Movie guide: March 4-11
KEY: Four stars: superior. Three stars: good. Two stars: average. One star: poor. D (drug use), L (language), N (nudity), S (sexual situations, references), V (violence). Ratings by Dann Gire, Daily Herald Film Critic, unless otherwise noted.
Picks
“Black Swan” — Best actress Oscar winner and Best Picture nominee! A perfectionist ballerina (Natalie Portman) dances into madness as she auditions for the major roles in “Swan Lake.” With Barbara Hershey as her mom. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. (R) D, N, L, S, V. 108 minutes. 3½ stars
“Blue Valentine” — A bold and perceptive exploration of the magical intangibles that connect two people in love's first blush but fail to bond a couple for the long haul. Ryan Gosling and Oscar nominee Michelle Williams bravely go for broke in this thoughtful, adult domestic drama all about the death of love. Originally rated NC-17 for graphic sex scenes, but re-rated R upon appeal. (R) L, N, S. 3 stars
“The Company Men” — Three high-paid corporate suits (Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper) deal with being laid off their lucrative jobs that define their identities. Directed, written and produced by John Wells as a harsh and engaging Bible lesson laced with hope and optimism. (R) L, N. 109 minutes.3 stars
“The Fighter” — Best Picture nominee! Oscar winner (supporting actor) Christian Bale punches his way to stealing the show as an emaciated half-brother and trainer to Mark Wahlberg's boxer in this fact-based, energetic domestic drama directed by David O. Russell. Look for stellar turns by Oscar winner (supporting actress) Melissa Leo and Oscar nominee Amy Adams, too. (R) D, L, S, V. 114 minutes. 3½ stars
“Gnomeo & Juliet” — Delightful, witty and imaginative retelling of the Bard's romantic classic starring garden gnomes that come alive when humans aren't watching. Elton John's hit songs supply extra fun. Note: No gnomes were stabbed or poisoned during the making of this movie. Voices by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine and Julie Walters. (G) 84 minutes. 3 stars
“Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” — (Note: This is not the “Fan Cut,” a different movie.) The singer stars in a 3-D doc chronicling his onstage and private lives. Reviewed by Christie Lemire, Associated Press. (G) 105 minutes. 3 stars
“The King's Speech” — Best Picture Oscar winner! Funny, witty Oscar-winning script! Excellent sets and photography! The true story of how a feisty Australian speech therapist (Oscar nominee Geoffrey Rush) helped King George VI (Best Actor winner Colin Firth) overcome his stutter in time for him to unite the U.K. against the Nazis during a radio address. Rated R for a comical use of the F-bomb. There's a PG-13 version coming without the bomb. (R) L. 118 minutes. 4 stars
“No Strings Attached” — Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman play two young professionals who try to have a sexual relationship without emotional ties. They carry off the tired plot with believable chemistry and Ivan Reitman's sincere direction. (R) D, L, S. 110 minutes. 3 stars
“127 Hours” — Best Picture nominee! Riveting, fact-based drama about a climber (Oscar nominee and disappointing show host James Franco) trapped in the Utah desert and unable to free his crushed arm from underneath a fallen boulder. (R) L, S. 96 minutes. 3½ stars
“Rabbit Hole” — A serene, transcendent drama about a couple (Oscar nominee Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) recovering from the death of their young son. With Dianne Wiest and Sandra Oh. (PG-13) D, L. 92 minutes. 4stars
“Rango” — Wacky and wonderful animated fun as Johnny Depp voices the role of a thespian chameleon who acts the part of a lawman for a Western town preyed upon by a corrupt mayor (Ned Beatty) and his enforcer, Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy). A genre-twisted delight for all movie fans. (PG) 104 minutes. 3½ stars
“True Grit” — Best Picture nominee! The Coen brothers redo the 1969 western with Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges wearing Marshal Rooster Cogburn's eye patch and winning newcomer and Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld playing the precocious Mattie Ross out to avenge her father's murder by a bad man (Josh Brolin). Matt Damon finally rescues self-centered Texas Ranger LaBoeuf from the memories of Glen Campbell's limited original interpretation. (PG-13) V. 110 minutes. 4 stars
Passables
“The Adjustment Bureau” — A politician (Matt Damon) falls for a ballerina (Emily Blunt), only to have supernatural agents of fate intercede in their romance. Reviewed by Christie Lemire, Associated Press. (PG-13) L, S, V. 106 minutes. 2½ stars
“Cedar Rapids” — A loser Wisconsin insurance salesman (Ed Helms) rallies when faced with corporate corruption at a convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the Century Centre in Chicago. Reviewed by Jake Coyle, Associated Press. (R) D, L, S. 86 minutes. 2½ stars
“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” — Lucy, Edmund and their bratty cousin get swept aboard a royal ship and launched on yet another Narnian adventure. The opening scene is great, but the magic doesn't quite carry through. Reviewed by Michael Wilmington. (PG) 115 minutes. 2½ stars
“The Grace Card” — This overwrought Christian message movie is buoyed by sincere performances and a tidy plot assigning purpose to a seemingly cruel and random universe. A black Memphis cop and part-time minister (Mike Higgenbottom) can't understand why he has been given a racist white partner (Michael Joiner). (PG-13) V. 2½ stars
“Hall Pass” — The Farrelly brothers direct a disappointing, belabored comedy about two pals (Jason Sudeikis and Owen Wilson) whose wives give them a week pass from their marriage vows. Gross-out humor doesn't compensate for a soggy pace. (R) D, L, N, S. 105 minutes. 2 stars
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1” — A wearing tale of color-bled, never-ending scenes of isolation and despair, mistrust and miscalculation as director David Yates sets us up for “Part 2” in 2011. Harry, Ron and Hermione track down Horcruxes containing parts of Lord Voldemort's dark soul. Not converted into 3-D as originally announced. (PG-13) S, V. 146 minutes. 2½ stars
“I Am Number Four” — A young alien (Alex Pettyfer) must cope with teen angst and the tattooed creatures trying to wipe out, in chronological order, the nine survivors of a previous alien attack. The characters win you over, the action thriller falls back on too many clichés. (PG-13) L, V. 104 minutes. 2 ½ stars
“Tangled” — The Rapunzel story gets a 3-D animated treatment by Walt Disney, although the self-aware jokes give it an extra “Shrek” dimension. Mandy Moore is the hairy heroine in a musical that's much more cartoony than Disney's “Toy Story 3.” (PG) 101 minutes. 2½ stars
“Unknown” — A botanist (Liam Neeson) awakens from a coma after a car crash with his identity in doubt and his life in danger. Neeson elevates the material, and there are enough surprises to keep audiences guessing. Reviewed by Christy Lemire, Associated Press. (PG-13) S, V. 113 minutes. 2 ½ stars
Pits
“The Green Hornet” — The radio/TV vigilante gets a frat-boy makeover with Seth Rogen as Britt Reed, a publisher's son who takes on crime with his associate Kato (Jay Chou), whose martial arts skills mostly come from digital editing. (PG-13) D, L, S, V. 119 minutes. 1½ stars
“Gulliver's Travels” — A dismal digital 3-D update of Jonathan Swift's 1726 novel about a man (Jack Black in rocker mode) who goes into the Bermuda Triangle and winds up being a giant on the island of Lilliput. Amanda Peet, Billy Connolly, Emily Blunt and Jason Segel contribute their talents to this waste of pixels. (PG) 85 minutes. 1½ stars
“Just Go With It” — A crass and superficial rom-com starring Adam Sandler as a surgeon who convinces a staffer (Jennifer Aniston) to pose as his soon-to-be ex-wife to cover up a lie he made to a young conquest (Brooklyn Decker). A film without a moral compass or unfunny foul matter detector. (PG-13) D, L, N, S. 116 minutes. ½ star.
“Sanctum 3-D” — Several cave divers get trapped underwater and must find a way out, or else. With Ioan Gruffudd and Rhys Wakefield. Reviewed by Jake Coyle, Associated Press. (PG-13) L, V. 109 minutes. 1½ stars
“Take Me Home Tonight” — Crude, shrill coming-of-age comedy about a college grad (Topher Grace) who refuses to be mature, just like this movie. An ethics-challenged movie that wasn't well-thought out before the cameras rolled. With Anna Faris and Dan Fogler. (R) D, L, S. 98 minutes. 1½ stars
Unpreviewed
“Beastly” — A contemporary takeoff on the classic “Beauty and the Beast” tale. A New York teen (Alex Pettyfer) is turned ugly so he can find true love with Vanessa Hudgens. (PG-13) L, V. 86 minutes.
“Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son” — An FBI agent (Martin Lawrence) and his stepson must go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after the teen witnesses a murder. (PG-13) S, V. 107 minutes.
“Drive Angry” — Nicolas Cage plays a grandpa escaped from hell to avenge the death of his daughter. It's in 3-D, too. (R) L, N, S, V. 104 minutes.
“Tanu Weds Manu” — A romance in Hindi. (NR) 169 minutes. I'm not kidding.