Briefs on films I've seen recently:


Garden State sometimes aims a little too high and the narrative strays a little too far in the final act, but its earnest heart and an incredibly spirited and charming performance by Natalie Portman make it memorable and ultimately quite worthwhile. Peter Sarsgaard also impresses (he has a seriously incendiary screen presence). Writer/director/star Zach Braff clearly has skill, even if the movie occasionally feels a little overcooked. *** 1/2


I was a huge fan of David O. Russell's ambitious Three Kings, but in terms of ambition, that film doesn't even touch I Heart Huckabee's. Tackling a wide field of different philosophies and the meaning of life, it's got a terrific ensemble cast (a lovely Mark Wahlberg, kooky Dustin Hoffman and caffinated Jude Law, and the true return of Rushmore's awesome Jason Schwartzman) and some great moments. Very scattershot indeed, but overall quite a fun ride. *** 1/2


Unlike the disaster that was The Truth About Charlie, Jonathan Demme's remake of The Manchurian Candidate is actually pretty good. It strikes a suitably eeire tone throughout and is very well performed: Washington, always a capable lead, is great as Ben Marco, Liev Schreiber is fantastically steely as Raymond Shaw, and Meryl Streep hams up quite effectively as his mother (although Angela Lansbury's original performance in the role could never be equaled). Although fairly barmy, it does work well being released in the election year and actually had gotten under my skin a little by the end. Surprisingly good. *** 1/2


Saved! has a great premise and a suitably evil Mandy Moore well-cast as an evangelical high school bully, but overall it really does fail to convince. Despite fine acting by all of the cast, the film dips in quality as it goes on, and the ham-fisted ending ruins a lot of what has gone past. The equally flawed Mean Girls did it better. ** 1/2


Nicole Kassell's The Woodsman contains some truly great ensemble work: Mos Def, Kyra Sedgwick and Benjamin Bratt all give noteworthy performances. But it is Kevin Bacon's truly extraordinary work as a convicted paedophile trying to rebuild his life that anchors the film. Often very unsettling, Kassell does not flinch from showing us a more objective view of the character. The film sometimes drifts into cliche, but has a powerful ending and a lasting effect. ****


Open Water wasn't particularly memorable or well-done, but it has a terrifying premise that it exploits rather well for an incredibly tense 80-odd minutes. The ending is a little weak and it certainly doesn't have the low-budget horror impact that Blair Witch did, but it wasn't too bad. ***