WIN WIN: Paul G does it again

Duets was my first Paul Giamatti movie, or so I thought! Turns out he had a tiny role in Singles back in 1992. It was only his second big-screen movie, and the character he played didn’t even have a name. IMDb has him credited as “Kissing Man.” Now I have to watch that movie again and see if I can spot him. (No worries – I own the DVD.)

He went on to play such illustrious roles as Richard the Bellman in My Best Friend’s Wedding in 1997. Talk about paying your dues! In the last twenty years, this Yale graduate has gone from playing “Heckler #2” in a made-for-TV movie to playing such demanding characters as Miles in Sideways, Inspector Uhl in The Illusionist, Vladimir Chertkov in The Last Station, and Barney Panofsky in Barney’s Version. And let’s not forget Todd Woods in Duets! As Mike Flaherty in Win Win, he has done it yet again.

It’s hard to say exactly why Paul G is so likable – probably because he really isn’t. But he just wins you over. He keeps working you and working you until you’re putty in his hands, using the same tenacity that took him from playing “Heckler #2” to playing John Adams.

Alright, I’ll step off my Paul G soapbox now, but only long enough to give props to some other folks in Win Win, like Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor (you’ll know him when you see him), Margo Martindale (her too), Amy Ryan, and Alex Shaffer, who plays the wrestling prodigy who suddenly comes into their lives. Unbelievably, this is Shaffer’s first acting role. They chose him because he is a real-life wrestler – a New Jersey state champion, no less.

It would have been great to see Paul G given that kind of lucky break at age 18. Then again, maybe the fact that he has had to earn every second of screen time is what makes him so special.

See the Win Win trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci_I6n2j5Uw

THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD: Funny and revealing

Does the very idea of seeing a documentary make you drowsy? Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock just might change your mind. He’s the crazy fellow who brought us Super Size Me in 2004, capturing a month of his life during which he ate nothing but McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He also created a reality series called “30 Days,” in which people try living a completely different life for a month. Spurlock is the kind of guy who just wants to find out what happens when you try something new. And watching what happens is always both entertaining and informative for the rest of us. So it is with The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.

Featuring the fine products and services of POM Wonderful, Hyatt, Amy’s frozen foods, JetBlue, Mini Cooper, Old Navy, Mane ‘n Tail shampoo, and many others, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is just that – a documentary about product placement, financed entirely by product placement. It’s a clever concept – a film in which you get to watch Spurlock make the film, starting with landing his first corporate sponsors. It’s a fascinating look behind the scenes – and not just in terms of product placement. How do they go about making those enticing movie trailers? The answer may surprise you! What kind of back-scratching deals get made behind the scenes? Morgan Spurlock will show you!

Only 90 minutes long, TGMES runs at top speed and is never boring. In fact, it made all three Webbers laugh out loud many times. It also gave us a lot to think about. It’s crammed with insightful interviews with people like Ralph Nader, Donald Trump, Quentin Tarantino, and Noam Chomsky, just to name a few. He talks to film producers, entertainment lawyers, professors, marketing consultants, musicians, CEOs, ad executives, graphic designers, high school students, consumer advocates, branding specialists, city leaders, and media moguls. I can’t imagine anyone he has left out. And each one holds another piece of the puzzle, or provides another perspective on Spurlock’s game.

And of course, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold would not be complete without the greatest movie theme song ever written! In this case, the honors go to Grammy-winning rock group OK Go, who wrote “The Greatest Song I Ever Heard” just for this purpose. OK Go are the creative minds behind the genius video “Here It Goes Again,” a.k.a. “the treadmill song.” They’re the perfect companions for Spurlock’s big-screen shenanigans.

I know I’ve written a lot of words here about a movie most people aren’t going to see. But if you have any interest whatsoever in popular entertainment – be it TV, film, or music – or if you just like to see the little guy win once in a while, I strongly urge you to seek out this movie. Just check out the trailer and you’ll see what I mean. Spurlock deserves your support, whether he bought it or not.

And in case you think product placement has no impact, guess which family now has a bottle of Mane ‘n Tail shampoo in the shower??

See the trailer for The Greatest Movie Ever Sold here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9vu3dUMQ1s

JANE EYRE: Brilliantly brooding Brontë

You really don’t need me to help you figure out whether you should see Jane Eyre or not. Do you like moody period pieces? Gothic tales from the British countryside? Novels by women with the last name Brontë? How about women with their hair parted down the middle?

Well, you get all four with Jane Eyre. Based on Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel, this is, according to reliable Internet sources, the tenth big-screen adaptation of her most famous work – at least by the name Jane Eyre. There are a good half-dozen other adaptations by other names, not to mention countless mini-series and made-for-TV movies! So if you answered yes to any of the questions above, you are clearly not alone.

Not having seen all nine previous incarnations, I’m not qualified to provide a definitive comparison. But I can say that the cast of this version was spectacular, starting with Mia Wasikowska as Jane, Michael Fassbender as the gloomy Mr. Rochester, Judi Dench as the no-nonsense Mrs. Fairfax, and Jamie Bell as St. John Rivers.

I have to pause a moment and give a special shout-out to Jamie Bell. We saw him in 2000 in that British gem Billy Elliot, and then we never saw him again. But he’s been quietly plying his trade, and over the years, his roles – and his movies – have gotten bigger and bigger. He starred with Daniel Craig in Defiance in 2008, and he starred opposite Channing Tatum in this year’s The Eagle. He’s all grown up now, and hopefully he’s here to stay.

As for Wasikowska, she’s on completely different turf here than she was a year ago during her blockbuster turn as “Alice” in last year’s Alice in Wonderland. Not that there was anything wrong with that wonderful bit of fluff, but as the title character of Jane Eyre, she truly has a chance to show her stuff. Of course, the hair parted down the middle doesn’t hurt either.

See the Jane Eyre trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IFsdfk3mlk

RIO: Now boarding!

For months, the Webbers have been wrestling with a monumental decision – where to go on our family vacation. We’re overdue for an adventure, but where to go? And what to do? My dream vacation is to go to Hawaii just like the Brady Bunch did in 1972. If Alice can hula, so can I! But Mr. Webber was hoping for something more highbrow – like the Nürburgring in Germany.

But with the arrival of Rio, the latest animated feature to hit the big screen, we’re now seriously considering Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We could see Copacabana Beach, the giant Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf Mountain, and maybe even the Girl from Ipanema. She must be around there somewhere!!

Directed by Carlos Saldanha, a Brazilian native, Rio shows you all this and much more, albeit in a vibrant color palette that’s probably a few shades brighter than reality. You’ll enjoy samba, bossa nova, and even a glimpse of Carnival. Oh, and did I mention the birds? I probably should have, since the whole movie is about birds . . .

There’s a great collection of voices here, including Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Wanda Sykes, Jane Lynch, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez and – can you believe this – Sergio Mendes! He too is a native of Brazil, and he not only provides voice talent but also wrote a number of the songs. (Yes, this movie is sort of a musical.)

Today’s amazing animation technology has become so commonplace that we completely take it for granted. So there’s not much point in me telling you that the setting is painstakingly rendered, or that the animation of exotic birds in flight is breathtaking. This is all old hat, but I still never get tired of seeing it – especially in a movie that practically takes you on vacation.

See the Rio trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh9jZo5UIEA

And just for fun, here’s the song I’ve had in my head ever since I saw this movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3W6yf6c-FA