even think it’s the worst possible thing for this country, by the Bush team is not evil.  And I think that is what Stone is attempting to convey and, I believe, he does it extremely well.

Rating: B

Written by: Peter Straughan [Adapted for film based on the book by Toby Young]

Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, and Megan Fox

Release: October 3, 2008

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Robert Weide you may know from his directions of many episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm.  Though not one of my favorite comedy shows, it’s worth noting his experience in the field.  His film is one that will likely satisfy your expectations.  As long as you don’t go in looking for previous over-the-top Simon Pegg films such as ‘Shaun of the Dead’ or ‘Hot Fuzz,’ you’ll be pleased.  As a fan of Pegg’s work, I enjoyed his comedic performance.  He plays an underground London journalist given the chance of a lifetime to work for a big shot magazine head in the States [Jeff Bridges] who sees his own youth and hopefulness in Pegg.  A myriad of conflicts arise for his character from dealing with the radically different American movie stars to wanting to continue his own ‘hard-hitting facts’ journalistic style.

The movie opens at an awards ceremony where Pegg is at a table with Megan Fox’s character.  She plays an excruciatingly dense actress bent on movie stardom and little else.  As a sidenote, I am not at all a fan of her most recent plastic surgery.  When she came on film I barely recognized her and, frankly, didn’t like what I saw.  Moving right along, Pegg goes on to explain how his life ‘didn’t used to be like this.’  From there, we watch the series of events that lead his character to an Armani tuxedo with a beautiful actress.  It’s a classic tale of wondering whether to stay true to yourself or do the what needs doing in order to climb your way to the top.  The underlying storyline includes both Fox and Dunst.  Pegg needs to decide whether he wants the cheap thrill or the meaningful relationship.  The other plot points I will not spoil for you, but the road blocks are many.

There are plenty of laughs to make Pegg’s character enjoyable and his story even more fun to see what is around the next corner.  Again, this movie is not by any means Oscar worthy, but it’s worth a good chuckle.  Besides, what’s funnier than an out of place Brit in the throws of New York City living?  I can think of few.  For the most part, Pegg steals the show.  His comedic delivery parallels many contemporary British comics, which I can never get enough of.  Once again, I think this is a rental.  Not necessarily worth spending the money in the theater unless you want to go with a bunch of your friends and have a good time.  Otherwise, save this for Netflix.

Rating: C+

Starring: John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Tilda Swinton

Release: September 12, 2008

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From the previews I saw in either the theatre or on television, I was extremely excited to see this film.  Visually and comically it grabbed me, and the cast list alone should have powered the pistons in my (or my friend’s) car to the box office.  As a rule, I try not to read many reviews before I go to see a new film, but I did take a look at the Onion’s A.V. Club review, which is usually a good indicator for me because for the most part I’m more forgiving than the writers there.  In this case, I am not.

The Coen brothers are well-known for their comic violence, excellent direction, and any actor would sign on with them likely without even looking at a script.  This very well may have been what the lot in Burn After Reading did.  I am a huge fan of Ms McDermond and a moderate fan of Mr Clooney.  Both cinema giants lost big time trying to carry this lead balloon.  McDermond went through every moment of her on screen appearance racking up the amount of ridiculous face contortions she could muster up.  She certainly wasn’t the amusing Northern Territory cop I so well remember from Fargo.  She became, for lack of a better term, a one-(white)woman minstrel show.  Clooney executed the neurotic ex-Marshall quite well, but failed to expand beyond that.  Perhaps this was the brothers Coen’s point, but it failed to speak to the viewer.

There was not, in my opinion, one single major character to identify with.  The zany, idiotic Pitt character is frustrating; Malkovich is a broken, maniacal man who I lost hope for in the first five minutes of his performance; McDermond’s character along with Clooney’s is despicable; and we’re left with a myriad of misfits who can’t find their place in normal society, hell-bent on their own personal gain.  This fits all but one: Richard Jenkins as a frustrated, powerless fitness club manager.  Unfortunately, we don’t get to know much about him and he winds up being a lost cause by the credit roll anyway.  I felt extremely disconnected from what occurred throughout the film and was left wondering, ‘Why is this all going on in the first place?’

Precisely that question is what received the most amount of laughs at the theatre.  J.K. Simmons plays the CIA supervisor who is cut to at awkward times to simply run the long forgotten ’show so far’ bit of Monty Python fame.  His part in this clusterfuck of a script was to say, ‘All right, so what’s going on?  I don’t get it.’  Indeed, the absurdity of the plot is what is funny, but it doesn’t save this disconnected film.

Indeed, the Coen brothers have dropped the ball on this one.  However, rent it on a rainy day, you’ll get a couple belly-laughs.  You have to see it just to say you’ve seen the latest Coen brothers’ flick, but please don’t spend $11.50 to see this disappointment.

Rating: D-