Young Adult - 2011

Paramount Pictures, Denver and Delilah Productions, Indian Paintbrush

Directed by Jason Reitman

Cast:

• Mavis Gary – Charlize Theron
• Matt Freehauf – Patton Oswalt
• Buddy Slade – Patrick Wilson
• Beth Slade – Elizabeth Reaser
• Sandra Freehauf – Collette Wolfe
• Hedda Gary – Jill Eikenberry
• Jan – Mary Beth Hurt

Story: A thirty seven year old woman lives in a dumpy apartment in Minneapolis and ghost writes a book series titled “Young Adult”. She is single, alone except for her Pomeranian, and at a crisis time in her life. Suddenly she receives an email inviting her to the naming ceremony for the first child of her high school sweetheart. She travels to her hometown, expecting to be met with open arms, and instead finds a happily married man who is trying to be friendly to her. She also runs into Matt Freehauf, otherwise known as “hate crime guy”, who was beaten and crippled in his senior year by a group of football players who thought he might be gay. They form a strange bond as he tries to dissuade her from making a complete fool of herself. In the end, Mavis learns she needs to move on with her life, the way her friends have.

Review: Okay, so after all his successes, Jason Reitman deserves a pass on this one. While the story is well written and the cast is excellent, the film lacks angst, appeal, and really any comedy to speak of. It is a tragedy of the lowest order. Charlize Theron is certainly capable of much more emotion than was shown in this film. Patton Oswalt gives an exceptional performance, but his persona displays much more maturity than a geek living with his sister in the house he grew up in and painting model figurines. Patrick Wilson is probably the best of the performers in the film, and he plays Mr. Small Town regular Joe, a character that gives him little challenge and falls far short of his abilities. Jill Eikenberry is the domineering mother who discovers her daughter is back in town only after hearing it from a friend, and her performance lends credibility to Theron's character, but overall the effect is less that expected. Call me crazy, but when you tag the film with the word Comedy, I really expected something in the film I could actually laugh at. If Reitman was trying for the angst of Allen or the subtle humor of his dad, he missed the mark. Rated R for language and sexuality, I personally regard this as 94 minutes of my life I would like to get back. Collectible? Maybe, since I am sure Theron's agents are trying to buy up every copy for their burn bag.

The Italian Job - 2003

Paramount Pictures, De Line Productions

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Cast:

• Charlie Croker – Mark Wahlberg
• Stella Bridger – Charlize Theron
• John Bridger – Donald Sutherland
• Handsome Rob – Jason Statham
• Lyle – Seth Green
• Left Ear – Mos Def
• Steve – Edward Norton

Story: A crew of hi-tech thieves executes a very slick robbery of a safe filled with gold from a townhouse in Venice. They travel out of the city and gather in a circle drinking bottles of Dom Perignon, talking about the things they will do from now on. Suddenly a crew of men with guns rushes in and steals the gold, and one of the crew shoots the safe cracker, and is about to shoot the others then they escape by driving the van off a bridge into the deep water of reservoir. A year passes, and the daughter of the murdered man gets a call from the leader of the heist. They've found the man who betrayed them. Since she is a professional locksmith and security expert, a legal version of her father, she tells Charlie no at first, but soon calls him back and says she is in. The crew plot to recover their gold and to teach the betrayer a lesson he won't soon forget.

Review: Sometimes remakes are a good thing, sometimes they're not. This one is very loosely based on the film of the same name in the 1960's starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward with Benny Hill as the comedy relief. That film was a so-so farce, but this one is a runaway hit. The action starts at the beginning and keeps the pace throughout the film. Mos Def and Seth Green are our comics in this film, but their abilities to shift from comic to dramatic are well played. Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron are well suited to their roles and come off with a very reserved but appropriate sexual tension to add interest to the already interesting hi-tech portions of the film. Sutherland's role, while brief, is the perfect set up for the remainder of the film. Statham does what he does best, and his character is a mix between The Transporter and The Mechanic, with a splash of smooth to balance it out. As always, whether good guy or bad guy, Ed Norton's presence is perfect to create the correct tension in the movie. Good plot, great scenery, and exceptional photography make this a film the entire family can enjoy together, despite the PG-13 rating. Collectible if you like action adventure, although you will probably pull it out as an afterthought.