Grown-ups deserve better movies

It seems funny when you think about it, but there’s been much hand-wringing in Hollywood about the death of the adult-oriented movie. Sure, there are films that earn Oscar nominations and critical accolades, but many of those fail to connect with the general public.

Quite frankly, adult movies don’t make money (none of the movies we’re going to look at this week made more than $40 million), and that’s what’s got everyone worried. If a film isn’t positioned as an “Oscar contender,” then people seem to ignore it.

But why? Maybe the 35-54 demographic isn’t as interested as going to the movies anymore. Or here’s a novel thought: Maybe the movies aren’t that good.

A THOUGHTFUL THRILLER

People aren’t much interested in newspapers anymore – in real life or at the movies. Perhaps that explains the failure of STATE OF PLAY (R, ***), which despite a stellar cast and compelling plot, died a quick death at the box office.

Normally, newspaper movies drive me mad because of the dramatic liberties taken with the profession, but I have to admit that this movie serves as a love letter (or tender eulogy) to the industry.

Russell Crowe (in full slob mode) stars as Cal, a hard- charging D.C. reporter working on a murder case that isn’t quite adding up. At the same time, his former college roommate, Sen. Cooper (Ben Affleck), is hit with the news that his fetching assistant might have committed suicide, creating a flurry of speculation about his personal life.

Against his wishes, Cal has to team up with feisty blogger Della (Rachel McAdams) to work both sides of the story, which eventually balloons into a conspiracy theory involving government contracts, homeland security and infidelity.

Now, I’m all for reporters being heroes, but there are some scenes that strain credibility, given Cal’s less-than-stellar appearance. Plus, the fact that you never see anyone writing anything really made me bonkers.

Crowe is a fine actor, but his public persona often bleeds into his roles. Here, that works in his favor, as his irascible personality fits the gruff, single-minded reporter that would burn his best friend for a good story.

But it’s Affleck that steals the show, running the gamut between wide-eyed optimist and slimy politician over the two-hour running time. You sometimes forget that the guy is a good actor and not just a tabloid name, but here he shows his chops.

Yes, there are some holes in the plot, and I wasn’t satisfied with the ending, but considering you don’t get thoughtful thrillers (with a dash of humor as well) anymore, this is a welcome option.

DON’T BE DUPED

I’m all for the concept of deception in movies, but DUPLICITY (PG-13, **) takes things way, way too far.

There’s double-crossing, triple-crossing and then there’s what happens here, which, when you think about it, makes watching the entire film a moot point.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. What we should have here is a breezy caper flick that allows two stars (Julia Roberts, Clive Owen) who appeal to the 40-and-older set do their thing for two hours. At times, it works, but the movie is crippled by its own sense of cleverness.

We first meet our couple in Dubai, where Ray (Owen) successfully seduces Claire (Roberts) only to wake up drugged 18 hours later. As it turns out, both are spies, and Claire got the best of Ray, much to his chagrin.

Flash forward five years and Ray just happens to run into his former nemesis on the streets of NYC while on a job – or does he?

The rest of the film is spent going back and forth in time, detailing Ray and Claire’s relationship and the huge con game in which they are participants – one that involves two rival corporations led by sharks Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson.

Writer-director Tony Gilroy has a good ear for dialogue, but his reliance on the flashback will leave some viewers confused, and the eventual outcome seems so far-fetched that he does a lot to erase the goodwill he had built up over the course of the film.

Roberts does her usual thing – showing a lot of teeth with her beatific smile – but I just didn’t buy her as a hard-nosed CIA agent. Owen plays the suave Brit again, but I think it’s time for the studios to realize that, no matter how many times they try to make this guy a star, we just aren’t having it.

‘SOLOIST’ SATISFIES

A shameless bit of Oscar-baiting, feel-good hooey, THE SOLOIST (PG-13, ***1/2) is the kind of movie The Video Guy would normally avoid at all costs. So I’m almost embarrassed to admit that the film pushed all the right buttons for me, creating an emotionally satisfying tale of music, mania and friendship, despite the obvious push for that little gold guy.

In fact, this movie was primed to come out last Oscar season, when Paramount suddenly decided to move it to April – effectively killing its award chances and profitability.

L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), in search of his latest article, stumbles upon a homeless man playing the violin who mentions he is Julliard trained. After a bit of research, Lopez discovers that indeed Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) was a Julliard student who dropped out of the prestigious school and off the map.

Nathaniel has issues, and while he never receives a clinical diagnosis, the film makes it clear that he has some sort of schizophrenia. But his talent for music is never in doubt, and when he receives a cello from one of Lopez’s readers, he begins to display what he had lost during his darkest hours.

Director Joe Wright (“Atonement”) does some interesting things to reflect Nathaniel’s internal struggles and joys, and those unsettling and triumphant scenes in the film provide a strong change of pace from the typical “uplifting drama” moments.

Foxx surely thought he had a juicy role when he signed on, and he does revelatory work as Nathaniel. Still, I was reminded of Downey’s character’s un-PC comments from “Tropic Thunder” about going “full retard” when it comes to Oscar glory.

Downey has a more static role, saddled with the standard ex-wife (Catherine Keener), estranged son and white guilt, but he’s a pro and gets the job done.

A lot of critics saw right through this movie, calling it shallow, but I enjoyed it. Don’t hold it against me if you don’t.