June movie reviews

THE HANGOVER. Four guys head to Vegas for a bachelor party. One is the future groom, one is a mild-mannered dentist, one is a morally challenged teacher, and the fourth is the future brother-in-law, who is a more than a little on the odd side. The morning after arrival, three of them wake up in their totally trashed hotel suite with no memory of what went on the night before. They also can't find the groom-to-be. So begins their quest to figure out what they did the night before and where their lost friend is. They follow clues to a hospital, Mike Tyson's house, a wedding chapel... Although politically incorrect at times, this movie has wildly funny parts if you aren't particularly sensitive with regards to how crass men have the potential to be. You definitely want to see an unedited version of this one.

MOON. A couple of decades from now, Sam Rockwell is working on a mining operation on the far side of the moon. He has signed a contract where he works at the job for three years, for the most part just doing routine maintenance. He is the only worker there. He gets the occasional video from his wife on Earth (no live feeds) and his only company is a robot (voiced by Kevin Spacey, who sounds very HAL-like). It's near the end of Sam's contract, and he is going a little stir crazy. He starts seeing things, and one day he sees himself. Is he hallucinating? Is he dead? Not a lot of science fiction movies get made these days. At least, not ones that don't revolve around battles and loud explosions in space. This was a good example of a sci-fi thriller. Although it had some slow pacing at the beginning, in the end I really enjoyed it.

AWAY WE GO. Burt and Rona are a 30-something couple living in a ramshackle place in the country. She is pregnant and they are happy, although she is a little concerned that they aren't living up to their potential. They go to visit his parents (hers have passed away) to share their joy, only to find out the parents plan to go live in Europe, and won't be around to help them with the baby. Without the parents' help, they realize they are free to live anywhere. So they take off to visit friends and family around the country to try and decide where they should settle down and raise their child. The movie is mostly short vignettes of each visit (Phoenix, Miami, Montreal, etc.). It doesn't appear that Burt and Rona will find a great place to settle based on their visits - all have some problems. This is an amusing movie (especially the visit with Burt's cousin in Madison), and a sweet story. Burt and Rona have real personalities, complete with flaws and quirks (Bert believes he can create an ideal family life; Rona is more realistic). And they clearly love each other. No fake fights or ridiculous conflicts. The movie isn't a must-see, but it is a pleasant diversion.

DEPARTURES. A young man plays the cello for a city orchestra. But the orchestra doesn't have a big enough audience, and he loses his job. So he and his adorable wife go back to his hometown to live in the house his mother left him. To find work, he answers a vague ad in the paper for work in "departures". It turns out the work isn't in the travel industry but instead concerns the rituals for preparing the dead for burial. At first he is appalled, but he begins to understand how much the ceremony respects the dead and helps the survivors. But the townspeople and even his wife are repelled. Of course, the movie isn't about death, but about respecting life. I would say this is like a Japanese Six Feet Under episode. It's a little long, but only because of some beautiful visuals and music. Wonderful movie; it was the winner of this year's Best Foreign Film Academy Award.

WHATEVER WORKS. Larry David stars in this Woody Allen movie. He plays the Woody Allen-like role, a grumpy misanthrope who was "almost nominated for the Nobel Prize in physics". A young woman (Rachel Evan Wood) is homeless on the streets, and against his better judgment, he takes her in for a few days. Though she is none too bright, they meet each others' needs, and they become more than friends. Then her parents arrive (Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley, Jr.), and of course they are appalled by their daughter's choice in a man. I haven't liked most Woody Allen movies in years, although critics often do. And I really hate his obsession with May-December romances. But I did really like VICKI CHRISTINA BARCELONA last year, so once again, I give him a try... But this is a real comedown from his last movie. Supposedly this is a movie in his old mold (funny), but I thought it barely amusing. Although I appreciate the theme of the movie, in the end, I think this was a poor knock-off of HANNAH AND HER SISTERS. Not worth it.