Our guide to what"s on in the local cinema
TRANSPORTER 3 (15)
Jason Stratham returns as Frank Martin in Olivier Megaton"s brawny yet brainless sequel. Expect car chases and punch-ups galore in this high-octane action movie, where some scenes verge on the ridiculous.
Transporter 3 appropriates an eco-friendly central theme as a hook, but the filmmakers are more interested in orchestrating mayhem than saving the planet.
Frank is sent on a job to pick up Valentina (Natalya Rudakova), the kidnapped daughter of Leonid Vasilev (Jeroen Krabbe), head of the Ukraine"s powerful Environmental Protection Agency. However, plans go awry when sparks of passion fly between Frank and Valentina.
Rating: Two stars
CHANGELING (15)
Angelina Jolie makes a strong bid for an Oscar nomination with her tour de force portrayal of a crusading mother in Clint Eastwood"s harrowing drama. Based on a shocking true story, Changeling tells the story of single mother Christine Collins (Jolie), who arrives home one day to find her son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) has disappeared without trace. After months of fearing the worst, Captain JJ Jones (Donovan) of the LAPD claims to have found Walter. Unfortunately, it"s a case of mistaken identity but in order to avoid a media maelstrom Jones forces Christine to lie. Jolie is sensational as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown, who screams and shouts for justice, fearful she might not get the answers she craves.
Rating: Four stars
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? (15)
Based on noted film producer Art Linson"s memoir, What Just Happened? satirises the inner workings of Hollywood, as seen through the eyes of a middle-aged producer suffering a crisis of confidence. Robert de Niro stars as film producer Ben, embroiled in couples" separation therapy with ex-wife Kelly (Robin Wright Penn), and struggling to complete a disastrous, controversial new film. Cameos from Sean Penn and Bruce Willis, both playing themselves, fall flat, and with few laugh-out-loud moments, the credits can"t roll fast enough.
Rating: Two and a half stars
BODY OF LIES (15)
Enlivened sporadically by the directorial brio of Ridley Scott, Body Of Lies channels timely fears about the fight against terrorism into a routine spy caper. Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio star as CIA agents Ed Hoffman and Roger Ferris, authorised to use extreme force to ensure the safety of America and its people. Together, they pursue the elusive Al-Saleem (Alon Aboutboul), head of a terrorist cell, which is responsible for numerous bombings across Europe. While DiCaprio is lacklustre in a predominately responsive role, Crowe delivers an impressive performance.
Rating: Three stars
QUANTUM OF SOLACE (12A)
Agent 007 returns, all guns blazing, in the action-packed follow-up to Casino Royale, set in the immediate aftermath of the blockbusting 2006 film. It pales next to its predecessor, lacking a compelling lead villain or coherent storyline. Daniel Craig"s lead performance is cold and aloof - his Bond is in danger of severing all ties to everything that made us fall in love with the super-spy back in 1962.
Rating: Four stars
HUNGER (15)
Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen makes his narrative feature-film debut with a harrowing recreation of the hunger strikes of the early "80s in the Maze Prison near Belfast. An immersive and disorienting piece of cinema, awash with haunting images, Hunger is distinguished by McQueen"s meticulous eye for detail and his steadfast refusal to paint characters as heroes, villains or martyrs. Film of the year.
Rating: Five stars
IGOR (PG)
Director Tony Leondis"s animated take on the evil scientist/pitiful sidekick, Frankenstein scenario is as brain-dead as some of its grotesque characters. Igor, voiced by John Cusack, is given an unlikely opportunity to invent something himself - but unfortunately his monster believes she is an actress destined to audition for the role of musical heroine Annie. Children will be bored almost as quickly as parents.
Rating: Two stars
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