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Capsule reviews: ‘Star Trek' and other films

By The Associated Press

Published: Thursday, May 7, 2009 8:04 AM CDT

Capsule reviews of films opening this week:

“Julia” - “Julia” requires an enormous amount of its star, and of its audience. Tilda Swinton gives a brash and unflinching performance as a lonely, self-destructive alcoholic who makes some questionable choices, to say the least. And in doing so, she and French writer-director Erick Zonca ask that we go along and stick by her side, every treacherous step of the way. It's tough to do. There's not much to root for or even vaguely like in Swinton's Julia Harris, a blowzy drunk who can be fun and flirty but who invariably wakes up the next morning with cotton mouth and a pounding headache. If you've ever indulged with such reckless abandon - even a couple of times in college - you may find yourself sympathizing on some level. Regardless, you're riveted, and not just for the train-wreck factor. Versatile as ever, Swinton pulls you in and keeps you wondering what false move she'll make next. Julia gets recruited into an insane scheme by Elena (Kate del Castillo), a jittery Mexican woman she meets at one of the Alcoholics Anonymous meetings she reluctantly and sporadically attends. Elena offers to pay Julia $50,000 to kidnap her 8-year-old son, Tom (Aidan Gould), from the care of his wealthy industrialist grandfather. But being unstable herself and not nearly as smart as she thinks she is, Julia tries to upend the plan with one of her own. Zonca takes Julia, and “Julia,” to places you'd never expect - some of them believable, some not so much, but at least they're never boring. R for pervasive language, some violent content and brief nudity. 138 min. Three stars out of four.

- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

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“Love n' Dancing” - The most astounding move doesn't occur on the dance floor. Rather, it's the fact that this movie is appearing in theaters at all, and not going straight to cable where it belongs. Everything about it cries out “made-for-TV,” from the flat, glossy lighting to the stilted dialogue to the one-dimensional characters. Would-be moments of drama quickly turn melodramatic, but are just as quickly solved, and the supposedly comic scenes are just plain corny. Even the pacing feels like something you'd see on television, complete with transitional shots between scenes of the Philadelphia skyline or the outside of the dance academy. None of this should come as any huge surprise, since director Robert Iscove is a television veteran, but you'd think he'd alter his approach for the big screen (among his previous films are “She's All That” and “From Justin to Kelly”). The script, though, comes from Tom Malloy, who also stars as a dancer and motivational speaker. In real life, Malloy is - wait for it - a dancer and motivational speaker. So “Love n' Dancing” is essentially an infomercial for himself. Malloy plays Jake Mitchell, a former World West Coast Swing champion. Amy Smart plays Jessica, the bland English teacher who becomes his student, then his partner, on and off the dance floor. There's only one place a movie like this can go: the big dance-off! Billy Zane, Caroline Rhea and Rachel Dratch co-star. PG-13 for some sexual references. 95 min. One star out of four.

- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

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“Rudo y Cursi” - Enormously hackneyed in concept yet surprisingly enjoyable in execution, thanks to some amusing, surreal details and the genuine camaraderie of Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal. You think you know where it's going, this story about the rise and fall of a couple of aspiring soccer players (who happen to be competitive brothers, another familiar theme). But the naturalism of writer-director Carlos Cuaron's approach is too compelling, as is, conversely, the liveliness of co-stars Luna and Garcia Bernal, longtime friends reunited for the first time since 2001's “Y Tu Mama Tambien.” Cuaron, who co-wrote that movie, makes his feature debut here; it's also the first film from brother Alfonso Cuaron and fellow Mexican directors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Guillermo del Toro through their new company, Cha Cha Cha. So it's all very comfortable and chummy. Alfonso Cuaron has said that the relationship between the main characters isn't necessarily a reflection of his own childhood with his younger brother, but Carlos Cuaron has a clear affection for the way these guys tease, torment and ultimately stick by each other. Beto (Luna) and Tato (Garcia Bernal) work on a banana plantation and spend their free time playing soccer on the neighborhood team in Jalisco. They barely make enough money to get by, but both of their lives change when traveling talent scout Batuta (Guillermo Francella) notices their skills on the field and offers to take them under his wing. R for pervasive language, sexual content and brief drug use. 103 min. Three stars out of four.

- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

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“Star Trek” - J.J. Abrams' hugely anticipated summer extravaganza boldly goes to the past within the distant future of the “Star Trek” universe, years ahead of the TV series and the myriad movies and spin-offs it spawned. And in doing so, he and his longtime collaborators, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, change everything you know - or obsess about, if you're into this kind of thing - about the kitschy pop-culture phenomenon. It's a daring and exciting approach that's sure to tickle and provoke purists, while at the same time probably cause neophytes to feel a bit lost. A major plot twist pops up about halfway through the film (along with Leonard Nimoy), one that doesn't exactly work and from which the film never completely recovers, and from there the adventures feel a bit repetitive. Having said that, Abrams clearly aimed to appeal to the broadest possible moviegoing audience with this dazzling visual spectacle while also leaving plenty of Easter eggs for the hardcore fans to find. It's an absolutely gorgeous film with impeccable production design - the lighting is wondrous, almost heavenly - and lovely, tiny details frequently emerge from within the larger, grander images. Abrams certainly puts on a good show - between “Lost” and the 2006 “Mission: Impossible” sequel he directed, there's no question the man knows how to stage an action sequence - and the opening gets things off to a thrilling start. He efficiently and satisfyingly presents the back stories of the men who will become Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and the half-Vulcan, half-human Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) and puts them on a collision course with each other, which ups the excitement level early. John Cho, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana and Eric Bana co-star. PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence and brief sexual content. 127 min. Two and a half stars out of four.

- Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic


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