What To See This Weekend. Or Not.
© A.J. Malouin 2009
“Big Fan”
If you can find it playing anywhere, *this* is the film to see this weekend. In the metro Detroit area, we’re lucky to have it playing at the Detroit Film Theatre. Aside from being the main character in this film, Paul Aufiero is a loser. Along with his best friend and admirer Sal, Paul traces every move made by an American-rules football team, the NFL’s New York Giants. Paul lives with his Mom and works in a glass booth as a parking-deck attendant. During the moments between collecting money, Paul writes sports rants about the Giants, which he reads to a local sports-talk call-in radio show at one o’clock in the morning. When Mom yells at him to go to bed, Paul’s on-air readings turn into a whisper. When Paul stalks, and then meets, his Hero, New York Giants starting quarterback Quantrell Bishop, things go as badly as they could for any loser. That’s where the fun Really Starts in this touching, warm, and sorta funny film. Don’t miss seeing it!!!
“District 9”
This is a film unlike any other you are likely to see. Aliens (from outer space, that is) have been quarantined in a slum area of Johannesburg, South Africa, for 20 years. Humans have finally had enough of the aliens’ antics, however. The plan is to forcibly move the aliens to another location, out in the countryside 240 kilometers away. Wikus Van De Merwe has been appointed by his-father-in-law to spearhead the eviction. Funny, violent, empathetic, and visually-stunning, “District 9” is a totally worthwhile experience. The (main) topic of discussion at the September gathering of “Al’s Movies @ Gayle’s Chocolates,” was universally approved by the entire group, save on. Reviewer Al has seen it twice and would, actually, see it yet again.
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[“District 9” is *not*, however, yet on his list of “50 Films A.J. Would Watch Again.” Prepare *your* list of “50 Films You Would Watch Again” and send it to us at 50films@malouin.us for publication. Further details on 50 Films Lists are at http://What-To-See-Next.com on a side-bar page.]
“Inglourious Basterds”
Reviewer Patsy and Reviewer Caryl thoroughly enjoyed this Tarantino, Caryl calling it a “must-see film.” Jewish director Aviva Kempner, OTOH, said of it, in passing, “I urge you not to see it” during a Q&A following the screening of her documentary film “Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg.” Likewise, Annie of Oklahoma, a Native American, called it awful and an insult to all Native Americans. “Inglourious Basterds” tells the story of a part-Apache American soldier who, during World War II, recruits a group of American Jews to go wreak havoc on the Nazi war machine. Each of the recruits is told to “bring back 100 Nazi scalps, or die trying.” Violent, cartoon-like, and very violent, this film is highly recommended by both Caryl and Patsy. Reviewer Al, OTOH, is boycotting it, based on the comments of Annie and Aviva. Instead, he recently undertook a Home screening of Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs,” which he enjoyed thoroughly.
“It Might Get Loud”
Way back in the 1950s and earlier, black southern blues musicians followed the factory work north, bringing their music with them. Fairly soon, Les Paul created the phenomenon of the electric guitar. In this film three generations of guitar players go into the past and into the future to vividly describe the electrifying effect the guitar has had on them — and on us! Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin!), The Edge (U2!), and Jack White (The White Stripes!) talk and play their ways through this sometimes loud, always reverent tribute to music and musicians. When it’s over, we writers wish we were guitar players instead. We are, all of us, artists but, eXcepting for Yours Truly, it’s the guitar player who gets The Girl.
“Julie & Julia”
Reviewer Caryl saw this movie some time ago and thought it was charming. It tells the story of Julie, a down-on-her-romantic-luck girl who resolves to prepare one recipe from a Julia Childs cookbook every day. “Meryl Streep IS Julia Childs,” Caryl reports. Reviewer Al adds that Amy Adams is Julie, an actress worth watching in Anything.
“In the Loop”
If you can still find this playing anywhere, it might be a good film to avoid this weekend. Al rated it a 14, and Patsy rated it a 12. Smart, hip, and mile-a-minute, “In the Loop” tells the story of a bumbling British politician who makes a *faux pas* during a press conference and spends the rest of the film trying to recover from it. The fast-paced and incredibly witty dialogue comes at us all helter-skelter in thick British accents and is therefore hard for people who speak American to follow. In Her summary of it, Reviewer Patsy wrote, “I’ve decided that the movie we saw is the cleverest movie every made….it made me frustrated ‘cause I couldn’t understand half of what they were saying…..kind of like what goes on in our government, isn’t it? I think it was totally on purpose.” Patsy was, of course, referring to the USA government.
“The September Issue”
Reviewer Caryl calls this film “a huge disappointment.” As a long-time fashion expert who has worked inside that business both in Michigan and, especially, in New York City, Caryl was totally prepared to love this film. She could, however, find no reason to do so. “The September Issue” is a documentary film about *Vogue* magazine’s Editor Anna Wintour, and her staff’s efforts to put out the September, 2007, issue of Vogue. Apparently, this annual September issue is “the bible” of the fashion world. The September, 2007, issue, apparently also, thudded down on to coffee tables around the world at just over four pounds. The film thudded down also on to Caryl like a 16-ton weight. She vastly preferred “The Devil Wears Prada,” a fictionalized account of the same material.
“The Informant!”
Here again, Reviewer Caryl was vastly disappointed by this film. Mark Whitacre, a top-ranking officer at Archer Daniels Midland, is forced to spy on his own company after his wife threatens to go to the FBI regarding Whitacre’s price-fixing activities. Whitacre begins to think of himself as a true international spy. Later revelations about his severe bipolar mental illness suggest how this could happen. In the end, even the FBI throws Whitacre away, while using his information to build their case against ADM. Caryl thought the film wandered heavily in the second act and ended in lame summary. She did not rate it and would not recommend it.
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That’s it until tomorrow. See you in the movies!!!