The Trip

3 Paws

Seen recently at Film Streams

Are all funny people sad on the inside?

Steve Coogan (of 24 Hour Party People fame - if you haven't seen it, Netflix it) reminds me of Bill Murray on film - hilarious, a bit madcap and capable of some heartbreakingly quiet moments.

The Trip is part buddy movie, part travelogue (featuring glorious cinematography of the English countryside) and part Food Network special. In many ways, it's the British equivalent of Sideways - two middle-aged guys weaving their way through stunning landscapes, all the while revealing themselves via their conversations and habits. The trailers focus on the duo's ability to impersonate A-list actors - which is laugh out loud, no doubt. It's what isn't said, though, that stayed with me after I left the theater.

In the words of Harry Potter: brilliant.

Bonus Bones: 2

Two country dogs make a brief appearance as Coogan meanders down a quiet road on foot.

Captain America: The First Avenger

3 Paws
Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

There's a lot that's wrong with this country (political gridlock, obsession with celebrity death, conversion therapy), but this film reminded me about all that's right with it. The United States is a place where second chances are given, where boldness is revered, where the hope that anything is possible hasn't been stomped out - at least not yet.

I didn't know Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, got his start as a soldier, but it didn't matter. The script stood on its own, and the tone was absolutely perfect. It's one of the most inspiring "little guy does good" stories I've seen in some time. I knew Chris Evans (Steve Rogers) could be funny on film, but I didn't know he could be so compelling.

The supporting cast was four-star: Tommy Lee Jones (Colonel Chester Phillips) makes the most of his screen time by not overselling his one-liners, Hugo Weaving (the Red Skull) is an eerily good bad guy and Stanley Tucci (Dr. Abraham Erskine) gives the film its heart.

I love my country, but I'm not a flag waver. I felt like one for the 124-minute running time, though.

Bonus Bones: 0
A Super Dog or a Private Puppy would have been nice - even an evil Nazi mongrel, perhaps - but no go.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

2 Paws
Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

I've muggled my way through all seven books and films, and here's my take on the last offering:

The Good
- I loved the fact that scrawny 'ole Neville (Matthew Lewis) stepped up and became a leader, giving hope to shy kids with ferocious overbites around the world.
- I enjoyed seeing Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) smootch it up.
- I was once again amazed at the production values.

The Bad

- The humor and charm of the series was lost, leaving the viewer with 130 raging minutes of Braveheart-like bloodshed and a final battle scene that looks like it was stripped from the original Star Wars script (Luke and Darth Vader did it better).
- I could have lived without the final scene at the train station - even though it's straight out of the book - because it was tough to buy the intrepid trio as married with children.

The Ugly

- Now that the series is over, who's going to employ all those fabulous British actors, some of whom seem older than Hogwarts itself?

Bonus Bones: 1

When all of Hogwarts is running up and down those crazy staircases, if you look quickly, you'll see an aristocratic dog in one of the moving portraits.

Beginners

3 Paws
Seen recently at the Dundee Theatre (still musty, still open)

What can I say about Arthur, the most expressive dog to hit the silver screen since the debut of the original Benji in 1974? Appearing in almost every scene, he reminds dog lovers of the reasons we have them in our homes - the loyalty, the lack of judgement, the love of even the simplest of things.

But the funny thing is, this film isn't about Arthur. It's about the choices we make in life and the joy that comes when we embrace who we really are and leave our fears behind. Christopher Plummer (Hal) may have turned in his most brilliant performance to date, and there have been plenty of them, dating way back to his turn as the stern, sexy Austrian in The Sound of Music. The entire cast was able to convey so much with so little dialogue, which also speaks to a great script and great directing.

I spent most of the film's 105-minute running time with a lump the size of a tennis ball in my throat, but it was a good lump, if you know what I mean.

Here's to good dads - gay and straight, ailing and robust - everywhere.

Bonus Bones: 50
Cosmo, aka Arthur, has done the man's best friend moniker proud.

Larry Crowne

2 Paws
Seen recently at Aksarben Cinema

Okay, so you'll have to set a few things aside if you want a shot at enjoying this one. Number 1: the relationship between Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts) and her husband, Dean (played by a skinny Bryan Cranston). There's no way she would suffer this fool, unless they're both hiding something we don't see on screen. Number 2: the main plot driver. There's no way a large retail outlet would "downsize" a Navy veteran and productive employee just because he didn't go to college (thus making him ineligible for the management track). Number 3: There's absolutely no way a gang of Scooter-riding 20-somethings at a community college would take a 50-something under their wing (although the world would be a better place if they did). Most of the folks who attend community college are juggling a job or two on the side and who knows what else.

If you can do all that, then there's something utterly charming about the way Larry Crowne moves through his quiet, ordinary life, even with his bad haircut and bad shoes. I know Tom Hanks has Oscar hardware for his dramatic performances (I forgive him for Forrest Gump), but I think he's at his best in a romantic comedy, playing the guy you can relate to, the guy you're REALLY pulling for, the guy who gets the girl - the right girl - in the end.

Bonus Bones: 3
Three small neighborhood mutts make a brief appearance during the final garage sale scene.

Page One: Inside the New York Times

2 Paws
Seen recently at Film Streams

My takeaways after viewing this year-in-the-life documentary:
- Every newsroom needs a David Carr.
- Citizen bloggers are not, and never will be, journalists.
- Humor is one of the best tools to have in your professional arsenal.
- Most print reporters would make great candidates for a What Not To Wear episode.
- New York Times executive editor Bill Keller bears a striking resemblance to the actor Mitch Ryan (the rich dad in the sitcom Dharma & Greg).
- Office space that includes four walls and a door is a perk, so if you have it, enjoy it.
- Nerds have a valued place in today's professional workplace.
- Reader interest (and that means you, people) plays a far greater role in what gets covered and where it's placed than I'd care to admit.
- All professional conventions, no matter where they are held, promise two things: bad lighting and lame content.
- I will be a newspaper reader until the day I die (or until newspapers do, whichever comes first).

Bonus Bones: 2
Two Times staffers were shown spending quality time with their pups (David Carr's yellow lab got the most air time).

Buck

2 Paws
Seen recently at the Dundee Theatre (still musty, still open)

Fascinating subject matter, faulty execution.

If there are any Robert Redford fans still alive out there (we're getting pretty long in the tooth, as is Bob, who was interviewed for this documentary), this is the story of 'Buckshot' Brannaman, the real horse whisperer. Traumatized by a violent father during his early childhood years, Buck uses his pain to become an extraordinary horseman, one whose only training tools are his touch and a pair of flag sticks.

I think I would have appreciated this one more if I knew anything about horses. But I don't, so Buck's Vulcan mind meld tactics with his equine brethren were somewhat lost on me. I wonder if the horse people in the crowd were in awe of what they were seeing - I spotted one cowboy hat, several pairs of boots and some pretty big belt buckles in the lobby before finding a seat.

Spoiler alert: there is no whispering.

Bonus Bones: 3
Buck's wife - who is introduced pretty far into the film - has three dogs who get a few moments of screen time, but not many. I expected more from a horse guy.