Movie reviews - 2004-07-28

This week:
- 13 Going on 30
- Godsend
- Black Cat, White Cat


13 Going on 30

Director: Gary Winick

Jenna (Jennifer Garner) is 13-years-old and fed up with the difficulties of adolescence. She wants to be smart and grownup, but then, thanks to some wondrous wishing-dust, she suddenly becomes a bonafide 30-year-old. But is her adult life all that she dreamed it would be? It's difficult to totally dislike this movie since it obviously means well, and yet it's sickeningly moralistic with its endless "do the right thing" and "be a good person" preaching. Sweet soon starts to become sugary and innocent starts to become juvenile. On a positive note, it does keep things nice and simple, and doesn't want to be anything other than a magical fairytale. However, in the end it fails because it refuses to get past the stereotypes and cliches and show just a little bit of grit. II

Julie Vinten

Certain movies are just not made for adults to conscientiously appreciate, though teenagers get completely unglued just from the mere mention of its title or a particular star. Jenna, a gawky 12-year-old wants to be one of the in-crowd of stuck-up girls. At her 13th birthday party the leader of the envied group ridicules her. Through some wishing dust and magic hocus-pocus, which only exists in movies, she gets miraculously transformed into Jennifer Garner's grownup body. Garner may be familiar from the popular, cult-status TV show "Alias" now being shown in the Baltics. Nothing original actually happens in this teeny-bopper throwaway, other than a hard-driving soundtrack and adolescent nonsense. However, "13 Going on 30" is harmless silly fluff eager to provide the bare minimum for enjoyable family entertainment. III

Laimons Juris G

Godsend

Director: Nick Hamm

There is no end to the idiocy of this movie. When Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos' eight-year-old son Adam dies, the couple is offered the chance to have him cloned. However, when Adam II becomes eight in turn, he starts seeing dead people. "Godsend" wants a million different things and obtains none of them. It can't decide if it?s a serious movie about a family's painful loss and the ethics of human cloning or a cheesy ghost-child/serial-killer flick. It's neither spooky nor scary - the most frightening thing about it is how the narrative becomes increasingly ridiculous with every new twist, until it ends in utter nonsense. The performances are poor at best, and not even the actors themselves seem to believe a word that comes out of their mouths. I

JulieVinten

This reviewer is always ready, willing and excited to see the latest thriller at the local movie theater. Sometimes a good spine-tingling jolt is just what the doctor ordered. But not this time around, even with award-winning Robert De Niro's name attached to it. So what happened? "Godsend" had all the right stuff for a good scare, but becomes a maudlin grab bag of tired old cliches. A creepy eight-year-old is killed in a bizarre accident. Naturally, the parents (Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) are devastated. Along comes Dr. De Niro who volunteers to clone the tyke, thereby creating yet another creepy kid. This lackluster and forgettable picture cannot compare to "The Bad Seed," "The Omen," "Village of the Damned" or a slew of other thrillers featuring spooky children. II

Laimons Juris G

Black Cat, White Cat

Director: Emir Kusturica

After his highly acclaimed film "Underground," about the sad and terrible history of his native former Yugoslavia, director Emir Kusturica left politics behind to make this vigorous screwball comedy. "Black Cat, White Cat" is merely here to let us have some fun - and what fun! It revolves around a Gypsy wedding, and the families of weirdoes and eccentrics involved. The film is one, long party of madness, energy and wild Gypsy music. It's both vulgar and rude, but simply hilarious at that. This film is slightly too silly to have the same depth and emotional impact as Kusturica's previous films, but it's not really trying to. One thing is for sure, there won't be a single person not dancing around, singing the crazy -Pit-bull! Terrier! song after watching this film. III ½

JulieVinten

This reviewer was definitely not looking forward to watching this 6-year-old production. Surprisingly this turns out to be a wonderfully enjoyable, albeit wacky, film. Bosnian director Emir Kusturica delivers a colorful array of crazy characters, very reminiscent of Federico Fellini's fabulous collection of faces. "Black Cat, White Cat" began as a serious documentary about Gypsy music, but developed into a warm, heartfelt story about two feuding Gypsy clans. The cast of nonprofessionals leaves a memorable impression. Especially noteworthy is actor Srdjan Todovoric in the leading role of coke-snorting Dadan, who wishes to marry off his dwarf-sized sister. If you have the chance don't miss the opportunity to enjoy a genuinely original black comedy quite unlike anything seen before. The lusty music will have you dancing in your seat. IIII

Laimons Juris G