Baby Mama

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Barren Businesswoman Seeks Services of Surrogate Mom in Fish-Out-of-Water Comedy

Despite proudly rising to the rank of Vice President of Development at Round Earth, a growing chain of organic supermarkets, Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) isn’t totally emotionally fulfilled. It’s readily apparent that the 37 year-old workaholic’s successful career has come at a considerable personal cost.
For she now hears her biological clock ticking and is desperate to start a family, although she doesn’t even have a man in her life. To top it all off, she’s just learned from her gynecologist that she only has a one-in-a-million chance of becoming pregnant anyway.
Fearing that she might never have that kid she craves, Kate decides to enlist the assistance of Chaffee Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver), the owner of Philadelphia’s most reputable surrogate mother service. And after receiving adequate assurances that the agency has the perfect candidate lined up, she pays the $100,000 fee to have her fertilized eggs implanted in the womb of Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler).
Then, after receiving word that her supposedly model surrogate is, in fact, pregnant, Kate starts preparing for the impending arrival of her little bundle of joy by reading all the right childcare books and by baby-proofing her apartment. Soon, however, when Angie shows up at the door unannounced needing a place to live, the truth about her begins to emerge.
Turns out that she isn’t happily married as billed, but has just broken up with her slacker boyfriend, Carl (Dax Shepard). Relatively-refined Kate lets Angie move in and belatedly gets to know the gum-snapping, fast-food junkie carrying her infant.
The ensuing yuppie-meets-blue collar tensions which arise provide the bulk of the yucks in Baby Mama, a fish-out-of-water comedy marking the directorial debut of Michael McCullers. The film pits Saturday Night Live’s Amy Poehler against the show’s former star/head writer Tina Fey in a surprisingly-subdued, estrogen-fueled class war.
The picture’s only weakness is that the pair’s antics pale in comparison to those exhibited by the low-class trash you can find making fools of themselves any day of the week on the average episode of the Jerry Springer Show. Amy’s lame portrayal of Angie proves to be an unconvincing example of art imitating life, so consequently, Baby Mama is a flick without any real baby mama drama.
Gratefully, this deficiency is slightly offset by several inspired performances sprinkled among a stellar supporting cast, including Steve Martin as Barry, Kate’s aging hippie boss; Greg Kinnear as her love interest; Romany Malco as her affable doorman; and Maura Tierney, as her concerned sister. Still, about the best that can be said for this formulaic, instantly-forgettable romp is that it’s above average for an SNL alum vehicle.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, crude humor and a drug reference.
Running time: 99 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures

Glass

Film Review by Kam Williams



Headline: Career of Modern Classical Composer Revisited by Reverential Retrospective



I first became aware of Philip Glass when I saw Koyaanisqatsi (1982), the otherwise silent cinematic tribute to nature for which he wrote the perfect score. Now in his seventies, this master modern classical composer remains as driven as ever to crank out his experimental operas, symphonies, movie and dance scores and more.

This eponymous bio-pic exposes the man to be a recluse who compulsively divides his time between music and meditation, which might not be a problem except for the fact that he has a couple of young kids with his fourth wife, Holly Critchlow, a cutie pie who’s about half his age. She has a meltdown about midway through the movie over the realization that they want different things out of life.

It seems that she’d like for him to be more involved with the family, while he can’t pull himself away from the piano and sheet music, which are obviously not merely his passion but serve as his therapy as well. At least the couple have a summer home in Nova Scotia, so the children don’t have to stay cooped up in an apartment in New York City, although even while on vacation, their daddy continues to work non-stop.

We do learn that, once a year, he takes a day off for an annual trek to Coney Island to ride the Cyclone, the ancient amusement park’s mammoth roller coaster. We also see that like a lot of self-absorbed geniuses, he’s given to eccentric (hates overhead lighting) and misanthropic (could careless whether he’s appreciated) tendencies. This means he’s adamant about using desk and table lamps and is perfectly content if those who don’t like his music pass on it and go listen to someone else.

Too bad he just can’t spare sufficient quality time to satisfy his offspring and troubled spouse. An intimate peek into an elite mind, warts and all.



Very Good (2.5 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 112 minutes

Studio: Koch Lorber Films

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Latest Apatow Teensploit Fails to Measure Up to Recent Offerings

Judd Apatow certainly appears to have the Midas touch when it comes to teensploitation flicks. Last year alone, he had a hand in a couple of the most successful, albeit relentlessly-raunchy, romantic comedies in recent memory. One was Knocked Up, which he wrote, directed and produced; and the other was Superbad, which he merely produced. Together, the two crowd pleasers netted in excess of a quarter billion dollars at the domestic box-office alone, to say nothing of its international take theatrically or via DVD distribution.
Apatow’s latest offering, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, ups the ante in terms of shock value by appealing to perhaps the lowest common denominator yet, starting with an opening scene featuring gratuitous shots of male genitalia. Unfortunately, the film fails to measure up to either of the aforementioned adventures as far as pushing the needle on the Richter laff meter.
The problem starts with the ill-advised decision to cast first-time screenwriter Jason Segel as the leading man in a flick based on his own script, a mistake only further compounded when the project was also entrusted to a first-time director, Nicholas Stoller. And while the picture might make for an impressive feature debut, it still pales in comparison to the body of work revealed by producer Apatow’s resume’.
The charisma-free Segel plays Peter Bretter, a struggling composer with dreams of finding fame and fortune by writing a puppet rock opera version of Dracula. While waiting for his ship to come in, the twentysomething slacker pays the bills by way of a mindless job adding generic musical scores to TV shows
At least Peter’s love life offsets his rapidly-diminishing career prospects. For the past five+ years, he’s been in a monogamous relationship, or so he thinks, with Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), the glamorous star of a hit television series called Crime Scene. If the premise of a loser dating a celebrity sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the same set up employed in Knocked Up.
Here, however, just past the point of departure, Sarah dumps Peter, vigorously denying that there’s anyone new. Half-truth-be-told, she’s already been two-timing him for over a year with Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), the terminally-full of himself lead singer for a British band called Infant Sorrow.
Disconsolate, Peter decides to take a vacation in Hawaii to get over his girlfriend, only to discover that she’s staying at the same resort with her golden-tanned hunk. Luckily, the hotel’s receptionist, Rachel (Mila Kunis), not only takes an instant liking to Peter, but she even generously lets him stay in the penthouse free of charge after hearing his sob story.
And although he’s determined to win back his ex’s heart, it’s obvious that it’s just a matter of time before he’ll wise up and notice the gorgeous girl behind the counter in the lobby. In the interim, Forgetting Sarah Marshall indulges in an array of the expected testosterone-fueled antics with the help of a few members of the Apatow acting company, including Jonah Hill (Superbad and Knocked Up) as an unctuous waiter, Bill Hader (ditto) as Peter’s step-brother, and Paul Rudd (Knocked Up and the 40 Year-Old Virgin) as a stoner surfer dude.
Too bad that the plot is so transparent and Jason Segel doesn’t quite have the charm called upon to make the self-effacing protagonist he created endearing.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity, graphic sexuality, and male and female frontal nudity. profanity.
Running time: 112 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures

Glass

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Career of Modern Classical Composer Revisited by Reverential Retrospective

I first became aware of Philip Glass when I saw Koyaanisqatsi (1982), the otherwise silent cinematic tribute to nature for which he wrote the perfect score. Now in his seventies, this master modern classical composer remains as driven as ever to crank out his experimental operas, symphonies, movie and dance scores and more.
This eponymous bio-pic exposes the man to be a recluse who compulsively divides his time between music and meditation, which might not be a problem except for the fact that he has a couple of young kids with his fourth wife, Holly Critchlow, a cutie pie who’s about half his age. She has a meltdown about midway through the movie over the realization that they want different things out of life.
It seems that she’d like for him to be more involved with the family, while he can’t pull himself away from the piano and sheet music, which are obviously not merely his passion but serve as his therapy as well. At least the couple have a summer home in Nova Scotia, so the children don’t have to stay cooped up in an apartment in New York City, although even while on vacation, their daddy continues to work non-stop.
We do learn that, once a year, he takes a day off for an annual trek to Coney Island to ride the Cyclone, the ancient amusement park’s mammoth roller coaster. We also see that like a lot of self-absorbed geniuses, he’s given to eccentric (hates overhead lighting) and misanthropic (could careless whether he’s appreciated) tendencies. This means he’s adamant about using desk and table lamps and is perfectly content if those who don’t like his music to pass and go listen to someone else.
Too bad he just can’t spare sufficient quality time to satisfy his offspring and troubled spouse. An intimate peek into an elite mind, warts and all.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 112 minutes
Studio: Koch Lorber Films

David & Layla

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Jew Woos Muslim in Sitcom-Style Variation on Romeo and Juliet

David Fine (David Moscow), the nerdy and neurotic host of a public access TV show airing in NYC called “Sex and Happiness,” is being pressured by his parents (Peter Van Wagner and Polly Adams) to marry Abby (Callie Thorne), a rich Jewish-American Princess with a nose job, breast implants and a Porsche. Unfortunately, there’s a major attitude that comes along with that attractive package, since the self-absorbed fitness freak refuses to go on the pill or to satisfy him orally, and she also wants him to have a vasectomy.
This doesn’t sit well with David, who’s been seeing a shrink for six years to deal with erectile issues due to his fear of condoms. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he falls in lust at first sight with the exotic beauty (Shiva Rose) who turns his head on the street one day.
Layla is a recent Kurdish refugee whose entire family has been gassed by Saddam Hussein. However, she wasn’t granted permanent asylum in America and has just 45 days to marry a U.S. citizen or else face deportation. She lives with her Aunt Zina (Anna George) and Uncle Ali (Ed Chemaly) who have found her an eager suitor in Dr. Ahmed (Ali Rehza), a successful dentist originally from Kuwait. The fly in the ointment is that Layla is reluctant to tie the knot with a guy she has no feelings for.
Yet, she does sense a certain chemistry with David, the awkward stranger who has taken to stalking her around her Brooklyn neighborhood while followed by his French cameraman (Alexander Blaise). Eventually, she entertains his overtures only to discover that he’s a Jew, a potentially controversial combination when it comes time to win the approval of her Muslim relatives.
This incendiary formula sets in motion David & Layla, a cross-cultural comedy set in 1990. The story is based on the real-life experiences of David Ruby and Alwand Jaff, both of whom make cameo appearances here in minor roles. The film’s fundamental question is whether this latter-day Romeo and Juliet will follow their hearts or simply stick with the more appropriate mates.
By the time they wise up, the picture’s Pollyanna resolution suggests that the answer to the simmering tensions might be a conversion away. If that were the case, what has everybody been squabbling about over in the Middle East for eons? Hey, it’s still fun to pretend otherwise for a couple of hours.
My Big Fat Muslim Wedding!

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for language and sexuality.
Running time: 106 minutes
Studio: Newroz Films

The Kingdom DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Features Foxx as FBI Agent Out to Crack Saudi Terror Cell

After the bombing of an American compound in Saudi Arabia, the United States is determined to find the radical Muslims responsible. Seeing that a diplomatic solution is unlikely, the FBI opts to intervene via a top secret operation headed by Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) whose best friend (Kyle Chandler) perished in the attack.
With word that he’ll have only five days to infiltrate and bring down the terrorist cell, Fleury quickly assembles an elite team of commandos, each with a different skill needed for this dangerous mission. The crew is comprised of intelligence analyst Adam Leavitt (Justin Bateman), demolitions expert Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper) and forensic examiner Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner).
Upon their arrival in Riyadh, they are debriefed by Saudi Colonel Faris Al-Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom) who soon vents his frustration with the royal family for blocking his investigation thusfar. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that even the U.S. envoy Damon Schmidt (Jeremy Piven) would prefer to stage a phony raid for a P.R. photo op than to risk destabilizing the region with an actual assault on the jihadist stronghold.
Fortunately, Faris is an honorable soul who cares more about fundamental notions of justice than on a reflexive loyalty based on religion. Thus, he’s willing to incur the ire of his superiors to help the fearless FBI foursome negotiate its way around a maze of obstacles ranging from unreliable informants to political adversaries to the city’s terrain to the searing heat.
Directed by Peter Berg, The Kingdom is a combination flick, part psychological thriller, part pyrotechnic spectacular, which works somehow despite considerable conceptual flaws. So long as one is willing to suspend disbelief, the film inexorably builds to a spectacular showdown reminiscent of Black Hawk Down, except the cowboys wearing the white hats win.
Sweet revenge in the desert.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and graphic violence.
Running time: 110 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios Home Video
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, director’s commentary, an interactive timeline, plus three featurettes.

The Kingdom

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: FBI Secretly Tries to Crack Saudi Terror Cell in International Potboiler

After the bombing of an American compound in Saudi Arabia leaves over a hundred innocent civilians dead, the United States is determined to find the radical Muslims responsible. However, since the Saudis are supposedly allies, a diplomatic solution is in order as opposed to a military intervention.
But with signs that the negotiations are bogging down among the bureaucrats, the FBI opts to intervene via a top secret operation headed by Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) who has a special interest in the assignment. For, among those who perished in the attack was his best friend and colleague, Agent Francis Manner (Kyle Chandler).
With word that he’ll have only five days to infiltrate and bring down the terrorist cell, Fleury quickly assembles an elite team of intrepid agency renegades, each with a different skill needed for this dangerous mission to the Middle East. The crew of commandos is comprised of intelligence analyst Adam Leavitt (Justin Bateman), demolitions expert Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper) and forensic examiner Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner).
Upon their arrival in Riyadh, Fleury and company are debriefed by the Saudi in charge, Colonel Faris Al-Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), who soon vents his frustration with the royal family for discouraging him from mounting a legitimate investigation thusfar. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that even the U.S. envoy Damon Schmidt (Jeremy Piven) would prefer to stage a phony raid for a P.R. photo op than to risk destabilizing the region with an actual assault on the jihadist stronghold.
Fortunately, Faris is an honorable soul who cares more about fundamental notions of justice than on a reflexive loyalty based on religion. Thus, he’s willing to incur the ire of his superiors to help the fearless FBI foursome negotiate its way around a maze of obstacles ranging from unreliable informants to political adversaries to the city’s terrain to the searing heat.
Directed by Peter Berg, The Kingdom is a combination flick, part psychological thriller, part pyrotechnic spectacular, which works somehow despite considerable conceptual flaws. The first three-quarters of the movie unfolds like a cat-and-mouse caper, even though it’s riddled with preposterous inaccuracies such as the sight of Janet walking around Saudi Arabia unnoticed in Western clothes, when women over there are required by law to be covered from head to toe in basic black, 24/7.
So long as one is willing to suspend disbelief in favor of a patriotic escape, the film furnishes a satisfying chase worth watching which inexorably builds to a spectacular showdown reminiscent of Black Hawk Down, except the cowboys wearing the white hats win.
Sweet revenge in the desert.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and graphic violence.
Running time: 110 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures