Casino Royale

Directed by: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench
Running Time: 2h 24min

Let me come right out by saying that I would consider myself a casual Bond fan. I'm not a die hard, "have to own the latest special edition box set" kind of fan, but i must admit that i have seen all the films in the franchise. In fact, i'm geeky enough to admit to having rented all the films during a Bond binge, mind you, the rentals were free at the time, so the marathon was a no brainer.

That being said, i must also admit that my favourite Bond films are the seventies/early eighties Roger Moore cheeky stunt spectacles, quite possibly because they are the ones i grew up on, and happen to have secretly watched while i was pretending to sleep when my parents took us to see a drive-in triple header of Clash of the Titans, Superman 2, and For Your Eyes Only, if my memory serves me correctly. This is not to say that Moore is my favourite portrayal of Bond, but i have a certain soft spot for the films he was in.

Now, imagine my surprise when seeing Casino Royale open without the huge ridiculous opening stunt i've come to expect. Rather, in its place is a black and white, gritty, origin piece showing us Bond's first kill on his way to 00 agent status. This is not your typical Bond! And thankfully so.

The franchise had already gone through a cycle or two of self parody and re imagining, so it is very refreshing to see the character return to his roots. This updated version fits in nicely with some other recent, play it straight, spy capers like The Bourne Identity. The consequences seem very real, Bond's emotions rise to the surface, and his love, pain, anger, and fear all fill the screen in a way no amount of explosions could.

Daniel Craig is receiving tremendous accolades and is deserving of them. He makes you forget about his predecessors, only because this take seems so different and down to earth (or at least as down to earth as a British super spy can be). He has a wonderful supporting cast, with Eva Green taking "Bond girl" status to new heights, far beyond the simple eye candy we've come to expect.

The film is exceedingly long, but does have some fine set pieces and tense moments that it can be forgiven for its indulgence. Fans and non-fans should enjoy this film, as it requires little background of the character in order to enjoy, though followers will chuckle at some of the tweaking of the conventions. I did miss Q, however, but trust that his presence would have hindered the new direction they've taken.

Grade: A-

Stranger Than Fiction

Directed by: Marc Forster
Starring: Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson
Running Time: 1h 53min

Perhaps the most interesting concept in mainstream film this year, Stranger than Fiction has Ferrell playing the character in Thompson's newest novel, though he just recently has become aware of his status as fictional character. The idea is brilliant, much in the vein of Charlie Kaufman's crazy "plot within a plot" films like Adaptation, Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Thankfully, the entire cast is up to the task of making the most mileage out of this quirky concept. Ferrell's crazed lunacy works wonders here, as his everyman abilities blend nicely with his penchant to spazz out in full improvisation mode. He equally carries the romantic, psychological, and comedic sub plots with ease, effortlessly engaging with his co-stars.

Gyllenhaal deftly handles another May-December romance, adding to her growing resume. She and Ferrell have a bizarre chemistry that you'd think you'd only find in a novel (or a film), further adding to the perplexity of the film's converging plot lines. She is sexy and charming, but believably drawn to Ferrell in way that's hard to explain, without the help of Hoffman's literary professor character.

Hoffman continues his career resurgence, as he is quickly morphing his history of brilliant leading man turns into stellar supporting roles that are upstaging his co-stars. Here he propels the film forward by guiding Ferrell's character arc and bridging the two major plots together. Hoffman demonstrates his comedic prowess in both physical and lyrical delivery, and is a treat to watch.

Finally, Thompson, who is normally one of my most hated screen foils for no reason other than she's the type of Brit that irritates me, rather than entices me, is quite charming as the writer of the entire piece. Thankfully, her screen time is limited, though she delivers well, much as she did in Love Actually.

This film has to be seen, possibly multiple times, to be fully appreciated. You will enjoy it on a multitude of levels.

Grade: A-

The Prestige

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, David Bowie, Andy Serkis
Running Time: 2h 08min

It's always nice to see a director-actor duo collaborate in successive projects, espeically when they can be removed from the massive studio work situation that surrounds a film like Batman Begins, which is where we find Nolan and Bale, filling in time between Bat films. A subsequent pairing allows the director and actor to further their relationship and speak in a kind of shorthand, bringing their collaboration to new heights. Think of Scorcese-DeNiro and Scorcese-DiCaprio, or Spike Lee-Denzel Washington for examples of this.

The term relationship is key, as The Prestige centers around the relationships the characters have with each other and what is perceived as their connective tissue plays both within and beyond the film. The audience is placed in a very strategic position of both knower and seeker of knowledge, and like a good magic trick, it is what we perceive and expect that will equally guide us and trick us towards the final act, or what is referred to in magic circles, as "The Prestige".

Nolan's previous work (Memento, Following, Insomnia) has built upon his manipulation of audience engagement with film texts, and tweaking our sophisticated knowledge as viewers in such a way that our work as an audience helps propel the film as we are forced to guess, then second guess our preconcieved notions of where his films are headed. Without recognizing our intelligence as an audience, the film would have no place to go.

The psychology of Nolan's films are like that of a masterful storyteller, akin to Robertson Davies' Fifth Business set of novels. The make up and structure of the medium, whether it is writing or filmmaking, or magic tricks, is key to the enjoyment of the medium's content. We are well aware as we watch The Prestige, how the film unfolds in three acts, exactly as the magic pieces are described in the film. It is both a pleasure to behold on a story level, as well as a film level. Technically, it is parlaying exactly what it is being mystically told as the plot develops. This movie is a classic example why film schools exist.

Without giving too much away, this film is a pleasure on many levels, and worth subsequent viewings to fully appreciate and explore. The cast is perfect, as Bale and Jackman play two anti-heroes, whose sides we can easily assume or oppose, depending on how one reads the film and the characters' motives. Johansson plays a wonderful femme fatale, who we never can quite trust. Is she part of the illusion, or the only source of truth? Where does Caine's character's loyalties lie? His performance may perhaps be the best of the bunch, another testament to how prior work with a director leads to greater performances in their own ability to work in shorthand with each other.

If you can't tell by my tongue tied review, this film has volumes to speak about. Another thought provoking piece to add to Nolan's young but impressive resume.

Grade: A

Slither

Directed by: James Gunn
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Jenna Fischer
Running Time: 1h 35min

Nothing is more fun than settling down with a couple of friends to watch a B horror flick, filled with enough laughs, both intentional and unintentional, along with just enough plot and scariness that you remain involved. Slither does this to perfection, resurrecting a lost art that was beginning to die in a sea of horror films that take themselves too seriously, while seriously sucking up the screen.

Slither announces its awfulness right off the bat, when Rooker starts running around looking like a grotesque elephant man mixed with The Fly; yet when confronted about his appearance he casually says, "It's just a bee sting." Instant credibility and appreciation from this reviewer! The preposterous plot is played with full on dedication and seriousness by the leads, which adds to the pleasure of watching this one. There's no attempt to cleverly wink at the audience; just a knowledge that if they are watching this, they know just as well as the filmmakers that it is everything it is supposed to be.

The pleasant surprise of Slither wasn't the silly plot about an alien possessing a man so that he could procreate. Instead, it was a pleasant surprise that the action and suspense were good enough to warrant genuine fear and fright amongst the laughs. There is a bathtub scene, wisely used for the film's poster, that makes taking a bath akin to Psycho's effect on taking a shower. Even though it seems out of place in the film, it works along with the rest of it, and gives the viewer more than they expect from such a low budget film.

Slither is a definite renter and has me anxiously awaiting a sequel. This is to slug films what Chuckie is to possessed doll movies. A total guilty pleasure and sure to please B movie lovers.

Grade: B-

Nacho Libre

Directed By: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera, Héctor Jiménez
Running Time: 1h 32min

There are several types of comedies. There are the ones with good jokes, or good performances, or good premises. There are ones that are funny parodies or situationally funny. There are even the ones that are so stupid, they're funny. Sadly, Nacho Libre is none of these, and fails miserably as a comedy in any form.

Hess' follow-up to the unbelivably successful and quietly yet riotly hilarious Napolean Dynamite is perhaps a legendary bomb of a sophmore jinx. Never has such promise and buzz been squandered so quickly. Jack Black, single handed saviour and upstager of many a film sets his career three steps back as the lead character, a monk cook at an orphanage who moonlights as el matador, Mexican wrestler.

Relying on the odd and ridiculous, Hess tries to recapture the magic that made Napolean Dynamite quirky, yet lovable. However, Black's zaniness works best when the world around him is normal; but in this film his insanity is lost in the sea of ludicrous that populates the film. And none of it is funny. There's just a series of scenes where people get punched or hit or kicked or crushed and it's supposed to be funny. WWE is funnier than this, because they play it straight. This film goes for the laughs and ends up empty.

Perhaps the only funny thing is Jack Black's accent, but even that gets tired and annoying quickly. Avoid this film at all costs. In fact, watch Mexican wrestling instead. It has more drama, romance, and comedy than a thousand Nacho Libres combined.

Grade: D-