Recent Release Reviewed: Adventureland

Adventureland
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Reynolds
Written and directed by: Greg Mottola

1987. After graduating college, James Brennan is told by his parents that they can't afford to pay for his summer trip to Europe, not to mention Columbia University. Looking for a summer job to pay for tuition, he discovers that the only job he can get is working at Adventureland amusement park. While doing his crappy job, James falls for Em Lewin, but she's more complicated than he realises.

As you can probably tell from the above description, Adventureland isn't big on plot, but then it doesn't have to be. It's a fairly straight-forward, gentle coming of age tale that is funny, sensitive and touching. Mottola has said that the story is very personal to him and that a lot of it is based on his own experiences. It does feel heartfelt. While there are occasional nostalgic pangs for a different time (mostly through the soundtrack), it's not maudlin, and the film is often harshly critical of the late 1980s. Adult figures are either clueless or alcoholic, and everyone's getting laid off. James also realises that his college degree has left him undesirable for any job. "I majored in Comparative Literature and Renaissance Studies! Unless someone needs help restoring a fresco, I'm screwed!"

The strong ensemble cast is led by Jesse Eisenberg, who's been doing sterling work since the underrated Roger Dodger. James isn't quite as nerdy and socially awkward as some of the leads in recent comedies, he's believable and likeable. He's supported by Kristen Stewart, who handles the difficult role of the troubled Em well. Apatow regular Martin Starr shows that he can work wonders when given a character rather than a cameo as the bookish Joel, a character who has more depth than the usual "nerdy best friend". Ryan Reynolds gets to show off his dramatic chops as Connell, the handsome, cool repair-man who's something of a legend to the carnies because he once jammed with Lou Reed. Seemingly an older-brother figure to James, Connell quickly turns out to be less benevolent than he appears. Under-used but wonderful are SNL stars and blog favourites Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader as the park's managers, who are essentially used for comic relief. Apparently husband and wife, they're both not-all-there, and adorably committed to the park rather than the cruel tyrants you'd expect from a movie about a young character forced to work a crappy job. They're good enough to make you wish they had more screen-time.

Adventureland certainly isn't a straight-up comedy, in fact it's often quite dark. There are characters who are just there to add laughs when needed, such as Hader and Wiig, and James' friend Frigo (Matt Bush) who hits James in the nuts whenever he sees him. However, given the cheesy tag-line about the worst job ever leading to the best time of their lives, and the understandable wish to trade on the fact that Mottola directed Superbad, some viewers may be surprised that Adventureland isn't a raunchy teen comedy. Yes, there are scenes of drunken parties and weed-smoking, but the main thrust of the story is James realising that his time in college has barely prepared him for the real world. He's left open to bad advice from Connell, and sometimes does the wrong thing. This is not exactly a new structure for a film, but it's one that is very effective when done right. Here, Mottola knows and loves his characters and it comes through. Adventureland isn't going to change the genre,but it makes for a very enjoyable ninety minutes

7/10

Forthcoming Film Furore!: Scott Pilgrim and MacGruber

Yesterday the first official teaser trailer for Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim Versus The World hit the interweb, with fans everywhere going crazy. The film marks Wright's first film without his Simon Pegg/Nick Frost support structure, not to mention his first film set in the US. Based on the popular comic book series, Scott Pilgrim is the story of the titular character's attempts to defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes. Realism is not the order of the day, with overblown actions sequences sure to abound.
The supporting cast is impressive: Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Chris Evans (Sunshine), Mae Whitman (Arrested Development), and Jason Schwartzman are among the exes, Up in the Air's Anna Kendrick plays Scott's sister, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Death Proof) plays Ramona Flowers, the object of Scott's affections.
But our two major concerns lie with the tone and the star. Knowing silliness is all very well, as long it's entertaining. If the film starts to get snarky, the goofy appeal with surely fly out of the window. And have we had enough of Michael Cera? OK, so the part does seem to fit him like a glove, but hasn't every part he's played since Superbad?
Obviously, I'm being unfair as this is just the teaser trailer. But, this is, just, like, our opinion, man.


Next up is the moderately funny trailer for Saturday Night Live-spinoff movie MacGruber. The sketches were often hilarious, featuring Will Forte as an inept MacGuyver character who was constantly distracted from defusing the bomb by issues such as Pepsi sponsorship, his son's sexual orientation, and accusations of racism. But there hasn't been a good film based on an SNL sketch for a long time. Can MacGruber hold up to a feature length treatment?
Well, the trailer is OK. Forte seems to be on form, there's the impressive casting decisions (Val Kilmer as a villain called Dieter Von Cunth, Powers Boothe as MacGruber's boss, Ryan Phillipe), a couple of the jokes hit the mark, and it has the fantastic Kristin Wiig. But to be honest, it's not particularly inspiring.
That being said, every review of the film that's come out of the festival circuit has been overwhelmingly positive. Word is that the funniest scenes are definitely not in the trailer, the film is very much R-rated, and it's hilarious. It'll be interesting to see how the film fares on wide release, but we're looking forward to it.

Television Stars We Want to Have A Decent Film Career: Part 1

It's become a well-known fact that movie stars seem to no longer have any hang-ups about appearing on, or even starring in, television shows. Since William Petersen and Kiefer Sutherland gave their flagging careers the kiss of life with CSI and 24 respectively, veteran actors like Gary Sinise, Anthony LaPaglia, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Paxton, James Woods, and Timothy Hutton have been drawn to the steady work and fan adoration that come from TV.
But this article is about the actors that we're primarily familiar with for their work on the telly. Specifically, the ones we want to have a good career in film. We would also like to add that there's nothing wrong with TV. I'm leaning towards agreeing with the critics who feel that the noughties were a much better decade for television shows than cinema. Anyway, enough explanation. Let's get on with it.


1. Jon Hamm
Seen as: Don Draper on Mad Men.
The star of AMC's flagship show Mad Men didn't exactly have a glittering CV before his role as Don Draper, with bit-parts in films such as Space Cowboys and We Were Soldiers. On Mad Men, Hamm gets to exhibit the kind of smooth charisma that is rarely seen on the big screen, let alone the small one. Morally ambiguous, slyly witty, and ultimately sympathetic despite all his many faults, advertising genius Don Draper is the kind of character leading men kill for. Hamm also proved that he could do funny in a great arc on 30 Rock as Liz Lemon's "Bubble"-bound boyfriend Dr. Drew Baird, so handsome that no one's ever told him that he's stupid. He's also been excellent on his guest hosting spots on Saturday Night Live.
Upcoming roles: Evil villain duties in Zack Synder's sure-to-be-crazy Sucker Punch, playing Jake Erlich in Ginsberg biopic Howl, and Ben Affleck's sophomore directorial effort The Town. Also, Mad Men series 4


2. Tina Fey
Seen as: Liz Lemon on 30 Rock
Before she created her own sitcom, Tina Fey was the head writer on Saturday Night Live, as well as writing and co-starring in the hilarious Mean Girls. With 30 Rock, UK audiences were made aware of her talents. The writing has been consistently excellent, and the ensemble cast is fantastic, but Fey's Liz Lemon is the heart of the show. Hilariously neurotic and prone to disaster, Lemon is the head-writer of an SNL-esque sketch comedy show. She has to manage a bunch of moronic narcissitic actors and her lazy writing staff while trying to have some kind of decent life for herself. She's hilarious, and often at her best when Liz decides to ignore her moral compass. Witness her attempts to fire the girlfriend of a man she likes, or her decision to frame naive page Kenneth. Tina Fey's also won pretty much every award going for her writing and her acting on the show. Likeable and funny, Fey will inevitably have a great big-screen career. We'd just like it to be sooner rather than later.
Upcoming roles: Starring alongside Steve Carell in the star-studded comedy Date Night, and more 30 Rock.


3. Nathan Fillion
Seen as: Captain Malcolm Reynolds on Firefly, Richard Castle on Castle
Fillion first endeared himself to couch potatoes everywhere with his turn as Malcolm Reynolds on the short-lived, much-mourned Firefly. Of the cast, he seemed the most poised for big-screen success, with the possible exception of Summer Glau. Funny and very capable of handling the tougher emotional scenes, Fillion was the standout of a very talented group. After Serenity got good reviews but low box-office, he landed the lead role in James Gunn's fun but poorly received creature feature Slither, then the less impressive White Noise 2, but gained some indie kudos with his performance in Adrienne Shelley's Waitress. None of these parts particularly propelled Fillion to stardom, and he soon ended up back on TV. Fox cancelled Drive after only a few episodes, but he's currently getting good viewing figures as roguish crime author Richard Castle, who trails police around to get ideas for a new book. The show's better than it sounds, but it would be nice if Fillion could get a part in a film that people actually go and see.
Upcoming roles: More Castle and Dr. Horrible, and a supporting part in James Gunn's superhero comedy Super


4-5. Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader
Seen on: Saturday Night Live
SNL has just as often been the last good thing on a comedian's resume as it has been the springboard for success in movies. For every Will Ferrell there are about five castmembers who have essentially vanished into obscurity. While the current line-up on the show is certainly strong, the writing has been getting weaker. Pretty much the only two cast members guaranteed to make you laugh are Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig. The former made a name for himself with impressions of actors like Vincent Price and Al Pacino, but has also proved just as comfortable in more straight-ish skits. Wiig seems to be the show's go-to for almost every female character, after the departure of Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, and Amy Poehler left her the only regular who wasn't a guy. Some of the pressure has been taken off her this series, but her versatility continues to shine through. Both Hader and Wiig have yet to headline their own films (although production is about to start on "Untitled Kristin Wiig Comedy), but have been making impressions in minor roles for a few years now, and both pop up regularly in Judd Apatow movies. High points on their CVs include Hot Rod, Superbad, and Pineapple Express for Hader, and Knocked Up, Walk Hard, and Extract for Wiig.
Upcoming roles: Wiig has SNL spin-off film MacGruber, Date Night, and a dramatic role in All Good Things. Hader is rumoured to be writing a horror film, and both are appearing in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's new comedy Paul.



Be back soon with part 2!