The Pink Panther 2 is a tragedy of massive proportions. It stars Alfred Molina, Andy Garcia and Jean Reno. These actors are much better than this. It’s a remake of The Pink Panther series, which thanks to Peter Sellers are some of the funniest movies ever. Those movies are better than this. And it stars one of the funniest comedians ever, Steve Martin. He is most definitely better than this.

I think my biggest problem with the film is that in comparison to the original films, or any decent comedy, it’s ridiculously unfunny. Every scene revolves around Steve Martin getting hit with something or a joke about his overdone French accent or Steve Martin accidentally hitting someone or setting something on fire. The plot is the exact same as the film 3 years ago. The Pink Panther diamond is stolen and the bumbling Inspector Clouseau must recover it and through a series of accidents and elaborate sequences of slapstick, he recovers it.

It seems that Steve Martin in recent days has had two personalities. In one, he is subtle, clever, and funnier than ever. See his supporting role in Baby Mama, his presenting speech at the recent Academy Awards, and even his hilarious memoir, Born Standing Up. In his alter ego, he is a fraction of what he once was, resulting to elaborate set pieces and slapstick to garner laughs instead of actual humor. Enter The Pink Panther 2. You’ll be glad to exit. D-

Most of the time, a film has no real plot whatsoever but the film itself ends up being great fun, and a really good movie. Which makes Defiance something of a curiosity. It has the great story and actors. But the execution is where it falls stiff. Defiance has some moments of greatness, but the end result is a colossal disappointment. Which is a shame, because the cast is great and the story is compelling. It’s the true story of a trio of Jewish brothers in 1941 Poland: Tuvia, Asael, and Zus Bielski who narrowly escape the Nazi camps and build a camp of their own: one for Jews hiding in the forest.

Daniel Craig, who we know as James Bond, turns in a rather subtle but effective enough performance as Tuvia. Liev Schrieber isn’t as mind-blowing as I’ve heard, but he still retains the best performance in the film, as the aggressive brother Zus. It’s more of an ensemble film than you would think. The marketing is rather deceptive: It doesn’t focus on the brothers killing the Nazis, but the inner conflicts the group encounters.

Edward Zwick directs, who has done such great movies as The Last Samurai and Blood Diamond. His films tend to be visually stunning, emotionally engaging, but also retain some really great action sequences. Defiance is a step backward. It has really great action sequences, it is definitely visually stunning, but it isn’t emotionally engaging. More specifically, it force-feeds us too much emotion. C

Kate Winslet once said, playing herself in the mockumentary TV series Extras, that whoever stars in a Holocaust film automatically wins an Oscar. Which makes it a bit ironic that she has finally won an Oscar, starring in The Reader, a Holocaust film. I only say ‘a bit ironic’ because she truly delivered the best performance of the year, and in a rare feat (for the Oscars), they actually picked the right winner.

Michael Berg is a 15-year old boy living in 1958 Germany. He’s rather quiet and reserved. One day coming home from school he vomits, and a tram conductor named Hanna Schmitz gives him some medicine. Michael becomes infatuated with Hanna and they begin an affair. They fall in love, despite the noticeable age difference. But then one day Hanna is suddenly gone, leaving Michael heartbroken. They reunite 8 years later, though under undesirable circumstances: He is a law student, and she is on trial for Holocaust war crimes.

The Reader is a rather subtle film that also happens to tackle some really huge issues. Holocaust, growing up, affairs, guilt. But there is no huge revelation moment of screaming, no major Hollywood twist ending. It’s handled rather delicately. It’s not a happy film, and one could argue that the morals of the story are rather twisted.

Kate Winslet, in her Oscar-winning performance, is fantastic. Her mastery of accents is rather well-known by now, her German accent is flawless. She pulls off the incredible feat of making a despicable character almost sympathetic. From the first hour where you can sense her massive regret, to her scenes as a 70-year old woman that in a way, provide the emotional core of the film, Winslet is fantastic. The greatest actress working today gives her greatest performance, and it makes this film worth seeing alone.

David Kross is great as Michael Berg at ages 15 and 23. At 15 he has an aura about him, an energy that is rather unique. Which makes it rather shocking how somber his body language and overall demeanor is during the courtroom scenes. Ralph Fiennes plays Michael in his 40s and 50s, and has the easiest job of the three. He’s on for about 15 minutes.

The Reader is one of the better Holocaust films, with an emotional impact you don’t quite expect. It’s actually sort of a masterpiece. A

The Wrestler is not a happy film. Or one with much action, or much of a plot. There’s no big pay-off at the end, no twist or happy ending. But there’s so much that it offers in between. Not only is is the best film of 2008, its one of the best of the decade.

Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Rourke) was the next big thing in wrestling. 2o or so years ago, he seemed destined for greatness. Then, he lost a match, and lost it all. 2o years later, he lives in a trailer park. He’s lucky to have a job at the grocery store. He wrestles in New Jersey community centers, filled only by die-hard fans. He clings to any fragment of fame that he had all these years ago. His daughter despises him and haven’t spoken to him in years. A friendship with a single mother/dancer Pam (Tomei) offers a ray of light, and he slowly is brought back to the real world, building up to a devasting ending.

Although there is so much to admire here, the performances are all magnificent, and are definitely the best part of the movie. Mickey Rourke as Randy turns in one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen. He combines his great ability with his tragic past to become Randy, and it’s simply devastating. You see his past on his face. You know the awful things he’s done and still continue to do. But you still symphatize with him. This isn’t necessarily a tearjerker, but shows the harsh conditions in which he lives, with some devasting moments along the way.

Evan Rachel Wood as Randy’s daughter has 3 scenes, but what she does in those 3 scenes goes to show that she is one of the best young actors working today. The majority of Marisa Tomei’s scenes required that my eyes be shut, but she proves that as well as a great comedic actress she is a great dramatic one.

It’s stunning that although it could have resigned to many cliches and come off as Rocky 10, it remains original and unpredictable right till the end. It’s left ambiguous but not in an artsy way. Either way you interpret it, it’s a great and fitting ending, if not complete.

Darren Aronofsky directs it with passion equal to that of Rourke’s  performance. His camera always follows him, and often times it feels like a documentary.

See The Wrestler. If not, you’d miss the best film 2008 had to offer. A

Leo and Kate team up for the first time since Titanic, in the 1950′s surburan drama Revolutionary Road. It has the pedigree, the great ensemble, and the impressive set design to become a true masterpiece. Instead, it settles for a decent movie that still feels like it could have much, much better.

They play a suburban couple, Frank and April Wheeler. On the surface, it all seems fantastic. They have 2 children, Frank has a steady job, and April is seemingly the perfect housewife. But beneath the surface, they hate each other. They’re bored with their seemingly perfect existence, they’re bored of the perfect image that their society imposes on them. But a ray of hope arrives when they come up with an idea: move to Paris.

First of all, the performances are fantastic. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet are, as expected, fantastic. Although the giant arguments and bellowing are convincing and intense, it’s definitely the more subtle moments that shine through. A particular scene where following a large argument, April fixes Frank a breakfast, all fake smiles and small talk. This is the best scene of the film.

Michael Shannon, a mostly underrated actor, has three scenes in the film as a mentally insane mathematician who ironically, is the only one who can see beneath Frank and April’s facade. He recieved an Oscar nomination for his work, and was well-deserved. Although he’s on screen for 10 minutes, his scenes have the most lasting impact, which speaks worlds about how good he is.

Beyond the fantastic performances, there is little else that is noteworthy, other than the set direction and costume design. It truly captures the tidiness and stillness that the 1950′s homes possessed.  The dialogue oddly fluctuates between brilliant and dull, which can be said for the movie in general.

The major flaw is the ending. All of the promise, all of the tension that is built up throughout the movie is destroyed in a few seconds. You dont realize what’s happened to the characters, and other ones are thrown away altogether. The upside of this is that Leonardo DiCaprio’s last scene is fantastic.

Revolutionary Road is a film whose pedigree and promise lingers over it the entire time, and ultimately doesn’t deliver. However, the technical aspects and all the performances are excellent. It’s worth seeing, but the lower your expectations, the more you’ll like it. B-