Nanny McPhee Returns

Everyone's favorite Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) shows up at the doorstep of the chaotic household of Isabel Green (Academy Award nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her three children, Norman (Asa Butterfield), Megsie (Lil Woods), and Vincent (Oscar Steer). While her husband is away at war, Isabel is left to juggle the family farm, a job at the village shop, the shady brother in law Phil (Rhys Ifans), and a sudden visit by the aristocratic London cousins Cyril (Eros Vlahos) and Celia (Rosie Taylor-Ritson) Gray.

Following her motto of “When you need me, but do not want me...then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me.. then I have to go”, stern looking Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach the youngsters five new lessons.

Academy Award winning screenwriter Emma Thompson set the feature in the 1940's English countryside rather than a fairy tale atmosphere. While the first installment of Nanny McPhee dealt with war between a parent and his children, the new feature deals with war between children.

Brilliant and endearing performances are delivered by the children as well as by cameo appearances of European talent Bill Bailey (farmer Macreadie), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Gray), and Ewan McGregor (Mr. Green). In addition, Two time Oscar nominated costume designer Jacqueline Durran and Oscar nominated composer James Howard enhance the feature's visual and acoustic aesthetics.

Great Hair and Makeup artistry by Peter King, display the various complicated stages in facial transformation Nanny McPhee undergoes over the course of the story. Initially, Nanny McPhee has a hideous look with two hairy warts, a single eyebrow, a protruding 'tombstone tooth' and a nose like two potatoes, but her appearance changes as the children's behavior improves.

Visual effects include CG animation of flying, tree climbing, synchronized pig swimmers and Mr. Edelweiss, a burping bird companion, give a fantasy feeling to the beautifully detailed feature that is both enchanting and heartwarming.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

In this action comedy, director Edgar Wright brings to the big screen Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels to life with funny and visually interesting action sequences.

The feature makes use of a strong cast as well as manga and video-game iconography to depict the characters' emotions, romance and fantasy, while fusing Japanese comic indie rock, classic rock and video games.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), is a 22 year-old bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-Omb. His band circle consists of the disaffected drummer Kim Pine (Alison Pill), lead singer and songwriter Stephen Stills (Mark Weber), super fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons), and Stephen Stills' obnoxious sometime-girlfriend Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza).

After being dumped by rocker, Envy Adams (Brie Larson), Scott started dating the lively 17-year old Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) who thinks the world of him. Many comic scenes involve his gay roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin) and younger sister Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick) who are constantly in contact with each other and urge Scott to do the right thing.

When Scott encounters the girl of his dreams, the mysterious Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), he must defeat her seven exes to win her. They are: Ramona's junior high-school sweetheart Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), the pro-skateboarder and action star Lucas Lee (Chris Evans), the Clash at Demonhead power vegan bassist Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh), Ramona's scorned ex-girlfriend, Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman), the identical twins, Kyle and Ken Katayanagi (Keita and Shota Saito), and the leader of the Evil Exes who yields the most power over Ramona, Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman).

Original songs for the Sex Bob-Omb band were created by the four time platinum rock musician Beck Hansen.

Bill Pope's (Spider-Man 2; The Matrix series) cinematography hugely amplifies the fights by moving the camera in a fast-pace video game fashion, capturing the martial arts moves, that keep the viewers tuned in.

The inventive and imaginative filmmaking style maintains the feature crisp with an energetic feel.

Step Up 3D

Moving from Baltimore to the urban streets of New York City, this energetic and uplifting, Step Up 3 brings to life street-dancing in eye-popping 3D. It is all about tickers, tappers, voguers, and poppers who share their passion for dance. They compete against the world's best hip-hop dancers with acrobatic moves that appear so easy, but are not.

Returning are Adam G. Sevani (Moose) and Alyson Stoner (Camille) with joining newcomers Rick Malambri (Luke) and Sharni Vinson (Natalie). Featured dancers are: Stephen “tWitch” Boss (Jason), Keith Stallworth (Jacob), Kendra Andrews (Anala), Martin and Facundo Lombard (the Santiago Twins), and Oren “Flearock” Michaeli (Carlos).

The beautiful choreography by Jamal Sims, Nadine “Hi Hat” Ruffin, Dave Scott, Richmond and Anthony Talauega makes up for the thin script.

Along with Devorah Herbert's production design, director of photography, Ken Seng uses crane shots and dynamic camera work, to capture the feeling of the dance experience and submerging the viewers with imagery of dancers leaping into your laps and spinning towards your face.

Geared towards teenagers, the feature's vibrant electricity and pulsating dance rhythm is fun to watch.

Despicable Me

Directed by Academy Award nominated filmmaker Chris Renaud (for the short, No Time for Nuts), and the acclaimed Sorbonne-trained animator Pierre Coffin, Despicable Me is a 3D CGI animated action comedy that, unlike others, has a villain as its protagonist.

Delighted in all things wicked, Gru (Steve Carell) aspires to be the best at being bad. Facing competition by nemesis Vector (Jason Segel), Gru wants to reclaim his title as the World's Best Villain by planning the biggest heist in history: to steal the moon.

For all his diabolical exploits, Gru has an army of hardworking crew, the minions. Eye popping and mischievous, they speak a unique language and are very loyal.

The wonderful voice cast include Steve Carell who does a great job with the accent in the transforming characterization of Gru, Jason Segel is the arrogant Vector, Julie Andrews is Gru's demanding mother, Will Arnett is Mr. Perkins, the loan manager who runs the Bank of Evil (formerly, Lehman Brothers), and the three adorable orphan girls that Gru adopts to further his scheme are Miranda Cosgrove as Margo, Dana Gaier as Edith, and Elsie Fisher as Agnes.

As Illumination's first film, Despicable Me is also the first project that the Meledandri team has produced in 3D. Original songs by Grammy Award winner Pharrell Williams highlight Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio's imaginative screenplay.

The feature's wits and dispersed humor entertains and brings out the child in all of us.

Toy Story 3

Disney-Pixar 3D animation continues its tradition in bringing marvels to the big screen, with this heartfelt and funny adventure.

The story involves change and transition with Andy, (voiced by John Morris) now 17 years old and heading for college. While clearing his room, Andy's beloved toys inadvertently end up at Sunnyside Day Care, a fun and chaotic place but with a dark side.

With the same creative team that made the first two films, including screenwriters Michael Arnds (Little Miss Sunshine), John Lasseter (Cars) and the terrific director Lee Unkrich (Monster's Inc, Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo), Toy Story 3 captivates through its great visuals as well as its well paced scenes. There is a balance between the funny and the more serious themes of friendship, loyalty, and separation. However, the most important elements remain the good plot and script.

The stellar vocal cast includes Tom Hanks as Andy's loyal and most favorite toy cowboy Sheriff Woody, Tim Allen as the heroic space-ranger Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack as the exuberant cowgirl doll Jesse, Don Rickles as the wise-cracking eternal pessimist Mr. Potato Head, Wallace Shawn as dinosaur Rex, Jon Ratzenberger as the know-it-all pink piggybank Ham and Estelle Harris as the temperamental loving spud Mrs. Potato Head.

Enhanced by vivid colors, the feature is stimulating with first rate 3D CG animation, but it is on the emotional level that people of all ages can relate to the characters' adventures and humor.

Art - John Baldessari: Pure Beauty

John Baldessari's most extensive retrospective and the only West Coast exhibit is on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Featured are over 150 works covering five decades, including his early conceptual text and image paintings of the 1960’s, his 1970 Cremation Project marking Baldessari's public renunciation of painting, as well as his photographic and video recording art forms.
 
Considered one of the most influential artists of his generation, Baldessari restructured conventional notions of narrative while exploring the relationship between imagery and language, as well as the social and cultural aspects of mass media.

Baldessari’s artwork challenges, at times with irony and humor, the process of perception, meaning and interpretation of our surroundings.



The exhibit runs through Sept 12, 2010, at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. For more information call (323) 857-6000or visitwww.lacma.org