Monkey Movie Reviews

On this cold as Christian charity weekend we watched two films. We saw this one last night:
It's a sweet tale of an expectant young couple looking for a place to nest and lives their lives once their baby pops out. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would because of all the mixed things I had heard about it. It's worth viewing mainly for the supporting actors who do such great comic and poignant turns in it. Allison Janney and Jim Gaffigan as the polar opposite married couple in Phoenix are a hoot. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Josh Hamilton are creepily funny as the uber new age couple. And finally Melanie Lynskey and Chris Messina are stellar as the tragically bittersweet couple who live in Montreal. So if the best performances are turned in by the supporting actors where does that leave out erstwhile leads? Well, Maya Rudolph is fine but John Krazinski kind of fades against the strong performances turned in by everyone else. He's kind of milquetoast.

Over all thought I recommend this movie. It's a sweet little film.

And we watched this one Saturday night:

Woody Allen finally got the memo that moviegoers were creeped out by him when he cast himself as the love interest to very young women. So what did he do in this movie? He casts Larry David in 'the Woody Allen' role. And not unsurprisingly Larry David is a perfect fit for that role. Too bad the movie as a whole doesn't hold up.

This film is another in the long line of Woody Allen films that tells us that all the world's idiocy, racism, and sexism would be cured if we all just moved to New York city. It's a magical place where we southern racists learn to love minorities, where the repressed backwoods catfish eating holy rollers leave their god behind and get civilization and learn to love jazz and polyamory, and where the long closeted can finally come out and open antique stores with their new found same sex partners. Oy vey, what a magical place Woody's NYC is! Too bad it's only a fantasy that a New York city centric old man enjoys.

This movie is cute in parts and Rachel Evan Wood is very pretty to look at but that's about it. I'll give Larry David credit for becoming Woody Allen in this movie but I can't recommend it. To me the stink of southern stereotypes was too strong to get past.

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We saw this last night:

It's a boy meets girl for sex, girl gets pregnant, girls decides to have baby adopted after brief visit to abortion clinic, girl goes through wacky interpersonal adventures on the way to giving birth to baby that she will give away movie.  And despite the sniping of some people in some quarters, it's a fine film that was made from a fine, definitely Oscar worthy, script.  

Some people have problem with the slang and or the tone of the dialogue, but in my opinion those people are jealous asses.  The backlash against the script was probably started by frustrated screenwriters who spend their days penning endless sequel after sequel for some shitty Nic Cage movie like Con Air or Ghost Rider.

The fact is boys and girls, Juno is a perfect little movie.  It's well written, well acted, well directed, well edited, and well, I loved it.  I'm not sure if all kids today talk like that but you know what?  It's just a movie and it's not earth shatteringly important if Diablo Cody got it 100% right when she wrote it.  

This movie would not have been half as good if it did not have Ellen Page in it.  She is the heart and soul of the film and rightly so since she plays the title character.  She had just the right amount of spunkiness, grit, humor, and sweetness to pull it off.  While at times she looked a little older than her supposed 16 years, she was mostly dead on in her portrayal.  

As usual Michael Cera was damn fine in his role.  This kid's acting prowess has amazed me ever since I saw him in Arrested Development.  He gives a clinic in film and TV acting with his every role.  To be a great film and TV actor one has to under play ones roles and Cera does it every time and that's why he's so believable in every thing you see him in.

Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons shine as Juno's dad and step mom.  Janney nails her step mom with a frosty heart of gold character just right.

Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the adoptive parents shine bright as well.  You start out not liking her that much while really liking him, but then as the film goes on it slowly twists and you come to like her very much while not liking her husband much at all.

I think the reason why this film has connected with so many people is because it's really about how it's okay to do the right thing.  Juno may have made a youthful mistake by having unprotected sex, but she did the right thing by giving her baby up to a woman who was so very ready to be a mom but couldn't have one of her own.  Juno's parents did the right thing by supporting her in her decision and taking up for her when they had to.  Juno's boyfriend did the right thing by showing her he still loved her and making sure she knew it.  And the adoptive husband did the right thing as well, but I'm not going to tell you what he does because I don't want to spoil it for those who have yet to see it.  All these characters show that while it's not always easy, in the long run it is always best to do the right thing.

I highly recommend this movie.