September 16, 2009

Hankering After Greener Grass
By Lisa Miller

EXTRACT (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Mike Judge
Starring Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, Mila Kunis, Beth Grant, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr., David Koechner, Gene Simmons, Javier Gutierrez, Dustin Milligan
Miramax-Rated R-Comedy-91 min
What if your carefully constructed empire proved to be your prison? This question is central to writer-director Mike Judge's new comedy -- and it's a doozie.
Everyman Joel Reynolds (Jason Bateman) thought he was living his dream. He invented a formula for a fine flavor extract and produces it in a factory owned by the company he built. When we meet Joel -- about 15 years into his entrepreneurial adventure -- he's realized his marriage to Suzie (Kristen Wiig) is on the brink of becoming a sexless, brother-sister-like relationship. The couple's upscale mansionette -- located in one of a those nouveau riche neighborhoods that popped up during the '90's -- has become a trap due to Joel's neighbor Nathan (David Koechner), ambushing Joel at every opportunity to hold long-winded discussions or to foist unwanted invitations onto Joel and his wife.
Joel blames his domestic unhappiness on long hours spent at work where he frequently finds his employees mired in resentment, racism, stupidity and greed. Low factory worker morale ought to be the concern of Joel's plant manager Brian (the ubiquitous, hilarious J. K. Simmons), but instead, Brian's superiority complex prevents him from learning the worker's names let alone familiarizing himself with their complaints.
Joel's professional problems might be solved by selling his factory to General Mills -- provided he can pass that corporation's sniff test -- but Joel's company acquires a bad smell soon after the arrival of temp worker Cindy (Mila Kunis). A flirty young grifter possessing a criminal history and a half dozen IDs, Cindy steals coworkers' wallets. Her grand scheme is to persuade redneck floor manager Step (Clifton Collins Jr.) to sue Joel for an injury resulting from a bizarre on-the-job-accident. Unaware of Cindy's real motives, Joel's lustful obsession with the pretty employee grows day by day.
Joel's adviser on personal problems is his bartender Dean (Ben Affleck), a pot head who sees the world through a smoky haze. Affleck, perhaps the funniest character in this stellar cast, gets just the right inflection of cross-eyed justifications into his character's many schemes. His most intriguing idea calls for Joel to hire an incredibly dense young stud muffin to clean Joel's swimming pool and service Joel's wife so that Joel can pursue a guilt-free affair with Cindy.
While few of the film's characters are completely without redeeming qualities, all are desirous of the forbidden. Judge reasons that it's in our nature to want what we're not entitled to without reaping the consequences of our actions. However, he rightly observes that every now and then we regret our actions, become willing to change and do our best to make amends. Rather than create a misanthropic comedy, Judge gives us a 4-step program to extract ourselves from the addictive effects of bad behavior. Step one is easy enough: See "Extract."

Gamer (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Mark Neveldine Brian Taylor
Starring Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Ludacris
Lionsgate-Rated R-Sci-Fi, Action-95 min
Following a lackluster Los Angeles test screening, "Gamer" has been kept under wraps. This ambitious story casts Butler as Kable, a living, breathing person controlled by a nanochip in his brain and forced to fight combatants -- gladiator style -- in the video game "Slayer." Kable desperately wants the freedom he was promised as reward for winning 30 games so he can rescue his wife trapped in yet another video game, "Society." Kable's wife is controlled by a creepy, obese gamer forcing her to explore the seamy underbelly of a dangerous city. Chaotic action relies on many a jump-cuts while the storyline struggles to move the action past bloody confrontations. Michael C. Hall, of "Dexter" fame, appears in a brief role as the game's cruel inventor, but since he and his adversary, Kable barely meet, the "Gamer" hasn't got much "game."

All About Steve (2009)
* (Grade D)
Directed by Phil Traill
Starring Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, Thomas Haden Church, Ken Jeong
Fox 2000-Rated PG-13-Comedy
Sandra Bullock goes blonde and eccentric for the role of Mary Horowitz, a crossword puzzle constructor. Following a brief blind date with handsome news cameraman Steve (Cooper), Mary becomes obsessed with him. She follows Steve cross country, disrupting his assignments. The film is saved by Church playing self-serving news reporter Hartman Hughes (Church), a blowhard encouraging Mary to follow her heart whatever the cost. Neither Steve nor Hartman could predict that Mary's oddball ways would garner her a collection of fans prompting Steve to take another look at Mary. Wouldn't it be cool if we could push a button to vote for who should get the girl? Why not Church?

The Final Destination (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by David R. Ellis
Starring Nick Zano, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Haley Webb
New Line-Rated R-Horror-81 min
What promises to be a fun-filled day at the races is anything but after Nick's (Campo) premonition that a bizarre racing accident will kill him, his friends, and those around them. Having persuaded his girlfriend (VanSanten) and their companions (Webb and Zano) along with others, to leave the stands, the escapees are horrified to see Nick's prediction come true moments later. None is prepared for death to stalk them in the order they were scheduled to die, nor for the increasingly gruesome methods by which they will be killed. Can any of these kids cheat death again? If so, they'll need to understand the grim reaper's convoluted rules. The fourth "Final Destination" film marks the series's first 3D outing, a format that promises to intensify the visceral experience.

Halloween II (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Rob Zombie
Starring Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Margaret Kidder, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Richard Brake, Sheri Moon Zombie
Dimension Films-Rated R-Horror-101 mins
Now that Rob Zombie has established the murderous Michael Meyers as the product of an abusive home, the director plans to explore the psychological effect on Michael's sister Laurie (Taylor-Compton), but not until Michael has escaped the mental institution and is determined to kill her. Zombie moves the action to Georgia where he hopes to "open up" the movie by using rural locations as the setting for the numerous grisly killings and employing longer shots to frame Michael's pursuit of Laurie. The return of Dr. Loomis (McDowell) as Michael's psychiatrist should be a plus. Zombie, who initially had no plans to direct a sequel, couldn't resist this opportunity though he claims to be striking out in a new direction. One thing's certain, "Halloween II," will be much darker than its competition, "The Final Destination" 3D.

Taking Woodstock (2009)
* *1/2 (Grade B-)
Directed by Ang Lee
Starring Demetri Martin, Paul Dano, Emile Hirsch, Imelda Staunton, Henry Goodman, Live Schreiber and Eugene Levy
Focus Features-Rated R-Comedy-110 min
Woodstock might never have happened if not for the efforts of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin), a gay, Jewish interior designer, son of local motel owners. Based on the book by Tiber and Tom Monte, director Ang Lee mines the comedy arising from Tiber's efforts to locate the concert in the pastures of a local dairy farmer (Levy). As the event comes together, Tiber's family motel hits the jackpot, and Tiber meets a free-spirited transvestite (Schreiber) who helps the youth find his way out of the closet. Trivia note: Schreiber also starred in the often overlooked Woodstock-centric movie, 1999's "A Walk On The Moon."

Inglourious Basterds (2009)
* * * (Grade B)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger
Weinstein Co.-Rated R-Drama-153 min
A small group of American soldiers, commanded by Aldo Raine (Pitt), plot to terrorize Nazi soldiers in Occupied France. Though Tarantino worked on his script for more than a decade, this rather conventional war movie is lacking his trademark rapier wit. Tension mounts when Hitler's SS plans a Paris film premiere to celebrate the exploits of their best sniper, Fredrick Zoller (Bruhl). A British lieutenant (Fassbender) organizes an Allied group known as the Basterds to blow up the theater. However, the cinema's owner (Laurent), has an even better idea. With spies everywhere, the Nazis come perilously close to uncovering both schemes. Expect an old-fashioned WWII drama and enjoy the film for Tarantino's expert technical construction.