Mar 7, 2007 5:27 pm US/Pacific
Bay Area March Movie Madness
CBS Film Critic James Rocchi
(CBS 5)
Mid-March can seem like a dead zone at the movie theaters, between supernatural superheroes and mid-life-crisis motorcyclists. Still, there are some great films playing around the Bay Area, from Oscar-winning high art to fast and furious fun.
The Host 4 out of 4 reels
South Korea's biggest-grossing film of all time isn't just a monster movie; it's an amazing monster movie, as a crazed mutant tadpole-thing slithers from the Han River to wreak havoc. The special effects are by San Francisco's own The Orphanage—and they're truly impressive— but the fact is that it's director Bong Joon-Ho's screenplay and storytelling that make The Host as good as it is. After the beast abducts our hero's daughter, a rag-tag family group (including our slacker hero, his dad, and his Olympic-archer sister) go into the underworld to rescue her—and kill the beast. Funny, thrilling and full of surprises, The Host is the best monster movie we've had in years.
The Lives of Others4 out of 4 reels
Winning this year's Best Foreign Film Oscar in a surprise upset over Pan's Labyrinth, The Lives of Others ("Das Leben der Anderen") is already slated for an English-language remake. Which is, frankly, a shame—the original's amazing. Set in East Germany in 1984, The Lives of Others begins as a secret policeman (Ulrich Muhe) is assigned to watch a playwright (Sebastian Koch)-- not because the playwright poses a threat to the Communist dictators of the state, but because a senior Party official's having an affair with the playwright's lover. Offended by this misuse of State ideas, the secret policeman takes an active role in the lives of the people he's watching … with surprising results. Thrilling and unexpectedly touching, The Lives of Others is well worth seeing on the big screen.
Pride 4 out of 4 reels
Based on the true story of an inner-city swim team in 1970's Philadelphia, Pride is the sort of movie it should be easy to mock— inspiring, sentimental, concluding with the big match, full of cliché's. But Pride works, probably because it shows the hard work involved in making a dream come true; it doesn't hurt that the team's coached by Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow) and the run-down recreation center where they practice is run by grouchy superintendent Bernie Mac. The classic soul soundtrack pulsates off the screen, and the movie captures not just the joy of competition but the rewards of discipline—and delivers a welcome message for kids, too.
The Namesake3 out of 4 reels
Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) adapts the best-selling novel by Jhumpa Lahiri, following Indian-American Gogol Ganguli (Kal Penn) as he deals with his immigrant experience and the unfortunate name he got from his dad's love of Russian literature. It's hard enough to figure out your culture and future living in New York; add in an unpronounceable moniker, family crisis, culture clash and other troubles, and Gogol's journey isn't going to be easy. The Namesake feels like an intensely personal film for Nair—maybe a little too personal --- but the gorgeous direction and a surprisingly good dramatic performance from Penn (who's played it for laughs in comedies from Van Wilder to Harold and Kumar go to White Castle) make The Namesake a thoughtful, worthy drama.
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