Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Crazy Heart

I was a bit shocked when I read David Denby's reviews for AVATAR and SHERLOCK HOLMES in the New Yorker. Off the top of my head, I think he started his review like this: "AVATAR is one of the most beautiful movies I've seen in a long time."

The sheer banality caught me off guard.

And then I wondered--has money been slipped under the table?

FWIW--I think Denby really did like AVATAR--and he was caught in the afterglow of a stunning 3D visual feast.

As for his praise of Sherlock Holmes--he pointed out that it was more of a start of a franchise than a movie--and raved about the chemistry between Downing and Law.

Again, I wondered, has money had been slipped under the table?

As for AVATAR--I consider it to be a 3D version of DANCES WITH WOLVES without the heart.

As for SHERLOCK HOLMES--I was even more disappointed--because a fantastic opportunity to explore Holmes's addiction to cocaine--which was tasteful done in my favorite Holmes movie--THE SEVEN PER CENT SOLUTION--was ignored.

So--Downing didn't have a chance to break our hearts as he did in LESS THAN ZERO.

And that's a shame--because the audience for SHERLOCK HOLMES, as well as the audience for AVATAR--must be the coveted 14 to 25 year-olds who ensure 100-million dollar returns for PG-13 tripe.

So, it should come as no surprise that my favorite recent movie was one made for adults: CRAZY HEART.

Although it had shades of TENDER MERCIES--it was anything but a rehash--and Jeff Bridges showed all the signs of being an "actor's actor" with a sublime, heartbreaking performance.

Best wishes to Bridges for an Oscar--I think he'll be hard to beat.