Celeste and Jessie Forever (2012) ***½

Who knew Rashida Jones was such a talented screenwriter?  Apparently she got tired of waiting around for great scripts to come her way, so she and her friend, character-actor Will McCormack, penned this pleasant little, indie, rom-com.  The film is based loosely on their own experience of trying out romance but winding up fitting better as friends.
 “Celeste and Jessie Forever” tells the tale of the two title characters, played by Jones and Andy Samberg, trying to remain best friends while getting divorced.  Celeste is a successful media executive, a “trend forecaster” in fact, who has her shit together but is maybe wound just a little tight.  Jessie is a slightly under-motivated, unemployed graphic artist.  They are childhood sweethearts, but one can imagine how their differing approaches to life might have created friction over time, even between people who genuinely love each other as they do.  The movie begins with the pair separated, but with Jessie living in the guest house and hanging out with Celeste daily.  The arrangement is very modern and cool, but that sort of thing just can’t go on forever.  You can imagine the sort of complications that ensue when they start dating other people, and so on.
What I liked about the movie is that while many of the plot turns are fairly predictable for this sort of tale, the point of the story is not the standard “true love wins in the end” bromide.  It is that people can actually change.  Celeste and Jessie are both really good people, and the film does not yield to the temptation to exaggerate their flaws.  Nonetheless, Jessie’s lack of responsibility and Celeste’s overabundance of it are barriers to their happiness, and the story gives them a chance to grow.
I vote that Rashida Jones and Will McCormack continue writing together if they can continue to produce stuff this good.  “Celeste and Jessie Forever” is funny and human.  The characters feel very natural, and they mostly avoid the annoying extravagances that usually populate these romantic comedies.

3.5 stars out of 5

Role Models (2008) ***

Pay attention, alchemists, I have found the formula for comedy gold.  “Wet, Hot, American Summer” cast reunion?  Check.  Jane Lynch?  Check.  Stiffler?  Check.  A little Judd Apatow flavoring, including Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from “Superbad”)?  Check!  Mix well and poof!  Start laughing your ass off.  This little gem from director David Wain (“Wanderlust” “Wet, Hot, American Summer”) isn’t exactly movie-of-the-year material, but it is plenty of hilarious fun.
Paul Rudd plays Danny,  a salesman who spends his day ironically giving anti-drug speeches and promoting an energy drink while his co-worker Wheeler (Sean William Scott) cavorts in a minotaur costume.  Despite having a gorgeous lawyer girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks), the uselessness of his career has Danny in a slow-burning depression.  When his girlfriend gets sick of it and dumps him, Danny flips out and winds up getting himself and Wheeler in legal trouble.  They are given a choice: 30 days in jail or “volunteering” in Sturdy Wings, a Big-Brother-type program.  Obviously, they go with the mentoring program.  Danny gets paired with Augie (Mintz-Plasse), an odd teen who is obsessed with a fantasy-role-playing game.  Wheeler gets stuck with a foul-mouthed little badass named Ronny.
What happens after that?  You can probably guess.  Things start out stand-offish, then the guys and the kids gradually warm up to each other, and eventually everyone learns a lesson about life.  The plot is not the point.  The point is an entire herd of talented comics being hilarious.  The movie features several actors from the old MTV show “The State,” including director David Wain, and I love those guys.  Jane Lynch is excellent, as usual.  Bobb’e J. Thompson is an excellent little, foul-mouthed child actor.  Ken Jeong, from the show “Community,” puts in a appearance as a smarmy king.  Really, everyone in the movie cracks me up.  “Role Models” is not quite up to the standards of “Wanderlust,” but it’s still a great time.

3 stars

OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009, french) and OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006, french) ****

The film world is full of James Bond spoofs, but I think I have found my new favorite.  “OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies” and “OSS 117: Lost in Rio” feature Jean Dujardin as a clueless, dim-witted version of the international super spy.  The films would hardly be described as subtle, but they have an edgier satire than, say, the Austin Powers films, and they contain a sly social commentary that the Powers films lack.  Dujardin plays French spy Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath as a handsome, dashing man of the 1950’s who has no idea how offensive his casual racism and sexism appear in the 1960’s.  He cruises through life sporting a tailored suit and a smile, taking the appreciative looks from women as his due and muddling his obtuse way through each case mostly through luck.
While I immediately took these movies as James Bond spoofs, further research reveals they are, in fact, spoofs of the original OSS 117 movies from the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, which were apparently serious spy flicks.  Indeed, the original OSS 117 novels, by author Jean Bruce, predate Ian Fleming’s excellent 007 novels, and the first OSS 117 movie was released in 1957, five years before “Dr. No,” the first Bond film.  Nonetheless, these movies play well as critiques of Bond, who does sometimes seem like a man about a decade out of his element.  As OSS 117 tells one hippie in “Lost in Rio,“ “Why do you want to change the world?  The world is fine.”  Indeed, these films tend to point out that the Bond films are really one, big testimony to how fine it is to roam the world as a tall, handsome, white male.  The effect is enhanced by Jean Dujardin’s similarity in appearance and style to the young Sean Connery.
The social commentary in these films is used like a subtle spice, enhancing the flavor of the dish without dominating it.  In both films, it would be possible to focus on the comedy and completely ignore these undercurrents, but they are there.  OSS 117’s complete inability to engage with the Arab Muslims in “Cairo, Nest of Spies” is reminiscent of America’s misadventures in the region.  In “Lost in Rio,” the satire is turned on France, as OSS 117 is sent to retrieve a list of French Nazi-collaborators from WWII.  His initial response to the assignment is, “What collaborators?!  All of France resisted completely.  De Gaulle said so.”  It may seem odd to an American audience for a 2009 film to reference something from so long ago, but the movie was made in France, where the wounds of occupation have perhaps not completely healed.
I have not said much about the plots of these films because, as with the Bond films, there is little that needs saying.  In the Bond films, the storyline is clearly just a vehicle for Bond to BE who he is, and the same is true for OSS 117 in these films.  The comedy is absolute gold!  OSS 117’s dashing cluelessness crashes repeatedly into the unsmiling disbelief of his female co-spies, to delightful effect.
Director Michel Hazanavicius and Jean Dujardin didn’t see much international success with these films, but you may have heard of their 2011 collaboration, a film called “The Artist.”  This silent film was a joy to watch, and won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor.  One could only hope that this success might prompt them to bring back OSS 117 to once again save the world.

4 stars out of 5

2 Days in New York (2012) ***½

It’s no surprise to see Chris Rock appearing in a comedy, but it was a pleasant surprise to see him demonstrate an ability to turn down the comic frenzy and turn up the heart for an adult comedy.  “2 Days in New York” showcases some of the best acting I have seen from Rock.  It was also my introduction to Julie Delpy as not just an actor but also a director, and she availed herself pretty well.
Rock and Delpy play Mingus and Marion, a couple living in New York.  Both have kids from previous marriages, and they have a good relationship, with a nice little blended family.  This system gets stress-tested when Marion’s father (Albert Delpy, Julie’s actual father) and sister Rose visit, along with Rose’s boyfriend Manu, who happens to be an ex-boyfriend of Marion.  Between Marion’s dad refusing to shower, Manu buying pot in front of the kids, and Rose walking around the apartment naked, the visit is a bit too much for Mingus.  Meanwhile, Marion is trying to host a gallery exhibition of her photographs.
“2 Days in New York” is truly a comedy for adults.  The French characters are hilarious in the way characters in a Woody Allen movie are, and Mingus and Marion’s relationship is very adult and honest.  The film is actually a sequel to “2 Days in Paris,” which I haven’t seen.
Lots of movies explore the “True love conquers all” theme.  “2 Days in New York” skillfully explores the question of whether true love can survive the greatest challenge of all, the extended family.

3.5 stars out of 5

Bernie (2011) ****

The latest creation from Richard Linklater, the writer/director behind “Dazed and Confused,” “School of Rock,” and “Before Sunrise,” is a bit less accessible than those films, but quite entertaining once you get used to it.
“Bernie” is based on the real-life story of Bernie Tiede, a Texas funeral director and pillar of the community who befriended a wealthy widow named Marjorie Nugent, became her companion and assistant, then murdered her.  When Tiede was convicted of first-degree murder in 1997, he was portrayed as a gigolo and embezzler who enjoyed expensive travel with Ms. Nugent and embezzled millions from her, presumably murdering her when he was caught.
“Bernie,” however, tells the story from Tiede’s point of view, presenting him as a sympathetic, Christian man who was fond of old people and befriended the mean-tempered Marjorie because she had no friends and was estranged from her family.  Early in their relationship, Bernie (Jack Black) brings Marjorie (played with zest by Shirley MacLaine) out of her shell, making her seem a decade younger.  As time goes on, however, Marjorie more and more turns her mean, demanding temper on Bernie, who feels trapped in the relationship.  One day, seemingly out of nowhere, Bernie reaches the breaking point and kills her.
It’s hard to know what really goes on between two people, and the bare facts of the Bernie Tiede story surely lend themselves to two different narratives, one in which Tiede is a cold-blooded con-artist and killer, and another in which he is a sympathetic soul whose life got taken over by a sociopath.  Linklater has stuck with the second narrative, and he does seem to have plenty of corroborating evidence.  “Bernie” is sprinkled with testimonials from Carthage, TX townspeople supporting the sympathetic portrayal of Bernie and the portrayal of Marjorie as a mean bitch.  Then, too, this article from the Telegraph, written by Marjorie Nugent’s nephew, Joe Rhodes, paints her as perhaps even worse than she looks in the film.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9243732/How-my-wicked-aunts-murder-became-a-Shirley-Maclaine-comedy.html

One possible angle to the story that does not get explored in the film is the question of why Marjorie and Bernie’s relationship turns so sour and abusive.  One possibility that occurs to me, based on Shirley MacLaine’s performance, is that Marjorie may have had early dementia.  Much of her behavior, such as the clinginess and increasingly irrational demands, would be typical of dementia, especially in someone who tends to be demanding and unforgiving by nature.  It’s sad to think so, not because it would have changed the ultimate outcome for Marjorie, but because it could have helped Bernie deal with her, had he understood what was going on.
Whatever the truth behind the case, and one suspects that it lies somewhere in between those two narratives, “Bernie” is a charming, if off-kilter black comedy.  MacLaine is perfection, and Jack Black manages to stay just this side of parody, lending his version of Bernie Tiede plenty of heart to balance out the grating Texas accent and mincing mannerisms.  Matthew McConaughey is delightfully unrecognizable as district attorney Danny Buck.  The Carthage townspeople, however, are the real stars of the film.  Ever since his first major project, “Slacker,” Richard Linklater has held a reputation for being able to find real-life “characters,” and that is fully on display in “Bernie.”  All the best lines come from the townsfolk.  Truth is stranger than fiction, and often funnier.

4 stars out of 5

A Town Called Panic (2009, French) ****

It is rare to see a movie that generates such unmitigated delight, and even rarer to find one that you can watch with your kid.  This French, animated movie is a great introduction for a kid into watching foreign films with subtitles, and it is fun for the whole family.
“A Town Called Panic” (Panique au Village) started as a Belgian tv series, with 5-minute animated shorts.  What we watched was their full-length feature, featuring the same characters, including Horse, Cowboy, Indian, and a host of other characters who are all little plastic toys filmed in stop-motion animation.  These characters create the most bizarre and entertaining story, which as it unfolds seems like it is straight out of the imagination of either a child or an opium smoker.
I think the best thing about “A Town Called Panic” is the sense of unbounded imagination it exudes.  The story feels as if a child is making it up as it goes along, but there are hilarious reminders that children are always observing the adult world.  In one scene, the characters have a big party for Horse’s birthday, with some of the characters playing poker in the kitchen, and some getting belligerently drunk in the living room.  The next day, they are hung over.  Trust me, a hung over plastic cowboy is something you need to see!

4 stars out of 5

Timecrimes (Los Cronocrimenes, 2007) ***

If there is one thing we’ve learned from movies, it’s that time travel causes problems.  You would think these mad scientists would learn, but they never do.
In the Spanish film “Timecrimes,” the hapless victim of the paradox of time travel is Hector.  While renovating his new home in the country, he sees some strange equipment in the woods.  He gets out his binoculars for a closer look, and then he sees something even more interesting: a woman in the woods taking off her clothes.  Clearly, the only logical thing to do in this situation is to hike out into the woods for a closer look.  There, Hector is attacked by a man with bloody bandages wrapped around his head.  Bandage-man pursues Hector onto some kind of compound that, it turns out, includes a time machine.  Hector seeks refuge in the machine, getting sent back in time and into an inescapable loop of paradox.
I enjoy the mind-twisting aspects of time-travel movies as much as the next guy.  Most just take the basic “Back to the Future” approach, where a character will disappear if he does something to change history and prevent himself from being born.  I prefer the films that have a bit more fun with the possibilities, and the low budget “Primer” is probably the best of the genre.  By having the characters make multiple trips back in time, including trips within trips, multiple versions of the same person can interact, pretty much making the viewer’s head explode from trying to keep up.  “Timecrimes” owes a big debt to “Primer.”  Unlike “Primer,” however, which I seem to recall held up pretty well to logical analysis, “Timecrimes” does contain a pretty glaring paradox that can’t be explained unless you are willing to sacrifice the traditional cause/effect relationship.
That’s not to say that “Timecrimes” isn’t a completely serviceable movie in its own right.  The film is written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo aptly enough that I plan to seek out his other film, “Extraterrestre.”  The acting is good, the plot is well-paced, and actress Barbara Goenaga looks great naked.  The presence of the bandaged man lends a real sense of menace.  Overall, this is a taut thriller, and worth watching.

3 stars out of 5

Rio Sex Comedy (2010) **

I’m not sure what they were going for with “Rio Sex Comedy,” but what they got was a hot mess.  Like most hot messes, however, it does have some entertainment value.
We are introduced to several people, each of whom has his own storyline, and these narratives occasionally merge.  Bill Pullman plays William, the under-qualified American ambassador to Brazil.  Overwhelmed by the job, and not even speaking Portuguese, he flees his handlers, disappearing into a favela (slum).  There he meets a gorgeous local girl and Fish (Fisher Stevens), an American who runs tours of the favela and the countryside.  Fish helps William hide out and nurtures the ambassador’s newfound passion for improving the conditions of favela-dwellers.  Then there’s Charlotte (Charlotte Rampling.)  (The director apparently felt it would be too difficult for the actors to take on character names different from their own.)  Charlotte is a renowned plastic surgeon recruited to Brazil, the plastic surgery capital of the world.  Her specialty seems to be psychiatry, however, as she always talks her patients out of having surgery.  One of those patients is Irene (Irene Jacob), a French expatriate who is having a steamy affair with her brother-in-law.
These folks sort of bounce around Rio de Janeiro with their privates hanging out.  The film makes occasional, nonsensical efforts at social commentary, but mostly it’s about nudity and silliness.
One interesting thing about “Rio Sex Comedy” is that it is in Portuguese, French, and English, which means that no matter where it is shown, there will be subtitles.  This kind of “world cinema” is something I expect we will see more of, and it’s kind of cool.

2 stars out of 5

Elf (2003) **½

I suppose this has become a Christmas classic, and I would be embarrassed at having waited so long to see it, but it’s also one of  those movies that isn’t really as good as people tell you it is.  It’s funny, but it’s also goofy, predictable, and rather trite.
“Elf” is the story of Buddy, an orphanage baby who accidentally stows away in Santa’s bag one Christmas.  Raised by elves, grown-up Buddy is oblivious to his human origins, despite being 6’3” and terrible at making toys.  When he learns the truth, he sets off from the North Pole for New York, to find his birth father.  There he walks around in an elf suit doing the kinds of goofy things Will Ferrell would do in a movie like this.  His long-lost father is a publisher and kind of a jerk, but of course, like the Grinch, his heart grows three sizes, and in the end Buddy saves the day with his Christmas cheer.
One gets the sense that this story might once have had  something of an edge to it, but by the shopworn, heartwarming ending, that edge is completely blunted by a swelling score, and everyone learns an Important Lesson about Christmas.  It's as treacly-sweet as the maple syrup that elves apparently eat on everything.
        Surprisingly, Will Ferrell is the best thing in “Elf.”  I’m normally not a fan, but his stupid, earnest schtick actually works well in this story.  Zooey Deschanel plays a charming love interest, but she is pretty much the same surly, big-eyed character she plays in every movie.  Peter Dinklage does put in a memorable cameo as a children’s author who, as an achondroplastic dwarf, gets a bit prickly about being called an elf.
If I am overly Scrooge-like about “Elf,” it is probably because I came to it too late.  This is really a movie for kids, and as such, it isn’t bad.  It isn’t nearly as good as the animated “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” but it is way more watchable than the live action Grinch movie.  If you are looking for a Christmas movie, watch “Die Hard” or “Bad Santa,” but if you are looking for one to watch with your kids, this will do.

2.5 stars out of 5

21 Jump Street (2012) ****

The thing about filmmaking is that in the right hands, a truly dumb concept can turn into a great movie, just as a good story can get turned into a bomb in the wrong hands.  When I heard about “21 Jump Street,” I thought, “Do we really need another movie about adults going back to high school?”  To make matters worse, this one is based on an old TV show, usually a sign that a movie will suck.  To my surprise, the movie is a complete hoot!  They almost take the lack of originality and make it an advantage.  Instead of worrying too much about plot, the film focuses on good acting, physical comedy, and action, and they come up with a winner!
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play Schmidt and Jenko, a couple of rookie cops.  The two were high school classmates, where Jenko (Tatum) was a popular jock and Schmidt (Hill) was a nerd.  They wind up becoming friends in the police academy, and after screwing up as bicycle cops, they are sent to 21 Jump Street, an undercover project that sends young-looking cops into high schools to infiltrate drug rings.  Jenko promises to take Schmidt under his wing and show him how to be cool in high school, but it turns out that styles and attitudes have changed just enough that Jenko’s efforts to seem cool fall flat.  It turns out, however, that a funny, smart, fat kid who secretly has nothing to lose can fit right in, so Schmidt winds up hanging out with the cool kids, including the main drug dealer (Dave Franco, James Franco’s brother).  Meanwhile, Jenko sulks his way into the science lab, where the nerds wind up lending him their technical expertise to help bust the drug gang.
I can’t even believe I just typed all that.  The plot is so silly and predictable it actually hurts to describe it, but directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller manage to make it work.  The screenplay, co-written by Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall, lets the actors stretch out and have fun, while letting the movie poke fun at its own hackneyed plot and lack of originality.  Unburdened by an earnest plot or some misguided message, Hill and Tatum deliver excellent comedy.  The supporting cast delivers as well, including Dave Franco (“You know what they do in prison to handsome guys like me?  It rhymes with GRAPE!”) and Ice Cube as the “angry, black Captain.” “21 Jump Street” may not win the Oscar for Best Comedy, but it would win Best Comedy Based on a Short-Lived ‘80s TV Show, with room to spare.

4 stars out of 5