“Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Animated and Oscar-nominated
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox)
Wes Anderson’s Oscar-nominated big screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is sure to make you reevaluate everything you ever thought about claymation. From the foxy, autumnal colors to the vintage rock and surf soundtrack to the snappy script written by Anderson and Noah Baumbach (“Margot at the Wedding” director), “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is fabulous.
Original, unpretentious, innovative, insightful and possibly the funniest movie of last year, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is made for the 21st-century audience. A wonder to behold, it packs a lot into its 87 minutes.
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Romance and remote-control
Open the wine, plate the strawberries, exchange the cards, and then cuddle up on the couch for some romance.
“Brokeback Mountain”
This Oscar-winning, ground-breaking film, adapted from Annie Proulx’s short story, is so beloved that to this day it remains a cultural touchstone with regard to same-sex relationships — on and off screen. Featuring breathtaking performances from lead actors Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger, it stunningly depicts love’s endurance and is one of the great romantic stories of the 21st century, gay or straight. (Lee’s gay-themed “The Wedding Banquet,” from 1993, is also a wonder to behold.)
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A scene from “A Woman In Berlin”
Women in ruins
Add “My Life in Ruins” (Fox Searchlight) to director Donald Petrie’s list of painfully unfunny comedies, which already includes “The Favor,” “Welcome to Mooseport” and the unnecessary movie version of “My Favorite Martian.”
For her first film in five years, Nia Vardalos plays Greek-American Georgia. A former teacher turned temporary tour guide, Georgia knows her stuff, although she struggles to find balance between ancient and modern Greece. She’s saddled with Pangloss Tours’ more annoying tourists, including cliché ugly Americans Irv (Richard Dreyfuss), Gator (Jareb Duplaise), Marc (Brian Palermo), Kim (Rachel Dratch) and Big Al (Harland Williams), elderly British kleptomaniac Dorcas (Sheila Bernette) and a pair of unintelligible Aussies.
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“You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk”
Musically inclined
“You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk, 1977-1984” (Factory 25)
Chicago probably isn’t the first place that you think of when you think of punk rock circa 1977 to 1984.
London, the land of the Sex Pistols and The Clash, more likely. Or New York, home of The Ramones, Blondie and Talking Heads. Even Los Angeles, with X and Black Flag.
But Chicago’s contributions, limited as they may have been, get the recognition they deserve in Joe Losurdo and Christina Tillman’s rock doc.
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Happy holiday hours with Paul Newman, Mel Brooks and the Girls.
Stocker stuffers for film lovers
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” with Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch and will.i.am. Leading up to the events of “X-Men,” this is the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film have long been anticipated.
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