Finally, a 4-star movie; Potter death march

Ryan Gosling in "Drive"

As much as I enjoyed certain summer fare like "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and "Captain America," this summer's been something of a slog. But Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive," which I reviewed this week, took me on one hell of a ride. 


"Drive" isn't just entertainment, it's art. Rarely do the two worlds collide, but Refn's managed it here. It's been years since a film left me buzzing with such excitement and, with a 94% Rotten Tomato rating, I'm clearly not alone. I admit that at least 1/4 of my 4 stars (out of 5) are attributable to lust for Ryan Gosling (on top of his tremendous performance). But even the male critics I talked to have admitted having a "man crush" after seeing this film. James Franco, you have been demoted -- big time.

I also must acknowledge a major milestone in my film watching life. As of Labor Day, I have seen all the Harry Potter movies, thanks to the persistence of the Sobering Conclusion's Ian Forbes, who had me on a Harry Potter DVD Death March of sorts during the month of August. The goal? To catch the final installment on the big screen. With a "Deathly Hallows" double feature on Labor Day, I can now say I accomplished something this summer.


I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. Not by the series (though the first two were enough to turn me off entirely, until Ian made his case), but by the indifference of the AMC lobby as we exited the theater having concluded the mission. I'm not sure what I was expecting --balloons, a round of applause, a tasteful awards ceremony--but a desolate lobby on a dark, rainy night just wasn't cutting it. 


What I most enjoyed about the films was how they matured along with the characters and, presumably, the young audience as well. Until Ian inflicted his obsession on me, I'd only read the first book and seen the corresponding movie. While I appreciated the world J.K. Rowling created, I concluded it was one mostly for children. But children grow up and the films (and I've been told the books) take that often difficult journey right along with them in subject matter and tone. While the third film, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, is easily the best of the bunch, I appreciated how each successive film reflected the emotional phases these kids - and I imagine most kids- are going through: facing adult responsibility, isolation, puberty, sexuality, pure silliness. 


While I didn't walk away with any new obsessions (Ryan Gosling wasn't in any of the films, after all), I'm glad I checked this off my list -- even if I am a few years behind the curve.

Tease Me More, Tell Me Less

We usually don't see previews at advance screenings and I'm usually thankful for it. I generally avoid them, preferring instead to see a movie as close to "cold" as possible in an attempt to avoid any preconceived notions before the lights go down.

But this week's screening of "Hangover 2" (review out on Friday) presented us with two appropriate previews for upcoming comedies "Horrible Bosses" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." The crafting of an effective preview is an art in and of itself -- at least in the realm of marketing--and these two trailers managed to convince me I should see the movies within the first 45 seconds. Job well done, if only they'd stopped there.

Although the premise of "Horrible Bosses" (premeditated triple homicide) is hard to stomach as comedic fodder, the cast alone could make this movie a winner: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey returning to his unbeatable "Swimming with Sharks" roots,  a sadistically sexy Jennifer Aniston and, what really wowed me, a nearly unrecognizable Colin Farrell as a smarmy, balding boss.

Enough said as far as I'm concerned. So why, oh why, did it KEEP ON GOING, revealing just about every plot turn and punchline? On its own, it was a fantastic preview; it got me laughing, kept my attention and made me want to tell my friends about it. But what I don't feel like doing is rushing to the theater to see it. Why would I? I already got the gist in the damn preview.

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" went even further, basically storyboarding the entire will they/won't they relationship between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. I adore Gosling and am chomping at the bit to see him in a comedic role. And Stone is quickly moving to the top of my list for the everygirl charm that makes her so much more appealing than the cookie-cutter starlets vying for our attention (does anyone else think she stepped right in where the young "Mean Girls"-era Lindsay Lohan should have gone had her parents not turned her in to an unstable addict? Well, I do.)  While I'm still eager to see the movie (it's hard for me to say no to anything with Gosling, or Franco for that matter), I'm resentful that I already know too much.

Perhaps we could just save everyone the trouble and just produce previews instead of full-length feature films? They'd certainly play better online and are probably more appropriate for the youthful attention spans of Hollywood's target market.

Hardly a new complaint, I know. But hey, it's my job to spout opinions.

Watch the previews if you dare. And if you do, tell me what YOU think....