After all of the rites of male passage in the last few postings, I felt it would be time to highlight some older reviews that feature women at the forefront...and also to foreshadow a review of "The Runaways," which will hopefully arrive soon...
“BABY MAMA” Directed by Michael McCullers (2008)
**1/2 (two and a half stars)
I had the absolute pleasure of watching the opening skit to the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" last night, featuring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton, respectively, addressing the nation. It was a brilliantly written and performed sketch that showcased exactly what happens when comedic writing and acting are working at their collective peaks. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for "Baby Mama," a sadly bland and generic feature film that tries desperately to skate by on the undeniable talent and chemistry of Fey and Poehler.
Often while watching this film, I couldn't help but to think about Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up," released only last year, and I realized how that film was so right in countless ways and where this film, while not terrible by any means, often took the safe, predictable and pedestrian route. It lacked teeth, the direction was artless and sluggish and despite sparking to life during a few sequences (and any time the shockingly underused Romany Malco appeared), it was simply a film that overstayed its welcome.
I have a strong feeling that if Tina Fey actually wrote this film, either solo or with Amy Poehler, we would've ended up with a film that was a bracing as their terrific opening sketch last night. Let's hope Fey and Peohler continue to collaborate in the future...but next time with a better script and director.
Originally written September 10, 2008
"I COULD NEVER BE YOUR WOMAN" Written & Directed by Amy Heckerling (2007)
*** (three stars)
Don't let the stigma of a "Direct To DVD" release sway you from seeing the latest charmer from Writer/Director Amy Heckerling. Michelle Pfeiffer returns to the screen as a divorced Writer/Producer of a hit teen sitcom entitled, "You Go Girl!" who is also dealing with the politics of feminism and aging in the Hollywood scene. Added to her plate are the travails of raising her daughter, Izzie as she enters puberty. Just when her life could not get any more complicated, she meets and falls in love with Paul Rudd, a 29 year old actor auditioning for her program.
What we have is a smart, breezy, and sharply satirical film that is a showcase for Pfeiffer, who displays a loose, brightly comedic and frisky exuberance not on display in far too long. Rudd also shines brightly with effortless charm but a special treat is the early supporting performance by Saoirse Ronan (from "Atonement") as Pfeiffer's daughter experiencing her first pangs of teenage love.
So why was this film not released in theaters? Thanks to a recent expose in "Entertainment Weekly," Heckerling certainly walked through the fire for her film, which was the victim of several studio collapses and Hollywood politics. This is not a perfect film and it doesn't scale the heights of Heckerling's two classics, "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" (1982) and "Clueless" (1993). It does seem a bit ragged here and there, from what seems to be unfinished color correction and special effects. But, again, it is well worth a look and what a pleasure it was to see Michelle Pfeiffer again!
Originally written February 15, 2008
"SEX AND THE CITY" Written & Directed by Michael Patrick King (2008)
** (two stars)
Before an arsenal of Carrie Bradshaw's favorite shoes come flying my way because of my star rating, let me first say emphatically that I was a big fan of the "Sex and the City" television series. Each time the latest season would be released upon DVD, I eagerly raced to my neighborhood video store and compulsively watched the continuing adventures of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte for the entire weekend. The thing that made me feel skeptical once the announcement of a feature film version was made was that I was quite unsure as to exactly what they could and would do to make an already explicit series--thanks to airing on HBO--work as a motion picture experience. But, more thematically, for me, the series finale truly felt like a heartfelt conclusion. The story of the series was over and where else could they really go?
Well, at a hefty two and a half hour running time, all parties involved found many places where the lives of our frisky and romantically challenged quartet could continue onward but unfortunately, the proceedings felt trite where the series was insightful, the writing seemed to lack the razor sharp cleverness and always quotable dialogue of the series and once it was completed, I uttered an adjective I never used even one time during the entire run of the series and that word was..."boring."
The movie begins with the engagement and wedding preparations of Carrie and her true love, Mr. Big. From there, we also pick up with the lives and exploits of Carrie's friends, all dealing with themes of pre-marital jitters and commitment, being true to one's own romantic and sexual nature, the issues of maintaining one's identity within a long-term relationship--all compelling material. Yet, for this film, it lacked that "New York minute" level of insight and truth that made the series so beloved. Conflicts seemed arbitrary and their resolutions even more so. At times, I felt that if two characters had just spoken in one scene, we could have eliminated five additional scenes. And did we really have to have TWO sequences of Carrie and friends trying on clothes set to some song included on the soundtrack album? And then, there was the humor. I frequently laughed out loud at the series but not so much during this film where some laughs seemed surprisingly low-brow and cheap. Don't Miranda and Charlotte deserve better than being the object of jokes about unshaven pubic hair and explosive diarrhea?
But, despite the flaws, the entire cast returned to their treasured roles with complete ease and the time away from each other did not weaken their chemistry in the least. "Sex and the City" (the movie) is essentially a film about the solidarity and bonds between these four women and perhaps it was that depiction the filmmakers, studio and sponsors wanted to convey to the target audience as well as the intended viewing experience itself.
When this film was released in theaters, it became a pop-cultural film event targeted to a female audience on a level that had been previously unseen. It was a "mark the date on the calendar" event where women could go out with other women and have an evening akin to the characters in the movie. Certainly that is nothing to complain about and in many respects, in the sexist world of film, it is something to even be celebrated. The strategy obviously worked tremendously as it was a box-office smash. But, I am hoping, with the inevitable sequel that the finely honed and often terrific writing of the series returns.
Originally written September 25, 2008
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