16 發光的城市 A R O U N D T O W N FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2009 • TAIPEI TIMES OTHER RELEASES COMPILED BY MARTIN WILLIAMS Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Better The pick of this week’s other releases is an award-winning film from legendary Japanese than the book animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away). Sort-of- mermaid Ponyo longs to know Brendan Fraser’s chunkiness as a kind of bulked-up more about the world out of the ocean and soon becomes the pet Indiana Jones is one of the few of a boy who lives in a seaside home. Her disappearance jarring notes in ‘Inkheart,’ an otherwise triggers a hunt that results in wonderful sequences that commendable minor fantasy film will captivate adults and children alike. Miyazaki’s box office hit is glorious proof that possibilities still exist for BY Ian BartholomeW traditional animation techniques. It’s being screened in STAFF REPORTER Taiwan in both Mandarin and Japanese-language versions. have seen rather a lot of up a mood of comic adventure. There is Yes Man Brendan Fraser recently, what none of the moralizing of Narnia or the We with The Mummy: Tomb of philosophizing of The Golden Compass, In this comedy outing, Jim the Dragon Emperor and Journey at the but just a good yarn with lots of fascinating Carrey transforms from a Center of the Earth both released in the characters in it. At the center is Meggie, soulless loan officer who second half of last year. He’s back again, Mo’s daughter and companion, an aspiring will only say “no” into an and while Inkheart is a vastly superior writer, who only gradually realizes why her increasingly havoc-stricken film to his previous efforts, his presence father has never read her a bedtime story man who can only say “yes.” TV contributes little to its success. In fact, his though they live surround by books. Meggie’s director Peyton Reed manages muscular appeal strikes one of the few growing realization of her father’s story and to wring some physical humor jarring notes in an otherwise commendable her response are reasonably compelling and and smutty gags out of Carrey, but for most who saw Liar minor fantasy film. are well rendered by Eliza Bennett. Liar it will be same old, same old — though co-star Zooey Inkheart has the same bookish quality that The star turn is left to Andy Sirkis, who Deschanel (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) got the distinguished The Chronicles of Narnia films, creates the Monty Python-esque villain big “yes” from male critics. Maybe the film should have from its rather rudimentary special effects to Capricorn, the character out of a swords been called “Yes Woman.” the understated complexity of its characters. and sorcery fantasy who has made himself Fraser is from a much slicker (if not at home in Italy and doesn’t want to go back Bride Wars necessarily more convincing) world of make- to the grotty medieval world of the novel. believe, and he is anything but understated. Paul Bettany, as the conflicted Dustfinger, Ah, the latest wedding-themed While he is never less than an appealing once again shows what an excellent movie. Budding brides Anne screen presence, his efforts as Mo Folchart, a ensemble actor he is, with that special Hathaway and Kate Hudson end kind of bulked-up Indiana Jones, a specialist ability not only to make himself look good, up at each other’s throats after book binder who inexplicably seems perfectly but to make others shine as well. their receptions are double- at home with a powerful left hook, shines out Then there’s Helen Mirren, who has taken booked. The rest is marzipan- like polyester among old silk. off her various crowns and settled down as tinged color-by-numbers with But be that as it may, there is lots of an old-fashioned pantomime dame, playing standard American comedy- good acting, a splendid plot and a string Meggie’s aunt, a batty old bookworm who turned-hand-wringing in the of mildly funny literary jokes (referencing gets caught up in the adventure against her final reel. Marketed at the The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan and Sinbad will. She gets to ride into battle on a unicorn, undiscriminating teenager and the Sailor) mean that there is plenty to be which is something neither of the Queen her girlfriends or luckless boyfriend in tow, Bride Wars getting on with. Elizabeths she recently played ever did. should be packed off to a galaxy far, far away. As for the story, Mo Folchart is a Jim Broadbent, also in comic mood, plays silvertongue, a person who is able, by Feroglio, the author of “Inkheart,” who just Life for Sale INKHEART reading aloud, to bring forth the characters loves to see his novel brought to life, but out of stories. But there is a quid pro cannot quite refrain from giving away the This Switzerland-Luxembourg DIRECTED BY: IAIN SOFTLEY quo, and if something comes out of the ending — to the chagrin of the participants. co-production revisits the legend book, something else has to go in, and Mo, So without giving away any more of of Faust as three losers come STARRING: BRENDAN FRASER (MO “SilveRTONGue” FOLCHART), SIENNA GUILLORY accidentally bringing forth Capricorn and a the story, Inkheart can be recommended up with the idea of respectively (RESA), ELIZA BENNETT (MEGGIE FOLCHART), ANDY SERKIS (CAPRICORN), PAUL BETTANY crew of villains out of a fantasy novel titled wholeheartedly as ideal Lunar New Year selling their past, future and (DUSTFINGER), HELEN MIRREN (ELINOR LOREDAN), JIM BROADBENT (FEROGLIO) “Inkheart,” loses his wife to the book. He viewing for the whole family. One or two soul online. At first swimming in spends many years looking for a new copy sequences might be upsetting for very cash — by itinerant standards RUNNING TIME: 106 MINUTES of the book and avoiding the attentions of young children, but on the whole the mood — the three friends discover that money isn’t everything (they must have dropped out of TAIWAN RELEASE: TODAY the various characters that he inadvertently is playful rather than frightening, and its read out of “Inkheart.” loosely allegorical treatment of a reader’s school before that lesson was taught). Purportedly inspired Around this conceit of how we make relationship with the books gives it some by a true story. Original title: Luftbusiness. PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLAUSE books come alive, director Iain Softley sets depth as well. Rabbit Without Ears A German reporter gets busted for excessive paparazzi-like behavior and is sentenced to 300 hours of community service. Schwarzeneggeresque fish- out-of-water romantic comedy hijinks ensue when the reporter is forced to play Kindergarten Hack and answer to a woman whom he once dissed as a child. The rest writes itself. This Rabbit is a German box office smash and deserves a local audience. The Taiwanese poster, by the way, adds cutout rabbit ears to our reluctant hero’s slumbering head — presumably to make the literally translated title more comprehensible. Caravaggio The groundbreaking painter and compulsive troublemaker is the subject of this European made-for-TV production from 2007. His painting, brawling, lust and political machinations Melman the giraffe, voiced by David Schwimmer, left, Gloria the hippo, voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith, second left, Alex the lion, voiced by Ben Stiller, and Marty the zebra, voiced by Chris Rock, right. PHOTO: AP are all here. Appropriately shot by master cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, this version of the artist’s life and times is gorgeous to watch. Originally three hours long in two episodes, this theatrical version has been cut down to Duck! The penguins are flying the plane two hours. From the confines of Madagascar, this matey menagerie finds itself transported to the vast wilderness of Africa Flashbacks of a Fool Daniel Craig makes a sensational new James Bond, but if he keeps BY MANOHLA DARGIS possibly insane Skipper (McGrath), the filmmakers, who clearly are around almost as much as Brian if this country can vote colorblind making non-007 films like this, NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE, NEW YORK a sleek ball of feathers and fat who having as much fun visually with de Palma does, every so often they surely its movie studios can animate he may need to stay with the There’s a nuttier, generally more simultaneously brings to mind Jon these scene stealers as they are slow down, giving you a chance colorblind too. (Can’t they?) franchise a little longer than diverting entertainment creeping, Lovitz, Phil Hartman, John Wayne aurally, stick by the contemporary to scan the softly muted colors of expected. In Flashbacks, Craig crawling and waddling along the and a cue ball. Along with his two American animation playbook: Alex the landscapes and explore how portrays a dissolute celebrity edges of Madagascar: Escape sidekicks, a couple of stooges called has a dream (gotta dance), father the exaggerated character designs on the verge of stateside self- 2 Africa than the larger one Kowalski and Private (Chris Miller issues (with Bernie Mac as the pride create a nice visual contrast with the destruction. His flashbacks in lollygagging on screen. This central and Christopher Knights), Skipper of the pride) and a requisite baddie photorealistic details and flourishes. England as a teenager tell us story of this new animated movie, keeps first the plane and then rival (Alec Baldwin, who else?). It’s unsurprising that Alex’s MADAGASCAR: why — sort of. Directed by music video ace Baillie Walsh written by Etan Cohen and the — after crash-landing on an African There’s also an unfunny old lady mane registers as more realistic ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy, for example), the directors Eric Darnell and Tom savannah — the movie moving with with a Jackie Mason accent who than any of his words or emotions, film is big on melancholy and period atmosphere but not so McGrath, involves Alex (Ben Stiller his deadpan delivery and with some deserves a violently cruel end, but but it’s also a bummer.