Movie Reviews

The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by Catholic News Service.

Hitchcock (Fox Searchlight)
The legendary film director and "Master of Suspense" gets quite a dressing-down in director Sacha Gervasi's absorbing adaptation of Stephen Rebello's 1990 book "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho." Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) is portrayed as a compulsive voyeur and control freak who suspected the motives of just about everyone, even his devoted wife (Helen Mirren). With stars (Scarlett Johansson, James D'Arcy) playing stars (Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins), the film follows the production of Hitchcock's biggest success. In crafting it, Hitchcock battled the Hollywood censors to allow an unprecedented degree of explicitness, and contributed to the breakdown of the long-standing production code that had regulated movie content since the 1930s. Graphic re-creations of movie-making violence, a scene of implied adultery, sexual innuendo, some profane and rough language. (A-III, PG-13)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Warner Bros.)
Epic 3-D adaptation of the opening part of Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 children's novel "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again," directed by Peter Jackson. In this first installment of a trio of prequels to Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, also based on Tolkien's fiction, a homebody hobbit (Martin Freeman) is reluctantly convinced by a wizard (Ian McKellen) to accompany and aid a group of dwarves (led by Richard Armitage) in their quest to recapture their ancient stronghold, a storehouse of fabulous wealth long ago conquered by a rampaging dragon. The heroism of ordinary people and the potential for everyday goodness to subdue evil are the primary themes of the long, combat-heavy adventure that follows. As the titular character proves his mettle, the corrupting effects of power are also showcased through his encounter with a cave dweller (Andy Serkis) who is obsessed with — and spiritually enslaved by — a magical ring. Not for the easily frightened or those with short attention spans, Jackson's sweeping journey across Tolkien's imaginary world of Middle-earth is an upbeat outing suitable for all others. Much bloodless action violence, some mild gross-out humor. (A-II, PG-13)

Killing Them Softly (Weinstein)
Brutally violent, deeply cynical crime drama in which a trio of small-time thieves (Vincent Curatola, Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn) plots a raid on a mafia protected gambling den, hoping to pin the blame for their heist on the card dealer (Ray Liotta) who runs the operation. But their initial success begins to unravel when a businesslike Cosa Nostra middle manager (Richard Jenkins) sets a relentlessly professional hit man (subdued, smoldering Brad Pitt) on their trail. Writer-director Andrew Dominik uses sound bites from the 2008 financial crisis to suggest a moral equivalence between Wall Street and organized crime. He also employs then-Sen. Barack Obama's soaring rhetoric from the same year's presidential campaign to imply that the American dream is an idealistic delusion. As embodied in Pitt's casually murderous character, and that of another killer who's on the skids (James Gandolfini), Dominik's corrosive satire goes deeper still, undermining all notions of morality and, indeed, of meaning. Excessive graphic violence, including gruesome murders and a prolonged, bloody beating, drug use, brief partial rear nudity, a prostitution theme, seamy sexual talk, numerous instances of profanity, pervasive rough and crude language. (O, R)

Playing for Keeps (FilmDistrict)
Family values take the field in director Gabriele Muccino's rather static romantic comedy that recounts the personal travails of a washed-up British soccer star (Gerard Butler). Shortly after moving to suburban Virginia where his American ex-wife (Jessica Biel) had earlier relocated, he agrees to coach his young son's (Noah Lomax) soccer team, teaching them the finer points of the beautiful game as part of his efforts to become a better, more attentive father. Though he soon has a succession of soccer moms throwing themselves at him (including Judy Greer, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Uma Thurman), he continues to dream of marital reconciliation. A single, off-screen sexual escapade aside, Muccino and screenwriter Robbie Fox buck the genre's recent trend toward the sordid as their protagonist turns down opportunities for immoral gratification. Respectable, if not especially compelling entertainment. An implied nonmarital encounter, brief nongraphic sexual activity, fleeting gory images, some crude and crass language. (A-III, PG-13)

Catholic News Service classifications: A-I —— general patronage; A-II —— adults and adolescents; A-III —— adults; L —— limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling; O —— morally offensive. Full-length reviews: www.catholicnews.com/movies.htm.