Releases for May 25, 2012

The Lucky One

By John Mulderig, Catholic News Service

Ah, how time flies. Wasn’t it only yesterday that we were watching Zac Efron sing and dance his way through high school? And here he is in “The Lucky One”, all grown up and a Marine veteran of the Iraq War to boot (no Parris-Island pun intended).

This being a Nicholas Sparks property, we linger by the troubled rivers of Babylon only long enough to learn that Efron’s character – Sgt Logan Thibault by name – has earned the titular accolade by surviving at least two close calls. Logan attributes his good fortune to the photograph of an attractive young stranger he accidentally discovered in the midst of battle. So, on returning home, he seeks her out to thank her.

Taylor Schilling and Zac Efron in a scene from "The Lucky One" (Warner Bros)

By identifying the lighthouse that looms in the background of the image – what are the odds? – Logan finds himself in the Hallmark card-perfect rural setting of fictional Hamden, Los Angeles. There the object of his search turns out to be local kennel owner Beth Green (Taylor Schilling).

Logan is too tongue-tied, during their first encounter, to explain the nature of his quest – thus storing up plot complications for the future. But he makes a better impression on Beth’s wise grandmother, Ellie (Blythe Danner), who hires him to help out with the dogs. And Logan soon hits it off with Beth’s clever-beyond-his-years young son, Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart), as well.

Despite some initial resistance on Beth’s part – it takes her a full 30 minutes of screen time to wake up and smell the pheromones – and to the dismay of her scheming ex-husband Keith (Jay R Ferguson), the black-hat town deputy, our two destined lovebirds inevitably fall for each other.

Director Scott Hicks confects a serviceable date movie from Catholic author Sparks’ novel, as written for the screen by Will Fetters. Attention is diverted from the jumbo improbabilities at work by Alar Kivilo’s luxuriant cinematography of Cajun-country sunsets and such as well as by some wry observations from Granny and Ben.

But the generally amiable proceedings – which register, at times, like a prolonged iced tea commercial – are marred by a couple of overheated scenes glamorising the as-yet unwed leads’ serial bedroom encounters. Though relatively brief, they strictly preclude viewership by any but adults.

The film contains a benign view and semi-graphic portrayal of premarital sexual activity, a reference to out-of-wedlock pregnancy, at least one use of profanity and a handful of crude and crass terms. (Adults)

The Rum Diary

By Kurt Jensen, Catholic News Service

Smoke, drink, be hung over, repeat. That’s the lusty refrain of “The Rum Diary”, although you would expect nothing else from a film based on gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson’s roman a clef about his early years in the business, living in Puerto Rico.

To its credit, the movie – written and directed by Bruce Robinson and starring Johnny Depp as Thompson’s alter ego Paul Kemp – doesn’t try to glamorise the abundant substance abuse. It’s set in 1960, when such behaviour was considered part and parcel of news-papering, along with colourful swearing and perpetually rumpled clothes.

Giovanni Ribisi, Johnny Depp and Michael Rispoli in a scene from "The Rum Diary" (FilmDistrict)

Kemp, like Thompson, is shown to be an idealistic journalist anxious to use pen and ink as his weapons against injustice to the poor, dishonest politicians and corporate greed. His rage builds, but because he’s at a failing newspaper interested only in making tourists happy, he becomes a Jeremiah unable to let loose his jeremiad. That will only come later in his career, after he has left the island.

Kemp arrives at the San Juan Star hoping to change lives with his writing but is assigned instead by its unambitious editor to write the horoscope column and interview grotesque American tourists about what they like about Puerto Rico, which they see only from their hotels.

He gets an offer from a local developer named Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart) to moonlight writing brochures for a massive hotel project. Set on a government-owned island, the resort’s construction will destroy most of the native habitat.

Kemp finds himself besotted with Sanderson’s voluptuous live-in girlfriend Chenault (Amber Heard), who eventually falls in love with him, even though she’s commitment-phobic.

Sharing Paul’s adventures are Sala (Michael Rispoli), the drunken photographer he lives with – who finds cockfighting a lucrative sideline – and the perpetually high writer Moburg (Giovanni Ribisi).

Mature adults prepared for its portrayal of drunkenness and drug addiction should be able to handle this material, which in portions is unexpectedly sweet and nostalgic in the manner of coming-of-age stories.

The film contains implied premarital sexual encounters, brief partial female nudity, drug and abusive alcohol use, as well as pervasive rough and fleeting profane language. (Limited adult audience)