In Theaters This Weekend

With great power comes great steroids. Er, physique. Er, responsibility.

Coming to theaters this weekend, two major releases. One which will probably fade into obscurity, and the other which will probably shoot to the top at the speed of light. Mr. Popper's Penguins and The Green Lantern, respectively. I'll be honest, I'm not expecting much out of either film. From The Green Lantern, I'm expecting a lot of one-liners, a lot of loud action, and a showcase for Ryan Reynold's abs. Of course, all that can be fun, but it doesn't make for a great movie. It makes for a forgettable two hours in a dark theater. From Mr. Popper's Penguins, I'm expecting a lot of Jim Carrey doing his rubber-faced routine, a lot of thinly veiled crude humor, and penguins doing things that penguins probably can't do. The wonders of CG-animation never cease. And they hardly cause wonder anymore. But, never mind. 

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The Best Picture Category Changes. Again.

It's all his damn fault.

I'm sitting at home alone in my room, working, and waiting on a call from my girlfriend to tell me she's arrived in Dresden safely. Game of Thrones is on HBO, and if that's not enough, here's further proof that the night is totally beyond redemption. 

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Nine

Rating: ★★

Directing is easy. Yes, no, yes, no.

The lyrics in the first song seem to set up the rules for the movie. Maestro Contini is a director going through one hell of a mid-life crisis. He is making a movie, but has no script - a sort of poignant nod to his life having no direction. Much like the movie he's in has no direction. Guido, our anti-hero, wants to be "everywhere at once, though that's a contradiction in terms". Nine suffers the same fate: it's too many places at once, never stopping to focus on the good ideas it hints at along the way. Another indication of the film comes from a small exchange of dialog between the director and his costume designer. She tells him "directing is easy, maestro. 'Yes, no, yes, no'". Apparently, she nailed Rob Marshall's intent when direction this misguided take on the Broadway musical. Apathetic. 

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