Movies
Associated Press
This film image released by the Cinema Conservancy shows Alex Ross Perry, left, and Carlen Altman from "The Color Wheel."
"Color Wheel" full of dark humor By CHRISTY LEMIRE Associated Press What’s intriguing in “The Color Wheel” are the contradictions. Director, co-writer and co-star Alex Ross Perry’s film is shot in grainy, 16mm black and white, which results in images that are at once harsh and dreamlike. His characters, an obnoxious brother and sister (Perry and co-writer Carlen Altman), make no apologies for their behavior and almost seem to thrive on offending everyone they meet, yet they’re oddly intriguing. Their banter, a rapid-fire, brutally honest brand of sniping and mutual humiliation, has the free flow of improvisation but actually was tightly scripted. And just
when it seems that these characters have finally let their guards down and allowed their truest selves to shine through, they do something that most people in the audience will find deplorable and even sickening. “The Color Wheel” won’t be for everyone, that’s for sure, but its daring is undeniable. Altman’s character, the sexy, flaky JR, is an aspiring newscaster with seemingly no talent. One day, she shows up and enlists her brother, Perry’s plain, nerdy Colin, to help her move her stuff out of the apartment of her former boyfriend, who also happens to be her former professor. Colin thinks JR is miserable and unpleasant but fails to recognize that he’s just as bad; he’s stuck in a three-year relationship with a woman who clearly detests him and
won’t sleep with him. Grudgingly, Colin climbs into JR’s beatup Honda Accord and the two embark on a road trip from suburban Pennsylvania to Boston. But as in most movies with this kind of structure, the destination isn’t as important as the discussions and encounters that take place during the journey itself. That’s about the only conventional element here. They have run-ins with a fundamentalist motel clerk, some unsuspecting diner waitresses and a disapproving antiques store owner, among others, before winding up at a party with some old high school classmates. The crowd is so condescending that Colin and JR almost end up playing the victims — you almost end up feeling sorry for them. Then
again, the combination of the intimate way the film is shot and the nearly incessant, deadpan rat-a-tat of the dialogue provides a feeling of edginess even in the most mundane situations. As in so many indie comedies, these 20somethings are stuck in a deluded state of arrested development, but while such films ordinarily are eager to please and charm you with their quirkiness, “The Color Wheel” simply does not give a damn. You may find that attitude off-putting; I found it thrilling. Similarly, the tone of the dialogue may at times seem stiff and stilted — the entire aesthetic may seem crudely low-budget — but there’s too much artfulness in cinematographer Sean Price Williams’ camerawork to dismiss the film as choppy and thrown-together.
"Madagascar 3" sure to be a summer hit By ROBERT GRUBAUGH For The Edge ऀ I t ’ s b e e n , w h a t , ro u g h l y a decade since the Madagascar film franchise began? I know my taste in children’s movies has definitely changed in that period of time, but it’s always nice for all kids (no matter how big we get) to visit with old friends like Alex, the lion with a plan who is voiced by Ben Stiller in the series. The new movie, "Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted," is full of vibrant colors and musical hilarity. Like any expanding universe, the core group of characters has been given some new friends to bring a little zest into their lives. In this case, it’s those additions that are the most interesting. ऀLet me recap a little for you.
The original feature included Alex, Marty the self-centered zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the hypochondriac giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the ultrasecure hippopotamus (Jada Pinkett Smith) being accidentally shipped from their cozy home at the Central Park Zoo to the African Island nation of Madagascar. Being more like pampered pets, they didn’t thrive well outside of their cages. When they met up with King Julian (Sacha Baron Cohen), the leader of a troop of lemurs, some larcenous monkeys, and a group of militarygrade penguins, their adventure shifted them for another loop. The movie’s sequel was also a huge hit. ऀThe third installment brings out heroes (Are they really heroes? They just want to get home. Let’s think of them as protagonists)
from Africa to Monte Carlo to track down the monkeys and penguins at the grand casino. While there, they cross the dangerous Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand), an animal control officer of the highest order. She makes it her mission to take down this band of refugees and fill a lifelong ambition to mount a lion’s head on her wall of trophies. I thought the character was a little creepy and, in fact, she is played with maniacal intensity through both McDormand’s performance and the animated ticks given to her by what must surely have been scores of under-credited artists and designers. ऀIn order to flee Europe, and eventually make it back to the safe haven of Manhattan, Alex’s mixed pride uses a little American
subterfuge to join the traveling Fur Power Circus that just might land them in the Big Apple if they can pull themselves up by their ragtag bootstraps and perform well enough for an overseas investor. Bravo to the work done creating this adorable circus feeling. It comes off both charming (they travel by train throughout the continent) and a little sad (their costumes are faded and their stunts are antiquated). The new f r i e n d s t h e y e n c o u n t e r a re a worrisome sea lion named Stefano (Martin Short), a tough tiger with stage fright named Vitaly (Bryan Cranston), and a demure leopard named Gia (Jessica Chastain, 2011’s It Girl) who becomes a foil and love interest for Alex. ऀImagine just how fun it would be to work at a circus; seeing
June 21, 2012
animal characters do it for a reason is just about idyllic for a kid’s movie. Personally, I most like the part where Marty gets shot out of a cannon because, honestly, I find him to be a little in need of learning a lesson. Staying one step ahead of Captain DuBois, the circus owners, the investor, and all of Alex’s fans in NYC make for a tense journey. The zoo might be their ultimate destination, but all great journeys are about the path you take and the adventures along the way. Madagascar 3 delivers. Do yourself a favor and go enjoy this movie with your kids. ••• "Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted" runs 100 minutes and is rated PG for some mild action and rude humor. I give this film two and a half stars out of four.
On the Edge of the Weekend
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