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Written by Gregg Shapiro
Jan 29, 2011
‘The Kids Are All Right’
‘The Kids Are All Right’
The kids really are all right, it’s the adults who are all fucked up in the latest movie from lesbian filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko (“High Art,” “Laurel Canyon”). Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) are the teenage offspring of alternatively inseminated lesbian couple Nic (Annette Bening, who is nothing less than riveting in the most nuanced performance of her career and received a Golden Globe award for her efforts) and Jules (Julianne Moore). Her younger brother Laser, 15, is urging Joni, 18, who is leaving soon for college, to contact their biological father/sperm donor, because he is too young to arrange such a meeting.
This must be done behind their moms’ backs, and it turns out to be surprisingly easy. Nic, a doctor, and Jules, a landscape artist, are good parents who are involved in the lives of their kids. But the youngsters are nevertheless distracted enough for Joni to make a connection with Paul (Mark Ruffalo), who donated sperm to a sperm bank when he was 19 and forgot about it. Paul, a successful restaurateur and operator of an organic co-op farm meets with Joni and Laser, and it goes well.
A series of comical events (including one involving a vintage Colt porn video) leads to Laser confessing to having met Paul with Joni. Once that is out in the open, Nic and Jules insist on also meeting Paul, while Joni and Laser continue to pursue their relationship with him. Paul is soon a powerful presence in all of their lives, and when he begins a sexual relationship with Jules (which is handled with a healthy dose of humor), it’s only a matter of time until everything begins to unravel at a rapid rate. In spite of the ensuing drama (and trauma), the kids remain levelheaded (a credit to their mothers) and all is not lost. In fact, the characters are made stronger by the resolve they find within them.
Cholodenko and straight co-screenwriter Stuart Blumberg have written dialogue that is snappy and honest (one of the best depictions of lesbian-speak ever). The acting by the ensemble is first-rate and Cholodenko continues to be one of the finest directors of her generation. DVD bonus features include commentary by Cholodenko, three featurettes and more.
‘Toy Story 3’
The superb third installment in the “Toy Story” trilogy exceeds all expectations, playfully surpassing its predecessors and guaranteeing the series a place in cinematic history. A home video of Andy (John Morris), now 17, reminds us that he is all grown up and bound for college. Justifiably, his toy chest full of toys, including Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Rex (Wallace Shawn) and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris, respectively), are feeling neglected.
“Closing up shop,” the toys plan to go into “attic mode” having survived yard sales and spring cleaning. Sorted and separated, with some bound for storage and others being sent to the Sunnyside Day Care Center, a near catastrophe occurs when some are sent to the curb in a black garbage bag. Together again, the toys are delivered to Sunnyside, where they are greeting by Lotso (Ned Beatty) and other toys. With a constant flow of new kids, the toys understand that no owner means no heartbreak.
But Woody is determined to make his way back to Andy as the others settle in to their new surroundings. Andy’s toys are unaccustomed to the kind of treatment they receive from the toddlers and plan their escape. Once word gets out, Lotso shows his true, maniacal side, imprisoning the toys. When Lotso transforms Buzz into one of his evil henchmen, Andy’s toys realize that he really wanted them after all.
Now living in the home of little girl Bonnie (Emily Hahn), Woody learns from her toys that Sunnyside is a place of ruin and despair. He also learns the tragic tale of how Lotso snapped and became the dictator of Sunnyside. From there, “Toy Story 3” becomes a story of escape and rescue. As always, Disney and Pixar’s attention to detail is remarkable, and this section of the movie is as thrilling as it is hilarious, as the toys are reunited with Andy and evil Lotso gets his. What’s even more amazing is the film’s touching finale, a sequence sure to bring even the most coldhearted viewers to tears.
The four-disc “Toy Story 3” combo pack features two Blu-rays and a DVD with a virtual toy store full of bonus material as well as a digital copy of the film.
