More Sundance and more reviews our in. Thoughts on Greg Mottola’s “Adventureland” seemed mixed. Some people seem to dig it, some people not so much, but no one seems to either love or hate it, which is maybe an ok thing. Maybe it will have a long, cult-ish shelf life.
Our contributor Jonathan Hafter writes, “[Adventureland”] is probably going succeed more on the audience’s connection to Mottola’s “Superbad” and reluctant-star Kristen Stewart than on whether it’s all that good. We found a lot of the source choices plunked in to the film rather than organic to the characters. Even opening with The Replacements”Bastards of Young” (played too low perhaps through the Eccles’ sound system) came across as thin rather than the indie rock anthem it should signify. And while Stewart’s character sports a Husker Du T-shirt, a use of one of their songs felt like a prop. It wouldn’t be a Ted Hope-produced film without a Yo La Tengo score and the band does deliver. There’s a Lou Reed-driven sub-plot that is driven more by his pre-80s material (perhaps a function of licensing difficulties) that again felt more like a filmmaker using songs that he likes.”
“The film was a substantially less manic version of “One Crazy Summer” with Jessie Eisenberg slouching his way throughout without any of the manic intensity and intelligence that a young John Cusack brought to his ’80s roles. Mottola commented in the Q&A that the city of Pittsburgh provided him with an abundance of extras who hadn’t realized the ’80s were over and a lot of what does work about the film are the moments when these folks inhabit the periphery of the screen and accentuate the way in which many eighties 20-somethings’ (just pre-Gen X) feeling of alienation from their hometowns and mass culture fueled the post-punk pre-grunge heyday of indie rock consumption.”
“It’s actually a great film to dissect musically, as a bigger conversation, where the writer/director’s script notes and mixtapes influence the film’s tone, even when the songs might not do what they need to do once married to picture, and the way a band-driven score can accomplish something that a composer driven score can not” [ed. we’ve already listed some of the 50-some songs written into the script and by all accounts, many if not all the songs made their way into the movie].
THR says “Adventureland” is “in the ongoing tradition of ‘American Graffiti’ and ‘Fast Times as Ridgemont High,’ and “will be a high grader at the boxoffice and in rental.” The film is now “officially” officially set for a March 27, release date (apparently that wasn’t firm until today). Variety seemed to like it, figured it’ll do well at the box-office, but called it rather, “ordinary.”
Film School Rejects gave it a B- and didn’t completely love it. “Well cast and at times very smart, Adventureland does deliver the laughs. It does suffer however, from a tired premise and a story filled with teen movie clichés.”
However, without having seen it, the best review we’ve read so far that seems to capture the idea behind it – or at least what it could turn into – is Defamer’s review. “It’s far from a classic, but without ever trying too hard, Adventureland really does deliver consistently from beginning to end, satisfying all those post-adolescent cinematic comfort food pangs that were still nagging at us at the end of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.”
Other Playlist pals, Mo and Steph, at Sundance write, “We’re sure you’re hearing the hype and buzz about ‘Push‘ (not the upcoming sci-fi ‘Push‘ with Dakota Fanning) As John Cooper said in his intro, “It’s something miraculous you’re going to see here today.” Well, it’s all utterly appropriate. Amazing, incredible, transcendental, blah blah…yeah, it’s as good as everyone is saying. Standing ovation when we saw it, and at the other screenings as well, we hear. This film made us flinch, a number of times..it is not for the faint of heart. But it the end it’s all weirdly uplifting. Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique were both astounding. This film was so good it even made a decent actress out of Mariah Carey. And FYI, Harvey Weinstein was in the audience of our public screening (we saw him in the lobby right after, on his phone – some one wanna make a deal?).” EW loved “Push” too and said it made them “laugh and weep copiously.”
“‘Adam,’ was sweet and sad, and hilarious, we were really glad to hear it got picked up. It’s the kind of quirky little non-formulaic film that festivals are supposed to be about. “Big Fan” was good, not great, but solid. We both grew up on Staten Island, so it was kind of a sentimental favorite, but we were also hoping for a little bit more from Robert Siegel, after “The Wrestler.”
/Film seemed to like “Big Fan,” too, but they also weren’t over the moon over it like you’d expect. “[It’s] not the comedy that I expected going in. Instead it’s a well made subtle character study with subtle comic elements. Siegel essentially has taken the same structure for ‘The Wrestler,’ and applied it to the world of a hardcore sports fanatic…Patton Oswalt nails it, plain and simple. I was surprised to see Oswalt’s dramatic range, and that moment in particular, prove he has also has some acting chops.” Cinematical seemed to like it as well.
Mo and Steph resume, “We heard early buzz about John Krasinski’s ‘Brief Interviews With Hideous Men,’ and we wanted to love it. Who wouldn’t, the guy just seems so… nice. The acting was stand-out, including Krasinski’s own. And his passion for this material was evident both in the film and in the Q&A. But…it just doesn’t quite get there. We’d have to give it a reluctant and apologetic thumbs just-barely down though.”
“And now we come to ‘The Messenger,‘ starring Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton and Ben Foster. The Filmmaker blog raved, but we are certain we must have seen a different film, cause the one we saw was a mess. We hated this film, loathed and don’t care how many ‘real’ reviewers say different. Foster is very good, but even he could only do so much with the crap he was given. None of the on-screen relationships work. The scenes of families finding out their sons and daughters were killed in Iraq are admittedly gut wrenching, but so what? How could they not be? It wasn’t brave, or daring or even interesting. Director Oren Moverman has said he deliberately didn’t make a political movie, but maybe he should have. At least then it would have a point.”