Some prefer movies about doomsday, others prefer Kermit the Frog. To each their own.
This is our ‘meet cute’ — I know it might be a tired genre cliché but it’s nonetheless effective. From Sleepless in Seattle to When Harry Met Sally (or, really, any other late-80’s/early-90’s Meg Ryan movie) audiences have fallen for the ‘meet cute.’
After bumping into each other at the wackiest scuba class ever we’ll navigate all the necessary plot points, pass the time with a tasteful montage and hit a relationship snag at the most inopportune time. If we make it, we”ll have a number of options in store: a musical number, running through the airport for one last kiss or a tasteful, wrap-up voice-over.
So, if you do cross this new weekly column after flying a kite or stumbling out of the Frontier Room, let’s hope you get something out of it. The criticism won’t be roses every week, but in honor of the most stifling, trite — yet somehow enduring — movie trope, this week has a happy ending.
“Melancholia” — What”s that red star?
Lars von Trier has been called many things so I won’t call him names, but his projects never lack intrigue. It’s often hard to separate the man from his work, especially in recent years. von Trier reportedly made his last two films – “Antichrist (2010)” and “Melancholia (2011)” — while overcoming a deep, crippling depression.
The latter finds Justine (Kirsten Dunst) plunging into a similar state as her lavish, gaudy wedding unfolds around her. The estate is owned by her brother-in-law, John (Kiefer Sutherland), and sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who will stop at nothing to ensure this wedding takes place. Oh, there’s also a giant sun-sized planet on a crash course with Earth.
The performances are universally great, namely Dunst, who anchors the film with haunting confidence. The camera deftly follows her across von Trier’s canvas, creating images that are not easily forgotten.
My expectations of the director might have helped my experience with “Melancholia.” von Trier precisely subverted these feelings by playing against them. I expected sensationalism, but was left with an honest, terrifying and bitingly funny family drama. I wish Michael Bay would watch this film and take notes…but he’d probably just blow them up.
“Melancholia” is currently playing at the Harvard Exit Theater.
Life is a happy song with “The Muppets”
When the trailer for “The Muppets” debuted, it was hard not be a tad skeptical. Our beloved, hand-impaled friends online casino hadn’t made a relevant appearance on the national stage in years — and with the scorn of original Muppeteer Frank Oz hovering over the production, it was easy to take a step back.
Lucky for us, Jason Segel, in all his schlubby charm, helmed the script, and his love for felt is palpable. From the opening frame, “The Muppets” displays a colorful, unencumbered joy that isn’t the least bit sarcastic.
Gary (Segel), his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) and his brother Walter live in Smalltown. Walter spends his evenings obsessing over the old Muppet TV show, watching re-runs and collecting memorabilia. There also is the small detail that Walter is a Muppet, and while you think this might warrant explanation — trust me it doesn’t. Gary and Mary decide to visit Los Angeles for their 10th anniversary and surprise Walter with a ticket of his own.
What ensues is a cavalcade of musical numbers and celebrity cameos that buoy the films sagging middle act. The whole Muppet crew returns with an energy all their own, and I dare you to not smile when you watch it. Now if only we can replace Billy Crystal’s corpse with the Muppets at the Oscars, then we can extend this resurgence a little longer…
“The Muppets” is currently playing at several movie theaters in the Seattle area.
