The Sitter, New Year's Eve, and We Need to Talk About Kevin

New Movie Releases Reviewed in 7 Words Each

Young Adult (limited, Wide Dec. 16) - Rated R? That title seems misleading somehow.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (limited) - Oh no, he didn't... eat my yogurt?

The Sitter - I thought Jonah Hill was skinny now?

New Year's Eve - Please tell me Memorial Day is next.

Hey, movies! How novel is that?

So obviously The Sitter must have been filmed prior to Jonah Hill's slim down. I realize having looked around, that's really the main story for the movie. I don't mean that's what the film is about, but it's certainly been about 50% of the discussion from what I've heard and read. But why should we focus on that when I feel there's a greater story to the film than that; like the fact that it looks like a crappy attempt at a Michael Cera-less Superbad sequel. For all intents and purposes it seems like a continuation of Hill's character from Superbad, but without the superior writing chops that were behind it. To be honest, I liked Hill at first. Thought he had some good comedic skill. But it also seems like having lost all that weight, he's found he can fit himself into more films and projects, and I'm starting to get that distaste for him that comes with over saturation. Remember Jonah, it doesn't matter how much you lose, how can I miss you if part of you still won't go away?

You remember Saw and how annoying that series was continuing on forever? How fantastic it was when it finally "ended". Those quotations are there because they're already talking about the inevitable return, but I digress. Here we are faced with the next wave in horror. Inane, holiday themed, romantic comedies. You wrote a horrible film for Valentine's Day? Can you do it again for New Year's? Sweet! If you thought you denoted a slight air of sarcasm in my enthusiasm, you wouldn't be wrong. Honestly, the best thing that could happen as far as I'm concerned would be for it to be a huge success. No, that time I was serious. I'd love for it to continue. Me all the while waiting for it to finally cross that threshold of presenting the greatest romantic comedy of all time: President's Day. People falling in love over the savings on furniture... it would be a tour de force.

Not all films out this week are wastes. At least 50% are decent, though unlikely to be playing near most of us.

We need to talk about Kevin. No seriously, let's. It's based on the book by Lionel Shriver about a school massacre, and the mother of Kevin (the kid who committed the murders) trying to come to terms with her son. I haven't read the book but I heard about the film awhile back when it first started getting rave reviews. Tilda Swinton is supposed to be amazing in it. I'm not a Swinton fan, but I'm willing to over look that it's her. I am a fan of John C. Reilly who co-stars in the film. Take a look at the trailer and see if it doesn't grab you:

All I can say is, it better put me through the emotional wringer it purports to provide.

Then there's Young Adult, a dark comedy featuring Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, and Patton Oswalt. I like Wilson and Oswalt (sounds like a baking company from the 1920's doesn't it?) and can enjoy Theron in the right role. Of course I realize that Diablo Cody had the immediate backlash after Juno was shown much love. But it's time to move past that. The film looks genuinely funny and, yes it's quickly becoming the theme of the post, dark. Once you throw into the mix that it's directed by Jason Reitman who also directed Thank You For Smoking, and Up in the Air, and I'm sold. Here's the trailer for you to judge for yourself:

That's good clean family fun right there. Okay, maybe not. But that does set me up for the final chapter in this post...

It was pointed out to me by one of my nephews that in last week's entry I didn't mention the fact that Shame was seeing a limited release. And given that I always bow to peer pressure (sorry Nora Eastman, that dress you wore in the 2nd grade actually was pretty and didn't look at all like a couch exploded on you) I figured I would put in a few words. The Steve McQueen directed film stars Michael Fassbender as a sex addict whose sister moves into his apartment with hilarious results. Okay, maybe not so much "hilarious". The film is rated NC-17 and unabashedly so. They didn't even consider trimming it down to attempt an R rating. I do respect a film that won't censor itself for the MPAA, an old dinosaur that should have been replaced long ago. Despite the rating, the film has had heaps of praise from just about every critic who's seen it. Course critics also have a habit of liking anything that's controversial just for that fact. Is it a good film? With the talent behind it, most likely. Is it deserving of the NC-17 rating? In this instance, there's a good chance it does. Am I going to ever reach a point? Your guess is as good as mine. Can you tell I forgot to edit this week? Probably so... Will Batman ever escape the clutches of the Joker? Tune in next week. Same Bat channel, same Bat time.

Oh, and am I the only one who it doesn't matter how many times you see NC-17, it seems like it should be a ship in Star Trek?

Have a great weekend everyone.