Strickly Background (2007)

A mildly amusing film that follows a dozen actors working as Hollywood extras.   A lesson on the challenges of making it as an actor and should be watched by anyone dreaming of stardom.  It's also a celebration of an important but invisible part of television and movie entertainment.   Not to say that this is a must-see documentary, it doesn't have much going for it besides a few memorable scenes.   Grade: B.

Freakonomics (2010)

When I saw the trailer for this documentary based on the best-selling book of the same title I became very interested.  I love the idea that truths we all take for granted are not true at all.  Of the four segments of this film I'd say only two are really that eye-opening.  The first part deals with the power of naming.   I did find it funny how lower income parents tend to name their children popular names that upper-class families picked hence turning that name into a trite imitation.  Slightly interesting.  The second segment is about Sumo wrestling and cheating.  Boring.  The third segment deals with the kind of controversial analysis I was excepting: crime rates in association with abortion rates.  Very interesting.  The last segment sheds some light on incentive programs and how ineffective they are, especially for education.  Interesting.  Overall I was disappointed in this film.  I would have liked there to have been more segments and felt the producers missed the mark.   I'd not call this a bad film but nowhere near as good as I had hoped.  Grade: B.

When In Rome (2010)

Kristen Bell is deserving of so much more than this.  At least she met her future husband on this film because this isn't the kind of project that's going to impress people.  It's disappointing too because she has wonderful comic timing and if let loose with an interesting character she could really succeed.  Here she's stuck playing second fiddle opposite clownish actors like Will Arnett, Dax Sherpard and Jon Heder.  In Rome for her sister's wedding she mistakenly thinks the other American guy there she has fallen head over heels for is otherwise unavailable.  In protest of love she steals some coins out of a fountain and magically unbeknown to her makes the owners of those coins fall in love with her, sending them to New York where they terrorize her.  It's one of those plots that feels force feed and while seeing her suitors, including Danny Devito, bombard her with their affections is humorous it's also manufactured and never as funny as the actors probably wanted it to be.  Stick a bunch of funny people in a move doesn't guarantee a funny movie.   Overall it's a weak movie casted with talent that should be turning these type of inferior scripts down.  I can only imagine everyone wanting to do this film because they'd get a free trip to Rome, which isn't a good enough reason for the audience. Grade: C+

I'm Reed Fish (2007)

A charming but flawed film that attempts a slide of hand that in the end sort of works.  I wouldn't recommend this film unless you enjoy independent films with quirky characters.  Written by a guy named Reed Fish, this film tells the story of a guy named Reed Fish making a movie about his love life, starring friends and neighbors.  That's sort of a spoiler but not really because of the playful choice of narrative Mr. Fish uses.  Jay Baruchel plays the title role and he does a pretty good job considering he's playing a guy who basically can't decide which girl he wants to be with, the girl he is with and is planning on marrying or his first love who is back in town.  That's right, he's not the most compelling guy and it's hard to really root for him.   Overall there was some nice light comedy that never completely develops as the real Reed Fish tries to turn the film into a more dramatic work.  I wish he had focused on comedy instead because the drama feels forced and the comedy is very natural.  Grade: B.

Spoilers:  Okay, when discussing this film I must bring up the ending and that's how he switches the character's names attempting to trick the audience.  I didn't really care for this, mostly because I never really bought into the love story.   When it is revealed the name of the girl he's actually in love with it's kind of a head-scratcher.  I'm not saying I hated how Mr. Reed did this, and I guess making the audience struggle with which girl he should be with, creates dramatic interest but I'd have liked to believe from the very beginning that he should be with the old girl friend, Jill, but I was actually thinking he should be with the fiancee, Kate, instead.   So the end was unsatisfying.  He did such a good job making you care about that relationship with Kate that when it doesn't work out it's disappointing.  Not a good thing for a romantic comedy, especially when the final scene is actually really cool.  I just wish Mrs. Appleby had been Kate instead of Jill.  Oh well.

The Secret of Kells (2009)

Animation like this is so wonderful.  Instead of trying to do what everyone else is doing, and that's chasing Pixar, here the animators develop a style that actually honors the very work that inspired it which is also the basis of the story, the Book of Kells.  Simple shapes and interlocking ribbons of color crafted with brilliant wit in the old Insularistic way, we follow a boy named Brendan, who lives with monks in a walled-off village, become a great artist.  But to do so he must follow the teachings of Brother Aidan, a Illuminator who just escaped the destructive Vikings, as well as venture out beyond the village wall into the forest against the Abbott's orders, a domineering figure that happens to be Brendon's Uncle.  Once in the forest he becomes entranced by a forest spirit named Aisling who guides him on adventures beyond his imagination.   This is a fine film and completely deserving of its Oscar nomination.   It's a perfect balance of Celtic mythology and dramatic storytelling.  I'd be surprised if anyone who enjoys animation doesn't like this example of artful fantasy.  Grade: A-

Green Lantern (2011)

First of all I'm a big Green Lantern fan.  The guy is my third favorite superhero.  I love the comics and think he has the most outrageous "power" one could have.  God I'd love to have a Green Lantern ring.  When I heard that they were making a movie out of the Emerald Knight I knew it would suck and yet I went to the movie to support the guy, especially with reviews talking about Green Lantern being a second class superhero (which is not true, he's a classic and completely deserving of a big screen treatment).  To my surprise the film wasn't that bad.  It's over explains way too much, never trusting its audience will "get it" but I expected an epic disaster and what I watched was an entertaining adventure.  Ryan Reynolds is fantastic as Hal Jordan and I loved the overall story.  But it is flawed and the flaws are hard to ignore.  The villains are weak and much of the set up for a sequel that will probably never get made is extra baggage.  I think this film could have been way better and that saddens me some but it was a treat watching the Green Lantern fly and maybe someday Warner Brothers will give him another shot, because he's deserving of it.  Grade: B+.

Spoilers:  What were they thinking?   Who ever designed the look of the Parallax should never work on movies again.   It was like they had just finished watching the Wizard of Oz and thought the floating head design of the fake Oz would work.  A giant zombie head floating in space?   A yellow smog like cloud engulfing a city?  That's the best you could come up with?  An audience needs to relate to their villains, they need to recognize and fear them as a tangible character, not a lousy special effect.   What might have been a scary climax became a cartoony end to an otherwise decent film.  Hokey to the max.   I'd also like to add that I found it really lazy how they went about designing the overall look of Oa.  This is supposed to be the home of the Green Lantern Corp, the source of the Green Light.  This city should look like a modern paradise, a place of unlimited scope.  Instead its a dark, rocky world that's as boring as can be.  They got the look of the Green lantern suits right, they made the Corp full of a variety of creatures, but then they decided to save on the rest.  Basically I think they should have kept the first movie on Earth and made Hector Hammond the only villain.  Hector was wasted and I'd have loved to see him become some monster Akira-style at the end.  Of course with this design team there's no telling how stupid such an effect would look like.  I have to say though that after the credits when Sinestro puts on the yellow ring I got excited.  How I'd love to see a sequel with the same cast.  I have a bad feeling though that's not going to happen, which is a shame.  I hope I'm wrong.

Midnight In Paris (2011)

So far this is the best film of the summer, if not the year.  Woody Allen is proving his critics that he's not done yet.  He's still got it and here he magically spins a tale that matches some of his best works.  Owen Wilson plays Gil a screenwriter in love with the Paris of old.  His girl friend, played by Rachel McAdams, are in Paris with her parents.  He wants to give up the movies and become a novelist.  She's not so keen on that idea.  Then one midnight while walking the streets of Paris he stumbles upon a bit of magic.  Let me add that this is one of those rare situations where I can recommend the film's trailer because its effective without giving too much away.  Really anyone should enjoy this movie but I guess if you detest Woody Allen movies or find Owen Wilson annoying than you should avoid this wonderful film.  I also might add that I think Owen Wilson is the perfect actor to portray the Woody Allen's mystic; I hope they work together again.  Grade: A.

Spoilers:  I have to say the cameos in this film are exceptional.   My favorite is Adrian Brody whose performance as Salvador Dali made me giddy with laughter.