045. Vamps

045. (30 Jan) Vamps (2012, Amy Heckerling) 51



I guess not everything can be Clueless. Anyway, Amy Heckerling and Alicia Silverstone reteam for a competent enough comedy about the hardships of aging. Silverstone is particularly good here, giving this a dramatic heft it would otherwise lack. Sigourney Weaver is fun in a scene-stealing role.

270. Political Animals

270. (11 Nov) Political Animals (2012, Greg Berlanti, Bethany Rooney, Michael Morris, David Petrarca & Tucker Gates) 63



This deliciously soapy miniseries (or canceled "limited series event") certainly deserved a second season. As it stands at six episodes, it seems half-finished. Powerhouse Sigourney Weaver surely had so much more planned for her character, but her work here is staggeringly human regardless of runtime. She's crafted a complex former First Lady and current Secretary of State that borrows nothing from inspiration Hillary Clinton, inviting no unfavorable comparisons and showing Weaver as competent a leading lady as ever.

Sebastian Stan and the dashing James Wolk are the other cast standouts, though Vanessa Redgrave makes quite an impression in a cameo. Ellen Burstyn chews the scenery nicely while Ciarán Hinds tries to do the same. Carla Gugino and Brittany Ishibashi are window dressing compared to everyone else.

Some storylines fall flat. A plot about a Chinese submarine sunk off the California coast is a bit lame and some of the relationship drama is unconvincing. But Stan portrays one of the more interesting gay characters on television in quite some time, even if he has a cliché drug problem. Scenes involving his suicide attempt are moving, as is his affair with a married Republican Congressman.

Ultimately, it's Weaver and Wolk who have the most interesting dynamic opposite one another. In a just world, they'd both pick up easy Emmys for their work. But at this point I'd settle for them to just get another series.

163. Snow White: A Tale of Terror

163. (20 Aug) Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997, Michael Cohn) 34



More fun in concept than in execution, this so-called tale of terror offers next to nothing in the way of thrills or scares. Sigourney Weaver is devious fun as the wicked stepmother, taking a commendably over-the-top approach. Otherwise, the cast is completely unremarkable and even the most basic plot points are tackled with utter clumsiness. John Ottman's score is the sole technical accomplishment.

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1988

1988

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist
I liked and admired Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist. Although I saw the dedication and her commitment to her character, somehow she never really won me over completely, which is extremely unusual for me with a performance by Siggy. She shows the passion and the development of her character wonderfully, she doesn't go too much over the top, except for some scenes. And her scenes with the gorillas are just thrilling. 

4. Jodie Foster in The Accused
Jodie Foster gives a very good and intense performance as Sarah Tobias. Although she's much less effective the second time around, her strength is occasionally captivating and she leaves a lasting impression in the end. Jodie minimises the scenery chewing and her acting is never too much in your face. And her courtroom scene is one of the best acted scenes of Jodie's career. Memorable, strong work.

3. Melanie Griffith in Working Girl

I don't care if it's fashionable or not, I love Melanie Griffith in Working Girl. I sympathized with her and felt for her character throughout the movie, no matter if she was hoovering topless or changing her look or interacting with her men. I laughed with her, got sad with her and I just always wanted her to get to the top. I loved Melanie's clear, almost naive emotions, her optimism, her glowing, funny, joyous personality.

2. Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark
Meryl Streep gives an excellent performance as Lindy Chamberlain. Although I'm not as enthusiastic about her in this film as so many others, I can perfectly see why they fell in love with this performance. It's compelling, complex, multi-layered and very-very effective. Some may accuse Meryl of being too calculating and planned, but to me this is one of her most natural and emotional performances, she's a real force on the screen and always a thrill to hear and look at.

1. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons
Amazing or fantastic or career-best doesn't even begin to describe how brilliant Great Glenn is as Marquise de Merteuil. Each and every movement and word of hers is so great that I just keep marvelling. Naturally, the Academy refused to acknowledge this earth-shattering performance with an Oscar win and yet that tells something about the Academy itself instead of Great Glenn who's simply electrifying. A true masterclass in acting, which makes me think if I should call Great Glenn Brilliant Glenn or Greatest Glenn from now on.

So I can proudly announce

that the winner is...

Glenn Close 

in 

Dangerous Liaisons

Glorious Great Glenn

Final thoughts: A truly interesting, wonderfully rich year, the best comeback I can imagine. :) It was the last review for Siggy and more sadly, Great Glenn (for the time being, I hope) and I'm so glad that they've both come out triumphant at least once (I'm a bit sad that I didn't leave Aliens last for Siggy). The real surprise was Melanie whom I liked way more than last time. I'm glad about her nod though it might seem weird that she got nominated instead of some very-very acclaimed performances (I guess you're very surprised by how much I liked her). But I don't really mind that she got nominated. Jodie Foster was Oscar's choice and I'm kind of baffled by her win, especially with hindsight. She went on to win another Oscar, while Great Glenn and Siggy remained Oscarless. And then there's Meryl who has a renaissance among bloggers with her Lindy Chamberlain performance. I suppose that review was the most anticipated and exciting. I don't think that anyone was surprised by my thoughts on Great Glenn and her subsequent (to me no-brainer) win. :)))

Omissions (never seen Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer but planning to):

• Jamie Lee Curtis in A Fish Called Wanda
• Carmen Maura in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

The next year:

• It will be a surprise; I don't know yet. :) It starts on 15th July.  

What do you think? Any thoughts on your mind?

134. Heartbreakers

134. (09 Jul) Heartbreakers (2001, David Mirkin) 37



Sigourney Weaver's earnest comedic turn here makes Heartbreakers more than worthwhile, but no one else is able to rise above the awful scripting. The most willing victims are Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jason Lee, whose romantic subplot is about the worst I've ever seen in a mainstream comedy. They have no discernible or comprehensible chemistry. Their relationship is impossibly one-dimensional. Gene Hackman, Anne Bancroft and Sarah Silverman are wasted in supporting roles.

Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey

Sigourney Weaver received her second (and to date last) Best Actress nomination for playing Dian Fossey, a murdered scientist who dedicated her life to saving gorillas from extinction. Not only did Siggy join the double nominees club in 1988, but she also became the first actress to lose two Oscars at one show. It must have been very disappointing for poor Siggy but I suppose the worst thing for her must have been the people expressing how sorry they were. Her loss can be understood extremely easily: she split votes with herself since neither category had a very strong front-runner. As a result, voters had no idea where to vote for her and oops... I suppose in the end she was third in Best Actress and second in Best Supporting Actress (why the hell couldn't they give her that one at least, my pick is Joan but I definitely would have voted for Siggy at the time; oh is Joan really my pick? :D). 

Gorillas in the Mist is a nice movie, even though sometimes it just drags along. It is an exhausting piece despite the fact that it's not a real challenge for your intelligence or any of your senses. It's properly written, directed and acting, plus, I really have to underline the fact Maurice Jarre's score that's probably the best thing about the whole movie. Although I'm not sure if I would have voted for it (hello Dangerous Liaisons), it created a wonderful atmosphere to the movie. I was pretty much amazed by it. And as a big fan of The Good Wife, I found it so funny that Siggy went for the same guy that Christine Baranski does there (Bryan Brown). :-)

I have sentimental and cool reasons to love Sigourney Weaver. OK, the sentimental one is that she was my second celeb childhood crush after Julianna Margulies (again, connections with The Good Wife, weird) and for that reason, she always remains special to me. The cool reason came four or five years later, when I turned into an Alien fanatic (OK, now I can admit that not even dearest Jane had a prayer of getting my vote in 1986) and I could just watch anything she's in. Moreover, it doesn't hurt, either, that I was also a Ghostbusters fanatic for a couple of years. And as it was pointed out to me earlier how much she looked like Jane Fonda, that pretty much sealed the deal for me. All in all, I can't really go wrong with a Sigourney Weaver movie and as a result, I'm more lenient and less objective about her than I should probably be.

Despite all these things, I have to say right here and right now that I couldn't really warm up to her performance as Dian Fossey. I'm perfectly aware that her most dedicated fans consider this to be her masterpiece (for me that's easily Aliens), I'm not much of a fan and I consider this to be her least impressive nominated work (so sorry Derek :-( ). That being said, it doesn't mean that I don't like her in this movie because I do in many ways.

I suppose my sort of reluctant feelings are mostly down to the fact that I could never really smypathise with her character. Don't misunderstand me, I find Dian Fossey a brilliant woman who did so much for protecting gorillas and as a result, the diversity of species on our Earth, it's just that the story's portrait of her is rather lacking and pale.

Therefore, it was up to Sigourney to replace the missing parts. Naturally, she does the best she can and her dedication is truly admirable, I just never really warmed up to her performance like I usually do with her. I'm aware of how hard and how long Siggy worked with those gorillas plus she nailed the technical part of this character, in my opinion. That way, she was almost perfect, in my humble opinion.

And the scenes where we can see her communicating with the gorillas are just thrilling. Siggy perfectly showed how well Dian understood these animals and how attached she has become to them. She shows that gorillas were Dian's real family and she acted like a protective mother around them. It's an interesting process to witness.

The character of Dian goes through a huge development and it was up to Siggy to make it as believable and intriguing as possible. The movie tried to reveal a darker side of Dian, but I felt that it was sometimes too forgiving and easy on her. And that unfortunately applies to Siggy as well. She wants to show that Dian Fossey became a fanatic towards the end, but I never thought that she was willing to risk not being considered a hero. I think a more subtle and detailed approach to Dian's flaws would have helped a lot. Because this way, it could be considered a bigger meltdown, which was actually only a little bit over-the-top and I was really affected by it. And yet, with hindsight, it seems a little bit out of place, especially considering Siggy's previous approach, which was more subtle.

Another very interesting part of this performance was Siggy's scenes where Dian finds love on the side of the photographer played by Bryan Brown. The chemistry between the two actors is extremely strong and I was really impressed how tender they scenes became. And Siggy's acting is probably the most balanced in these moments.

I also enjoyed the interactions between Dian and her friend Sembagare, the only person who always understood her and stood right by her side. Their friendship was portrayed so wonderfully by both actors and it was a thrill to watch them being together on the screen, with Dian being the passionate, emotional one and Sembagare being the more reserved and cool-headed one of the two.

As I stated earlier, I want to be lenient with Siggy here. And there are more reasons than the fact that I love her in general: there's really a great deal to love and admire about this performance, I just don't think I can so easily ignore the things that bothered me. I have the exact same reaction that I had to Greer Garson in Blossoms in the Dust. I love her as an actress, I enjoyed her work so why can't I settle for that?

So I can conclude that just like Sally Field in Places in the Heart, I liked and admired Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist. Although I saw the dedication and her commitment to her character, somehow she never really won me over completely, which is extremely unusual for me with a performance by Siggy. She shows the passion and the development of her character wonderfully, she doesn't go too much over the top, except for some scenes.

What do you think? (The rating seems low, I know, but I have to be less generous with my Meryls, earlier this would have been an easy 4). 

The Next Year

1988

So the nominees were:

• Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons
• Jodie Foster in The Accused
• Melanie Griffith in Working Girl
• Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark
• Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas in the Mist

Continuing a Streepathon celebrating Meryl's third, a year with three previous winners of mine and two ladies I haven't yet reviewed. Great Glenn seems to be the odds-on favorite to win here but let's see if I'll jump on the Meryl bandwagon like many of my fellow bloggers or pick someone else. :)

What do you think? Who's your pick? What's your prediction for my ranking? :)

106. The Cabin in the Woods

106. (06 May) The Cabin in the Woods (2012, Drew Goddard)* 50

456. Rampart

456. (05 Nov) Rampart (2011, Oren Moverman)* 36



Moverman's The Messenger had moments of promise, but this is just dreadful. He's rapidly devolving as a director and writer, letting every little quirk get the better of him. There are ridiculous subplots, like one involving Harrelson's ex-wives, that derail the film for long stretches of time. There are countless throwaway scenes and Moverman's style is outright bad in many places. There's occasionally a solid scene, like one where Sigourney Weaver calls Harrelson's character out. But such moments are few. Harrelson's Oscar buzz is unnecessary.

The Final Conclusion - Best Actress 1986

1986

So the much anticipated ranking is:

5. Kathleen Turner in Peggy Sue Got Married

I thought I'd like her more and yet I feel quite disappointed. When I started writing, I thought I was impressed but after taking a closer look at this performance, I found Kathleen Turner less than satisfying in Peggy Sue Got Married. This works looks really good on the outside but there are big problems that cannot be overlooked. Still, an enjoyable performance.

4. Sissy Spacek in Crimes of the Heart

Although I feel that Spacek is really great as Babe Magrath, I think that this is not a fantastic or mindblowing performance and it's not one of Sissy's best. I really liked it and enjoyed all of the scenes but I feel that Sissy could do way better. She got everything out of this character that she could, it's just that I felt that she had way better works. Still, she's great.

3. Marlee Matlin in Children of a Lesser God

This is great work by Marlee Matlin who didn't make Sarah the "ordinary disabled character" but she played her as a real human being instead. She beautifully portrayed all of Sarah's emotions and this was really a beautiful performance. Excellent, thought-provoking work. A bit incoherent work but otherwise great.

2. Jane Fonda in The Morning After

This is a fantastic performance by the amazing Jane Fonda. I know I'm not supposed to like this work that much and I might be biased but I was really blown away by Jane's work as Alex Sternbergen. This character is over-the-top and she's almost like an animal and yet Jane made me care about her and think about her.

1. Sigourney Weaver in Aliens

Sigourney Weaver is astonishing in Aliens giving not only the best action performances but also one of the most memorable performances evers. She's a real treat not only for Oscar maniacs but also for film buffs and everyone else on this planet. Sigourney created a beautiful, wonderful, strong character that is for the ages. It's really fantastic work by a brilliant actress.

So I can proudly announce

that the winner is...

Sigourney Weaver

in

Aliens

Get away from my Oscar, you BITCH! :)

Congrats to Fritz on his great predictions! :)

The prize: Fritz can pick the next year that I'll do after the next one. :)

Final thoughts: Not a great, but a VERY interesting year. I truly-truly loved doing it. Siggy Weaver had an easy win and I expected it. I LOVED Jane as always, I think if The Morning After had been better, she could have rivalled Siggy. I liked the others very much, too, especially Marlee even though I feel I overrated her initially. Sissy was very good but somehow I didn't like her as much as I usually do. Still, I liked her. As expected, Kathleen Turner was the weakest link. It's not that I didn't give her a chance, she was just the weakest one, that's all. But what I loved the most is that you seemed to be really interested in this year and I was incredibly happy that we could discuss so much. Thanks, again.

The ranking of the reviewed years:

1. 1944
2. 1969
3. 1974
4. 1989
5. 1959
6. 2006
7. 1978
8. 2010
9. 1996
10. 1964
11. 1939
12. 1977
13. 1997
14. 2009
15. 1980
16. 1941
17. 1972
18. 1963
19. 1966
20. 1973
21. 1983
22. 1986
23. 1937
24. 1990
25. 1954
26. 1958
27. 1948
28. 2002
29. 1957
30. 1940
31. 1998

About the next year: You seemingly like less discussed years, so the next two ones will be two of them. I know I solemnly promised to do 2003 but I'll still have to wait for In America. I won't make any more promises about when I'll do that year. I'll do my best. However, there are clues about our next year:

• This is one nutty hospital.

What do you think?

Sigourney Weaver in Aliens

First, I'd like to say how honored I am to celebrate the first anniversary of my Best Actress reviews with an analysis of a performance that is as iconic as...

Sigourney Weaver in Aliens for which she received her very first Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category. First, I am so shocked. Really, I wouldn't expect such a performance to be nominated in the Best Actress category. I mean, iconic action performances have never been among the favorites of the Academy. However, the Academy made one of the best decision when they nominated Sigourney for Aliens, a smash hit sci-fi. I guess the fact that the movie was such a great success (it received six other noms and won two of them). I think Sigourney may have got close to the actual win despite the fact that all the other performances were more Oscar-friendly. I feel she was at least third in the voting.

Aliens used to be my favorite movie ever, when I was about 11-12 years old. I was so crazy about it and I was crazy in love with Sigourney herself. I could go on telling funny and a bit cheesy stories about this movie (and the first Alien) but I guess I don't need to. For me, Aliens meant cinema. Everything that's great about it, emotion, action, scariness and above all, iconic characters. James Cameron's stories are the most unoriginal ones one could ever imagine and yet they work so fabulously on the screen. He just knows how to entertain people. I guess he once opened Pandora's box and found the secret of entertainment.

Sigourney Weaver, as I said, is someone I was once really in love with. However, I haven't seen enough of her works, I think. There are so many of her movies that I'd very much love to see and yet I don't get round to watching them. Too bad, as I think that she's one of the greatest actresses that we have today and I'm really hoping for a great comeback for her on the big screen. She just deserves way more than You Again. And she should really get an Oscar once. I thought that she would get it for Prayers for Bobby (that seemed so baity) and when I realised it was made for TV, I was in shock. So, she's in need of a great role, plus I'm really looking forward to the time when she'll play Miss Marple (as she wishes to)

If you search for lists about the most iconic characters of all time, you'll most definitely see Ellen Ripley among them (very often in the Top 10). By creating her, Sigourney Weaver also created a brand new character for the screen, the tough but sensitive heroine who's willing to fight and never gives up. I couldn't imagine any of the movies like Kill Bill had it not been for Sigourney Weaver's performance in the Alien movies even if the moviemakers don't think about Ripley that much. In short, Sigourney Weaver made history.

The very essence of Ellen Ripley (in my opinion) is best displayed in Aliens. In Alien, she's a scream queen and she may not even be the lead there. Ripley becomes a more layered and important character in Aliens. The development that she goes through is quite extraordinary for a sci-fi and Sigourney plays all the changes just brilliantly. At the beginning of the movie, Ripley is a hardened, bitter woman suffering from her own demons. All her fears are exceptionally portrayed. We really believe that this woman is suffering from all the events of her past and she's quite disturbing in some of the scenes. However, as I said, Ripley is a person who's willing to fight and she decides to fight her own fears by going back to the place where all the torture began.

Once she gets back to LV-426, Ripley becomes even more determined to act and destroy the aliens. However, a radical change comes in Ripley's life when she gets to know a little girl, Newt who wakes up Ripley's motherly instincts. And Sigourney is surprisingly touching in her scenes with Newt. She shows Ripley's love for Newt in a really moving way. In the director's cut this aspect of the movie becomes even more significant and understandable but I try not to think about that as she was nominated for the theatrical cut. All in all, Ellen's almost mother-daughter relationship with Newt is the most beautiful thing about this otherwise ugly and gruesome movie.

Moreover, I loved how feminine Sigourney made Ripley. On the outside, she has short-haired and talled. She's seems to be a really tough person. Inside, however, she's a really emotional, gentle human being full of love and the dedication. She's a real woman and Sigourney lets us see Ripley's real beauty which is inside the sexy looks. Ripley's beauty comes from her love and care and Sigourney shows Ripley's inner beauty just like a flower blossoms. It's just wonderful to see her in all of the scenes and you really cannot take your eyes off the screen. Sigourney's presence is really magnetic and I always wanted to see her and her. Very much like Michelle Pfeiffer (the other Oscarless huge star of the 80s) in The Fabulous Baker Boys, when Sigourney is not on the screen, we don't mind as her presence is so luminous that it lasts until she comes back. And unlike Kate Winslet in Titanic, Sigourney is never overshadowed by the stunning visual effects and the great directing of James Cameron.

To sum up things, Sigourney Weaver is astonishing in Aliens giving not only the best action performances but also one of the most memorable performances evers. She's a real treat not only for Oscar maniacs but also for film buffs and everyone else on this planet. Sigourney created a beautiful, wonderful, strong character that is for the ages. It's really fantastic work by a brilliant actress, in a brilliant movie.

What do you think, dear readers?

The Next Year

1986

So the nominees were:

• Jane Fonda in The Morning After
• Marlee Matlin in Children of a Lesser God
• Sissy Spacek in Crimes of the Heart
• Kathleen Turner in Peggy Sue Got Married
• Sigourney Weaver in Aliens

This year is never talked about. OK, almost never. So it will be really interesting. I can barely wait.

What do you think? What's your ranking? What do you predict for my ranking?

Note: I know I posted 2003 already but it turned out that I have to wait a little bit more for In America, so I'm really sorry. I solemnly promise to do that year as soon as I can! I decided to pick 1986 because all the movies were readily available for right now. Sorry again.

The requested years that I've had: 1938, 1945, 1970, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008. From these, 1938, 1945 and 1970 fall into the almost impossible category (1970 is the most likely). 1981 and 1987 could happen but I have to get Anna and Only When I Laugh somehow. However, I'll probably have access to all of the movies of the other years.

Looking Back: Working Girl

(dir. Mike Nichols, 1988)

I've spent years trying to locate this movie and watch it.  No, I admit that it's not the hardest movie to find, but I could just never get a hold of it on Netflix or the library or whatever.  And finally it appeared on Instant Queue and my long wait was finally over (merely by saying "Honey, Harrison Ford is in it," I convinced my fiancée to sit down and watch it with me).

It's the late 1980s and hotheaded-yet-business-savvy Tess McGill (Melanie Griffith) is struggling to be more than just a peace of meat in the fast-paced world of New York business.  After calling her boss (a thin Oliver Platt) a pimp, she's relocated to the office of shrewd, shoulder-pad wearing Katharine Parker (played brilliantly by Sigourney Weaver).  Weaver at first seems to be a kind boss, and in fact if I didn't know she was supposed to turn out evil, that slow section of the film would have been devoid of tension.  But it was just waiting for Weaver to do something bad or act like a witch, which she finally does after being betrayed by McGill.  When Katharine breaks her leg skiing, our secretary cum Wall Street virtuoso takes over her office and begins to set in motion a brilliant business acquisition (originally her idea) which Katharine had tried to deflate and secretly steal.  Oh, and along the way she falls in love with Jack Trainer, a sleepwalking Harrison Ford.

You always hear Working Girl references as being very, very 80s in both fashion and design.  After watching the whole thing, I'm less shocked and more flabbergasted that it was so beloved at the 1988 Academy Awards. I hardly find anything to dislike about a film that's nominated for some kind of Oscar; I may not love every film nominated, but I can at least appreciate why some people like it, but about this film, I have nothing good to say.

Well, Weaver was good.  But the buck stops there. Oh, and the song "Let the River Run" by Carly Simon.  There was one particularly good scene at the beginning of the film, where Griffith is set up with a trashy businessman perfectly played by an ageless Kevin Spacey.

"You SLUT!"

How this was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and three acting races is a little beyond me. Griffith seemed like she was lost without a paddle the entire time, and not just because she was a woman in a man's world but because she was put in the precarious potion of having to act.  Maybe it was partially due to Kevin Wade's comically atrocious dialog, but Griffith's emotional range never rose above mildly irked.  Whenever something huge or stressful would happen in the character's life, all Griffith could muster was a banal "Okay" or "Snake" before hanging up the phone or calmly turning around.  I rarely say this, but it really felt as though she was merely...saying lines the whole time, and trying to remember them halfway through saying them.

Joan Cusack and Harrison Ford were both criminally underused and hardly present.  Ford's allotted one good scene, and after that the rest of his character and thereby his performance are nothing short of predictable. Cusack could have had a juicy part, but really is only able to shine in one scene that takes place about halfway into the film; after that, she basically disappears and Griffith's full lingerie set becomes her new sidekick.

The most painful part for me, though, was that no one changed in the film.  No character has an arch, there's very little evolution.  At the beginning, McGill was tough-headed and business-minded, and at the end she still is, but the only difference is people's perception of her.  Ford's character certainly doesn't change, since he's never painted as anything close to the other Wall Street snakes in the film, so when he has a heart of gold at the end there's no big reveal there (he doesn't even sleep with Griffith the night the drunkenly meet and she sleeps over).  Cusack's Cyn isn't carefully imagined enough by the screenwriter to even have a change, so the only thing that evolves on her is the amount of eyeliner and hairspray she uses.  Not even Weaver could manage an arch; witch at the beginning and witch at the end.  This, I think, is why I couldn't care about any character...they were just all so flat and boring.  This movie was about a working girl, but it's a movie that needs a lot of work to get through.  The costumes are the highlights.  GRADE: D-


.

PAUL

Written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

Directed by Greg Mattola

Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig

and Seth Rogen

Graeme Willy (at Comic-Con): I love it here. It feels right.

It has never been cool to be a nerd, but if the nerd community has proven anything in recent years, it is that they are a force to be reckoned with. They will band together when necessary to attend giant conventions where they can spend hundreds of dollars on autographs or they will rally thousands of signatures to ensure that their favorite television programs, no matter how obscure, stay on the air. And as their collective power has increased, the more they find themselves represented in the mainstream media, naturally allowing the masses to love them for their endearing social ineptitude. This newfound love of all things geeky is what makes movies like Greg Mattola’s new alien film, PAUL, possible and, boy oh boy, does it ever geek it up hardcore.

PAUL opens on a lone farm house in a large, empty field. Windmills start to turn frantically as a rocking chair rocks back and forth on a porch front. Before long, flashing lights fill the sky and a dog barks at the moon. This is quintessential aliens from outer space cinema and the kitch-tastic intro tells us right away that we will be both delighting in, and sending up, all that we have come to know about alien invader movies. As an added bonus though, stars and writers, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, (the former previously penned the hilarious SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ), provide us with a rather touching look at the loneliness and insecurity that might accompany men who have never known anything other than their obsessions and each other. This is certainly no small feat considering their co-star is a little green guy voiced by Seth Rogen. The threesome embark on a road trip through a horribly unforgiving middle-America, in an attempt to get the little guy home – he had phoned in earlier – and run into a number of peculiar characters, from an actual man in black (Jason Bateman) to a religious zealot (Kristin Wiig). Ideas about God, the universe and space genitalia are exchanged en route.

Fortunately, geeky humour works for all – the geeks who get the inside jokes and everybody else who can just laugh at how incredibly geeky everything is. PAUL may be occasionally predictable or transparent but Mattola is sure to infuse this buddy movie with as much heart and sincerity as is possible, given the subject matter. His work may seem extreme at times (SUPERBAD anyone?) but it is also always relatable and genuine. While he has his audience distracted with the enjoyment they derive from immersing themselves in nerd culture, whether that inspires superiority in one viewer or solace for another, he manages to sneak something in that no one would see coming and that is humanity. Who knew that meeting an alien from another planet could make you feel more like you belong on this one?