The Kids are All Right
(Starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson)
Prepare to pile on the superlatives! This gentle, insightful film about a “unique” family was a hit at Sundance and a winner at the Berlin Film Fest. The intimate tale about a lesbian couple, their grown children, and the biological father feels extraordinarily real—with lovely performances and equal moments of knowing comedy and intricate heartbreak.
Bening and Moore are a couple raising Wasikowska and Hutcherson. When Wasikowska turns 18, as a favor to her brother, she locates the sperm donor dad (Ruffalo). Ruffalo is a free-spirited, eternal-bachelor type. Meeting his kids makes him realize what he’s been missing. So, these five try to forge a new family—despite doctor Bening’s inordinate love of the wine and control, despite Moore’s inability to focus her passion, and despite Ruffalo’s emotionally lazy approach to life.
Director and co-writer Lisa Cholodenko is also a lesbian mom. (Her other half is musician Wendy Melvoin, once of Prince’s Revolution). Cholodenko obviously knows this family’s dynamic, how mundane their “alternative” life is. She feels the comedy, she loves the quirks, and she uncovers the hidden fears.
What’s so refreshing is how the director allows her actors to shine; across the board, their work is so rich and detailed—so careful and watchable—that Kids may make other films feel wan. The amazing Bening and Moore have forged a real loving relationship, with moments of passive aggression and confusion.
Ruffalo is a man of pauses and shrugs. In fact, the kids here are really all right. They are juvenile, but oftentimes, they’re more level-headed than the adults.
Kids is the type of “gay” film we can celebrate that Hollywood is making—knowing our differences, but telling a realistic and grounded story. It’s easily one of the best films of the year.
Despicable Me
(Voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segal)
Despicable Me isn’t really that despicable. It also isn’t that surprising. Although the animation has a jaunty style, it could’ve probably benefited from a smidge more ookiness. It’s still an enjoyable kiddie flick.
Gru (voiced by Carell) is an evil genius. His hideaway is stocked with a decrepit scientist whipping out elaborate inventions. Gru also has a host of adorable little, yellow, pill-shaped minions who help around the lab and use gibberish to cheer the nefarious genius on. When Gru gets some competition from a nerdy rival, Vector (Segal), the Bank of Evil cuts off Gru’s funding. To get back on top, Gru plans to shrink and steal the moon. The problem is that Vector has the shrink ray. So, Gru employs orphan girls to sell cookies to Vector, while Gru and a couple of his minions steal the weapon.
Carell does a competent send-up of a spooky Eastern European villain. The comedic action is fun. However, the film is overly sunny and sweet when it doesn’t need to be. Making Gru’s lair creepier and his actions more sinister would’ve actually added more strength to the emotion and theme. I suspect it would have also provided more entertainment and enticed kids even more.
Still, you gotta love those sweet little minions!
Salt
(Starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor)
This fairly enjoyable spy flick is a cinematic double agent. Salt acts smart and clever, but it’s really sort of silly, with a couple of logical sinkholes at its center.
Sex-goddess Jolie is Evelyn Salt, an American spy who specializes in US/Russian relations. Late one workday, a Soviet defector shows up and tells the agency and Jolie’s boss (Schreiber) that there is a double agent in their midst. That saboteur plans to kill the Russian president to kick off a worldwide war; the traitor’s name is Salt. Jolie then has to go rogue to stop the assassination and clear her name.
The chase scenes and special effects are thrilling and impossible. Jolie runs through a rain of bullets, climbs building and jumps cars. She knows her way around weaponry, chemistry and technology. Through it all, the spy remains sexy. The film also provides her a couple delightfully cheesy twists.
The problems are the plot holes. One storyline essentially negates the first part of the film, making the later friendship between two characters impossible. The other error is messier; you could find the truth by simply asking a very reputable character and wrapping the whole project up.
These anachronisms may leave you wishing you could’ve turned off your brain. Thinking just sabotages this entertaining operation.
