Cypher - 3 stars out of 10

Cypher - 3 stars out of 10

"Cypher" failed to impress me.  The concept was interesting but the acting was just awful.  I love Jeremy Northam's singing voice, particularly in "Gosford Park," but what was he thinking?  I don't know if he was trying to capture the emotionless-ness of a brainwashed character but it just came off as bad acting.  The vision for the film was really cool, particularly as the main character is given an antidote and is able to see the things that are actually occurring at the conventions, and particularly what happens on the airplane!  Rereading the synopsis of the film got me so excited, but then I remembered how poor the script and acting were.  The single instance of clever dialogue appears toward the end of the film:
Callaway: "Did you get a look at him? Did you see Rooks' face?"
Finster: "Just Morgan Sullivan, our pawn."
But it is then trumped by the final line of the film, which also happens to be one of the worst lines of the film.  "Cypher" will always be one of those films that could have been great but was so poorly done that it is barely even watchable.

Music of the Heart - 7 stars out of 10

Music of the Heart - 7 stars out of 10

"Music of the Heart" is the touching true story of Roberta Guaspari and her journey to bring the violin to inner-city Harlem schools.  Roberta is masterfully played by Meryl Streep, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance.  Compared to many of Streep's roles, this probably wouldn't even find its way into her Top 15 as her overall performance can't compare to "Sophie's Choice" or "The Iron Lady,"  but one poignant scene in which she argues with her son resonates so strongly that the nomination is no surprise.  This film falls a little flat due to its supporting cast.  The most interesting characters (Cloris Leachman as Guaspari's mother and Angela Bassett as the principal) are in such a small percentage of the story that the majority of the film is filled with Streep's on-screen genius surrounded by "blah" actors.  I expected Gloria Estefan to have a significant role since she is so prominently featured on the cover of the film; however, after a thorough search, I'm convinced that she wasn't in the film at all.  Of course I'm joking, but with less than 7 minutes of screen time as an insignificant character, she has made a great inside joke amongst my brothers and I over the past twelve years.  In spite of some acting flaws, the story is inspirational with a heartwarming finale that stresses the importance of music in the school system.  Wes Craven may have brought us Freddy Krueger and the Scream franchise, but it is nice that he has stepped out of his comfort zone to bring us the thoughtful "Music of the Heart."

Hotel Transylvania - 5 stars out of 10

Hotel Transylvania - 5 stars out of 10

"Hotel Transylvania" is another family-friendly computer animated film that provides some laughs but is just kind of average.  It gets its laughs from sight gags and clever use of the monster characters.  The writers really tapped in to the potential irony and humor by stereotyping the monsters, although it's several tiers below "Wreck-It Ralph" in the creativity department.  The entire film was worth watching just for the hilarious “Twilight” reference.  And then there’s Cee-Lo Green voicing the techno singing mummy... I guess that was inevitable.  Adam Sandler is a great choice for Dracula, particularly funny because you can tell that it is him doing one of his goofy accents.  The rest of the voice acting is average, in spite of its loaded cast  Mark Mothersbaugh (of “Rugrats” fame) was the perfect choice to write this whimsical musical score.  I was definitely entertained by "Hotel Transylvania" and, even though it is just average in quality, I look forward to sharing this film with my children someday.

The Hours - 8 stars out of 10

The Hours - 8 stars out of 10

“The Hours” is the story of three different women from three different eras, connected by the incredible parallels contained within one day of their life.  There is more than meets the eye as Nicole Kidman (playing Virginia Wolff) writes her book entitled “Mrs. Dalloway” in 1923, Julianne Moore reads the book in 1951, and Meryl Streep embodies the titular character in 2001.  I have watched this movie twice and I still have NO CLUE how that is Nicole Kidman!  I honestly believe that this is the most amazing example of make-up in cinematic history.  I am shocked that it did not even receive an Oscar nomination in this category and there is no reason that “Frida’s” unibrow should have defeated this exquisite work.  I’m also pretty bitter that “Frida” stole the Oscar for Best Original Score from Philip Glass and his incredible minimalist themes.  The lineup of stars is reason enough to watch this film, with names like Ed harris and Toni Collette also appearing.  Kidman earned her Oscar with her impassioned speeches, with her best line being: “Someone has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more.”  The dialogue is poignant and the actors create realistic moments out of these words.  As the plot seamlessly transitions from one storyline to the next, it creates a beautiful split screen of three women's struggles in a life that seems normal.  "The Hours" didn't deserve to win Best Picture but is a wonderful example of clever storytelling and thematic success.