Howl -- Sometimes I wonder if James Franco is actually a corporation. How on earth does he have time to make so many films, get multiple degrees (or at least take classes) from Ivy League graduate programs, create bizarre performance art and attend premieres? Well apparently because he is involved in projects like Howl, which maybe was filmed in two takes. Director: Jimmy, sit here, smoke a cigarette, wax poetic. Great, you are beautiful, we are done. Then someone added Jon Hamm and Mary-Louise Parker and called it a day. From the trailer, the courtroom scenes promised the Social Network meets Milk. But instead, it became this sort of draggy Pixar-inspired adaptation of the epic poem with a lot of cheesy monologuing. By the end, I didn't feel all that great about Ginsberg or his poem, and started to wonder if Jon Hamm only exists within the 60s. Seeing it at the Angelika gave it a certain cache, as everyone in the audience (read: geriatric left) seemed to be reminiscing about their free-spirited former lives. Doubtful that same experience would be matched on Netflix. Avoid.
Red -- A better Mary-Louise Parker performance can be found in Red, or Retired: Extremely Dangerous, a silly action picture about a group of olds who were former assassins and agents, and even in their AARP age can't put their killer instincts to bed. Malkovich, Willis, Freeman, Mirren...you certainly can bring together a more random hodge podge. I sort of enjoyed it. I got the impression everyone was having a good time making the movie and that shows. I felt for these people, this dying breed of not only secret ops, but of old school movie actors. What roles do we force them into now? Can you imagine casting Willis as the grandfather? He's DIEHARD! And then you have Mirren who is about the best looking 60+ woman in America, who should essentially be an eternal Bond girl with better acting chops, but now will have to play Blake Lively's great-aunt. Interesting.
Megamind- Why did I see this? Because I'm a sucker for Ferrell, Fey, Hill, Pitt. When I saw the trailer promising futuristic hijinks with this hilarious cast, I was giddy. I need to restrain myself, because Dreamworks animation is not the same snarkiness/adult-themed sensibility of the Pixar flicks, and as a post-teen/tween, this film would not resonate with me. These are things I know. I was bored. I thought the jokes were lame and the characters undeveloped.
Waiting for Superman - This doc about the failing public education system seemed to be right up my alley -- I love a good freakonomics perspective about social issues. However, the anecdotes never got my goat. I found myself critiquing the filmmaking (sort of the laziness of the limited perspective, the selected interviews, the missing content, and the absolute condemnation of the teachers unions without substantive support) more than the national situation. I also fell asleep.
Revolucion - This was a NYFF selection. Several vignettes about Mexican independence directed by prominent contemporary Mexican directors. Some interesting pieces. Mostly for their camera work, more than their content. Always difficult to assemble something like this with any overarching themes. A nice thought. More for cultural studies academics than filmgoers more keen on plot and character development.
Have you been to Eataly? You need an espresso stat. And their buffalo mozzarella caprese salad with a side of carbs.
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