Jack and Jill... Adam Sandler's latest effort...

Dear Readers,

                    Last night I had the pleasure of watching Adam Sandler's latest venture- "Jack & Jill" where he plays both the character Jack and his own twin sister Jill (in drag of course).  As in many of Sandler's film- you must endure a wide variety  of flatulence/fart jokes- nothing like relying on the lowest common denominator- which is fine if your demographic is 12 year old boys... but this film does have more substance than other Sandler films.  Forinstance- Sandler's film "Grownups" was an absolutely nightmare with one fart joke after another- with very little substance at all.  On the other hand- "Spanglish"- perhaps one of Sandler's best films- did not have one low-brow joke in it- so I went into Jack & Jill with hopeful expectations...

                  Thankfully- Jack & Jill did raise the bar.    The children in the cast steal just about every scene they're in. Katie Holmes did a fine job as Jack's wife trying to keep the peace. I loved watching Al Pacino venture into a comedic role.  Pacino has a natural presence and great comedic timing and he was a delight to watch- playing a "self-absorbed" version of himself while trying to woo Jill....I loved that Pacino could poke fun at himself and hearing him sing a few bars of a Broadway show tune had me swooning in delight. :-)  Many SNL alumni appear in this film and David Spade really sent it out of the park- he had me laughing out loud!
   
                Be for-warned, there was a good deal of sexist humor, racial humor, and bodily function humor. If this sort of thing offends you- then perhaps you should avoid this film.  I personally think this kind of humor can be entertaining as long as it's done with a bit of restraint and as long as there is an underlying thread of good will.  There's a charming song called "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist"  from the Broadway Musical "Avenue Q."  The character Jill has definitely had a more sheltered life than her brother- so racist comments tend to come flying out of her mouth.  However, no one is actually offended by Jill because her comments are clearly meant in good will and are a result of her naivete and that no one is actually offended by her remarks- it is very funny.  Of course, her brother Jack is angered/mortified/etc- but that is a big part of the fun!   

                    I actually liked Sandler's portrayal of Jill.  His female mannerisms were spot on and while he does not make the most attractive lady- he is definitely likable and endearing.  Once you get over the obvious "ugly" jokes- you find that there is a inner light to this lady and you feel sad that her quest for love and acceptance has been a tough road- while her brother Jack seems to have had it much easier his entire life. And while the two siblings argue and fuss- you see how the sibling bond over-rides all obstacles.  
Kinda makes me wish I had a twin!  

During this movie I snacked on popcorn and Sierra Mist.  (Boring! I gotta step up my snacks!)

 

The Rum Diary

Dear Readers,

             It has been a few weeks since I have written... I'd love to say it's because I lead such a thrill-a-minute life and I haven't had the time to write.  The truth is- the last few movies just left me feeling... uninspired.
Thankfully- tonight's film broke the ho-hum routine. 

            The Rum Diary (Clearview Cinema- Hoboken) starring the amazing Johnny Depp,  Aaron Eckhart, and Giovanni Ribbisi was an enjoyable experience.  How can you go wrong with a line-up like that?  All superb actors and the setting was certainly interesting- American journalists in Puerto Rico.  Lots of panoramic scenes of beautiful beaches and luxury hotels juxtaposed with plenty of not-so-pretty environments of poverty and undernourished children.  The premise- A newspaper who insists that the writers compromise their artistic integrity by ignoring the obvious suffering of the locals in favor of writing commercial fluff pieces that cater to rich American tourists.  Giovanni Ribbisi was especially strong as a far gone alcoholic newspaper reporter.  The older Giovanni gets- the more he becomes a chameleon in his work.  He was brilliant and for the first half hour of the film I didn't even recognize him...

            The only mild criticism I would give this film is that the pacing was....very.... slooooowwwwww.
Seriously- if I wanted to get up in the middle of the film- make a phone call- get a snack- visit the ladies room- and return- I wouldn't miss much.  Lots of pregnant pauses.   Normally- I'm not chatty during films- I'm not that person..  I like to become engrossed in the movie-going experience.  But in this film I clearly annoyed my movie companion with some of my impromptu commentary.  With all that silence- it was hard not to say something...  But let me just say this- my commentary was relevant to the film.  His commentary consisted of how the young lady in the cast- model-turned-actress Amber Heard is a "hotter version of Scarlett Johansson."  Oye vey!- In my humble opinion Amber is certainly lovely and her acting was fine-But Scarlett Johansson is a much stronger actress who could have brought more dimension, more levels of emotion, and if you want to go the shallow route- much more sexiness to the part.  Scarlett is all that an a bag o' chips! But I digress...

All in all- I'm glad I saw this film.  It sends a clear message about how the media often chooses not to report on ugly truths and things that matter in favor of advertising dollars and income revenue.  We as consumers pay far too much attention on gloss- with very little attention to substance. 
That said- despite the pacing- I have nothing negative to say about this film. This is a quality film with an important message and I do encourage you to see it.   

As for the "morsels" part of my commentary- my friend and I snacked on some "fun-size" Halloween candy. 
And after seeing all the characters in the film indulge in Puerto Rican Rum-  I decided to have a nice rum cocktail and ceasar salad with friends.. (Carpe Diem- Hoboken)

See you next time!