"Easy A"

If this film is any indication of the actual attitudes in High School these days, I shudder to think how painful it must be for students living through it! As a cautionary tale of the devastating effects of gossip, "Easy A" is a marvelous presentation. Emma Stone shines playing Olive, falsely labeled, due to a rumor that she herself inadvertently started -- about her indiscretion (to put it delicately). (You may remember the famous novel, The Scarlet Letter, in which the "A" was earned and worn in shame by the unfortunate heroine, Hester Prinne.) I found the dialogue engaging, and the photography cleverly supported the premise of gossip spreading like wildfire. Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci as Olive's parents couldn't be better, and Thomas Hayden Church is believable as a favorite teacher. I was less enthusiastic about Lisa Kudrow as the school Counselor and Malcolm McDowell seemed a bit excessive (purposely?) as a stereotypical bullying Principal. Overall, however, I liked this film so much that I'm giving it FOUR STARS. It's really worth seeing, and not just for teens. Adults may actually appreciate it more than kids in the audience. "I'm so glad I'm not young anymore!!" SP

"You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger"

This, the most recent of Woody Allen's inimitable contributions to film making, seems too true to life for comfort! I think that Gemma Jones, playing Helena Shipridge, steals the show, surrounded by a great cast including Sir Anthony Hopkins, who, of course, can do no wrong as an actor. But certainly as Helena's husband, Alfie, he makes some pathetic mistakes, which he lives to regret. Narrated by Matt Damon, we get to see into the lives of three couples, and observe their all too human foibles. Pauline Collins perfectly plays the part of Cristal, the psychic in whom Helena has absolute faith. (Although, it would seem Cristal is, perhaps really a charlatan, but hey, she gives Helena hope for a better life and a future, even if it's not in this lifetime.) I found a couple of the performances annoyingly too over the top -- but maybe that was intentional? i.e. Charmaine, the young "actress" call-girl that Alfie marries (Lucy Punch) (after his divorce from Helena), trying to recapture his youth. And the dialogue by Naomi Watts, as Sally, when she finally confronts her mother (Helena), seemed a bit too much. I was starting to feel disappointed in Josh Brolin-- (after his great acting in "Wall Street..." ) because he just didn't seem right playing an unsuccessful writer, the husband of Sally, but then came a surprising plot twist (I won't reveal the spoiler) and he redeemed himself as an actor in my eyes. All in all, this film is worth seeing, but I only want to give it THREE STARS, because it's, well, kind of depressing because it is probably too accurate in portraying how people let their emotions rule their lives. Is everyone really this neurotic? Sigh. SP

"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"

Stellar cast. Not one false syllable in dialogue brilliantly crafted and expertly delivered. Michael Douglas' reprise of Gordon Gekko is fabulous, of course! He is surely one of the greatest actors around. Another Oscar? I loved hearing Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" during the opening scenes. Hard to single out one performance more than another , they are all so perfect, but I'll always remember Eli Wallach's brief, but unique stint, and Frank Langella -- better than ever, and that's saying a lot! Josh Brolin impressive as a really rotten scoundrel in "the game," (i.e. Wall Street trading, rumors, infighting...) You know the story, it's Gekko's return to the outside world after six years in prison. Despite the fact that I couldn't follow all the financial jargon, I have to give this an enthusiastic FOUR STARS, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Young Carey Mulligan again proved she's star material, and Shia LeBeouf fulfilled his role admirably. SP

TV or not TV, that is the question

New season, trial and error: "Outsourced" - Did you ever call Customer Service for some product and get a heavily accented voice on the other end? Well, this is about the phone room in India that has just received a newly trained American manager. I found this Pilot just plain annoying, watching it once was enough. Never again. Even worse was "Bored to Death," which I turned on only because I noted Ted Danson was in it. Before he even came on screen (and others in the cast are undoubtedly talented) I found the program crude and offensive, and I deleted it. Happily, "The Whole Truth" starring Rob Morrow (remember him from "Northern Exposure"?) and Moira Tierney turned out to be a fast moving battle of legal wits between the two, Prosecutor (Moira) from the D.A.s office, and Rob, the Defending an accused murderer. So far, so good, I liked this! I wasn't drawn to "Hawaii 5-0" until I noted that it had Scott Caan in one of the leads ('book 'em Dano"). Because many years ago when I met his father, James Caan, at the home of a mutual friend, I had been quite impressed with how gracious he was, despite his fame. I've always remembered him fondly. Plus I had heard good things about Caan fils, so I decided to see for myself. Glad I did. With Alex O'Laughlin as Steve McGarrett, heading up the elite "police task force at the request of Hawaii's governor (played by a Jean Smart, I think, whom I recall appearing on "Frazier"some time ago), this "Hawaii" is more violent than the original, but quite well done, and Scott did not disappoint. In fact, he's wonderful. Both he and Alex are great. Oh, and you get to see surfing, and a bikini clad cousin of Steve's, who helps catch the bad guys. Despite my venturing into new teritory, I am loyal to my old favorites, and totally enjoyed watching "How I Met Your Mother." It never fails to entertain, and even surprise. Consistently wonderful ensemble cast. Another (though off and on) favorite is the quirky "30 Rock" - This episode had Matt Damon playing Carol, the pilot boyfriend of Tina Fey, so I definitely had to watch it. Always a pleasure to see Alec Baldwin so perfect in his role. You gotta love "The Mentalist." Well, anyway, I do! And "White Collar" and "Covert Affairs." I have yet to see "Boardwalk Empire" - It's waiting on my TiVo. I'll let you know. SP

"The Town"

Directed by Ben Affleck, the only fault I could find with this bank heist thriller is that it was extremely violent, even for me. Other than that, the casting is brilliant (including Affleck, best acting I've ever seen him do - bahstin accent and all!). "The Town" was so adrenaline inducing that I had to keep reminding myself, "it's only a movie." The obligatory car chases and crashes were really long and loud. (How do they manage to film those scenes, without actually killing people for real?) Bravo, Ben, good job! Keep directing (and acting). THREE STARS. sp

"Mesrine: Killer Instinct"

Having been blown away by the fantastic "Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1," the second installment in the biography of the real life French legend, I was thrilled to find its predecessor, "...Killer Instinct" still playing at a theater within driving distance. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I found this somewhat of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, marvelous Vincent Cassell and the rest of the cast, including the always fabulous Gerald Depardieu, were perfect, but I cringed a lot as excessive blood was spattered all over the place. Mesrine, was, obviously, brilliant. He used his quick wits almost as much as his brute force. But when he unleashed the latter, watch out! The audience applauded at the showing I attended. Oh, and I finally noticed that the screen play was based on a book Mesrine himself had written. (I missed noting that credit for"...Public Enemy.") So, I'm going to offer a qualified THREE STARS. (Try to see these two films in correct sequence, if you can, and let me know!) SP

"Skirt Day"

In a magnificent performance by Isabelle Adjani, supported by a superb cast, this unique, amazing film created such a high pitch of emotional intensity throughout, with constantly changing confrontations and reactions, that I was often moved to tears. Adjani plays a Jr. High teacher in one of France's public schools in a poor and racially diverse neighborhood, where she has suffered the insolence, vile language, and incorrigable behavior of the students in her class on Moliere day after day, until this fateful day when, as violence breaks out among the kids, a bag is dropped, a gun falls out, and she grabs it. Oh my! What happens next keeps you almost breathless with suspense, and never lets up. Twists and turns. An admirable hostage negotiator. Such outstanding drama. I wish I had more than FOUR STARS to offer! Please add a drum roll and a red carpet for this relevant and expert social commentary. SP (P. S. "Skirt Day" refers to the fact that by rebelliously wearing a skirt {which was consisdered 'sexy,} instead of pants, the Teacher created controversy and criticism - to prove a point.)

"Heartbreaker"

Great concept: Don't want your daughter or, sister to marry her current intended? Hire this guy, Alex,played by Romain Duris, to intervene and break up the relationship. His caveat: he won't break up a romance in which the girl is really happy. (Nor for religious reasons.) The father of Juliette (played by Vanessa Paradis: engaged to a very nice, rich, good looking young man) hires Alex to prevent the marriage, which is only 10 days away. Alex's usually infallible method is to ingratiate himself with the young lady in question (but doesn't have sex with her) by all kind of subterfuge, after investigation into her likes and dislikes, habits and disposition. (She loves "Dirty Dancing?" Alex learns the steps, and "accidentally" drops the CD in front of her.)He has a small team of confederates who assist him in his disguises and performance, as the situation requires. I laughed often, but somehow,I can't offer the accolades to this French farce (subtitled, of course) as much as some of the critics have done. I can't put my finger on it ( possibly because it seemed disjointed, with what seemed like too many very short vignettes, sort of like Saturday Nght Live (?) skits, and the ending was really cliche, which may have been done intentionally to spoof itself?) Anyway, a grudging THREE STARS.

Paul Newman and Kurt Vonnegut

Just finished reading Paul and Me: 53 Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal PAUL NEWMAN by A.E. Hotchner. What a rare and wonderful friendship! Hotchner captures their escapades wiith expert prose, and includes photographs you probably won't see elsewhere. My favorite is the one with Paul hanging upside down, legs tied together, side by side with a giant marlin he had caught. Otherwise, most of their fishing trips were duds. Not so their "Newman's Own" line of foods, starting with the famous salad dressing. Starting as a lark (as were most of Paul's ventures -he always wanted to have a good time) this grew into a multi-million dollar business. The beauty of all the money he earned was the philanthropy that Newman practiced with humility and sincerity. The most telling comment about Paul is "..he was the same man in 2008 as he was in1956. Unchanged despite all the honors and fame..." FOUR STARS. SP
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS by Kurt Vonnegut was the first book I've ever experienced (I didn't just "read" it!) by the famous author of CAT'S CRADLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE. Written in a way that made me feel as if I were inside the head of a slightly mentally deranged, though quite intelligent and articulate storyteller. BOC is a satire featuring one of Vonnegut's favorite characters (so it says on the cover), aging writer Kilgore Trout. Vonnegut presents fiction that is truth, and truth that seems to be fiction in the realms of politics, sex, racism, success, politics and pollution in America. It was fascinating! FOUR STARS. SP

"Something's Gonna Live"

Thanks to Kevin Thomas's excellent review in the LA Times this Friday, I went to see this outstanding documentary. Otherwise, from the title alone, I would not have had any interest in what turned out to be a wonderful film about the legendary team behind the scenes (now, there's a better title, don't you think?) of some of the most unfogettable films of all time. ("North by Northwest"; "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"; "To Kill a Mockingbird"; "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" ; "The Birds" --- just to name a few!) Directed by Daniel Raim, featuring Robert Boyle (production designer), with Henry Bumstead and Albert Nozake (also production designers); story board illustrator Harold Michelson; cinematogographers Conrad Hall and Haskell Wexler. Interviews with these brilliant and dedicated filmmakers explaining what they do, how and why they do it, interspersed with clips from some of the classic films they created made for a thoroughly entertaining and, for me, educational experience. I never understood until today, or paid much attention to how a film is made, and I found it absolutely fascinating. Plus, bonus extra, there was a Q&A with the Director after the show, and I also spoke with Haskell Wexler. Tell your friends: see this movie! FOUR STARS, of course! SP

"Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1"

This movie is sooo GOOD!!! It opens with Jacques Mesrine's body, covered with blood, being pulled out of the car he was driving when the police finally killed him in 1979 - after a long and violent career of bank robberies (multiple prison escapes), which brought him lots of money, but even more important to him, his fame, and reputation, in which he took great pride. He also took pride in his "honor" (he never lied about his escapades), and was infuriated by a journalist who made false statements about him. Several courtroom scenes are amazing. (In one, he takes the judge hostage to make an escape.) Masterfully, superbly played by Vincent Cassel, Mesrine was educated and articulate, with a gentle and loving side (revealed when he visits his dying father in the hospital and another time when he is visited in prison by his young daughter --and in the scenes with Jeanne, the ex-prostitute who becomes his wife.) He was loyal to his accomplice/s and in love with Jeanne, his faithful and adoring wife (?) girlfriend (?). Taking over 2 1/2 hours to tell, "Public Enemy No.1" flashes back to reveal the second half of the life story of this notorious French criminal, left me wanting more! Everyone in the cast: perfect; dialogue: outstanding; photography: excellent; music: ideally suited to enhance the action. (I have yet to see the first half of the story, as told in "Mesrine" Killer Instinct." I look forward to it! ) FOUR STARS, of course. Oh, and the subtitles were splendid. SP

"Nanny McPhee Returns"

Emma Thompson once again uses her magic to bring order out of chaos with the inimitable "Nanny" she has created, this time as the "Army Nanny" during World War Two in England. Yes, this film is aimed at children, so adults may be put off by the over the top performances of some of the other actors. Plot is that the Soldier husband of Maggie Gyllenhal (playing with an English accent) is away at war, and Rhys Ifans his brother (hiss/boo) is trying to get her to sign off on selling the farm (of which he is half owner) so he can pay off gambling debt he owes to two obnoxious women who won't take no for an answer. The fighting and yelling and overall horrible behavior of the children (iincluding rich city cousins who've been sent to the country to avoid bombings in London) in the first part of the film (proof positive that we "need Nanny McPhee") is hard to take, but once Nanny McPhee takes over with her "five lesson" plan-- the real fun begins. You've got to love her in this role. Wonderful as always, Maggie Smith rounds out the cast, with Ralph Fiennes as a perfect unsmiling, undemonstrative, uptight War Department official - father of the cousins . (and the child actors are all excellent)
Watching five little pigs doing a choreographed water ballet is priceless (not to mention summersaults on tree branches!). Yes, I like this film. I'd go see a sequel. THREE STARS -but not for jaded critics, only for the very young in heart. SP

"The American"

Playing against type, George Clooney went from "Up in the Air" to down in the dumps! George, I still love you, despite this gloomy, sad venture into the hardened killer (and expert maker of precision weapons) slowly melting as 'love' (for a gorgeous prostitute) softens him up to wanting to end his crime career: just please don't do this again!! There is none of the usual Clooney radiant charm, and too many long drives through scenic countryside, and running up and down stairs in Italy -- albeit artistically photographed. (Is this a trend, all these movies lately that play like travelogues?) For those women who swoon and fantasize about George, there are a couple of steamy sex scenes (presenting full frontal female nudity) that I could have done without. Perhaps Mr. C. was using this film as an audition for the role of the next James Bond? I could enjoy seeing him as 007. George, you are so talented that I'm sure you can succeed as a dramatic actor even if you weren't so handsome and charming (even in this flick, can't hide that great face), but please choose your next film more carefully. Meanwhile, I forgive you for this fiasco. In all fairness, "The American" does create suspense (excellent music background) and a few surprises, and so I can give it at least TWO STARS. (FYI, Roger Ebert loved this film and gave it a score of 100 on metacritic.com -- but hey, this blog enables me to express my personal opinion!) Perhaps I'm not sophisticated enough to appreciate the subtlety (translate: "boring") of the pacing (slow) and deep complexity of the hero's stifled and hidden inner emotions. Mea culpa. SP