Category Archives: 2009 theater reviews

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Julie & Julia

juliejuliaI don’t think there’s any real question that Meryl Streep is the finest actor of her generation. And at the risk of indulging in hyperbole, it might be safe to say at this point that she’s the finest actor of any generation.

Can you even conceive of a movie review that goes something like this: “The film is quite good but for the flat leading performance by Ms. Streep”? Of course not.

On the other hand, I’ve read plenty of reviews along these lines: “The film has its shortcomings but Ms. Streep’s commanding performance elevates the material.” Indeed, her very presence makes every film she’s in at least a little bit better.

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Funny People

funnypeopleFunny People is a step forward for writer/director Judd Apatow even as it’s the weakest of his three films. It’s his attempt at a Manhattan or Hannah and Her Sisters (with more dick jokes), while 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up were more lightweight Annie Hall.

Don’t be misled by the Woody Allen references. Judd Apatow is no Woody Allen. But his films tread the same ground… modern relationships, wall-to-wall jokes, a showbiz milieu (with Los Angeles in place of New York City). And Apatow is the reigning voice in comedic filmmaking today, as Allen was in his heyday, though Apatow’s reach extends beyond his own films to a slew of movies he’s written and/or produced.

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(500) Days of Summer

500days(500) Days of Summer is a movie custom made for people who love Belle and Sebastian and The Smiths, Annie Hall and Memento, Wes Anderson and Charlie Kaufman. It’s a movie, in other words, custom made for me.

I’m not suggesting it’s as good as any of those things… it’s not. But it’s in their spirit and that counts for a lot.

As the dry narration says right up front, it’s a story about a boy and a girl but it’s not a love story. In fact, even that is a little misleading… it’s really a movie about a boy. The girl, Summer (well portrayed by the endearing, sweetly sexy Zooey Deschanel), is more a type than a fully fleshed-out character. And oh, what a type. Casually irresistible, she draws a certain kind of guy in like a magnet through no fault or design of her own. She ‘s never as into you as you’re into her but she’s just vulnerable enough to make you think that might change.

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

potterprinceThe Harry Potter movies — six down, two to go — occupy a strange place in my moviegoing experience. I anticipate them wildly and strive to see them on opening day whenever possible, yet I generally forget them rather quickly afterward. They run together as a blend of potions, broomsticks and Every Flavor Beans.

I feel, in a way, as if they aren’t “real” movies. They are dramatizations of books I’ve loved, a way to bring life to visions swirling in my head since reading J.K. Rowling’s tale. But I can’t imagine watching these films having not read the books (unlike, say, The Godfather or The Bourne Identity). They are very expensive companion pieces.

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Brüno

bruno[Note: This review contains spoilers, not so much of plot points, as there aren’t many, but of specific jokes in the film.]

All of the Brüno reviews I’ve read — whether positive or negative — have focused on how the film works as satire. Some praise Sacha Baron Cohen and director Larry Charles for dissecting the American obsession with fame and exploring homophobia while others suggest the film’s targets are far too simple for its message to be complex.

What I haven’t seen is any reviewer tackle the central question I believe this film asks of its audience: Is this funny? While I appreciate that Brüno and Borat make some points about society, they are first and foremost comedies. And I hate to lose sight of that in the quest for some deeper message. Because while Brüno might fail to change the world, it definitely won’t fail to make you laugh.

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