filmland / By Charlie Myers

Lame Lions

Do-goodie political filmmakers are starting to bore

(Nov. 15, 2007) Previews

Opening Friday, Nov. 16, following in the footsteps of last year’s 300, Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf brings another digitally enhanced warrior to the screen for your viewing pleasure. The film uses the technology of “performance capture” seen in The Polar Express to tell the story of the misunderstood monster who has been terrorizing us humans since somewhere around the year 700, in and out of classes in Old English literature. Ray Winstone (voice) is the warrior sent to tame Grendel, voiced by Crispin Glover. Also featuring images of Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn and others. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sexual material and nudity. 125 m. At the Broadway, Fortuna and Mill Creek.

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Probably more to my taste is Love in a Time of Cholera , based on the well-known 1985 novel by Gabriel Garc√≠a M√°rquez. Directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), the film tells the story of Florentino (Javier Bardem) who as a teen falls in love with Fermina (Giovanna Mezzoggiorno, Don’t Tell) but must wait over a half-century for a consummation. That even puts the penguins to shame. Rated R for sexual content/nudity and brief language. 149 m. At the Broadway.

The family comedy/holiday film Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium features Natalie Portman as a woman who inherits a toy store that was owned by the 243-year-old Mr. Magorium (Dustin Hoffman), causing the toys to get very upset. Only a young boy (Zach Mills, Hollywoodland) can revive the wonder. Rated G. 106 m. At the Broadway, Fortuna and Mill Creek.

Reviews

LIONS FOR LAMBS: I must admit that I’m getting a little tired of being preached to at the movies, even when I’m a member of the choir. Lions for Lambs is a relentlessly liberal story replete with a professor (Robert Redford, who also directed) who is the best of all possible teachers, an ambitious politician who is totally arrogant and corrupt (Tom Cruise in what is hardly a stretch) and a brainy reporter who just wants to report the real news and not be an entertainer or a tool for politicians (Meryl Streep, solid as always).

A possibly unfair summary of the film might go like this: In Lions for Lambs,the viewer learns that there are some really caring teachers who inspire students, that politicians lack ethics and are corrupt (that came as a particular shocker for me) and that there are still some reporters who care about educating the public as to what is going on in the country. Thus we have the best of all possible teachers and journalists and the worst of all possible politicians.

I’m sure the film has the best of intentions as well, but it totally lacks subtlety and complexity. The opening images are effective and nicely set up the film’s narrative strategy. The viewer sees a series of close-ups of the three primary characters. The story itself then proceeds by alternating between Janine Roth (Streep) interviewing Republican Senator Jasper Irving (Cruise), history professor Dr. Stephen Malley (Redford) having a conference with bright student Todd Hayes (Andrew Garfield), who has become jaded about his education, and shots of a military mission in Afghanistan that involves two former students of Malley’s, Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Pe√±a) and Arian Finch (Derek Luke), who joined up when they were inspired by Malley’s class to make a difference. I should add that Malley tried to talk them out of enlisting.

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