New in Theatres: “Semi-Pro”   Rating: R

Genre: Comedy

           Will Ferrell is one of the funniest men in Hollywood these days.  This could be good or bad considering what movie you last watched of Ferrell’s.  If it was “Old School,” you’d probably think comedy is in good hands.  However, if you’ve recently watched “Blades of Glory,” you’re probably thinking Hollywood has seen better days.  Considering this movie reunites Will Ferrell with screenplay writer Scott Armstrong (the brains behind “Old School”), you would think the sky was the limit.  Unfortunately for these two, lightning didn’t strike twice (although Ferrell’s ‘fro does leaves the idea in your head). 

            Set in the 1970s, “Semi-Pro” is the story of Jackie Moon and his team the Flint Tropics.  Moon, played by Ferrell, is a coach/starting forward for the struggling American Basketball Association (ABA) franchise.  After years of dreaming of owning his own NBA franchise, Moon learns he may have a chance if the Tropics can earn a top-4 spot to finish the season. If he doesn’t make his team a winner, he’ll lose the franchise as the teams that fail to make the jump to the NBA will be scrapped forever.

            As usual, Will Ferrell takes the lead as a loud and arrogant athlete with little in the brains department, but a whole lot of heart.  While some will find this endearing, an increasing number of people (like me) will continue to question why Ferrell has played the same character for the past 5 years.  Woody Harrelson and Maura Tierney play the characters Monix and Lynn.  The two are brought together when Monix is traded to the Tropics for a washing machine in an attempt to push the club to a winning record.  "Awkward" seems to be the best word for their chemistry, but in a comedy you aren’t looking for much.  My personal favorite part in this movie was played by Andy Richter, who made an appearance as Ferrell’s friend and employee for the Tropics.  It’s a bit part, but Richter plays it to perfection.  He admires Jackie Moon slightly more than a regular man would, and he has no problem showing it.

            As a whole this movie simply didn’t do it for me.  I’m sure there will be those out there who disagree.  Ferrell still hasn’t grown old to some of his bigger fans, but I just can’t take it much anymore.  I had hopes for him after, “Stranger than Fiction,” but since that movie Ferrell has reverted back to old ways.  For real fans of movies, that’s just not good enough anymore.

          There are movies, there are blockbusters, and then there are masterpieces.  “Atonement,” may never achieve the box office numbers of the Spiderman Trilogy, but what it lacks in numbers it makes up for in quality of work.  “Atonement” is leaps and bounds above its competitors.  Simply put, it is hands down the winner for best picture in ’07.

            “Atonement” is the story of a misunderstanding of several moments over the course of one day that changes three people’s lives forever: Briony, Robbie Turner (the family’s groundskeeper), and Cecilia (Briony's sister).  At the young age of 13, Briony, played by Saoirse Ronan, sees things that she was never meant to see.  Unfortunately for the young child, she doesn’t have the luck that we, the viewers, have in seeing this story from both points of view.  Instead she is watching her sister and Robbie from afar, and misinterprets what is going on, leading her to tell a lie that changes her life forever.

            Keira Knightley was brilliant as Cecilia Tallis in this film.  She was elegant, refined, and beautiful, which will remind many why they saw such great things in her future after first watching “Pride and Prejudice.”  Knightley was great, but I think James McAvoy deserves a round of applause for the best work of his career as well.  Together they create so much passion and fire it’s hard to imagine that everything was caught on film.  Outside of Knightley and McAvoy's performances, it is hard to find anyone else worth mentioning.  It’s not that the others were not good, in fact they were brilliant, but they are overshadowed by the powerful characters played by the film's leads.

            Visually, this movie was amazing.  From the coloring, to the costumes, to the way it was shot.  Specifically, there was one continuous take on the beach of Dunkirk that seems to last for 10 minutes if not more, that deserves special mention as it is quite possibly one of the best single sequence shots in film history.  I love the way "Atonement" flawlessly exchanges from one point-of-view to another, or when the movie shifts from Paris to the bombings in London. I would reccommend this film to anybody.

           The Sundance Festival is full of movies worth a while, and "Interview" was just one of the gems from this year’s crop.  This film in particular had above-average reviews, and even snagged a couple of nominations at a few other film festivals.  It doesn’t, however, match up to previous works of Steve Buscemi.  It was, after all, his directorial debut and it’s hard to compare his first film as a director to his perennial works with superstar directors such as the Coen brothers and Tim Burton.

            “Interview” focuses on one night of a reporter’s (Pierre Peders) life.  He is upset because he believes he should be in Washington, covering some of the biggest and most important news of the decade. Instead he’s stuck doing a fluff piece on Katya, a popular soap star.  Katya (Sienna Miller) is equally as disgusted as Peders.  After showing up to an interview more than an hour late, she finds it rude that Peders, a reporter she’s never heard of, would treat her with an attitude.  After a chance second-encounter, however, the two begin a fierce battle of words, which causes them to question whether their initial judgments were all wrong.  But is this second meeting just an act, or could there be something deeper to both of these people?

            Off of the silver screen Steve Buscemi and Sienna Miller seem like the unlikeliest of pairs.  But for an instant, in this movie, they make the perfect tandem, proving why Buscemi (despite non-typical Hollywood looks) has managed to stay on the top of his game for years.  Miller, better known for her modeling than acting, appears to have made great strides in this film.  Between this unlikely pair, sparks fly. 

            This film works in many ways.  It is edgy, intelligent, and fast-paced.  It’s an intriguing watch for anyone that believes there is more to a person than meets the eye.  It’s also a good study on the human psyche.  I could probably list about a hundred reasons why this movie is good, but unfortunately there are a few sticking points for me too. Sometimes it doesn’t work- namely concerning Miller’s character, and although while well acted, is hard to believe.