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IRON MAN Given their general status as popcorn flicks heavier on the decadent calories than on the nutritional value, I'm always pleasantly surprised at how much care Hollywood studios take when it comes to casting their superheroes in franchise flicks. With Iron Man, Paramount settled on an actor who turned out to be both unexpected and just right: Robert Downey Jr. is excellent in the film, and it owes much of its success to him. Centering on the Marvel Comics character created back in 1963, Iron Man shows how swaggering, self-centered inventor and industrialist Tony Stark (Downey), the U.S. military's chief supplier of weapons of mass destruction, transforms into an armored superhero dedicated to fighting for peace (this is an even more liberal-minded superhero film than Batman Begins). Stark's difficulties while perfecting his Iron Man persona provide the movie with many of its most amusing moments, as do the interludes between Stark and his faithful right-hand woman Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Indeed, the expository material is so engaging that the climactic battle between Iron Man and a villain known as Iron Monger comes as a massive letdown: After adding such a personal touch to the proceedings – even in earlier scenes involving CGI work – director Jon Favreau turns in a chaotic action climax that could have been lifted from any soulless Jerry Bruckheimer endeavor. Still, even this last-inning letdown can't tarnish Iron Man's overall appeal. Just as Tony Stark needs a device to keep his heart pumping, Iron Man requires Downey's presence to keep the heart of this franchise alive. ***
THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES The Life Before Her Eyes runs the risk of being dismissed as a crass and tasteless attempt to make an exploitative movie out of the rash of Columbine-style massacres, and the fact that it contains a cinematic sleight-of-hand more likely to be found in a glossy Hollywood thriller only adds further fuel to the fire. But in adapting Laura Kasischke's novel, director Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog) and scripter Emil Stern refuse to be cowed by the material, and the result is a haunting drama of enormous power. Raleigh native Evan Rachel Wood (in the best performance of her still-burgeoning career) stars as Diana, a rebellious teenager who, along with her saintly best friend Maureen (Eva Amurri, equally excellent), gets trapped in the girls' bathroom by a disgruntled teenager who's systematically blowing away students and teachers alike. Cut to 15 years later, and the adult Diana (Uma Thurman) is still trying to cope with the events of that tragic day. As the movie moves back and forward through time, audiences are asked to keep pace with the narrative threads that point toward how all of this will end. And while doing so, they're also subjected to an affecting tale of wayward youth, as well as a somber meditation on how the choices we make will shape our perceptions, our actions and, ultimately, ourselves. That's a lot to ask moviegoers to absorb, but discerning viewers will find the experience worthwhile. Sadly, the film presently holds a dismal 22% approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes critical community Web site. Just ignore the critics – in this case, we don't know what we're talking about. ***1/2
MADE OF HONOR When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "There are no second acts in American lives," he couldn't possibly have predicted the career of Patrick Dempsey. Those of us reviewing films back in the late '80s/early '90s remember Dempsey as a talentless 20-something who regularly turned up in bombs like Run and Loverboy. Dempsey largely went away for a decade before unexpectedly striking gold with Grey's Anatomy. It must be said that middle age agrees with the 42-year-old Dempsey: As witnessed in Enchanted and now Made of Honor, he has settled into being a competent (if rather passive) romantic lead on the big screen. Unfortunately, those of us hoping for entertainment value beyond mere eye candy will be sorely left hanging with Made of Honor, the sort of romantic comedy that Hollywood spits out of the formula factory on a regular schedule. This cribs from the vastly superior My Best Friend's Wedding in its portrayal of two longtime pals – one male (Dempsey's womanizing Tom), one female (Michelle Monaghan's brainy Hannah) – who have always been afraid that sex and love would ruin their perfect camaraderie. But once Hannah goes to Scotland for six weeks, Tom realizes that she's been the right one all along; unfortunately, when she returns stateside, it's with a fiancé (Kevin McKidd) in tow. The screenplay by Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont (the team behind Surviving Christmas and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas) and newbie Adam Sztykiel doesn't completely destroy a workable premise – the scribes are repeatedly bailed out by the likable cast – but comic desperation can be seen at alarmingly frequent intervals. **