The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Eye (Lionsgate/Paramount Vantage)
Reasonably effective suspense yarn about a blind concert violinist (a believable Jessica Alba) who, after receiving corneal transplants, begins to envision harrowing scenes of devastation and spectral spirits for reasons she connects with her anonymous eye donor, while she tries to convince her doctor (Alessandro Nivola), sister (Parker Posey) and conductor (Rade Serbedzija) that she's not hallucinating. Co-directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud's remake of a 2002 Taiwanese film delivers the requisite scary jolts, despite plot improbabilities, and is devoid of sex and language concerns. Some brief and nongraphic but disturbing violent images, including fires and explosions, and a suicide flashback. Acceptable for older teens. (A-III, PG-13)
Fool's Gold (Warner Bros.)
Sparring treasure hunter (Matthew McConaughey and ex-spouse (Kate Hudson) join forces with a billionaire (Donald Sutherland) and his pampered daughter (Alexis Dziena) to seek ancient treasure in the waters off a Caribbean island before a gangster (Kevin Hart) and the hunter's former mentor (Ray Winstone) get to it first. The amiable stars, eye-filling location shooting and moral wrap-up are pluses, but the routine script co-authored by director Andy Tennant is generally witless and is bogged down by exposition, while the action sequences are lively but unexciting. Some uses of the s-word and brief profanity, a few crass expressions, moderate action violence, an implied sexual encounter in an abandoned church, and some light sexual banter. (A-III, PG-13)
Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show (Picturehouse)
Promising documentary -- ultimately undermined by too much blue humor -- that follows a 2005 comedy tour of the western U.S. organized by Vaughn and featuring four up-and-coming performers (Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst and Sebastian Maniscalco) as well as country singer Dwight Yoakam and other friends of the impresario. Ari Sandel's film provides insight into the comics' family backgrounds and the psychology of stand-up, but showcases the comics' relentlessly vulgar language and explicitly sexual humor. Pervasive rough and crude and much crass language, four uses of profanity, and sexual and scatological jokes. (O, R)
Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (Disney)
Exuberant, refreshingly innocent live-performance feature capturing singing star Miley Cyrus' 69-city tour during which she appeared both as herself and as her Disney Channel television persona, Montana. In addition to her onstage singing and dancing, director Bruce Hendricks' film showcases Miley's life behind the scenes, practicing guitar, rehearsing routines and dashing through a breakneck costume change. A few short skirts and a bit of crass language. (A-I, G)
Over Her Dead Body (New Line)
Bland romantic comedy about a psychic (Lake Bell) who falls in love with her reluctant client (Paul Rudd), grieving for his fiancee who died on their wedding day a year earlier, and how the ghost of the intended bride (Eva Longoria Parker) jealously tries to sabotage the budding romance. Writer and first-time director Jeff Lowell's formulaic script is amiably pleasant at best, but never as funny or touching as it aspires to be, though, refreshingly, graphic sexual material typical of this genre is minimal, and there's even a reasonably positive priest character. Some instances of profanity and crass language, passing sexual and gay references, a nongraphic nonmarital sexual encounter, some crude humor and brief partial female nudity. (A-III, PG-13)
-- CNS
More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. Office for Film & Broadcasting classifications: A-I -- general patronage; A-II -- adults and adolescents; A-III -- adults; L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling; O - morally offensive.
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