29SU N DAY, J U LY 26, 2009T H E E X A M I N ER
MOVIES
`The Ugly Truth'
At the end of this drearily formulaic
romantic comedy, as our two leads
are finally admitting they've fallen
for each other (no spoilers here,
folks), Katherine Heigl's character
asks Gerard Butler's why he's in love
with her. Basically he says he has no
idea, only he phrases it with a word
we can't reprint here. Our sentiments
exactly. Obviously, in a battle-of-the-
sexes comedy like this, the guy and
the girl who hate each other at the
beginning realize they're meant for
each other by the end. But there's
nothing even remotely likable, much
less lovable, about Heigl's Abby Rich-
ter. 100 min. Rated R.
`In the Loop'
Earlier this summer, we had "The
Hurt Locker," by far the best drama
yet about the Iraq war. Now, we have
a comedy that finally manages to sati-
rize the war successfully. Granted, it
doesn't feature a minute of combat.
It doesn't even take place in Iraq or
mention the war by name. Neverthe-
less, director and co-writer Armando
Iannucci's aim is clear: A skewering
of U.S. involvement in that particular
region of the Middle East, and more
specifically, the support Britain pro-
vided. The aesthetic and tone may
remind American viewers of "The
Office," with its faux-verite camera-
work and deadpan dialogue that was
often improvised; some of the one-lin-
ers breeze by so quickly and subtly,
you might miss them, so pay atten-
tion. 106 min. Not rated.
`Humpday'
The mumblecore genre goes adult in
more ways than one with this comedy
about a couple of longtime buddies,
both straight men, who decide to
make a gay porn film together. Writer-
director Lynn Shelton has said she'd
prefer not to have her third feature
classified as part of the mumblecore
movement, indies known mostly for
featuring twentysomethings who sit
around and talk about themselves.
Nevertheless,manyofthetrademarks
are undeniably there: the low-budget
aesthetic, the naturalism of the dia-
logue and the unabashed solipsism.
"Humpday" marks a maturation
of this style: The characters are in
their early 30s and one of them has
a steady job, a house and a wife. 95
min. Rated R.
`G-Force'
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's usual
visual-effects mayhem has been
shrunk down to rodent size. Not much
has been lost in interspecies transla-
tion. "G-Force" is centered on an elite
squad of guinea pigs who resemble
small(er) versions of Tom Cruise in
"Mission: Impossible." A number of
stars lend their voices (Nicolas Cage,
Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan, Penel-
ope Cruz) in a 3-D action farce that
despite its diminutive characters,
maintains all the large-scale obvious-
ness of your standard blockbuster. 89
min. Rated PG.
`Orphan'
Esther is unfailingly polite, a sensitive
painter and pianist, a vision of tradi-
tional feminine charm in her prim
dresses and bows. But this 9-year-
old also has a way with a hammer
and a handgun and knows a thing or
two about arson and destruction of
evidence. Yes, she's complicated, the
little girl at the center of "Orphan,"
a descendant from a long line of cin-
ematic evil children. Still, despite
similarities to predecessors like "The
Bad Seed" and "The Omen," this well-
crafted flick has frights all its own.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra, work-
ing from a devilishly clever script
by David Leslie Johnson, maintains
steady suspense while mercifully mix-
ing in some moments of dark humor.
123 min. Rated R.
`(500) Days of Summer'
Boy meets girl, boy loses girl,
boy tries to win girl back: It's a
tale you've heard a million times
before. But it's told here in such a
relatable, inventive way, it almost
feels like the first time. It is the
first time for director Marc Webb,
who puts his music video and com-
mercial background to good use
with stylish tactics that are lively
-- a cheeky dance sequence, per-
fect song choices, a clever use of
split screen -- but never feel gra-
tuitous. And the script from Scott
Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
keeps things moving by jumping
around in time between Day 500,
Day 1 and everywhere in between;
the structure also creates a feeling
of curiosity throughout, because we
know the relationship is doomed, we
just don't know how it falls apart. 96
min. Rated PG-13.
`Harry Potter and the
Half-Blood Prince'
The sixth movie in J.K. Rowling's
fantasy series about the young
wizard is the franchise's best so
far, blending rich drama and easy
camaraderie among the actors with
the visual spectacle that until now
has been the real star. The hocus-
pocus of it all nearly takes a back
seat to the story and characters
this time, and the film is the better
for that, brimming with authen-
tic people and honest interaction
-- hormonal teens bonding with
great humor, heartache that will
resonate with anyone who remem-
bers the pangs of first love. The
movie escalates the peril for Harry
(Daniel Radcliffe) and his best pals,
Hermione Granger (Emma Watson)
and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint),
while giving the threesome that
first collaborated as prepubescent
kids their best platform yet to show
their maturing acting chops. 153
min. Rated PG. -- Capsule reviews by
The Associated Press
`The Ugly Truth'
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