Return of the Screening Log...

As promised this Blog will be just that (plus other random tidbits) while the site gears up to return for the spring

Wednesday (03/09) through Saturday (03/12) viewings:
The Upside of Anger (in the theater)
I predicted this for two Oscar nominations a year in advance and that wasn't even wishful thinking since I hadn't seen the movie when I did. Nevertheless it's self prophetic because I will now be royally pissed if Joan Allen isn't nominated. She is magnificent. An "A" performance all the way and better than her Oscar nominated work in The Contender. As forcefully dramatic as her most famous performances PLUS terrific comedic timing. The movie as a whole is much better than Mike Binder (writer/director/co-star)'s other work would have you believe. It is a little unfocused and overreaches with some subplots that feel tentative or unsure of what they're there for... but overall it's a sharp, insightful, and even original (!) family dramedy. Allen and her four teen/20something daughters don't look like they're related but the chemistry is good and the film is reallyfunny. I could see it doing decent box office with some support from New Line in marketing. I think it will have good w.o.m. And Allen had better be nominated in January 2006. (B)

Robots (in the theater)
I was more consistently entertained that I thought I might be (I didn't like The Ice Age at all from this studio) but it's only a day later and it's already a little fuzzy in my memory. I've had enough of Robin Williams shtick to last a lifetime but otherwise the jokes were funny and the production design was also noteworthy. I only wish they hadn't thrown in stupid anachronistic stuff like a long sequence of fart jokes and the Britney Spears spoof (they're anachronistic because everything else is completely true to that robot world. But comparing noises to old men's farts doesn't make any sense when there aren't any humans in your world --duh! And spoofing on a singer might make some sense except for in the context in which it appears). Still it has it's moments. And at least one "wow" visual moment --which is always good. (C+)

La Strada(on DVD)
I had never seen this particular Fellini film ---I've still got many left to go, chief among them is La Dolce Vita. I've seen 8 1/2, Satyricon, Roma, and the first time I ever saw one was when I was 18 in college in a film history class and I still can't remember which one it was but remember I loved it. I'm thinking I Vitellonior Nights of Cabiria, maybe?) The La Strada DVD is from the Criterion Collection so I was disappointed that there were a lot of sound problems (lots of out-of-synch lip stuff) with the transfer. But it's a beautiful movie. As usual the visuals are the key thrill with Fellini. My favorite two moments were Gelsomina unexpectedly meeting an invalid boy in his room and Gesolmina watching the tightrope act: lovely nearly wordless sequences.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (on Broadway)
I'm not happy about the film-to-stage thing that's happening regularly on Broadway now. It's not that I disapprove of cross-pollination. It's just that I find people are pretty unimaginative about it. This transfer, like the Full Monty, is practically just lifted off the screen and plopped down on stage. Same plot points, plot sequence, ending, etc... only with music! Like they didn't really rethink. BUT. It is really funny and in addition to the famed comedic talents of John Lithgow, it has the comic and emotional joy of Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz onstage together. These two aren't that familiar to out of towners but they're awesome and they co-starred together in one of my favorite all time shows, Jason Robert Brown's off-Broadway The Last Five Years (which has quite a cult following of which I am a proud member).

I expect that this show will do at least as well as The Full Monty and being that it's funnier may last even longer. But back to the transfer. The best change is the addition of two characters (who will probably be looking at featured actor and actress nominees come May at the TONYs) and, of course, Sherie Rene Scott who is lighter than air in this show (For Broadway followers Sutton Foster's headlining of Little Women finally has some real competition for Best Actress at the TONYs). Scott's characterization is an improvement from the film version of Ms. Colgate, who is the American ingenue and principle target of the two conmen who drive the plot.