The DeCarlo Movie Guide

Reviews added in past 90 days

500 Days of Summer 2000 Jumping throughout their relationship, the film starts with the breakup of Tom (Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Deschanel) followed by a warning that "this is not a love story". We then see him fall for her and his constant frustration of being a couple without being a "couple." While the film is an excellent portrayal of the pain of unrequited love, the events - as they unfold - are not particularly appealing and sometime quite frustrating. Tom is thoroughly unlikable throughout most of the film, constantly jumping between his obsessive pining and his pathetic wallowing. Though it was good to see him come out a better person, his limited depth through most of the film made it hard to care about his pain - which appeared to be the whole point of the film. 95m. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Clark Gregg, Patricia Belcher, Rachel Boston. Music by Mychael Danna, Rob Simonsen. Written by Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber. Directed by Marc Webb.	The Business of Being Born 2000 An excellent critique of our modern birthing system, this documentary illuminates the midwifery profession and the profoundly distinct home births that they offer. The criticism of the modern system is sharp: from the ubiquitous and very doctor-friendly stirrup position (which is also the most painful and difficult for the mother), to the very method of hospitals to essentially coerce women into expensive and unnecessary birth methods they do not want or need. This film should be a starting point for any expecting mother and provides a rare introspective into a system that many women are uncomfortable with, at best. 87m. Music by Jason Moss, Andre Pluess. Written by Abby Epstein. Directed by Abby Epstein.
Capitalism: A Love Story 2000 Michael Moore takes a stab at capitalism and questions whether there is a better system of economics. The film is filled with Moore's signature emotional stories of woe, while failing to make more than a superficial exploration of the subject. Moore focuses on mortgage defaults as the epitome of capitalistic greed. Then, he only lightly suggests an alternative, socialist perspective similar to that of Europe. While I like the clips of post WWII propaganda promoting capitalism, I would have liked to see Moore take it a step further and question consumerism - the driving force of capitalism. Instead, we get a mediocre look at the evils of corporations - which has been more clearly and deeply explored by other documentaries. 127m. Music by Jeff Gibbs. Written by Michael Moore. Directed by Michael Moore.	Charlie Bartlett 2000 Charlie Bartlett (Yelchin) has been kicked out of every boarding school for certain extra-curricular (and illegal) activities, and finds himself a social outcast in public high school. Obsessed with being liked by everyone, Charlie exploits his family's on-call psychiatrist to peddle prescription drugs to other students, while counseling the other students on their problems for free. Charlie's charms win the heart of Susan (Dennings), the principal's daughter, while his profound respect among the students aggravates her father, Principal Gardner (Downey). Fun characters, solid performances and a fairly organic plotline make this a strong, though unusual film about surviving high school. 97m. Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis, Kat Dennings, Robert Downey, Jr., Tyler Hilton, Mark Rendall, Dylan Taylor, Megan Park, Jake Epstein, Jonathan Malen. Music by Christophe Beck. Written by Gustin Nash. Directed by Jon Poll.
Couples Retreat 2000 Eight friends (four couples) go on a week-long retreat to support one couple's last-ditch effort to salvage their marriage. The three other couples find their relationships challenged during the "relationship building" parts of the vacation package. Consistently funny, we end up on a surprisingly emotional trip to beautiful Bora Bora. Unique situations and some witty dialogue make this a thoroughly enjoyable film. Also, the four couples are very distinct, so the dynamics between the characters is constantly changing as they each develop. At the same time, the film feels like a cute little box of emotional growth neatly wrapped and presented to us. Ultimately, the film boils down to your interest in a completely predictable plot line, and whether some funny dialogue and strange events will make it worth while. 113m. Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Faizon Love, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kali Hawk, Tasha Smith, Carlos Ponce, Peter Serafinowicz, Jean Reno. Music by A. R. Rahman. Written by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Dana Fox. Directed by Peter Billingsley.	Death at a Funeral 2000 Wickedly funny, this british film sports a wide range of humorous characters that crisscross and collide in a disaster of a funeral. The film starts serious, as tensions rise between the two sons of the deceased, Daniel (Macfadyen) and Robert (Graves), and Simon (Tudyk) stresses about meeting his fiancé's father. The day begins to unravel when Simon takes an experimental hallucinogenic instead of a Valium to calm his nerves. The film develops a relentless pacing as characters and events weave masterfully together. Unique and realistic characters, and a wide range of humor make this a delightful surprise. 90m. Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, Andy Nyman, Ewen Bremner, Daisy Donovan, Alan Tudyk, Jane Asher, Kris Marshall, Rupert Graves, Peter Vaughan, Thomas Wheatley, Peter Dinklage. Music by Murray Gold. Written by Dean Craig. Directed by Frank Oz.
Departures 2000 This simple, but beautifully sincere film follows a former cellist who discovers a calling in preparing the deceased for burial. The job pays well, but Daigo (Motoki) has never even seen a corpse before. The occupation itself is feared and reviled, seen as unclean and socially unacceptable. At the same time, Daigo can see great beauty and great respect in the service, providing closure to the grieving, while he has yet to find closure for his father's abandonment and his mother's death. Emotional, yet frequently funny, the film is consistently intriguing throughout. 130m. Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryoko Hirosue, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo, Takashi Sasano, Tetta Sugimoto. Music by Joe Hisaishi. Written by Kundô Koyama. Directed by Yôjirô Takita.	House Sitter 2000 Architect Newton (Martin) designs and builds a dream-house for his fiancé Becky (Delany), who promptly dumps him. Still wallowing over his loss, Newton finds a glimmer of hope when he has a brief encounter with waitress Gwen (Hawn), who takes great pleasure in telling little lies to play with people's perspective of her. When Newton tells her of his fabulous, but completely empty home, she picks up shop and moves in. Confronted by the townsfolk, Gwen says that she and Newton are married, which quickly snowballs into the whole town's involvement - including Newton's parents and former girlfriend... until Newton discovers the charade. Funny and lighthearted, this film is certainly enjoyable. 102m. Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, Dana Delany, Julie Harris, Donald Moffat, Peter MacNicol, Richard B. Shull, Laurel Cronin, Roy Cooper, Christopher Durang. Music by Miles Goodman. Written by Mark Stein. Directed by Frank Oz.
The Hurt Locker 2000 This gritty war film follows a bomb squad in Iraq. After the first bomb technician is killed, Sargeant William James (Renner), a reckless but wickedly effective dismantler, joins the squad. His behavior rattles his two teammates, but they follow him through one success after another. The filmmakers did a beautiful job putting you inside the squad and sharing the intense situations they confront. Aside from sharing that experience, the film has very little else to offer: it focuses almost exclusively on the commanding (and destructive) personality of Sgt. James and his obsession with the pressures of his job. 131m. Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse. Music by Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders. Written by Mark Boal. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.	The Lookout 2000 A joy-riding accident has left Chris Pratt (Gordon-Levitt) struggling to get by, one day at a time. Chris has difficulty remembering things, especially sequencing events, and has difficulty controlling the anger from his frustrations. Charmed by the lovely Luvlee (Fisher) Chris gets incorporated into a gang trying to rob the bank where he cleans floors at night. At the core of the film is Chris's struggle to adapt to his disability and gain social acceptance. The robbery and the events surrounding it all tie into Chris's emotional development, making the film a consistent and strong character piece. 99m. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Isla Fisher, Carla Gugino, Bruce McGill, Alberta Watson, Alex Borstein, Sergio Di Zio, Laura Vandervoort. Music by James Newton Howard. Written by Scott Frank. Directed by Scott Frank.
The Men Who Stare at Goats 2000 Loosely based on a true story of a secret, US army team that investigated the possibilities of paranormal warfare, this film was produced well and contains good performances by well-known actors, yet fails to tell a worthwhile story. The "First Earth" battalion was treated with such ambiguity in the film that you never knew whether these guys are supposed to be real or a bunch of loonies. Flashbacks of the group's training was presented so seriously, that it lost any potential of being funny, despite the ridiculous things they were doing. Bob (McGregor), the curious reporter, was such a weak character that it was hard to identify with him and his predictable shifts between doe-eyed admiration and complete rejection of these supposed super-powers. The small featurette about the actual battalion members was far more interesting. 94m. George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick, Waleed Zuaiter, Stephen Root. Music by Rolfe Kent. Written by Peter Straughan. Directed by Grant Heslov.	Monsters vs. Aliens 2000 Susan (Witherspoon) gets hit by a meteorite on her wedding day. When she grows to be hundreds of feet tall, she is promptly captured by a secret government agency. Much of the film is devoted to Susan's emotional life: her near marriage to Derek (Rudd) and all the consequences of her transformation. In captivity, Susan befriends other monsters (Rogen, Laurie, Arnett), whose humor is either spot on or a complete miss - much like in the rest of the film. Stephen Cobert is featured as the US President and routinely interrupts the story with stupid antics. The animation and effects were good, but the story simply needed more refining. 94m. Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Keifer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Stephen Colbert, Paul Rudd, Julie White, Jeffrey Tambor, Amy Poehler, Ed Helms, Renée Zellweger, John Krasinski. Music by Henry Jackman. Written by Maya Forbes, Wally Wolodarsky, Rob Letterman, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger. Directed by Conrad Vernon, Rob Letterman.
Timer 2000 This wickedly creative story takes place in a world where a simple "timer" can be embedded in your wrist that will count down until the moment you meet your soul-mate. Virtually everyone has one, and yet Oona (Caulfield)'s in blank (which means her match has yet to get one) and her sister Steph (Borth)'s encounter is still decades away. Frustrated by dating timer-less men only to be routinely disappointed, Oona gives into a random fling with a youthful grocery store clerk (Amedori), which turns out to be a surprisingly fulfilling relationship. The film's unique premise allows the characters to question the whole idea of relationships and their role in our lives. There are impressive performances all around in this small, independent film, a few really good lines, and very few weaknesses throughout. 99m. Emma Caulfield, Michelle Borth, John Patrick Amedori, Desmond Harrington, JoBeth Williams. Music by Andrew Kaiser. Written by Jac Schaeffer. Directed by Jac Schaeffer.	Traffic 2000 This film is a beautifully crafted and meticulous analysis of drug trafficking. Three major storylines and over a dozen major roles allows the film to explore virtually every aspect of drug trafficking and use. Most importantly, it is a heavy critique on the war on drugs by taking a sympathetic look at everyone involved. The film takes neither a specific stance, nor does it restrict interpretations of the content. Its most impressive quality is its ability to provide different perspectives and allow the audience to form their own ideas and opinions from the film. 147m. Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Erica Christensen, Clifton Collins, Jr., Miguel Ferrer, Amy Irving, Tomas Milian, Steven Bauer, Benjamin Bratt, James Brolin, Albert Finney, Topher Grace, Luis Guzman, D.W. Moffett, Dennis Quaid. Music by Cliff Martinez. Written by Stephen Gaghan. Directed by Stephen Soderbergh.
Up in the Air 2000 Ryan Bingham (Clooney) fires people for a living. This highly emotional job has pushed him to emotional seclusion, where he feasts upon constant air travel and happily lives out of a single backpack. His intricate system is up-ended when young and naïve Ms. Keener (Kendrick) introduces a system to fire people via a computer. Threatened with being grounded, Ryan must take Ms. Keener under his wing and show her how the job is really done. Meanwhile, Ryan has found Alex (Farmiga), a perfect, frequent flyer match that makes him rethink his life-perspective. With the spirit of coming-of-age and mid-life crisis stories, the film is, at its core, a battle between two generations and their life-perspectives - not between caricatures, but realistic, everyday people. Wonderful cinematography and editing compliment the dynamic story as these engaging characters face real, emotional hurdles in their lives. 108m. George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Amy Morton, Melanie Lynskey, J.K. Simmons, Sam Elliott, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis. Music by Rolfe Kent. Written by Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner. Directed by Jason Reitman.