L.A. Times - Movie Reviews

'Blood Equity'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The heavy toll of playing pro football.

"Everybody who plays leaves with something," says retired New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson in the documentary "Blood Equity" but, sadly, he doesn't mean a glorious pension or athletic pride. He's referring to the physical and mental struggles of ex-football players who feel monetarily neglected by the now $7.1-billion sport and its union when, as studies increasingly show, the game's built-in brutality -- and fierce pride in playing injured -- leads to a post-career life of constant medical care.

'The Blind Side'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Sandra Bullock and newcomer Quinton Aaron have a warm and winning chemistry in director John Lee Hancock's fact-based story of a football-loving white family's adoption of a homeless black teen.

Watching "The Blind Side" is like watching your favorite football team; you'll cheer when things go well, curse when they don't, and be reminded that in football, as in life, it's how you play the game that counts -- though winning doesn't hurt, either.

'The Messenger'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a strong cast in director Oren Moverman's taut drama about a casualty notification team's struggle to balance duties with private lives.

For too long, life for Army Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery has been all about death. On the Iraqi frontline where he's been, he and his buddies just wanted to cheat it and survive. Now he's back home with only a few months left in his tour of duty, only to find himself surrounded by it once again.

Review: 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Drawn to another man-in-crisis story, director Werner Herzog delivers a darkly delicious tale in which Nicolas Cage is positively reptilian.

Cold-blooded reptiles are lurking everywhere in the slick new noir "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," with snakes, iguanas, gators and especially Nicolas Cage at their slithering and cynical best.

'La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

'La Danse' is balletic in its portrayal of the art.

Bodies in motion tend to remain in motion, but almost never with the heart-stirring beauty and grace on view in Frederick Wiseman's exceptional portrait of the Paris Opera Ballet, "La Danse."

'Planet 51'

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel and Justin Long can't rescue this animated tale.

The action in the new kids flick "Planet 51" takes place on an alternate-universe version of Earth where Shrek-green humanoids live out SoCal-accented happy days, complete with Googie architecture, white picket fences and Little Richard playing on the radio.

'The Blind Side' info

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

'The Blind Side' MPAA rating: PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence; drug and sexual references

'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans' info

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans' MPAA rating: R for drug use and language throughout, some violence and sexuality

'The Messenger' info

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

'The Messenger'

Movie review: 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon'

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The novel demands that Bella and Edward be kept apart, robbing the movie of the crazy love that made 'Twilight' such a guilty pleasure. And about the director ....

"This is the last time you'll ever see me," Edward Cullen says to Bella Swan. As if.