Screenings -- Two disappointments and a recommendation

I finally saw Superbad – the movie that everyone said was so super-good. First off, while there were a few genuinely hilarious scenes, the laughs overall I thought were few and far between. (OK, McLovin was pretty funny.) But even more amiss were the three protagonists. Let’s face it, these three were pretty much colossal bores and, along with everyone else in the movie, complete infants. I couldn’t help but think of other high-school coming of age movies that make Superbad look like something the cat dragged in: American Graffiti, Breaking Away or more recently Juno (also starring Michael Cera). If nothing else, you note right away that the characters in these movies are about a thousand times more interesting than anyone in Superbad, who are essentially gross sad little dweebs. I didn’t give a hoot what happened to them and I didn’t get all the enthusiasm over the movie.

Another movie that left me slightly disappointed was Win Win. This was a much better movie than Superbad, of course, but it didn’t quite meet expectations. Tom McCarthy, who wrote and directed the film, also wrote and directed two of my all-time favorite movies: The Station Agent and The Visitor. He also worked on the story for Up. The main problem is that Win Win is simply doesn’t measure up to McCarthy’s other films. Paul Giamatti is good, but I thought the rest of the cast was -- well -- ok. Still, the movie revolves around a great idea fully in keeping with McCarthy’s vision that the universe sends unusual people into your life at unexpected times for the purpose of helping you to become a better person. My guess is that if you haven’t seen The Station Agent or The Visitor, you’ll enjoy Win Win. Then go on to see those two fabulous films and you’ll notice how Win Win more or less pales by comparison. One other plus for Win Win is that it takes place in New Providence, NJ.

In some ways, Woody Allen just keeps making the same movie over and over again. Even his characters stay the same. Midnight in Paris is no exception. Owen Wilson is a clear stand-in for Allen himself. And, you’ll also see efforts to channel Alan Alda, Diane Weist and Scarlet Johansson from other Woody Allen films. But, as films go, the one Allen film – wistful, hopelessly romantic, beautifully filmed – is a darn good one and worth seeing over and over again. This particular version, without giving anything away, is a total delight. And, if you’ve ever been in love with Paris, like Kathleen, you’ll fall in love all over again. I’m not altogether sure that it’s a must-see, but it’s an incredibly enjoyable two hours.