"Easy A"
Richard's review: 4 1/2 stars
At one point in "Easy A" Olive (Emma Stone) says "John Hughes did not direct my life." True enough, but he could have directed this movie. The story of a girl who takes the saying "let's not and say we did" to a whole new level has echoes of Hughes and is the best high school comedy to come along since "Mean Girls" and "Superbad."
The movie begins with the voiceover, "The rumours of my promiscuity have been greatly exaggerated." It's the voice of Olive (Stone), a clean cut high school senior who tells a little white lie about losing her virginity. As soon as the gossip mill gets a hold of the info, however, her life takes a parallel course to the heroine of the book she is studying in English class -- The Scarlet Letter.
At first she embraces her newfound notoriety; after all she had been all but invisible at the beginning of the school year. "Google Earth couldn't find me even if I was dressed as a ten story building," she says. It isn't until the lies and gossip start to spin out of control that she has to assert her virginity.
"Easy A" is funny. Laugh out loud until your face hurts funny. Even the product placement -- Quiznos -- is funny. It's filled with great one liners -- "I fake rocked your world!" -- and the best non-sex, sex scene ever. But as good as the script is, it is enhanced by terrific comedic performances that elevate the movie from clever teen romp to something special.
Leading the cast is Emma Stone, the typical movie not-so-plain, plain girl, as the spunky Olive. Her past work in "Superbad" and "Zombieland" hinted at her ability to be funny and hold the screen, but here she turns a corner into full on Lucille Ball mode, mixing pratfalls with wit while pulling faces and cracking jokes. Smart and funny, she's the film's centerpiece and this should be her breakout movie.
Supporting her, as her parents, are Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. Tucci, who recently creeped out everyone who paid twelve bucks to see "The Lovely Bones" unleashes his silly side here, proving, once again, that he is one of our most versatile actors. Clarkson, as his freewheeling wife (and Olive's mom) brings bucketloads of charm and comic timing. When they are together sparks fly.
Uniformly strong are Amanda Bynes, in what was supposed to be her last role before her retirement from acting, and Dan Byrd (from "The Hills Have Eyes") as Brandon, a gay teen who turns to Olive for help. His plaintive plea for her to help put an end to the teasing he takes at school is heartfelt and touching and real.
"Easy A" is the most fun I've had in the theatre in a long time.
"The Town"
Richard's review: 3 stars
After a period of wild tabloid over-exposure that ruined his credibility with movie goers and very nearly turned him into an industry in-joke, Ben Affleck took some time for self reflection, stopped saying ‘Yes!' to every script that came his way and earned a second act. In front of the camera, in movies like "State of Play" and behind it, directing the critically acclaimed "Gone Baby Gone," the man who has made 36 movies since 1993 -- four in 2004 alone -- has rebuilt his career, focusing on quality rather than quantity.
His latest film sees him on both sides of the camera, directing, co-writing and starring in "The Town," a crime drama that returns him to the scene of his first success, the Boston of "Good Will Hunting."
A title card in the movie's opening credits claims that Boston's Charlestown neighborhood has produced more bank robbers than any other place on earth. Among them are Doug and Jem (Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner), two local boys and lifelong friends who specialize in taking down armored cars. When they discover that one of their victims, bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) lives just four blocks from them and could possibly finger them for a bank robbery Doug is sent to scope her out and find out if she knows anything.
Of course they meet, fall in love and through Claire Doug sees a way of life other than the violent path he now so effortlessly walks. Jem, however, isn't ready to let Doug go.
"Gone Baby Gone" set the bar high in terms of Affleck's work behind the camera. It is an uncluttered, unsentimental film that seemed to announce the arrival of an interesting new director. A mini-Scorsese perhaps. Or at least someone who wasn't afraid to make difficult, less mainstream choices that honored the story rather than pander to the audience. That spirit is alive and well in "The Town," at least for the first three quarters of the film.
Affleck balances the crime and romance elements of the story rather deftly until we near the end when his need (MINI SPOILER) for a crowd pleasing finale trumps his grittier instincts. It's too bad because while it doesn't ruin the movie as a whole, it doesn't strengthen it either. A little bit of edge at the end would have made this a more memorable movie.
"The Town" is a nicely acted ensemble piece with intense work from "The Hurt Locker's" Jeremy Renner and a sweet performance from Rebecca Hall as the vulnerable bank manager, and a sure hand from Affleck, but disappoints in comparison to "Gone Baby Gone," falling just short of excellence.
