Julie & Julia
directed by Nora Ephron
Many a night have I spent tearing my hair out, asking myself, “Why haven’t they made a biopic of Julia Child yet? Why?!” As part of Hollywood’s quest to put on screen the life of any famous person you’ve ever heard of, Nora Ephron has made Julie & Julia. However, this film isn’t a straightforward biopic—it juxtaposes scenes from the life of Child (Meryl Streep) with the tale of real-life Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who endeavored to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. So at least the movie does have a twist—and if you don’t have faith in Ephron, at least have faith in Streep.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
directed by Stephen Sommers
Wishing that Hollywood would come up with an original idea for once instead of remaking old cartoons from the 1980s? Then this movie probably isn’t for you. But if you do spend your days praying for a live-action remake of “The Smurfs,” then you’ll probably get a kick out of G.I. Joe. But, when deciding whether you’ll see this movie, keep in mind that it was made by the same director who did Van Helsing. If you were one of the two people who actually enjoyed Van Helsing, then off to the multiplex with you!
Shorts
directed by Robert Rodriguez
Here comes another brightly colored, oh-no-the-kids-have-to-rescue-their-parents children’s flick (Power Rangers: The Movie, anyone?). Great. Except this one is directed by Robert Rodriguez. And has William H. Macy (as a character named Dr. Noseworthy, no less). And it looks like it might actually be good. Thanks a lot for messing with my preconceived notions about good cinema, Mr. Rodriguez.
Cold Souls
directed by Sophie Barthes
Die-hard Paul Giamatti fans, this one’s for you. Giamatti plays an actor named, well, Paul Giamatti in this dark comedy about an actor who has his soul extracted and put into storage to avoid feeling so bogged down and depressed. The marketing team for Cold Souls seems to be going to town, setting up a Website for The Soul Storage Company (motto: “Unburdening made easy”). Am I going crazy, or does this remind anyone else of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’s memory-erasing Lacuna, Inc.?
MM BONUS: Enter to win a Cold Souls poster at http://www.moviemakersub.moviemaker.com/contests/poster_giveaway_cold_souls_20090806.
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