There’s a good mix of titles opening in town this weekend — not all of them successful, but even so. And may I remind you that I’ll be doing the Watermark Q&A tonight at the Varsity, following the 7:25 pm show? I may? Why, thank you!
Baggage Claim: Paula Patton plays a flight attendant on a mission to track down her ex-boyfriends in what appears to be a less goofy reworking of 2011’s What’s Your Number? Rad is not a fan.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2: Reviews are mixed on the sequel to the delightful 2009 CG comedy. Sadly, Andrew‘s is one of the cons.
Don Jon: Joseph Gordon-Levitt writes, directs and stars in this portrait of an unreconstructed Jersey lothario whose world is rocked by the possibility of actual connection with smart young woman Scarlett Johansson. Susan liked it more than most.
Enough Said: Nicole Holofcener’s latest movie is also James Gandolfini’s last, which leaves this modest romantic comedy about a woman (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who falls for a client’s ex (Gandolfini) a little sadder and darker than originally intended. Susan loved it. And as a big fan of Holofcener’s, I expect I will too.
Metallica: Through the Never: Lars, James and pals vie for artistic credibility by stitching a 3D IMAX concert movie onto an experimental drama about a roadie (Dane DeHaan) on a quest. John is sufficiently whelmed.
On the Job: The Filipino version of a Johnnie To crime epic, Erik Matti’s thriller is an entirely cromulent thriller. It just isn’t quite a great one, much as it seems to want to be.
Red Obsession: Russell Crowe narrates this documentary about wine collectors’ love of a good Bordeaux, which Jose — who has a pretty good nose for this things — finds decent, if uninspired. Chin-chin.
Rush: Ron Howard reunites with Frost/Nixon screenwriter Peter Morgan for another true tale of rivalry, this one about 1970s Formula 1 racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Glenn liked it a lot.
Watermark: Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky travel the world and come back with this thoughtful, beautiful exploration of humanity’s relationship to H2O. Go on, dive in.
Oh, also it’s the last weekend of September, which means that while the weather is gorgeous right now, the frost giants will be roaming the earth again before you know it. Go outside and enjoy yourselves while you can.
The new Tsui Hark film, Young Detective Dee, opens at Yonge-Dundas today. I think that’s worth singling out.
I wish someone had told us. We’d certainly have covered it.