Quote of the Day

Julie Andrews is the closest thing this world has to an angel.

-Ross Ramone

Quote of the Day

Flossing is for people who think they're better than everyone else.

-Ethan Smith

Quick Take: The Romantic Comedy

Absolutely abysmal reviews for the romantic comedy Life as We Know It have me missing the days of a solid, funny, and poignant release from the genre. Romantic comedies (affectionately, rom-coms) have an awful reputation, as studios feel the need to churn out flat, unimaginative projects on a regular basis, hoping to attract a large female audience. Audiences can tell when they're watching drivel, and box office numbers will reflect the lack of substance. The romantic comedy truly succeeds when it can attract both a male and female following, touching into a niche that satisfies both sexes. It's an incredibly tough line to play with, but romantic comedies that survive the grind know how to play the game. Romantic comedies aren't doing much to further "the art of cinema," but should be a mindless blast.

One woman who has mastered the modern romantic comedy is Sandra Bullock, currently at the top of her game. Taking the title once held in the divine hands of Julia Roberts, Bullock now embodies the woman every man wants to date, that every woman wants to be best friends with. Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, and Anne Hathaway are among the other leading ladies that can successful carry a strong rom-com. Katherine Heigl seems to be making a play for the next big romantic comedy actress, but she lacks a defining likability factor; she's an undoubtedly beautiful woman, but she has yet to truly connect with a female audience.

However, an original concept is even more important than a strong leading lady. In a way, the romantic comedy is a stripped-down microcosm for Hollywood, focusing in on the strength of a central story without distracting factors. While big dramas can focus the viewer's attention on arresting performances, the romantic comedy is reliant on the plot's trajectory holding up, remaining engaging and funny; this doesn't mean that the film needs to break formula, but that is just needs to be endlessly entertaining. Films like Miss Congeniality, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Legally Blonde (especially when compared to the lackluster sequel) are some of America's favorite rom-coms because incredibly charismatic women are given charming and hilarious situations, parodying well-known elements of by overblowing real life. The results are tangible.

An example of a rom-com that playfully stretches the genre, throwing a leading male character at the center of a madcap tale, is Shallow Hal. Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow make a surprisingly heartwarming duo. Shallow Hal succeeds because everyone is invested in the film's outrageous yet sweet story. The concept is enough to add an extra layer to the romantic comedy sheen while avoiding overly dramatic plotting. Shallow Hal uses raunchy male humor and a more masculine view of relationships, but also crafts a coda that gives the picture an uplifting and romantic message. The film is nothing spectacular, but it's a refreshingly different slant on the romantic comedy. Sure, the entire proceedings are on the predictable side, but isn't that one of the most pleasing elements of the genre? As a viewer, you're able to settle in, laugh, and let the mind escape.

This post is dedicated to Eric McKenna

Quote of the Day

Do you want a cookie? It's warm. Like my heart.

-Harry Stephenson

Quote of the Day

I can be a dick! I can wear a hat!

-Ross Ramone, on wingman tactics

Quote of the Day

It is what it is, it be what it be.
-John-Howard Sidman

Film Review: Never Let Me Go

Achingly romantic and utterly devastating, Never Let Me Go is this year's big dramatic tearjerker. Bolstered by three phenomenal performances at its center, director Mark Romanek and screenwriter Alex Garland have constructed a near-perfect adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. It's a strong piece of emotional filmmaking, raw and poignant, and yet never relying on cheap sentimentality to manipulate the audience.

Never Let Me Go is a romance-driven character drama inside a timely science-fiction frame. The concept sounds a little odd, but it worked in Ishiguro's incredible book, and succeeds with equal aplomb on screen. In an alternate reality, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth attend a British boarding school; the three friends make up a complicated love triangle. However, there's a remarkable secret kept at bay, fleetingly explained and obscured. When released into the world as adults, they must deal with the repercussions of this secret, and the fate that awaits them. Ishiguro's novel waits long into the narrative before truly spelling out the central ambiguous mystery; in the film, the truth is revealed in the first half hour. It's a smart move on Garland's part - he makes the science-fiction edge less overt, allowing the characters to propel the narrative forward.

The film is ultimately so strong because of the three exceptional performances of its main players - Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley. First, Isobel Meikle-Small is a wonderful find as the young Kathy, a truly emotive and interesting child actress; here's hoping we see more from her. As an adult, Mulligan is an absolute vision as Kathy. Carey Mulligan is the future of Hollywood; she proved herself in last year's An Education, and she shows her remarkable, breathtaking talents again here. Mulligan's performance is all in her subtleties, the little things she does with her face and eyes, and the dejected sense brought to her brief, well-done voiceovers. You won't be able to tear your eyes off of her searing presence; she'll make your heart ache in every way possible.

Mulligan and Andrew Garfield are an acting match made in heaven. Garfield is extraordinary as Andrew, capturing a boyish sense of wonder mixed with a mature gravitas; his face is also loaded with emotion. There's a moment when Tommy is waiting outside alone, and every inch of Garfield's body is expressing something. It's just one beautifully depressing moment that shows how remarkably talented Garfield is. Keira Knightley also shows her incredible skill as Ruth, taking a role that could have been a one-note vamp, and instead making Ruth charming, volatile, and complex. All three of these actors should be on the Oscar short-list come nomination season.

The production values of Never Let Me Go are perfect, dripping with bleak British romanticism. Romanek's director is nonintrusive while affecting, giving Ishiguro's story his own personal touch. Garland's adaptation is unbelievable strong, retaining the difficult tone of the novel. Andrew Kimmel's cinematography is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, especially in a stunning sequence on the beach. Rachel Portman's score is haunting, repeating piano and string motifs that imbue a sense of restrained melancholy to accompany the flow of tears.

Many seem to have a problem with the film because these characters never rebel against the society that has them trapped. This sentiment misses a theme of the film - we're all stuck in society, knowing rebellion is futile, and simply resigning to our given fate. Others knock the film's austere and morose mood, but I find the film's seemingly cold approach to elevate the emotional core. Garland's screenplay does give Garfield one brief moment where every emotion comes flying out of the cracks, and the scene in its singularity works wonders. Never Let Me Go is sweepingly romantic and horrifying. It's a stunning juxtaposition, and a remarkable allegory for how we live our lives. It's bound to take your breath away, and hit you hard. A

Quote of the Day

If you could live in any time period, which would you choose? I'd want to be born in 1153.

-Harry Stephenson

Film Review: Catfish

The tagline for this remarkable documentary-thriller is "Don't let anyone tell you what it is." The command is an appropriate one, because this taut exploration of the internet is a unique and powerful experience. Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost began filming the life of Ariel's brother, Yaniv "Nev" Schulman, after Nev began an interesting Facebook relationship with a family, eventually focusing in on his blossoming love interest for young Megan Faccio. However, when strange occurrences begin popping up, the three friends decide to investigate the truth.

It's hard to write a review about Catfish, because the film's final 45 minutes carry numerous twists, along with intense weight and emotion. Just be aware that as the story begins to unspool, the truths revealed become a jaw-dropping look at suspense and human deception. The entire film succeeds because Nev is so unbelievable likable as the central, grounding "character"; you'll leave the movie theater thinking he's your own friend. Nev is effortlessly charming, goofy, and amiable.

Catfish is so profound because it pushes the boundary between fiction and reality - is this a true documentary? Are any of the moments portrayed fabricated? Does it even matter? The film is a roller-coaster of emotions, and is bound to spark endless debate; audiences have a lot to chew on, from the definition of a documentary to the terrifying nature of our obsession with and trust in strangers on the internet. Catfish makes for a riveting portrait of a man not knowing which way is up. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will haunt you for days. But above all, it will make you appreciate the art form (maybe the "art form"?) of the documentary. B+

Quote of the Day

Wait - so did they, like... put a costume on a horse?

-Kevin Zhai

Film Review: The Social Network

Once in a while, a film comes along that completely captures a generation, crafting a story both riveting and timely. With The Social Network, director David Fincher has gone above and beyond the awkward and seemingly gimmicky premise of the "Facebook movie" by giving us a film that leaps over all expectations. The Social Network is exactly what you want from a film, a virtuoso glimpse into the life of an incredibly complex young man.

The film is essentially a biopic (odd to say, when the subject is currently only 26), albeit with some slightly fictionalized twists, of Mark Zuckerberg, the world's youngest billionaire and founder of the ubiquitous Facebook. The film uses the two (biggest) legal cases surrounding Zuckerberg's creation of the site as a frame for the larger story, painting Zuckerberg's rise to power, beginning with his years as an undistinguished computer geek while attending Harvard University. Many critics have compared the film's central arch to Citizen Kane, and the comparison is incredibly apt; to go with another classic as a point of comparison, The Social Network is The Godfather of information age films.

David Fincher has proven his worth through numerous exceptional efforts - Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, among others. Fincher is one of my favorite directors still working, mainly because he is a true master at crafting atmosphere and a stark, compelling vision of our reality. His work in The Social Network is beautiful, gripping, and taut; there isn't a single moment where Fincher missteps. The production values are top-notch across the board - perfectly musty, moody cinematography; wonderful sound mixing; cohesive editing; and a dazzling score from Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, of Nine Inch Nails fame, that is pulsating and invigorating while never intrusive.

Fincher is also working with a knock-out cast. The most interesting element of the film's ensemble is that it features not a single A-list actor. As Mark Zuckerberg, Jesse Eisenberg is now the front-runner for the Best Actor Oscar. This is a star-making turn for Eisenberg, giving Zuckerberg the deep emotional complexity and rough biting wit the part needed to succeed; it's a riveting portrait that not many actors could pull off. There's a slew of wonderful supporting male characters here too: Andrew Garfield (the new Spider-Man) as Zuckerberg's best friend Eduardo Saverin; Justin Timerblake as Napster founder Sean Parker; and Armie Hammer as both twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, using Fincher's CGI magic to make their scenes together possible (Josh Pence stood in as a body double). The women in the film are all adept, but aren't given much to work with as rather objectified roles in the lives of the driving male characters.

The true star of the film is Aaron Sorkin's brilliant screenplay. Based on Ben Mezrich's The Accidental Billionaires, Sorkin has crafted his best work yet. From the perfect opening scene, where Zuckerberg spars with girlfriend Erica Albright (Rooney Mara, recently cast by Fincher as Lisbeth Salander in Hollywood's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), throwing quick retorts at one another over beer, Sorkin sets his tone. The dialogue rips throughout the picture, some of the sharpest "talkie" material I've heard in a very long time. Sorkin added some fictional twists to strengthen the tale's arch (for instance, Erica Albright is a completely fictional character), but nothing feels false or manufactured. Sorkin's greatest achievement is his multifaceted treatment of Zuckerberg, showing him simultaneously as genius, asshole, nerd, misunderstood loser, compassionate friend, jealous friend, witty comedian, relentless worker, and an incredibly lonely young man.

Fincher and Sorkin, a dream team of cinematic glory, have composed the best film of the year. I left the theater on a giddy high. This is currently the feature to beat on Oscar night - a big bold Hollywood opus, a swift "thriller" for the mind, a hilarious dark comedy, and a compact emotional character piece. Fincher made a film that is not about Facebook, but about the men behind the beast. The film dives directly into their hearts, and it's often hard to watch the darkness that rests at the center. The Social Network is a shining example of modern filmmaking. But more than just high entertainment, the film is bound to generate heated discussion... much of which is likely to take place on Facebook itself. Mark Zuckerberg would be happy. A+

Stage Review: Mrs. Warren's Profession

George Bernard Shaw's Victoria-era play Mrs. Warren's Profession, the tamest play about sex ever written, returns to Broadway through the Roundabout Theatre Company. Featuring Broadway star Cherry Jones in the title role, re-teaming with director Doug Hughes after her Tony-winning turn in Doubt , this production falls disappointing short on a number of levels.

Sally Hawkins, making her Broadway debut, also headlines the cast in this production as Vivie Warren; I had the unfortunate opportunity of seeing her understudy, Stephanie Janseen, perform. The play revolves around young Vivie Warren, dealing with her life as a woman coming up in the world, and attempting to understand the root of her mother's profession and wealth. Revealed early in the first act, Mrs. Warren is prostitute, a "secret" that is blatantly obvious due to some of this play's directional choices. Hughes does a disservice to Shaw's brilliant play by pushing all of the plot's subtleties to the forefront, hiding nothing in the strained relationships between each of the characters.

The show is worthwhile for Jones alone, a spectacular actress. However, she gives Mrs. Warren a low-brow Cockney accent. The choice isn't an awful one, but it seems odd; it seems to cheapen Mrs. Warren as a character. Janseen plays Vivie utterly wrong; she's a travesty. In her performance, Janseen spectacularly misses who Vivie truly is. The rest of the supporting cast is fairly strong, highlighted by Adam Driver's hilarious Frank Gardner and Mark Harelik's appropriate smarmy George Crofts.

Mrs. Warren's Profession disappoints because the entire production feels sloppy; it's as if Jones approached Hughes, and Hughes quickly slapped together a rickety staging. It can be a wonderful experience to see a classic Victoria staging, but Hughes botches such a pleasure by making his staging... boring: the set looks ridiculously cheap and underdeveloped, while the costumes are either unpronounced or incredibly garish... until the play's final scene. A thrilling conversation between two hysterical women, the play's closing finally hits its mark as captivating theatre. However, it was all far too little, too late. Mrs. Warren's Profession falls flat, failing to support the weight and majesty of Shaw's play. C