About Time - B

Rated R, 123 minutes

Wistful, sentimental "About Time" breaks its own rules

Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson

From the maker of "Love Actually" comes the mawkish but charming new romantic comedy "About Time" that blends both time travel and love. Ingratiating and unconventional, it can both confuse and tug at the heart strings, with winning performances from the leads.
At the age of 21, Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time from his father (Bill Nighy) who tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time, though he can only change certain events in his own life. When Tim finally meets the beautiful but insecure Mary (Rachel McAdams) he realizes how difficult that can be. Directed and written by Richard Curtis of "Love Actually" fame, it's one of the better time travel-love stories (McAdams' own "The Time Travelers Wife" failed at this) and certainly one of the year's more memorable romantic comedies that succeeds mostly because of a charming cast. It features a stellar breakout performance from the lanky Gleeson, son of actor Brendan Gleeson and best known as Bill Weasley from the final two "Harry Potter" films, whose awkward, even geeky sensibilities ground the film well. He and McAdams share a sweet chemistry too, though his screen time with Nighy is more affecting, particularly in their final, heartbreaking father-son exchanges. Problematic, unsurprisingly, is the time traveling angle, always a tricky paradox for any filmmaker to handle, but especially complex when it involves romance, but still filled with some fun moments, particularly when Tim humorously uses it to his advantage (sex being one of them). Curtis is careful to establish the ground rules but then breaks them too easily for an unnecessary, sentimental moment, leaving some plot holes and confusion as Tim jumps back and forth, underscoring how both relationships and time travel can be complicated. It goes on a tad too long and the last act in particular is too pensive for a love story (i.e. take plenty of tissues), but Curtis along with Gleeson, and the always lovely McAdams make "About Time" one of the most unusual but winning romantic comedies of late. You'll also want the film's soundtrack, filled with some nice alt folk tunes.

Wes's Grade: B

All is Lost - B+

Rated PG-13, 107 minutes

Redford at his best in the unconventional drama "All is Lost"

Robert Redford

The minimalist, well-acted new drama “All is Lost” stars Robert Redford as an unnamed, contemporary sailor who becomes lost at sea after his sailboat is severely damaged and becomes engaged in a battle of survival against the elements.  Directed and written by J.C. Chandor in only his second feature film, following 2011’s “Margin Call,” “All is Lost” is one of the year’s most unique films:  simplistic yet focused but smart, tense and well-executed by Chandor and his sole castmate, Redford, in one of his most unconventional roles to date. Considering there is minimal dialogue and Redford is the only one on screen at all times, the veteran actor keeps you engaged in a strong turn that exceeds the limited scope of the film. In a rather ironic twist, the actor best known for his looks from such classics as “All the President’s Men” and “Out of Africa” appears weathered and even beat, and the film heavily relies on that look to make a stark point: that the sea, as beautiful as it appears at times, can also be your worst enemy. As well, as Redford is bruised and tossed to and fro in some of the more tense moments of the film, it also gives you the notion that even experienced sailors will eventually give out after a certain period of time, though the ending may give some hope. The extended period of dialogue-free silences (which is about 98% of the film) which have Redford at his finest, isn’t for everyone and thus some may be bored by the unique but satisfying and affecting experiment known as “All is Lost.” Given that Tom Hanks did something similar in 2000’s “Cast Away,” this isn’t really completely new, and on paper doesn’t seem like much, but Redford and Chandor’s “All is Lost” is worthy of your time.

Wes's Grade: B+

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa - C

Rated R, 91 minutes

"Bad Grandpa" serves up same old, cheap laughs

Jackson Nicoll and Johnny Knoxville

"Bad Grandpa" is a stale extension of the hugely profitable, profane hidden-camera MTV series "Jackass," which ran its course over three sequels. It's back, sort of, with Irving Zisner, the Johnny Knoxville-created Grandpa character featured in some of the "Jackass" pranks. Grandpa and his grandson Billy (actor Jackson Nicoll) trek across country, pranking people on hidden camera along the way. Inane and utterly unnecessary, Knoxville and his "Jackass" director Jeff Tremaine are back for more hijinks and stupid shtick in this spinoff, except the pranks unfold from a more structured story than the plotless "Jackass" movies. Problematic is that this plot isn't funny and the pranks generally aren't as good or as elaborately staged as the "Jackass" stunts. Knoxville, a charming actor who's become sort of a contemporary, low-brow Allen Funt, admittedly garners some laughs and funny reactions from onlookers as he plows through a furniture store or boisterously crashes a bingo parlor, but overall there's fewer outrageous laughs than the "Jackass" movies usually produce. Cheaply produced and really just a silly string of bad, smutty jokes, "Bad Grandpa" will attract enough of the "Jackass" following to still turn a profit, even if it has a been-there, done-that feel to it.

Wes's Grade: C

12 Years a Slave - A-

Rated R, 134 minutes

Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor

Brutal, powerful "12 Years a Slave" reminds us of a dark chapter in U.S. history

"12 Years a Slave" is a brutal, gripping reminder of one of the darkest times in U.S. history, a time when the insitution of slavery existed. Part pertinent history lesson and part captivating personal story, it's superbly acted over a fascinating but difficult story to watch. It tells the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a New York State citizen who was kidnapped and made to work on a plantation in New Orleans in the 1800s, initially working for a kind plantation owner (Benedict Cumberbatch) but who is then sold to a much more harsh slaveowner (Michael Fassbender) from whom he escapes again for his freedom after 12 years. Directed by Steve McQueen ("Shame") and written by John Ridley ("Red Tails") and based largely on Northup's account, it's a superbly acted, compelling and merciless story of a shameful period in United States history. The last act in particular is difficult to watch as Fassbender's torturous slave owner enters the picture, and while it is universally well-acted, Ejiofor and newcomer Adepuro Oduye are the most memorable and often very hearbreaking, as Northup and a fellow slave named Eliza, both of whom must endure beatings, whippings and all sorts of inhuman treatment. Fassbender and Sarah Paulson, as the brutal slaveowner and his equally harsh wife, are strong amongst a large cast that also includes Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Alfre Woodard and in a small part, co-producer Brad Pitt. Because of the film's somewhat excessive brutality and depressing storyline, the film isn't for everyone, but if you see it, there are many images that will stay with you long after the film is over. "12 Years a Slave" should garner a host of Oscar nominations, from the acting, to its ultimately triumphant story to the lush photography, the energetic score and its realistic sets and costumes, all of which are first-rate. "12 Years a Slave" is one of the year's best and most gripping films, and put this on your list to see before it starts winning some well-deserved awards.

Wes's Grade: A-

The Counselor - C+

Rated R, 111 minutes

Stylish but unsatisfying "The Counselor" all over the map

Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz

In spite of a talented director, an acclaimed writer and a gifted, award-winning cast, the slick but unsatisfying thriller "The Counselor" fails to deliver the goods. The film tells the story of a greedy lawyer, known only as The Counselor (Michael Fassbender), who finds himself in over his head when he decides to delve into the dark world of drug trafficking. Entangled with him is his naive girlfriend Laura (Penelope Cruz); Westray (Brad Pitt), a seedy middleman and Reiner (Javier Bardem) and Malkina (Cameron Diaz), a mysterious and dangerous couple. Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Cormac McCarthy ("No Country For Old Men") writing his first original screenplay, "The Counselor" is a vapid thriller that gets points for style but is otherwise all over the place in developing its story and characters. There are a couple of memorable scenes (Pitt's demise and Diaz's romp on a car windshield), but the film jumps back and forth from one character to another, enough time to just skim the surface. Interestingly, Scott's usual heavy-handed visual flair is toned down some here (very few jumpy edits), and while the film has a nice, dark and often bloody sheen to it, it fails under McCarthy's scattershot screenplay, which inserts a few stilted, heady monologues about life and death that provide little insight. Fasssbender has the best performance though a miscast Diaz will receive the most notices as a brilliant but scary sociopath; the role of a strong woman like this requires a strong actress, and as devilish as Diaz tries to be, she doesn't deliver. Bardem chews through the scenery, while his real-life wife Cruz is wasted in a very small role as Fassbender's love interest. "The Counselor" has a few entertaining scenes, but considering the talent involved in front of and behind the camera, it's a disappointment.

Wes's Grade: C+

Carrie - C-

Rated R, 92 minutes

Unnecessary version of "Carrie" a mess, offers few scares

Chloe Grace Moretz

Remakes can be tricky, especially ones based on very familiar Stephen King stories. The original, very frightening version of King's "Carrie" was made in 1976, starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie and was huge hit. The new "Carrie," directed by "Boys Don't Cry" Kimberly Peirce, isn't a total fiasco but still problematic. Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious but abusive mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. This "Carrie" has some good points: it's well-cast, age appropriate and is more faithful to King's novel, but overall lacks the chilling originality of Brian De Palma's classic film, which still produces nightmares to this day. The biggest problem with the new "Carrie" may be the familiarity with the book and the indelible first film, which made a huge star out of Spacek and garnered Oscar nominations for her and Laurie, who played the creepy Mom so well. This essentially renders the new version unnecessary, and certainly not as scary as the first, and bottom line the new movie is a mess narratively and technically. Some contemporary touches (cell phones, You Tube etc.) are to be expected but lack relevancy, while others (a bizarre prologue and a brief flying stint by Carrie) don't work at all. Worst of all, the shoddy 1970s-esque, haunted house-like special effects of flying objects and beds (really?) and Peirce's crucial mishandling of the bloody climax, so powerful and frightening in the original, is devoid of any real chills. Peirce, really the wrong choice of director for this, also wastes two fine actresses in Moretz and Moore, both inspired casting choices but lacking the genuine creepiness of Spacek/Laurie. This needless, gratuitous version of "Carrie" is a disappointment, but some will still show up out of curiosity. Don't waste your time and rent the much scarier, chilling 1976 De Palma version.

Wes's Grade: C-

I'm in Love With a Church Girl - D

Rated PG, 118 minutes

Third-rate "Church Girl" delivers honorable message, little else

Adrienne Bailon and Ja Rule

"I'm in Love With a Church Girl" highlights the struggle between good and bad, but mostly shows how a bad movie with a good message can be made. Miles Montego (rapper Ja Rule) has it all: money, women and a large house. As a former drug dealer, he's trying to move on, but the DEA (led by Stephen Baldwin) isn't convinced since he still hangs with some of his former colleagues. He falls in love with a Christian girl ("Cheetah Girls" Adrienne Bailon) and his life changes, though he struggles to let go of his past. Produced and written by pastor Galley Molina and based on his own experiences, "I'm in Love With a Church Girl" (filmed in 2010 and sitting on the shelf awaiting distribution) is about the struggles we have with faith, though it also shows the struggle with films like this to get made, with limited budget, casting and serious lack of decent production values. "Church Girl" has those same third-rate values, though unlike some of those other films it does feature a handful of known performers, including Ja Rule, Bailon, Baldwin, Vincent Pastore and a blink-you'll-miss-it-cameo from Tarantino veteran Michael Madsen. While most of those performers have their own following, the appeal is still limited to the church-going set, who will likely get the most out of this and not care how awful the script, direction and acting truly are, in spite of two charming leads who try their best given the laughable, maudlin  material. Molina, who cameos in the film and has a mostly honorable message (the use of a Lamborghini is of questionable theology, though), can't be faulted for wanting to get his testimony of how God changed his life to a wider audience, but "I'm in Love With a Church Girl," while it nails the good values message down, needs better cinematic values to win more converts to faith-based movies like this. I would recommend trying straight-to-DVD next time. Could be an interesting double feature with this week's horror remake "Carrie."

Wes's Grade: D