The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"Aeon Flux" (Paramount)
Stylish but nonsensical sci-fi action adventure set in a distant future where the last remnant of a plague-thinned humanity lives in a walled, socially engineered "perfect" society, and centers on a female assassin (a cat-suit-clad Charlize Theron) conflicted about her assigned target: the utopia's totalitarian ruler (Marton Csokas), whom she senses holds the secret to the unexplained disappearance of citizens as well as to her own shrouded past. Directed by Karyn Kusama and based on the popular series of MTV animated shorts, the film's "Matrix"-style acrobatics and visual panache can't disguise emotional flatness and a barely coherent script littered with video-game carnage. Much stylized violence, brief gore and a sexual encounter. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Brokeback Mountain" (Focus)
Over-the-years love story between two emotionally fragile cowboys (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) who begin an intimate relationship during a solitary sheepherding assignment. Though shortly after, they try to go their separate ways, with one marrying his fiancee (Michelle Williams) and the other a former prom queen (Anne Hathaway), they continue to be drawn to each other. Director Ang Lee's well-crafted film, which is superbly acted, was adapted from a New Yorker short story by Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx. It treats the subject matter -- which a Catholic audience will find contrary to its moral principles -- with discretion. Tacit approval of same-sex relationships, adultery, two brief sex scenes without nudity, partial and shadowy brief nudity elsewhere, other implied sexual situations, profanity, rough and crude expressions, alcohol and brief drug use, brief violent images, a gruesome description of a murder, and some domestic violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (Disney)
Captivating live-action fantasy adventure based on C.S. Lewis' beloved children's classic set in World War II-era England about four siblings (Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell), who, having been evacuated from London to the home of an eccentric professor (Jim Broadbent), stumble through a magical wardrobe into the enchanted realm of Narnia, where they help the wise and noble lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) defeat the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton), who holds the land under an icy spell of eternal winter. Seeded with Christian symbolism and subtext, director Andrew Adamson's faithful adaptation balances spectacle with storytelling while exploring themes of good and evil to capture the childlike wonder that underscores Lewis' tale. Some battlefield violence, intense scenes of child peril and menace, and several frightening sequences. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested.
"Memoirs of a Geisha" (Sony/Columbia)
Beautifully filmed and finely acted adaptation of Arthur Golden's best-seller about a girl (Ziyi Zhang) sold by her family into being a geisha in pre-World War II Japan, and her over-the-years love for a businessman (Ken Watanabe) who bought her ice cream as a child. Director Rob Marshall has crafted what is basically an unrequited romance of the kind Hollywood used to make, though one must make cultural allowances for the concept of a geisha -- strictly speaking, a woman trained to converse with and entertain men with dance and music -- but there is a discreetly portrayed sexual component to the story as related here. Some sexual banter and discreetly filmed sexual situations, including a sexual assault, and a couple of violent episodes. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
"Mrs. Henderson Presents" (Pathe/BBC)
Patriotic true-life story of a wealthy widow (Judi Dench) who refurbishes London's dilapidated Windmill Theatre, and with the help of an artistic manager (Bob Hoskins), decides to produce topless musical revues -- with the showgirls remaining stationary by order of the Lord Chancellor (Christopher Guest) -- to entertain the troops during the blitz. Despite the seeming raciness of the theme, and several artfully posed tableaux of bare-breasted showgirls, Stephen Frears' well-made film, with a script by playwright Martin Sherman, is as decorous as a "Masterpiece Theatre" production, and features predictably fine performances by the leads. Partial female nudity throughout, and a fleeting scene of full-frontal male and female nudity, a premarital affair with tragic results, some innuendo, a smattering of profanity and rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. |