Young Adult

Directed by: Jason Reitman

Written by: Diablo Cody

Overall, I tend to look at Jason Reitman movies with a bit of bitterness. Partially because I find his tone a simultaneously smug and whiny. Partially because they seem like the kind of movies I would make if I had his pedigree and position. And partially because they're a heck of a lot better than if I would have made them. In any case, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by his most recent film - "Young Adult."

The film tells the story of Mavis Gary (Theron), a young adult novelist seemingly one bad day away from a nervous breakdown. When she gets an e-mail announcement about her ex-boyfriend's new child, Mavis decides to head back to her hometown and try to respark the love they once had. But Mavis's homecoming romanticism is put in perspective by Matt Freehauf (Oswalt), who pushes her to accept reality, all leading to the dramatic climax.

To start: Both Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt give performances are out-of-this-world (although Oswalt's character's geekiness may or may not be too far from reality for him). Theron is adeptly able to play her over-the-top character with a masterful subtlety. Oswalt is somehow able to be charming and repulsive at the same time.

I'm not going to say the film is perfect. It isn't. I wouldn't even call it "great with a capital G." But it's definitely an excellent example of some of the recent heights of independent film production, and is well worth seeing.

The Hunger Games

Written by: Suzanne Collins

It's rare that a book recommendation from my students actually lives up to the hype they establish for it. But, I have to say that "The Hunger Games" turned out to be more than worthy of its reputation.

Set in a dystopian future (as many "young adult" novels are), Katniss Everdeen is your average teenager in District 12 struggling to keep her fatherless family fed. But the annual Hunger Games put on by the domineering Capitol rip Katniss from her family and friends and force her into a literal game of life-and-death with only Peeta - a baker's son - as an ally. Will Katniss emerge victorious? Or will she become merely another casualty claimed by the Hunger Games?

For a young adult novel, this book is pretty darned good. It takes about sixty pages for the plot to gather much steam, but once it takes off it becomes hard to put down.

Without any intent of condescension toward young adult literature, it's important to keep in mind that this book is essentially a teen book. But it's a good teen book. Whereas the "Twilight" books often aim towards the lowest common denominator and veer off into cheesy drama and romance, I felt like "The Hunger Games" picked a higher target and hit the mark. Although there is a minor love-triangle storyline, the book focuses much more on its strength - the action-packed battle-royale.

I found Katniss to be an interesting character. She manages to stride a fine line between her femininity (compassion, affection) and her masculinity (aggressiveness, brutality). Simultaneously she is likable and strong while also flawed and powerless. Her confusion and frustration with her powerlessness in life effectively mirror and detail the same confusions and frustrations of adolescents.

I won't go on-and-on here. I recommend the book, as long as you know what you're getting into. It's not often that I praise a book like this, but in this case I feel it's earned.

Quantum of Solace

Directed by: Marc Foster

Written by: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade

With most film series, you pretty much know what you're getting by the third film. Although the writers and producers like to keep things fresh, the same holds true for "Quantum of Solace,"the twenty-second film in the 007 James Bond series.

This movie picks up right where it's predecessor (2006's "Casino Royale") left off. Bond (Craig) is in hot pursuit of the villains who killed the woman he loved. Along the way, he begins to unravel a plot to start revolutions by securing water supplies around the globe, all under the guise of environmentalism. The main villain is Dominic Greene (Amalric), an operative of the secret evil organization Quantum, who has been making deals to help military dictators in exchange for seemingly useless pieces of land, then forcing those dictators to accept Quantum's monopoly on water supplies. As usual, Bond saves the day, though the true designs of Quantum are never revealed.

I liked the fact that this film is a direct sequel, referencing specific events from "Casino Royale" and using it to develop the characters. Previous Bond films were linked by recurring characters, but the films tended to be isolated from one another. It was nice to see things that were established in the previous film - such as Bond's relationship with Felix Leiter (Wright) - carry over and have an effect on events in this movie.

I was struck by how visually beautiful this Bond film was. Some of the color schemes and cinematography were striking - especially the desolation surrounding the climactic confrontation.

The film is long and drags along at points, especially in the middle. So that's one in the "con" column. At several points, just as it seems like it's picking up momentum, it slows back down again. Some scenes felt excruciatingly long to reveal a plot point that could have been found some other way. In this case, I'm thinking specifically of the long air battle in the desert which eventually leads to Bond discovering the secret water reservoir.

Despite the somewhat choppy pacing, "Quantum of Solace" does manage to keep the tension very high. The stake-out at the opera house is a great scene with some fantastic cat-and-mouse drama mixed with small-but-effective.

You don't have to be a huge James Bond fan to enjoy this movie, but it will definitely help. "Casino Royale" is essential viewing first, though. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting-off point for Bond rookies, either.

Falling Down

Directed by: Joel Schumacher

Written by: Ebbe Roe Smith

Ever had one of those really bad days where nothing seems to go your way?

In "Falling Down," William Foster (Douglas) is having one of those days, but instead of moving on with his life, he's decided to act on violent impulses to get his way. In his attempt to see his estranged daughter on her birthday, he crosses Los Angeles taking out anything and everything in his path, from the liquor store clerk who over-charges for a can of soda to the fast-food cashier who won't serve breakfast a few minutes late. Meanwhile, LAPD Detective Prendergast is literally serving his last day before retirement, but decides to tackle Foster's case before he leaves, leading to a dramatic confrontation on the Venice Pier.

This movie is dark and scary in a gritty, realistic way, as though this is the kind of thing that might happen if the wrong person has a bad day.

The only major weak point is the subplot regarding Prendergast's wife being jealous of his female partner. At several points she pops up to bother him about coming home and not taking on any more work on his last day, but I'm not sure what exactly her role serves.

It's not a pleasant movie, but it's definitely worth watching for its uniqueness.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Directed by: Joe Johnston

Written by: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Oh Captain (America)! My Captain (America)!

The early part of the film is consumed with the back story of how puny Steve Rogers becomes the great Captain America (Evans), interspersed with the Red Skull (Weaving) rising to power. Later, when the super-soldier program is cancelled, though, Cap becomes a bond-selling sideshow, unable to fight the war he was made for. Ultimately, though, after proving his worth by rescuing some captured friends, he is recruited to destroy the super-secret evil HYDRA organization.

The Marvel comic book films have shown themselves to be solid productions, and "Captain America: The First Avenger" is no exception. But it does not strive to be anything more than what it is, and so it falls just a bit flat. I blame this partially on the character of Captain America - it's hard to create good drama with a character who is basically perfect. In fact, the point when the film dragged the most was when the filmmakers tried to artificially insert some personal drama into Cap's story with the whole war-bond side-show.

Overall, the classic tones of the film really worked. The styles and colors effectively created a world that reflected the comics of the time-period, giving a totally unique feel to the film. I really enjoyed this aspect of the film. It felt like a comic-book had come to life.

If you're the type of person that has enjoyed the previous Marvel films, then you're certain to enjoy "Captain America."

Red State

Written and Directed by: Kevin Smith

There's a lot I want to say about this movie, but very little of it is cohesive. Here goes anyway.

1. This film has two distinct halves. The first half is ostensibly a "horror" film, but the pacing slow and deliberate for that to work. The second half is more action-drama oriented, and better overall.

2. There was a lot of drama regarding Kevin Smith's strategies for funding and promoting this movie - most notably his attempt to auction it off at Sundance. That's all well-documented elsewhere. My only comment is that, although Kevin Smith may have felt he needed to be a bit of a showman to sell this movie, I feel that the movie was pretty darn good on its own.

3. By far, "Red State" is the most cinematic of Kevin Smith's films. The camera actually moves in some sequences (contrary to his usual stationary style), and some scenes use interesting angles to add to the effect. I mean, I'm not some kind of cinema snob, but as a Kevin Smith fan these changes and effects were very noticeable. It's nice to see him work outside of his comfort zone.

4. The climax of the film is fantastic. I can't comment on it much without giving it away, but I will say that it's not predictable. At all.

5. There are a couple of pretty gruesome sequences, though the actual gore is limited. Rather, it's the idea of what is being done which is what is most disturbing. This film is not for the faint of heart.

As a Kevin Smith fan, I recommend this movie. It's pretty good (hard to say "enjoyable"), though it does fall short of being great. Being prepared for the movie is key, especially knowing that the slow beginning pays off later, so keep that in mind.

Word Wars

Directed by: Eric Chaikin, Julian Petrillo

In the world of competitive Scrabble, who is the ultimate champion? This film, through its motley cast of players, tries to answer that question.

The best I can say is that this documentary is "ok." It's not a great film by any standard, but it is definitely entertaining. The relatively low production value hinders it at points, but the players featured (such as G.I. Joel - G.I. for Gastro Intestinal) help make up for it.

I wouldn't put this at the top of any list, but I can say that it's a good view for a lazy afternoon.