Understanding Jane (2001)

"Understanding Jane" is basically adequate as a talky lightweight Britcom, but becomes repellent and unconvincing when dealing with the romance between nice guy Elliot (Kevin McKidd) and vindictive, manipulating petty crook 'Dallas' AKA the Jane of the title (Amelia Curtis.) Attractive and pleasant McKidd and John Simm, as the friend give it their best shot and the girls (Curtis and Louisa Milwood-Haigh, as Curtis' partner in crime and Simm's love interest) follow suit, but nothing can endear this match made in hell to us.

   Elliot and Oz (Simm) respond to a personals ad and are coupled up with 'Dallas' and 'Popeye,' two good-time gals who proceed to ditch them with the bill. The guys eventually get their well-deserved revenge, but Elliot is drawn to Dallas, in that squabbling rom-com way. Dallas is just giving Elliot the run-around, but somehow she develops feelings for the poor sod. So, you would think she would repent from her toying with his feelings and we would see some character development on her part.

   The thing is, not really. She never seems to be particularly sorry for manipulating Elliot, or undergo any change. The final gag (her throwing his TV out the window after he is on the losing end of a bet) only shows how tight she has her talons wrapped around him. Elliot seems like a nice enough guy, and I feel sorry for him. Dallas is always playing with his feelings, and any seeming progression in her feelings toward him are really just a means to an end.

   There is a lot to dislike about this movie's technical competence (music that just sounds like background noise, fade-outs that inexplicably turn blue, grainy camerawork.) Also, despite a few clever come-backs and conversations, it simply isn't very funny. The plotline about Dallas' psycho ex goes pretty much nowhere, and gives us virtually no 'understanding' of her character.

   I loved John Simm on his short stint as a villain in "Doctor Who," and I like his character here, but it's hard to be involved when Jane's hold on Elliot dominate most of the movie. Also, what the f is with Dallas (Jane) introducing Elliot to the world of petty crime? 'Steal this CD.' And he does it! Elliot's getting by. He doesn't need to end up behind bars for petty theft. Is this Borderline behavior supposed to be cute?

   Dallas is cruel, narcissistic, manipulative and likes nothing more than to toy with naive Elliot's feelings. There's virtually nothing likable about her. It would be bad enough if the movie didn't enthusiastically condone Dallas' behavior. Are we supposed to believe that a relationship between strait-laced Elliot and cuckoo-crazy Dallas could ever work in the real world?

   I would not recommend this movie to anyone, although I did like some of the dialogue. Andrew Lincoln (Sheriff Rick on the AMC zombie drama "The Walking Dead") makes a brief appearance as a party guest. I don't like movies that celebrate imbecilic and hurtful relationships, with an emphasis on good-for-nothing women taking men on 'the ride of their lives.' That's just stupid. There's nothing wrong with playing it safe and not breaking the law for no discernible reason. Hope you enjoy my analysis, readers. Bye!
                                                Rating-
                                                    5.0/10

The Art Of Getting By (2011)

There isn't anything remotely likable about the protagonist of "The Art Of Getting By," and he is only an interesting lead if you like entitled, angsty little pricks who think the world revolves around them. I know, I know, most kids his age can be entitled and angsty from time to time, but this kid brings the 'glib teenaged hipster' canon to a whole new low.

   Never in recent memory have I so wanted the 'hero' of the movie to be hit by a delivery truck, or at least go away, just go away, and get out of my sight. It doesn't help that lead actor Freddie Highmore is about as boring as straight out toast, or that he (warning- spoiler for the cinematically challenged) gets together at the end with bland 'quirky girl' Emma Roberts (one of the least interesting young people in Hollywood.)

North Sea Texas (2011)

Back in the 50's and 60's, any movie that dealt with gay themes was radical and ahead of its time. A GLBT film didn't have to be insightful or even particularly good -- the filmmaker was risking his credibility and his career just putting himself (or herself) out there.

   Now, however, things have changed, with entire gay film companies making movies available at the click of a button. Directors of these movies must not merely be willing to make movies -- they must be the best they can be, and no less. Movies about the gay experience are in high demand, and makers and distributors of these films don't need to be afraid anymore.

   There have been some extraordinary films made about gay issues the last few years- "Weekend," "Tomboy," "Pariah," and "Gun Hill Road," to name of few ... and  Belgian filmmaker Bavo Defurne's "North Sea Texas" has garnered some acclaim. Unfortunately, "North Sea Texas" is a disappointment, marred by uninteresting characters and a rushed pace.

Open Range (2003)

When my dad tried to get me to watch this movie, my response was "A western? I hate westerns! Blech-arg!" But considering the psychological mind-fuck films he had watched at my request, I figured I owed him recommendation-wise. So begrudgingly, I watched "Open Range" with him.

I didn't expect to like it. Heck, maybe I didn't WANT to like it, just so I could look at him all squinty-eyed, sigh and say "See? Westerns suck. Now I don't have to watch one ever again!"

But, to my surpise, I found myself engrossed in the plot and the characters, not to mention the unconventional casting choices (Annette Bening playing a character who ISN'T a stuck-up bitch? Michael Gambon playing a stone-cold killer?) If you, like me, claim to hate westerns, "Open Range" might be a good place to start.

Guest Post: Film Review -- Celeste and Jesse Forever

I am happy to share another guest post by Zack Mandell. Zach is a movie enthusiast, writer of movie reviews, and owner of www.movieroomreviews.com which has great information on actresses such as Rashida Jones. He writes extensively about the movie industry for sites such as Gossip Center, Yahoo, NowPublic, and Helium.

Dating's Going to Be Tough After the Zombie Apocalypse

When I was young, I found the whole dating thing a bit awkward. My main problem, I think, was I didn't know how to flirt. I could carry on a conversation, of course, debate politics, gossip, drink .... but the nuances of behaving in a cute or sexy way eluded me. I eventually hooked up with a guy who was no more adept at the nuances than I was, a dude who confessed to be being terrified of women, and we got married.

Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

After coming home to find his wife in the shower with another man, Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) snapped and almost almost beat the man to death. He was court ordered into an inpatient psychiatric facility, where he discovered he had undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Rejecting medications, because their side effects compromised his sense of self, Pat learned to talk the talk and go through the motions of treatment. After eight months, his mother checked him out AMA. Uh oh!

Nice Guy Johnny

I picked this film after being impressed by director Edward Burns' "Newlyweds," which I found to be well-acted, involving, and true to life. Wow. What a mistake. Not only does "Nice Guy Johnny" suffer from a complete lack of likable characters, it rings totally false, and fails to come up with a valid point for its entire duration.

   The movie is all about a guy named Johnny learning to stand up for himself and following his dreams. The problem is that Johnny is so bland and boring (and uninterestingly played by Matt Bush) that it's hard to care what a 'nice guy' he is.

   Johnny is faithful to his bitchy fiance Claire (also poorly played by Anna Wood), despite unsavory encouragement by his lecherous uncle (writer/director Edward Burns), but finds himself attracted to a dull 'free-spirited beauty' (Kerry Bische.)

Mozart and the Whale

In many books and movies dealing with autism and Asperger's, a related disorder, a scene is added where a person, generally a psychiatrist, explains the situation to another character.

This is most likely not added to aid character or plot development. Probably this part is there to help people who are not in the know about it, in other words, people who don't get what these conditions are, so they'll understand the story better.

In Mozart and the Whale, the main character, Donald (Josh Hartnett), pauses in the beginning to talk about life with Asperger's. One might think these would be interesting, and a good departure from the "shrink explains" cliche, but actually it becomes rather irksome.

Judging from this movie, people on the autistic spectrum like nothing more than to sit around and discuss their conditions. Mozart and the Whale is a romantic drama based on the memoir of the same title, which I've never read. The main characters, Donald and Isabella (Radha Mitchell) have Asperger's Syndrome and meet during a support group meeting. The film chronicles how their relationship begins and the difficulties of trying to coexist in a romantic situation on the autism spectrum.

    Well, I'm guessing some people might have no clue what Asperger's is. I suppose, though, by telling you, I will be making the same mistake the film did and boring people who already understand it. I guess the difference was that Donald was discussing this with fellow Aspergians who were already in a support group and probably didn't need instruction.

   Then again, maybe you don't either. In that case, skip the following paragraphs and cut to the chase. Asperger's, in short, is a difference in the mind that cause difficulties relating to people, and in some cases, uncommon reactions to certain stimuli. It's related to a more commonly known condition, autism, but tends to be milder. People with Asperger's have problems with social skills, have certain interests they dwell on, and don't easily "change gears."

   Some of them are introverted, and others try to relate but come off as sort of odd. Introversion, possibly, could be a reaction to being misunderstood. Generally they are gifted and grow up to live more independently than people who are autistic. In the beginning of  Mozart and the Whale, Donald meets Isabella, a new addition to the support group. Isabella is a bright, excitable, and socially challenged artist who immediately tells fellow group members about being raped as a teenager.

   Obviously she is angered when a severely autistic woman displays a grossly inappropriate reaction and begins laughing, although she doesn't understand the woman's problems or her own flawed behavior. Infuriated, she is stopped from leaving by Donald, who convinces her to keep going to meetings. One of the group members has a nervous crush on Isabella, but she is more interested in Donald. Soon, she invites him to a costume party, which he doesn't arrive for.

   She comes and knocks on his door dressed as Mozart, and he joins her to walk with her, him in a whale costume (hence the title). They spend time together, and even a near-breakdown from stimulus overload at the carnival doesn't ruin the night. Before departing, they have their first kiss. After their bond deepens and they move in with each other, they start having problems in their relationship. Several times they leave each other but get back together.

   However, problems arise when Isabella feels that Donald is unaccepting and is trying to"'normalize" them for the outside world, and she and Donald break up. The two of them feel lost without each other and Isabella becomes suicidal, but they're afraid to get back together. Mozart and the Whale is a okay movie, although at times it becomes irritating, especially at the beginning.

   When we are first introduced to the main characters, the director seems to be afraid we'll forget the condition of the group members, so we're constantly hit atop the head with "autistic" symptoms. The characters mention their disorder just about every five minutes, and their "interests," such as mathematics or art, seem so hackneyed that it's difficult to relate to many of them.

    On the plus side, the movie is made so that each person, in many ways, is vastly different from the others. Although they share Asperger's, their general personalities and mannerisms are their own, though at times overdone. Actually, Donald and Isabella are not very alike, although they both lack proper social skills.

    All in all, Mozart and the Whale seems like more of a tool to explain Asperger's than a proper story. I don't have the book to judge from, but the film is well-intentioned but plods heavily at times. It's definitely not the worst view of the autistic spectrum, but it's far from the best.

Me & Orson Welles

     You needn't know much about Orson Welles to see (or like) this movie. Nor do you need to devour Shakespeare. As an unsophisticated and non-well-read viewer, I found Me & Orson Welles to be an enjoyable and unpretentious period piece by Richard Linklater, the director of the also enjoyable, unpretentious, but more comically oriented The School Of Rock. But now, instead of the manic Jack Black, Linklater has cast Zac Efron in the lead, a controversial decision considering many non-twelve-year-old girls consider him a pretty boy unfit for anything past High School Musical. But don't worry, the guy doesn't seem limited to teenybopper franchises, and he does fine here, in a film he rather self-importantly deemed the first of his roles he was actually interested in.

   He is backed up by virtual unknown Christian McKay, Eddie Marsan, and talented but typecast Leo Bill, who is forever willing to play the nerd, misfit, psychotic, or pervert. Efron plays Richard Samuels, an ambitious and slightly naive "almost eighteen-year-old" living in new York City in 1937 who regularly skips school, much to the chagrin of his disgruntled mother, and gets a part in the Mercury Theater's production of "Julius Caesar" after publicly singing an awful song about cereal. Womanizer Joe Cotten (James Tupper) and womanizer-in-training Norman Lloyd (Leo Bill), who both have their minds on only one thing (and it's not theater), show him the ropes along with Assistant Sonja (Claire Danes), who Richard promptly develops a crush on.

     The show revolves around keeping Orson happy, a self-obsessed terror set on his own talent. Richard won't be paid. You must not argue. The actors laugh, as a knee-jerk reaction, at Orson's unfunny jokes. What does he earn for all this? "The chance to be sprayed by Orson's spit." Why does Richard keep the job at all? He has hope he can make it in the acting business. It's better than going to school. Sonja might be a big part of it. Norman and Joe classily comment that "every man in the show wants to get into her pants," then make a bet- the first one to succeed gets five dollars. It is easy to guess that Sonja will be furious and broken-hearted that Richard made the bet, but it doesn't happen, which highlights the unexpected turns the movie takes.

    The rest of the movie concentrates on the quirks of the cast and Orson's ego, as well as Richard's realization that whatever turn the show takes, he wants to be a "part of it all." This is well done, except for occasional bad line. For instance? "What's it like to be a beautiful woman?" Richard randomly asks Sonja. *Wince* What gutter did they pull that from? The only saving grace is that Sonja receives it as a bad line. Zac Efron starts out rather awkward in the first five minutes, delivering such off-kilter lines as "you play with real feeling." The heavily romanticized dialogue just doesn't feel natural, and it's a relief when the lines become smoother and wittier.

   Christian McKay plays Orson Welles as perfectionistic, hard-headed, and childish. When he gets in a fight with his actors, he hollers at the top of his lungs, trademark spit spurting out of his mouth, "I am Orson Welles! And every single one of you stands as a adjunct to my vision!" Mm-kay... His unfailingly reasonable agent John Houseman (Eddie Marsan) tries to get through to him, but the bottom line is nothing that Orson Welles doesn't want to do will even be brought to the table. He is a great character, and you see something sympathetic in him, then he throws you for a double loop. Me & Orson Welles is a historical film for people who don't have the time and patience for historical films, and establishes Zac Efron as an actor worthy of some respect (Rated PG-13.)

*
 

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick

Alessandra Giliani has an unusually gifted mind and boundless curiosity about the natural world. Nothing makes her happier than being free to roam the woods around her father's estate, with her brother Nicco, unraveling the secrets of nature. In 14th century Italy, the medieval world is on the cusp of the Renaissance, an era of fertile scientific curiosity. And Alessandra is the daughter of  a stationer, a bookmaker, who holds a unique and important role a century before the invention of the printing press. He visits the great libraries of Europe, borrowing books that will be painstakingly copied and treasured for many lifetimes. With access to books, and with Nicco to help her explore the life all around her, Alessandra's brilliance flourishes, and she dreams of studying medicine.

However, narrow societal expectations and superstitions limit her possibilities for the future. As a woman, she must either become a nun or marry to a man her father chooses. And women who show uncanny knowledge and skill are often burned at the stake. Kept confined to her room by her stepmother, who resents her and is determined to protect her virtue until she can arrange a profitable marriage, Alessandra devises a plan to escape and pursue her dream.

Barbara Quick lovingly recreated this character based on an intriguing historical figure about whom very little is known. Alessandra's character is richly developed. I loved experiencing life in 14th century Italy through her eyes, feeling her quick mind, her longing, and her passions. I was also drawn in by the wealth of interesting historical details. We see different paths of knowledge converge: the teachings of ancient Greek thinkers like Aristotle and Galen, the work of Arab scholars, and the traditional wisdom of female healers, and we see Alessandra make an exciting discovery of her own.
This novel also offers fascinating descriptions of how medieval illuminations were created. And there is fodder for interesting discussions of the evolving roles of women during history, and the ways men have maintained intellectual and moral control in society.

Readers will also enjoy the Alessandra's romance, a relationship in which she doesn't relinquish her strength and independence. I wish her love interest, and their relationship, had been developed more fully. When we reached that point, it felt as if there were a rush to get to the story's resolution. And the story's closing -- though it had reached a logical ending point -- felt somewhat abrupt.

Despite these minor disappointments, I thoroughly enjoyed this vibrant historical novel. Alessandra's well developed character -- passionate, curious, brave, and vulnerable -- is what really made it shine. Both adults and teens will enjoy this book, which will especially appeal to teenagers. And the historical and geographic detail in this story is satisfying -- and enough to pique a reader's interest in further reading and discussion -- without weighing down the flow of the story.

About the Cover: It is becoming increasingly rare to find original artwork on book covers. I love seeing the front of a novel illustrated with a gorgeous original painting, and the cover of A Golden Web is beautiful. Visit the author's blog to read more about the cover art, and about the beautiful young woman whose face is behind the painting.

Many thanks to Barbara Quick and to HarperTeen for sending me a copy of this book for review.

Read More Reviews: Rebecca's Book Blog; Book Illuminations; Enchanted by Josephine


Rating: 4

5- Cherished Favorite	4 - Keep in My Library	3 - Good Read	2 - Meh	1 - Definitely Not For Me