YOUTH IN REVOLT

(Revolting coming of age movie)

Michael Cera plays Nick Twisp, a teenage nerd who lives with his slutty mother and her trailer-trash boyfriend. This revolting movie opens with Nick looking at a girlie magazine and doing you-know-what under the covers, setting the tone for the R-rated movie aimed at teenagers who have to sneak in to see it. Nick voiceovers constantly and keeps a journal of his frustrations, claiming he has no life…until Mom and boyfriend take him “on vacation” to a broken down trail, where he meets Sheeni (Portia Doubleday), daughter of religious fanatics who live in a posh double-decker trailer. Both youths are in revolt, developing a rebellious relationship. Nick needs help in wooing Sheeni, so he invents a more sophisticated alter-ego with a mustache and interest in everything French. Francois makes him do bad things, like starting a million dollar fire, trying to fake his death, and breaking into an all-girls dorm. It all leads to a totally stupid ending. Some talented actors, like Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi and Fred Willard, lower themselves by appearing in this stupid movie. Rated a big R with profanity, nudity, drug use and teenage sex.

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS

(Weird, dreamlike extravaganza)

Not since Brazil has director Terry Gilliam bombarded us with such a weird, dreamlike extravaganza of a movie. We love to see movies at the Avon, because people gather outside the East Side theatre following the showing to discuss the film. Opinions ranged from “genius” to “ridiculous” to “confusing” to “thought provoking”…and it was all of the above. Many people will go to see the over two-hour movie because it was Heath Ledger’s last. In fact, he died halfway through the filming. Gilliam chose to continue his character with Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. Knowing this in advance, we looked for the moments when Ledger vanished and Depp came to his place, but weren’t sure when Law and Farrell stepped in. The strange story centers around the immortal Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), who has made a deal with the devil. He travels around the seedy parts of London with his daughter (Lily Cole) and two assistants, putting on shows that employ a “magic mirror.” The devil makes another deal: the winner is the one who can recruit five souls first. Tony, the character played by Ledger, et al, is saved from hanging himself (so they think) by the motley troupe, only to shake things up for Dr. Parnassus. He convinces the troupe to leave the slums of London and find more upscale locations. It all comes down to the clash between Dr. Parnassus and the devil, with an interesting and amusing ending. The dream sequences experienced by willing patrons who are convinced to enter the mirror are mind-boggling in their imaginative depiction of what the participants are thinking and dreaming about. It is a strange movie that will be cause for much discussion. Be warned…it is very strange. Rated PG-13, with some violence.

LEAP YEAR

(Road trip romance)

Did you know that there is a tradition in Ireland where on February 29 women can propose to men? Poor Anna (Amy Adams) has been dating this jerk of a cardiologist for four years. On the eve of his business trip to Ireland he hands her a small black box from the jewelers. Of course, she is disappointed when the expected engagement ring turns out to be earrings. Anna books a flight to Dublin with intentions to propose on Leap Day. A major storm forces the plane to land in Wales, where this wacky road trip movie takes off. The strong-willed but somewhat klutzy Anna makes every attempt to get to her lover on Feb. 29, but Murphy’s Law prevails, with everything that can possibly prevent her from reaching her goal making for some hilarious comedy. She finds herself in the only local pub/hotel in a small village, where Declan, the owner (Matthew Goode), offers to drive her to Dublin, a city he despises for reasons to be revealed later. Anna and Declan have an immediate dislike for each other. A black cloud follows them on their journey, giving the authors a chance to create some hilarious moments at Anna’s expense. There is not only a major culture clash here but a personality one. Anna is hyper – and sometimes downright annoying – while Declan is laid back and goes with the flow. Their night in a local B and B is as funny as it gets, and there are many other disasters along the way. They lose their car, miss a train, ruin a wedding and that’s only the beginning. You can see what’s coming from a mile away, as the two share unpleasant moments before finally realizing that there is a strong bond between them by the time they reach London and Anna meets up with her boyfriend. We won’t tell you how the story ends, but Joyce, the romantic, loved it. I found it a bit corny. While I thought that the plot was too familiar (It Happened One Night comes to mind), Joyce finds it easier to accept the familiarities. The movie is worth seeing just for the breathtaking scenery and the local characters. Rated PG, with nothing offensive, but definitely a movie for adults.

DAYBREAKERS

(Another bloody vampire movie)

We missed the beginning of the latest bloody vampire movie, but it didn’t take long to catch up. Vampires have taken over the world, depleting the blood supply to the point of turning into monsters and killing themselves off. Dr. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is trying to find a blood substitute, while his vampire brethren are warehousing humans and draining their blood. The intelligent vampires look and act human, except for their pupils and short fangs. Sam Neill plays the head of a blood distribution company who tries to stop Dalton from developing his cure and saving the world. It’s a clever premise, but like all vampire movies, eventually goes for the jugular. What we are left with are gory, bloody scenes and endless battles, until one side finally wins. Rated a big R with lots of blood, gore, violence and even a little nudity.