Sex and the City in Time Warner Center

Kim Cattrall was promoting the new movie by the Time Warner Center the other day, and I was there by chance : )

Iron Man (2008)

It was the best thing out in a while on May 2nd. Iron Man, it looked good from the previews. Maybe it would be a better Superhero film, or maybe it would just go in the trash like The Punisher, Daredevil, and Ghost Rider. In the end, Marvel has enough superheroes to last another 10 years.

Ok, but this one looked better. First off was the cast, A-listers; Robert Downey Jr., he was nominated for an Oscar stars. Gwyneth Paltrow actually won an Oscar. Then it’s directed by Jon Favreau, the guy from Swingers. Maybe there would be a Vegas scene and some guy saying “money!”

The trailer was cool. Iron Man was cheeky, and the movie takes place in Afghanistan, so maybe it is up-to-date. It could be something that we can relate current events to or something to make feel like we are winning that war. How many movies even mention Afghanistan?

Finally, it made over $100 million, it’s first week. It is the first major hit of the summer of 2008 film schedule. So it must have done something right. Marvel now has a film studio to make sure we are not superhero deprived ever again.

So, all of that stuff did work good enough. Iron Man is in no way classic or even a movie to see twice, but it is good. Favreau threw in touches a la Swingers to take it out of the Marvel Universe to make you forget you are watching comic book movie. There are scenes in Vegas, pole dancers, and plenty of hard liquor. You wish that there were more of those touches. Downey keeps the movie going with his delivery and charisma. In fact, Downey carries the film.

There is one cool actions scene, but the big one at the end was lame. Nevertheless, expect see more of Iron Man. Iron Man II in a couple of years. Tony Spark, Iron Man, makes an appearance in the new Hunk movie this summer, and if you wait till the very end there is an interview scene with Stark who alludes the Avengers, which is an Marvel comic. Don’t be surprise to see an Avengers movie at some time.

The best thing about this movie is that it doesn’t really seem like a hero movie. The character is really well developed for any movie, and Tony Stark does have any real powers except being a really smart guy, which is refreshing.

The Nine, Inside the Secret World of THE SUPREME COURT by Jeffrey Toobin (2007)

The Nine seems to be that book that everyone has heard of but no one has read. No worries, read my review instead.

I have to admit my interest in this book is fill the gaps of my knowledge of the United States, and to continue to understand the times I am living in, which is sometimes spurred by the constant right-wing extremist rhetoric that come across.

The Toobin book is not linear history of the Supreme Court. It goes far back as 1972, but it picks up in the Reagan era, and it ends in 2006. The author travels in an odd pattern of telling the story. He jumps around a lot but somehow it works. At one time you are in 2002 and then back in 1992 and so on.

At best this book charts the Right wing of the Republican Party taking over of the court by the second Bush administration. It highlights a bit the division within the Republican party between the moderates and the Evangelical Christian right, which eventually the latter have completely taking over in the second Bush presidency.

Toobin mostly focuses on Sandra Day O’Connor. She was a Reagan appointee in 1981. She might not have been chosen to the court if Kenneth Star, who was in charge of her background check, had done with his homework to see that she had ruled on abortion cases. O’Connor, much like Bush former Treasury secretary Paul O’Neil, was pushed to the left as the far right came into power; not so much by a change of mind, but rather as the Party went to further to right, it left many behind. Both went from loyal conservatives to outspoken critics of the George W. Bush White House. \

O’Connor was the swing vote for almost 25 years, and she decided tone and outcome of many of the courts biggest cases with those 25 years from Abortion to Bush v. Gore.

The book is neither too deep in legalese; meaning you don’t have to a lawyer to read it, neither is it dumbed down. In fact, I hear that the book is popular amongst lawyers.

My biggest criticism of the book is that I felt the author could have gone further into the cases that the Supreme Court ruled on. For example, I wanted full explanation of Bush v. Gore, but I felt that he barely touched the subject.

I thought what the The Nine did best was give the reader a solid understanding of the Rehnquist Supreme Court and then give a good taste of the Roberts’ Supreme Court. Both are very different. Both court represent the very different sides of the Republican Party, and to borrow the phrase from John Edwards, although he never meant it this way, represent the two different Americas.

The Supreme Court as it stands right now is George W. Bush’s biggest triumph and lasting legacy. Love it or hate it, it’s the law of the land. Toobin shows the last thirty years of the court in rational and compressive manor.

Smart People (2008)

Probably a movie to see before it is completely out of theatres. Smart People grew on me the more I thought about it; as it seems to be one of the only films that I have seen this year with substance. I have always tried to avoid Dennis Quaid movies. It has been a life long effort, but he works in this one.

Truth be told, I only saw this movie because it has Juno’s Ellen Page in it. She’s great! The scene that introduces her is completely Juno. It is as if the film makers are reminding the audience where they know this girl from.

The movie is billed as an old crusty academic brought back to life. In fact, the week it opened the week as the The Visitor opened, which is a movie that is billed the same way. Smart People is more than that.

What I found refreshing were two things, despite Ms. Page. First is that generally smart people were the subjects of the film; in an American culture that praises stupidity and dumb luck. Like in any movie, it starts with conflict. An un-smart adopted brother comes to live with the family. Unlike most movies, he is not hero; the family is not saved by his stupidity. Their smartness is not killing them and they need to lighten up, which can only be accomplished by a fun loving hedonist. Although, the brother is a changing force, he neither solves all their problems nor is all their problems solved by the end.

The second thing that was refreshing is that it was a good family drama. It was one without a political agenda, and the characters dealt with the pettiness of everyday life.

The worst part of the movie, was the Page character comes on to her adopted uncle which was a little sickening, unfortunately, he doesn’t reciprocate. Again, there was the old woman playing unconvincing a younger woman. Sarah Jessica Parker, SJP, plays woman who is suppose to be about 28 years old, when SJP looks very much her age of 43 yrs. old. She is a good choice as a romantic interest for crusty old Quaid, because they look close enough in age.

Smart People has no real center of drama. Instead, it is series of drama’s big and small. Everyone in the family has a problem and is insensitive to the others problems. Their value is overlooked by each other, and nothing gets fully resolved; but somehow everyone soldiers on, and it is that which makes the movie enjoyable. When it ends the view is left wanting more. You feel like want the story to continue, because it makes so much progress in its own way and you care about the characters. Caring about the character is something which is a bit rare so far in this movie year. So, I highly recommend this one.

What Happens in Vegas (2008)

Definitely competing for the worst movie of the year, What Happens in Vegas fails to meet my lowest of expectations. I never thought this movie would be good. I expected some cheap laughs. Maybe a reliving of my youth, as That 70’s show is one of my all-time favs. From the trailer, that promised a romantic comedy, it looked like Ashton Kutcher was reviving his role as Michael Kelso from That 70’s show; like Kelso grew up and was living with Carmon Diaz. In fact, there were about three Kelso moments but that was it. Overall the movie seemed to be a testament of why people hate America.

It seemed to be a mix of self absorbed, stupid people with lots of money, who are psychotically aggressive. The plot is pretty true to the trailer. Two people down on their luck go to Vegas to feel better about themselves. After a night of heavy drinking they get married. The next day the hit a jackpot which motivates them to stay married. They are ordered to stay married for six month in order to cash in. Then somehow they fall in love.

I don’t know what to say, it was really bad. Almost everything about it didn’t work. Cameron Diaz working on the floor of a stock exchange that was as believable as the reactions she was getting to the stupid way she spoke. Queen Latifah as Marriage therapist, come on, don’t these roles have to be at least somewhat believable. I did some how buy Ashton Kutcher doing nothing and hanging around the house all day.

I think what was most insulting was the idea that when one acts as a stupid over-the-hill clubber the higher one gets in life. I am not sure how old the Diaz character was suppose to be, but she looked like she was in her earlier forties. Diaz has not taken very good care of herself as she is only 36. Kutcher , 30 looks about 24 years old, so maybe they were going for the Kutcher really life senario of being married to a much older woman. It was just a little bizarre.

The movie is barely watchable. Rob Corddry is comic relief in a movie that should be a comedy, but I have been soap opera’s with better story lines. Coddry is good as always.

The movie seems to be shot mostly in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, which my favorite area in that borough, so that was cool. I always find it funny to see people doing things in movies which you could never do in real life. There is a scene in the movie Kutcher and Corddry are hitting golf balls in a park in DUMBO. You so can’t do that.

Anyway this movie is so bad.

Penelope (2008)

Penelope is a little movie that most people probably will wait to see on T.V. This is fair enough; especially as this is another late review, where the movie has left theatre, but I thought I might get it out anyway.

Penelope is short and sweet updated fairytale. It is a delightful story of a girl who was cursed by a witch to have a pig’s noise. The curse can only be broken when a suitor of blue blood marries her. Her parents, especially her mother, being of high society, in London maybe New York or a hybrid of the two, hide in her room till she is of age. Upon time that she is ready, they send in boys with blue blood to meet her. The problem with that being that when they get a look at her they go running to woods or anywhere they can get to. To off set this Penelope hides behind a two way mirror when she meets them in an effort to not scare them off too quickly.

Now being that she is such a mysterious girl of wealth and stature there is a media interested. A newspaper man, little man, goes after picture of the young woman; as none exist in the public spectrum. He finds a blue blooded boy, played by James McAvoy, who is down on his luck to walk in with a secret camera to snatch a shot. He is collected by the parents along with other boys, but he misses the sight of Penelope when the others run. He stays. He keeps coming back, talking to her through a wall until he can take a picture. He ends up liking her and he doesn’t run when he sees but he cannot marry her because he is not really of blue blood, which no one knows.

Penelope runs away to the city, and is discovered. When she learns to love herself the curse is broken. She finds the young man of her affections and they go out.

It is a charming little movie with a blight and vibrant look to it. It marks Reese Witherspoon’s first producer credit. She is also an actress in it.

Penelope is a great family film that is totally watchable for adults.