Into the Woods

Tonight I saw Into the Woods, starring Emily Blunt and James Corden.

The famous Sondheim musical is translated to the big screen here under the direction of Chicago's Rob Marshall.

Along this journey of fractured fairy tales we meet Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and [The Big Bad] Wolf (Johnny Depp), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone) and his mother (Tracey Ullman), Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy), a baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt), as well as an evil witch (Meryl Streep) along with a whole host of familiar supporting characters.

When we arrive, the witch has promised to remove the spell of infertility she cast upon the baker and his wife if they bring her four specific items: Little Red Riding Hood's cape; hair like a cornstalk; Cinderella's shoe and a white cow.

The couple desperately seeks to gather the items and while they search, we see the characters play out the narratives we all know from childhood.

At heart, this is a comedic slant on all of the most famous stories, brought to life by some of the most recognizable faces in show business.

Though Meryl Streep is getting all of the press, I was actually most taken with Emily Blunt's performance. Who knew she had such a gorgeous singing voice? When did she become just as great at comedy as she's always been at drama? Here, she absolutely shines.

James Corden makes a lovely complement to Blunt's sincere performance as well. You can't help but sympathize with his ridden-with-guilt face and root for him, despite his weaknesses.

The children are more precocious than cute, but perhaps that was intentional, and Tracey Ullman and Johnny Depp were sorely underused. Depp's howl at the moon was a nice touch, though.

Kids may squirm through the singing, and adults like me will be ready for it to end long before its finale, but there are worse ways you could spend your time.

~~~

Drinking Buddies

Today I saw Drinking Buddies, starring Jake Johnson and Olivia Wilde.

Kate (Wilde) works at a brewery with Luke (Johnson). They're both in seemingly long-term relationships with Chris (Ron Livingston) and Jill (Anna Kendrick), respectively.

When a double-date camping trip leaves them wondering if they're with the right partner, Chris and Kate decide to take a break, while Luke and Jill remain together.

As with any mumblecore flick, all of the dialogue feels like improv, and the actors feel like people we know.

Johnson especially, known for his endearing character on New Girl, fits the bill as a brewmaster who lacks ambition. A reference Jill makes to their "marriage" discussion hints at his procrastination to propose; the older, wiser Chris would probably not cause such a delay.

When Jill takes a trip for work, Luke is left behind to help Kate move residences. A "will they or won't they" tension ensues, and the film turns from a lighthearted rom com to a more serious indie drama.

But that's okay, because this group is refreshingly real without being pretentious. Their struggles are familiar and their behaviors are typical, if not ideal.

Each character, though flawed, also has redeeming qualities that cause us to root for them, which makes this a good bunch to watch.

If only mumblecore had sequels.

~~~

Up in the Air

This morning I saw Up in the Air, starring George Clooney and Vera Farmiga.

Ryan Bingham (Clooney) is slimy. Not in the way a car salesman is slimy (though he does a little motivational speaking on the side), but in a way that only those prone to habitual selfishness can be. His family barely knows him. He is wifeless. He is childless.

So, he has the perfect job. He's a professional "terminator" who flies all over the country to fire the employees of downsizing companies. He takes pride in his resolution techniques and has an obsession with accumulating frequent flier miles.

When new recruit Natalie (Anna Kendrick) comes on the scene with a technological idea that will ground Bingham and his colleagues from in-person firings, he doesn't take the news lightly and complains to the boss. As a result, he's assigned to show Natalie the ropes by taking her on a series of trips and training her how to do his in-person job.

These scenes—and the relationship that develops—could have been painfully predictable were it not for the smart writing that instead made it believable. The two don't become best friends and they're not interested in being lovers, but they do stand to learn a lot from one another.

Also on the journey is Alex (Farmiga), a spunky businesswoman who seems to be the male version of Ryan and has no reservations about starting a sexual relationship with him the first night they meet. Alex and Ryan would be vastly unappealing alone, but together seem better.

What transpires will please some and disappoint others, but few can dispute this film is engaging, smart and entertaining. Farmiga should be a bigger star by now and Kendrick is a new, nice surprise. Clooney is at his charming best when he's playing himself, and I would bargain this role comes pretty close.

If I had to find something wrong with the film it would be seeing Jason Bateman for the upteenth time as the stuffy, corporate guy who talks down to people. As the boss, he reverts back to every other asshole he's played and almost seems tired doing it. Guess what: we're tired of seeing him do it. He's a good actor—let's utilize him in some better way.

There's also a hefty amount of product placement from American Airlines and Hilton hotels, but for a film based on travel, you almost need some real names thrown in for authenticity.

At the end of the day, the story examines a question many struggle with: is it worth it to go through life with a partner, surrounded by meaningful connections to family and friends, or would we all be better off flying solo?

The answer is different for each of us.