Midnight in Paris

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An engaged man from the present day (Owen Wilson) falls for a woman from the 1920s (Marion Cotillard), who dreams of living during the Belle Epoque. The one thing they can agree on, Paris is the only place to be.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Carla Bruni, Corey Stoll, Alison Pill, Tom Hiddleston, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Lea Seydoux, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Adrien Brody, Gad Elmaleh

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Personally, I could’ve sat and watched this movie for another 2 weeks. It has everything I love: Paris, Owen Wilson, Paris… But unless you’re a very well-read and highly cultured individual, many of the references will be over your head, and the storyline’s not enough to make up for it. Then again, you’ll always have Paris.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Michael Sheen’s pretension had me giggling through every one of his scenes.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I felt sad that I wasn’t inside the picture.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Anyone who gives me this much Paris to dream about has my vote!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Owen Wilson plays a great Woody Allen. And he may even be the first to do it without losing himself. At the same time, it’s kind of unsettling to see a Texas good ol’ boy embracing his love for a place that is sooo not Texas. In retrospect, I'd like to add that I can't stop thinking about Alison Pill, who is an absolute stand-out as Zelda Fitzgerald.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Never been Woody Allen’s forte, but Paris’ beauty is impossible to miss.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Scripting is Woody Allen’s forte, and while the dialogue remains witty, this script has several amateur mistakes. Rachel McAdams’ character has so few redeeming qualities, that even the Mean Girl herself can’t infuse any charm into her. The fantasy element is fun, but it doesn’t build beyond the one note joke of getting to hang out with famous dead people. Once you’ve established that, a professional screenwriter is supposed to do something with them. I’m assuming Woody Allen doesn’t know this, because he never went to see Night at the Museum. Then again, I can’t stay mad at him for throwing together a script whose sole purpose seems to be to showcase Paris.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: I've always thought Ernest Hemingway was one of my favorite authors. Between you and me, I've only actually read one of his books, but I read it like six times, so I think I get a lot of cred for that! But my point is, after seeing Corey Stoll's interpretation of Hemingway's speech patterns, which so cleverly mimic his writing style, I remember all the more clearly why I love Hemingway so very much.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Midnight in Paris Trailer

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fantastical tale about the life of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) who is born in the body of an 80 year-old man and ages backwards.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Tilda Swinton, Taraji Henson, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, Elle Fanning, Jared Harris, Edith Ivey

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It’s a big, rich sprawling Hollywood movie with big Hollywood movie stars that connects nicely to themes of aging, but mainly to life. It all could have been a sappy, sentimental mess, but fortunately it’s a mostly grounded and engrossing journey about one man’s unusual life and how we all connect to the same base things in life no matter our circumstances. It reinforces how in many ways, we are the sum of all the people we meet throughout our lives, and how we become defined by those experiences and by how those people view us.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are a few ‘smiling on the inside’ moments, but it’s not a yuk-fest.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Very likely. This movie covers a lot of tear-jerking ground, so be prepared.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It’s already nominated for 5 Golden Globes including Best Picture, and it won the National Board of Review for Best Director and Best Screenplay, so it's not hard to predict that multiple Oscar nominations are in its future.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Our standards are high for actors like Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton and none of them disappoint. Pitt is astonishingly effective early in the film when his make-up applied 70 year-old face is put on the body of some other actor. He conveys so much with both his voice and eyes that you will completely forget you’re watching some of the most amazing visual-effects ever put on film. And then when you realize he’s portraying the mental age of 10 as a 70 year-old, your head might explode. It’s a heartbreaking and funny performance and Pitt has rarely been better. Since the film is something of a travelogue, it’s filled with many talented actors in smaller parts, but it all adds up to a great cast and amazing work by all.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David Fincher has segued from serial killers (Se7en, Zodiac) into uncharted territory (for him) wonderfully. His visual style and attention to detail serve a story like this – one that spans decades – perfectly. Nothing is flashy, but it all has a rich sense of setting and his directing never gets in the way of Benjamin’s story. His staging of a WW-II event involving a tugboat and submarine is simply stunning.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Screenwriter Eric Roth also adapted Forest Gump and in a structural sense there are some similarities here, but ultimately Benjamin Button is a very different movie. This film isn’t very plot-driven but Benjamin’s life holds a lot of surprises that keep it entertaining and for the most part it never really drags, even at 2.5 hours.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: For a story that spans so much time (80 years) and uses the premise of a character aging backwards, it would be hard for the make-up effects to not be one of the film’s stars. It’s a brilliant fusion of practically applied make-up and visual effects, and it’s all seamless. Half the fun is seeing this man age (backwards and forwards), and the other half is seeing the other characters' reactions to Benjamin as he grows younger through the years. Every time Daisy (Cate Blanchett) puts a hand to her mouth in astonishment when seeing him after a few years away, you will too.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/the%20curious%20case%20of%20benjamin%20button/trailers

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