Mighty Forces

I don't think I've ever seen a movie that delivers such a heady mixture of wish fulfillment as "Iron Man." Tony Stark is a brilliant, charismatic inventor billionaire with a fantastic house, dedicated loyal assistant and a whole host of high-tech playthings. And did I mention he can fly? Yeah.

As played by the incomparable Robert Downey, Jr., I both want to sleep with Stark and be him; his charisma is palpable. And as the centerpiece of one of the most fun summer blockbusters I've ever seen, he and director Jon Favreau provide us with that rarest of entertainments - a movie that absolutely delivers, on every level. It's funny and sweet and exciting and the action is thrilling. And Downey is the heart, literally. I'm not normally much of a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, but her chemistry with Downey as aforementioned loyal assistant Pepper Potts adds much to the experience, rather than being just the focus-grouped distraction it would be in a lesser movie. Favreau is a master of tone here, absolutely committing to both the action and the human elements of the story.

This. movie. kicks. ASS.

If you don't see it, you're not having all the fun you could this summer.

I went into the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler movie "Baby Mama" expecting to be mildly entertained. I love both those women, and the previews were funny. I'm a master of low expectations these days. But the movie was definitely funnier and sweeter than I expected. (Cameos by Steve Martin, Holland Taylor, Sigourney Weaver and Maura Tierney didn't hurt either.) I was a little worried at first, because some of the gags from the previews happen early on, and I had that sinking feeling you get when you think that they put all the funny stuff in the preview and there won't be anything left for the actual movie. But as it unfolded I was definitely carried along, and pleasantly surprised by the genuinely sweet moments.

It's predictable, by and large, but you don't go to see a movie like this for the innovation. You go to laugh, and forget your troubles for a while with a good story that doesn't insult your intelligence, and that's what this movie delivers. Those two make a great team, and I would pretty much buy a ticket for anything in the future they decide on.

Recommended.

Apparently Ben Stein's brain-dead "documentary" Expelled used John Lennon's "Imagine" without permission (and, I've read, played it over footage of Nazi death camps, because they are trying to link evolution with Hitler and the Holocaust). I'm hoping this has repercussions for Ben. The whole thing is anti-science and reprehensible, but the Nazi stuff is just evil.

But hey, the people who don't hate us just think we're stupid - this movie is a great example. Here's to giving the rest of the world a little less proof in the future.

Cute cute cute. "Pokeyball" is my favorite. That, and "don't talk back to Darth Vader!"

• Not enough Daniel Craig. In every sense.
• One giant polar bear is cool. Fifty giant polar bears is a Coke commercial.
• Too intense for kids.
• What exactly is this movie about again?
• Nicole Kidman does evil scarily well.
• Magisterium = Catholic Church. We got it. No need to beat us over the head.
• Steampunk elements were cool.
• Imagine "Lord of the Rings" written and directed by HAL from 2001. Beautiful but cold and lifeless, and leaves you with a lot of questions.
• I want a snow leopard for Christmas. Or Daniel Craig. Whichever is more possible.

Spider Pig! Spider Pig!
Does whatever a Spider Pig does.
Can he swing from a web?
No he can't...he's a pig.

Look out! He's a Spider Pig.

More later.

As I've been telling friends recently, I'm cautiously optimistic about The Simpsons Movie, coming out at the end of the month. It was great to see Matt Groening on "The Daily Show" last night, where he provided this synopsis of the movie's plot:

"Homer falls in love with a pig, and everything just flows from that."

Sounds good to me.

While we wait, here's a pretty good list of the 100 Greatest Simpsons Quotes. Let me know in the comments any they might have left out.

Two of my favorites not on the list:

Dr. Nick Riviera: These gloves came free with my toilet brush!

Lionel Hutz: Don't worry, Mr. Simpson. I saw "Matlock" in a bar last night. The sound wasn't on, but I think I got the gist of it.

And perhaps the best Simpsons quote of all time:

Chief Wiggum: How many gazebos do you she-males need?

UPDATE: More Simpsons lore in Vanity Fair.

Finally there's a movie that I'm excited about.

Danny Boyle directed one of my favorite movies, "Shallow Grave," along with the wonderful "28 Days Later." He also loves "Solaris," a movie I felt pretty alone in liking. Of course, "Solaris" has the Clooney factor; but beyond that it was just a kick-ass, mind-expanding movie. See it and let me know what you thought.

Eh.

If Michael Moore made a movie about how puppies are cute, the right wing crapweasels would tie themselves in knots finding new ways to hate those ugly goddamned puppies.

My second experience at the Hilldale Sundance Theater was "Away From Her," Sarah Polley's film starring Julie Christie as a woman with Alzheimer's Disease. Christie is luminous as Fiona, a woman far more practical about her condition than her husband, a former professor. Rather than going the Lifetime route of showing Christie's condition gradually worsening, the story is about the couple's struggle when she goes to live in a nursing home, and the aftermath of that decision.

It's a beautiful, sad film that is hard to sit through, because almost instantly you care about these people deeply. You feel the weight on both their shoulders, alongside the love they feel for each other. Christie is wonderful, but so is Gordon Pinsent as her lion of a husband, caught in an impossible situation.

As I watched the movie I realized how little I think about old age and the inevitabilities that come with it. Although statistically my life is half over, in a lot of ways I don't think it's started yet.

UPDATE: I think I've been a little too literal in this review. I realized this after reading this comment on IMDB on the movie, a comment I completely agree with:

You will see advertising and hear talk about "the one with Julie Christie having Alzheimer's," but that describes "Away from Her" no better than saying "Hamlet" is about a man who cannot make up his mind.

Adrienne Shelly starred in one of my favorite movies of all time, Hal Hartley's "Trust" - a movie that is still not on DVD in the United States. Now, six months after her murder in New York, her movie "Waitress" is out in wider release.

It's a sweet confection of a fairy tale about a young waitress at a pie shop dealing with an abusive husband, an unwanted pregnancy and an affair with her married obstetrician. The magic of the movie is that it takes this Lifetime-ready premise and makes it into something charming and unexpected. "Felicity's" Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion from "Serenity" (as the obstetrician) have great chemistry, but what really makes the experience is Shelly's vision of what she wanted this story to be. It's about as far from a cookie-cutter committee-written Hollywood picture as you could imagine.

Also unusual was my first experience seeing a movie at the new Hilldale Sundance theater, which just opened last week. It's sort of like going to the movies in a fancy hotel - all dark wood paneling and dimmed lights. It's a nice break from the atmosphere at most chain theaters these days, which feel more like going to the movies at a slightly disreputable circus.

Throughout, I was struck by the regret that we won't be able to see what Adrienne Shelly's vision will come up with next. I'm so glad that "Waitress," now her final act as actor and director, is getting the attention it deserves.