Film MiniViews w/ Justin Leo

(syndicated from I Like To Watch)


FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL - 2008 (in theaters) -Just like most Apatow projects, this is a relaxed comedy with romantic tinges; a relationship story with some great gags. Jason Segal is a lovable lunk, and Mila Kunis steps it up as his new love interest. The comedy comes in moments here and there, and it's good but not overwhelming. I just love Segel, Kristen Bell, Jack McBrayer, and Paul Rudd too much to give it a bad name. It's decent comedy without much fanfare.


I COULD NEVER BE YOUR WOMAN - 2007? (just out on DVD) -Speaking of Paul Rudd, he carries this film to a sweet level. You might have loved him before, but in the rare case you didn't, you will now. He's a struggling actor and the love interest of TV producer Michelle Pfeiffer, who is in charge of a Degrassi- type teen show. She leans on him as her new star (yes, he's playing an actor, who is playing a high schooler, when he's almost 40 in real life, which is part of the fun). She also leans on her daughter, Saoirse Ronan, better known as the young girl in Atonement, for hip new ideas and high school slang. This is a pretty funny satire of Hollywood, a charming rom com, and a warm family story all at once. Amy Heckerling, who directed Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, scores again with a fun look at life in SoCal that has heart. In fact, I'd say it's a lot like Clueless: cute, but also much funnier and more interesting than you expected. So why, you may be wondering, haven't you heard of it? Well, basically, Heckerling got the shaft from studios. They bounced it around and never gave it a theatrical release, even though it's very deserving of one. Unbelievable. The only thing I can find wrong with it is a strange character played by Tracey Ullman, who acts like Pfeiffer's conscience. She's annoying, but that's about it. This is a really likable film, and you'd think they capitalize on Rudd's growing popularity. See it for him (and sweet cameos from Jon Lovitz, Fred Willard, Wallace Shawn, and the Fonz) and love the Rudd like never before.

DOGVILLE - 2003 -I'll be honest. I have no idea what to make of it. I wanted to see this for years and I finally got around to it and, well, let's just say that Lars von Trier is an intriguing director. This looks like a play, but it's a film: an original concept, shot on a stage, but with no audience, and with some of the set fixtures missing.... like, I don't know, WALLS! Yeah.... very strange way of filming, mixing theater standards with film and leaving that out. I think it could be comparable to dark stage plays like Ibsen. I also thought of William Faulkner, not that this is the same class as those great writers, but that's kind of the dark tone. It goes in weird directions, but the cast is amazing. Lauren Bacall jumped in and Nicole Kidman had just won an Oscar when she did this. I'm torn because I think he could've done well if he shot it normally, but of course he won't, because he started that whole Dogma 95 movement and he has to be different. I found that a lot of people think it's anti-American, but it seems more to me like a dark examination of human nature, especially regarding the myth of small towns making good people. If you like indie or foreign pieces, it's def worth a look, but know that it's three hours long and a trip.

LUST, CAUTION - 2007 (just out on DVD) -Ang Lee's erotic thriller is a strong period piece. In 1930's China, a woman caught up in rebellion tries to get close to a powerful government man. This starts a little slow, but picks up dramatically towards the end. Beautiful, intense, and emotional, this might have lost audiences because of its rough sexual scenes, but it's a very good drama.
THE BRAVE ONE - 2007 (just out on DVD) -I skipped this Jodie Foster drama last year, skeptical of vigilante films, and it most certainly is that. But then I saw that it's also directed by Neil Jordan, who does a lot of sensitive and gender-confusing fare (The Crying Game, Breakfast on Pluto), so it shouldn't be totally macho. Foster, a popular NPR-type radio host in New York, goes into full revenge mode when some thugs kill her husband (Sayid from Lost). She also befriends a detective, Terence Howard, who starts to wonder about her intentions, while unknowingly steering her towards a crime boss he can't convict. This is emotional and pretty dark, and I'm not sure if the message is deeper than I want it to be. I can't imagine Jordan ever wanting to remake Death Wish with a female lead, but I get that feeling here. Maybe there's more than I see, and I suggest taking a look. It's gripping, but does it take sides too easily?

"RECOUNT" - 2008 - on HBO now -HBO couldn't resist, in this election year, to make a definitive film about the 2000 election nuttiness. Even though it might not be fairly balanced, it's really good. They skip over most of the election to just what happened after Election Day, and though it is a great ensemble cast, the protagonist is clearly Kevin Spacey. Ah, I missed the Spaceman. Really bad. He's excellent as Ron Klain, a guy who helped Gore through the recount even as he was having issues with the VP. On his side are Dennis Leary, John Hurt, and Ed Begley Jr. (natch). The opposing side comes with Tom Wilkinson, who plays James Baker a little
bit too boss-villain-y, and Laura Dern, who makes Katherine Harris look overwhelmed. Bob Balaban is the only nice guy on the GOP side. I mean, I felt it could be real, but I'm biased.Like I said, it's not exactly a balanced story, but they are trying to paint the Dems as underdogs rising up in adversity. They had to push through public outrage and lots of legal difficulties, and they never had the "lead" as reported by media, which hurt. The film touches on the voter discrimination problems, but doesn't accuse too much. The worst facet probably is that the Republicans basically paid for their protesters and then encouraged them to riot in the local voting offices. This claim has been made before, so who knows. It brought back some bad memories for me, and of course, the last 8 years kinda... well, you know.It may not be fair, but it's really good, and it's a great return for Spacey.

by Justin Leo