Reel News
Ticket or Click It? Fedora Face-Off: Depp vs. DiCaprio
By RebeccaKelley
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:37:52 GMT
You've got fireworks, your cousin's barbecue, and that thing with people from work. It's all part of a busy Fourth of July weekend. What's your best bet to catch a break from the festivities? Is it something On Demand at home or is it time for a trip to the theater?
What's On Demand?
"REVOLUTIONARY ROAD"
Suburban ennui is SO 1990s: "Titanic" superstars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite in this drama about a marriage unraveling under the weight of life in the suburbs of the 1950s.
Our Take: Without a boat sinking around them, Leo and Kate just come off as whiney. We'd like to think Jack and Rose would have been happier.
"DEFIANCE"
Oy Vey, and pass the ammunition: During World War II, a hardscrabble group of Russian Jews hides out in the forest and fights back against the Nazis. Starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber, this film tells another side of the Holocaust.
Our Take: I once had the honor of hearing the story of a Polish-Jewish Resistance fighter at a friend's wedding. It was amazing. If you can't hear stories of heroism first hand, this film is a good second option. And it reminds us of the value of freedom on a weekend that’s all about it.
"12 ROUNDS"
"Speed" meets "Die Hard" meets "Saw" meets, well, everything: A movie that borrows from everything except, perhaps, "The Muppets," "12 Rounds" stars WWE wrestler John Cena as a police officer who has to win increasingly demented games against his nemesis in order to save his girlfriend.
Our Take: A fun ride if action is more important to you than plot or believability. A good after-fireworks flick.
What's in theaters?
"ICE AGE, DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS"
A way to get the kids out from underfoot while the wife is making Red, White, and Blue Jello cake: All the Ice Age characters are back, including that neurotic squirrel chasing that darn acorn.
Our Take: Nothing new here, which is the way kids like it. The rugrats will be entertained on a long weekend and you can get some shut-eye in an air conditioned theater.
"PUBLIC ENEMIES"
But did that on-set expletive-filled rant keep Bale off the poster? Johnny Depp (without his pirate wig) and Christian Bale (without his bat suit) square off. Depp is iconic '30s gangster John Dillinger and Bale is FBI man Melvin Purvis. Bank-robber Dillinger, clever and charismatic, caught the fancy of a public disgusted with the banks because of the Depression. (Sound familiar?) Purvis, smart and photogenic in his own right, was an even match for the outlaw.
Our Take: Their epic chess game is the stuff of legend and the film is one of the best of the year.
Ticket or Click It?
Ticket! "Public Enemies" is one of those movies you can't miss. It's a classic American story, well-told. What could be better for America's birthday?
What Do You Think? |
Message Edited by RebeccaKelley on 07-02-2009 12:39 PM
