Movies
Movie openings ÂVÂœÂ˜ĂŒÂˆÂ˜Ă•i`ĂŠvĂ€ÂœÂ“ĂŠÂŤ>}iĂŠĂŽÂŁÂŽ
hold name. Hahn plays Los Angeles housewife Rachel, married to one Jeff (Josh Radnor), mother to a kindergartner, surrounded by privilege and no happier for it. Not so hesitantly, Rachel takes the advice of her friend Jennie (Michaela Watkins) and takes Jeff out to a strip club, where dancer McKenna (Juno Temple, who seems stuck in airhead mode) catches Rachel’s attention. Right there, Soloway steps up to her first opportunity for dark subversion, but the film’s problem is that it constantly earns two for flinching. Though there’s a subtext of sexual frisson, Rachel’s invitation to a put-out McKenna to stay a spell in Rachel’s home indicates her attraction to the dancer’s happily careless spontaneity and freedom from social mores. At Rachel’s suggestion, McKenna begins work as a live-in nanny, first at home and soon outside of it as McKenna becomes the pet of the blithely under-informed soccer-mom set. Clearly, this is a situation hurtling toward disaster, especially when it becomes clear that McKenna more than dabbles in prostitution. The film’s first half plays the awkward situation comedy for laughs, setting an expectation of farce to come. But “Afternoon Delight� turns largely serious in its second half, something of a disappointment after the credibility-straining setup. Comedy and drama do, of course, meet in real life, but so distinctly splitting the difference here blows the film’s chances of fully succeeding at either. Ultimately, Soloway seems a bit unsure of what it’s all about. The mise en scene of strained school and Jewish Community Center and living-room events to keep the neighborhood women occupied nicely supports the satire of suburban chic, but how Rachel’s meant to cope with her feelings of emptiness in the long run never comes into focus, despite an ending that implies she’s learned some sort of lesson (be careful what you wish for?). Climactic catharsis helps somewhat to bring the second act into focus; unfortunately, the blowup feels rather “been there, done that� for a movie that keeps (idly, as it turns out) threatening to turn transgressive. Still, by putting utility player Hahn front and center, Soloway earns instant good will. The male-dominant cinema needs more stars like Hahn and writerdirectors like Soloway to press the boundaries. Next time, though, more pushing and less nudging. Rated R for strong sometimes graphic sexual content, language and some drug use. One hour, 35 minutes. — Peter Canavese
Mini reviews ÂVÂœÂ˜ĂŒÂˆÂ˜Ă•i`ĂŠvĂ€ÂœÂ“ĂŠÂŤĂ€iĂ›ÂˆÂœĂ•ĂƒĂŠÂŤ>}iÂŽ Erdogan’s Special Advocate, Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall). Rose has landed the case only under suspicious circumstances, and the mutual presence of Simmons-Howe and him represents a major issue, in that they’re bound to disclose their prior relationship. That would mean one of them dropping the case, which neither has any intention of doing. Rated R for language and brief violence. One hour, 36 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Aug. 30, 2013) The Grandmaster ---1/2 “The Grandmasterâ€? revisits the story of “Ip Man,â€? the folk-heroic martial-arts grandmaster of the Wing Chun style. Here played by Tony Leung (“In the Mood for Loveâ€?), Ip Man starts the film as a potential heir in the South to retiring “Grandmaster of the Northâ€? Gong Yutian (Wang Qingxiang). These 1936set scenes consist of demonstration matches and discussions — of martial arts styles — that spin out into philosophy and cosmology. Gong’s daughter Gong Er (Zhang Ziyi) practices a move called the “64 hands,â€? inspired by Bagua’s “64 transformations.â€? One might describe “The Grandmasterâ€? as a somewhat ordinary movie wrapped around five extraordinary movies. Opening with a cliched (though impressively shot and edited) rain-soaked fight and ending
with a cornball epilogue that wrongly implies this is all important because Ip Man went on to teach Bruce Lee, “The Grandmaster� is ostensibly that kind of martial arts epic that prominent filmmakers turn into a career boost, and famed action choreographer Yuen Wo Ping is on hand to oblige. But the film is also a contemplative exploration of the meaning of martial arts and its historical development. Rated PG-13 for violence, smoking, drug use and language. One hour, 48 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Aug. 30, 2013) Riddick --1/2 When the new film opens, Furyan warrior, ex-convict and part-time king Richard B. Riddick has been left for dead on a desolate planet populated only by deadly beasts. As he puts it in growly, gravely voice-over: “There are bad days, and there are legendary bad days. This is shaping up to be one of those.� The last hour firms up a hate-triangle (the manly-movie answer to romantic comedies’ love triangles) comprising Riddick, a group of purely mercenary bounty hunters (headed up by Jordi Molla and including WWE vet Dave Bautista) and a more professional team with a murkier motivation that connects this film to “Pitch Black� (led by Matt Nable and including Katee Sackhoff, Bokeem Woodbine and Nolan Gerard Funk). It’s 11-against-one, and Riddick likes those odds. Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/ nudity. One hour, 59 minutes. — P.C. (Reviewed Sept. 6, 2013)
Support Palo Alto Weekly’s print and online coverage of our community.
Inspirations a guide to the spiritual community FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC £™nxĂŠ ÂœĂ•ÂˆĂƒĂŠ,Âœ>`]ĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠUĂŠÂĂˆxäŽÊnxĂˆÂ‡ĂˆĂˆĂˆĂ“ĂŠUĂŠĂœĂœĂœÂ°vVVÂŤ>Â°ÂœĂ€}ĂŠ Sunday Worship and Church School at 10 a.m.
This Sunday: Lost and Found Jane Vennard preaching An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ We celebrate Marriage Equality!
Inspirations is a resource for ongoing religious services and special events. To inquire about or to reserve space in Inspirations, please contact Blanca Yoc at 223-6596 or email byoc@paweekly.com
Join today: SupportLocalJournalism.org/PaloAlto
/* !- /* %'4 !))%)#. 1%'%*) /$!-/*) ! 4 ' %(! 0
$%./ ( ./!-
!#40 %)+* $! /$! -!/-! / 2%'' "* 0. *) 6) %)# /- ),0%'%/4 ) .+%-%/0 ' (! )%)# %) /$! (* !-) 2*-' -/% %+ )/. 2%'' '! -) $*2 /* (! %/ /! ) $*2 /* 0.! (! %/ /%*) /* -%)# *0/ %))!- /- )."*-( /%*) $%. 4! - 2! 2%'' !(+$ .%5! /$! /*+% *" *(+ ..%*) * +-%*- !3+!-%!) ! %. -!,0%-! *./ %) '0 %)# '0) $ 7 *- (*-! %)"*-( /%*) ) /* -!#%./!- +'! .! 1%.%/7222 &0)%+!-+ /$ *-#7 *- '' 7
0)%+!- 0
$%./ /- %)%)# "*- (* !-) '%"!
ĂœĂœĂœÂ°*>Â?Âœ Â?ĂŒÂœ"˜Â?ˆ˜i°VÂœÂ“ĂŠUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?ÞÊUĂŠ-iÂŤĂŒi“LiÀÊ£Î]ÊÓä£ÎÊU Page 33