If the writers of the WWE and the worst soap operas ever had a lovechild, The Stepfather would be the demon seed of their loins. Dylan Walsh(Nip/Tuck) takes on the role of the murderous daddy who's about ten cards shy of a full deck. Sela Ward does her usual bit as the clueless mom who gets sucked in by his creepy charms. As far as bad remakes of mediocre 1980s thrillers go, you could do worse than The Stepfather, but if you're expecting anything more than a few PG-13 shocks you're going to be disappointed. Basically, if there's a close up shot of any of the characters, expect someone to be standing behind them unexpectedly. The best thing about this movie is the lack of clothing worn by Amber Heard. I've never seen a director look for more excuses to have one character wear less this often since Russ Meyer. She exists in a topless world where there's a poolside around every corner, and the one time she is fully decked out it's due to a rain storm. Silly? Yes. A guilty pleasure film for some, but I think you can do better than this. Go rent The Uninvited, instead.
5/10
A Serious Man
Larry Gopnik(Michael Stuhlbarg) is having the worst week ever, and he doesn't know what he did to deserve it. By the time he exclaims for the umpteenth time "I didn't do anything!" you're ready to slap him in the face and shake him. That's the entire point, you dolt! His wife is leaving him; his son's batmitvah is coming up; his brother is sleeping on his couch; his daughter wants a nosejob; oh, and he's being blackmailed by one of his students into raising his grades. And that's just the half of it. Steeped up to it's neck in Jewish culture and tradition, this is clearly the Coen Brothers most personal film yet. But is it a bit too personal? The harsh yiddish dialect will certainly be a turnoff for some, yet it's the mostly unlikable characters that might be the biggest problem to overcome. While the film bears absolutely zero resemblance to any of the Coens other features(Barton Fink a possible exception), this is without a doubt their bleakest film to date and the hardest to categorize. Worth checking out if you're up for a weird existentional journey into "Huh"? Otherwise I'd say rent it later.
6/10
Capitalism: A Love Story
What the f*ck is Wallace Shawn(A Princess Bride) doing in this movie?? I'm an unabashed fan of Michael Moore's many documentaries. I think with that comes a certain acceptance of the man's talents and flaws. First of all, he makes movies that are topical and important. The one thing you can't say is that his movies don't matter. Second, he's a showman. He knows how to make seemingly boring subjects enteraining and digestable to everybody. But this is also his drawback, as he often lets spectacle take charge of his movies and they become less believable as a result. Capitalism: A Love Story is Moore's least effective film to date. It's not completely his fault. It's just that the subject is so big that it can't be contained in a 100 minute movie. Also, it's painfully depressing when you've seen your fifth story about a poor family who lost their house. Unlike Moore's other films, there is little that you or I can actually do to change anything, so no matter how many cartoons or jokes Moore throws at us to lighten the burden it falls on deaf ears. The most effective sequences in the film are when Moore actually begins asking people about some of the obscure practices on Wall Street, and finding that even they can't describe it. More of that would've served the film well. Still, it's a film worth a rental if you've got the stomach for it. Personally I'd rather watch The Virgin Suicides again if I really want to be down in the dumps that badly.
6/10
