Movie reviews: The Grand Seduction and The Birder

Thought it appropriate, on Canada Day, to comment on two recently seen Canadian movies. While Canada sometimes has a reputation for making po-faced, off-beat dramas, these were both comedies.

*** The Grand Seduction (May 2014) – Theatre

Brendan Gleeson, Gordon Pinsent, Taylor Kitsch. A small Newfoundland town’s bid for a new factory depends on their enticing a doctor to move to the community.

She says: I loved the Québecois version of this movie and was curious to see how the English one would turn out. The setting was switched from Gaspé to Newfoundland here, which seemed a propos, and allowed them to hire almost the entire cast of 22 Minutes: Mark Critch, Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh. They’re all good, though, as is the lead, Irishman Brendan Gleeson and, of course, Mr. Gordon Pinsent, as he always. Liane Balaban’s part is almost too small to comment on, which is too bad.

As for the doctor, it took me a few minutes to recognize him as having played the hunky Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights. So that’s what happened to him, in case you were wondering! He’s probably not the strongest actor in this comic piece, but he’s just as hunky as ever.

I enjoyed the new movie. Perhaps not as much as I enjoyed the original, but then, I knew certain jokes were coming this time. While I would have missed those jokes if they weren’t in this movie also, it’s hard to be quite as delighted the second time out. Fortunately, as is common with me, I did forget some details of the original plot, so wasn’t entirely certain how this one would play out. (Or if it played out differently than in the original, for that matter.) Always better to be caught up in the story.

He says: I enjoyed that, too. It was funny, they did a good job adapting it.

**½ The Birder (May 2014) – Theatre

Tom Cavanagh, Mark Rendall, Jamie Spilchuk. In the midst of his marriage ending, teacher and bird enthusiast Ron Spencer loses out on a much-desired job as head of ornithology to Floyd Hawkins. He embarks on a revenge campaign with Ben, the young school janitor, who has his own reasons for disliking Hawkins.

She says: Largely set at Point Pelee Park, featuring a main character who swears by saying “F” (literally, F), and a “villain” who is anything but, this movie flirts with the hokey. It is, undeniably, very funny at times, though, as Ron and Ben’s revenge schemes go terribly awry. And the acting, particularly by lead Tom Cavanagh, elevates the characters to more than cartoons. It’s light, it’s not terribly original, but you won’t hate yourself for watching it and laughing along.

He says: It was pretty predictable, but it did keep my interest.

And, just for the record, some other Canadian movies that I think are terrific. (Even though a number are po-faced, off-beat dramas.)

Les Invasions Barbares (Barbarian Invasions) – One of the best movies ever, period
Last Night – It’s the last night on earth… by Don McKellar (who directed The Grand Seduction)
The New Waterford Girl – To really see what Liane Balaban can do
A History of Violence – Cronenberg!
Bon Cop, Bad Cop – This is a funny one!
Café de Flore – A love story (C.R.A.Z.Y, by the same directory, is also very good)
Take This Waltz – directed by Sarah Polley; Away from Her is also recommended
Monsieur Lazhar – Yep, another Quéecois one…
Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) – Very long, though
Saint Ralph – Quite enjoyable

Movie review-lets, with bonus thoughts on Muppet gender

We recently watched the 2011 movie, The Muppets, which “rebooted” the characters from The Muppet Show, which ran from 1976 to 1981, and then launched a series of movies. It was fun, especially if you do remember the show. (If you don’t, as with most kids, a lot of the references would go over your head). It’s a musical, with catchy original songs and some hilarious covers, such as a barbershop quartet versions of “Smells like Teen Spirit” and chicken-clucking version of C Lo Green’s “F(orget) You”.

But I became super-distracted by something I’d never really noticed before: Almost all the freakin’ muppets are boys. You have Miss Piggy, of course, and then… Janice, in the band, who rarely says anything, and then… The chickens? Who also don’t talk. So one speaking female Muppet character.

This, my friends, would be your Smurfette principle in action: the tendency of movies for children to have only one female character amongst an ensemble of male characters.

And speaking of sexism, we also saw It Happened One Night recently. This romantic comedy, starring Clarke Gable and Claudette Colbert, maybe didn’t always have the most enlightened view of the role of women? It does have the excuse, though, that it was made in 1934.

I don’t watch a whole lot of 1934 movies, but some movies are classics for a reason. The two stars have chemistry, the script is lively, and it’s enjoyable watching them play out the romantic comedy pattern of meet, repel, attract, obstacle, reunion.

Not really sure about the title, though, since it doesn’t all happen in one night; it takes places over a few weeks. Unless that’s a reference to the night the walls of Jericho came down? In which case, naughty, naughty!

Speaking of naughty, naughty, I also saw The Libertine, 2006, starring Johnny Depp as John Wilmot, notorious for writing bawdy poems and plays. The movie wasn’t a hit with audiences or critics, but it’s not that it was badly made. It just took a rather dark view of this character, and that made the movie rather less fun that it might have been. It particularly didn’t shy away from the effects of alcoholism and venereal disease in the last third of the film.

Jean’s review? “Remind me not to get syphilis.”

Legally Blonde: Feminism made fun

We somehow ended up with quite a few cultural activities booked in May, the most recent of which was an outing to see the Drayton Festival production of Legally Blonde: The Musical.

And it was heck-a enjoyable. Sure, as in the movie, the perky cheeriness of Elle and her sorority sisters can be a little too much at times, but overall it was really funny, the story moved along well, it still had that satisfying arc of female strength and friendship, all with catchy songs and great choreography mixed in. Not too mention two very cute dogs (one of whom nearly stole the show). What’s not to love?

(Jean quote: “I enjoyed that way more than I thought I would. I’m shocked how much I enjoyed that.”)

But it reminded me just how bad I am at remembering plots of movies (books, too). All I could remember about the movie (apart from the fact that I’d liked it, and that it wasn’t a musical) was that it was about a blonde sorority girl who gets into Harvard Law to try to win her boyfriend back, but who then discovers she’s way more intellectually capable than anyone had given her credit for.

All of which happens in the musical as well, only with more songs. But the hairdresser character? The internship program? The exercise video queen on trial for murder? I had no recollection whatsoever of any of those plot details.

So yesterday I watched the movie again, courtesy iTunes. (By the way, it’s not on Netflix, not available on redbox rental, nor at zip.ca. And iTunes / Google Play / Rogers on Demand all charge the same $5 to stream it, which seems a bit expensive, given you can buy the DVD for the same price. Anyway…) I quite liked it, again. And it turns out that an awful lot of the movie did make it into the musical. But the differences were interesting.

The hairdresser, Paulette, is a more major character

In the movie, her part is pretty small and a bit sad. In the musical she’s one of the best characters, the center point of a couple very fun numbers. And it’s clearer that Elle helping her get custody of her dog back is motivation for Elle to become sincerely interested in the law.

The new love interest, Emmett, is a more major character

This one is a bit more of a hmm. In the movie Emmett’s part is really quite small, and their entire relationship takes place in the dying seconds of the movie, via “Where are they now?” captions. So I can see why they wanted more of a budding romance within the musical. Emmett is definitely fleshed out into an appealing and interesting character. Their subtextual shopping expedition is another highlight of the musical, one that wasn’t in the film at all.

The troublesome part, to me, is that in the musical Emmett is the one who coaches and encourages Elle to buckle down once at Harvard. In the movie, she’s completely self-motivated to do so at the same point: already suspecting it will never be enough to win back Warner, her ex, but wanting to prove herself capable anyway.

So it’s a bit of a dilution of her empowerment, I think.

Though I did like that, in the musical, she’s the one who proposes to him, at the end.

The musical is more gay-positive

Maybe that’s just the difference 13 years makes? Certainly the lesbian law student is much more likable in the musical, no longer seeming as militant and angry as she does in the movie. And the stereotypical gay pool boy earns an entire, completely hilarious, song about those stereotypes: Gay, or European?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQr4nl2y8M

Gay or European? Musical number from Legally Blonde on YouTube

Professor Stromwell is gone

The musical has only the one law professor character, Callahan—the one whose sexual harassment makes Elle doubt anyone will ever see her as more than a “piece of ass”. But the movie has another professor character, a woman, who meets Elle after this incident and motivates her to fight back with: “If you’re going to let one stupid prick ruin your life, you’re not the girl I thought you were.”

In the musical, Vivian, Warner’s fiancee is the one who talks her into fighting back. In both movie and musical, it’s great that the two rivals for Warner’s affection become friends, though this is given more time in the movie. And, it’s not that it doesn’t work for Vivian to be the motivator here; it’s just that Professor Stromwell was a great character also (albeit in another very small part).

In conclusion

Basically, Legally Blonde, musical and movie, is just meant to be fun, and it is. But behind that is a decent message about female power and independence. It’s not perfect feminism, but it’s feminism nonetheless. (Notably, original novel, film script, and musical book were all written by women.)

A guilty pleasure, only without the guilt. Oh, my God, oh my God, you guys!

Movie review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

***½ The Grand Budapest Hotel (March 2014) – Theatre

Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Saoirse Ronan. Story of the friendship that develops between concierge Gustav H. and Zero Moustafa, lobby boy, as they become entangled with a wealthy family battling over an inheritance.

She says: Well, that was an unusual movie.

He says: I’d say so.

She says: Did you like it?

He says: [Long pause] Yes, I did. It held my interest.

She says: The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of a man telling a story of man telling the story of how he came to own the Grand Budapest Hotel, even though that’s really just the side story to his real story, the love story, which is just too painful to tell in detail. So instead he talks of his relationship with Gustav, the eccentric concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel.

While it seems a bit complicated, it’s all quite enjoyable to watch, because while very quirky, it’s also very funny, and fast-moving, and interestingly staged and filmed. And there is a fair amount of intrigue around the family, and a priceless painting, and which will is really the final one—all in the backdrop of war. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this movies, including other Wes Anderson movies.

Part of the fun, too, is that it’s so chock-full of stars. It seems every few minutes a new one appears: Look, there’s Jude Law. And Eward Norton. And Bill Murry. And Tilda Swinton. And Jeff Goldblum, Adrian Brody, Jason Shwartzman, Harvey Keitel, OwenWilson, Willem Dafoe…

Movie review: American Hustle

***½ American Hustle (December 2013) – Theatre

Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper. Set in the 1970s, it tells of a couple of scam artists who, following an arrest, make a deal with an FBI agent to help lure other white collar criminals. The agent’s eagerness for bigger targets—politicians, the mafia—puts everyone at risk.

She says: I knew this was set in the 1970s and was supposed to be really good, but didn’t go in with a very clear picture what it was actually about. It starts with Christian Bale as Irving forming a romantic and business partnership with Sydney, played by Amy Adams. Their scheme involves charging fees for pretending to try to get loans for high-risk clients. All is going swimmingly until Sydney, now calling herself Edith and pretending to be British, is arrested by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). He offers them an immunity deal in return for using their skills to capture other white collar criminals.

But that’s just the first half hour or so. More and more characters and complications come into play as the movie proceeds: Irving’s wife (played by Jennifer Lawrence) and son, the governor of New Jersey (Jeremy Remmer), Bradley’s boss (Louis C.K.), and so on. Despite their numbers, the characters are all vibrant and compelling, and it’s not always clear who’s the good guy, who’s the bad guy. Despite the somewhat dark subject matter, it’s definitely all played on the lighter, more absurd side; the movie is really funny at times. But it still feels grounded in something that could have happened, and you do care what happens to these people.

It demands your attention, but it is indeed a good movie.

He says: That was too much plot for my cold medication-addled brain.

Movie reviews: Philomena and Beginners

***½ Philomena (November 2013) – Theatre

Judi Dench, Steve Coogan. A cynical reporter agrees to help the elderly Philomena locate her son, who was taken from her by the church when she was a teenager.

She says: A rather delightful movie about a pretty appalling subject. The interaction between the cynical, worldly, atheist reporter Martin and the sentimental, parochial, and still-Christian Philomena is wonderful. Especially those moments when you—along with Martin—realize that Philomena is not as naive as you might think.

Their journey together to discover what happened to Philomena’s son after he was taken from her from the convent she was sent to as pregnant teenager is full of twists that I didn’t see coming. It’s all based on a true story, and it doesn’t cast the Irish Catholic church in a particularly good light.

He says: It was terrible what happened to her! It all made me so angry!

But it was nice that I wasn’t bored by the movie.

**½ Beginners (November 2011) – Rental

Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent. After meeting a woman he connects with, artist Oliver thinks back on his Dad’s last few years of life as an out gay man.

She says: This movie plays with time a lot, flashing back to Oliver’s last few months with his Dad, who was dying of cancer but determined to live to the full to the end; to the period before when his Dad first came out as a gay man, after the death of Oliver’s mother; and to key moments of his childhood. In present time, Oliver is trying to negotiate a new relationship with the unpredictable but insightful Anna. Both Oliver and Anna have a history of failed relationships, of not being able to see them through. Oliver uses the memories of his Dad’s life as a lesson in how to change.

So, it’s a pretty arty. But the performances are great, the actors have good chemistry, and I enjoyed the journey.

He says: I didn’t understand that movie. Not my thing.

Stephen Harper: The Musical

As a fundraiser, Fair Vote Canada sponsored a production of James Gordon’s one-man show, Stephen Harper: The Musical. I got curious about it, and Jean agreed to go with me. (This was last weekend; this weekend we went to the lovely Yuletide Spectacular Christmas concert with the KW Symphony, like normal people.)

The location was kind of neat and one I hadn’t previously known about: A former shoe factory now repurposed as a cultural center—the Courtyard at Bonnie Stuart. The room where the show was performed was on the small side, but they did manage to pretty much fill it.

Stephen Harper puppet and James Gordon — James Gordon with the Stephen Harper puppet

I really didn’t know what to expect from this show, except that it would be critical, have music, and feature a Stephen Harper puppet.

For the critiquing, some I certainly agreed with it, but some was more anti-corporate, anti-capitalist than I was totally comfortable with. Bit too hippy-trippy, even for me.

But the songs weren’t half bad, making for a pretty entertaining show, overall. It was also supplemented with some video segments. One of my favorite bits was a discussion of the church Mr. Harper belongs to, an area rarely covered in the media. That featured a video cameo by “hippie Jesus”–that is, the actual peace-loving, money-damning dude of the Bible, as opposed to the distortion version espoused by some churches (whom “hippie Jesus” disavowed).

Given the subject matter, Gordon also strives to keep the material updated. There was a segment on the Occupy Movement, but he acknowledged that now seems kind of long ago (doesn’t it?). But it also included a very funny “Thank God for Rob Ford” song, so new he needed to refer to the lyrics sheet, that opined that Harper had quite appreciated Ford’s antics this fall drawing attention away from what the CPC government is up to.

As Fair Vote Canada is supposed to be non-partisan, I wasn’t sure about the fit with this show, until we got to the “What can you do?” segment. One suggestion was a change in the voting system to be more proportional. The whole last bit is meant to be something of a motivating call to arms, that didn’t entirely work on me.

But it certainly wasn’t a bad night out.

Netflix is for TV shows

My Netflix account remained sorely underused for a long time.

I was generally unimpressed with the selection of movies. Tunneling through to the US site helped—great to finally see Cabin in the Woods, which was a pretty clever, deconstructionist take on the horror genre, and fun to see Roger Daltrey play a gay man (albeit with no love scenes) in Like It Is—but overall, I’d still rather go to the Princess.

I’d be watching maybe one show a month on Netflix? So even though it’s only $8 a month, it still wasn’t great value for me.

So I was quite surprised the other day to discover that, somehow, I had watched every single episode of The IT Crowd on Netflix. That’s 4 seasons, folks. Now, it’s British show, so the seasons are much shorter than with American shows.

But still. I’ve clearly stepped up my Netflix usage. And it’s not because of the movies; it’s the TV shows.

The IT Crowd is hardly essential viewing. But it generally makes me laugh, sometimes quite a bit. So watching just one more episode was often appealing.

I’m also finding the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black rather addictive. And Jean likes it too, which is a bonus. It focuses on a middle-class, white (race is very prominent in this series) woman who is sentenced to a year in prison after a youthful indiscretion catches up with her. It’s not Oz (in fact, that’s a direct quote from the series), thank God, in that it doesn’t have that intensity and violence. It’s much funnier. But it still makes it clear, lest I had any doubt, that I never want to go prison.

Most episodes end with Piper facing some new, unexpected dilemma in this very odd world (based on an actual memoir, by the way), so you really want to know what’s going to happen next. And it’s Netflix, so all episodes are available for… whenever.

As are all episodes of Friday Night Lights, and Louis, and House of Cards, and Derek, and Mad Men and… Yeah. With no commercials, and no download time. How TV should be?

Movie review: The Way, Way Back

**** The Way, Way Back (July 2013) – Theatre

Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Liam James. Awkward, introverted 14-year-old Duncan suffers through a summer vacation at a cottage with his mom, her unlikable boyfriend Trent, and Trent’s self-absorbed daughter Steph, until he finds refuge with the employees of a water park, particularly the manager.

She says: I’m sure there are critiques to be made of this movie, but I don’t care, because it’s just such a satisfying journey. The movie isn’t but feels set in the past—Trent drives a vintage station wagon (does anyone really do that?), no one uses a cell phone, and the water park where much of the action takes place is noted for having had no upgrades since the 1970s. Perhaps that’s an homage to the many teen “coming of age during the summer” movies of the past. This one takes a proud place among them. It’s engaging, has a strong cast, and leaves you smiling.

He says: I don’t know if I should say. You get annoyed, sometimes, when I don’t like shows that you do.

…

Well, they didn’t have to make Trent so unlikable. Duncan would have hated him, regardless.

…

Yes, sometimes I’m kind of picky.

…

But bottom line? I liked that movie. I really did.

Movie review: Much Ado About Nothing

***½ Much Ado About Nothing (June 2013) – Theatre

Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof. Shakespeare’s classic comedy in a modern setting.

“I’m bored.” — Text from my husband, just before the movie started.

She says: On a warm summer’s evening, I had proposed an outing of walk in the park, gelato, and movie. He eagerly embraced the proposal—except for the movie. He feared being bored by that.

I was not so concerned. But as noted, the movie is set in modern times, and begins wordlessly. When the characters begin speaking in iambic pentameter, I must say I did find it a bit jarring, as though I was hearing Esperanto without subtitles. But I got into the flow of the language pretty quickly, and was fine thereafter. A lot of the comedy is physical, as well, which helps it along.

Overall, I found it very enjoyable. It’s very funny where it’s supposed to be, throughout. The dramatic moments are suitably so. The inserted backstory of Beatrice and Benedict adds interest. And it is fun seeing some of Joss Whedon’s favorite TV actors again: Topher! (from Dollhouse, as Claudio), Fred! (from Angel, as Beatrice), Captain Reynolds! (from Firefly, as Dogberry).

Don’t fear the Shakespeare.

He says: OK, it wasn’t totally boring. Nathan Fillion was really good—really funny.

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