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Saturday Afternoon Fever

All too often, movies about a certain time period, specifically the 1970s, fail on their take of humor, attitude, and general representation of the time period. The suburbs of Chicago shown in the Fox Searchlight release ROLL BOUNCE is a neighborhood I'd want to live in. It's a place where kids like Xavier 'X' (Bow Wow) can ride his roller skates through the neighborhood, not having anyone blink, unless he throws their newspaper at them during his delivery route. X and his pals start off the film enjoying their last night at the local roller rink which is shutting down for good. Unfortunately, this now means that the boys have to travel from their southside neighborhood to the northside Sweetwater rink. They have to deal with the flashy entourage of the celebrity skater 'Sweetness', who makes the girls faint, and the boys marvel at his skills on the floor.

While the plot for Roll Bounce is simplistic and unoffensive as possible, there are some layers of achievement and awareness blended in through X's at-home life. His father (Chi McBride) is raising him and his sister alone, because their mother recently passed away. This raises questions for X, as he deals with growing up without the mother who pushed him to be the best skater he could be, while his father doesn't think it'll amount to much. There's an upcoming team competition at the Sweetwater rink, and X feels more pressure to skate his best with his friends, dealing with issues at home, and being true to himself.

The film is well-cast with believable, endearing kid actors, especially X's troup, and having the parental rolls actually fleshed out. The only real weakness is that of Sweetness, who doesn't say much, and basically flexes his muscles to show how 'sweet' he is.
Overall, Roll Bounce isn't too out of the ordinary in the plot department, having elements very similar to every other 'kid with a dream' film, but what X wants isn't too far out of his reach. He doesn't have to achieving the impossible or any of the sort. The kid's gotta skate, and be real to his friends and family, all while getting the girl, and keeping the audience entertained. It's not just the infectious soundtrack that keeps this movie on its feet - Roll Bounce keeps on movin', groovin', and goin' the best way it can, despite the odds and cliches.

all images from movies.yahoo.com

Posted by madamczyk at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

Not Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

Newlyweds George and Madeline, played by Alessandro Nivola and Embeth Davidtz in JUNEBUG

Michelle Williams stands next to her boss Michael Showalter who is THE BAXTER

Just so you know, most likely, you, the seacoast film goer will not be able to see the following movies. And how unfortunate that is. But luckily, the DVD format release will give you the option to view two very small and quirky pictures I've seen here in Chicago.

First up is the family dramedy JUNEBUG. Starting in Chicago (yay), Madeline is the director of an art gallery, and during an auction, it's practically love at first sight for her and George, the man she eventually (but quickly in the films' span) falls for and marries. Several months after their marriage, George and Madeline head to North Carolina to meet with an unknown artist named David Wark whom Madeline wants to court to have a show in her gallery. His paintings have a unique quality to them, and are humorously graphic in their depiction of historical battles and moments in time. But down the road not too far away is where George's family lives. Madeline is eventually aquainted with the entire family, including Johnny (Ben Mackenzie, of Fox's THE OC), George's younger brother, Peg and Eugene (Celia Weston and Scott Wilson), the parents, and Ashley (Amy Adams), Johnny's very pregnant wife whom is amazed at Madeline's presence. Where the family keeps to themselves, and isn't so great at expressing their emotions, Ashley is a polar opposite. Any quiet moment can be suddenly filled with her lively intuitions and thoughts.

I've seen a lot of family dramas in my life, but none of them has had quite the feel that JUNEBUG exudes. It's a unique film with touching moments, and awkward wonder, but somehow doesn't exactly have a purpose. Maybe we're just supposed to take the journey with Madeline, meeting this quiet new world, and to just enjoy what we see, because that's the best we can do ... and that's fine with me.

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On a different note, but similar page is the quirky indie comedy The Baxter, from Michael Showalter, one of the guys in the comedy trio known as STELLA (from Comedy Central), and the cult hit WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER. You know how every movie with a girl getting married has her with the wrong guy , only to have the right guy FINALLY tell her how he feels right at the altar ? Well, that 'wrong' guy is known as The Baxter, and that's exactly who Elliot Wendall Sherman is (well, specifically to his grandmother's definition of the word) . Remarkably, Elliot meets and is soon engaged to the total babe Caroline Swann (played by Elizabeth Banks). They do not belong together. You know it , I know it, and the entire audience knows it. Once they're on screen together, we're all just waiting for the REAL guy for her to show up. And soon, he does. Justin Theroux plays Bradley, Elizabeth's high school sweetheart -- or simply the guy whom Elliot isn't. But of course, there's someone for Elliot, and that role is filled by his temp secretary Cecil Mills, the charming sweet opposite of Elizabeth, played by Michelle Williams. Nearly everything in The Baxter is predictable, but from the opening scene in the film, we know what we're in for anyway. If you can buy into the NYC hipster office mode of this movie, and enjoy any of the lead actors in general, then this is the movie for you. That is unfortunately because The Baxter is not a movie for everyone. It's cute, charming, and funny, but only to those willing to give in.

-- all images= movies.yahoo.com ---

Posted by madamczyk at 10:53 PM | Comments (1)

CAPOTE - Why You Need to See It

img = movies.yahoo.com

The Music Hall in Portsmouth is hosting the Telluride by the Sea festival in less than two weeks, and it just so happens that the best movie of the year CAPOTE will be playing during the fest.
I urge you and anyone else to go see this movie. The film tells the tale of author Truman Capote in his learnings and future writings of the true story "In Cold Blood". In late April, I was fortunate enough to see it through a test screening in Cambridge, MA. Although a rough cut, the movie clearly and definitely is one of the best movies I've seen in the new decade, and absolutely the best film I've seen all year. Surely if I wasn't in Chicago right now, I'd be there, with my ticket in hand, eager to see it again.

But why see this movie ?
Phillip Seymour Hoffman easily gives his greatest performance.
It's textbook best actor material, but so out of left field, as it's a rather small movie and not being released by award heavyweight Miramax (it's Sony Pictures Classics, which is totally respectable). Without a doubt, in my opinion, he deserves and will (?!) get the Oscar.

September 17th 6:30pm.
I suggest you be there.

Posted by madamczyk at 07:39 PM | Comments (5)

Red Eye

img = movies.yahoo.com

You know I think this summer has been terrible.
The recent reports say that hollywood is in shock as to WHY there's a drop in ticket sales.
But thankfully, RED EYE does not fall into that category of movies that have CAUSED the drop, both from audience reaction and box office numbers.

Wes Craven has been hailed as the 'master of horror', being the director who brought us nightmares from Freddy Krueger in the 'Elm Street' series, and the horror movie ABOUT horror movies 'Scream'. Although his movies usually carry an R rating from loads of gore and violence, RED EYE is a harmless exercise in natural terror.

Rachel McAdams plays Lisa Reisert, a put together yet guarded hotel executive who's flight to Miami has been delayed due to weather. While waiting in line at the check-in, she shows off her people skills in front of the interesting, yet eerier-named Jackson Rippner (the smooth talking Cillian Murphy). They talk. They have a drink together. And it just so happens that they've been sat next to each other on the same flight. Huh. What Lisa soon finds out about Jackson and his plans calls all her emotions into question, and her general actions that have led her to that window seat. What's a girl to do ?
Hold on to your armrest- there's a lot of intense turbulence ahead, as Lisa plays into Jackson's game, and eventually faces her fears.

RED EYE is predictable, enjoyable, slightly cheesy, and thrilling.
McAdam's Lisa is smart, while Murphy's Jackson is equally talented AND unnerving. If these two characters never had inital chemistry, the movie would have been a - well, can't say it on an airplane (bomb !).
But thankfully, the movie is a short 85 minutes of near simplistic b-movie perfection.
Fasten your seat belt and watch this movie take off.

Posted by madamczyk at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)