Bridesmaids

Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumalo wrote the screenplay, and Judd Apatow produced it- that ought to tell you that this is going to be a very interesting 2 hours. I have to say that this is NOT a chick flick but yet it feels like one- the script is obviously written by women who see the fun in being female. It is not a chick flick because all the men in the audience laughed out loud, too. Wiig plays the maid of honor who cannot get a thing right, and she sees her best friend sliding away from her- or actually being highjacked by another woman. I think Apatow's touch is particularly noticeable in some of the grosser scenes, and Wiig is truly not the best actress in the film. BUT it is very funny, very predictable, and very adult. Wiig almost slips into some SNL mugging bits but she visibly restrains herself.  There is a weird sweetness to this somewhat bawdy humor. The best character of the lot is the hefty bridesmaid played by Melissa McCarthy- don't worry, no one else has heard of her (unless you watch Mike and Molly on TV)  though Alex swears she was in GO. She steals the show. And some dogs. Don't bring kids- it has a huge amount of very adult material. But do go see it- it is going to make a well-deserved mint for the crew that made it.

Win-Win

See- the title makes perfect sense by the end- the movie is a Win-Win for all the characters and for the audience. There is a gentle charm to Win-Win. It's the story of a a pretty unsuccessful lawyer (the hangdog Paul Giamatti) who coaches a wrestling team when he get guardianship of a rich elderly man so that he can get the $1500 a month guardian fee. Then he does a little sneaky thing that will haunt him. The grandson shows up on the doorstep followed by his druggie mom. The trick is that the kid is a superstar wrestler. So that's the premise- you can see the rest. Films as sweet and interesting and well written as Win-Win should have a large audience because there should be a reward for making a really good movie. It's actually a guy movie in a lot of ways- most of the humor made the guys laugh.  Go see it, and bring a friend and tell your neighbors to see it. It's a Win-Win.

The Lincoln Lawyer

This is a solid movie starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, William Macy, Ryan Phillipe and even Frances Fisher. This capable of a cast thoroughly makes up for the holes in the story and the parts that make you go "huh?". I'd rewrite a few scenes because the audience knows who is guilty very early on- because, after all, this is a movie that you know is trying to trick you so the writers shouldn't feel they also have to add a touch of confusion to it. But it was fun to sit through. McConaughey looks thin, mature and finally can carry off movies that require maturity. That goes for Tomei- she still looks winsome, but maturely winsome which means she is really acting now. No more cutesy stuff. 90% of the script is tight. It's about a lawyer who defends the scummy guilty and knows how to get them off. Some deserve it, most don't. Most are mediocre criminals not the big dudes. Then the case of his career is dropped into his lap- and this is what the movie was about. I'd highly recommend it. I enjoyed it even when I did have it all figured out.

Jane Eyre

I've read Jane Eyre at least 10 times in my life- cover to cover. I did a full 3 pages of it as a dramatic monologue (memorized) in an eighth grade school parent's night. (I'm not sure the parents were as entertained hearing it as I was doing it). So I'm a tough sell. I've seen Jane played by Joan Fontaine, Susannah York, and the unnecessarily unattractive Charlotte Gainsbourg. Jane is supposed to be plain. Very plain- but not downright ugly. And luckily, that part is perfectly played by Mia Wasikowska (Alice from Alice in Wonderland). MiaW is the right size, too- tiny. Jane Eyre is formidable to put to film- it is long, laden with atmosphere and soaked in what would be seen as pure soap opera today. It cannot be too slick or the viewer will begin to groan.  Of all of the films made of Jane Eyre, this is the best. Hopefully everyone has actually read this classic- a bold touch of feminism before its time. If you haven't read it, then at least you should read the fascinating biography of Charlotte Bronte by Rebecca Fraser (it is published under two separate titles though it is the same book). The film is beautiful- the costuming and setting feel so authentic. I think it should be seem by anyone- especially those who loved Jane (and by extension Charlotte Bronte) and loved the story.

Rango

It's not often you see a quirky animated film about a lizard (Rango) who, in chameleon like fashion, changes his colors and reinvents himself as the town hero. He goes from pet with a pet (a plastic fish), to a gun-totin' sheriff to town hero. There is a nod to almost every western ever made in this odd and yet delightful script. It seemed a little long, and ends the way a good western should. The kids in this audience shouldn't have enjoyed it at all- the humor was very adult in spots, and any homage to westerns would have gone totally over their short heads- let alone the Salvador Dali inspired snake. But they DID enjoy it. I guess the visuals were striking enough and certainly the good-guy-bad-guy theme was explained well enough that kids got it. It is a very clever, mostly funny flick. I just don't know how to explain it. It isn't cutesy- the animation is realistic, the eyes are creepy on every creature, and it shouldn't have been nearly as much fun as it was. But well, it is certainly worth the price of admission.