In all the discussion last week about Johnny Depp’s eighth film collaboration with Tim Burton on DARK SHADOWS another actor/director team has a work that’s about to reach theatres, DARLING COMPANION is the sixth film that actor Kevin Kline has made with screenwriter/ director Lawrence Kasdan. It’s hard to believe, but their first together, THE BIG CHILL was released thirty years ago. The new film harkens back to their earlier efforts like CHILL and GRAND CANYON since it addresses family issues and surrounds Kline with a great cast of seasoned screen vets. Amidst the high decibel destruction of this Summer’s blockbusters a small story about a long married husband and wife ( and their pet ) may be a relaxing change-of-pace.

The film begins as Beth ( Diane Keaton ) is cooing to her new grandchild at the Denver airport. After she says goodbye to her youngest daughter’s family, Beth and her eldest, single daughter Grace ( Elisabeth Moss ) hit the road for home. But something catches Beth’s eye : a wounded mutt cowering in the snow. The ladies scoop up the dog and visit a veterinarian’s office ( Grace takes a shine to the handsome doctor ). Instead of delivering the pooch to the animal shelter, Beth brings him home to meet her workaholic, spinal surgeon hubby Joseph ( Kline ). He squawks at first, but eventually gives in and the pup ( now named Freeway ) joins the family. Fast forward to another big family event as Grace weds the vet at their vacation getaway home in Utah. After the happy couple head to their honeymoon, Joseph loses Freeway while taking a walk in the woods. And so, a search begins with the remaining guests : Joseph’s sister Penny ( Dianne Wiest ), her loutish new boyfriend Russell ( Richard Jenkins ), Penny’s son ( and Joseph’s office partner ) Bryan ( Mark Duplass ) and the sultry caretaker of the estate, Carmen ( Ayelet Zurer ).  Can they reunite the panicky Beth with her beloved, darling companion?

So there’s the somewhat simple story that Kasdan and his wife Meg have cooked up. It’s certainly not as convoluted as Lawrence’s directing debut BODY HEAT ( not a lot of steamy, sweaty sex either! ). But there’s a nice languid pace and some great performances. Keaton and Kline make a believable couple. He’s doing a riff on some of his stodgy, uptight characters while she’s not too far away from her ” Annie Hall ” whimsy. They can fuss and fight while still finding each other’s quirks endearing. Wiest also works well with Kline, but she really shines in her scenes with Jenkins. He’s become one of the screen’s most delightful character actors ( as the recent CABIN IN THE WOODS confirms ). His Russell annoys all of the family but Penny. He’s a gregarious guy who’s always working on a get-rich-quick scheme. Sure he’s a doofus, but it’s hard to resist his charms. The only subplot that doesn’t quite ring true is the blossoming romance between Bryan and Carmen. We can see where it’s headed very early. It’s the old opposites attract bit. The earthy exotic ( she has a gypsy heritage ) gets the cold, wasp-y professional to cut loose. Her ” psychic powers ” routine is a bit overused. Luckily, Joseph is there to roll his eyes and call her on the BS. Aside from a welcome cameo from Sam Shepard as the sheriff ( he just wants to fly fish! ) and a nightmare animated clip, there not many shocks or surprises in the film. But Kasdan directs with a sure hand and the Utah scenery is breathtaking. If you’ve got some affection for these wonderful actors, then this gentle tale of family ( and pet ) love may be a nice break from the explosive thrillers. It’s a bit of cinema comfort food with some old film friends.

Overall Rating : 3.5 Out of 5 Stars

Well, just a week after THE AVENGERS broke box office records here’s another big team-up movie. Instead of super-heroes teaming up, this film showcases a great group of British actors of, uh….a certain age. When these vets get a great script the results can be just as engaging as any CGI-enhanced mayhem. Actually I was reminded a bit of the original COCOON. Of course there’s no glowing E.T.s, but these mature folks do encounter people of a somewhat alien culture, and their lives are changed radically ( no magic breakdancing, though ). Let’s take a cinematic getaway with some familiar film friends and check into THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL ( for the elderly and beautiful ).

In the first scenes of John ( SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE ) Madden’s new work we met the Brits who’ll be sharing a long journey and become the residents of the mentioned hotel. Evelyn ( Judi Dench ) is a recent widow whose late husband hid their true financial worth from her. Graham ( Tom Wilkinson ) is a judge who’s tired of the legal world, ready to retire and return to the site of his happier youth. Muriel ( Maggie Smith ) is a cranky, xenophobic former housekeeper who must travel abroad for a needed surgery. Douglas ( Bill Nighy )is a recent government retiree who must find a cheaper place to settle after a poor investment, much to the chagrin of his frustrated wife Jean ( Penelope Wilton ). Two of the travelers are on the prowl for new partners : the randy Norman ( Ronald Pickup ) and the upwardly mobile Madge ( Celia Imrie ). After viewing the hotel’s website and gorgeous brochures, this group make the long trek to India. At the end of the arduous trip, they arrive at a ramshackle structure that does not resemble the lush photos. The enthusiastic young owner Sonny ( Dev Patel ) assures them that everything will be finished soon. He’s inherited the place from his late father and is determined to restore it to its former glory ( and then be able to marry his beautiful girlfriend ). Over the next few weeks, while settling in, the residents explore the city and attempt to start a new life in their exotic surroundings.

Madden does a terrific job of moving the story along and showing us this colorful land, but it’s the cast that makes this trip come alive. The always delightful Dench glows as a woman who, after being taken care of most of her adult life, blossoms when she takes a chance in the bustling city. Wilkinson delivers another strong, engaging performance as a man regaining his joy for life while revisiting the locale where he was most happy as a youth. Fans of TV’s ” Downtown Abbey ” will relish seeing Smith as the surly, cynical wheelchair-bound woman who finally allows a bit of sunlight to break though her tough, hard shell. Nighy’s terrific as a man determined to find adventure and fun despite his wife’s pessimistic attitude. His zest for this new place is contagious. Imrie and Pickup both generate big laughs while they’re looking for love ( or a nice romp in the boudoir ) in this unfamiliar place. Patel brings a lot of energy to the young manager’s role ( sometimes too much energy ) and is often exhausting, but his character finally mellows out. This film shows that life and adventure is not over once you reach those golden years, that retirement may be more of a beginning. This message and this cast helps make THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, a most pleasurable film vacation destination.

Overall rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

THE GIANT MECHNICAL MAN was a bit of a letdown for me. While enjoyable as is, the film never lives up to its full comedic potential, which is a real shame considering the talent involved. In a role written to play to her strengths, Jenna Fischer is the confused, mild-mannered Janice who finds a job selling grape drinks at the zoo. Apparently the zoo is a beacon of hope for the unemployed because this occurs the day after Tim (Chris Messina) walks in and instantly gets a job there after his girlfriend dumps him. (Seriously, is it really that easy to get a job at a zoo?) Tim also has an interesting hobby / side job of painting himself silver, wearing stilts and walking around as the titular Giant Mechanical Man. A friendship forms between the two just as Janice’s overbearing sister (Malin Ackerman) tries to set her up with a motivational speaker / author played eerily well by Topher Grace.

TGMM is a romantic-comedy that tries to be a lot deeper than it really is and that is where it falters. It works best when dealing with the rom-com aspects of the story but gets weighed down by mostly unnecessary dramatic beats that feel too repetitive. I can’t help but feel like this film would have been far more entertaining if all the main characters were not so damn depressed most of the time. I also found myself wondering why Tim didn’t just tell Janice that he was the mechanical man after she not only mentions her respect for him but also visits him while he’s in character. It seems they were saving the revelation for a fairly anti-climatic finale although it probably would have been far more entertaining watching Janice cover up and ultimately explain (especially to her sister) that she’s dating the often-ridiculed street performer.

I guess the fact that I am still wondering what could have been means there was enough substance actually in the film to hold my interest more than a week after watching it. With that in mind, I’ll recommend giving TGMM a chance. It is worth watching at least once anyway if only for Topher Grace’s crazy good take on a motivational speaker or Rich Sommer as his biggest fan.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

With a title like YOUR SISTER’S SISTER, I was expecting to see something more along the lines of a Nicholas Sparks or Danielle Steel adaptation rather than the truly hilarious and heartfelt sort-of romantic-dramedy it turned out to be. Jack (Mark Duplass) has had a rough time dealing with the death of his brother, which happened exactly one year ago. Jack’s best friend / late brother’s ex, Iris (Emily Blunt), gives him the keys to her father’s remote cabin for a little alone time to relax and reflect on his life. Once there, he discovers Iris’ sister Hanna (Rosemarie DeWitt) is already staying at the cabin after ending a 7-year relationship with her girlfriend. After a drunken night of confession, Jack and Hanna sleep together only to be woken up the next morning by the arrival of Iris, who decided Jack shouldn’t be entirely alone after all. You may think you know where this is going but the film will still surprise you.

YOUR SISTER’S SISTER is done in the same loose and largely improvised style of Lynn Shelton’s previous films; however, it feels much more refined here. This is partly due to an upgrade in equipment but it also seems like Shelton has grown as a filmmaker both in terms of storytelling and visuals. True, there is not much story to work with but the three main characters are fully realized and a joy to watch, which is great considering they are the only ones on screen for the majority of the running time. Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt are all fantastic, bringing their roles to life with a naturalistic but never ordinary approach. Most of the comedy stems from their rapid-fire dialogue, which is equally witty and earnest.

The film is not without flaws but they are so minimal in comparison to all that it gets right. While the editing is fairly tight for this kind of style, there are a few moments that tend to linger on just a little too long, especially during a montage towards the end. Speaking of the end, I personally felt it concluded perfectly but those who prefer everything to be wrapped up may be upset when the credits begin scrolling. The story may not be the most original, nor are some of the situations, but the manner in which they are presented in makes it all feel fresh and authentic.

Despite being a fan of Shelton’s HUMPDAY and this film’s solid cast, I was just not really looking forward to seeing this. I really think the title played a large part in that but the less than riveting description found in the Tribeca guide probably didn’t help either. On the advice of several people at the festival, I gave the film a chance and I’m so glad I did. Not only was it one of the best films there but also one of the finest I’ve seen this year. IFC Films will be releasing the film next month and I highly recommend you make an effort to seek it out.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

I will throw myself onto the altar as a sacrificial lamb so that fellow critics much better than I do not fall prey to using the following super cheesy & painfully obvious opening statement in their future reviews of this film. Remember me as a hero…

Much like the parked ice cream truck Jess Weixler finds herself stuck in for the majority of the running time, FREE SAMPLES goes nowhere. Yes, I know that’s bad. It’s the sort of line your friendly neighborhood entertainment guru will say in his segment on the local news in attempt to be clever. Unfortunately it does perfectly apply to the film. Hungover and unsure of pretty much everything in her life, Jillian (Jess Weixler) finds herself working all day parked in a vacant lot handing out free samples of an ice cream-like substance to a cast of quirky characters. There are a few subplots including a distant “kind of” fiance, a quick-witted guy she met the night before (Jessie Eisenberg), and a friendship with an elderly patron (Tippi Hedren).

In the end, there is some very minor character growth but it is in no way a substantial arc. This would be fine if the journey was entertaining but even at 80 minutes, the film seems to drag its feet far too often. This is not the fault of the actors; everyone seems to do well with what little material they have to work with. Jess Weixler channels her inner Winona Ryder as the smart yet irritatingly bitchy Jillian and Jason Ritter seems to have fun as Wally. Jessie Eisenberg is on his game as a much more confidant version of the character we have seen him play many times before. Sadly many of the hilariously quirky characters that show up for free ice cream fail to be hilarious or even relevant to the story in any way. The jokes falling flat could be due to poor delivery but it is more likely due to the script that could have used a bit more love before cameras started rolling. There are a few really good moments, namely the ones with Jason Ritter and Jessie Eisenberg, but they do not appear nearly often enough to save this slow mess.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

TAKE THIS WALTZ opens with a fun little meet-cute between Margot (Michelle Williams) and Daniel (Luke Kirby) who soon find out they are actually neighbors. This is unfortunate because Margot is (un)happily married to a chicken cookbook author played by Seth Rogen. I write it that way because although she doesn’t seem happy most of the time, none of her reasons seem solid enough to justify why she is so upset with her life. At one point she goes into a rant to which Seth Rogen asks what the f— she is talking about, as if speaking for the entire audience. Perhaps it is my slight man-crush on Seth Rogen but he seems like a pretty good husband to the often childish Margot. She is simply just bored of her everyday routine, which is what leads to a growing fascination with the shiny new toy that is Daniel.

But all new things get old eventually. That isn’t spoiling anything by the way. It is pretty much the running theme of the film since it constantly beats you over the head with this message throughout the bloated running time. This grows increasingly more frustrating leading up to an ending that feels more like a series of alternate endings played in succession. Repetition is apparently the name of the game. This may have been a stylistic choice by writer / director Sarah Polley since the film plays out in a steady stream of highs & lows and reoccurring themes much like Margot’s life. However, if that is the case, it just didn’t work for me. It is too bad though because there are some truly great aspects to the film.

Visually the film is stunning in terms of direction, cinematography, locations and even the color palette. This film just looks fantastic and it is often paired with a wonderful soundtrack that adds greatly to the feel. Everything really comes together perfectly for a scene in which Margot & Daniel go on the spinning Scrambler ride while “Video Killed The Radio Star” blasts on the radio. It is a fantastic sequence that says so much without any dialogue. It just works on so many levels, which is part of what makes the film so frustrating. There are moments like this that work so well but they are thrown off by so many other scenes that don’t. One other scene worth noting is an absolutely hysterical segment that has Margot and her sister-in-law (Sarah Silverman) attending a seniors water aerobics class, which was probably one of the funniest moments of any film playing at Tribeca this year. Speaking of Sarah Silverman, she and Seth Rogen really step up to show they have serious dramatic chops in addition to perfect comedic sensibility.

In the end, there is enough good in the film that I wouldn’t tell anyone to avoid it but I wish they found a way to say more with less.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

With DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, all the elements are there for a great movie. In fact, all the elements are there for several great movies and that may be the problem. Donald is an angsty high-schooler with terminal cancer who acts out his frustrations by drawing comic book art. This artwork tells the story of a superhero being tortured by a man with a Freddy Krueger / hypodermic needle type hand. He also sometimes sees his characters in the real world, which is when the audience is treated to brief animated segments. Donald starts seeing a shrink after he gets in trouble with the police for graffiti. Over the course of the film he also falls for the new girl at school, deals with family issues and has friends concerned with the fact that he may die a virgin. If that last one seems a little out of place, itā€™s because it sort of is. However, that was the most original aspect of the film and also the part I enjoyed the most. In fact, I would have much rather seen an entire film dealing with that plotpoint.

The film comes across as a mashup of 50/50, GOOD WILL HUNTING, and THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTER BOYS. As a result, it doesnā€™t feel cohesive. Certain story elements & relationships feel forced / rushed, problems seem to get solved too easily and characters disappear for too long. I am only guessing but since Anthony McCarten adapted the screenplay from his own novel, it could be the film does not offer enough time to flesh everything out but he didnā€™t want to cut any important elements from the story. Again, that is only speculation since I have not read the book but that is one of the more common problems with book adaptations.

Visually the film is pretty interesting, especially when it jumps into the comic book style animation format. The acting is also quite impressive, including Andy Serkis who is not painted over with any CGI although he is buried under an oversized sweater most of the time. Thomas Brodie-Sangster does a good job as a confused teen handling each of the characters ups and downs, no matter how stereotypical they might be. Aisling Loftus also does well in a role that could have benefited from more screen time. Sadly, there just is not much originality in the film and the few moments there are feel out of place.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

Can it really have been 11 years ago that Audrey Tautou stole hearts as the title character in AMELIE? Seems her performance as that whimsical Parisian sprite captured the world’s heart. Since then she’s starred in several other French films and took a leap into an American blockbuster, THE DA VINCI CODE. Well she’s matured along with her fans and nows stars in a more adult, reality-grounded love story, DELICACY. Even though she’s got a grown-up job and love life, does she still have a bit of that daydreaming pixie in her?

As the film begins Nathalie ( Tautou ) glides through the quaint Parisian streets to a small cafe. A handsome young man spots her and is smitten. A year later he proposes, and soon they’re married and sharing a lovely apartment. She steps up professionally, leaving her job selling theatre programs with her best pal  to work at a the Paris office of a Swedish investment firm. Life’s a dream until tragedy strikes.  In order to deal with her loss,Nathalie plunges into her new position at work. Her womanizing boss tries to make her his mistress, but she flatly rejects him. Then one day her co-worker, the unassuming Markus ( Francois Damiens ) steps into her office to discuss a project. Unspeaking, Nathalie rises from her desk, walks over to him, and kisses Markus passionately. She then asks him to leave the office. The man is floating on a cloud. When he asks her about it the next day, she feigns ignorance, then apologizes. But Markus believes a connection is there and decides to pursue a relationship with her. Can the lonely Swede succeed despite office gossips, a rejected superior, and her unimpressed friends? More importantly, can Nathalie finally have a life outside the office once again?

This is a sweet, gentle, low-key story of second-chance romance that’s difficult to embrace because of the confusing motivations of the main characters. Nathalie’s lip-lock with Markus surprises us almost as much as him. They only conversed about work projects prior to this. Did she just decide that it was time to be with someone once more? Was she just instinctively drawn to his good soul? Who knows?  I mean Markus is a kind-hearted fellow, but this sudden turnabout after shutting down her lothario boss is jarring. Her co-workers and friends are puzzled too. When Markus joins Nathalie at a party thrown by her best gal pal, the hostess dismisses him with a not-so-subtle remark ( shades of the recent US comedy SHE’S OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE ). Tautou and Damiens do the best they can with these underwritten characters, but the romance never really clicks.  Not a terrible film, just not involving. Despite the lovely French settings, this delicate love story never really takes flight.

Overall Rating: 2.5 Out of 5 Stars

BLUE LIKE JAZZ is based on the New York Times best-selling book of the same title by Donald Miller, and an official selection in the SXSW (South By Southwest) Film Festival. This alone may be enough for some to count this film as an unwavering success, but despite the film’s valiant efforts, it is not without it’s flaws. That being said, the film is also far from being a waste of the viewer’s time… in fact, I encourage seeing this film for what it is, flaws and all, because it’s the kind of movie we rarely see in theaters, and one that is rarely as accomplished as this one has turned out within it’s distinct genre of storytelling.

Directed by Steve Taylor, BLUE LIKE JAZZ is a story of faith and how it collides with one’s struggle to find his place in the world. Marshall Allman plays Donald Miller, the central character and author of the book from which  the film is based. Donald is a young Texan man, a Southern Baptist with divorced parents, son to an uber-conservative Jesus-freak mother (Jenny Littleton) and a liberal intellectual atheist father (Eric Lange) whom he refers to as “The Hobo.” Life is peachy and grand for Donald, as he goes about his quaint little life as assistant to the youth pastor of his church… until he discovers a life-altering secret about his mother and the servant of God with whom he served. At this moment, Donald’s continuing collegiate course changes drastically, choosing to attend Reed College in the Pacific Northwest instead of Trinity Baptist in Texas.

This is the setup, having successfully framed Donald as the proverbial square, a holy-roller without a clue, but a nice guy who gets dumped on by those he loved. BLUE LIKE JAZZ presents itself in an oddly, often forced quirkiness, but given the nature of the film and the tone of the film, this forced quirkiness actually lends a certain pleasant peculiarity to the film’s charm, which permeates even the lower moments. From day one, arriving at Reed College, Donald is clearly a fish out of water, but this is carried over from his time in Texas, where Donald was already something of a fish out of water without truly realizing it. We’re introduced early on, perhaps subconsciously, to this idea of Donald being different from the average folk, falling somewhere between the two extremes. This may be slightly cliche’ in it’s execution, but once more… it works here.

Donald meets and befriends two fellow students at Reed College that ultimately hold extremely influential roles in his personal epiphany. Kenny (Jason Marsden) — aka, The Pope — is a wild card, a free spirit and a sort of rebellious anti-religious version of Donald, while Penny (Claire Holt) is a straight-laced, well-mannered do-gooder with whom Donald develops an infatuation with despite the unknown similarity they share. Donald struggles to reconcile between his being drawn into the life of parties and pranks that Kenny leads and the more righteous, conscience-driven life led by Penny. Somewhere in the middle is the relatively insignificant but welcome friendship Donald makes with a lesbian student named Lauryn (Tania Raymonde).

BLUE LIKE JAZZ plays out much like ANIMAL HOUSE (1978) meets ACCEPTED (2006) as a college film with lots of partying and craziness but with substance and a message, even if the message is heavy-handed. BLUE LIKE JAZZ definitely wears it’s heart on it’s sleeve, making no effort to hide it’s agenda as a film focused on making a statement. BLUE LIKE JAZZ stands up and proudly says “I’m a Christian and that’s alright, because we’re not all crazy extremists and I have a sense of humor about my life.”

Regardless of where you stand on the scale of religion, BLUE LIKE JAZZ is a film that can be appreciated for it’s willingness to expose itself and have fun with a topic otherwise taken far too seriously by far too many people. BLUE LIKE JAZZ is funny, light-hearted and quirky… until the final act, specifically the long, drawn-out ending scene when Donald has his ultimate epiphany. This scene removes itself from the lighter touch of the rest of the film, sinking into the preachy depths from which it had successfully avoided up to this point. My advice, enjoy the film up to this point, then bite your tongue during the end, followed by an intriguing and intelligent debate with a number of various outlooks on the film with others as you leave the theater.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

BLUE LIKE JAZZ opens today, April 13th in St. Louis at Wehrenberg Theatres.

More information about BLUE LIKE JAZZ can be found at bluelikejazzthemovie.com

You can bet that the major studios have been looking at the movie career of multimedia mogul Tyler Perry very closely. Particularly those big box office numbers. For the last few years Perry has become a major Hollywood power player with his low budget, big grossing  films. Most of these have been adaptations of his stage productions that tour the country playing for a couple of performances to very enthusiastic, mostly black audiences. Many are little morality dramas spiced up with comedy (often with Perry himself in drag as that force of nature Madea-very broad comedy) and religious lessons (with an occasional hymn or song). Now the big studios hope to tap into that market with a mix of Perry, and a dash of TV’s “American Idol” and “Glee” with a pinch or two of FOOTLOOSE. The end result is a cinematic stew called JOYFUL NOISE, which might tickle the taste buds of many moviegoers. Or not.

When the cameras dolly (wait for it!) down the streets of sleepy Pacashau, Georgia we see the results of the economic down turn with many of the main street stores boarded up and plastered with ” Going Out of Business ” signs. But things are hoppin’ at the Pacashau Divinity Church with the singin’ and testifyin’ rainbow-hued choir (no racial tensions in this peach-flavored Brigadoon) led by Bernard Sparrow (Kris Kristofferson). But before the hymn is finished (hey, before the last of the opening credits) Sparrow has taken wing. The solemn, sometimes stuffy pastor (Courtney B. Vance) passes over widow G.G. Sparrow ( Dolly Parton ) for the position of choir director and appoints Vi Rose (Queen Latifah), the first of several conflicts between the two earth mothers (kind of like Stallone and Snipes facing off in DEMOLITION MAN). Vi Rose is a hardworkin’ mom and nurse (Dad has re-upped at a military base far,far away) trying to raise two kids: her rebellious sixteen year old daughter Olivia (Keke Palmer), who’s the choir’s big voiced MVP, and her kid brother Walter (Dexter Darden), whose Asperger’s syndrome compels him to rattle off music history one-hit-wonder trivia. As if things weren’t complicated enough, G.G.’s teenage grandson Randy (Jeremy Jordan) arrives in town after his mom kicked him out of his NYC home. He’s gonna’ shake things up and make em’ kick off their Sunday shoes (Oops. Well, it does seem that he stumbled on to this set right from the FOOTLOOSE remake auditions). Randy takes an immediate interest in the choir especially Olivia (Conflict #2!) . And before you can say “Conflict #3,”  Randy (and G.G.) are pushing Vi Rose to move away from the “traditional” spirituals and get down with gospel versions of pop tunes. I mean that’s the only way they’re gonna’ make it past those pesky regionals (aren’t those “Glee” kids always worked up about them?) and head on to the national finals (cue another TV bit from “American Idol” – “Welcome to Hollywood!”). I mean the poor, out-of-work folks back in Pacashau are a countin’ on them!

The many diverse elements in this film seem to bump, and often crash, into each other making for a sloppy, disjointed wreck of a film. At times it did seem like the first season of a new musical “dramedy” TV show called “The Church Choir” all mashed up into two long hours.  Like episodic TV, besides the main leads we get the wacky choir second-stringers (one repeats everything, another believes her lovin’ is fatal- a literal killer “booty”, there’s a break-dancin’ good ole’ boy, and an Asian who talks like Jethro Bodine- it’s pure comedy gold!) The stars do their best, but are hampered by the cliche’ ridden script. It seems as though Latifah’s Vi Rose is delivering sermons to other characters rather than conversing with them. She’s constantly ’ speech-ifying’. Dolly’s still playing the sweet, feisty, down-home, trashy-dressin’ gal, but is saddled with lots of tired corn-pone idioms and adages. I couldn’t help, but be distracted and saddened by her appearance, which is referenced a few times in the dialogue (Dolly’s G.G. says, “God didn’t make plastic surgeons to starve!”). It’s a shame that actors (male and female) don’t allow themselves to age gracefully (and have a mobile face instead of a plastic kabuki-like mask). This film is the second to explore Asperger’s in the past few weeks (after EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE), but here it seems to be more of a plot device to bring the two young love birds together. Most of the time Walter wears shades (resembling Jamie Foxx in RAY) and is able to interact socially when the script needs him to do so. His confrontation with Vi Rose questioning God is, at the least,  awkward (He cries, “I don’t wanna’ be like this!” Really?). The scenes at the national finals are laughingly absurd. Sure the stage crew could completely improvise and fellow the performers! No sweat! The popularity of gospel music is deserving of a great fiction feature film since there’s been a number of great documentaries (like 1982′s SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY). Let’s hope Hollywood will produce one soon. In the meantime file this under films you can give to Grammy for her new DVD player.

Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Since cinema began Hollywood has raided the opposite coast (the Great White Way AKA Broadway) for works to be adapted into big screen blockbusters. Of course we’ve got the old standards by Shakespeare- his plays seem to get a cinema “dusting off ” every few years. The studios seems to have had the biggest box office hits with the Broadway musical (or to be more specific, the musical comedy). Beginning in the early thirties these movie adaptations did brisk business and some garnered lots of acclaim (including such Best Picture Oscar winners as MY FAIR LADY, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, OLIVER!, and fairly recently CHICAGO). But before the movies could talk or sing several works of the “legitimate theatre” were adapted to film. Many times the original cast is recruited to preserve their stage performances (like THE MIRACLE WORKER with original stars Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke-both picked up Oscars). Most times the studios will cast established movie stars in these adaptations (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF? is a prime example). This may be the case for director Roman Polanski’s film of Yasmina Reza’s hit play “God of Carnage” (now, shortened to CARNAGE). And quite a cast of movie stars is assembled to play the two couples: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, and Christoph Waltz (four Oscars in that group). This play had a great Broadway run, but does it work as a film?

At the very start Polanski’s tackles one of the criticisms leveled at filmed stage works. He adds a scene outdoors that influences the adult conflicts (this helps “open-up” the play). In a long shot we observe several children (third or fourth grade) on a playground. Soon a verbal stand-down erupts into violence as one boy uses a stick to strike another boy in the face. The next scene takes place later in the home of Penelope (Foster) and Michael (Reilly), the parents of the injured lad. They’re meeting with the parents of the “stick-boy” Alan (Waltz) and Nancy (Winslet) to iron out school statements and medical bills (the boy lost two teeth!). Through the rest of the afternoon over cobbler, coffee, and scotch the friendly get-together dissolves into passive-aggressive one-upmanship, name-calling, and stress-induced nausea. Although Polanski has an end credit outdoor finale, the film suffers from stage claustrophobia. Alan and Nancy make several attempts to leave, but never let the elevator doors close. Several times I wanted to shout, “So leave already!!”. By the end we feel as trapped in this plush apartment as this foursome does. I lost track of how many times Winslet took off and the put on her gloves.

The main interest for most moviegoers will be seeing these four actors have at each other. It seems the men have a better time in it, but this may be more the fault of the play itself. Reilly is the same big, ole’ likeable bear we’ve seen  in most of his films as the bathroom fixture wholesaler Michael, who tries to follow his wife’s lead. Unfortunately there’s little sense of danger to him during some of the more heated scenes. Waltz is the standard, boorish, lawyer character who spends much of his screen time loudly talking on his cell phone (He’s taking another call! Enough!). He does get some big laughs as his no-B.S. honesty bursts through all the good-mannered correctness. I hope we’ll get to see Reilly and Waltz team up again in a future flick. Winslet has little to do besides being exasperated with her blase’ hubby and getting green around the gills. Foster may have the most thankless role as the cultured, overly sensitive Penelope who soon loses her patience and civility after trying to deal with the corporate-ladder climbing couple. After they break out the booze she becomes bug-eyed and shrill. Polanski is doing his best with the play, but the end result seems like a superstar charged PBS broadcast “night at the theaah-tre”. There’s a few laughs sprinkled sparsely throughout but not really enough to warrant being stuck in that room with these four.

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Seems that not that long ago holidays were almost the exclusive domain of horror flicks ( thanks in no small part to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic HALLOWEEN ). This extended to other calendar dates like certain Fridays and even birthdays. With the release last year of VALENTINE’S DAY the “rom-com” has decided to horn in on the cineplex action thanks to TV sitcom master ( his trifecta being ” Happy Days “, ” Laverne and Shirley ” and ” Mork and Mindy ” ) turned movie comic kingpin ( PRETTY WOMAN ) Gary Marshall. Now Mr. M has decided to take on another big ( usually romantic ) holiday with NEW YEAR’S EVE and once again he’s assembled another gang of big stars ( with two returnees from last year ). We’ve haven’t opened our presents under the tree yet ( some of us haven’t even begun shopping ), so is this early cinema offering a gift that we’ll revisit again and again?

 Like the previous holiday flick, this is several stories intercut over the running time ( some share characters and settings ). Speaking of settings, this time NYC replaces LA ( a very mild winter Big Apple ). Let’s check them off! Hilary Swank is a city worker in charge of the big Times Square celebration ( including the dropping of the big ball ) who’s aided by good pal, policeman Chris ” Ludacris ” Bridges. One of the entertainers there is Jenson, played by real life rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who’s also singing at a big record company party catered by Katherine Heigl and her assistant Sofia Vergara. A put-upon worker at said record company, Michelle Pfieffer, quits and offers tickets to the big party to messenger Zac Efron if he can help her check items off her ” things to do list “. Zac’s brother is a cynical, New Year’s-hating cartoonist ( Ashton Kutcher )  trapped in his building’s elevator along with perky singer Lea Michelle, who’s on her way to sing back up with Jenson. At a hospital young parents-to-be Seth Meyers and Jessica Biel compete with another couple to collect the cash prize for the first birth of 2012. On another floor, nurse Halle Berry tends to a dying Robert DeNiro, who just wants to live long enough to see the 2011 become history. Sarah Jessica Parker is a harried single mother trying to track down teenage daughter Abigal Breslin who hopes to share her first kiss with that special boy at midnight in Times Square. Also racing into town in order to share a midnight kiss is Josh Duhamel, who encounters many obstacles ( and wacky characters ) on his way back from a Connecticut wedding. Whew, what a night!

 Marshall does his best to juggle the many stories. Unfortunately he has to cut away from many plots just as the momentum starts building. And many of them would’ve been better left on the editing room floor, particularly those agonizing attempts at pathos. The DeNiro/Berry scenes really seem to slow things up while a turgid,televised speech by Swank grinds things to a complete halt ( really, the Times Square crowds are completely silent? Really? ). The script is very TV “sitcomy” with many obvious set-ups and punch lines. The big star list may be more a testament to the good will that Marshall engenders rather than the quality of the material. Still several of the more seasoned comedy pr0s wring some laughs especially SNL’s Meyers and Vergara ( her character here is an even more ethnic and hot-to-trot variation of her Gloria from TV’s ” Modern Family ” ). Many pairings just don’t have much of a spark ( the Kutcher/Michelle pairing is a bit creepy ). I was really disheartened that Pfieffer was saddled with a frumpy brown wig and doing another take on the pre-Catwoman Selina Kyle. Fortunately the film moves to another location and pairing very quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief that Heigl and Parker shared no scenes. I feared that the two queens of awful romcoms on-screen together might create some sort of cinema black hole. There is great use of NYC locations, but it’s not enough to recommend this cliche-ridden, cloying mess. Stick around for the end credits bloopers-they’re a lot funnier than what’s in the main film ( maybe you’ll get to be that funny in a comedy soon, Mr. DeNiro! ). Let’s hope this is the last holiday to get this big screen desecration from the Marshall gang ( I’m sure Hector Elizondo will still get plenty of work! ).

Overall Rating: One and a Half Out of Five Stars

A wise man once said: “It is much easier to become a father than to be one.” Writer/director Alexander Payne’s THE DESCENDANTS, based on a novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, is the best example of that sentiment on film that I’ve seen in many years. The story of a father and husband trying to find his way after failing in both roles isn’t as funny as Payne’s previous films CITIZEN RUTH, ELECTION, ABOUT SCHMIDT, or SIDEWAYS, but it’s his most emotional and one of the best films of the year.

Set in Hawaii, THE DESCENDANTS opens with an off-screen boating accident that puts Elizabeth King (Patricia Hastie) in the hospital, on life support and in a deep coma. It’s looking less likely by the day that she’s going to wake up. While her distant husband Matt (George Clooney) attempts to deal his wife’s likely death, he realizes that he doesn’t have the experience to take care of their daughters –  young Scottie (Amara Miller) and teenage Alexandra (Shailene Woodleyz). They’ve never been close as a family and the fact that they have to pull together now through tragedy makes things even more awkward. When Alexandra announces that she caught her mother cheating on Matt before her injury, he’s astounded and unsure how to deal with an infidelity crisis while the women who betrayed him lies dying.  Determined to confront his wife’s lover, Matt and the girls take a trip across the island to track down this man (Mathew Lilard) who might have broken up their marriage if fate hadn’t interfered. The rebellious Alexandra brings along her dense, out-of-his-league boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause), more just to annoy her father than any real emotional need. In addition to the kids, Matt’s estate includes a valuable expanse of Hawaiian beachfront property bequeathed to him and his cousins, descendants of a long-ago marriage of a Hawaiian princess and the banker son of white missionaries. Matt is charged with the decision of what to do with this property before it legally falls out of the family’s hands.  Should he sell it to turn it into a resort or let it remain pristine? While facing the daily challenges of parenthood while coping with his two young daughter’s expressions of grief, he also has to deal with the fate of this family legacy.

THE DESCENDANTS is the story not of death, but of the strategy people devise to cope, to defend and to protect themselves against pain and loss. And though it sometimes reveals the distasteful, ugly ways in which people interact while coping with tragedy, it is also a beautifully shot and truthful portrayal of human frailties and reactions to losing a family member. Clooney gives a rich, nuanced performances, generating real warmth and vulnerability as well as the usual smoldering charisma. Matt quickly realizes that he’s got some growing up to do himself if he’s ever going to develop a proper relationship with his girls and the dynamic between the three is kept interesting on many levels. There’s something very natural about Clooney’s presence with these two but his performance, as good as it is, would be for nothing if the girls didn’t complement it so well. Both young actresses bring the individuality of their characters to life and are more than capable of holding their own on screen. Ten-year-old Amara Miller as Scottie moves ably from joy to sullen petulance, and 17-year-old Shailene Woodley as Alexandra, who we first meet drunk at an expensive teen rehab clinic, brings a believable adolescent fierceness to the character, pushing boundaries with the kind of disrespect that any parent of a teen will recognize. The rest of the supporting cast is fine, with Robert Forster coming off particularly well as Matt’s cantankerous father-in-law, profound in his grief. Mathew Lilard adulterous lover works wonders with his goofy grin in a small role and Judy Greer as his wife steals a couple of big emotional scenes. Only Nick Krause as Alexandra’s stoner boyfriend steps near some clichés but he does walk off with some of the film’s funnier lines. THE DESCENDANTS isn’t my favorite movie of the years (that’s still SUPER), nor is it Payne’s best (still ELECTION), but it is one of the best movies of this year and deserving of the many awards it’s bound to receive.

5 of 5 Stars

 THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR is a new period comedy/ drama from France that surprisingly has much in common with one of 2011′s American blockbusters, THE HELP. Both films are set in the societal upheaval of the early 1960s and both concern the travails of domestic workers and their employers. While the US version was tied to the civil rights movement ( with literally life and death at stake ), the French story is more concerned with social class structure along with a second chance romance. Still both films have a great deal of empathy for the sometimes invisible ” hired help”.

Jean Louis ( Fabrice Luchini) is a successful investment consultant at his old, established family banking firm in 1960′s Paris. He and his status-seeking socialite wife, Suzanne ( Sandrine Kiberlain ) and two spoiled preteen sons ( usually away at an exclusive boarding school ) reside in a large downtown apartment complex. Living above Jean Louis’s opulent apartment that encompasses the entire level are the Spanish born maids who work in the different households. These are the women of the sixth floor who each live almost in squalor, in tiny single rooms and must share one bathroom and a communal sink. One day Jean Louis’s French maid of many years finally quits after another clash with Suzanne. This occurs around the time of the arrival of Maria ( Natalia Verbeke ) a lovely young woman from Toledo who is soon seeking domestic help employment. Jean Louis hires Maria and is charmed by her and her other sixth floor friends ( one is a Daily Worker reading radical, another is deeply religious, one must escape an abusive husband, while another is out to snare a hubby ). His interactions with the ladies rekindle his zest for life after his soul had become deadened by his stale upper class routine. Finally Jean Louis must decide if he will stay on the path that his forefathers have traveled or defy convention and fully join Maria’s world.

The story of cultural and class romance has been explored in many different media ( the BBC-TV series ” Upstairs, Downstairs ” first springs to mind ). Everything here hinges on whether the film makers provide a fresh spin on this subject. I’d have to say that the results here are fairly predictable and a bit condescending. Luchini is the old stick in the mud business guy ( if this were an American film he’d be a WASP ). The breakfast egg fanaticism gives him that anal-retentive extra edge. His wife is a cold shrew only interested in impressing the neighbors, and is never really given the chance to change. Plus the sons are coarse, bullying jerks. Verbeke’s Maria is almost a sensual Mary Poppins who appears to awake the sleeping Jean Louis. She and her “sisters” are the earthy, passionate ethnics that will teach these dullards how to live. They’re each archetypes more than real people. The main problem with the film is the tentative relationship at its center. We can easily understand why Jean Louis falls for the spunky, beautiful, much-younger Maria, but it’s difficult to understand her attraction to him ( yeah, he’s wealthy and becomes more caring, but she deserves more ). The 60′s fashions and settings are well executed, but the final scenes seem hurriedly cobbled together. THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR is a sweet-natured film full of good intentions that doesn’t succeed in bringing anything new in the clash between the classes.

Overall Rating: Two Out of Five Stars

The title of the new film LIKE CRAZY refers to the tumult of emotions that overwhelm the senses during the rush of attraction that blossoms into love ( particularly amongst the under thirty crowd ). With these two leads we’re probably not talking about first love as they’re just about to finish college. Still the intensity of their feelings practically explode off the screen. But like most examples of romantic cinema this couple’s journey is not an easy one.

The plot of the film almost follows the old cliché movie love story structure / formula : boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl, etcetera. A college writing major from England, Emma (Felicity Jones) becomes smitten with the professor’s student assistant, Jake (Anton Yelchin), a furniture designer, while attending school in Los Angeles. She leaves a note with her number (and a poem) on his car windshield. He calls her up, they date, and begin a whirlwind Spring romance. Unfortunately love clouds her judgement and she stays past her student visa return date. When Emma tries to visit Jake in LA after finally returning to England she’s denied re-entry in the US because of the visa violation. Thus begins a long struggle as the two lovers try to get back together. He can only afford a few trips to see her in the UK. In between visits Jake starts a furniture design business with Samantha (Jennifer Lawrence) who becomes more than a work partner, while Emma becomes an assistant to the editor of a fashion magazines ( Fionela Hughes ) and re-connects with some old friends and an attractive neighbor, Simon ( Charlie Bewley ). Can Jake and Emma’s love survive the strains and temptations of this long distance relationship while also battling the heartless bureaucracy?

Yes, it’s a fairly simple story that’s told without a lot of flashy touches although director Drake Doremus occasionally indulges a few film school tricks. He uses pixilation ( the camera’s locked above the bed as we see Emma and Jake in multiple sleepwear and sleep positions to denote time passage, while later Emma is in one spot at the airport as humanity buzzes and flits about her ) and slow dissolves ( the kitchen remains the same as the characters are in different clothing ). And of course we’ve got to have at least one montage of the two leads frolicking on the beach ( and at the go-kart track ) set to a sprightly tune. It’s really up to the actors to make this basic tale compelling. The two leads bring a a lot of fresh energy to this romance. Yelchin still projects the wit and intelligence the he showed in his two films from earlier this year ( THE BEAVER and FRIGHT NIGHT ), but here he presents a tender side as he tentatively gives his heart to this young woman who has pursued him ( yeah sexual equality! ). Jones as Emma gives a real star-making performance. You can almost hear her thoughts as she finally works up the courage to leave that windshield note. She almost bursts with exhilaration as Emma and Jake make a connection. This makes her poor decision to stay longer a bit more understandable. Later, as she makes a late night call to Jake from London, her pain and loneliness is heartbreaking. This is a young actress of startling sensitivity. I was rooting for them to triumph over those heartless immigration officers, but I began to feel greater sympathy for their interim flings. Simon seems a bit of a prig, but Jennifer Lawrence’s Sam is deserving of a better fate. The other, older actors do a great job of supporting the young lovers. Alex Kingston and Oliver Muirhead have a great rapport as Emma’s indulgent, worldly, supportive parents ( break out the whiskey! ) and Hughes scores as Emma’s nurturing, understanding mentor. This film may be a bit too messy for some viewers ( I was squirming during the big argument ), but relationships can’t always be hearts and flowers. The ending’s a bit open, so I hope we’ll spend some more time with these two someday. LIKE CRAZY is an emotional rollercoaster and a great showcase for two very gifted young actors.

Overall Rating: Four Out of Five Stars

LIKE CRAZY will be screened at 7 PM Thursday November 3 at  the Tivoli theatre as a special sneak preview of the 20th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival. The film’s regular engagement begins on November 11 at the Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

Ahhh, the tropical beaches, the endless ocean view…there’s just one thing missing. Hold up, here he is-Johnny Depp. Is he slapping on the eye shadow for another nautical odyssey as Captian Jack Sparrow? Not quite. THE RUM DIARY skips ahead a couple of centuries to set ashore in Puerto Rico circa 1960. But Depp is in somewhat familiar territory. The film is based on the work of Depp’s late friend, Hunter S. Thompson. This would be the second Depp / Thompson film project ( not counting Hunter’s cameo/ tribute in the animated RANGO ) after Terry Gilliam’s 1998 screen adaptation of FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS. Does this new flick match that earlier film’s gonzo lunacy?

The film begins with Paul Kemp’s ( Depp ) arrival in San Juan during the politically turmoil of 1960. This chain-smokin’, hard-drinkin’, cynical writer is about to begin a new job at the English language newspaper The San Juan Star. After making his way past a demonstration by striking workers he meets his future roommate and adventure partner paunchy, wiseguy/ photographer Bob Sala ( Michael Rispoli ). Kemp also meets his boss, burnt-out editor Lotterman ( Richard Jenkins ). Try not stare at that very bad toupee! At the docks Kemp meets another Star staffer, religion writer Moburg ( Giovanni Ribisi ), a near derelict who spends most of his days scavenging through the garbage of San Juan. A guy-on-the make, public relations man Sanderson ( Aaron Eckhart ) takes note of Kemp’s recent arrival. The PR whiz believe that he should fit into his plans. unfortunately Kemp also catches the eye of Sanderson’s young, free-spirited, blonde-bombshell girlfriend Chenault ( Amber Heard ). For the next few days Kemp indulges in all the country’s vices while discovering the extreme poverty of the natives who don’t reap the benefits of the big developments spearheaded by Sanderson and some high rollers from the states.

The first act of the film is a whole lot of fun as we drink in the 60′s atmosphere ( fashions, cars,and a look at a Kennedy/ Nixon presidential debate ) and meet these quirky characters. Rispoli’s Bob is very endearing as the gravelly voiced, hard-nosed sidekick, confidant. Ribisi almost floats through his scenes with an otherworldly vibe as the well-connected, resourceful street spirit. Jenkins takes the old gruff editor cliché and gives him a sad edge as a fellow who’s seen it all and doesn’t want to make waves. Eckhart is oily perfection in a role he’s staked a claim to since his sleazy IN THE COMPANY OF MEN businessman oozed off the screen. Heard more than fills the bill as the femme fatale staple of noir thrillers. The screen almost sizzles as she flirts with Kemp. Speaking of Kemp, the movie’s main draw is another crude, shifty wildman played by Depp. He’s always interesting to watch. Here he bugs his eyes while racing through his line deliveries. At times he’s almost channeling Thompson ( even down to the way he handles his cigarette ). For Depp’s devout fans, this film is a must see. Unfortunately the film is a tough, long slog for those of us not completely enamored of his every move. This is director Bruce Robinson’s first film in nearly twenty years and he has trouble with the pacing on this. It seems to be in the same alcoholic haze as most of the characters ( for you Thompson fans there’s one hallucinogen sequence ). When they’re not boozing it up, it seems like Kemp and company are always being chased through the picturesque streets. Oddly the film’s ending seems abrupt and truncated. There doesn’t seem to be a real sense of urgency to any of the proceedings. This is more the fault of a meandering script that perhaps needed a bit more polishing. THE RUM DIARY may seem like a frothy screen excursion, but like many getaways, you may be tired,exhausted , and in need of another vacation when it’s done.

Overall Rating: Two Out of Five Stars

Pack your rain gear and we’ll take a trip to the Northeast, Seattle to be exact. It’s the home of alternative culture and mecca of most quirkiness. And our guide is one of the most off-beat film directors, Gus Van Zant of MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO fame. For a bit of a change of pace he’s presenting a boy-meets-girl story. They do meet “cute”, but these two young people in RESTLESS are far from the typical movie couple.

We first meet the shy, sullen teenage boy Enoch ( Henry Hopper ) as he “crashes” the memorial service of a complete stranger. He sits quietly in the back and after the service, he returns to the big, gloomy house he shares with his aunt ( Jane Adams ). His only friend is the ghost of a WWII kamikaze pilot, Hiroshi ( Ryo Kase ), that only Enoch can see. At the next service Enoch catches the eye of a teenage girl, Annabel ( Mia Wasikowska ). She too has crashed the service and explains that she works at a nearby hospital. She soon returns to the home she shares with her boozy mother and very protective older sister ( Schuyler Fisk ). When she takes Annabel to the hospital we find that she doesn’t work there, but is a frequent patient. A new test reveals that a cancerous growth on the brain is spreading and Annabel has only three months to live. At the next service that Enoch attends, it seems his luck has run out- the cemetery director recognizes him from the two recent services. Before Enoch is ejected Annabelle steps in and covers for him. The pair soon begin a friendship and, after Annabel shares the news of her condition, they begin to fall in love. The stoic Enoch finally lets down his defences and shares his family tragedy. These two free spirits have found each other, but what will happen as they near her final days?

For fans of 70′s cinema the comparisons to Hal Ashby’s classic HAROLD AND MAUDE are too great to ignore. Like Bud Cort’s Harold, Enoch is somber, quiet and obsessed with death although he doesn’t stage elaborate mock suicides as in the former film. Hopper reminds one of Cort in many scenes along with his father Dennis, his dad’s contemporary James Dean and a younger James Franco. Instead of the sprightly septenagerian Ruth Gordon as Maude RESTLESS has a sprightly terminally ill pixie in Wasikowska. With her short cropped blonde hair she’s close to the great movie gamine Audrey Hepburn and free spirits Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams. This is a very different side of Wasikowska from her other film roles and solidifies her status as a young actress ro watch. These two do their best with a script that’s cloyingly precious most of the time. The injection of a whimsical invisible pal detracts from the tenderness of the couple’s growing affection for each other. I guess a ghost pilot’s better than a tall invisible rabbit ( sorry Pooka fans). I must single out Ms Fisk for her portrait of an older sister who’s had to step up and be the head of the family. She projects a no-nonsense tough, protective exterior while her heart is breaking over the prospect of losing her sibling. The slow pacing, turgid soundtrack songs, and dark, dreary cinematography don’t service the actors properly. If you can handle some of the forced whimsy, RESTLESS may be worth your time. But the definitive love amongst death comedy is that gem from over 40 years ago.

Overall Rating: Two and a Half Out of Five Stars

Film fans have been enchanted by cinema small towns like Bedford Falls in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE ( and of course TV fans will always adore the charms of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW’s Mayberry ) for many years. Well, let’s hop across the pond and spend some time in a mellow little village over in France. This is the setting of a sweet little love story called MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE that begins with a chance encounter between two villagers with very little in common, but who soon are able to fill a void in each other’s lives.

We first meet the younger, male half of the duo during the film’s opening titles. Chazes Germain ( Gerard Depaedieu ) is a middle aged, lumbering, good natured jack-of-all-trades known to most everyone in the little town. He frequently hangs out at a local tavern ( you almost expect them to yell Chazes upon his entrance ala’ Norm in TV’s ” Cheers” ), shares his bed with his lover, the much younger bus driver Annette ( Sophie Guillemin ), and tends to his vegetable garden ( he sells his crops at a local farmers’ market ) in the back yard of the home of his now senile ( but still abrasive ) mother ( Chazes lives in a trailer outside the house ). His life changes radically when he meets a sprightly septuagenarian named Margueritte ( Gisele Casadesus ) at a bench in the town park. She lives at a nearby retirement center and enjoys reading in the fresh air. Her reading aloud sparks a passion for literature in Chazes. In flashbacks we see young Chazes belittled by a bullying teacher as he struggles to read to the class. She even gives him her dictionary as a present. Unfortunately Marguritte’s family cannot afford her apartment at the center and may have to move in with them in Brussels. This, along with news from Annette, prompts Chazes to make some decisions that will change his life.

Spending some time in that park with these two is a nice change of pace from some of the loud, bombastic recent cinematic offerings. Much of the charm that has made Depardieu a French movie icon is well displayed here. Chazes may be thick ( in body and intellect ), but he is a kind, gentle soul. Unfortunately he has a talent for saying the wrong things ( especially when he tries to console the tavern owner who has lost her much younger lover ). This makes the flashback scenes so heartbreaking . Not only do we have the dour school scenes I’ve mentioned, but we see the horrific physical and verbal abuse he endured from his frustrated single mother ( father was out of the picture after conception). Although well into adulthood Chazes still yearns for a nurturing parental figure. The kind, caring, patience Margueritte fulfills his needs. She also becomes an encouraging teacher that opens up the door to knowledge that was slammed shut by the local school. There’s lots of small laughs along with the pathos. Chazes’s conversation with a cat is particularly lovely. MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITTE is an endearing modern fable that shows how an act of kindness can cause a ripple effect and bless everyone it touches.

Overall Rating: Four  Out of Five Stars

With a cast this impressively eclectic, THE BIG YEAR is not nearly as ridiculous as I was expecting. While the hilarity factor falls short of anticipated, the film still delivers plenty of humor, but the approach is far more charming than absurd, resulting in a pleasantly entertaining, somewhat uplifting dramedy.

Directed by David Frankel, THE BIG YEAR is a film which clearly falls somewhere between MARLEY & ME and THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA on his range of storytelling prowess and style. What the film does is to take an otherwise mundane subject that the average viewer would find dull and uninteresting, but fills it with a message of finding one’s true priorities, then wraps it up with a talented cast.

THE BIG YEAR follows three main characters, all three are passionate birders, as they venture out to set the world record for spotting the most bird species in North America in a single calendar year. Sound exciting? Exactly. However, the film actually does end up being rather exciting, sort of, in the sense that I actually cared about all three characters, even the one I was meant to hate, somewhat.

“Birding” is the observation of birds in their natural habitats as a hobby. Therefore, a “birder” is one who partakes in birding.

THE BIG YEAR is told from the perspective of Brad Harris (Jack Black), a thirty-something divorcee living with his parents and working a dead end job he hates, but whose passion for birding drives his will to push on each day toward his dream of being the best. This presents something of a dilemma, as the current record holder and inspiration for Brad is Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson), who happens to be planning his own “big year” for a second consecutive time in an effort to secure his world record. Brad and Kenny are diametrically opposite personalities. Brad has a child-like passion for the art and wonder of birding, while Kenny appears to be far more interested in the fame of being the best.

Our third main character is Stu Preissler (Steve Martin), a successful CEO struggling to force himself into retirement so he may finally pursue his own big year, a dream he’s had since a child. Brad, Kenny and Stu all pursue the same goal, but tension emerges as they attempt to keep this a secret from one another in an effort to avoid heated competition. Brad and Stu are well aware of Kenny’s reputation for being a relentlessly brilliant birder who plays the game from any angle necessary, but rumors of being a cheat sparks an increased level of distrust toward him from both Brad and Stu.

I can only assume that the acts of birding in THE BIG YEAR are accurately portrayed, as I’ve never participated myself, but there is a very real sense of authenticity in the film. All of that aside, the movie isn’t really about birding, but rather about realizing what’s really important in the characters’ lives. This ultimately proves to be the families and loves ones of all three characters, but only two of them will end their journey having had that epiphany in a positive way. The other will ultimately learn a valuable lesson from his mistakes.

THE BIG YEAR doesn’t always hit the comedic nails squarely on the head, but the overall product is well worth the effort. With moments of slightly off-kilter timing or less-than-perfect delivery, the film stumbles slightly on occasion, but always manages to pick itself up and stabilize before ever falling flat on its face. Jack Black manages to pull back the reigns a bit, allowing his character to develop without Black’s trademark orneriness getting in the way, while Owen Wilson pretty much plays his character in his typical fashion, but it works. On the other hand, it was Steve Martin who impressed upon me the most connection with his character. Perhaps seeing a bit of his own life in Stu, Martin drew upon my empathy with astonishing ease. Stu is also something of a catalyst, a mentor even, for Brad’s own growth as a well-rounded individual.

What made the biggest impression on me while watching THE BIG YEAR was the supporting cast, filled to the gills with veteran cameos and recognizable fresh faces. Brian Dennehy plays Brad’s unsupportive, hard-nosed father while Dianne Wiest plays his loving, exceedingly supportive mother Brenda. JoBeth Williams plays Stu’s supportive wife Edith, Kevin Pollak and Joel McHale (TV’s COMMUNITY) play Stu’s corporate yes men, Rosamund Pike plays Kenny’s lonely and frustrated wife Jessica, Jim Parsons (TV’s BIG BANG THEORY) plays birder-groupie and blogger Crane, and Rashida Jones plays Brad’s love interest Ellie. And, as if this isn’t alluring enough, the film is brimming with cameos including Tim Blake Nelson, Anjelica Huston, Corbin Bernsen, Steven Weber and Al Roker.

When its all said and done, THE BIG YEAR is essentially a dramedy, finding its niche somewhere between quirkiness and melodrama, a film that could easily fall through the cracks if not properly marketed. So, this is my final word… THE BIG YEAR is not a great film, but its a reasonably good film that’s fun without being stupid, dramatic without being emotional, and friendly audiences of all ages, but intended for the grown-ups.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

THE BIG YEAR opens in St. Louis theaters on Friday, October 14th, 2011.

It’s not an easy finding the humor inherent in even the darkest subjects of human life, carefully trying to extract the essence of that elusive silver lining everyone keeps talking about. Many would say there’s nothing funny about cancer, and I would agree on the most basic level, but when done tastefully and with compassion, humor can not only be found in anything, but can actually be a positive force of healing and inspiration.

No, this isn’t Dr. Phil guest writing my review. This is an effort to describe what I took away from watching Jonathan Levine’s third feature film 50/50. As far as I’m concerned, Levine is now three-for-three, having first won my affection in 2008 with THE WACKNESS, his first feature outing was actually in 2006 with ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE. Unfortunately, Levine’s first feature has still yet to be released, which quite literally makes me angry.

50/50 tells the story of Adam Lerner, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 DAYS OF SUMMER, HESHER), a 27-year old nice guy who suddenly discovers he has a rare form of cancer. The film tackles the subject comically, but doesn’t wash over the seriousness of the situation, maintaining absolute integrity. We follow Adam as he muddles through the painful process of beating cancer. His best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen (PAUL, FUNNY PEOPLE), sticks by his side through the entire film, providing more than just the comic relief he does so well, but also as his crutch, his cheerleader and wing man.

Angelica Huston (THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS) plays Diane, Adam’s over-protective mother. Adam spends most of the film avoiding his mother, especially once he learns of his condition, relying more on the questionably authentic support of his live-in artist girlfriend Rachel, played with cold ambiguity by Bryce Dallas Howard (HEREAFTER, ECLIPSE). All the while, Adam seems oblivious to the intrinsic nature of Kyle’s friendship, and slowly sinks into self-pity, until he meets Katie, played by Anna Kendrick (NEW MOON, UP IN THE AIR), a support counselor as green to her profession and he is to having cancer. Kendrick is cute and fragile, like that pretty porcelain figurine on your grandmother’s shelf that you’re afraid to tough for fear of breaking.

Primarily a television producer, Will Reiser makes an incredible first impression as a screenwriter with his freshman offering. The characters of 50/50 are rich and detailed, tangible with real human flaws. The humor is perfectly timed, edgy but respectful, with a charm that balances nicely with the emotionally challenging aspects of the script. Reiser paints his characters with gently, relying on the quality of the paint rather than the boldness of his strokes. Levine and the cast must have picked up on this as well, because the whole film works beautifully.

Levine allows the cast of 50/50 to shine, unencumbered by an over-intrusive visual style or disruptive gimmicks, but enhances the performances and the writing with a keen sense of reflective stillness and an ear for great music that harmoniously brings what we see and hear on screen into full maturity. Levine seems to be telepathically synced with the cast, successfully harnessing Rogen’s familiar and goofy, often-stoned style of comedy, but reining it in enough that’s it’s not overbearing and never overshadows Adam. What Levitt has done, is take a topic just recently attempted by FUNNY PEOPLE with moderate success at best, and has succeeded in applying the “less is more” rule.

50/50 takes the audience by the hand and says, this isn’t always going to be an easy journey, but we’re going to make the most of it and have fun. In fact, it’s the perfectly executed ups and downs of Adam’s experience that makes it so damn easy to connect and empathize with him. Levitt evokes the very best of what makes an actor a leading star as well as what makes the best character actors so vividly unique and memorable, doing so in a way that seems almost effortless. One of the tiniest, but most significant ways he has done this with 50/50 is in how affects his own appearance, his pale complexion, his red and tired eyes, his posture, all small but important ingredients in selling such a difficult role.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been on my radar of fine actors for a long time, but 50/50 just further proves what a fascinating actor and craftsman remains to be seen. Not only has he managed to continue redefining his own range as an actor with this role, but does so convincingly that I never once found myself questioning whether he had on some level had some experience with what a cancer patient must feel.

Philip Baker Hall (MAGNOLIA) and Matt Frewer (WATCHMEN) provide small but strong performances as two older cancer patients who share chemotherapy sessions with Adam. Hall and Frewer supply an additional layer of humor, but also indirectly serve as mentoring guides in Adam’s journey.

50/50 is a film that will make you laugh, it may even make you cry, but should ultimately make you care. 50/50 is one of those rare films that reads like real life, not all good, not all bad, but almost always somewhere in between, which is where the most interesting and honest stories reside.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars