300 ***1/2
Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro
Director: Zack Snyder
Running Length: 1:57
MPAA Classification: R

In 480 B.C., 300 Spartan soldiers led by Kin Leonidas (Butler) defended Sparta from a much larger Persian force led by King Xerxes (Santoro). The story is mostly clouded in legend, and although the Spartans did not win the battle, they dealt Xerxes and his army a blow that would eventually be their downfall. This was the Battle of Thermopylae.

“300” is like nothing before it. If you thought “Sin City” has neat to look at and a great example of comics come to life, “300” will blow you away. This movie has style. It is beautiful to look at and is worth seeing for the visuals alone. The cast of relative unknowns does a good job in bringing life to the characters. None are well known enough to overshadow the story, and that is a plus. “300” is a non-stop action movie that I highly recommend. And even if it is not grounded completely in reality, I think the Spartans would still be proud of it.

Music and Lyrics ***
Cast: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Haley Bennett, Campbell Scott
Director: Marc Lawrence
Running Length: 1:43
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Alex Fletcher (Grant) was a big name back in the 1980’s as a member of the band Pop! At least, he was with teenage girls. 20 years later he is a has-been who works state fairs. Miraculously, his agent Chris (Garrett) hooks him up to with a chance to record a duet with Cora (Bennett), the latest big name pop star. The only condition is that he needs to write a duet in less than a week. Not having written anything new in a long time, this seems like quite the challenge until Sophie (Barrymore), the woman who waters his plants, shows some lyrical skill. She is reluctant to help him, but eventually caves in and soon they are writing a song and falling in love.

Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are no strangers to the romantic comedy, and for the most part, they bring their A game. The video of Grant from his 80’s heyday is almost worth the price of admission itself. The two have good chemistry, and there are some genuine laughs to be had. “Music and Lyrics” is an enjoyable romantic comedy.

Zodiac ***1/2
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Chloë Sevigny, Brian Cox, Dermot Mulroney, John Carroll Lynch
Director: David Fincher
Running Length: 2:43
MPAA Classification: R

In the late 1960’s, the Zodiac killer terrorized Northern California. Investigating the murders were detectives Dave Roschi (Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Edwards). Reporting on the murders in the press were Paul Avery (Downey) and cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal). In fact, the movie is based on Graysmith’s book and the obsession he developd in trying to find the Zodiac’s identity. As such, the “solution” provided has not been proven, but is the belief of Graysmith.

“Zodiac” is an interesting and well made movie. Fincher’s direction is not a showy as his previous efforts, but keeps the tension high when necessary and interjects small moments of humor to lighten the mood when necessary. Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo, Downey, and Edwards are all very good in their roles, and Lynch is suitably creepy for most of his screen time. “Zodiac” may move too slowly for some in its last half, but those that want a peek into the hunt for a serial killer will not be disappointed. I highly recommend “Zodiac”.

The Number 23 **
Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman, Danny Huston, Rhona Mitra
Director: Joel Schumacher
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: R

Walter Sparrow (Carrey) is living a normal life, with a wife and son. One day, his wife Agatha (Madsen) buys him a copy of a book called “The Number 23”. The book details the obsession of a detective named Fingerling with the number 23, and its appearance in everything around him. Walter feels a connection to Fingerling and becomes obsessed with the book, feeling someone wrote it about him. He begins to see the number 23 everywhere, leading him to spiral into madness.

In “The Number 23”, Jim Carrey once again tries “serious mode”, and is somewhat successful given the constraints of the film. It is nothing outstanding, but it gets the job done. The story itself is a bit of a disappointment though, having less to do with the number 23 than you would hope. Seeing 23 in daily life is the most interesting part of the movie, and for that not to have a larger part in the ending is a shame. The film has some interesting visuals when it comes to the reading of the book, but overall, “The Number 23” falls flat.

Ghost Rider **1/2
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, Wes Bentley, Donal Logue, Sam Elliott
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In his youth, Johnny Blaze (Cage) made a deal with the Devil (Fonda) . He gave up his sould to the to save his father’s life. Years later, as the world’s top stuntman, nothing can stop him from the most crazy of stunts. The Devil won’t let him die. When Blackheart (Bentley) comes to Earth to take it over, the Devil makes Johnny into Ghost Rider – a flaming skeleton on a bike – and tasks him to defeat Blackheart and his minions.

“Ghost Rider” is clearly on the B-list of Marvel superheroes, and that is evident in the film. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the movie is enjoyable in its own way. Surprisingly, despite its subject matter, “Ghost Rider” does provide a number of lighter moments that contribute to its enjoyment. The actors are all adequate, none a standout. The effects are nicely done. Hollywood has come a long way in animating digital flames. In the end, “Ghost Rider” is an entertaining, but forgettable, superhero movie.

Hannibal Rising *1/2
Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Rhys Ifans, Dominic West, Kevin McKidd, Richard Brake
Director: Peter Webber
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

In 1944, Hannibal Lecter (Ulliel) sees his parents die in a battle outside the family cabin. He and his sister are captured by some locals, and in the bleak winter eat Hannibal’s sister to survive. Eight years later, Hannibal seeks out his uncle’s widow, Lady Murasaki (Li), and moves in with her. Hannibal’s goal is to locate the guys who ate his sister and kill them. Hot on his trail is a French police inspector (West), who knows what Hannibal is up to but cannot prove anything.

“Hannibal Rising” may as well be titled “Hannibal: Death of a Franchise”. It is completely unnecessary and makes a joke of everything that has gone before. Ulliel is greatly miscast and does not even come close to filling the shoes of Anthony Hopkins (who wisely has steered away from this film). This has to be one of the bigger disappointments in recent years. Stick with “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Red Dragon”, and forget about “Hannibal Rising”.

Notes on a Scandal ***1/2

Cast: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Andrew Simpson, Bill Nighy

Running Length: 1:33
MPAA Classification: R

Barbara Covett (dench) is a long-time teacher at a British school. She lives with a cat for companionship, and is a somewhat bitter woman. When Sheba Hart (Blanchett) takes a job at the school, she and Barbara become friends. One night, after a Christmas play at the school, Barbara sees Sheba and 15-year old Steven (Simpson) in a compromising situation, and decides to see how she can use this to her advantage.

“Notes on a Scandal” is a great pshychological thriller. The story is, for the most part, unpredictable. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett give top notch performances, and the scenes with the two of them together are the best parts of the movie. Dench’s manipulative Barbara is particularly excellent. Although the subject matter of “Notes on a Scandal” may put some people off, I found it to be a pleasant surprise, and I highly recommend it.

List of 2007 Academy Award winners

Picture
The Departed

Director
Martin Scorsese, The Departed

Actor
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen

Film editing
The Departed

Original song
I Need to Wake Up, An Inconvenient Truth

Original screenplay
Little Miss Sunshine

Original score
Babel

Documentary feature
An Inconvenient Truth

Documentary short subject
The Blood of Yingzhou District

Supporting actress
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Foreign film
The Lives of Others

Visual effects
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Cinematography
Pan's Labyrinth

Costume design
Marie Antoinette

Adapted screenplay
The Departed

Animated film
Happy Feet

Supporting actor
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine

Sound mixing
Dreamgirls

Sound editing
Letters from Iwo Jima

Animated short film
The Danish Poet

Live action short film
West Bank Story

Make-up
Pan's Labyrinth

Art direction
Pan's Labyrinth

The Last King of Scotland ***1/2

Cast: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (McAvoy) leaves Scotland after his graduation to get away from his father. He goes to Uganda around the time that a military coup puts General Idi Amin (Whitaker) in charge of the country. When Amin is injured in a car accident, Nicholas treats him. Amin likes Nicholas and offers him a position as personal physician to the President. He accepts, and soon finds that although Amin is personable and charismatic, he is also paranoid and brutal. This is further complicated by Nicholas having an affair with Amin’s third wife (Washington). With each passing day, Amin becomes more unstable, and Nicholas finds that he cannot escape.

“The Last King of Scotland” is an excellent film. The two leads, Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy deliver standout performances. They hype for Whitaker in this movie is well deserved. It is a shame that McAvoy has not garnered similar praise. This film offers a look into how the charismatic Amin became one of Africa’s most vicious dictators. I highly recommend this film.

The Queen ****
Cast: Helen Mirren, James Cromwell, Michael Sheen, Alex Jennings, Helen McCrory, Sylvia Syms, Roger Allam, Tim McMullan
Director: Stephen Frears
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In the first week of September 1997, between the death of Princess Diana and her funeral, Queen Elizabeth (Mirren) was in a situation that she had no preparation for. She did not feel anything should be done for the princess by the monarchy, as she has divorced from Prince Charles (Jennings), but the people of England were looking to her to show some compassion. Newly elected Prim Minister Tony Blair (Sheen) attempts to offer advice to the Queen, but he mostly rebuffed. Adding to the tension is the fact that Blair’s popularity skyrockets in this time of national mourning.

“The Queen” is a fascinating look into the world of the British Monarchy. I know very little about it, and the film held my interest throughout. Mirren is excellent as a queen who is struggling to maintain the only lifestyle she has ever known in the face of changing times and a popular ex-monarch’s death. Sheen is also good as Tony Blair. All in all, “The Queen” is an extremely engaging film that is worth seeing.

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Best Picture:
Babel
The Departed -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- the best of the five that are nominated
Letters From Iwo Jima -- DID NOT SEE
Little Miss Sunshine -- could be the surprise winner
The Queen

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond -- DID NOT SEE
Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson -- DID NOT SEE
Peter O'Toole, Venus -- DID NOT SEE
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness -- no chance
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- powerful performance in a role the Academy likes to reward

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Actress:
Penelope Cruz, Volver -- DID NOT SEE
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal -- always excellent and could be a surprise
Helen Mirren, The Queen -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- as close to a lock as you can get, and well deserving of a win
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada -- great performance, wrong year
Kate Winslet, Little Children -- DID NOT SEE

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Supporting Actor:
Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine -- WILL WIN -- I think he will be honored for his career
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children -- DID NOT SEE
Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond -- DID NOT SEE
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls -- DID NOT SEE
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Supporting Actress:
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls -- DID NOT SEE -- WILL WIN
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel -- SHOULD WIN -- haunting performance in the movie's most involving storyline

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Directing:
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel
Martin Scorsese, The Departed -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- never won and has made a great film, time to reward him
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwo Jima -- DID NOT SEE
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Paul Greengrass, United 93 -- could surprise everyone

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Foreign Language Film:
After the Wedding, Denmark; Days of Glory (Indigenes), Algeria -- DID NOT SEE
The Lives of Others, Germany -- DID NOT SEE
Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- excellent film
Water, Canada -- DID NOT SEE

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Adapted Screenplay:
Sacha Baron Cohen and Anthony Hines and Peter Baynham and Dan Mazer and Todd Phillips, Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- funniest movie of the year
Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, Children of Men -- DID NOT SEE
William Monahan, The Departed
Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children -- DID NOT SEE
Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Original Screenplay:
Guillermo Arriaga, Babel -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- 4 storylines meshed seamlessly together
Iris Yamashita and Paul Haggis, Letters From Iwo Jima -- DID NOT SEE
Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine
Guillermo del Toro, Pan's Labyrinth -- could be a contender
Peter Morgan, The Queen

OSCAR PREDICTIONS:
Animated Feature Film:
Cars -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- Pixar can do no wrong.
Happy Feet -- this could be the surprise winner, but it is vastly inferior to the other two nominees
Monster House -- a valiant effort, but not quite good enough to win