SammyK

First off, I have to qualify this comment by saying that this film is probably critic-proof in the sense that parents will rent it for their young kids (of the 6 and under crowd), and that these kids will no doubt enjoy it for one reason or another.

But as an adult watching this film, I couldn't help but find it uneven, patchy, tonally out-of-whack, and ultimately unfulfilling. And I'd probably dismiss it all the more if it wasn't for the fact that "Happy Feet" was directed by none other than George "Mad Max" Miller (and "Babe," but I'm not holding that against him).

A few flashes of brilliance aside, it's as if "Happy Feet" was made by a focus group. This is especially evident when you consider that this film was released just barely a year after the successful documentary "March of the Penguins." Okay, we've got our penguins, let's have them sing pop songs in a manner reminiscent of "Moulin Rouge." And to top it all off, let's make it relevant by tacking on a third act that deals with environmental responsibility (Miller's heart is in the right place here, but it just doesn't gel with the rest of the film).

What you get is a hodge-podge of elements, which conflict with each other. A few humorous, entertaining scenes? Sure. But a compelling feature-length movie? Hardly.

I have been a casual watcher of 30 Rock for the last few months, but last night's episode made me a true believer. Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin reach new heights of comedic brilliance with their excellent timing and, dare I say it, chemistry. And great cameos by Isabella Rosselini, Paul "Pee Wee" Reubens and Will Forte. This could very well be the next "Arrested Development." I'm also looking forward to seeing Andy Samberg show up in one of the episodes (it seems like they're cycling through the SNL roster for small roles - it works!).

As a side note, this episode contains one of the most inventive "cat fight" sequences I've seen in a long time. Absolutely hilarious!

Laurent Herbiet's near-perfect film plays out like a post-mortem murder mystery, but perhaps its most engaging moments are spent in the past - filmed in gritty, black and white, evoking newsreel footage from the Algerian War of the late 50s. It is a stunning first film, which manages to both incorporate and shrug off the influence of producers the Dardenne brothers and politically-minded filmmaker Costa-Gavras. This is clearly Herbiet's show, and his confidence with the camera is highly evident here.

As co-writer and producer Costa-Gavras mentioned in his preamble at the 2006 Toronto Int'l Film Festival, this film is less about history than a metaphor for the present. One sees frightening parallels to the recent wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon. Olivier Gourmet gives a riveting performance as the morally flexible titular character, and Robinson Stévenin is convincingly sympathetic as the conflicted apprentice and unwilling accomplice Lt. Rossi.

It's worth seeing, despite a lackluster framing device that betrays the immediacy of scenes set in the past.