Caught

Jan. 18, 2007

From the coming attractions for ""Catch and Release,'' it looks like Kevin Smith has learned to talk.
But is the world ready for profanely funny ("Clerks,'' "Dogma,'' et al.) writer-director Smith as a chatty, best pal to a gal? In the new movie, Smith plays supportive friend to Jennifer Garner, who's actually married to Smith's buddy, Ben Affleck. Not to mention that the screenplay was written by a woman (Susannah Grant, who also directed).
All of this is going to take some getting used to, mostly by Smith's hard-core fans, who love his trash-talking, comic-book obsessing guy-guy. Could it be that our Jersey Boy, getting closer to the dark side of 40 (he'll be 37 in August) is finally growing up?

Robbery

Jan. 17, 2007

Yes, I know the Golden Globes shouldn't get to me, but:
It's a very strange world when Eddie Murphy's good performance in "Dreamgirls'' is honored but Will Smith's superb performance in "The Pursuit of Happyness'' is ignored.
It's sad when iffy talent, such as "Borat'' star Sacha Baron Cohen win, and pros like Toni Collette, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodovar ("Volver'') take home nada.
On the upbeat side, "The Queen'' did not win best picture, but its star, Helen Mirren did take the best actress award. Movies that invent on harrowing real life incidents, when the actual reality is ever so much more riveting, are truly faux. Must be the unrelenting gossip mania that carried this flick to glory.
And speaking of gossip, it's reported that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have moved to New Orleans (and will build there) while he makes a movie. If their presence and money help this city and its citizens get going again, who cares if they're the slightly odd couple?

Yo!

Jan. 11, 2007

Happy New Year, and to Margaret, thanks for the good catch of my typo_ yes, my last blog before Christmas vacation was meant to say ""Greetings!''
Now that we are all here and alert, let's survey what's worth seeing-reading-watching: David Denby's essay on moviegoing in the early part of the 21st century, in this week's New Yorker magazine. It's scary but must reading.
Also, check out Jan. 15's broadcast of the 64th annual Golden Globes, which should see Clint Eastwood winning best director for his Iwo Jima movies and ""The Departed'' winning actor and screenplay awards, probably).
Also, the Red Bank Arts theater is showing two movies worth your time and money: the Judi Dench potboiler, ""Notes on a Scandal'' (Rex Reed told me months ago it was sensational) and ""Curse of the Golden Flower,'' the latest glitzy Gong Li extravaganza from China.
And a very interesting bellwether for upcoming awards now exists: the Directors Guild of America's nominees for 2006's best exclude Mel Gibson ("Apocalypto'') and Eastwood, which qualifies as shocking. Why did they do that? Because it's time for Martin Scorsese ("The Departed'' ) to win; if he gets the Golden Globe on Jan. 15 _ unlikely but could happen _ and the DGA, he's in for the Oscar, his first.