'Easy A' is Easily Enjoyable

We’ve all been there. Some of us barely survived while other consider it one of the best times of our lives. I’m talking of course about high school. It was a place you thought at the time was everything and it ended up barely being a blimp on your radar as an adult. The worst part of high school was the rumors. You were who people said you were, even if it wasn’t the truth. Would it have been easier to just go along with the lies? Let’s find out how that works for out heroine in Easy A?

Emma Stone plays Olive, a girl who is invisible to everyone in her school, that is until she starts a rumor about herself. She tells a little lie about sleeping with a guy and soon she’s letting boys say they slept with her in exchange for Home Depot and Best Buy giftcards. Soon the rumors start getting out of hand and Olive finds herself in a complicated plot that belongs on Gossip Girl. Luckily for Stone’s character Penn Badgley from The CW show just happens to be the guy she crushing on in this film. Olive must find a way to get back her dignity and her friends before it not only destroys her life, but everyone around hers as well.

I liked Emma Stone in Superbad and Zombieland, and I think this film finally helps showcase her talents. She’s good at playing the smart and sassy girl. She has great comedic timing in this film and she has a lot of under the breath comments that make me want to get it on DVD; mainly because the rest of audience was laughing too loud for me to hear them all.

Stone's supporting cast were all people we've seen in our own high school experiences.  Amanda Bynes plays the good christian girl who turns the school against Olive and her promiscuous ways.  Lisa Kudrow is the guidance counselor who is as lost as the students, Thomas Hayden Church is the cool teacher, and one of my favorite actors, Malcolm McDowell, plays the tough principal.

Of course the real laugh-out-loud moments came from veteran actors Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson who play Olive’s progressive parents. Their non-discipline parenting seemed goofy as they tried to guess what bad word their daughter said to get in detention, or their excitement over the possibility of their daughter having a boyfriend, even if he may be gay. The family unit worked so well off each other it made me jealous I wasn’t a part of their family.

But with all this focus on the rumors I felt like Stone’s true love story with Badgley’s character didn’t get the attention it needed. However Stone does such a good job making us care about her character we only smile when she finds love. There was also an effect used in the film I call “gossip speed” in which the camera toured the high school seeing how fast rumors spread. Although this trick was kind of smart for the message of the film the over usage of it made me want to almost hurl from all the fast and sloppy camera movements.

Why this film wasn’t released in June or August I don’t know because it was easily more entertaining than most of the comedies I saw this summer, or chose not to see at least.  Anyone who went to high school and is old enough to look back at it with a sense of humor will enjoy this film. Stone’s witty humor makes her sexy and her supporting cast is icing on the cake in this film about high school, 2.0.

Rating:  B-

Affleck Turns Boston Into A Modern Day Western

Over a decade ago Ben Affleck burst into Hollywood in a film with Robin Williams and his best friend, Matt Damon. Affleck and Damon won an Oscar for their screenplay of Good Will Hunting and the two were an instant famous pair. Later Affleck was known as half of another pair known as “Bennifer,” a relationship that made him a laughing stock in tensile town. Since then Affleck has been clawing his way back with roles in Hollywoodland and Extract. Affleck has even stepped into the director’s chair with his first film, Gone Baby, Gone, starring his brother, Casey. Ben is back in the chair and bringing audiences an old fashion robbery story with The Town. They say westerns are dead, but this film seems to dispute that theory.

Affleck plays Doug MacRay, a man who has spent his whole life in Charlestown, a part of Boston known for bank robberies. Doug and his crew hit up a bank, and to ensure their escape they take the bank manager, Claire, as a hostage. But to make sure she couldn’t give FBI Agent Frawley anything to identify them with Doug decides to get close to her. While he begins to fall for Claire he also must find a way to escape his life of crime without getting wacked by “The Flourist.”

This is Affleck’s sophomore film, and he shows much improvement since Gone Baby, Gone. He deals with a lot of action in this film, and there is a little more emotional intensity as well. I don’t think he has really found out what his signature film style will be like most directors do, but let’s give him a few more films. Affleck’s particular use of the security cameras in this film was a nice touch.

The think what surprised me most was how well the cast held this film together. Of course Affleck both in the star and director chair helped give this film a great core to work with. I didn’t recognize Rebecca Hall from any other film, but after her role as Claire I look forward to seeing her in the future. Jeremy Renner played the angry badass like he always does, which could be useful in his next role as Hawkeye in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.

Another person in this film who is about to play a comic book character is Blake Lively.  Lively is a train wreck of a mom, and Affleck’s former flame, who had a small, but impressive role for the gossip girl. Jon Hamm showed he can play more than a corporate player on Mad Men as the FBI agent in this film who is trying to catch Doug and his crew. You could never quite tell if he was going to get his man or not. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite gave small roles, and being the veterans actors that they are somehow find a way to make their scenes last longer in your head than on screen.

 I knew this film had sucked me in when I was on pins and needles during the car chase scene in the middle of the film. Much like Billy the Kid trying to get away on his horse, Doug MacRay tries to get away in his minivan. Based on a book by Chuck Hogan, this film has bank robberies, gun fights, and a lawman looking to take down the criminals. You could set this film in the 1800’s and the only thing that would change would be indoor plumbing.

Although I wish Affleck would have shown more of Doug wooing Claire, I thing he is well on his way of leaving Gigli behind him and on his way to being another actor turned great director. I don’t know about any acting nominees but when Oscar season rolls around I wouldn’t be surprised if this film snags a best director nomination. Affleck also helped write the film's screenplay, and the first rule in writing is sticking to what you know. And what Affleck shows he knows is his hometown of Boston.  And maybe a few things about film making.

Rating:  B

5 Returning TV Favorites

This time year is the return of all things good it seems. Football season is starting up, which means basketball and hockey season are right around the corner as well. And in between the games my DVR will be filled with a few of my favorite TV shows, well actually about 20 of my favorite shows, all of which take up my time when I’m not working or trying to have a life. There are a lot of shows I don’t watch that I still think are good, but unfortunately I have to draw the line somewhere, and my DVR helps me do that by only being able to record two shows at once. The only question I have for you, as a viewer, is why aren’t you watching these five shows?

5) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Friday 9/8c): I know, it’s an animated show on the cartoon network that is for kids, but that’s the beauty of it. Star Wars is about pure, innocent, fantasy. It’s about stepping into this world of adventure beyond our imagination and just enjoying it, and this show has that in spades. It captures the fun and joy of when you first watched Star Wars.

Obi-Wan and Anakin are two heroes out to save the Republic from civil war, and along with some help from Yoda, Mace Windu, and the rest of the prequel cast this show can be enjoyed by the whole family. Last season saw the introduction of a badass bounty hunter named Bane, who was kidnapping potential Jedi’s when they are only babies. This storyline also lead Anakin to the site that would be his potential downfall, Mustafar. Obi-Wan also reunited with an old flame in hopes of securing peace for her planet.

It’s a swashbuckling adventure that has deeper storylines than you think, and this season’s them is "Secrets Reavealed". George Lucas says he’s already got enough stories for 100 episodes, or 5 seasons, which means this show will last longer than the actual Clone Wars. But let’s not forget that Anakin’s padawan, Ahsoka, doesn’t make it to Episode III. It’s only a matter of time before she becomes one with the force.

Season Premiere: Sept. 17

4) South Park (Wednesday 10/ 9c): Life can be confusing when you’re a kid, but it’s even weirder in South Park, Colorado. Kyle and Stan are two kids trying to understand the world around them. Whether it’s dealing with crazy celebrities, stupid trends, or ridiculous religions they’re just trying to make it past elementary school.

Last season one my favorite episodes was Matt and Trey’s take on Facebook. Stan was forced to join the social network and then ridiculed when he didn’t add people as friends, or poked some girl his girlfriend didn’t like. Stan was then sucked into Facebook when he tried deleting is account, which resulted in a hilarious Tron parody.

Matt Stone and Trey Parker have found a way to share their opinions on all the celebrity gossip and political chaos, and make it really funny. Unlike some other comedies it doesn’t down grade to the lowest possible IQ level. Sure Cartman helps provide fart jokes and make us realize how selfish some people can be, but there is a reason why this show has had 14 seasons and is still going strong.  I can’t wait to see what current event South Park rips on next.

Season Premiere: Oct. 6

3) Parenthood (Tuesday 10/9c): Based on the Ron Howard film, this idea was turned into a TV series once before and failed? I never watched the series, but they must have done some serious revamping because this show has something for everyone. The show follows the Braverman siblings, Adam, Sarah, Crosby, and Julia; all of them in different stages of parenthood.

Adam is the stable older sibling who is trying to deal with his difficult son, and his teenage daughter. Sarah is a single mom trying to raise two teenagers, meanwhile trying to find her own way in the world. Julia is a career women who is trying to connect with her young daughter while trying to keep the PTA vultures from making moves on her husband. And the youngest sibling, Crosby, just found out he has a 5-year-old and has to learn to be responsible for once in is life, and maybe even not let his mommy do his laundry anymore.

Let’s not forget their parents who are going through marriage troubles of their own. This show is a drama, but there are so many funny moments. Adam has to deal with his 15-year-old daughter dating and Sarah has to deal with her own love life as a single mom. At one point all the adults are trying to help Sarah’s son prepare for a dance, which is laugh-out-loud funny, trust me.

This show has a star-packed cast, and it only adds to quality of the program. There are moments where you see your own family in these situations, and that’s the heart of it. They’re all family, and even though they have struggles they’re there for each other, and that’s what family is all about.

Season Premiere: Sept. 14

2) The Mentalist (Thursday 10/9c): Patrick Jane was a scam artist posing as a psychic until he insulted the wrong serial killer. Red John killed Patrick’s family, and now Mr. Jane works with the CBI in solving cases in hopes of one day getting justice for his family.

If you haven’t heard anyone talking about this show then you’re obviously not hanging around the right people. Patrick gave up his con, but is still telling people what they don’t want to hear by figuring them out in 5 minutes. He’s insulted mob bosses, laid out the dirty laundry of the filthy rich, and had more people pissed off at him than Jesse James.

Patrick’s supporting cast only adds to the fun as his boss tries to control him, his co-workers don’t understand him, and agent Cho always goes along with his schemes just to see where they’ll lead. Actor Simon Baker makes this show a complete delight. You could replace every other character on this show but him and it would still be awesome.

Season Premiere: Sept. 23

1) The Big Bang Theory (Thursday 8/7c): We all know that geeks rule the world, and now they rule our television programs. Jim Parson currently won an Emmy for Best Actor for his role as Sheldon Cooper, and I jumped from my couch cheering when he did. This show has been a hidden gem on television for several seasons now, but I have a feeling the secret is out.

Penny is a waitress/aspiring actress who live across the hall from two geniuses and their weird friends. Leonard and Penny have an on again/off again romance while Sheldon finds Penny a lower being, much like he does most people because he believes he’s smarter than everyone else. Raj is a stranger from a strange land who can't even talk to Penny without a few drinks in him, and Howard is the horny nerd who hits on every girl that moves.

Last season the geniuses fought over the one ring from Mordor, Sheldon brought his green lantern to a cocktail party, Stan Lee had a guest appearance, and Penny tried to learn physics from Sheldon. Boy was that episode a treat! Although Sheldon is the real treat of the show it’s his interaction with the pretty girl from Nebraska that makes me smile. The entire cast brings something to the table, and this show revels in the fact that it’s all about being nerdy and different.

Season Premiere:  Sept. 23