Reel Reviews -- O

Oblivion (~) -- This one seems to be a near miss. There’s a lot to like here: Cruise is good (he never isn’t, really), the look of the thing is wonderful, the twist is pretty good as movie twists go, and there’s even some good science that’s important to the movie’s reality (i.e., the presumed effects on Earth if our Moon were destroyed). But there’s one bit of dumbness that cancels out that good science: the story relies on the by-now well-worn clone fallacy (that clones would somehow share memories with the original organism). Probably not a bad rental, now that it’s out of theaters, certainly worth watching for free. But no surprise this wasn’t a big hit at the googolplex. Posted 3/9/13.

O Brother, Where Art Thou (+) -- Homer for the masses...and I don't mean Simpson. Well-crafted retelling of the old tale, with some great music and good performances by Messrs. Clooney, Turturro and Nelson.

Ocean's Eleven (~) -- Watching this movie is like spending a couple of hours in the High Church of Holy Hipness; it's got more smirks than you'd find on Saturday night in a frat house. There are a few amusing moments, but not enough of them. On another note: this is the second big-time movie (directed by Soderbergh, no less) in which George Clooney has played a criminal--should we be worried? Posted 10/17/02.

Ocean's Twelve (+) -- Another celluloid smirk from Soderbergh and company. It's got a flimsy premise and a redundant story; so why didn't I care? Because the pace is good, the performers are all spot on, the dialogue is sharp, and the visuals are particularly rich. And it ends in an orgy of self-satisfaction. Now, what could be more entertaining than that? In this case, nothing. Posted 5/8/06.

October Sky (+) -- You know how this thing's going to play out every minute it's on the screen--and it's still a wonderful movie to watch. Hopeful and high-spirited, it's a good movie to watch when you want a little uplifting (and it even comes with rockets for the task!).

Office Space (+) -- An uneven piece from Beavis & Butt-Head and King of the Hill creator Mike Judge. Occasionally hilarious satire of corporate life that turns dark one or two times too many. But mostly worth it.

127 Hours (+) -- Director Danny Boyle pulls every trick out of the filmmaker's bag in order to give movement and energy to a mostly static tale. In a few places, the holes in that cinematic curtain show through, but for the most part the effort is successful, resulting in an entertaining, impactful, almost riveting movie. Not to be missed. Posted 8/19/11.

One True Thing (+) -- There's that girl again; a young Renée Zellweger plays center stage, this time with veterans Meryl Streep and William Hurt giving very capable support. A bit of a tearjerker, but we won't hold that against it.

Open Range (+) -- A film that's beautiful from the first scene, but not very engaging at the start. That's why it's such a pleasant surprise when the story grows more engrossing and enjoyable as it progresses. The ultimate payoff comes as a satisfying film about realistic, complex characters that never falls prey to being too showy, too heavy-handed, or anything it doesn't need to be. Costner lets his film speak for itself, and you'll like what it has to say. Posted 4/7/09.

The Opposite Of Sex (~) -- A movie with all the hallmarks of the "indie" film: lots o' sex and violence (though relatively tame here), strange, over-the-top characters, even some "meta" filmmaking techniques (an antagonistic voiceover, fake-out scenes, etc.). Of course, "indie" can also mean muddled storytelling, narrowly focused characters who don't "speak" to all in the audience, and other problems. So too with this one. It has some positive traits, but it also runs too long and doesn't do enough to develop any bond between the characters and the audience. See it or not; it probably won't matter either way. Posted 4/25/05.

The Original Kings Of Comedy (~) -- Pretty good "concert" comedy film, though some of the routines are hit and miss. Steve Harvey does the best work, Bernie Mac gives a creditable effort, and D.L. Hughley and Cedric The Entertainer have their moments. The language is not for the "wealthy dowager" types. Posted 10/14/02.

Othello (+) -- This version--with Laurence Fishburne in the title role and Kenneth Branagh as Iago--was not particularly well received when it came out, but I've got a soft spot for Shakespeare; it takes some really bad work to screw up the Bard. This is capably done, and there isn't any silly fiddling about with the setting/staging/timeframe here--they play it straight.

The Others (+) -- Moody and stylish, just the way you like 'em. The twist is obvious, but I don't really care about such things, so I don't take points off for that. It's the journey, not the destination, that matters here. Posted 9/7/04.

Out of Sight (~) -- Pretty good. Features Jennifer Lopez, in her a little less sleazy incarnation as straightforward actress, along with George Clooney doing his usual thing. Not spectacular, but it holds your interest.

Outside Providence (+) -- Not the laugh riot you expect from a Farrelly Brothers association (they scripted), but that doesn't mean it's bad, either. Some parts are flat, but most of the film adds up to a low-key but effective coming of age story. The best, most effective stuff lies in the relationship between Shawn Hatosy's lead bonehead teenager and his father, strongly played by Alec Baldwin. There's some touching drama here, making for a nice balance against a nice chunk of sharp humor. This one flew below the radar, but if you happen to catch hold of it, you will not be disappointed. Posted 11/12/06.

Oz the Great and Powerful (~) -- The crux of the matter here lies with the source material, to wit: are we seeing a faithful representation of Baum’s work, or is this a Disneyfied version of the extended world of Oz? Having only read one of the Oz works--that one--I can’t say for sure; maybe the weaknesses are Baum’s and not those of the Disney people or director Sam Raimi. Even with a certain obviousness to the story--it’s a tale that practically wallows in stereotypes--you can still get a good, old-fashioned movie-viewing experience out of this film. It all depends on how high your critical threshold is; demanding types, stay away, but those more open will probably have a decent time. Posted 1/8/14.