MOVIE REVIEW: CARRIE

Stephen King's Carrie gets a new life in this remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz as a teenager who discovers that she has the extraordinary ability to move objects with the power of her mind, which eventually leads to mayhem and horror at her high-school prom. Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry) directs, and Julianne Moore co-stars as Carrie's overbearing mother. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director: Kimberly Peirce

Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Portia Doubleday, Judy Greer

Rated R for bloody violence, disturbing images, language and some sexual content

Runtime: 1 hr. 39 min.

Genres: Horror

Review:

Remakes are a tricky business. More times than not they are simply money grabs trying to capitalize on name recognition. This remake is tough to review simply because as a stand alone film it’s not terrible. It’s fully competent with a decent cast featuring Chloë Grace Moretz who delivers a fine performance even if she’s miscast. Kimberly Peirce, clearly in paycheck mode, gives us a sleek and efficient little film. Unfortunately it hits all the exact same beats as original 1976 film. There are scant bits of modern touches (Youtube, Cellphones!) but considering the subject matter and current focus on bullying I can’t help but feel like there are plenty of missed opportunities. The remakes is solid but (in my best old man voice) do yourself a favor and watch the original or read the book because the remake is simply a rehash, albeit a decent one.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: YOUTH IN REVOLT

ON DVD

YOUTH IN REVOLT



Superbad's Michael Cera discovers a vacation romance in Youth in Revolt, a teen comedy from Charlie Bartlett's screenwriter, Gustin Nash, and director Miguel Arteta (Chuck & Buck). The film is an adaptation of C.D. Payne's first book in a series of best-selling satirical novels starring Nick Twisp, a sexually charged 14-year-old whose intelligence and hormones get him into all sorts of adventures. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Director: Miguel Arteta

Cast: Michael Cera , Portia Doubleday , Jean Smart , Zach Galifianakis , Adhir Kalyan

Release Date: Jan 08, 2010

Rated R for sexual content, language and drug use

Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.

Genres: Comedy, Comedy, Romance, Romance

Review:

Take one part Wes Anderson, one part Napoleon Dynamite and a sprinkle Fight Club’s split personality, mix with a teen angst story line and you’ll have Youth in Revolt. A subversive and off beat film that a bit off kilter but occasionally hits the sweet spot with its originality. Director Miguel Arteta gives his film a subtle pop that serves it well throughout. The script is kind of hit or miss with a few segments hitting an impressive stride but there are more than a few dead spots along the way. Cera and Doubleday’s characters also speak like they are intellectual yuppies in their late 30’s. Cera though does a solid job of making it feel naturalistic and Twisp feels very much like the kind of character we’ve become accustomed to seeing him play. He has a lot more fun playing his imaginary alter ego Francois. He’s clearly enjoying himself on screen and I think the character is underused as he mostly disappears from the film near the end. Fresh faced Portia Doubleday delivers an impressively naturalistic performance and handles the material well. The supporting cast mostly sit in the shadows and have fun with fairly clichéd stock characters. Having watched the film I understand the difficulty in marketing this film because it’s very atypical, fun if not perfect especially if you’re looking for a comedy that’s off the beaten path.

B-