Inkheart **1/2

Cast: Brendan Fraser, Eliza Hope Bennett, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren, Andy Serkis, Jim Broadbent, Sienna Guillory
Director: Iain Softley
Running Length: 1:46
MPAA Classification: PG

Mo Folchart (Fraser) and his daughter Meggie (Folchert) travel the world in search of the hard to find book “Inkheart”. He is a silvertongue, and when Meggie was younger, Mo read from the book and brought the story to life. But, when something comes out of the story, something, or someone, must take its place. In this case, it was his wife, Resa (guillory). They are chased by two characters from the book, the evil Capricorn (Serkis), who wants to rule the real world, and Dustfinger (Bettany), who just wants to go home. With the help of Mo’s Great Aunt Elinor (Mirren), they set out to find the author of the book (Broadbent) to set things right.

“Inkheart” could have been much better. The solid cast is there, and they all do credible jobs in their roles. The effects are there – they are as good as any special effects laden film of late. The problem lies in the story. Not that it is bad; one just gets the feeling that something was lost in the translation from book to film. I have been told that things have been changed, and I cannot help but think that they were for the worse. The ending itself suffers from what “Hellboy II” suffered from: a sense that things could have been resolved much earlier and easier given what resolves things. (Of course “Hellboy II” was a better film and able to overcome this problem.) If more movies are made in this series, the moviemakers need to tighten the story a little more and stay truer to the author’s original vision.

The Secret Life of Bees ***1/2

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifa, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Lily Owens (Fanning) is a 14-year old who, as a young child accidentally killed her mother, and now lives with just her dad T. Ray (Bettany). The killing of her mom has shaped her life, along with knowing very little about her. T. Ray is not a good parent, and her only “family” is her nanny Rosaleen (Hudson). The combination of T. Ray badmouthing her mom and Rosaleen being beaten up by a bunch of white men causes Lily and Rosaleen to flee to a town where she believes her mother went at one time to get away from T. Ray. They end up at the home of the Boatwright sisters: August (Latifa), June (Keys), and May (Okonedo).. Together, these sisters make some of the best honey in the area. They also have a connection to Lily’s mom.

“The Secret Lifeof Bees” is a solid movie. Strong performances by Fanning and Latifa carry the sometimes heavy weight of the story. Race relations and the search for one’s self are the main themes, and the cast and director pulls them off almost effortlessly. Lily’s story is a story of redemption. It is powerful without being preachy. This is not a film for everyone, but it is well worth checking out.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World ***1/2

Cast: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, David Threlfall, Max Pirkis
Director: Peter Weir

Russell Crowe is Jack Aubrey, captain of the HMS Surprise in this adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's British Navy novels. Specifically based on the 10th and 1st books in the series, Master and Commander takes great pains (so I have read) to be historically accurate, and the result is a entertaining and interesting naval adventure. In 1805, during the Napoleonic Wars, the HMS Surprise is stationed off the coast of South America and is given the mission of stopping the French ship Acheron. The movie is a chase that is bookended by two battle scenes. Along the way, glimpses are given of life on naval ships of the time, including some interesting medical procedures. The good captain and his doctor have a relationship reminiscent of Star Trek's Kirk-McCoy relationship, and their interactions help to liven up some of the slower moments in the movie. Definitely a contender for Picture of the Year come Oscar time.