Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

If Charade was ridiculous, Everyone Says I Love You is downright wacky. The amount of suspension of disbelief required to accept this movie is more than could be asked of most movie-goers. And to top it off, it's a musical.

I didn't realize that last part going in, only to be greeted by Edward Norton singing to Drew Barrymore in the film's opening. That's right. Edward Norton. Singing. Happily. Director Woody Allen did round up an extensive well-known cast. The movie is narrated by Natasha McLyonne as DJ, the daughter of ex-couple Steffi (Goldie Hawn) and Joe (Woody Allen). She tells the story of her life with her mom, step-dad (Alan Alda), step-brother (Lukas Haas), step-sister Skylar (Barrymore), and half-sisters (Gabby Hoffman & Natalie Portman) as well as the time she spends with her Dad.

Oh, wait. Did I mention Julia Roberts is in this too? Yes, she is - as the woman Woody Allen's character is interested in, of course. And of course with it being a Woody Allen comedy and an ensemble like this hijinks ensue. There's even a man in trouble with the law and gasp! - it's not Edward Norton. It's Tim Roth.

I'm sure many people would find this whole thing charming and silly. I got hung up on the silly part and was too busy staring in disbelief at the screen. The singing is not perfect, but they say that's what Allen was going for. The dancing is sort of impressive.

It's just all so.... wacky.

Rating: 3/5

Recommended for: viewing on a day you're feeling giddy

Whip It (2009)

Whip It is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. And I guess I was expecting something amazing. She's been in the movie business most of her life and instead of propelling originality, it seems to be a lot of the classic shots and telling techniques we've seen so many times before. Now what she gave us wasn't bad - it just wasn't what I was expecting.

The story, set in small-town Texas, is about a teenager named Bliss (Ellen Page) whose mother heavy-hands her into local beauty pageant after pageant. Bliss is less than thrilled but goes through the motions until she discovers roller derby. Becoming part of the underdog team The Hurl Scouts becomes her secret passion. She sneaks off to practices and games. Her best friend is in on it. She finds some understanding in her situation with her mother from her father. And she's really good at her sport.

And voila... we have a roller derby version of Bend it Like Beckham.

It's a charming enough movie. It's a well-acted enough movie. The ensemble cast is great. It's about roller derby - a sport that is definitely not over-saturated in the way of movie depictions. And it's predictable in many aspects but not overly-predictable as a whole. In the end though, it just didn't seem distinct enough for me.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Those of you who haven't seen Bend it Like Beckham (especially if you're unfamiliar with British culture).

Grey Gardens (2009)

HBO's Grey Gardens follows the lives of Jackie O.'s cousins, Edith Bouvier Beale (aka Little Edie) and her mother Edith Ewing Bouvier (aka Big Edie), from Little Edie's premiere as a debutante in 1936 through the filming of the documentary Grey Gardens circa 1975 - where this movie got a fair amount of it's source material.

Drew Barrymore is Little Edie and Jessica Lange is Big Eddie. And I use "is" because if you've ever seen the documentary, you'll know that these two are the embodiments of the Edies. Barrymore and Lange earned their awards. And I don't think it's going too far to say that had his been released in theaters, they could have been up for Oscars (although it might not do as well at the box office due to the Beale's modern day obscurity).

It's this possessive, co-dependent, passive-aggressive relationship that sits at the heart of the film. They're each captivating characters. Big Edie lives in her own world, refusing to bend to anyone or anything. Little Edie feels compelled to bend to her mother's will, even at the cost of forgoing having her own life. Both women stand on their own but recreate the interaction between mother and daughter beautifully. The crew did a great job aging them 40 years over the course of their story but the actresses don't rely on their hair (or lack there-of) and make-up as a crutch. It's all there in their voices, their posture, the way they seem to carry this lifetime of memories. Little Edie says that it's hard to keep a line between the past and the present and it's shows so true. They play the society-mavens craving attention and they play the recluses living in a house that is literally crumbling around them. It's amazing juxtaposition further enhanced by the fact that it's all true.

To the audience, the Beale women's circumstances don't seem normal, but it's all business as usual for the Beales - and that's part of the fascinating charm this movie provides.

One of my favorite instances of that charm comes from Little Edie. She wore rather unconventional ensembles in her later years that she referred to as "the costume for the day". When the Maysles brothers come to film their documentary she tells them about that day's costume explaining her choices and ending with "Mother wanted me to come out in a kimono, so we had quite a fight."

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for:People who really understand the phrase "a beautiful train wreck".