Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Against the backdrop of September 11th, this is really the story of a young boy with autism whose special talents allow him to cope with the loss of his father and go on an adventure of personal growth. Oskar (Thomas Horn) has a special relationship with his Dad (Tom Hanks). Oscar’s at times frantic behavior also allows him to assemble data and seek out reason where there may be none. When his father is killed when the building collapses, Oscar finds a key his dad left behind and is sure that finding the lock for the key will bring him closer to his father. Oscar goes on quite an odyssey all over New York City in search of the lock. What he finds is humanity, love and his family. Oskar’s search is the vast majority of the film with the name stars (Hanks, Sandra Bullock and Max Van Sydow) in supporting his role. The film aims to pull at our heartstrings, but misses the mark with a bit too much cloying sentiment. Rated PG-13 for disturbing images and some language.

Haywire. Perfect name for this awful film. Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbinder, Channing Tatum and Director Steven Soderbergh all cannot save this mess. It is meant to be a girl power film as kick boxer Gina Carano stars as Mallory Kane, the best secret agent ever. She keeps getting into tepid fight scenes, shoot outs and all sorts of scrapes that look more awkward than violent. The story just jumps around from Barcelona, Dublin, upstate New York, New Mexico and Mallorca as Mallory looks tough and nothing makes sense. Well, when Antonio Banderas’ character has to tell us what really happened and where all the double crosses are, the film finally completely implodes as a waste of time. Rated R for violence and language.

Contraband. Another crime caper flick that once again proves the adage “crooks are stupid”. With double crosses and misplaced loyalties the good crooks look like they are done in, but of course when all the tricks are revealed the good crooks (Mark Wahlberg and his cronies) make out like bandits. They are smuggling drugs and counterfeit currency into the Port of New Orleans. The really stupid crooks in Panama give them a surprise bit of cargo that is worth a lot more than they could ever imagine. Along the way there is terrible violence and terror directed at women and children. Crime does pay if you are Mark Wahlberg and your on screen wife is Kate Beckinsale. Rated R for extreme violence and crude language.

Joyful Noise. Think Glee on the Big Screen but with Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton (in a fitted choir robe). They are part of a church choir in small town Georgia. They can never win the choir competition but this year is different. They make the finals in Los Angeles and take their rag tag crew across the country. The film’s story lines are trite and disconnected. But the singing production numbers are quite good. The old pros sing up a storm along with Keke Palmer and Jeremy Jordan who add a lot of youthful enthusiasm and modern vocals to the staid choir format. Wait for the DVD and fast forward to the musical numbers. Rated PG-13 for language and some adult content.

Carnage. Put four unlikeable people in a small apartment as they vent about all of their likes, dislikes, petty peeves, quirks and spew pretentious BS and a biting satire erupts on the screen. Two married couples meet to discuss what to do with their two sons who had a dust up on the playground. Kate Winslet and Cristoph Waltz are pure Manhattan gentry. Jody Foster and John C. Reilly are caught in a spiral of passive aggressive one-up-man-ship. As these four obsess about everything we see how silly we humans can be. The writing is razor sharp as this fast paced tempest just flies by. The film’s claustrophobic feel just adds to the tension as any normal person would just flee from this fracas. Rated R for language and is a Peggy’s Pick.

In The Land of Blood and Honey. It is 1992 and insanity erupts in Bosnia. With the breakup of the old Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina break up into warring camps along religious and old grudge lines. The violence is horrible as massacres and ethnic cleansing become commonplace. This film follows the lives of Ajla who is a beautiful young Muslim woman who is an accomplished artist and Danijel who is a Serbian policeman. Before the war they are lovers who are then forced into opposite camps. The war brings them back together again in a frightful way. Danijel has a kernel of humanity that comes through as he protects Ajla from the worst of the atrocities. Their story is powerful and touching. But this film is extremely difficult to watch as the horror of war is in every frame. All sense of hope is dashed as the stupidity and futility of war is lost on those waging it. Angelina Jolie wrote and directed this film and it is quite an accomplishment. The film is in Bosnian with English subtitles. Rated R for pervasive violence, terror and language.

The Myth of the American Sleepover. It is the last night of summer and school starts tomorrow in small town America. The kids hanging around the pool fantasize. It is the final night of freedom before studies and summer ends.  Four groups of teenagers are followed as their stories intersect and collide as we share their angst at growing up and facing an adult world. Teenage romance, longing for a first kiss, old crushes remembered, party crashing, sleepovers, puking, being part of the right crowd and even frustrated homosexuality are all explored in this archetype suburban community. Our time as teenagers becomes a bit nostalgic and then we recall the pain and are glad we only had to do it once. This interesting indie film is making the rounds. It has many flaws but does capture the ennui of our teen years. Not rated but would be R for language, drinking and adult content.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It is 1973 and the Cold War spy business is in high gear. Britain’s MI6 (called “Circus” on the inside), is on top of its game to keep the West secure from Communism. An agent is shot in Hungary and a top secret mission is sabotaged. There is a mole! The head of MI6 is canned and recently retired super agent, George Smiley, is recalled to ferret out the mole. Smiley uses his considerable skill and instinct to reflect on past missions to carefully patch together the web of deceptions past and current to eliminate suspects and focus on the culprit at the highest level. The film’s stars smoke incessantly and drink too much and capture the feel of 1973. The film is really about the toll the job and their dedication take on them. Gary Oldman as Smiley is superb in his restrained rage as he works to reveal the turn coat. Colin Firth, John Hurt and Toby Jones support the tension and misdirection of thisgreat spy adventure. The big reveal is surprising but all too logical when seen through the eyes of George Smiley. Rated R for language and adult content.

Bring It On. High School cheerleading as a vehicle for a Big Broadway Musical is a stretch, but somehow this so-so production slowly wins you over with its youthful enthusiasm. The plot is thin, good cheerleader (Campbell) is mysteriously assigned to a new school and turns the new school rapper kids into non-traditional cheerleaders and off to the Big Competition they go. Back at the old school, the conniving Eva has subverted all of Campbell’s style and friends to her own evil ends to win the Big Competition. The kids sing, dance and execute complex cheers on stage and have loads of fun doing it. Only one performer, Adrienne Warren, as the Queen Bee at the new school has the chops to carry a show to Broadway where this show hopes to be. At the Orpheum in San Francisco through January 7, 2012. The company is touring the country. Suitable for 10 and up.

Fiesta Bowl 2012 – Disappointment In The Desert.   The Stanford Cardinal Football team arrived in Phoenix to warm weather and balmy nights. After back to back world class seasons and the best quarterback of all time, Stanford’s prospects of win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys were great. The night before the game there was a Pep Rally in Scottsdale. The day of the game, the Alumni Association put on a tailgate party to end all. A huge crowd was in attendance to enjoy a sunny afternoon, to celebrate the team, to celebrate old and new friendships and to the relish the sounds of the iconoclastic Stanford Band. 17,500 Stanford fans then entered the domed stadium to watch one of the greatest games of all time. Stanford went out to a fourteen point lead with Andrew Luck living up to this reputation. The Cowboys were not a trifle and with speed they tied the game. The game went back and forth with Stanford always in the lead or tied. Both teams played well. Stanford drove down to the 20 yard line in the 4th Quarter. The game was tied and with 3 seconds left, the field goal kicker trotted out to kick and easy score and a win. The spirit of Rod Garcia was invoked to insure a good kick. But alas, the kick went wide left and the game ended tied. The game went into overtime, and again a kick was missed and the Cowboys won the game on a field goal. Never has such disappointment and shock been wearing so much Cardinal Red. Just think, if we were still the Indians what the headlines would have read.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This Hollywood version does not disappoint. It is disturbing and captivating as the mysteries surrounding the Vanger family are revealed one awful step at a time. Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a reporter for a Swedish magazine. He is convicted of libel and hopes to restore his reputation by investigating a mystery for Henrik Vanger. Vanger heads a wealthy Swedish family which has a sordid past with Nazi’s and industrial skullduggery. Vanger wants Blomkvist to solve the 1966 murder (or was it?) of his niece, Harriet. Vanger has Blomkvist checked out by a security company. The mysterious Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) does the check. She is covered with tattoos and relishes her piercings. She is smart, tough and an incredible computer hacker. She is horribly abused by her legal guardian but she takes delicious revenge. Lisbeth joins Mikael on the Vander investigation and they uncover a serial killer who is savage beyond all description. Together they make an incredible team as they expose the deep and ugly secrets of the Vander Family. This film sets up the remaining two novels – let us hope they make those two installments soon as this is just a taste of what is to come. The film intrigues from the opening scenes and does not let up. Rated R for language, strong sexual content (rape), torture and drug use.

The Adventures of Tin Tin. Director Steven Spielberg creates a world of animation that only he could imagine. A young boy’s adventures run wild in a world of comic book excitement. Tin Tin is a young reporter whose curiosity is insatiable and which takes him from one scrape to the next in search of a scoop. He has an adorable dog Snowy who is always there in the nick of time to help when all seems lost. This adventure revolves three model ships that each has a secret map hidden in one its masts. The maps lead to ancient treasure from days of yore when pirates ruled the seas. The evil Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine is trying to get all three maps so he can discover the treasure. Tin Tin with the help of Snowy, the inebriated Captain Haddock and the two pompous and inept detectives saves the day. They will travel the world by ship, life raft, plane and foot to save the treasure and lift an ancient curse. The graphics are amazing as the chase scenes just keep building and building until we are exhausted and then the day is won. Rated PG for action violence.

War Horse. A sweeping saga about a young man and his horse that is designed to inspire. It is the eve of World War I when Albert’s father buys a thoroughbred horse for their family farm in Devon. The horse is meant to race, not pull a plow. But young Albert trains the horse with love and steadfastness that the horse, named Joey, rewards with single minded loyalty. Joey becomes a local celebrity but the war starts and Joey is sold into military service as an officer’s stead. Thus begins an odyssey as Joey’s officer is killed in a foolish cavalry charge into machine gun fire. The horrors and wastefulness of war is seen through the eyes of this horse which is pressed into German service, liberated by some good hearted German kids, loved by a Dutch girl and then slogs through the worst of trench war fare. Albert gets into the fray and sees combat as the Brits charge out of the trenches into no-man’s-land for no purpose other than death.   The photography is amazing as director Steve Spielberg uses his considerable skill to create scenes and characters that are true to their times and yet connect to us. The film has a bit of schmaltz as all of the chaos and destruction ends with the reunion of boy and horse and a beautiful sunset back home in Devon. Rated PG-13 for action violence. It is a Peggy’s Pick.

A Dangerous Method. The film opens with terrifying scenes of a young Sabina (Keira Knightley) being dragged into an asylum in Zurich. She is convulsing and appears demonic. Her family has sent her to be treated by Doctor Carl Jung (Michael Fassbinder) who has had some success in curing mental illness. We then are treated to the early days of psychoanalysis as Jung and Freud (Viggo Mortensen) are in contact with one another and then meet to discuss their views. Their relationship goes from cordial to explosive as their respective ideas about the nature of the human psyche are in conflict. This gets even worse as Jung develops a sexual relationship with Sabina who is now both his patient and student. Their trysts are sick and depraved. The film lets us judge their conduct. The movie dramatizes real events; its dialogue is smart and sets a tone of dark tension and brooding. Students of psychology will find the film fascinating as did I. Rated R for language, nudity and sexual content.

Young Adult. It is at times hard to imagine, but watching a slow moving train wreck has its moments. Mavis (Charlize Theron) is gifted with striking good looks but is consumed with narcissistic self importance that shields her from any human connection. From the opening scenes we sense trouble as Mavis is a successful writer of Young Adult fiction but struggles to finish a chapter due to her alcoholism and daily crushing hangovers. Out of the blue she is invited back to her hometown, Mercury, Minnesota and heads home to turn heads. She decides that her old high school flame really wants her instead of his wife and baby. Mavis then cranks up all of her considerable allure in a vain effort to seduce him. She is counseled in her efforts by Matt (Patton Oswalt), a fellow class mate who is her antithesis. He is short, fat, ugly, makes his own world class bourbon and has a heart. The best parts of the film are Mavis and Matt chatting and their almost romance. Needless to say none of this goes well for Mavis and she is too blind to see what a mess she is and will continue to be – there is no redemption for her. Rated R for language and sexual content.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. This fourth installment of the film franchise is by far and away the best of them all. It is two hours of non-stop action that just pulses with adrenalin.   Treachery in Budapest, a beautiful blonde spy, escapes from a Moscow prison, clever thefts from secret Kremlin files, scaling the outside of a high rise hotel in Dubai like a spider, cat fights, seducing an Indian playboy to get his satellite codes, driving in Mumbai, saving the world from nuclear holocaust, revenge, and a number of clever plot twists are but some of the action threads that propel the film. Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Paula Patton are perfect as the MI squad that can and did save the world. The film sets up the fifth installment, and it should be great if they can again harness this kind of energy. Rated PG-13 for intense action violence.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey. A truly American success story. This documentary follows the life of Kevin Clash, who is a young boy of 9 became fascinated with puppets and the art of puppeteering when he saw the premiere of Sesame Street.   With the support of his parents he escaped the projects of Baltimore as he pursued his dream by doing birthday parties and small shows in his home town. He caught the eye of a local TV kids show and he was off. From local TV he made it to the Captain Kangaroo show and then to the holy grail, to the Muppets themselves. Jim Henson and his crew saw that Kevin was special. Given the opportunities with Henson Kevin seized upon Elmo and re-invented him as a Muppet character. The rest is history. Elmo has become the most loved Muppet character and Kevin a world renowned puppeteer. This is a wonderful feel good film for the holidays. It is a Peggy’s Pick.

Shame. This is about the saddest film I have ever seen. There is not one moment of joy in any of these troubled lives. Michael Fassbinder is Brandon; a New Yorker who is incapable of intimacy of any kind, in fact real intimacy renders him impotent. He spends all of his time compulsively seeking sex in all the wrong places. He is addicted to the thought of sex but is too shallow to take it to the next step. He has carefully constructed a life that allows him to wallow in pornography and call girls. Then his wacked out younger sister, Carey Mulligan, crashes into his pad. They share some pain from their past, but it is never fully explained. Neither one of them can connect on a human level. Brandon loses it and goes on an odyssey seeking fulfillment but he is left even hollower. There is a glimmer of hope for them as Brandon in the closing scene may have repressed an urge, but who knows. The film is rated NC-17 for strong sexual content, but is not sexy it all. It is painful to watch.

The Sitter. A vulgar bit of trash that tries to save itself at the end with lessons learned. From the opening scenes we know where the film is going, down. Jonah Hill is Noah, a reluctant babysitter for three bratty kids. He takes them to Manhattan to score some cocaine for his girlfriend who is playing him like a fiddle. Along the way they visit the drug dealer who runs a gay gym for homicidal hunks. They visit a “gangsta” club, blow up a restaurant, burgle a jewelry store, crash parties and cars, steal two cars and get ripped off by the cops – all this in just a few hours. We learn way too much about the kids. We discover that their father is a philanderer which bit of data provides the lesson. So much for a film with the holiday spirit. Rated R for language, sexual content and violence.

World Premiere. Penelope Marie Quillinan was born December 10, 2011. She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 19 ½ inches in length. Mother, Tanya, and baby are doing fine. Father, Seamus, is down off the ceiling and looking forward to introducing Penelope to her big sister, Michela.

Seducing Charlie Barker. This is a soap opera on steroids. Blatantly present here is all of the language, nudity, bad behavior and sex that are alluded to in a soap. Charlie Barker (Stephen Barker Turner) is an actor in search of the perfect role on or off Broadway. His doting wife (Daphne Zuniga) supports him in the custom he enjoys. She works all day so he can endlessly audition. Charlie runs into the overly sexy Clea (Heather Gordon) who sets out to seduce him and does he enjoy it. Their torrid affair ruins everyone except Clea who knows how to manage her glitz and glamour to get what she wants. The film is about the incredible shallowness of contemporary life. An interesting indie film that is worth a see. Rated R for language and sexual content.

Like Crazy. Anna (Felicity Jones) is adorable and too much in love with Jacob (Anton Yelchin). They are college students in LA. She finds him interesting and leaves a note on his windshield to set up their first date. Young loves takes hold and they become soul mates and intense lovers. Anna is British and overstays her visa so that she can stay in the arms of Jacob. Well this backfires and she ends up stuck back in London while Jacob stays in LA. Their long distance romance has all sorts of ups and downs as they work to stay together but constantly pull apart. The film is a study in the arc of a romance as passion wanes and intensifies. The film has its weaknesses but there is considerable joy in watching these young actors truly fall in love and then deal with life. The film is intelligent and at times quite sweet as we experience their lives intimately. Rated PG-13 for adult content and brief language.

Arthur Christmas. The real story of Santa Claus and the wonder of Christmas are beautifully told in this film that is destined to become a family classic. The secret of how Santa is able to deliver all of the toys around the world is revealed. But, there is a problem – one girl, Gwen, in Cornwall, England was missed. She will wake up Christmas morning and be sorely disappointed. Santa is actually a family business with Santa himself ably assisted by his sons Steve and Arthur. Even retired Grandsanta gets into the act. Making sure Gwen gets her present causes quite a bit of turmoil in the family as tradition butts up against efficiency. The film is just pure magic as it deals with the dilemma, yet keeps the spirit of Christmas alive and well. The animation is eye popping and allows the warmth and humor to shine. Pack up the kids and see this family fun. Rated PG and is a Peggy’s Pick.

Hugo – 3D. Martin Scorsese has created a magical world in truly amazing 3D to transport back us back to Paris between the wars. A young boy, Hugo, is orphaned and left to his own devices in the fabulous Gare du Nord, a train station filled with clocks that he lovingly maintains. He knows all of the Station’s nooks and crannies and scampers around avoiding the Securite and helping himself to what he needs to live and to care for the clocks. A toy merchant, Papa Georges, takes a peculiar interest in Hugo and Hugo’s ability to fix anything. The film then takes us an adventure to the earliest days of film making. Papa Georges has a past that Hugo discovers and the true magic of film is revealed. Scorsese has crafted a masterpiece without any violence that pays tribute to the pioneers of film and captures the adventure of youth all with stunning images and deep meaning. The film is too symbolic for young children but will be greatly enjoyed by all else. A must see in 3D. Rated PG and is a Peggy’s Pick.

My Week With Marilyn. Marilyn Monroe is alive and well in the hands of Michelle Williams. The film captures a time and place and lets us experience Marilyn in her prime.  It is 1956 and she is in England making The Prince and The Showgirl with Laurence Olivier. The third assistant director, Colin Clark, is young and earnest and he is assigned to Marilyn to fetch what she wants. He is 23 and she is 30 and an obvious chemistry exists. But she is also the train wreck known as Marilyn Monroe and their relationship is doomed. We get to see the little girl in Marilyn, her incredible talent in front of a camera, her pill popping, the manipulation of her and her manipulation of others. The persona of Marilyn Monroe becomes more than anyone can handle. The film has its weaknesses but Michelle Williams’ performance is masterful in creating the allure and mystery of the screen legend. Rated R for language and some sexual content.

My Afternoons with Margueritte. Only the French could make such a film that pays tribute to true love. Gerard Depardieu is Germain. He lives in a small rural town with his abusive mother. He is the town dolt having been picked on since he was a child. In his fifties, he is barely literate but has a great heart. One afternoon in the town square where he spends time with 19 pigeons he has named, he meets Margueritte, a cultured and elegant 95-year-old lady who loves to read. She introduces him to the world of books and Germain in middle age begins to bloom. The film’s richness is in its characters as not only are Garmain and Margueritte people you would like to meet, Germain has a lovely girlfriend who sees his true soul. Even the despicable mother is an interesting character as well Germain’s buddies who tease him incessantly. A true Gallic slice of life to be savored. Not rated but would be R for language and sexual content. In French with English subtitles. It is a Peggy’s Pick.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I. My attempt to understand the draw of these movies continues in vain. Once again the pretty girl (Bella) is in love with a pasty vampire (Edward) while a hunky werewolf tries to save Bella for himself. This time Bella and Edward wed and on their honeymoon sort of have sex that may have resulted in the devil’s spawn. The acting is strained, the writing is preposterous and the pace of the film is so languid you know they are stretching one movie into two so they can make more money. The film is just clunky with vapid romance and idiotic “rules” – did you know werewolves have immutable rules? Oh well, the teenage girls (mostly in pajamas) seemed to find it fascinating. Rated PG-13 for heavy sensuality, violence and adult themes.

The Descendants. George Clooney is a man in crisis. Not only is he in crisis, his whole family is in turmoil. The film treats the reality of his situation with care and understanding so that this becomes a truly great film. Clooney is Matt King, a hard working lawyer who is descendant from Hawaiian Royalty and old Missionary stock. His wife is in a coma due to a boating accident. All of sudden he has to parent his two daughters, handle his family’s trust, accept what he has to do under his wife’s advance health care directive, deal with a rebellious and foul mouthed teenager and her dim wit boyfriend and challenge an old school father-in-law – all while he discovers his wife’s paramour. The film arcs through all the human emotions from fear, rage to acceptance. Clooney gives an Oscar worthy performance as does Shailene Woodley as his seventeen year old daughter. The film is an extraordinary look at family dynamics. It is a must see and a Peggy’s Pick. Rated R for language and adult themes.

Fela. Nigerian music legend and activist – Fela – is celebrated in this intense and brilliant musical. Fela fuses African rhythms with soul and Latin beats to create Afro Funk. A driving, sexy sound that will have you on your feet and dancing. The dancers are amazing as their native look is beguiling as they shake their booties and light up the stage with color and enthusiasm. All of the music and dance takes place against the back drop of brutality and waste in Nigeria as one corrupt regime follows another. The play pulls no punches, Fela was a flawed hero but one that fascinates. Sahr Ngaujah is Fela and performs at a level not seen before. His energy and charisma are amazing. The power of live theatre is exhilarating when done well.   At the Curran Theatre in San Francisco through December 11, 2011. Not rated, but in movie terms would be R.