When you read a great novel and then hear they are turning it into a film, your heart lurches a bit with happiness and then dread. What happens if they cast the wrong person in the lead role? How can they possibly get all of that book into a movie? What if, what if, what if? I felt this way when I heard they were making The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) into a movie. I chose to ignore the buzz as best I could – no need to get prematurely disgruntled. But working in the pop culture field as I do, it was harder and harder to ignore the leaked photos, plot information and general craziness that welcomes a YA sensation into the cinematic realm.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games

I feared that the film would be over-hyped and would fail to meet the expectations of the legions of fans who devoured the trilogy. After watching the film I will say this…yes, it was over-hyped, but – it was also very well done. I have never seen any of the lead actors in their prior films – so I didn’t have any preconceived notions as to how they would portray the characters. I have to ask my daughter what Josh Hutcherson had been in before. Apparently he was in Journey to the Center of the Earth and Liam Hemsworth is not only the boyfriend of Miley Cyrus, he is also the brother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth). I did know that Jennifer Lawrence was in Winter’s Bone and was nominated for an Oscar but I didn’t see that film. So I was surprised by how much these young people embodied the personas of the characters from the book.

Of course there were things left out. Also it was a long film and my daughter cried real tears during a particularly moving scene, but overall, even though, yes, it was slightly over-hyped, I found myself drawn in. I liked the story, liked the characters, and connected to what was  presented to me on the screen. Gary Ross (director) did an admirable job handling a beloved novel and the actors truly made it work. I recommend this film to those who have read the books and those who haven’t as well. Remember the subject matter and beware if you are sensitive to violence and blood. If you can get past those things, this was a great way to spend some time on a spring day.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lionsgate | 2011 | Rated R | 107 minutes

This week I was afforded the opportunity to screen Jennifer Westerfeldt‘s new film Friends With Kids. Not only was this a fun movie, I got to utilize our modern technology and screen it from the comfort of my home utilizing Livestream.  I am fairly certain this is the wave of the future.

The movie tries to bring a new spin to the romantic comedy and for the most part it succeeds – but in the end we know who will end up with whom. Luckily, Westerfeldt wends a nice story in between. She utilizes her great ensemble cast that includes  Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd and her real-life partner, Jon Hamm.

The story revolves around the central couple, thirtysomething Manhattanites played by Westfeldt and Adam Scott who are not actually a couple but best friends. They share best friend short hand, late night phone calls about dates gone wrong and are great in every way except for the fact that Jason (Scott) swears over and over again that he is not attracted to Julie (Westerfeldt) at all. When they decide that these are good reasons to have a baby together – you can see where this is going.

Their friends feign support for this far-fetched idea but they truly don’t think they can remain platonic and raise a baby together. Over the course of the film, they have the baby, date other people (Megan Fox and Edward Burns) and try to figure out what they truly feel for one another.

I think this is a fun film to enjoy with friends at a matinee.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

GIOVANNI RIBISI as thug Tim Briggs in Contraband, a white-knuckle action-thriller about a man (Mark Wahlberg) trying to stay out of a world he worked hard to leave behind and the family he'll do anything to protect.

Who knew the underground smuggling business in New Orleans was so corrupt? Well – I guess we all did, or could have figured it out if we had put some thought to it. Contraband, the new Mark Wahlberg feature, examines the ins and outs of this nasty piece of society. As a former smuggler gone legit, Chris Farraday (Wahlberg) gets pulled back into the business when his brother in law (Caleb Landry Jones – X-Men: First Class) botches a job and needs Chris’ help before the bad guys come to get him.

For all intents and purposes this is a typical action film, there is lots of shooting, some stuff blows up and you get the scene chewing bad guy. This time the bad guy is Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar) playing the completely sociopathic Tim Briggs. Ribisi uses a very weird accent/voice combination that makes it hard to look away, but is also cringe-worthy.

The supporting cast Kate Beckinsale (Underworld), Ben Foster (The Mechanic) and Lukas Haas (Inception) create a nice feel to the story and add humor and suspense as needed. The double and triple crosses that occur were pretty predictable, but the set-ups were nice. JK Simmons (The Closer), the revered character actor, plays an A1 bastard of a ship captain who may or may not be corrupt.

This was a nice piece of escapism in this often dismal, early year movie season. See it at the matinee.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The movie opens on the wedding of Bella and Edward – the dress, the set, the ceremony were all gorgeous. I am sure we will be seeing many knock-offs of the Carolina Herrera designed dress. It was simply stunning! Fans of the books have been waiting for this movie – their love is finally consummated (remember, author Stephanie Meyer is a devout Mormon and their is no pre-marital sex in the books) and the infamous bed breaking, feather pillow ripping first time occurs and met expectations.

Jacob is back in the picture as the ever-concerned werewolf/best friend of Bella. He is also chomping at the bit to do harm to Edward. The conflict between the two guys continues to grow. When Edward and Bella return from their honeymoon with a very evident and scary surprise – Jacob is put in the position of protector. He has to break from his pack in order to protect Bella from the other wolves. I am trying not to be spoiler-y here and I am hoping you have seen the previous films or have read the books so you know why the Cullens must be protected by a werewolf!

All of the actors (Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) seem to have finally grown into their roles and have worked hard to make their characters more relate-able. Taylor Lautner seems to have grown up the most – like maybe he took acting classes or something. Whatever it is – the three of them seem like a cohesive team on the screen. Add the improved production values and some very key elements from the book and you have a very successful movie. I love being surprised. This film definitely did that. If you are a Twilight fan – this film should make you incredibly happy. Remember to stay through the credits – the director throws in an extra scene that sets the scene for Part 2.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Glee: The 3D Concert Movie only raked in $2.7 million in last weekend’s box office race but it was a fun film. I would say that if you were not already a Gleek, this film may not have appealed to you. I attended the movie with my 11-year-old daughter (a bona fide Gleek) and an adult friend who is also a fan of the TV series.

The movie gives us a behind-the scenes glimpse of the concert tour. The actors pretty much stick to the characters they portray on the show – even backstage. That was a little disappointing to me as I would have liked to have gained some insight into these young people. Although they are incredibly funny, especially Kevin McHale (Artie) and Heather Morris (Brittany) – the backstage bits were rather weak. One thing the film did get right was the true life stories of some of fans of the show. They featured young people who were going through their own struggles in high school because of their differences and how Glee has helped them to cope with and manage those changes. My favorite was the story of Janae. She is a little person who is also a cheerleader. This young lady was so positive you could not help but to root for her. The film crew followed her to cheer practice, to Prom Princess Coronation and on a date to the big dance with an “average” sized boy. If Glee can help this young lady to realize that she can do anything – then that is great. Too many shows on TV are throwaway pieces of entertainment fluff. To have a show that actually speaks to people in such a positive way is refreshing.

The performances were standard fare. Songs from seasons 1 and 2 were performed with 3D  added to boost the whole effect. I will say that my enjoyment factor would have been the same if the movie was not in 3D. It was a nice addition, but not at all necessary. If you are a true Gleek hurry to your nearest Cineplex and check this one out. It will only be in theaters for 12 days total – so time is quickly running out!

Glee Concert Set List (not in order performed)

• Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey) – New Directions
• Sing (My Chemical Romance) – New Directions
• I’m A Slave 4 U (Britney Spears) – Brittany
• Fat Bottomed Girls (Queen) – Puck
• I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Beatles) – Kurt
• Ain’t No Way (Aretha Franklin) – Mercedes
• PYT (Pretty Young Thing) (Michael Jackson) – Artie and Mike Chang
• Valerie (Amy Winehouse) – Santana
• Empire State of Mind (Jay Z f. Alicia Keys) – New Directions
• Firework (Katy Perry) – Rachel
• Teenage Dream (Katy Perry) – The Warblers
• Silly Love Songs (Wings) – The Warblers
• Raise Your Glass (P!nk) – The Warblers
• Jessie’s Girl (Rick Springfield) – Finn
• Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy (Barbra Streisand/Judy Garland) – Rachel and Kurt
• Lucky (Jason Mraz f. Colbie Caillat) – Quinn and Sam
• River Deep, Mountain High (Ike and Tina Turner) – Mercedes and Santana
• Forget You (Cee Lo Green) – Gwyneth Paltrow and New Directions
• Don’t Rain On My Parade (Barbra Streisand) – Rachel
• Born This Way (Lady Gaga) – New Directions
• Safety Dance (Men With Hats) – Artie
• Loser Like Me (New Directions) – New Directions
• Somebody to Love (Queen) – New Directions and Blaine

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Her two cents…below is my friend Claudia Hyder’s take on the film.

Saying that I am a fan of the group A Tribe Called Quest  is the understatement of the century. In the late summer of 1991 they released The Low End Theory and I sat in my best friend Lisa’s white Nissan Sentra listening to the CD over and over again from beginning to end. We discussed the lyrics, argued about the meaning of the songs and generally fell in love with Q-Tip, Phife and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. It is a singular musical moment in my life. So – imagine my happiness when I began to hear murmurings of a documentary about this iconic hip-hop group.

Beats, Rhymes & Life follows the genesis of the band and the tensions between co-founders Q-Tip and Phife. Michael Rapaport (Hitch, Push) is clearly a huge ATCQ fan and shot this as an interested observer as well as the every man hip hop fan. The film follows the members of the band as the reunite for a concert tour. The beefs that crop up are examined pretty deeply. Phife feels like Tip ended the band on a whim and without any discussion with the others. Tip feels as if the band was putting out crappy music and there was no need to continue down the path they were headed. Shaheed feels and is perceived as the middle child who just wants to perform the music. It was compelling to watch.

If I have any problem with the film it has to be that for a documentary about a legendary hip hop band, there is a surprisingly small amount of music heard. We get snippets of their biggest hits – but never was a complete song played from beginning to end. A a fan of the band – more music would have made it a smash hit for me. Hearing the bits that I did hear had me running home and queuing up the iPod so that I could get the fix that I needed.

The film leads us to believe that Phife and Q-Tip have reconciled and are maybe heading down a path to another Tribe album (they still have an album left on their contract with Jive). Whatever this film was meant to be – it was definitely a love letter to the style of hip-hop they created. It is a love letter to the bands that came after and to the fans that can quote, word for word, the lyrics to their favorite ATCQ song. Fans of the band will adore this film.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I love Tim Burton, but his Planet of the Apes was crap. His film should have been what this film was,  an amazing re-boot of the franchise as told through the eyes of Caesar (Andy Serkis). Caesar is the child of a research chimp that is left in the care of Will Rodman (James Franco). Will raises Caesar as his own child, teaching him to sign and to acclimate into a human family. In the meantime – the drug used to make Cesar hyper intelligent is also the drug that Will hopes will cure his father’s Alzheimer disease.

As an origin story, the film is smartly paced and keeps us the viewer engaged. As a fan of the original franchise – the nods to the past were fun to catch. Caesar putting together a Statue of Liberty puzzle was enlightening, Charlton Heston’s famous line, “get your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape” is re-purposed and quoted by a mean Dodge Landon (Tom Felton – Harry Potter series).  As Caesar becomes more and more disillusioned with his keeper, he becomes more and more like the “apes” we are familiar with from the films past. I especially like the director’s (Rupert Wyatt) subtle introductions of the bonds between the different types of apes (think Chimps and Orangutans).

The capture animation technology that James Cameron perfected in Avatar is used to amazing effect in this film. It has been said that there were no actually apes on the set, making PETA very happy and really making for some mind-blowing editing. As a re-boot, this one is spot on. I cannot wait to see what comes next, because this was an adventure that I cannot wait to see progress! This is summer goodness at it’s best. Run to a theater near you!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

(L-r) STEVE CARELL as Cal and JULIANNE MOORE as Emily in Warner Bros. Pictures' comedy CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Ben Glass

Warner Brothers Pictures | 2011 | Rated PG-13 | 118 minutes

This is a romantic-comedy of a different color. You notice it almost immediately. There are laughs aplenty, but they are sad little chuckles at the situation surrounding the characters – not always the broad, rip roaring guffaws we are used to from most films in this genre. The story is about Cal Weaver (Carell), a man in his forties that is thrown for a loop when his wife, Emily, (Julianne Moore) tells him over dessert that she wants a divorce. To make matters worse she confesses to having an affair. Cal is so overwhelmed by the news that he actually throws himself from a moving car. These opening scenes from the movie set the tone for what is to come.

Cal feeling adrift begins to frequent a bar that is elegant and upscale (not exactly the description of Cal). Every night he gets tipsy and proceeds to tell the story of how his wife dumped him. The resident Romeo, Jacob (Gosling) decides to take pity on him and style him into a man that Emily will beg to have back in her life. Jacob’s crude and often shallow methods actually make Cal a bit of a ladies man, but more than that – Jacob helps Cal to develop a sense of self-awareness.

The subplots of the film are very funny and well-developed. Robbie (Jonah Bobo) is the standout. Cal’s teen-aged son who believes in love and soul mates without slipping too far into icky sweetness was refreshing. This young man has the makings of a great career. Appearances by Emma Stone (Easy A), Marisa Tomei (The Lincoln Lawyer), and Kevin Bacon (X-Men: First Class) elevate this movie to classic status.

The title of the film says it all – because, at turns, the film is all of these things. This is romantic comedy for adults. This film has a sophistication that many in the genre could never attain. The audience applauded at the end of the viewing I attended, what a lovely sentiment for an absolutely lovely film.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars