Reclusive filmmaker Terrence Malick tries to explain the meaning of all existence in “The Tree of Life,” a sprawling, non-linear drama now available on Blu-ray and DVD (but not on Netflix or Redbox until Nov. 8).

The film enthralled some and frustrated more with its fragmented storytelling, minimalist dialogue and lengthy sequences in space and with dinosaurs. Most of the movie, however, follows a young family in the 1950s, with Brad Pitt starring as the stern father to three boys. He’s particularly hard on Jack (Hunter McCracken), the oldest son who grows up to be played by Sean Penn in a few brief but pivotal scenes set in the present day.

There’s an hour stretch of the film that takes place exclusively in the 1950s with loosely connected scenes of Jack’s upbringing and the contrasting relationships he shares with his father and mother (Jessica Chastain). While his mother is more of a nurturing free-spirit who skimps on discipline, his father is determined to teach Jack the skills to survive an unfair adulthood, a worldview he has adopted from his own professional failures.

But wait! Malick isn’t weaving a simple coming-of-age tale. The film opens with the death of one of Jack’s brothers, which takes place sometime in Jack’s early adulthood. “The Tree of Life” then jumps way back to the creation of the universe, leading into the Earth’s formation, the development of primitive life, and the emergence of dinosaurs. Then we get the 1950s and Brad Pitt, and then things get really weird. (more…)

In politics, loyalty is more important than doing the right thing.

So says “The Ides of March,” the political thriller directed, co-written and co-starring George Clooney.  Set during a Democratic presidential primary race, “Ides of March” doesn’t have a positive opinion on the business of politicking. Even the players who work with a self-established ethical code will make sacrifices for a chance at the White House.

Based on the play “Farragut North” by Beau Willimon, with a screenplay by Willimon, Clooney and Grant Heslov, “The Ides of March” has the tone, pacing and theatrics consistent with those of a high-pressure political campaign. It also has a few plot twists that belong in a different movie.

Ryan Gosling, already a standout this fall in “Drive,” stars as Stephen Meyers, an idealistic junior campaign manager working for Governor Mike Morris (Clooney) on the eve of a vital primary in Ohio. Stephen’s mentor and boss, Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is trying to secure the endorsement of an influential Senator (Jeffrey Wright), while the opposition’s campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) calls Stephen with inside information and a potential job offer. (more…)

There are two halves to “50/50” that wouldn’t be very entertaining if they each expanded into its own full-length movie.

A movie about fighting a rare form of cancer isn’t many people’s idea of escapist entertainment. And watching Seth Rogen laugh through yet another raunchy stoner comedy wouldn’t be so annoying had he not already made three or four movies exactly like it.

Combining the two, however, turns out to be a winning formula in “50/50,” a very funny story about cancer that contains moments of powerful, devastating drama. The pot jokes help to ease the blow. (more…)

Any movie that makes villains out of the New York Yankees is good in my book.

“Moneyball” is about much more than baseball, though the central premise is excellent movie fodder: A small-market baseball team finds a unique way to compete against the high-payroll juggernauts of the league.  Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) does this by finding undervalued players with a single important statistic: How often they get on base.

Much like last year’s computer programming opus, “The Social Network,” the human drama in “Moneyball” far outweighs the narrow subject matter of intentional walks and infield singles. (more…)

The moody, violent “Drive” begins with the best single sequence on film in 2011. Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed driver for hire on what is, for him, a routine evening of evading police helicopters and squad cars.

This isn’t a fast cutting car chase out of the “Bourne” franchise. The Driver takes the most logical route, and takes only the amount of turns necessary to avoid capture. There are no crazy stunts because a good driver wouldn’t need them.

“Drive” features three distinct car sequences, but it shouldn’t be classified as a “car chase movie.” This is classic noir territory, with Gosling’s Driver trapped between the girl next door, a heist gone wrong and a couple of ruthless gangsters. (more…)

After a summer of sequels and 3D adventures, fall is finally here and moviegoers will be treated to… more sequels and 3D adventures.

Continuing franchises include “Sherlock Holmes,” “Mission: Impossible” and yet another “Alvin and the Chipmunks” nightmare, and everybody and their dog is experimenting with 3D technology, including directing greats like Martin Scorsese (“Hugo”) and Steven Spielberg (“The Adventures of Tintin”).

Fortunately, the fall season also means an assortment of prestige films and festival darlings, all hoping to cash in on Oscar gold. The following season preview highlights each promising entry with a handy asterisk.

That isn’t to say you won’t also enjoy entries like “Piranha 3DD” or “Paranormal Activity 3.” Remember, they make these sequels because you asked for them with your wallet. (more…)

So much for 3D being the savior of Hollywood.

The major trend of summer 2011 has been the decreasing impact of the third dimension. Most every major release available in 3D this summer actually made more money from 2D presentations. Movie tickets aren’t so cheap anymore, and the added price of 3D isn’t exactly a premium most can afford in this economic climate.

Most movies just don’t benefit from the added attraction, either. Nothing about “Thor,” “Captain America” or the latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Harry Potter” entries required the premium dimension. The technology works best in brightly lit sequences, like the final hour of this summer’s “Transformers,” or animated fare like “Kung Fu Panda 2.”

What was once a rare treat for moviegoers has become too common of an option. Just last weekend in Coeur d’Alene, audiences had the choice to see “Fright Night,” “Conan the Barbarian,” “Spy Kids,” “Final Destination 5,” “Glee: The Concert Movie” and “Harry Potter” in 3D. That’s a pretty oversaturated market, and who really wanted to see a remake of “Conan” in any dimension? (more…)

Considering the “Planet of the Apes” franchise basically fizzled immediately following the 1968 original (then hit rock bottom 10 years ago with that atrocious Marky Mark remake), I was expecting “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” to be this summer’s most colossal bomb.

Color me surprised. The new “Apes” film, technically a prequel to the original film, is one of the season’s most compelling spectacles. Using its special effects to compliment a story rather than overpower it, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” begins as a thoughtful character study and transitions seamlessly into a thrilling, action-packed final act.

James Franco plays Will Rodman, a researcher who has developed a brain-healing virus he believes will be the cure to Alzheimer’s, a disease that has claimed his own father (John Lithgow in another excellent performance).

When an accident temporarily shuts down his research, Will brings home a baby chimp named Caesar, who shows incredible intelligence as a result of the virus.

As Caesar grows he becomes even smarter and more independent. Will and Caesar have a warm, father-son relationship, but Caesar begins to question his origin and purpose. Simultaneously, Will begins his research again, with more testing on apes that leads to…well, just read the title of the movie.

Franco and the other human actors are good, but Caesar is the revelation in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” Created with CGI and brilliant motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis, Caesar is a fully realized character with a tragic and ultimately exhilarating story arc.

As he did with Gollum in “Lord of the Rings” and King Kong in the Peter Jackson remake, Serkis has a true gift in bringing empathy and compassion to non-human characters. His interactions with Franco are particularly powerful, as director Rupert Wyatt demonstrates precision in utilizing special effects in scenes that aren’t about action and explosions.

Pity the advertising campaign of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” focuses on the ape mayhem in the final act. It’s much more satisfying when seeing it as a result of the plotting that precedes it. And while Caesar is a seamless computer-generated character, some of theother apes are somewhat less convincing special effects.

Still, the journey of Caesar from science experiment to revolutionary makes “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” the biggest surprise ofsummer 2011. And for once, it even leaves you itching for a sequel.
Grade: A-

You definitely get cowboys and aliens in the science-fiction/Western mash-up “Cowboys & Aliens.” You just don’t get much else.

Despite a promising nighttime alien attack in the opening act, the movie stumbles into the dullest cliches of both genres. Harrison Ford, at least, brings his towering charisma to the proceedings. (more…)

After “Thor,” “X-Men: First Class” and Green Lantern” this summer, moviegoers might be experiencing a bit of superhero fatigue.

Understandable, but “Captain America: The First Avenger” provides a fresh enough take on the genre to make one more trip to the big screen worthwhile this summer. Set during World War II and doused with the rah-rah spirit of golden-age cinema, “Captain America” is cheesy good fun. It even boasts a pretty good song-and-dance number.

Chris Evans, via computer wizardry, plays weakly Steve Rogers, a stick of a man who dreams of serving his country. Rejected countless times over for active duty, Rogers is spotted by a scientist (Stanley Tucci) who has developed a super-soldier serum for the American forces.

Soon enough, Rogers is a hulk of a man ready for action against the Nazis. Unfortunately, the U.S. prefers “Captain America” as a traveling headliner to inspire sales of war bonds. It isn’t long before German nutcase Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) threatens the world, requiring the special skills of newly spectacular Steve Rogers and his trusty shield.

Like “X-Men: First Class,” which plopped mutant heroes into the Cuban Missile Crisis, “Captain America” thrives when tinkering with familiar historical events and motifs. More than being set during World War II, the film has the unapologetically patriotic tone of a movie made in that era.

Evans is terrific as both scrawny and brawny Steve Rogers and easily erases his previous superhero efforts in the underwhelming “Fantastic Four” films. The script is full of pulpy, heroic declarations, and Evans reads them with enough sparks to evoke James Bond or Indiana Jones. In other words, he gets away with saying silly stuff.

“Captain America” is well-acted from top to bottom, with Weaving bringing his usual nastiness to Red Skull and Tommy Lee Jones in the zone as Rogers’ gruff superior officer. Even better, Hayley Atwell shows genuine spark as love interest/kick-butt heroine Peggy Carter.

Director Joe Johnston has always been a purveyor of B-movie camp, and therefore his movies have been somewhat hit and miss (see “The Rocketeer” or “Hidalgo;” don’t see 2010’s “The Wolfman”). “Captain America” is one of his most consistent efforts, nailing the production design and tone of a 40s war film. The entire movie has a beautiful sepia gleam, which strangely enhances the 3D presentation.

The brand of goofiness within “Captain America” will earn its fair share of detractors. Audiences with an appreciation of the film’s cinematic influences will probably find more to enjoy here than those looking for the same old hero vs. villain showdown.

Thank goodness “Captain America” is, at the very least, something different.

Grade: B+