Adventureland (R) 107 minutes A-
Young and the Restless in 1987
Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Paige Howard, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Margarita Levieva
Life (and love) happens when you least expect it and that is never more true than when you're young. I recall the 1980's when I was callow, confident and life was brimming with possibilities. Adventureland hearkens that same nostalgia, it follows James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), a recent college grad who is looking forward to a summer in Europe, followed by graduate school in the fall at the university of Columbia.
But when his parents run into a financial pitfall and can no longer finance his European vacation (graduation gift). He is left reeling and forced to find a summer job to help pay for graduate school. Finding a job, let alone a well paying one is no easy task in this sleepy Pittsburgh town. So Jesse settles for an unglamorous job at a rundown amusement park.
To his surprise he forms solid friendships and an even better relationship with Emily, a cute but brooding young temptress. The film features the usual twist and turns as far as plot and romance but writer-director Greg Mottola ("Superbad", "Daytrippers") does a wonderful job of keeping things grounded and very realistic. The film isn't as funny as the trailer might have you believe, yet there are several laugh out loud moments and a good dose of seriousness to elevate Adventureland above your average coming-of-age genre flick.
Highly recommended!
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Bonus DVD Reviews
Be Kind Rewind (PG-13) 101 minutes F
Don't bother renting
DVD Release date - June 17, 2008
Starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz, Arjay Smith, Paul Dinello, and Marcus Carl Franklin
Wow! This movie was surprisingly bad. Jack Black (who I normally think is a funny guy) was terribly unfunny, Mos Def was stiff and awful, and Mia Farrow seemed completely out of her element.
Film critic Mark Bell wrote "everyone in this film dumbs-down their performances", and I couldn't agree more. The movie reenactments were stupid, the Fats Waller thing was totally contrived, and the over premise was silly.
A major disappointment!
Crazy Love (PG-13) 92 minutes B
Sometimes the crazy guy wins
DVD Release date October 16, 2007
Starring Burt Pugach, and Linda Pugach
In 2007 this documentary earned the Best Documentary Award from the Boston Society of Film Critics and the San Diego Film Critics Society. In 2008 it won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary.
This is an intriguing piece about obsession as well as love. It's really quite sad when I think about, but it further supports my theory about how some women can make a man lose his mind. Conventional wisdom goes out the door and something deep within takes over. It derives from a good place in the heart but when it's not reciprocated it can quickly turn to the opposite side of love.
This one is worth renting!
1 comment:
I don't think I've ever seen you give an F before. And this really surprises me, because Be Kind Rewind was a movie about movies, and the magic of storytelling, which I would think you would like. I saw it over a year ago, so it's not fresh in my memory, but I think the characters were actually kind of touching. (And it is an homage to the VHS tape, which will soon be erased from our memories.)
I thought this was a genuine "feel good movie" and I don't think I was alone, because people were clapping at the end in the theater. (and not because it was over, thanks)
However, this does illustrate something I was discussing this very evening. The preview for this movie was one of the best previews ever... I must have watched it online 100 times. But the movie wasn't as good as the preview.
I'd be curious as to what your mindset was going into it? Had you already read negative reviews? I hadn't, and so I was just going in with the enthusiasm of an unashamed Gondry fan... It was no Science of Sleep, but it still captivated me.
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