41| DCSU N DAY, M A RCH 1, 2009T H E E X A M I N ER
`Gomorrah'
Two cocky Italian teenagers run
around their dilapidated Naples
neighborhood, melodramatically
riffing on "Scarface" lines to each
other: "Now it has to be ours, the
whole world. Miami, all of it."
They're certainly no more over the
top than Al Pacino. But this is the
closest director and co-writer Mat-
teo Garrone comes to any sort of
traditional, Hollywoodized depic-
tion of mob life. That's what's so
compelling about "Gomorrah": It
upends everything you think you
know about the mob, and mob mov-
ies. 135 min. Not rated.
`Jonas Brothers: The 3D
Concert Experience'
Someday, we may actually get
a clue as to what makes the Jonas
Brothers tick. We may get a glimpse
into the pop stars' distinct person-
alities -- because certainly they
must have them -- and, eventually,
even learn about their demons and
desires. But for now, Nick, Joe and
Kevin are presented as so much
glossy, superficial packaging in this
3-D concert movie. Sure, there are
behind-the-scenes moments wedged
between the perky performances,
but they feel self-conscious, staged,
and consist mainly of the brothers
marveling at how many scream-
ing fans are gathered outside their
hotel/car/wherever. 75 min. Rated
G.
`Confessions
of a Shopaholic'
Though the timing couldn't have
been worse -- the idea of reveling
in wretched excess when untold
thousands are losing their homes,
their jobs, their minds -- there
really is no appropriate moment
for a shrill onslaught that perpetu-
ates the worst stereotypes about
female materialism. The plot -- as
if it matters, since "Confessions" is
more about label worship -- follows
Rebecca's futile attempts at reduc-
ing her credit card debt, even as she
hypocritically writes a magazine
column about smart shopping. 100
min. Rated PG.
`The International'
Equal parts globe-trotting thriller
and architecture porn, as perfectly
crystallized by its mind-blowing
central set piece: A seemingly end-
less shootout at the Guggenheim
Museum. A sexily rumpled Clive
Owen stars as Interpol Agent Louis
Salinger, who's investigating some
potentially shady dealings at one of
the world's most powerful banks.
When one of his undercover asso-
ciates gets murdered while on the
case, Salinger teams up with Man-
hattan Assistant District Attorney
Eleanor Whitman (a strangely stiff
Naomi Watts) to uncover not just
that killing, but the bank's myriad
worldwide transgressions. 118 min.
Rated R.
`He's Just Not
That Into You'
This isn't exactly a romantic
comedy -- at least, not in the most
traditional sense. Yes, the charac-
ters work themselves into the same
sorts of tizzies over falling in and out
of love; or even finding love in the
first place. But frequently mixed
in with the fizziness is an unex-
pected seriousness: An attempt at
injecting honesty, realism and even
failure. All those A-list stars in the
ensemble cast (Jennifer Aniston,
Scarlett Johansson) are smiling in
the movie's posters, but don't let
that fool you. Some heavy stuff falls
upon their pretty heads. 124 min.
Rated PG-13.
`Taken'
There's nothing lofty in the inten-
tions of "Taken." The aspiration
here was to make a simple, straight-
ahead action thriller. Period. But if
you think that's easy, think of all the
lousy action thrillers that come out
in the course of a year. The level of
skill that went into "Taken" is mas-
terly. In terms of pace and economy,
it's beautiful to behold. Anyone
could devise this premise -- a for-
mer CIA agent (played by Liam
Neeson) works to get his daughter
back after she's kidnapped. The real
measure of "Taken" is not in what
happens, but in how it happens. 94
min. Rated PG-13.
`The Pink Panther 2'
The huge error here -- other than
the mistake of producing the sequel
in the first place -- is pairing Steve
Martin with John Cleese, then fail-
ing to capitalize on their potentially
explosive verbal exchanges. This
wafer-thin crime romp is amusing
in spots, but is mostly a waste of
time and talent, including Martin's
reunion with "All of Me" co-star Lily
Tomlin, who has a few pointless
walk-ons. 96 min. Rated PG.
`Coraline'
The first stop-motion animated
film to be conceived and shot in 3-
D is visually dazzling, but strangely
joyless. Henry Selick previously
directed "The Nightmare Before
Christmas" and "James and the
Giant Peach" for producer Tim
Burton, and the darkness that per-
meates "Coraline" calls to mind
Burton's trademark twisted sensibil-
ity. "Coraline" is wildly imaginative,
distinctly detailed and painstakingly
rendered. 100 min. Rated PG.
`Two Lovers'
If this truly is Joaquin Phoenix's last film -- if he really plans to walk away from an acclaimed, eclectic
acting career that's included two Oscar nominations to become a rapper -- he's ending it all with a whimper
rather than a bang. The romantic drama from director and co-writer James Gray, who previously directed
Phoenix in "The Yards" and "We Own the Night," seems intentionally devoid of any sort of driving arc, of
any bursts of life or great emotional epiphanies. It's more like a somber, subtly observed series of moments
that conclude with a resigned shrug. 108 min. Rated R.
`Fanboys'
This isn't so much a cohesive movie with a plot as it is a shoddily shot
litany of random geek arcania. The year is 1998, and four friends schlep
from Ohio to California to break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch
and sneak an early peek at "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom
Menace." En route, they clash with Trekkies, wind up in a gay Latino
biker bar and debate important matters like whether Luke and Leia
knew they were related when they kissed. A couple of the in jokes are
borderline amusing off the top, but even if these were your friends and
this was your road trip, you'd want to bail. 90 min. Rated PG-13.
a Shop
Name: Focus Fea-
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