Get Smart (2008)

Once again, the big screen is drawing upon the TV screen for inspiration, while years ago it used to go the other way. While last week it was Sex and the City, this time it is Get Smart. Also, this is another TV series that I have never seen a single episode of, although my excuse this time is that it was on back in 1965.

Steve Carrell, who I am not a big fan of, plays Maxwell Smart, the lead character. He is a an analyst at Control, a secret government agency that battles the evil forces of KAOS (which looks like the call letters of some radio station in the Midwest). When Control gets taken down, and they are short agents, and Maxwell gets his wish to be sent into the field as a full fledged Secret Agent. The only problem is that it is immediately apparent that he is in over his head, way over his head actually. So to counter his "newbie-ness" he is partnered up with veteran Agent 99, played by the up and coming Anne Hathaway. Faster than we can say "spy gadgets," the duo is off to combat the forces of evil.

Along the way, there is plenty of humor, and Get Smart draws upon plenty of source material. For example, there is a scene with a laser security system blanketing a room that looks like it was lifted from the film Entrapment. There is also a segment of Get Smart that throws in some of the props of the venerable TV series, including the iconic "shoe phone" that must have mesmerized audiences long before we all had smart phones on our belts.

My criticism of the film is that I think it loosens up a little too much at times. The plot is relegated to secondary status as Maxwell and Agent 99 continuously bicker how to handle a situation. Add in Maxwell's antics, and the emphasis on physical comedy to the exclusion of most everything else, and you can see how things constantly blowing up and falling, for no reason at times, can strain the attention span as repetitiveness abounds.

On the plus side, at least I've finally found a film that Steve Carrell seems better suited for. His goofy physical comedy works here, which seemed totally out of place in Dan In Real Life. Hathaway does a departure from her more serious roles into this type of comedy, and she did seem a little miscast at times, although I'm told that she looked like the character in the original series. Rounding out the ensemble was Dwayne Johnson, better known as "The Rock," who portrays Agent 23, the machisimo super agent that is the role model for all to aspire to.

What's the final verdict for Get Smart? I think it was a pretty good film, but it missed the mark for excellent. Those looking for a secret agent spoof film will enjoy it, and it is likely the start of a whole series of these from the box office sales of this reprised franchise. Fans of the old TV show will be pleased, but it was fine entertainment for those that had never seen the show as well.

Overall Grade: B (almost a B+)

Reviewed by Jonas

Becoming Jane (2007)

I'm really not a big fan of what's referred to as "period films." However, after watching The Jane Austen Book Club, I was intrigued to know more about this author whose popularity has clearly sustained. In Becoming Jane, Anne Hathaway takes on the role of Jane Austen at a pivotal point in her life.

Jane Austen comes from a family of what they call "slight fortune." Her father is a vicar for the local church. While they have a nice home, and many friends, with other siblings, the only hope for the daughters in the family appears to be marriage, preferably to "marry up." In Becoming Jane, we get a front row seat of what these not quite prearranged, but clearly carefully guided, marriages that must have one objective: to marry someone with more dough than your family. While this recurring theme occurs in many of Austen's works, this is because the author experienced this herself.

Anne Hathaway as Jane did a good job of portraying this complex character who gets torn between a relationship for love, and one for money. There are also good supporting performances from James McAvoy, James Cromwell, and Julie Walters.

However, there are two downsides to Becoming Jane. The first is that this film is long, and slowly paced making it better suited to a matinee than night viewing which can degenerate into a snooze fest. The other is that there are many characters, and on several scenes for too long I was trying to figure out who all these folks were which points to a screenplay that lacked some clarity.

Overall, Becoming Jane is a grand look at the storied live of this beloved author. With period costumes and scenery, it's visually quite strong and interesting. I believe that fans of the author will be pleased.

Overall Grade: B

Reviewed by Jonas

The Devil Wears Prada

The triple digit heat drove this even this DVD diehard towards the coolness of the movie theater. I decided to take in The Devil Wears Prada.

This film is based on a novel that stems from a true life experience of working as a personal assistant to a fashion magazine mogul. Anne Hathaway plays Andie, the second assistant. She is the frumpy young woman who lands this job that "a million other girls would kill for" even though she really wants to work in journalism and has less than no interest in fashion. In short, she is the apprentice. Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestley, the woman in charge of the fictitious fashion magazine, Runway (translation: Vogue). Streep is particularly adept with her character for her no nonsense business attitude; she makes the Ice Queen from Narnia seem warm and cuddly.

Hathaway starts the job and is a total misfit. She is clueless about fashion, and yearns for a different job. The gold carrot that keeps her going is that if she can stick it out for a year, the doors of opportunity will open to a job she actually wants. As with many jobs, there is a seemingly endless list of tasks to master. Just when she thinks she has them down, they throw another more difficult task at her (my favorite involves obtaining an unpublished Harry Potter novel). As time goes on, she does become more functional, and picks up a sense of fashion despite her initial resistance.

Unfortunately, as can too easily happen, getting ahead in a career involves personal sacrifice. Hathaway is literally a prisoner to her cell phone, and has to be able to instantly respond to any request from her boss. This strains her relationship with her entire social support network: her friends, her parents, and her “significant other” boyfriend. At first it appears worth it, but all that glitters is not gold, and Hathaway must ultimately make some serious choices for her future.

The standout role of the film is Meryl Streep’s portrayal of the high power, dominating magazine executive. Reportedly, she didn’t talk to Hathaway during the filming in order to keep up her icy edge. She is the perfect example of the type of executive who never raises her voice, but commandeers respect and obedience from her underlings. At a few points in the film we get a glimpse into the softer side of this woman. However, she views her troubled marriage more like a failed business merger, than what it actually is. Streep should strongly be considered for an academy award for this role.

While The Devil Wears Prada is highly character driven, in the end, it also functions as a morality tale. Hathaway must ultimately choose between being true to herself, or pursuing the business of world, permeated with greed and power. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, learned quite a bit about how the fashion industry works, and highly recommend it. This is one of very few films that I can’t wait to see again when it comes out on disc.

Overall Grade: A

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Brokeback Mountain

Reviewed by James Lynch

Many films have been made about the collision of passion and society, when the heart and the world are in conflict, but few have been done with the beauty and depth of Brokeback Mountain. This is not due to the controversial content – calling it a “gay cowboy movie” is a vast oversimplification – but due to the strong performances, excellent direction, and beautiful cinematography.

Cowboys Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) first meet in Wyoming in 1963, taking a job living on Brokeback Mountain while watching over a herd of sheep and getting occasional supplies brought from town. At first the men are indifferent to each other – Ennis is largely quiet and focused on the job, while Jack chats, plays harmonica, and talks about the rodeo – but soon they start getting along. They do more than that, as a sudden, almost violent physical passion takes hold of them both. The two men assure each other that they “ain’t queer” and that their “thing” is only during the job.

After the job ends, the two men pursue their separate lives. Ennis stays in Wyoming, marries his fiancée Alma (Michelle Williams), and gets by doing small jobs and taking care of his family. Jack moves to Texas, tries and fails at bull riding, marries beautiful rodeo star Lureen (Anne Hathaway), and makes a living working for his father-in-law. But when Ennis and Jack meet again, their passion flares anew. Soon the men are sneaking off on “fishing trips” a few times a year. Alma (who knows this hidden side of Ennis) worries about her man, Jack wants Ennis to leave his life and join him on a two-man ranch, and Ennis refuses to leave his “normal” life, claiming his duties as a family man but also fearing what could happen if people found out about them.

Brokeback Mountain is an extraordinary look at these two characters and the choices that they make and the rules they consider. Jake Gyllenhaal makes Jack Twist an appealing character, someone whose desire to go after what he wants is both appealing (he’s more willing to commit to his partner) and a weakness (as he pursues other men when Ennis keeps resisting him). Heath Ledger offers a wonderfully nuanced performance: His character is largely quiet, but for all his strength he is dominated by fear and lashes out at any thought others could find out. Director Ang Lee, recovering nicely from the debacle of Hulk, does a wonderful job of making the characters fully realized – with strength, weakness, beauty, desire, and conflict. And the cinematography reflects the worlds of the characters. Brokeback Mountain first appears to be a bad place to work (cold, rainy) but soon appears to be a paradise, especially in contrast to the stifling drabness of the “normal” world the men live in. These elements combine to make Brokeback Mountain that rare gem: a beautiful, powerful, flawless movie. Brokeback Mountain is the best movie I’ve seen in 2005, and it is a true classic.

Overall Grade: A+