AFRICAN CATS-- 2 STARS
Documentary about two prides of lions inAfrica(1:29). G: Predator attacks. At area theaters.
The third entry in the DisneyNature series ofEarth Day-themed features is noble and lovely, but is weaker than"Earth"and"Oceans."Those films cast a meditative, mesmerizing spell on audiences as they explored our planet."African Cats,"while often adorable and at times gripping, is more of a TV-ready experience. That’s partially due to its imposed narrative: Two lion prides exist on either side of a river on the savanna, dealing with predatory cheetahs and the obligatory lunchtime antelope. It's the circle of life, thoughSamuel L. Jacksongives a hip variation on the wry voice-overs ofDisney's 1950s wildlife shorts, and audiences of any age will always coo at big-pawed baby lions. Humans over 5 won't be shocked at the kills, though someone should make a movie about all those antelope leaping off-screen into waiting jaws. Call it"Losers of the Savanna."
DUMBSTRUCK -- 2 STARS
Documentary about ventriloquists (1:28). Not rated. At Cinema Village.
Leave aside the cliches that spring to mind when you're talking about ventriloquy, and you're left with an earnest but undeniably eye-rolling documentary about the denizens of this odd pocket of show business. That's if it can even be called a business— of the five subjects here, the most successful is a hit on the cruise-boat circuit, and his act seems frozen from around 1975. Then there’s the small-town sweetie crushing her family's hopes that she'll someday stop telling jokes through a puppet's mouth; the middle-aged aficionado on the verge of losing her home, and the eager preteen whose dad doesn’t understand his art. There’s also a glimpse of a ventriloquist convention called VentHaven and the followers of a craft that can trumpetEdgar BergenandCharlie McCarthy(as well asWayland Flowersand Madam). There isn't enough insight, but we find out a bit of what makes both the people and dummies tick.
INCENDIES -- 4 STARS
A woman's will reveals family secrets to her children (2:10). Not rated: Violence. At Lincoln Plaza and Sunshine Cinema.
In French and Arabic with English subtitles. We are forever surprised at our parents' lives.Director Denis Villeneuve���s"Incendies"uses that as the launching point for a deep-hearted meditation on personal and political terror. As adults,Montrealtwins Jeanne and Simon (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin andMaxim Gaudette) harbor a banked anger toward their late mother, Nawal. But as her will is read, they discover a bit of why she was who she was: They have a brother they didn’t know about, and the father they believed dead is still alive. Yet those pale before the discovery of Nawal's (Lubna Azabal) political actions before the twins were born. As Jeanne goes to theMiddle East, where her mother grew up, we see in flashback Nawal's evolution from Christian outcast to Muslim convert to aching soul imprisoned for an assassination. Filled with striking images and the ghosts of lives lived in hardship and war,"Incendies"is tough but impactful.
THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD-- 2 STARS
Documentary about directorMorgan Spurlock's attempts to finance a film through corporate sponsorship (1:32). PG-13. At area theaters.
Only the extremely naive will be shocked, shocked by director Morgan Spurlock's dissection of product placement in movies. (Corporations have specific ideas on how they’re portrayed? They want the most saturation for their money? No!). What fun there is here comes from Spurlock using himself as a guinea pig, as he did in"Supersize Me,"and turning his entire personality into a commodity. But that, of course, comes at a price: When he seems to be heading toward potentially important territory — for example, how areas in and around a school can be bought and paid for by companies — he gets distracted, ignoring the issue of, say, vending machines pushingSnapplein lunchrooms. But this is about him and his movie, after all, and why we see superheroes driving Audis and ingenues chuggingDr Pepper. So, Madison Avenue and Hollywood are money-hungry? Got it. Next scandal, please.
WHENHARRY TRIESTO MARRY -- 2 STARS
An Indian-American bachelor inNYCseeks an arranged marriage (1:33). PG-13. At the Empire 25.
Director Nayan Padrai's cross-cultural romantic comedy is savvy about its influences— a"When Harry Met Sally"riff is right in the title, and it's aware of all the Indian-flavored cliches— yet this sweet if limited film has an agreeable attitude. New Yorker Harry (Rahul Rai), jaded by his parents' split, decides to go old-school with an arranged marriage; he's sure love will eventually blossom with the lovely stranger who is to be his bride. Then he encounters Theresa (Stefanie Estes) during a meet-cute at a bowling alley. Will they finish each other's sentences through life, or will Harry hold fast to his cynical ways? Nothing new under the sun, but Padrai spices things up just enough.
