"The Iron Lady"
Richard's Review: 3 stars
The film begins in the present with Margaret Thatcher, the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the twentieth century, diminished by age. Once the most powerful woman in Europe, she now goes unrecognized at her local convenience store. She daydreams conversations with her late husband and reflects on the past, which leads us into the "greatest hits" biographical format that makes up most of the movie.
What follows is the inevitable mega-montage of newscasts, archival footage, snippets from Thatcher's speeches and some behind-the-scenes intrigue all framed by more private moments -- both past and present.
It's all rather standard, elevated by a performance which, once again, displays what a great technician Meryl Streep is. She embodies Thatcher, from the flamboyant hair to the ever-present pearls although the real heavy lifting is done in the "lion in winter" scenes. It's there she goes beyond the showy impersonation and becomes an emotional, well-rounded portrait.
"Contraband"
Richard's Review: 3 1/2 stars
In the New Orleans-set crime thriller "Contraband" Mark Wahlberg plays Chris Farraday, a reformed criminal-turned-loving-father forced to do the proverbial one last job after his brother-in-law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) runs afoul of a local gangster (Giovanni Ribisi). To square the deal and pay off Andy's debt, Chris agrees to go back into his old line of work -- smuggling contraband goods. In this case, he must illegally transport millions of dollars in counterfeit bills. But can he navigate around the police, ruthless drug lords and double crosses to keep Andy and his family safe?
It used to be that January was the dumping ground for movies that studios thought nobody wanted to see. It is usually the domain of movies like "Bloodrayne" and bad Freddie Prinze Jr. romcoms -- the kind of movies that hover around the 2 per cent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
But "Contraband" is actually a pretty good thriller. It's not brilliant, but it's better than the spelling challenged "Thr3e" which was released this time a few years ago.
It succeeds mainly because Wahlberg can play both a believable badass and concerned family man, usually in the same scene. Maybe it's art imitating life -- Wahlberg has a checkered past, but is now a devout Catholic and family man. But that dichotomy makes "Contraband's" unbelievable smuggling scheme easier to swallow. Wahlberg's fun to watch because he's unpredictable, nuzzling the kids one minute, shoving the muzzle of gun in a bad guy's face the next.
The rest of the movie isn't as unpredictable, but it is entertaining. It has some good action scenes, a suitably high body count and some over-the-top work from Ribisi. Between the scene-chewing here and in "The Rum Diary," Ribisi is proving himself to be the hungriest actor in Hollywood next to Nic Cage.
The supporting characters are less interesting. Ben Foster, a fine but typecast actor, really needs to break away from the deadbeat characters he's been playing lately. It would be great if he gave us more work like his heartrending performance in "The Messenger" and less like those paint-by-number creeps he plays in movies like "The Mechanic" and "Contraband."
Even more disheartening is Kate Beckinsale, who is relegated to the role of damsel in distress. You'd think after kicking werewolf butt in four "Underworld" movies she'd be able to defend herself by now.
"Contraband" may not be edge-of-your-seat stuff, but it is at least middle-of-your-seat entertainment and much better than the usual January fare.
"A Dangerous Method"
Richard's Review: 3 1/2 stars
With the release of "A Dangerous Mind," the tautly told story of two psychoanalysts you've heard of -- Dr. Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen), plus one you've probably never heard of, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) -- director David Cronenberg is still exploring uncharted territory in his films.
On the surface the story seems simple enough. Two pioneering figures of psychoanalysis have a falling out over a beautiful but troubled patient. In the hands of Cronenberg and writer Christopher "Dangerous Liaisons" Hampton, however, the movie becomes an enticing stew of psycho-sexuality and repression that challenges commonly held beliefs about what is normal and what is not.
Cronenberg, always known for his crisp filmmaking, has rarely ever been this elegant. Shot compositions and camerawork are kept simple so as not to distract from the dialogue -- the star of this show. As you can imagine, in a drama about three therapists (Spielrein became a doctor after her treatment with Jung), there is a great deal of talk. Separately and together they talk about their dreams, their pasts and, in the case of Jung and Spielrein, their future. It may be the most inward looking movie of the year, but in its introspection -- and buried in the film's subtext -- is a restrained but fascinating glimpse into the lives and minds of these characters.
Knightley delivers a brave, strange and Oscar-worthy performance as Spielrein, while Fassbender expertly plays the repression that plagued Jung. Cronenberg muse Mortensen may seem an odd choice to play Freud. But he leaves behind the physical performances that have marked his best work in the past to create a convincing portrait of Freud.
"A Dangerous Method" won't appeal to everyone. The combo of love story and birth of modern analysis is an odd mix. There's almost no physical action in the movie. Cronenberg's fireworks here are in the small moments and the ideas expressed in the script.
The focus is on the words. Some will see a film rich with dialogue. Others will see it a film that's verbose. But that's just the kind of duality this movie explores.
