The Fountain

**** Stars

The Fountain is a film of unique structure and fascinating beauty. It is a simple tale of love and determination. But this is not a film for everybody. It is for open minds only. Fans of hardcore Science Fiction and director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, Pi) will appreciate its different study of time travel.

There are three paralleling stories in a period of a thousand years about one man bound to save the woman he loves. His epic journey begins in 16th-century Spain, where, as conquistador Tomas Creo (a soon to be underrated performance by Hugh Jackman), he commences his search for the 'Tree of Life', the legend that will allow anyone who drinks its sap everlasting life. He moves on to modern day and becomes the scientist Tommy Creo, who desperately struggles to find a cure for the cancer that is killing his beloved wife Isabel (Rachel Weisz). Finally five hundred years later, traveling through deep space as a 26th-century astronaut, Tom begins to grasp the mysteries of life that have consumed him for more than a century.

It is hard to review a film like this. In Aronofsky's eyes, this is a masterpiece. If you share the same vision, you will agree. This is a brilliant study of a simple subject. It may be silly, it may be borderline insane, but The Fountain, whether you are clueless of the plot or not, is a film that is hypnotically watchable. I am in love with this film

Fast Food Nation

** Stars

Based on the best selling novel by Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation is an examination of how the most popular product in America is destroying how we live personally and physically. The filmmakers are obviously passionate about this subject and their intentions serve a purpose, however as a film, I could not have possibly cared less. This seems to be a recurring problem today in films: The concept of a movie is brilliant, but the execution is lame.

In 2004, the documentary Super Size Me was a brilliant attack on the food industry. After the success of this film, it would be hard to match its caliber. Fast Food Nation does just that, failing to give an impact necessary for this kind of film.

This is the story of fast food and how the food industry has triggered how our society works. Greg Kinnear plays a marketing executive who find out the truth in meat. Bruce Willis shows up and talks about how America should face that fact that the world is not perfect and it is acceptable that there is actual s*** in the meat we eat. Seeing a big star like Willis is a distraction to the story and it is horribly miscast. The film tries to examine who is actually handling our food, how the food is marketed, and what is really in the meat. The food is fueling an epidemic of obesity and separating the rich and poor. These are all very important factors seen in this film. But to the extent, I don't care. The film is overlong, stressing how we should all become full out vegetarians.

Casino Royale

**** Stars

Filled with blistering action and smoldering heat, this newest James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, is a brilliant piece of cinematic filmmaking. Casino Royale is not only one the greatest bond films ever made, but one of the best films of the year.

Like the Batman franchise with Batman Begins (only with far better execution), this is a reboot of the James Bond franchise with a look back at the beginning. It shows how Bond became the classic 007. The novel Casino Royale was written by Ian Fleming before the first film Dr. No. They took the classy script and modernized it, creating a Bond with the same caliber as Sean Connery. Craig is one for the ages.

His first mission takes him to Madagascar, where he spies on a terrorist known as Mollaka. When things go sour, Bond investigates the rest of the terrorist cell only to find the ring leader, Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorist organizations. Le Chiffre plans to raise money in a no-limit poker game at Le Casino Royale in the Bahamas. Bond joins the game. If he wins, he destroys the terror organization. If he loses, MI6 would have directly financed terrorism. Finally, Bond meets the girl. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) a member of the British Government, teams up with Bond to make sure the poker goes smoothly. Bond then does what he does best, seducing her with his unavoidable charm.

There are too many villains in this movie. But this is not a Bond vs. Villain film. This is the story of only James Bond, which what makes it so damn irresistible. We see a side of Bond that brings all other Bond films to shame. This is a gritty-enormously dark film, filled with witty charm, excruciatingly brutal fight scenes, and an actor who if continues to create more films like this, could become the definitive James Bond. Casino Royale makes Die Another Day look like a mediocre high school science project.

Babel

***1/2 Stars

In the Bible, the story of Babel (a city now known as Babylon) was about confusion towards language. God confounded a presumptuous attempt to build a tower into heaven by confusing the builders into many mutually incomprehensible languages. The film Babel rings true to its title, in which it tells of four stories, from different areas of the world that are deeply connected. Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu examines the issues of family crisis, illegal immigration, and communicable misunderstanding. It tells us how depressing this world has become when everyone is so stereotypical.

In the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, an American tourist is hit by a rifle shot heard around the world. A Japanese teen rebel's (Rinko Kikuchi) father is sought by the police in Tokyo who is involved with the rifle. The couple’s frantic struggle to survive (stellar performances by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) is long and heartbreaking. Two Moroccan boys involved in the accidental crime are frantically trying to save themselves. The nanny taking care of the American couple's two children, takes them across the Mexican/American Border and causes heartbreaking controversy.

The movie raises some serious questions. Why are people so different? Do laws and culture clash to create the world’s problems? Like last year's Best Picture winning Crash, this is a fascinating look at how we are more connected than one sees. It is a tale of deep connection, love and survival, and cultural misunderstanding. Brad Pitt's performance is of Oscar caliber and Inarritu's direction is crisp and vivaciously spectacular.

Fahrenheit 9/11

This is a look back at an important film released in 2004. Michael Moore will release another film in 2007 called Sicko, an attack on America's health care system.

***1/2 Stars
Michael Moore follows up his controversial speech at the 2002 Oscars with a blisteringly controversial look at the Bush administration and how its connections to Saudi Arabia, the Bin-Laden family, and Taliban government officials are staggeringly disturbing. Michael Moore tries to examine the truth behind the thick boundaries of September 11th.

Moore is a brilliant filmmaker. His persuasive words and provacative footage lets the public see a possibility of who George W. Bush really is. First off, let's make it clear that this is an opinionated matter. The facts are visual, yet some very broad. But what makes Moore so fascinating is the dirt he finds. From percentages of Bush's vacation records, to disturbing flight records of the Bin Laden family, Moore gives us footage scarier than Watergate, especially how he finds evidence that Bush may have rigged the 2000 election. Al Gore won Florida, but lately discovered that Bush somehow came to victory.

This is a brave piece of film. Although not as strong as his 2002 Oscar winning Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 is an interesting and important look of what America is about. Al Gore may come back in the election of 2008, win, and then see Jeb Bush sworn into office in January of 2009.

Stranger Than Fiction

***1/2 Stars

Stranger than fiction, with a stellar cast, deeply thoughtful direction, ads wonders to a screenplay of already Oscar caliber.

This is a tale of one man named Harold Crick (Will Farrell, in a perfectly executed performance), who lives a dull existence of solitude. Karen Effiel (a perfectly cast Emma Thompson) is the author creating this story in her mind. What she doesn't know is that Harold Crick actually exists. He is an IRS agent who begins to hear Karen's voice as she narrates his life with perfection. Harold however finds trouble when he hears that Karen plans to kill him. Events throughout the film seem to be leading directly towards his death. Harold insists the help of a literary professor named Jules Hilbert (the always inspiring Dustin Hoffman) to find out what is happening and ends up changing things about his life. He tells Harold to try living life instead of counting brush strokes and ceiling tiles. He begins to fall for one of his IRS clients, Ana Pascal (an easily lovable Maggie Gyllenhaal). Ana is a government-hating bakery owner who at first shuns Harold, but then sees a soft side she cannot resist. The scenes between Ana and Harold are charming, loving, and beautifully written.

Screenwriter Zach Helm delivers a story of awesome wit and surprising power. Hear we see these characters that are so easy to love that we constantly wonder how the Shakespearean like ending will occur. The movie indubitably heads towards this, however when the moment arrives, the story takes an asymmetrical turn. At first, it is an overrun cliché. But once explained, you see an empathetic reason behind it. The movie may be stranger than fiction, but the message is easily coherent within our hearts. It reminds us of a life of innocence and how living life to the fullest brings out the best of the human verve. This is one of the year’s best films.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

***1/2 Stars

Borat is one of the most ridiculous things ever created and not just in movies. In its 84 minute running time, actor Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat, gives us more offensive material than most films in history. And yet for some odd reason, it is the funniest film of the year.

Judging from the title, it is clear where this film is heading. It starts with Borat, a Kazakhstan journalist giving us the cultural learning’s of Kazakhstan by telling the world that this country is full of prostitutes, women degrading, and animal cruelty. If you think this material is crossing your threshold, stay clear. For the rest of us, it is a gift from comedic heaven.

Borat moves onto America to experience its rituals. He travels into New York and discovers that Pamela Anderson is his true love. So he moves onto California to find her. He crosses paths with drunken teenagers and rodeo clowns, starts fights with his fat companion because he is pleasuring himself of Pamela, and then moves onto to learn that women are allowed to have sex with who they want. Borat is stunned by this discovery.

Borat has to be seen to believe. The creators of this film are shockingly crude and horribly disgusting, yet excruciatingly hilarious. It is a guarantee that Sacha Baron Cohen will receive death threats for the rest of his days. The actual country of Kazakhstan is shinning this film while many others will call it a piece of genius.