"Greensberg" Movie Review

Greenberg (R ) is writer/ director Noah Baumbach's lasted indie drama. Ben Stiller stars as the title character who is just coming off of a mid-life crisis mental breakdown. With a change of scenery in mind, Stiller's Greenberg moves from New York City to LA to house-sit his brother's house and consequently starts to establish a relationship with his brother's personal assistant (Greta Gerwig).

Ryan: With a less than stellar slate of spring films, Greenberg is the diamond in the rough. For those looking for a substantive alternative to most of the mindless films jamming up the local cineplexes, Greenberg is definitely worth checking out. It's a solid movie. With noteworthy performances by the two leads and a relevant screenplay, Greenberg is the type of indie drama that's not only entertaining to watch but that also leaves a lasting impression.

Andy: Most people have not heard of the movie Greenberg, and it is not playing on very many screens, but in many ways it is the ideal spring film. Very soon the studios are going to start rolling out their big-budget shots at the title of summer hit (it starts in April now!), but the springtime is reserved for smaller, usually much lower quality films. Writer / director Noah Baumbach takes all the key elements of indie cinema and reminds us why the formula works, creating a movie that is funny, sad, awkward, and charming all at once.

Ryan: It should be pointed out, as a lot has been made of this fact, that this isn't the typical Ben Stiller part. Make no mistake about it, this is a dramatic role. But contrary to popular thought, Stiller has been effective in some non-comedic roles. From Reality Bits to Zero Effect and Permanent Midnight, Stiller has demonstrated that he can handle more “serious” work. But with all that said, there's no question that Stiller's performance in Greenberg is hands down his best dramatic work (he makes an unlikable character likable) and enhances his repertoire as an actor.

Andy: Stiller is simply outstanding in this film. He takes a character who is defined by his selfishness and inability to think of others and somehow makes him likable enough to support a love story. This is a difficult role to play, and Stiller pulls it off without a single misstep. His characters is only funny when he’s trying not to be, a departure for what most people expect of Stiller, but he shows that he has the chops to pursue serious rolls if he wants them. Of course, he’s unlikely to see a big payday from doing work like this, but it’s still good to know he can do it.

Ryan: Not to be outdone by Stiller's performance is that of Greta Gerwig's. Gerwig is a relative newcomer so I would classify her part as a breakthrough performance. What's remarkable about her performance is how unconventional it is. I don't use that term unconventional to mean quirky and weird. More to the point her performance is unconventional in how good she is in the film. Compared to other standard dramatic leads by more seasoned actresses, Gerwig's performance in the film shows an authenticity that is lacking from standard Hollywood fare produced by her contemporaries. I hope this performance is not forgotten when award season comes around.

Andy: I would agree with that assessment completely. Gerwig never seems like a character in a movie; she seems real. When she makes decisions that make her life more complicated, we feel bad for her because of how valid it is for her character to make those decisions. A performance this accurate and nuanced will surly gain her enough notice that we will see her showing up in more and more films over the next couple of years.

Greenberg is a charming indie drama that works well from start to finish. Final grade: B+.

"The Philadelphia Story" Move Review

In this column we almost exclusively concentrate on new releases in the theater. But the cinematic experience does not have to be limited to new releases.

The Artcraft Theatre in Franklin, IN on a bi-monthly basis, shows classic films on the weekend. This past Saturday they showed one of the greatest films of all time, The Philadelphia Story (1940). We thought this would be a good time to highlight a film that modern audiences might not be completely familiar with.

In The Philadelphia Story, Katherine Hepburn stars as a rich socialite on the eve of her second marriage. Her ex (Cary Grant) shows up unannounced with a magazine writer (James Stewart) and photographer (Ruth Hussey). Needless-to-say the weekend does not go as planned.

Ryan: The mantra, they don't make' em like they used to, gets thrown around a lot. I even use it myself even though I don't totally agree with it all the time. But when it comes to romantic comedies it's completely justified. The romantic comedy genre is a breeding ground of mediocrity in today’s Hollywood so it's completely refreshing to watch a film that best capitulates how good a romantic comedy can be. The Philadelphia Story has a lot going for it (obviously) but one of the most remarkable things about the film is its timelessness. The movie is seventy years old but resonates in a more believable manner than most contemporary love stories.

Andy: It’s hard not to talk about the cast when thinking of The Philadelphia Story. A few years back, the American Film Institute counted down the top stars of all time. Grant and Steward were both placed in the top 3 on the male side, while Katherine Hepburn was in the top spot on the female list. So this movie boasts three of the biggest stars ever, and they are all in top form. Add to the mix Academy Award nominee Ruth Hussey and a recognizable and talented supporting cast, and the movie is worth watching just to see the actors work. But there is so much more going on than just those amazing performances that makes The Philadelphia Story one of the best movies ever made.

Ryan: From the impeccable screenplay to the polished direction, The Philadelphia Story is the very definition of a classic golden age Hollywood production. But there's no doubt that the definitive highlight of the film are performances by the three leads. Here's a film with three of the greatest film stars of all time delivering arguable their best most well-rounded performances. It's not each one's most famous performance. But the interaction and interplay between Hepburn, Grant and Stewart is iconic and that's what makes the movie so memorable and completely watchable to this day.

Andy: The Philadelphia Story is based on a play by the same name, and is generally credited with reviving Katherine Hepburn’s floundering career. The script is expertly written, with the complexity of the relationships building and building until the deadline of the impending wedding finally arrives. The Philadelphia Story is instantly likeable, but it somehow gets better and better over the course of its 112 minutes.

The Philadelphia Story is probably as close to perfect as a romantic comedy can get, earning it an A+.

For those that want a break from current new releases or for those that just want to enjoy a classic movie on the big screen, the Artcraft's schedule can be viewed at their website, http://www.historicartcrafttheatre.org/home.html.

"Alice in Wonderland" Movie Review

Tim Burton's latest cinematic endeavor is Alice in Wonderland (PG-13). Inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic tales, Burton's Alice centers on a teenage Alice (Mia Wasikowska) that falls down the rabbit hole. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Crispin Glover costar in the film.

Andy: Time Burton has the distinction of being one of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood who rare makes a great movie. I really enjoyed Big Fish, but that was all the way back in 2003. And before that I’d have to go back to 1996’s Mars Attacks to find something truly interesting in his catalogue. Alice in Wonderland continues with the trend of Burton’s underperforming. It’s okay, but there is nothing particularly exciting about this movie.

Ryan: Tim Burton adapting Alice in Wonderland, in theory, seems like a good idea. The fantastical elements of the story would seem to fit the quirky imagination of Burton's cinematic sensibility. For the first twenty or so minutes Burton did a solid job of sitting up the situation of a more adult Alice rebelling against her Victorian environment. But once in Wonderland the movie becomes one giant bore. I realize that calling the movie boring is not cutting edge criticism but the bottom line is that the movie fails to generate any thrills whatsoever.

Andy: Considering the fact that it is taking place in “Wonderland,” and things are supposed to be getting curiouser and curiouser, I think I it is fair to call this movie boring. Even in 3D it lacked the edge that you would expect the Tim Burton adaptation of an already surreal piece of literature to be. I’ve claimed in the past that Burton’s movies have started to feel like what someone would expect a Tim Burton movie to be, and there is certainly something stale and lacking that lingers over much of this film.

Ryan: In a lot of ways—through no fault of its own—Alice in Wonderland is a victim of its own historical significance. In the past several years the cinematic landscape has been dominated by fantasy films involving a child (or young adult) who discovers a world within a world and in some capacity ends up saving it. While I respect Burton for wanting to take the movie in a different direction the result bares out that he was unable to produce a film that's any different from the handful of movies that have been released in the past couple of years. Alice in Wonderland should not be presented in a generic fashion but that's what happened.

Andy: The performances were merely adequate for the talent involved. The cast is a who’s who of Hollywood, and they all seem to be doing an uninspired archetype of characters they’ve played in the past. Johnny Depp is pretty good, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen from him before. The relative newcomer in the group, Mia Wasikowska, does a pretty nice job in the title role, and the Cheshire cat was very entertaining. Beyond that, the execution of this movie falls short.

Ryan: The only noteworthy highlight of the film is Mia Wasikowska's performance of Alice. I'll concede that it's not a complete shout-out breakthrough performance but it was definitely strong enough to confidently say that she does have a bright future in Hollywood. In a film with very little personality Wasikowska delivers a performance worthy of the “Alice” character.

Alice in Wonderland fails to live up to expectations, earning a mediocre C.