Me & Orson Wells

*** (3.5 stars)

Me and Orson Wells has been on my "Rent it" list since it came out. My interest peaked when Christian McKay (the upcoming Showtime series "Borgia") started garnering nominations for his performance of Orson Wells from the BAFTA's and Spirit Awards. Then, it just kind of left my mind completely. Until, that is, my friend and movie buddy got it in the mail. Exhausted from a long day of shopping, we piled in front of the TV with enough food to kill an army.

"Orson Wells" centers on Richard (Zac Efron, not remotely annoying in this which may actually be annoying), a 17 year old high school student with dreams of becoming an actor. Or painter. Or writer. Or all around renaissance man. As luck and chance would have it, he runs into Orson Wells outside the Mercury theatre just weeks before his interpretation of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" is set to open. He impresses him with his charm and lack of embarrassment into a small part in the play. Richard is in awe of everything, but nothing more so than Wells assistant; the comely Sonja (Claire Danes). She comes on to him much to the chagrin of the other cast members and he learns valuable life lessons. The movie is directed by Richard Linkater ("Dazed & Confused", "School of Rock") for some reason and based on the novel by Robert Kaplow.

The movie takes a while to get into. It's staged like a play (I didn't know it was a book before, but wondered about it out loud while watching), and is acted and shot in a way that is both parodying and applauding studio films of the late 30s and 40s. Danes seems pulled in two directions with her acting. Her head baubles with each line as if she has a nervous disorder. It's distracting, but when she stops doing it (though only momentarily) she is very genuine. I like her. Maybe it's because I was obsessed with "My So-Called Life". Maybe because she is a plain girl, that is to say she looks like someone you might know; that I am drawn to her movies.

McKay is instantly recognizable as Wells- the pre-movie Wells that was the dapper gentleman of Broadway. The man who would turn the film world upside down for the next 70 years. He is a shadow puppet unfortunately. A man who seems to be acting all the time, but who also seems to be doing it on purpose. I don't know a lot about Wells except that he was a bit of a tyrant and perfectionist. McKay is immediately burdened with playing a character so identifiable in our minds for playing characters.

Eventually, the movie won me over (a bit) and I appreciated the relationships between the characters, the winks and nods to real life powerhouses in Hollywood and New York, and the music. It is an interesting movie if you are a fan of old Hollywood and the theatre or if you are just a pervy lady who likes to stare at Zac Efron- no judging. Otherwise, I fear you may be bored or disappointed.

The Kids Are Alright

**** (4.5 stars)

I love Lisa Cholodenko's style of writing and directing. It sounds like how real people talk to one another and looks like real life. That is not to say it's boring in any way, it isn't, only to say she is a truly talented director. “High Art” and “Laurel Canon” are two fantastic, and very different, films. Why is it that female directors only seem to make one movie every 5-10 years but Ben Stiller keeps cranking out the crap? Get on it ladies!

“The Kids Are All Right” (nominated for multiple Golden Globe, Spirit, and SAG awards) tells the story of a married couple Nic and Jules (Annette Beining and Julianne Moore) during the last summer before their daughter goes off to college. Now that she’s 18, Joanie (Mia Wasikowska, “Alice in Wonderland”) can finally petition to find out who is the donor daddy to her and her half brother Laser. Said daddy turns out to be beatnik-y Paul (Mark Ruffalo) who personifies our ideas about Los Angeles. He owns an all local restaurant and farms his own organic produce. He rides a motorcycle and likes fine wine. He’s a stud. The ménage-a-trois that results between the adults is at times heartbreaking and funny.

Cholodenko recognizes the differences in this family ("Joanie has two mommies"), but keeps it focused on the bigger picture of family as opposed to making it cliché. Nic is a bit overbearing and seems to love her wine more than she does her partner at times. Jules is the free spirit, kept at home to raise the kids, she starts and stops businesses with the whimsy most of us pick out an outfit. Together they are ying and yang, and that’s why it works. Feeling alone and frustrated with the everyday familiarity that comes with a long-term relationship, Jules steps outside the marriage in an attempt to save it.

The big surprise for me here was the kids. Wasikowska didn't impress me much in "Alice in Wonderland", but she has that perfect 70s vibe that's all the rage these days. Even under all the long hair she wears as a mask over her face, her pixie like innocence is staggering. She’s happy with what is and doesn’t want to rock the boat. Her brother, on the other hand, is at the age when a male figure would be welcome and he pushes his sister to explore their more true identity. Hutcherson looks so familiar to me but I realized I've never really seen any of his films (“Zathura”, “Bridge over Terabitha”). It's mostly kiddie stuff. In this film, he gets to grow up and find his voice. The look of excitement on his face on the way to meet their donor, the deep seeded pain when he realizes his family is falling apart; are signs of burgeoning genius. I hope he sticks with the more adult fare.

In her now traditional style, the film doesn’t so much end as she simply stops filming. We don’t know what happened before the movie started, so why should we know what happens in the end? This is a family still growing, still learning, still recovering. It is a wonderful movie and still my pick for Best Comedy at the Golden Globes.

[side note: Attention ladies with an unhealthy addiction to "America's Next Top Model". (Of course you're only watching it to make fun of Tyra. We believe you. You may recognize the hostess at Paul's restaurant as YaYa from cycle 3, the snobby runner-up. Well, we get to see a whole lot of her in this movie. FYI.]

[side side note: Have you seen the trailer for the latest remake of "Jane Eyre"? It looks fantastic. I loved the Zefirelli film with Charlotte Gainsbourg, but the book made me want to kill myself. I'm holding out hope for Wasikowska now that I know she can act. Throw in Michael Fassbender and I'm sold!]

The Extra Man

***** (5 stars)

Last night word-of-the-day Jennie and I went to an advanced screening of "The Extra Man" starring Kevin Kline and Paul Dano. There is nothing more exciting than a free movie, except when that movie isn't even out yet or if the theatre has Coke Icee's. Yum...Icee...

Anyway, the movie is hilarious! Not only were we laughing (pretty par for the course regardless of what movie we're seeing), but the whole theatre was laughing as well. At a few points it was almost annoying as the laughter drowned out the dialogue. Better that than stunned silence though, I always say.

"The Extra Man" is about nebish and sexually confused Lewis Ives (Dano)- English Literature teacher and wayward loner. After losing his job, he moves to New York to pursue his passion for writing and ends up renting a room from fellow teacher Henry Harrison (Kline), who may or may not be insane. Harrison fancies himself a gentleman in the fashion of an F. Scott novel and offers his services as an extra man. Not to be confused with a gigolo ("Don't be crass"), an extra man provides wit, charm, and companionship in return for invitations to society parties, trips to Florida, and nice meals.

The dynamic between the two actors is undeniably entertaining. Dano looks like he may implode at any moment, his frail frame carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His awkwardness is almost painful to watch. By contrast Kline is a proud, stand up straight, sort of guy. He never pretends to be less than a bit unstable and particular, but it's always in an oddly charming sort of way. Watch for John C. Reilly as the (if possible) more eccentric downstairs neighbor and Tony Award winning actress Marian Seldes (fun trivia- she taught Kevin Kline while at Julliard) as billionairess Vivian Cudlip.

The only weak link for me is Katie Holmes, a fellow writer and proud vegan at the green journal where Lewis takes a job. Who dressed her? I mean, it's nice to see someone wear the same outfit twice in a movie (it's refreshing actually), but she is so stereotypically kookie New York it's painful. She appears to only have two emotions- wide-eyed surprise and wide-eyed confusion. What's worse is you know what she was trying to attain, a sort of innocence and ingenue status, but she never quite delivers. She doesn't just chew the scenery, she chomps down.

I don't want to give too much away. There are twists that must be seen to believe. I will say it is a must watch for fans of comedy, idiosyncratic behaviour, and cleverly intriguing story lines. You will not be disappointed!