Review of King (2006) by Jennifer A — 07 Oct 2006

[b][i]Thank You For Smoking[/i][/b], directed by Jason Reitman, stars Aaron Eckhart as a lobbyist for big tobacco in this biting satire. Eckhart is perfectly cast and so convincing that it's hard to root against him despite what he does for a living. The dialogue is crsiply written, and there are numerous moments that are just hilarious, especially when Eckhart is with his buddies from the ATF (played by Maria Bello and David Koechner). Less successful is the storyline concerning his son. Still worth seeing just for Eckhart's performance. The film also features William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Rob Lowe, Katie Holmes and Sam Elliott.

[b][i]A Prairie Home Companion[/i][/b], directed by Robert Altman, pays homage to one of radio's longest running shows. The film features an excellent ensemble cast, anchored by radio star Garrison Keillor, who also co-wrote the script. Keillor may be the heart and soul of the film, but Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Tommy Lee Jones, Maya Rudolph, Virginia Madsen and even Lindsey Lohan are all given an opportunity to shine. Streep, Tomlin, Harrelson and Reilly all perform musical numbers and do so suprisingly well. They have great chemistry. Lohan is surprisingly good as Streep's daughter. Kline and Rudolph share some of the film's funniest moments while Madsen as the "Dangerous Woman" angelically watches over the shows finale. It's folksy and whimsical and much less edgy than most Altman films yet it has his trademark style. One of my favorite films of 2006.

[b][i]The King[/i][/b], directed by David Marsh, stars Gael Garcia Bernal as a young man named Elvis recently discharged from the navy. He heads home to Texas in search who abandoned him upon birth. He finds his father, now a Pastor (played by William Hurt) happily married with two teenagers (played by Pell James and Paul Dano). Elvis is initially rejected by Pastor Sandow, but his daughter Malerie (Pell James) falls in love with him, eventually leading to suspicion and murder. Somewhere there is a good story here but the script is butchered and uneven and the character development slight making the entire scenario even less implausible for a "serious" drama. Gael Garcia Bernal, who I have immenseky enjoyed in everything elese I've seen him do, fails to elevate himself above the lackluster material. William Hurt fares better, but even he can't rescue to poor script. Overall a disappointing flick.

[b][i]Winter Passing[/i][/b], directed by Adam Rapp, is a mediocre to bad drama about a daughter (Zooey Deschanel) who returns home to see her eccentric and reclusive writer/father (Ed Harris) after her mother's death. She arrives to find two "caretakers" there (played by Will Ferrell and Amelia Warner) who seem to have her father's best interest in mind. Somehow this odd collection of characters don't really add up, making for a rather uneven and uninteresting film.