The Golden Compass
November 29th, 2007
Almost serviceable fantasy adventure based on the first book of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. On the plus side, some nifty ideas (people’s souls walk next to them in animal, or “daemon”, form), spiffy Victorian/steampunk designs, icy Nicole Kidman, and in the lead, an adorable girl (Dakota Blue Richards) with Sarah Polley eyes, trying to save her kidnapped brother. On the down side, it all feels terribly derivative, and most of the CGI isn’t up to 2007 standards — the roar and clang of a climactic ice bear smackdown had the theater cheering but the daemons especially look lousy.
Eva Green descends on a vibrating broomstick to spout fantasy gobbledigook, Sam Elliot and Daniel Craig don’t have much to do, and once you get past the peculiar specifics of Pullman’s world, the story never strays from familiar hero’s journey territory. One key moment is lifted directly from The Empire Strikes Back, a final battle restages Minas Tirith without any emotional investment, and the strained farewell doesn’t have half the rousing ring of the Sam Gamgee speeches it’s trying to emulate. Some of us thought it was a bathroom break, not the ending. There’s just enough talk of religion, authority, and free will to get me curious about the books’ purported atheist attitudes. Opens December 7.
The Golden Compass. Chris Weitz, 2007. **
The trailer:
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
October 25th, 2006
There’s no doubt in my mind that Sacha Baron Cohen’s outrageous comedy is going to be huge–he had a Wednesday afternoon crowd of New York’s finest critics howling for 90 minutes straight. The humor’s as broad and silly as anything Will Ferrell has done, but it feels much more dangerous and true. As Borat travels west across the country with his bear and his ice cream van, he doesn’t just reveal his own stupidity but also that of everybody he encounters. Frat boys, dinner parties in Southern mansions, Trump Tower, a Virginia rodeo, an antique shop, Pamela Anderson–nothing’s safe from Cohen’s sophisticated satire, disguised as backwater idiocy. It’s not often that we walk out of a comedy hurting with laughter and wanting to go back to see it again as soon as possible. There’s a lot more I want to tell you, but I’d just be spoiling the jokes. Very nice. Opens November 3rd.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Larry Charles, 2006. ****
[tags]borat, comedy, 4 stars, kazakhstan, america, sacha baron cohen, satire, pamela anderson, bears, hand party[/tags]
