PICK OF THE WEEK
Wonderful World
Writer/director Joshua Goldin’s slight but winning character study about the malcontent Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick), does not rely much on dramatic tension to propel its narrative. The film gets by largely on the grace of Broderick’s convincing portrayal of a man trying to find optimism in a world that continually disappoints and frustrates him. When his roommate Ibou (Michael K. Williams) falls into a diabetic coma, Ben’s world starts to change. His car is towed, prompting a lawsuit. He loses his job as a copyeditor. And his daughter Sandra (Jodelle Ferland) abruptly ends her weekend visits because of his constant negativity. Yet when Ibou’s sister Khani (Sanaa Lathan) visits, Ben’s life brightens up a bit. Here is a vibrant woman who teaches him Wolof expressions such as “If you do not have it, it is a treasure.” She is talking about the Nike sneakers she bought by the dozen, but she could just as soon be referring to love, a job, or a daughter. They have an easy relationship which soon turn into romance. Wonderful World is enjoyable as it unfolds because Ben is sympathetic even at his most stubborn. As the film depicts Ben’s transformation to being less of a misanthrope, Goldin isn’t looking for Big answers, he’s just looking around at the world and tries to find a way to appreciate it. Audiences will likely do the same as Ben learns this important but perhaps obvious lesson.

ALSO OPENING:
The Book of Eli
Denzel Washington stars in this thriller directed by the Hughes brothers about a man on a quest to save the world.

Crazy Heart
Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a fictional alcoholic broken-down country singer looking for love and redemption—not unlike Mac Sledge, the fictional alcoholic broken-down country singer looking for love in redemption in Tender Mercies. That film, back in 1983, won Robert Duvall an Oscar. This film, which Duvall produced and has a part, may earn Bridges an Oscar. The actor’s showy performance certainly overreaches for the gold. Tall, grizzle-bearded, mumbling, and pot-bellied, Bad Blake resembles Kris Kristofferson, more than Mac Sledge. But Bridges inhabits the role to its fullest. He christens the bowling alley he is to perform at with his urine, and takes cigarettes out of the pack with his mouth three at a time. These moments inform his broken-down nature, and when he sings, his lyrics echo it, too. The first song out of his mouth begins, “I used to be somebody/Now I am somebody else” and it’s a truth. Blake used to be a great songwriter, now he’s 57, broke, and stuck playing bowling alleys in places like Clovis, NM. In Santa Fe, he meets Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a reporter and single mom, and agrees to be interviewed by her. It’s a nice way writer/director Steve Cooper (making his film debut here) introduces Blake’s back story—his initial encounters with music, his multiple marriages, etc. And eventually, Jean and Bad begin a tentative relationship. But while Crazy Heart ambles along fine for its first half, things take a turn for the worse as the film progresses. This is not just because Bad Blake self-destructs on cue, but because the story gets predictable and stupid, especially when Bad Blake makes some bad decisions. Suddenly, the story’s redemption tale must kick in and viewers will feel they have heard this one before. Bridges certainly does his best with the familiar material, but Gyllenhaal gives a nuanced performance. Ironically, Duvall is glaringly bad here.

The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson, the man who brought Middle Earth to life in The Lord of Rings trilogy, tries to create “In Between”—that limbo between heaven and earth in The Lovely Bones. He uses CGI to create a wonderland, where leaves fall off trees and fly away as birds. It’s actually all a bit much, despite the fantastic contrast to the harsh realism of the central storyline about a teenager’s murder. Adapted from Alice Sebold’s bestseller, Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, which was filmed in Paoli, is set in the 1970s. Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is fourteen and a budding photographer. She is waiting to get her first kiss from a boy in high school, but Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci), a neighbor, captures her, and kills her. From “In Between,” Susie tries to advise and counsel her grieving family. Jackson’s film is constantly absorbing despite the fact that he never finds an appropriate tone. The film’s serious first reel, which establishes Susie’s promise and her close-knit family, is undone by the silly otherworldly nonsense, including the appearance of Holly (Nikki SooHoo), another dead girl. When the story focuses on the family grieving, Jackson introduces a dumb montage featuring Susan Sarandon as the family’s wacky grandmother burning the dinner and ruining the kids’ clothes for comic relief. This is a shame, because the actually point of the story—how Susie’s death affects her family, her high school friends, and her neighbors—is interesting. Alas, it seems to get short shrift here, mainly in favor of the CGI sequences. Jackson frequently over-directs, cross-cutting for dramatic effect, and thereby ruining the narrative power of the story. Except in a manipulative scene in which Susie’s sister is snooping around Mr. Harvey’s house for evidence, much of the director’s cinematic flourishes are wasted here. Nevertheless, Ronan gives a surprisingly accomplished performance, and she almost transcends the ridiculousness of the In Between sequences. Tucci is also excellent as the sinister Mr. Harvey. Alas, Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie’s parents are underutilized in their significant roles. As the anonymous suburban Pennsylvania setting, Paoli, looks terrific.

The Spy Next Door
Jackie Chan stars in this comedy about a mild-mannered guy who’s top secret identity is accidentally revealed by one of his girlfriend’s kids.