Gil Mansergh’s Cinema Toast

New Releases 2/29/08

Penelope (PG)
Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara, Richard E. Grant
Directed by Mark Palansky
A family is saddled with a Gypsy curse that dictates that their daughter will have a piggy face. This plays it’s tongue-in-cheek romance with the visual trickery and voice-overs used in TV’s “Pushing Daisies” and has a fun time including the moral lesson of paparazzi-style media hype. Good but not as good as “Enchanted” and other recent “fairy tale farces.”
3 pieces of bacon-flavored toast.

Semi-Pro (R)
Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Will Arnett, André Benjamin, Rob Corddry, Maura Tierney, Josh Braaten, DeRay Davis, Jay Philips, Jackie Earle Haley, Andy Richter
Directed by Theodore Shapiro
Running through the various American sports one-by-one, Will Farrell and his buddies tackle basketball in this “R” rated effort which allows them to be raunchier and more offensive than usual. Hey guys, the “F” word really isn’t that funny.
1 and 1/2 pieces of Will Farrell trying too hard toast.

The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13)
Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana
Director: Justin Chadwick
Adapted from Philippa Gregory’s 2002 novel, the interesting subject of two sisters put before a womanizing King Henry VIII by their power-hungry father and uncle, unfortunately plays like an afternoon soap opera, complete with places where you think there will be commercial interruptions.
1 and 1/2 piece “I’m ‘enery the eighth I am” toast

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (NR)
Anamaria Marinca, Vlad Ivanov, Laura Vasilu
Director: Cristian Mungiu
Hailed as the rebirth of Romanian cinema, the story is of two women try to have an abortion in a totalitarian state. This realistic tale of decisions made and the consequences they bring is brilliantly acted and directed with scenes unfolding in a new, emotionally complete style.
4 pieces of gritty realism toast

Starting Out in the Evening (PG-13)
Frank Langella, Lili Taylor, Lauren Ambrose, Adrian Lester, Jessica Hecht
Director: Andrew Wagner
A burned-out writer is approached by a 20-something grad student who wants to do her thesis on his novels. At the same time, his 40-year old daughter unburdens her fear of never having children to her father. Through it all, Langella maintains a quiet dignity that is very effective.
3 and 1/2 pieces of aging writer toast

NEW VIDEO DVDs

Beowulf (PG-13)
The voices of Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, Angelina Jolie
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
With the seas filled with monsters and pain-wracked giants ravaging the countryside, it was unwise of King Hrothgar to have all night parties fueled by barrels of mead. Unwise, because it made the monstrous Grendel upset, and he killed and ate half of the guests. Enter the fair-haired Viking warrior named Beowulf who, nude and weaponless, slays the giant. But the murder of guests continues, and so Beowulf must enter the giant’s cave to find (and cavort with) it’s powerfully sexual mother (Freudian twist eh?). One problem is that the home version isn’t available in 3-D and the effects look kind of flat.
3 and 1/2 pieces of Scandinavian epic toast (for the 3-D version)

The Darjeeling Limited (R)
Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Roman Coppola, Camilla Rutherford
Directed by: Wes Anderson
If you can get over thinking about Owen Wilson’s suicide attempt every time he comes on screen, you might just enjoy this “Royal Tannebaums” style story of three American brothers who have not spoken to each other in a year yet set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and their brotherliness.
3 pieces of oddly amusing toast

Lust, Caution (NC-17)
Tang Wei, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Wang Lee Hom, Joan Chen, Chih-ying Chu
Directed by: Ang Lee
This lushly erotic espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai is beautiful to watch and the sex scenes are artfully choreographed, but when the credits role, the result is surprisingly cold and empty.
2 and 1/2 pieces of uneventful toast