Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events ***
Cast: Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep, Jude Law, Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, Kara & Shelby Hoffman, Billy Connolly, Timothy Spall, Catherine O'Hara
Director: Brad Silberling
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG

Yet another popular children's book series has now been made into a movie. The subject of the first movie in this series are the first three "Lemony Snicket" novels. The movie opens with the Baudelaire children, Violet (Browning), Klaus (Aiken), and Sunny (Hoffman twins), finding out that their parents were killed in a fire that also destroyed their house. Now, they are being sent to live with their nearest relative, Count Olaf (Carrey). Unfortunately for them, all Olaf wants is The Baudelaire fortune, and he makes the children's lives a living hell as he works out a scheme to get the money.

Jim Carrey plays Count Olaf with a maniacal glee. His goofyness extends far beyond that of the source material, but that suits Jim Carrey just fine. The child actors are all excellent in their respective roles, and are about what I imagined when reading the books. The adaptation is a bit jumbled for the movie's sake, but works fairly well. There are also "additions" to the movie that are not in the first three books, and one has to wonder if they were let in on some future secrets of the novel series or if the director was just filling in the story points with items of his own choosing.

"Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" is an entertaining family movie that can be enjoyed by all. It is not a great movie, but it shows potential that could be realized in future installments. Let's just hope that they make more movies before the kids grow up!

Finding Neverland ***
Cast: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Nick Roud, Radha Mitchell, Joe Prospero, Freddie Highmore, Dustin Hoffman, Luke Spill, Kelly Macdonald
Director: Marc Foster
Running Length: 1:41
MPAA Classification: PG

"Finding Neverland" is the story of playwright J.M. Barrie (Depp) attempting to find his muse and create a successful play after a bomb. He finds that muse in the Davies boys, Peter (highmore), George (Roud), Jack (Prospero), and Michael (Spill), one day in the park when he comes across them and their mother, Sylvia (Winslet) enjoying the day. They quickly form a close friendship mush to the dismay of Barrie's wife and Sylvia's mother. While playing make-believe with the kids, ideas start to form in his mind for the story that he will be best known for, "Peter Pan".

This fictional biography is a very entertaining movie to watch. The director has chosen to incorporate the imagination of the characters into the movie, and as viewers we see the world change back and forth between England and Neverland. This is used just the right amount, and never becomes distracting.

Depp is his usual excellent self, portraying Barrie as a slightly quirky individual who makes a connection with the Davies family. The children do decent jobs as the source of his inspiration as well. The greatest treat for fans of "Peter Pan" will be in how story points take shape, and what outside factors influence the story in progress. "Finding Neverland" is well worth checking out, although it may be difficult to find as it is currently in limited release.

Ocean's Twelve ***
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Elliott Gould, Carl Reiner, Shaobo Qin, Eddie Jemison, Bernie Mac, Vincent Cassel
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The Eleven are back with a few extras in Steven Soderbergh's s "Ocean's Twelve". The Eleven from the first film find themselves tracked down by a very irate Terry Benedict (Garcia). He wants his money back ($160 million to be exact), and if that means the Eleven have to come out of "retirement" to do it, then so be it. They have two weeks before he enacts his revenge. That is enough to get the gang back together to plan a couple of heists to return Benedict's money to him. As the capers progress, they find that another thief, by the name of the Night Fox, is out to prove that he is better than them. Of course, this throws a wrench into their plans, and they must make a deal with him if they want any hope of getting the money they so desperately need. Also on their trail is Europol agent Isabel Lahiri (Zeta-Jones), who has a history with Rusty (Pitt) that may prove his downfall.

"Ocean's Twelve" is almost everything its predacessor was. Plot is secondary to the interaction of all the big names who seem to be having the time of their lives making this fun film. And it is a fun film to watch. Pitt, Zeta-Jones, Clooney, Damon, and Roberts are the "stars" of the film, hogging the majority of the screen time. Also, there are some surprise cameos that work very well. Some of the best jokes come at Julia Roberts' expense, and she is a trooper for going along with a story point that some viewers might not truly appreciate. I think it works.

All in all, "Ocean's Twelve" is an enjoyable film that falls just short of its predacessor. It is an entertaining heist movie that works really well. And of course, the end gives them the opportunity to have thirteen the next time around.

2004 Golden Globe Awards nominees

MOVIES:
Picture, Drama: The Aviator, Closer, Finding Neverland, Hotel Rwanda, Kinsey, Million Dollar Baby.

Actress, Drama: Scarlett Johansson, A Love Song for Bobby Long ; Nicole Kidman, Birth, Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake ; Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby ; Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: Vol. 2.

Actor, Drama: Javier Bardem, The Sea Inside ; Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda ; Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland ; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator ; Liam Neeson, Kinsey.

Picture, Musical or Comedy:Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,The Incredibles,Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera,Ray,Sideways.

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, Being Julia ; Ashley Judd, De-Lovely ; Emmy Rossum, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jim Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ; Jamie Foxx, Ray ; Paul Giamatti, Sideways ; Kevin Kline, De-Lovely ; Kevin Spacey, Beyond the Sea.

Foreign Language:The Chorus, France; House of Flying Daggers, China; The Motorcycle Diaries, Brazil; The Sea Inside, Spain; A Very Long Engagement, France.

Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, The Aviator ; Laura Linney, Kinsey ; Virginia Madsen, Sideways ; Natalie Portman, Closer ; Meryl Streep, The Manchurian Candidate.

Supporting Actor: David Carradine, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 ; Thomas Haden Church, Sideways ; Jamie Foxx, Collateral ; Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby ; Clive Owen, Closer.

Director: Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby ; Marc Forster, Finding Neverland ; Mike Nichols, Closer ; Alexander Payne, Sideways ; Martin Scorsese, The Aviator.

Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ; John Logan, The Aviator ; David Magee, Finding Neverland ; Patrick Marber, Closer ; Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Sideways.

Original Score: Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby ; Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Finding Neverland ; Rolfe Kent, Sideways ; Howard Shore, The Aviator ; Hans Zimmer, Spanglish.

Original Song:Accidentally in Love from Shrek 2 ; Believe from The Polar Express ; Learn to be Lonely from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera ; Million Voices from Hotel Rwanda ; Old Habits Die Hard from Alfie.

Blade: Trinity ***
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Biel, Parker Posey, Cascy Beddow, Natasha Lyonne, Dominic Purcell, Callum Keith Rennie
Director: David S. Goyer
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: R

Those pesky vanpires are at it again in "Blade: Trinity". This time they are trying to frame Blade (Snipes) for the murder of a human, as well as trying to resurrect an ancient enemy named Drake (Purcell). The two schemes are related, and Blade soon finds himself alone and on the run until he meets up with Whistler's daughter Abigail (Biel) and a former vampire named Hannibal (Reynolds). Together, they will try to stop the vampires once and for all. But, their plan could also spell the end for Blade because of his mixed heritage.

"Blade: Trinity", while entertaining, is certainly a step down after Guillermo Del Toro's "Blade II". That movie was stylish and well made. "Trinity" is filled with the choppy editing and loud music that has become popular in movies as of late. And while Del Toro had established himself as a good director, Goyer is in the director's seat for the first time - and it shows. Jessica Biel is good as the tough chick who enjoys hunting vampires, and Ryan Reynolds adds humor to the movie with almost everything he says and does. Wesley Snipes slips easily back into the role of Blade, the vampire hunting bad-ass. While not as good as "II", "Trinity" will appeal to fans of the series, or anyone who likes action movies. It's not Shakespeare, but it doesn't try to be.

Ray ***
Cast: Jaime Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry J. Lennis, Bokeem Woodbine, Aunjanue Ellis, Sharon Warren, C.J. Sanders, Curtis Armstrong, Richard Schiff, Larenz Tate
Director: Taylor Hackford
Running Length: 2:32
MPAA Classification: PG-13

"Ray" is the story of Ray Charles from when, at the age of 21, he left home for Seattle to play in a lounge club to the time he gives up drugs for good about two decades later. He starts out small, but clearly gifted. People try to take advantage of his blindness, but he always finds a way around this, including demanding to be paid in singles. As his star begins to rise, he finds love, drugs, and a mistress. He even gets banned from playing in Georgia. I knew very little about Ray Charles, and I found the details of his life (although tweaked for the movie) to be fascinating.

Jamie Foxx disappears into the character of Ray Charles. He looks, sounds, and moves like Ray to the point where he is almost indistinguishable from the real deal. This is his second solid performance of the year (see also "Collateral"), and he is almost certainly guaranteed a Best Actor nomination. His performance is what makes this movie worth seeing. It is far superior to the movie itself, which is lacking and feels somewhat incomplete and choppy, not to mention long. That's not to say "Ray" is a bad movie - it isn't. It is just not as good as it could be, and given Foxx's performance, that is a shame.

Sideways ****
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Hayden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Director: Alexander Payne .
Running Length: 2:03
MPAA Classification: R

A week before Jack's (Church) wedding, his best friend Miles (Giamatti) takes him on a road trip to northern California for a week of wine tasting and fun. While Miles is looking forward to teaching Jack the subtleties of wine tasting, Jack is looking for one last chance to sow his wild oats. If he can help Miles find some action as well, more the better. Enter Maya (Madsen) and Stephanie (Oh). Jack quickly hooks up with Stephanie (not telling her he is engaged), and Miles gravitates toward Maya, who he has met before and has a crush on. The ladies share a love for wine tasting too, and as they hit the vineyards, one cannot help but notice that as Miles describes the wine, he is also describing himself.

Both Jack and Miles are going through a mid-life crisis, just in different ways. The movie really is about Miles, who somewhat poorly masks is alcohol problem under the guise of wine tasting. He is a divorced writer who cannot seem to get his large book published, and feels sorry for himself. Maya is the chance for something better, if only he can get the courage to take a chance again.

"Sideways" is an excellent buddy movie. Both Miles and Jack are likeable and unlikeable at the same time, and the whole time feel real. Paul Giamatti is his usual excellent best as sad sack Miles, and Thomas Hayden Church gives a surprisingly good performance as the randy Jack. Alexander Payne has crafted another funny, touching movie, and is easily one of the best directors around today. I highly recommend this movie.