The Way We Were (in the 1970s): Milk

This is one heck of a movie. It tells Harvey Milk’s story in a personal, almost intimate way; you feel invited in, like a bunch of old friends asked you over so they could tell you what really happened. Sean Penn is terrific – he portrays Milk as a man on a mission, a tough political fighter, but he shows his heart as well. You really like the guy. Also good are James Franco (most recently seen as a pothead in Pineapple Express) as Scott Smith, Milk’s lover and partner; and prolific Josh Brolin (this is his fourth Hollywood release in a year) playing Dan White, the San Francisco Supervisor who assassinated both Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Milk is shot with unpretentious grittiness, nearly like you’re watching a home movie, and director Gus Van Sant blends in actual 1970s footage, including interviews (and orange juice ads!) with the infuriating Anita Bryant, as well as evening news clips featuring youthful versions of Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokaw. A heroic effort was made to give the film a sense of authenticity. This is a remarkable story, extremely well told. Currently showing in about 20 cities around the country, set to expand this weekend. Critics love it, early (very limited) box office excellent.

Holiday Box Office

What takes out a vampire? Wooden stakes, bright sunlight, and Reese Witherspoon. Twilight’s brief reign at the box office looks to end this weekend, victim of Four Christmases and Disney’s Bolt, which is offering fierce competition for second place as families head to the multiplex. Newcomers Australia and Transporter 3 are just okay in ticket sales; apparently romantic epics and recycled action pictures aren't what America needs this Thanksgiving. Older films like Quantum of Solace are performing better. In terms of high quality drama, well, you’re still waiting in most of the country, but the heavy hitters are on their way: Milk is out in limited release, and early December brings Frost/Nixon to theaters.

Love in the Outback. With bombs.

Baz Luhrman is a romantic goofball. As co-writer and director of Australia, he has created a comedy, and a drama, and an adventure and a cowboy movie and a World War II picture. It’s not so much that he can’t decide which direction to go, but that he likes all the directions so he figures he might as well go everywhere. Nicole Kidman plays Sarah Ashley, an uptight English noblewoman whose husband has settled down on a remote cattle ranch in the Australian Outback. She boldly travels there to retrieve him, but when she arrives she learns that he has been murdered and she has become the reluctant owner of a cattle spread that directly threatens the empire of nefarious rancher King Carney (Bryan Brown). Her only reliable ally in the outback is a hunky Australian cowboy played by Hugh Jackman (they call him “The Drover” – apparently he’s too cool for a regular name); they hate each other on sight, so of course they fall in love after about half an hour. What follows is a glorious, dusty widescreen cattle drive framed by elaborate Australian vistas, then a lot of romance in the rain, and then the Japanese come and bomb everything. The best part of the movie is a little boy named Nullah, offspring of a white father and Aborigine mother; played by Brandon Walters, he steals Lady Ashley’s heart and pretty much every scene. This isn’t serious filmmaking, although at times it seems like it would like to be, but it is an entertaining film, particularly if you’re in a sweeping epic kind of mood. Playing in a whole lot of theaters all over the place. Not raking it in; stumbling badly against Four Christmases, Bolt and Twilight. Critical reviews dead average.

Fall Frenzy

Things are ramping up on the serious side of Hollywood, with the blockbuster season behind us and the awards season on the horizon. So far a couple of films have risen and fallen right out of the golden limelight: Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna’s, and Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies (starring Leo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe) both pretty much failing with critics and tanking at the box office. Oscar doesn’t give a damn about movies that no one wants to see, no matter who stars in them. There are a few things prognosticators are certain of: Anne Hathaway will be nominated for best actress for her performance in Rachel Getting Married; and Heath Ledger will be promoted (not necessarily nominated) for best supporting actor for his turn as the Joker in last summer’s Dark Knight.


This weekend we have four big openings: on the serious sort of front, Oliver Stone’s W. is coming to theaters; rumors suggest that Josh Brolin really nails his role as the lame duck pres. The film is supposed to be a surprisingly gentle take on Bush – did you know he and Oliver Stone were at Yale at the same time? Marky Mark Wahlberg stars in Max Payne, a movie based on a video game that has been slammed by the few critics who have actually seen it. Secret Life of Bees, from the terrific book by Sue Monk Kidd, looks promising, and features some great actresses: Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keyes, Queen Latifah. Finally, teen sex comedy Sex Drive opens: it’s a road trip kind of film, it has Seth Green in it and he is supposed to be funny; the rest of the movie is mostly silly boy gags. Couple of films still in theaters that might be entertaining are Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Bill Maher’s Religulous. On DVD, check out The Visitor, Iron Man, or maybe Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Rehab Princess: Rachel Getting Married

Ann Hathaway does a star turn as a recovering addict jumping directly from rehab into the emotional stress of her sister’s wedding. She gives a terrific performance, really remarkable about face for the former Disney princess. Rumors of Oscar are completely justified. Now, this isn’t a lighthearted film – the Reelfan’s hubby heard complaining in the men’s room after the show, something about “I thought it would be funnier!” but when you have a dysfunctional family hosting a wedding, well, the humor is going to be pretty dark. Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) directs and he chooses to show every unvarnished moment of the weekend – no fast cuts to hurry the plot along. Sometimes that’s wonderful, and sometimes you wish you could slip out to the bar with the other guests. Music is great and mostly performed live during the filming – many of the wedding guests are musicians – and there is an oddly engaging dishwasher filling contest. Not something you often see at the movies. Debra Winger makes a rare big screen appearance as the emotionally disconnected mother of the bride, and she is luminous; Bill Irwin, lately one of Elmo’s friends on Sesame Street, touchingly plays the father who just wants everyone to get along. Pretty cool movie for grownups and older teenaged Hathaway fans.

Lighter Notes: Burn After Reading and Ghost Town

Looking for a fun night out? Two comedies worth checking out: In Ghost Town, Ricky Gervais (the guy who brought The Office over the pond) plays Bertram Pincus, a cranky dentist who dies for (almost) seven minutes; when he comes to he discovers - to his great dismay - that he can see ghosts. And they can talk to him. These nether world spirits all want something from Doctor Pincus, and the general idea is that he has to find his humanity by helping dead people, and then he can get the girl. It’s sort of like Groundhog Day if you forget all the depth and insight, and overlook the fact that there is really no chemistry between Gervais and Tea Leoni (she plays the girl). Still, there are some good laughs and overall this is a fun movie to watch. First-rate supporting performances: watch for SNL vet Kristin Wiig playing the surgeon.

On a much darker note, Burn After Reading is the Coen Brothers comedic outing and it is essentially a big goof, like the directors invited a bunch of A List stars down to their studio and told them to go ahead and have a good time (cast list includes Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Richard Jenkins, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton). The movie barely makes sense, the characters do things no one would ever do, but there are some memorable, laugh out loud moments. It’s not Fargo but if you like the Coen Brothers you will have a good time. Fair warning to the sensitive and uninitiated: there is some nasty, gory stuff in this film, be prepared to avert your eyes now and then; it won’t affect your enjoyment of the movie.

Vote Independent -- Frozen River

This movie kept surprising me. Whenever I thought I knew where it was going, the story would veer another way.

Melissa Leo plays Ray Eddy, a weary but loving mother who is raising her two boys in a beat up old trailer in a bleak northern American town, up where the St. Lawrence River marks the border with Canada. She has a deposit down on a double wide, a nice new mobile home with a Jacuzzi tub and lots of insulation against the fierce northern winter; it’s supposed to be a Christmas present, but a week before the holiday her gambling husband takes off with the family savings, leaving her with an empty refrigerator and no way to play Santa. Desperate, she hooks up with Lila, a young woman from the nearby Mohawk reservation; they form an uneasy partnership smuggling illegal immigrants into the country by driving them across the frozen St. Lawrence, hidden inside the trunk of Ray’s car.

This is a remarkably honest film; it takes us right into Lila and Ray’s lives without any Hollywood gloss. It’s shot so intimately that you can almost feel the cold of the northeastern winter – I actually worried that Lila didn’t have enough blankets on her bed. And while two women are at the heart of this movie it isn’t a chick film –they’re smugglers, after all (there are plenty of heart stopping moments), and they aren’t remotely glamorous.

Melissa Leo (she’s been in a bunch of movies, and she pops up on TV) gives a tremendous performance; there is Oscar talk but it’s always a tough road when the film is this small. Frozen River won the Grand Jury Prize for Drama at Sundance, and it’s a big critical fave. Highly recommended, especially if you’re in the mood for a non-Hollywood film.

The Other Spencer Girl -- The Duchess

A sumptuous period costume drama soap opera – and unfortunately, not much else. Keira Knightly plays Georgiana Spencer (yes, those Spencers) the young Duchess of Devonshire who, in late 18th century England, was an A list celebrity. Her great fame and popularity allowed her to influence society, fashion, and perhaps most notably, politics. She also had a tabloid worthy personal life, and that is pretty much the stuff of this film – the choice is regrettable because there isn’t enough sudsy material to fill the screen time. So we get Ralph Fiennes, as the Duke, sulking because his wife gives him daughters, instead of sons, and then he takes mistresses and then there are long scenes where the Duke and Duchess speak coldly to each other across mammoth dining tables while the servants look on. Not the stuff of high drama. Admittedly, there are plenty of strange twists and turns in the nobles’ personal lives, but history would certainly have forgotten them if it weren’t for Georgiana’s influential public role, and the movie seems to have little time for that. Keira Knightly does well with what little she is given to work with; Ralph Fiennes appears to have shown up for a couple of days of filming because the money was good. See it if you love Keira Knightly and authentic period dramas. Otherwise, move on.

Somewhere Between Bad, and Not So Bad

Three notable films are opening this weekend; unfortunately none of them arrive with much critical enthusiasm. Burn After Reading is the Coen brothers latest, they brought us No Country for Old Men last year and Fargo before that. Good pedigree, but this outing appears to be less interesting. The cast is hot, though: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and Tilda Swinton. With all that talent, how bad can it be? Speaking of talent, Deniro and Pacino team up in Righteous Kill, a movie about a serial killer vigilante cop; the police detectives played by our Greatest Actors seem more inclined to admire the bad guy than arrest him. Not supposed to be a very good film, but around here they have screenings where you can drink wine and beer while you watch: that could work. Finally, The Women – this is a shame: the original, made by George Cukor in 1939, had a sort of wicked catty charm, it was a little subversive. This remake, featuring a gaggle of actresses and headlined by the ever perky Meg Ryan, is reputed to be much more Sex in the City than Mean Girls. Time Magazine’s Robert Schickel said it was the worst movie he’s ever seen. If I was going to pick one of these I would go with the Burn After Reading – Coen Brothers movies always have entertainment value. Oh, and one more: Tyler Perry has a new picture, The Family That Preys. I’m not a Perry fan – I tend to think that he is unkind to his female characters, but this picture has a little bit of buzz.
Otherwise, if you’re looking for action/suspense and all that, try Traitor: Don Cheadle plays a double agent who may or may not have gone over to the dark side.

But he was great in Valley Girl

I have a soft spot for Nicholas Cage. I realize it isn’t always deserved; he makes some god-awful movies. This weekend he pops up in Bangkok Dangerous, a remake of a Thai-language picture from back in 1999. Cage plays a ruthless, loner assassin with strange hair who becomes unexpectedly attached to his street punk sidekick; there’s also a girl involved, always a bit awkward when you’re a ruthless loner assassin. The Pang Brothers, who directed the original, are back for this one; by all accounts they’ve lost their edge. There’s not much to recommend here, but the expectation is that this bit of action driven fluff will take the weekend box office derby.

If you don’t want to take a chance on Cage and Co. look for Hamlet 2, hopefully playing at a theater near you. If it’s action you’re after, see if you can find Hellboy. Everybody loves Hellboy.

Reviving the Prince of Denmark: Hamlet 2

Rock me Jesus! This is a high spirited, fun loving goof of a movie. It stars Steve Coogan (the stressed out director in Tropic Thunder) as a washed up actor turned drama teacher, who isn’t very good at that either. When his drama program is threatened by budget cuts, he makes a desperate effort to “save the arts” by staging a musical sequel to Hamlet – something about Jesus and a time machine and Hamlet forgiving his father and saving everybody else from their tragic ends. A big hit at Sundance, so it’s full of indie cred, there is something so sincere about the lunacy of this story that you can’t help but enjoy the ride. Also features some great performances by the “teenaged” cast (many of them aren’t teens anymore, but never mind). Opened small but expanding over Labor Day.

War is Comedy: Tropic Thunder

The summer movie season is winding down, with official “also-rans” hitting the theaters: titles like The House Bunny and Death Race trying to pick up some box office crumbs. Big winners for the season are Dark Knight and Iron Man, with Indiana Jones not far behind. If you haven’t seen Dark Knight or Iron Man, and you‘re in the mood for action, those are worth checking out. If you haven’t seen Indiana Jones, never mind. Shia LaBoeuf has a whole new thriller coming out on September 26. Otherwise, no real critical darlings opening this weekend, and the new arrivals get mostly middling reviews, including – sorry, Office fans – the Rocker, Raine Wilson’s attempt to play someone other than Dwight Schrute. But, still in a theater near you (probably several theaters near you)…

Tropic Thunder

This movie is about a bunch of self important actors making a self important movie about Viet Nam, Hollywood poking fun at itself, and here is what all the fuss is about: Ben Stiller plays a washed up action star who recently bombed in his attempt to portray a mentally challenged adult. We see clips of his film and it’s a tasteless, overdone, pretty much unfunny bit of business that probably wouldn’t have caused any ripples if it didn’t play such a key part in the Tropic Thunder story line. Fortunately it’s not the most interesting part: that happens anytime Robert Downey Jr. is on screen. In fact the mentally challenged thing is only funny when Downey Jr. explains to Stiller why the role didn’t net him Oscar Gold: “You went full retard, man. Never go full retard." Downey Jr. is brilliant of course, with natural style and timing on screen; in this ensemble cast he is entertaining even when he is at the back of the crowd, reacting to someone else. But when he isn’t on screen the film belongs to the supporting actors, especially Matthew McConaughey, stepping easily into the small role of Stiller’s determined agent, and Tom Cruise, almost unrecognizable as a megalomaniacal studio boss. Cruise is hilarious, actually. Weird guy, but funny. This isn’t the most memorable comedy but it’s a good time at the movies. Go see it, and keep your eye on Robert Downey Jr. He’s fun to watch.

Wanted: A Logical Storyline

What does Angelina Jolie look like when she doesn't start her day under the skillful care of professional make up artists? Watching her in Wanted I was keenly aware of the layers of sparkling charcoal shadow around her eyes and – just guessing here – her perfectly applied borrowed eyelashes. I wondered, how would I look with all that stuff on me? Maybe like a sexy superhero assassin. That would be cool.

The premise of this film is that there are people in the world who are genetically empowered to kill with flair and expertise, they can make bullets careen around corners and stuff, so they band together to use their powers for good instead of evil. James McAvoy, attempting to shed his high brow English profile, plays a regular guy who just found out that he’s real good at killing people too. Pretty neat, except he has a mysterious enemy on his trail that the whole team is nervous about, so that leads to a lot of car chases and explosions and train derailments.

And that’s about it.

No question that this is an extremely well made slam bam action picture, a cinematic roller coaster ride. The plot is pretty thin and there’s this whole thing with a loom that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s silly to quibble about logic in a movie where people who stand on crudely drawn Xes are killed by bullets that barrel inexplicably out of their foreheads. If it’s pure action you’re after, this film will work. You want some plot with your explosions, see Iron Man.

Wall-E saves the world

Wall-E is a kid’s movie. I have to get that out there. All the critics who carried on about this film probably saw it in a nice quiet screening room where they could appreciate meaningful silences and nuance in the story telling. The theater I saw it in was full of little people loudly pointing out the obvious: “There’s Wall-E!” they would cry, as though they had dozed off for a moment and woke up to discover they were in a movie theater.

Watching this film is a bit like watching an episode of Sesame Street: there’s a lot of goofy stuff for kids but buried in the plot and the dialogue are all kinds of humorous and ironic observations that can only be intended for adults. And there is a message about environmental and personal responsibility that is targeted towards older kids, although they might think the film itself is too babyish. The animation is terrific – Wall-E and his friends are great fun to watch – but it doesn’t have the general appeal of Ratatouille. DVD release probably November.

Sex and the Summer

Caught the 12:40 matinee of Sex and the City at the local multiplex. The theater was packed with women who all seemed to be acquainted. They knew each other’s names. They shouted merrily. It was odd.

I wondered, what do these people ordinarily do at lunchtime on weekdays?

The ticket taker was enjoying the commotion. “Theater 14 for Sex!” he shouted happily, tearing stubs.

The HBO series featured Carrie and Miranda and Charlotte and Samantha looking for love; in the movie, they’ve found it, and they have to figure out what to do now. They get kind of lost, and so does the film, with a painful plotline that only occasionally makes sense. It’s the kind of story that falls apart if you talk about it too much on the way home in the car.

Nevertheless, the movie delivers, mostly in the second half, with lots of emotional confrontations and reconciliations and romantic moments that arrive without any subtlety exactly when you expect them. This pleased the audience, they sighed and applauded on cue; it was what they came for, like the series finale all over again.

But what’s missing here is the supporting cast, the friends and lovers who created the challenges that made the show interesting; most of them have little to do in the film besides show up. Instead the writers fill all that screen time with fashion – Sarah Jessica Parker gets to play model through two long montages – and glittering Manhattan locations, and oddly graphic sex scenes that take you right out of the lighthearted tone of the film.

But never mind. If that matinee audience was any indicator, this film will make fans of the show very happy. The ticket takers will have fun too.

Princes and Odd Couples

The big opening this weekend is the second Narnia installment, Prince Caspian. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe opened in December 2005 and grossed nearly $750 million, which makes it a hit. Expectations are pretty high for this sequel; it’s playing in a whole heck of a lot of theaters around the country. Reviews are generally positive, although a lot of the critics feel the need to discuss the “dark” tone of the film, but it’s rated PG, how dark can it be? Plan on sharing the theater with families and middle school girls. Still going strong: Iron Man, Speed Racer, What Happens in Vegas, Made of Honor. Inexplicably, Vegas and Made of Honor are adding theaters this weekend. This can only mean people are going to see them.

If you’re looking to avoid the summer glitz, see if you can find The Visitor. It’s a small film but it is holding steady against the blockbusters. On DVD, check out Juno, The Savages, or Michael Clayton.

Thresholds of Goofiness: Made of Honor

My older daughter is home from college, distracting the ReelFan from the important business of blogging. The good news is that she likes to go to movies, but she has a low threshold for goofiness; this explains why I recently saw Made of Honor.

A truly dumb movie, Made of Honor features Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan as “best friends” who everyone who has ever seen a romantic comedy knows will get together in the end. This sort of ruins the suspense. The set up is straight forward: Hannah (Monaghan, showing a genuinely confusing resemblance to Liv Tyler) leaves town for six weeks, leaving Tom (Dempsey) bereft enough to finally figure out that he has “feelings” for her. But she returns engaged to a Scottish guy and promptly asks Tom to be her maid of honor, and right away the movie quits making any sense. Tom is expected to do all kinds of traditional “girly” things, like plan bridal showers, and make gift baskets full of smelly soaps; if this was supposed to be funny it pretty much missed the mark. Hannah (apparently a brilliant art historian) is saddled with lines like “I’ve looked forward to my bridal shower my whole life.” Excuse me? The only redeeming part of the film is Tom’s friendship with a bunch of guys; they mostly play basketball together but their relationship feels authentic and those scenes are pretty entertaining. Patrick Dempsey is generally fun to watch, but if you must see him in a show like this, rent last summer's Enchanted on DVD. Similar role, much more entertaining movie. Incidentally, in spite of my insightful opinion of this film it does seem to be making money; this means someone likes it, possibly Gray's Anatomy fans. I'm not one of those.

Superheroes hit the multiplex: Iron Man

Break out the popcorn, the superheroes of summer have arrived. First out of the box: Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, a supremely intelligent, extraordinarily wealthy, world class playboy. Sort of like James Bond, without any English gentility. Tony runs a high-tech weapons manufacturing firm, kind of a family business, but he experiences a crisis of conscience when he goes to Afghanistan on a sort of sales call and gets ambushed by evildoers using Stark brand weapons. Apparently he thought only the good guys were getting his stuff. The menacing Afghanis throw Tony into a cave (that’s where they always put their prisoners, right?) and insist that he build them a high tech bomb. They tell Tony, once the bomb is built, he can go home. Tony doesn’t buy it; he uses the supplies they give him for bomb building to create an iron flying suit, and then he busts out of there. After a few months, that is, and also after his Afghan prisoner buddy gives up his life so Tony can escape. A chastened Stark returns to America and tries to get out of the weapons game, but all the folks making money off of him don’t like the plan; mayhem ensues.


In the world of superhero, comic book based movies, this one stands out. Robert Downey Jr. is great in the Tony Stark role, deftly balancing the smooth operator with the computer geek. He is ably supported by Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Stark’s extremely competent, but slightly awkward assistant. Jeff Bridges is also fine as a kind of mentor colleague to Tony; he boasts a completely shaved head for the role, and some of the folks who came with me couldn’t figure out who he was. It’s tough to avoid pointing out (I choose not to try) that the man has a big head – but it fits the character. Terrance Howard, Oscar nominated for Hustle and Flow, plays Tony’s only real friend, and he is charming, managing to appreciate Stark’s genius while showing gentle exasperation with his idiosyncrasies. Kind of like Wilson and House. There are also a bunch of R2D2 like machines that surround Tony like eager metal pets. Cool, amusing stuff. If you like superhero movies, I recommend this one; if you don’t, you’ll still have a pretty good time. Remember the popcorn.

Waiting for Indy

Not much new at the multiplex this weekend, with the big gun (Indiana Jones) holding out for Memorial Day and everybody else giving Iron Man a wide berth. Everybody, that is, except the Wachowski Brothers and their latest entry to summertime fun: Speed Racer. But this ain’t The Matrix – Speed Racer is targeted to the younger set, and early reviews by grownups say it is a nearly incomprehensible mess of colors, light, and noise. It does have some hip stars – Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci – plus the venerable Susan Sarandon. Not expected to take the box office crown away from Iron Man. Also on the docket is What Happens in Vegas, an attempt at screwball comedy featuring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher as an unlikely couple who get married by accident during a drunken night in Vegas. Critics are lukewarm but some sneak preview attendees are enthusiastic. Theaters will be dominated by these two entries plus Iron Man this weekend, although Baby Mama and Sarah Marshall are holding steady.

Then She Found Me and Lars and the Real Girl (DVD)

Looking for something a little low key, films that don’t feature highly respected independent film stars going to the bank playing superheroes?

THEN SHE FOUND ME

Helen Hunt comes unadorned into this film, abandoning Hollywood glamour for her role as 39 year old April Epner, an elementary schoolteacher in the midst of several life crises: her husband left, her mother died, and she is childless with a loudly ticking biological clock. Popular theme this season, but unlike Baby Mama there is precious little humor in Then She Found Me. These characters worry a lot, there are many close ups of concerned faces, and lots of betrayals. Bette Midler brings some energy and levity to the story in her turn as April’s birth mother, and the film brightens up considerably whenever she is on screen. Colin Firth is a pleasure in his usual role as the steadfast lover in waiting, but here he also gets to show anger, frustration and actual cynicism. Makes you think that there might be more to Firth than the Darcy roles allow. Didn’t sense much chemistry between Colin and Helen (oddly, she had more with Jack Nicholson) but never mind, he’s still Colin Firth. Helen Hunt’s directing debut, this was a labor of love for her, and while it seems a little flat at times, it is a worthy effort.


Also out on DVD:

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

A painfully shy, withdrawn young man (Lars) shows up on his brother Gus' doorstep one day with a life size blow up doll that he introduces as his new girlfriend, "Bianca." Assuming his brother has lost his mind, Gus and his wife consult a doctor, who suggests they play along with Lars' delusion. "You won't be able to change his mind, anyway," she tells them.

The movie is set in a remote rural town, and the heart of the story is in how the community sets about accepting Lars' new friend, so he can work through whatever inner demons led him to bring Bianca around in the first place. It's charming and quirky and absurd and funny, and for those of you who are thinking "chick flick' well, there's bowling in this movie, and some funny office cubicle politics reminiscent of a certain Thursday night sit-com.

Starring Ryan Gosling as Lars; he was nominated for an Oscar last year for Half Nelson, and he got a lot of buzz for this performance as well. Patricia Clarkson is wonderful as the doctor. Rated PG-13, but I would say better for older teens, since Bianca is, after all, a giant sex toy, although that doesn't come up much in the film.

Forgetting Tough Times (and Sarah Marshall)

The local multiplex was hopping over the weekend, with hourly showings of Iron Man and a special sneak of What Happens in Vegas, the Cameron Diaz/Ashton Kutcher we-got-married-but-we-didn’t-mean-it comedy. If there is a recession on the way, moviegoers haven’t noticed yet. Iron Man brought in nearly as much as the original Spiderman, which came out the same weekend a few years back; this would explain Robert Downey Junior’s smug expression sitting courtside at the Lakers playoff game on Sunday.


I didn’t see Iron Man, loyally waiting for my traveling husband to return, but I did see

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL

Not as good as Forty Year Old Virgin, but more believable than Knocked Up. Jason Segal (one of the slacker buddies in Knocked Up, regular on How I Met Your Mother) plays Peter Bretter, a composer who gets dumped by his TV star girlfriend and tries to recover on a therapeutic trip to Hawaii. Thing is, his ex-girlfriend is vacationing at the same resort with her new rock star boyfriend. In a simpler time (like the 1950’s) this may have been a madcap comedy, but these characters are far too earnest to be madcap; you get the feeling that at any moment they might all agree to group therapy. The highlight of the film is Mila Kunis, Peter’s new love interest; she confirms with gentle grace that she has acting chops far beyond what we saw on That Seventies Show. There were some good laughs in this picture but I don’t remember any of them, it’s that kind of a film, but it’s diverting and lighthearted, and has no special effects. A month from now, that might seem refreshing. Final note: several times in the film, Segal faces the camera full length and completely naked. This appears to serve no purpose except to elicit nervous giggles from the young teen set. Fair warning.

Summertime (Baby Mama, The Visitor, Smart People)

This weekend brings us Iron Man and the start of the summer blockbuster season. I plan to see Iron Man – I would watch Robert Downey Jr. read the phone book; I am sure he would perform it with excellent timing and appropriate comic irony. Also due out is Made of Honor, which seems to be a remake of a dozen other movies, only this time starring Doctor McDreamy. Early reviews say Iron Man good, Made of Honor bad.



If neither of those interest you, here are some thoughts on a few older entries still playing in theaters:

BABY MAMA
Good natured story about a career woman trying to answer the call of her biological clock. The plot line is predictable but the talented cast makes the well trodden material mostly entertaining. Steve Martin and Sigourney Weaver are particularly good in wacky supporting roles. It’s beyond me how this film won the weekend box office derby, but I can happily cheer for Tina Fey and Any Poehler; hopefully this will give them the clout to do something a little riskier next time.

THE VISITOR
The interesting thing about this film is that just when you think you know where it’s going – at the moment when you’re expecting, say, a moving montage of character growth – the story takes an abrupt turn, and all your assumptions fly out the window. Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a lonely widower who is pulled from his sadness and mourning by Tarek Khalil (Haaz Sleiman), an upbeat young Syrian living in New York City. Tarek teaches Walter to play the African drum, but just as their odd couple alliance appears to be jelling, the young man is detained by Immigration, and roles shift as Walter becomes the advocate for his young teacher. The film trips lightly along the political questions raised by post 9/11 immigration policy, focusing on the personal aspects of the story. The ending is inconclusive, and this may be troubling, but it is believable and satisfying in a sad sort of way.

SMART PEOPLE
There are really no completely likeable characters in this film, although Dennis Quaid has a remarkable ability to charm even when he’s playing a dull curmudgeon, and even, it must be said, when he has been made up to look frumpy. Sorry, female Quaid fans, I only speak truth. Tension between characters is the norm here, although it often goes unexplained, and there are key scenes that seem wildly improbable. Nevertheless, the film has its moments: Thomas Hayden Church provides much needed comic relief, and Ellen Page is very entertaining, although she is really just playing a harsher, smarter, Juno. Nothing wrong with that, though, and it is the performances that make this picture worth giving up a couple hours to spend time in the dark – if you aren’t having a very busy day.