To Rome With Love

“To Rome With Love”  was written and directed  by Woody Allen and, with him, stars Judy Davis, Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Robert Benigni and Penelope Cruz. This will not be recognized as one of Mr. Allen’s better films and certainly in no competition to “Midnight In Paris”. In his obvious love affair with the Italian capitol, Mr. Allen helps the movie by making the romance and beauty of the city come alive amidst the escapades of its stars in various and unrelated stories but the thread, thin as it is, is Rome. Though the film’s dialogue and direction are a tribute to the creative talents of Mr. Allen, there are elements in the film that are not. Funny story twists that are humorous when first seen become annoying when repeated unnecessarily. One other factor should be noted and that is the performance of Mr. Allen himself. Were he not the infamous writer/director, no casting person would have placed him in the film.   Allen’s reputation precedes each sequence in which he appears and when he does nothing notable or even mediocre, disappointment sets in as he “steals the scene” in that he robs the audience of all the other fine elements in it. Having written all of this, the film stands a cut above those presently playing and, as someone said, an “OK”  Woody Allen film is still better than another’s good one. Yes, individually, the film has some problems, i.e. Allen’s acting, a disjointed series of stories, unnecessarily repetitive humor, etc. but, added together,  the sum is much greater and more worthwile than its individual parts. I give the film 2 and ¾  stars. You may be somewhat disappointed but you definitely will be entertained.

Moonrise KIngdom

“Moonrise Kingdom” is a 94 minute film that is about 94 minutes too long. It stars, believe it or not, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand Harvey Keitel and Bob Balaban with 2 teenage actors, Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman. How could such a cast not produce a winning or at least a mediocre film is a question only director Wes Anderson  who co-wrote the film with Roman Coppola, can answer, if indeed there is one. The film is more like a cartoon with live actors and like most cartoons, is two dimensional and without substance. Paraphrasing the old Smucker commercial, with a name like Coppola, ti doesn’t have to be good. Roman is Francis Ford Coppola’s son and the difference between the two shoots the gene theory full of holes. More than that, the film, rated PG, contains scenes between the two young teenage stars that, to put in the kindest phraseology, are most inappropriate. I must confess that my view of the film is totally out of sync with some pretty reputable and respected publications including the Wall St. Journal, the New York Timss, et. al. who really loved it.. There is no middle ground for this movie. You will either love ir or dislike it. My guess is the latter. I give the film 2 stars and regret not having stayed at home to watch whatever was on the TV schedule that night.

What to Expect When You're Expecting

“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” is a film based on the successful best seller of the same name by author Helen Murkoff. Not content with letting the accolades remain in the literary property area, some producers (e.g. Mike Medavoy et.al) had the idea of casting Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Mathew Morrison, Elizabeth Banks  and others in a film supposedly sharing the trials and tribulations of expectant Moms and reluctant and anxious Dads. Directed by Kirk Jones and written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hoch, the movie simply doesn’t work. The 110 minutes of actual screen time seemed longer than the 9 months each of these ladies had to carry their respective offspring. Discombobulated and awkward in its editing, acting and plot, this film gets just one star and, even then, I feel overly generous in awarding it.  I guess the answer to what to expect from “What to Expect…….”is a loss of time, money and the inconvenience of having to travel to the theater to suffer them.. No pregnancy could ever seem longer or more uncomfortable than watching this cinematic nightmare…  .and thinking about the film the next day will almost certainly guarantee you “morning sickness”.

Bernie

“Bernie” stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Mathew McConaughey in this-black comedy which plays more like a documentary, especially since it utilizes many of the actual townspeople in Carthage, Texas where the true life occurrences took place. Directed by Richard Linklater and co-written by Mr. Linklater and Skip Hollandsworth, this movie is based on an article that Mr. Hollandsworth wrote for the  Texas Monthly magazine in 1998. Although Jack Black is not my favorite leading man, he does exhibit a wide and interesting range of acting in his portrayal of the main character in the film. Perhaps the defect in the movie is not so much the acting or the presentation but the lack of any depth or substance. This explains why what occurred in this small Texas town of 6500 people was only  described and written about in a magazine article…there just isn’t enough here for a full length theatrical feature. I give the film 2 and ½ stars for its effort and uniqueness. It’s a film that could have explored the complexity of the character played by Mr. Black instead of just reciting events as they took place and for that reason I found it, like the magazine article, short on substance.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

“Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” was written by O.L. Parker and is based on the novel “These Foolish Things” by Deborah Moggach. The cast is a ‘who’s who” of seasoned British talent starring Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighby and needs the full 2 hours and 20 minutes of time it takes to merge these fine thespians into the plots and subplots that Director Madden so nicely paces. The story of senior citizens relocating to a hopefully better and more meaningful life transcends the location although Jaipur, India is where this all takes place. Predictable in many respects and adorning its “feel good” halo, the film nevertheless holds our interest and involvement despite its length. Putting aside the rehashed jokes that make their way into the film every so often, there are moments of profundity that those of us eligible for AARP membership will appreciate and understand. Perhaps that is why the film works. I give the film 3 stars. Hopefully its commercial success will bring about the production of more such films where those in our demographic category will have better fare to choose from when we decide to go to the movies. After all, time is running out and as Ms. Smith’s character recites: “I don’t even buy green bananas”.

Monsieur Lazhar

“Monsieur Lazhar” is a French language Canadian production adapted from the play written by Evelyne de la Cheneliere. It stars Mohamed Fellag in a film written and directed by Phlippe Falardeau. Mr. Fellag, playing the title role, is a substitute teacher in the Quebec school system who takes over a class of students after their regular teacher commits suicide. How .the new teacher deals with this ensemble of children facing the mystery and awesomeness of death within their own school family makes this an exceptional film to view. Mr Fellag’s character, an émigré from Algiers who relocates in Quebec, is similar to his own life story since he himself left (or who was forced to leave) Algiers. Played with sensitivity and caring, Mr. Fellag brings to the part both pathos and humor as is often the case with comics who turn serious actor. Mention must also be made of the wonderful group of child actors who bring so much of their talent to the screen. I give this film 3 and ½ stars. It is really well worth seeing.

Bully

“Bully” is a documentary written by Cynthia Lowen and directed by Lee Hirsch. As the title indicates it tells the stories of a number of teenagers who are victimized by the bullies In their schools and the terrible effects occurring as a result.. More than that it tells the story of how society and school officials, in particular, attribute the acts and deeds of the bulliers as “just normal teen agers acting up” when, in fact, they are aggressive and disturbed students who are more afflicted than the vulnerable individuals they prey upon. This is, indeed, a film that every school in the country should exhibit in the hope that bullies will be deterred and well-intentioned peers of the victims will stand up and no longer be silent. The film, with no rating, became the “poster boy” for the problems in the rating system as its distributor, The Weinstein Co, refused to accept the “R” rating the motion picture council gave it.. Although the motivations of the distributor might have been significantly influenced by the publicity given the film as a result of the dispute, the distributor’s complaint does indeed have merit. This is a reality based project with real kids being highlighted and photographed and the language (the reason for the “R” rating) is an integral part of the film and, of necessity, must be heard in order to experience its real impact. Each of us, in one way or another, has been privy to the bullying of a fellow student or friend and can identify with such behavior. More than anything else, this film is relevant and a learning tool for all of society. The documentary gets 3 and ½ stars with a strong recommendation that this film be viewed by children, teenagers and adults for there is something in it from which all of them can benefit..