Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

What's most interesting about seeing Susan Seidelman's Desperately Seeking Susan on Blu-ray in 2014 is just how gritty it is. At the time, it might have seemed like the product of MTV, slick and commercial and weightless, or perhaps a sly career move by Madonna and nothing more. But it still holds up as a solidly entertaining New York City screwball comedy with a lot of life and fun. read more...

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Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight -- by my count his 45th film -- is about two things. It's about the question of whether true magic exists in the world, or whether everything can be explained by mechanics and science. And it's about the wonder of love, and about how, though we might try to control it, sometimes the heart wants something totally illogical. I think it's remarkable that a 78 year-old man is still thinking about these questions, especially a man that has been through so many accusations and so much judgment. read more...

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Obvious Child (2014)

Comedian and actress Jenny Slate gets a rich and funny role in Obvious Child (2014) as Donna Stern, a struggling 30-something who works in a going-out-of-business bookshop and does occasional stand-up at a local club. Her parents are splitsville, she can barely pay her rent, and her boyfriend dumps her. Drunk, she meets a cute grad student, Max (Jake Lacy), has a one-night stand, and ends up pregnant. Director Gillian Robespierre avoids focusing entirely on laughs, and spends just as much time exploring the appealingly flawed characters, even if she can't completely avoid all the usual rom-com formulas. The supporting cast, including Gaby Hoffmann as Donna's best pal, Richard Kind as her puppeteer father, Polly Draper as her professor mother, and David Cross as a sleazy fellow comic, is uniformly terrific and lends a great deal of spirited humanity to the movie. read more...

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The American President (1995)

Writer extraordinaire Aaron Sorkin broke into the movies by adapting his play A Few Good Men to the screen; that led to his original script for The American President (1995), and his fascination with political process. This movie will seem so gentle and innocent compared to today's headlines, but perhaps it's a good antidote. The story wonders what would happen if a United States president became widowed during office; could he re-marry? What would the public think? So President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) is running for re-election and meets lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening). They make a deal involving a controversial environmental bill, and the president must learn to stand up for what he believes in, or lose her. It's a delightful, escapist fantasy, in which good guys win and bullies don't. Interestingly, Martin Sheen co-stars as the White House Chief of Staff, and went on to play POTUS four years later in Sorkin's TV series The West Wing. Rob Reiner directs, with his usual briskness and brightness. read more...

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The Break-Up (2006)

What looks like a raucous frat-boy comedy is really a surprisingly canny depiction of a stagnant relationship. Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) won't say what she wants, while Gary (Vince Vaughn) does exactly as he pleases, and together they own a valuable Chicago condo. The clever director Peyton Reed (Down with Love) sustains a string of remarkable conversations, arguments and desperate ploys, while upsetting the expected rom-com formula. The humor instead seeps from the many crafty character roles; Judy Davis, Vincent D'Onofrio and Jon Favreau really shine, but Aniston and Vaughn break into entirely new territory. The movie could have used more build up and a stronger female presence, but it's a brave, subversive look at the ugly, needy side of Hollywood romance. Vaughn co-wrote the story and produced. read more...

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