Newsday.com - Newsday's Movie Reviews

Review: 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:51:00 -0400

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With " Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the movie franchise based on J.K. Rowlings' novels gets its "The Empire Strikes Back" moment. It's a downbeat cliffhanger that suggests its central characters are exiting their age of innocence.

'Bruno'

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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"Bruno" Sacha Baron Cohen's shock-and-ach du lieber follow-up to "Borat," is a miss-or-hit mockumentary aimed at turning another of his "Da Ali G Show" guises into a pop-cultural phenomenon.

'I Love You, Beth Cooper'

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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This miscast and misjudged graduation-night comedy occasionally - only occasionally - wanders into "harmless." Much of the time it's sending bad messages about, oh, driving without your lights on after dark, using sex to score beer and letting peer pressure determine your sexuality.

'Seraphine'

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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It's an old story, and in the case of "Seraphine," a true one: A humble but visionary artist gets "discovered," only to find that wealth and fame cause her vision to deteriorate.

'The Hurt Locker'

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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The characters in "The Hurt Locker," Kathryn Bigelow's visceral, intense dramatization of a U.S. Army bomb squad's final month in Baghdad, never explain the film's title. They don't need to. Whatever this ominous-sounding place may be, they are in it. And from the film's harrowing first moments, so are you.

'My Sister's Keeper'

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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Tired of hearing her leukemic daughter Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) whine about chemo-induced baldness, Sara Fitzgerald ( Cameron Diaz) storms off to the bathroom and soon emerges hairless. This act of solidarity may be overused in movies about the terminally ill, but it makes for a touching moment.

'The Stoning of Soraya M.'

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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As its title suggests, "The Stoning of Soraya M." culminates in a ghastly outpouring of crimson blood. It splatters an Iranian woman's white dress and darkens the yellow sand around her. The colors seem symbolic, but the film lacks any shades of gray.

'Cheri'

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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From the "Dangerous Liaisons" team of Michelle Pfeiffer, director Stephen Frears and writer Christopher Hampton comes "Cheri," promoted by its posters as a light, romantic romp. It is slyly funny, with dialogue that snaps like trump cards hitting a table. The game being played, however, is deadly serious.

'The Proposal'

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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Finding two attractive lead actors isn't difficult, but how about two who also have comic timing -- and that elusive thing called chemistry-- Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have it all in the romantic comedy "The Proposal." They're charming, funny and fizzy, and you'll spend half the movie waiting for that magic moment when their mutual antipathy will turn to mush.

'Whatever Works'

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

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Woody Allen's latest comedy marks his cinematic return to New York after stints in Spain ( "Vicky Cristina Barcelona") and London ("Match Point," among others). But hold the homecoming fanfare. "Whatever Works" is a slapdash composition built around a single note.