Book club favorite THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES more than just survives its transition to the screen. Thanks to its strong cast, this female-centric drama thrives. Dakota Fanning stars as Lily, a 14-year-old girl living with her abusive father (Paul Bettany) in South Carolina in 1964. Lily struggles with a burden of guilt after she accidentally killed her mother a decade before, and she longs for knowledge of the woman. When the family’s caretaker Rosaleen (Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson) is arrested after standing up to a group of violent white men, Lily seizes the opportunity to run off with Rosaleen and search for clues to her mother’s life. They arrive at the home of the Boatwrights, a trio of black sisters. Motherly August (Queen Latifah) cultivates the state’s most coveted honey, June (Alicia Keys) focuses on her music and on rebuffing the advances of an ardent suitor (Nate Parker), and childlike May (Sophie Okonedo) struggles to stay happy in the turbulent time. But in a still-racist world where the Civil Rights Act has just been passed, the Boatwrights’ home acts as a haven for Lily as she searches for information about her mother’s past.
The heavy drama could’ve presented a challenge for Fanning, who has gone beyond the role of a little girl, but she does a fine job. The other actresses in the film, especially Latifah and Okonedo, shine without overpowering the other performances. Bettany departs from his usual charming roles and melts into the difficult part of Lily’s violent father. In the spirit of past favorites such as THE COLOR PURPLE and CORRINA, CORRINA, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES presents a gripping look at the South in the 1960s with a nice balance of laughter and tears. (1 hr. 50 min.)
With its sweet teen coupling and ardent devotion to music, NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST feels like the cinematic equivalent of a mixtape made by John Hughes and Cameron Crowe. But the film is actually directed by Peter Sollett, who earned praise for his debut feature, RAISING VICTOR VARGAS. This studio-produced comedy is a bit shinier and more polished, but it still has hints of the authenticity that made his first film so well loved. NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST centers on two New Jersey teens, newly single Nick (Michael Cera, JUNO) and his fellow music lover Norah (Kat Dennings, CHARLIE BARTLETT), who meet at Nick’s band’s show in New York City. Their very long night in the city is driven by two searches: one for a secret concert by their favorite band, Where’s Fluffy; and a second for Norah’s irresponsible and drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor, in what should be a star-making performance). The pair bounce through the streets of New York in Nick’s Yugo and his bandmate’s van, bonding over their shared love of music, while their exes threaten their new romance.
Based on a young adult novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST makes an able leap to the screen. Dennings and Cera are likeably awkward in their tentative courtship, but much of the praise should go to music supervisor Linda Cohen and composer Mark Mothersbaugh. Cohen picks of-the-moment bands such as Vampire Weekend, Takka Takka, We Are Scientists, and Band of Horses that are sure to make the soundtrack as big a hit as the film, while Mothersbaugh perfectly complements Nick and Norah’s sweet romance with his fun yet unobtrusive score. (1 hr. 30 min.)
As its explicit title suggests, Kevin Smith’s ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is a foul-mouthed and filthy film that probably isn’t fit for the very young, the very old, or the easily offended. But for those who enjoy Smith’s brand of humor, this raunchy but romantic comedy could be the perfect date movie (though perhaps not for a first date). With mountains of past-due bills piling up, Zack (Seth Rogen, KNOCKED UP) and his roommate/childhood friend Miri (Elizabeth Banks, SCRUBS) aren’t sure how they’re going to stay in their Pittsburgh apartment. But a chance encounter at their 10-year reunion gives them the idea to make a porn movie. When it comes time for the friends to do the deed, they realize that perhaps they’re more than just friends.
With all the talk of sexual positions and bodily functions, it’d be easy to say that Smith is hopping on the Judd Apatow bandwagon that has dominated the box office in the latter half of the aughts with KNOCKED UP and THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, and ZACK AND MIRI even features a few Apatow alumni. But Smith perfected this schtick down back in the ’90s with CLERKS, when some of Apatow’s fans were still in diapers. ZACK AND MIRI is most reminscent of Smith’s own CHASING AMY; there are plenty of gag- or giggle-inducing moments, but Smith’s script is also surprisingly sweet. Rogen and Banks make a perfect couple, and the always hilarious Rogen could be Smith’s new Ben Affleck or Jason Lee. (1 hr. 41 min.)
In 2008’s MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA, the endearing New York City zoo animals of the original hit movie return for another zany round of CGI adventures abroad. Leaving the island of the title by way of a ramshackle penguin-designed aircraft, the quartet of Alex the Lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), along with unlikely friends such as King Julien the Lemur (Sacha Baron Cohen), crash-land on the African savannah, setting in motion a whole new series of exploits, involving Alex’s long-lost parents (Bernie Mac and Sherri Shepherd) and a stranded group of tenacious NYC human tourists.
Reuniting directors Tom McGrath and Eric Darnell, as well as all the principal cast members of the first film, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA takes full advantage of its sweeping setting, making room for beautifully expansive landscapes amidst the mammal mayhem. While the leads are in fine form, they are ably assisted by series newcomers, including the late Mac, Shepherd, and Alec Baldwin, who plays a scheming rival lion. Though various plotlines get increasingly ridiculous as the movie goes on (see the return of MADAGASCAR’s aggressive Grand Central Station granny), the good-natured main characters and their silly support players (particularly lemurs and penguins) keep ESCAPE 2 AFRICA entertaining no matter how far the story strays off the wildlife reserve. (1 hr. 29 min.)
In a shift away from his usual exploration of the dark and dreary, director Mike Leigh (VERA DRAKE) takes a lighter look at life with HAPPY-GO-LUCKY. The film chronicles the daily comings and goings of 30-year-old Poppy, whose positive, easy-going outlook epitomizes the title. Poppy is a primary school teacher, who lives in London with her best friend Zoe (Alexis Zegerman). We follow Poppy through her daily routines–going clubbing with her friends, preparing exercises for her class, going to the chiropractor, and taking flamenco lessons. Nothing truly remarkable happens to Poppy, and yet, her boundless good cheer and childlike delight make her smallest endeavors incredibly engaging. Poppy’s smile is put to the ultimate test after she decides to take driving lessons, and is assigned to Scott (Eddie Marsan). Scott is a paranoid, rage-filled instructor who verbally abuses her throughout her lessons. Poppy continues to see him, week after week, despite his escalating tantrums. Meanwhile, at work, a young student has been acting out in class, and Poppy must call in a very handsome social worker for assistance. She and the social worker eventually go on a date, which ends up becoming a catalyst for her driving instructor’s climactic meltdown and confrontation with Poppy.
The film is a fascinating character study, and Hawkins is excellent as Poppy, striking just the right chord of cheerful without coming off as shrill or obnoxious. It also offers a refreshingly upbeat and realistic look at life for the 30-something urban woman. Poppy lives her life to the fullest–in the real world–without any clichéd SEX AND THE CITY hangups. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is whip-smart and full of surprises–just when you are certain the story is going to veer in a certain direction, Leigh gently nudges you down a different path. And you are glad of it. (1 hr. 58 min.)
He picked cotton, sold door to door, and served in the Air Force. He was a voice of rebellion that changed the face of rock and roll. An outlaw before today’s rebels were born - and an icon they would never forget. He did all this before turning 30. And his name was Johnny Cash. WALK THE LINE explores the early years of the music legend, an artist who transcended musical boundaries to touch people around the globe. As his music changed the world, Cash’s own world was rocked by the woman who became the love of his life: June Carter. (2 hrs. 15 min.)
Despite repeated warnings to stay away, a group of fun-loving but none-too-bright teenagers set out to reopen the eerie Camp Crystal Lake, which closed 20 years earlier after a series of bizarre and unexplained deaths. Now someone is lurking in the woods, spying on the happy campers, and plotting a gory, grisly revenge on those who would disturb the camp’s slumber. A horror classic that set the standard for slasher flicks of the 1980s. (1 hr. 35 min.)
In this Sidney Lumet-directed Motown rendition of THE WIZARD OF OZ, Diana Ross plays a soulful Dorothy, accompanied by a cast peppered with R&B stars such as Roberta Flack and Luther Vandross. (2 hrs. 13 min.)
In Adrian Lyne’s FLASHDANCE, a young woman, Alex (Jennifer Beals), strives to achieve success as a classical dancer, but economic forces require her to work as a welder by day and an exotic dancer by night. Standing in her way is an abundance of profound social obstacles, not the least of which is her boss at the welding factory, Nick (Michael Nouri), who is also her boyfriend. Alex strives to be accepted into a prestigious ballet academy, and she is furious when she realizes that her boyfriend might be pulling strings for her behind the scenes. Along the road to self-discovery and independence, Alex also struggles to accept love, come to terms with her own stubbornness, and find the inner strength to turn her lofty dreams into reality.
Edited for maximum rhythmic impact, FLASHDANCE is full of glistening bodies and metallic surfaces, powered by Giorgio Moroder’s throbbing music and one hit song after another: Michael Sembello’s “Maniac,” Karen Karmen’s “Manhunt,” and, notably, Irene Cara’s Oscar-winning theme song, “Flashdance…What a Feeling.” FLASHDANCE marks the first coproduction between Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, who geared the film toward the MTV generation. (1 hr. 38 min.)