The theatres are packed with great blockbusters this year, including Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The second of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes franchise, A Game of Shadows brings Robert Downey Jr. (as Holmes) and Jude Law (as Dr. Watson) back together for another great caper in Victorian London. The stakes are higher this time around, with Europe set on the brink of war and evil forces conspiring to push the continent over the edge. Holmes and Watson set out on a cross-country manhunt for Professor Moriarty (played by Jared Harris of Mad Men), only to discover that his schemes are deeper and darker than anything they imagined. While many sequels often fall flat, A Game of Shadows delivers great action sequences, clever verbal spars, and a remarkable lack of cheese (something that was all-too-present in the first Sherlock Holmes).

Another option is to bring home The Help. Based on Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel, The Help is truly a heartwarmer. Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland) and Viola Davis (Doubt, Eat Pray Love) star alongside an incredible supporting cast. Stone plays twentysomething Skeeter Phelan, a southern belle returning home after graduating from Ole’ Miss. Looking to launch her writing career, Skeeter’s hard-pressed to find something to write about but after witnessing her best friend, Hilly Holbrook (played to a tee by Bryce Dallas Howard), make insensitive, racist comments in front of the family help, Skeeter decides to write a book about her hometown of Jackson, Miss. from the point of view of the black housekeepers who worked for all of Jackson’s finest families. She enlists housekeeper Aibileen Clark to help her and as Skeeter and Aibileen work together, they each develop a greater appreciation for the life the other leads, the rich stories they have to share, and the danger they both face. I read The Help, and was concerned that the film wouldn’t capture the true spirit of the book, but I need not have worried—The Help is a great adaptation, and those who enjoyed reading it will delight in watching it come alive on the screen.

Enjoy these silver screen treats, and I look forward to what 2012 will bring to the movie world.

Rave Reviews

While Hollywood seems to be awash in talented thirty-something actresses these days, finding a guy who can hold his own against a strong female lead is a bit harder. There are plenty of distinguished older gentlemen who have proven that they’ve got the chops to keep a saucy 30 year old in check. But the list of thirty-something men is uninspired. Except for Ryan Gosling. Whether it’s luck, or good choices, or being raised in the wilds of suburban Ontario, Gosling has fashioned himself into a go-to leading man. This edition of Rave Reviews takes a closer look at Gosling in two of his latest releases, The Ides of March and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

The Ides of March was released in theatres earlier last month and when a friend wanted to catch it on the big screen, I jumped at the chance. George Clooney wrote and directed the tight political thriller, and the cast was solid: Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, and of course, Ryan Gosling. Gosling plays Stephen Meyers, a young campaign manager whose political savvy serves his boss, a presidential hopeful, well. That is, until an amateur move puts him on the outs with the campaign team. But what those around him don’t know is that Meyers has an ace up his sleeve, an explosive secret that could tank his boss. Gosling is picture perfect in this role. He has just enough ice in his veins to pull off the calm veneer of a political operative, yet still conveys a naiveté that he gradually sheds over the course of the film. The script adds just the right punch to make the Ides of March an Oscar contender.

After watching Gosling in Ides, I was more than a little surprised to see him starring opposite Steve Carell in the romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love. Gosling plays Jacob Palmer, a slick ladies man who takes Carell’s Cal Weaver under his wing after Cal’s wife leaves him for another man. The pairing is perfect. Gosling portrays Jacob as a bit of a wise guy with a soft spot for the hapless Cal. It’s not long before Cal is transformed into a debonair dandy, taking down marks with ease. As a girl who can’t abide rom-coms of the sappy variety, I was more than happy to find myself laughing at Carell’s antics and smirking as Gosling’s smug attitude comes undone. Gosling was, once again, a pleasant surprise, matching Carell’s comic timing with ease. If you’re looking for a date night movie I’d recommend picking up Crazy, Stupid, Love on your way home.

Gosling has a few movies slated for release in the near future, including Terrence Malick’s latest, Lawless, and The Place Beyond the Pines, co-starring Bradley Cooper and Rose Byrne. If you find yourself developing a Gosling addiction, as I have, Gosling filmography includes a little bit of everything: romance, drama, action, comedy. Curling up for a Ryan Gosling marathon is a movie night worth planning.

One of the perks of writing a movie column is that you can always justify attending movie-based events. Most of the time that means heading out to an opening night, or taking in a film festival. But occasionally, unique events come up that any film lover, yours truly included, would not want to miss.

I’m currently attending school in Calgary, and my busy class schedule doesn’t leave a lot of time for movies. However, back in September I happened to be perusing the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s website when an event caught my eye. The CPO was running a special Halloween event: a screening of the Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho, with a live performance of the score. I couldn’t believe my luck. It’s not every day that a world-class symphony departs from its usual classical fare to put on this sort of show. I immediately booked my tickets and marked the date on my calendar.

I hate to admit that I had never seen Psycho through to the end. Of course I knew of the famous shower scene where Janet Leigh meets her demise, the spectre of the Bates Motel, and the piercing music that raises the hair on the back of your neck. The opportunity to cross Psycho off my list of must-see classics and hear the eerie score played by a dozen violins, violas, cellos and bases had me counting down the days until Halloween weekend.

I was not disappointed. The movie itself was incredible. Although by today’s standards many of the cinematic devices are considered cliché, I can see why it was heralded as a horror classic when it was first released in 1960. There were definitely a few moments when I hunched down in my seat and covered my eyes. However, it was the live music that made the night. The sound resonated through the hall, and was so perfectly executed that, at times, I completely forgot that the music was being performed right in front of me. When the lights finally came back up, the crowd gave the orchestra a much-deserved round of applause, and I had the opportunity to eavesdrop on a few conversations around me. The consensus seemed to be that the event was a huge success, and like me, many others felt that the music worked seamlessly with the film. The friend who I had brought agreed, and asked me to make sure to invite her along for the next CPO movie night.

Even true videophiles can get that stale feeling every once in a while. When the new release lists get uninspiring, it’s a treat to try something a little different. While the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra doesn’t have a movie option in their program (yet!), I encourage you to seek out special movie events. Whether it’s the Kamloops Film Society’s Thursday Night Film Series, or a classic movie night at a friend’s house, getting away from the “Top 10” latest and greatest is a sure way to rekindle your love of great film.

Have you ever thought about what your favourite movie would be like without music? I don’t just mean the musical lovers out there, who’d probably tear their hair out at the thought of The Sound of Music without “A Problem Like Maria” and “Climb Every Mountain.” Movies just wouldn’t have the same punch without those melodies. Imagine how lame Jaws would be without that two-note tune, or how Kevin Bacon’s career would’ve gone if it hadn’t been for Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.”

I recently watched the riveting Hanna and the moment I heard the first eerie chords from the soundtrack, conceived by one of my favourite music groups, the Chemical Brothers, I began ruminating on the power of music in movies.

First off, let me say that Hanna is an intriguing film. Part Cold War spy flick, part coming-of-age story, it contrasts a child’s innocence with the dark forces surrounding her birth. Eric Bana (Munich, Blackhawk Down) and Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) are the cinematic pillars upon which Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones) balances her impeccable performance. There are very few young actors who can convincingly realize both angelic naivety and brutal mercilessness, yet Ronan does it with a flair that left me breathless. This film merits attention, even before you consider the score.

There’s been a recent trend of artists, usually with electronica leanings, collaborating on soundtracks. Last year, Trent Reznor, of Nine Inch Nails, collaborated with English composer Atticus Ross to put together the Oscar-winning score for The Social Network. 2010 also saw French duo Daft Punk step up for the hyper-synth Tron: Legacy soundtrack. Hanna follows in this tradition, and the Chemical Brothers did a fine job providing discordant yet oddly beautiful sounds as a quirky underlay for the film. Just as Ronan’s performance sets up deep contrasts, so do the musical themes. Deep, dark synthesizers provide moody atmosphere, while xylophones and bells chime in with child-like humour. Scenes that should be terrifying take on a level of irony that wouldn’t be possible without the harmonic backdrop. As a cinephile, I enjoyed the character studies, the location choices and the cinematography, but it was my inner-audiophile that forced me to take a closer look and listen to Hanna.

There are scenes in movies that are memorable because of what you saw, but more often than we realize, it’s the sounds of the film that leave traces. The trumpet solo in The Godfather, the rolling strings and horns of Dances with Wolves, the haunting piano of American Beauty. Without music, these films lack richness and colour. If you’re looking for a fantastic movie with music to match, be sure to pick up a copy of Hanna. But if you really want to have your mind blown, pick up an old favourite and when your favourite scenes come, close your eyes. I bet you’ll be surprised by what you hear.

Waiting for Superman is not director Davis Guggenheim’s first foray into the world of documentaries. Guggenheim directed the Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth, and the 2008 rock-doc It Might Get Loud. Those who’ve watched his films know he’s a great storyteller using hard facts and personal stories. Waiting for Superman follows this trend, making this important topic extremely watchable.

In 2001, Guggenheim followed five teachers and their students for a whole school year. Ten years later, he felt guilty enrolling his two children in private school but noted that the public school system was in shambles and he couldn’t justify putting his kids in a second-rate classroom when he could afford the best for them.

Guggenheim’s 2001 project tracked four families who don’t have a choice. The kids are diverse: one little boy is extremely bright but with an uncommitted teacher; another boy with learning disabilities is falling through the cracks; and a five-year-old girl who plans to become a vet.

Guggenheim explains that for each of these kids, the path to success is covered in landmines and deadends. In each neighbourhood there’s only one school with a proven track record, but the competition to get in is fierce. If the kids don’t get into those schools, the alternative is attending schools considered to be “drop-out factories”. These schools are faced with warring state and federal bureaucracies, terrible teachers who don’t care to teach, and teacher unions fighting to maintain teacher tenure’s status quo. As Michelle Rhee, public school chancellor for Washington, D.C., pointed out, there’s a trend of adults putting their own interests and agendas ahead of the needs of students.

While our public school system in British Columbia isn’t facing these problems to the same degree, I never cease to be amazed when I hear about strike notice being dropped the week before classes begin. Parents, teachers, politicians and anyone concerned about the future of the Canadian society should watch Waiting for Superman and consider it as a cautionary tale. Be sure to pick up this movie before you write your angry Letter to the Editor.

The series is record breaking in so many ways. The midnight showing of HP7.2 was the highest grossing midnight opening in history, and its first weekend ticket sales topped the last record setter, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which followed on the heels of star Heath Ledger’s death. Aside from dollars, Harry Potter is arguably the longest running single storyline to ever grace the big screen; consider that franchises such as James Bond and the Friday the 13th series are all technically stand-alone films. With the frenzy that accompanied the release of each book, the remarkable collective success of the films is no surprise. But what of their actual, individual impact? I asked a few friends what their favourite HP movie was, and why.

One of my classmates, Gabrielle, couldn’t name just one movie. She listed her “Top Potter” favourites as the first, fifth and eighth films (in that order). She loved the magic of seeing Potter come to life for the first time in The Philosopher’s Stone, and how the characters really gelled in Order of the Phoenix. As for the final film, she said it was the perfect wrap up for the story. My husband was quick to say his favourite was the fourth film, The Goblet of Fire. He felt it was the first time the characters and the audience sensed the gravity of the plot, and the story matured and moved into the realm of adulthood. As for me, my love is for the third film, The Prisoner of Azkaban. Aside from the dark and twisty ambience brought by Mexican director Alfonso CuarÓn, I think the third film was when the world woke up to what the Harry Potter stories were all about. While the magic was truly there, it was the friendship between Harry, Ron and Hermione that stole the show.

For Harry Potter fans, I won’t need to give any reason why the movie is worth watching! But for those of you who aren’t keen moviegoers, or who plan on waiting for the DVD, I urge you to go see this movie. This series is more than just books on screen, or for you cynics out there, a Hollywood money grab. The phenomenon that is Harry Potter is a zeitgeist that’s guaranteed to become a classic. If you missed seeing classics like Gone With the Wind, Star Wars: A New Hope, or The Lord of The Rings in theatres, don’t let the opportunity to see Harry Potter slip away. It truly is the next great classic of our time.

What does this mean for movie lovers? As an avid videophile, I’ve watched these developments with great interest. While the novelty of being able to stream movies directly into my living room at the touch of a button was certainly appealing, I wondered whether online services, such as Netflix, could live up to and replace the service and selection that’s available at smaller, locally run video stores. So far, the answer has been a resounding no.

I subscribed to Netflix in the spring, and at first found the service very convenient. There were hundreds of movies to choose from, and my husband and I watched many of our back catalogue favourites in the first few weeks after we started our subscription. But after we’d worked our way through the recommended selections, we began using the search function to find titles not included on the Netflix frontpage. Much to our disappointment, many of our searches turned up nothing. This was particularly true in the horror genre and for classic films. Favourite titles like The Shining, Schindler’s List, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and many others were notable in their absence.

A further problem is that Netflix has a hard time recommending movies we might enjoy. Unlike a store clerk with a deep knowledge of their store’s catalogue, an algorithm won’t push you to watch great filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa, Federico Fellini, or even early Scorsese. Those little gems that sit on the “Staff Favourites” wall are lost. I’m not actually sure what criteria the Netflix algorithm does use for recommendations; we end up with really weird titles in our list, like The Lost Boys II, or ‘60s Italian films starring Sophia Loren.

Kamloops folks continue to benefit from local movie shop Moviemart, at 520 Seymour Street. The local standby for movie lovers of all stripes, Moviemart has been serving the city for almost 30 years. One wonders, though, how long small rental shops will last as the wave of digital rentals comes crashing in. For Sun Peaks residents, a download on a high-speed Internet connection is an option that’s both faster and cheaper than a trip to the nearest movie shop. While I hope that tide of rental shop closures has been stemmed after this recent blood-letting, I predict that video-on-demand will become more common over the next few years. Like the heroes of old westerns, local video stores will soon be riding into the sunset.

If you want to hit up the theatre, X-Men: First Class is a great way to start your run on summer blockbusters. This rethinking of X-Men mythology combines ‘60s swagger with a few old friends and a host of new mutants. The cast features some of my favourite up and coming stars: James McAvoy (Atonement), Michael Fassbander (300), and January Jones (Mad Men). Mix in the prolific Kevin Bacon, and a few cameo appearances from Hugh Jackman (sitting in as Wolverine) and Rebecca Romijn (as the grown-up Mystique), and you’ve got as much star-power as any one movie can handle! While I’m a bit wary of the recent trend of prequels, starting with the Star Wars series and demonstrated most recently with the rethinking of Star Trek, I wasn’t disappointed with this latest in the Marvel canon. If you’re looking for action, cheesy one-liners, moral dilemmas, and a bit of mutant bromance, look no further than X-Men: First Class.

If you can’t make it to the theatre, never fear! You can still get all the sci-fi action you can manage when you bring home I Am Number Four. Although not nearly as star-studded as X-Men, and with a backstory that appears to combine Superman with Push, I still had fun watching this teen-driven movie. If you decide to grab this off the shelf, I’ve got two warnings for you. First, don’t expect too much. This really is just a teen drama with some special-effects driven action scenes. Second, this movie is clearly set up for a sequel. The unfortunate result is that there are a few story threads that were left wide open. Although I don’t mind a few unanswered questions, I find that some writers overdo it. This movie is a prime example, and was a bit disappointing as a result.

With summer movie season underway, what better way to get in on the action than by catching one of these sci-fi flicks. There are plenty more great releases scheduled for the summer so be sure to set aside some time in your busy summer schedule to kick back in a dark cool theatre.

I imagine you must be asking yourself: The King’s Speech? Didn’t it win an Oscar? Sure it did. But that doesn’t save it from the trailer crash! When the trailer was first released last summer, I remember being very excited. Not only was the story about the British Royals, one of my favourite movie subjects, but the star-studded cast included Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham-Carter. The trailer portrayed a nation on the brink of war, a king racing the clock to overcome a personal impediment, and two men forging a bond of friendship that would ultimately save England. When I finally watched the film a few weeks ago, I was disappointed that the looming sense of urgency portrayed in the trailer was absent in the film. And while the acting was fabulous, I found the film dull and flat.

Now, when this happens to you once, you shrug your shoulders and chalk it up to bad movie luck. But when the credits rolled on The Adjustment Bureau, which I watched just a week later, I knew I had been zinged again! The trailer promised a riveting sci-fi thriller with a romantic twist, and another set of hard-hitting stars (Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp) were lined up to knock this one out of the park. Even more enticing was the fact that the film was based on a story by Philip K. Dick, an author whose stories have inspired other recent sci-fi hits such as Paycheck (Ben Affleck, Uma Thurman) and Minority Report (Tom Cruise). So what happened? The story was interesting and the acting was great, but overall the movie felt stale and underdeveloped. The writers and director were trying to cram in too much, and the whole movie fell flat on its face.

Trailers are a movie’s first chance to make an impression on its potential audience. While most trailers do this job with style, and even a bit of sizzle, be wary of the dark side of the trailer biz. You never know when a good trailer is going to take you to the wrong side of the movie tracks.

Over the last few years, I’ve been on a mission to get more familiar with classic literature. It started with the 2004 release of Mira Nair’s version of Vanity Fair, starring Reese Witherspoon. Nair’s eye for aesthetics and her pointed direction of the story made my jaw drop and as soon as the credits rolled I was out looking for a copy of the book. The recent adaptation of Jane Eyre, starring Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, 300) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), has whet my appetite for the Brontë sisters. The story of Jane and Mr. Rochester is a classic, brooding love story, but director Cary Fukunaga brings so much more to this latest film version. The shadowy cinematography, and the gorgeous locations (near Derbyshire in England) lend to some of the darker themes of the story. But perhaps even more appealing is Fukunaga’s focus on Jane’s development, as she blossoms from an impetuous young girl into a sharp-minded and independent woman. The film, full of heartbreak and redemption, is guaranteed to satisfy any craving you may have for a period piece.

If you’re looking for something a little feistier, pick up a copy of Made in Dagenham. Based on the true story of the Ford strike of the 1960s in England, the film tells the tale of the women who led the strike and brought about the first pay equity legislation in England. Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky) stars as Rita O’Grady, the unlikely leader of the Ford machinists. Hawkins is perfect in the role, going from unassuming mother and wife to spitfire unionist in the blink of an eye. One of the best things about Made in Dagenham is that director Nigel Cole was careful not to romanticize the strike or the culture in which these women were living. In the short span of the film, Cole gets across the drama and heartache that these women faced in their day-to-day lives while they were fighting for equal rights. This is a great movie to watch with your teenagers, especially considering the current democratic climate in the run-up to the May 2 election!

While waiting for May flowers, pass the time with a few English roses and enjoy the peace and quiet of the shoulder season.