Friday, August 03, 2007

Movies opening this week

The Bourne Ultimatum (Matt Damon, David Strathairn, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles, dir. Paul Greengrass)
My review in Las Vegas Weekly
As much as I enjoyed this film, I really hope they don't take the success and critical acclaim as a sign that they need to extend the franchise beyond its breaking point. The original author is dead and someone is writing new novels, so there's certainly a precedent for exploitation. But this movie ties up everything neatly and satisfyingly, with breakneck excitement along the way, and it'd be nice to see a blockbuster series go out on top for once. Wide release

Talk to Me (Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Taraji P. Henson, Martin Sheen, dir. Kasi Lemmons)
My review in Las Vegas Weekly
There has to be someone who can make a good biopic without resorting to these really tired formulas. These movies aren't usually bad, but they're not usually all that good, either, and the more of them there are the more tiresome the formula seems. At some point even all the good acting in the world isn't doing much of a service to these interesting people whose lives deserve to be depicted a little more honestly. Opened limited July 13; in Las Vegas this week

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