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The Other Woman

Leslie Mann is one of my favorite comic actresses, and I’ve been waiting for her to get that one project that would put her over the top as one of Hollywood’s premier go-to actresses. I thought This is 40 would do the trick but, as it turns out, I was probably the only guy in the world who thought that was a good movie. Now comes The Other Woman, a film that casts her as a wimpy victim of Mark, a cheating husband (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). She winds up befriending Carly, his mistress (Cameron Diaz), and she becomes a stronger independent person as the film progresses. Whatever. Director Nick Cassavetes is trying to do a straight comedy here, and things work well enough for at least half of the movie. Mann is at her pathetic best when stalking Diaz, crying on her doorstep with Boston Market food in hand as a peace offering, and a big Great Dane in tow. I admit to enjoying this movie a little in its early stages, thinking it might be the showcase Mann deserved. Then The Other Woman crashes into a creative wall, sending its stars through the narrative windshield and the movie into stupidity oblivion. I’m not exactly sure of the precise moment when this one starts to go off the rails. Maybe it’s when yet another mistress, played by Kate Upton, enters the scene, and the women start working together to torture and destroy the cheater. Now, mind you, I am all for a movie where a cheater gets his comeuppance. However, I’m not actually up for a movie where one of the revenge seekers is played by the beautiful but bland Kate Upton.

If it isn’t Upton’s entrance that starts the film’s downfall, maybe it’s that moment when Carly pours a bunch of laxative into Mark’s drink at dinner and he proceeds to not only crap his pants, but have a bathroom stall moment very similar to the one Jeff Daniels suffered through in Dumb and Dumber. Now, Daniels made fecal apocaby Bob Grimm lypse due to massive laxative ingestion high art. Coster-Waldau going through the same bgrimm@ motions seems like diarrhea plagiarism. newsreview.com Cassavetes has made some good movies in the past. She’s So Lovely with Penn and 1 Travolta, and The Notebook, which gets credit for totally devastating movie viewers all over the world. The Notebook and, to a lessor extent, My Sister’s Keeper, also with Diaz, showed Cassavetes’ talent for making people weep.

The Other Woman

It's a movie with Kate Upton dancing, and yet somewhow still terrible.

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Poor

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Fair

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Good

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Very Good shows that he can also make moviegoers groan, and groan mightily. Tonally, it’s all over the place, as if he set out to make a raunchy as all heck comedy and then decided to beat a retreat into PG-13 territory. Indeed, I caught a major moment when Diaz is clearly overdubbed with a more friendly F-word when screaming the big one. Maybe Cassavetes set out to make a much uglier film, and the studio stepped in and said “Clean it up!” because they wanted a bigger box office draw. I’m not saying an uglier film would’ve been much better, but at least the film would’ve felt more consistent.

By the time Coster-Waldau smashes his nose and blood is squirting out of his face near film’s end, the movie has ceased being funny and has become a total mess. Not even the mighty Mann’s expert mugging can pull it out of the fire. It’s a depressing experience.

The Other Woman is a minor hit at the box office, so maybe its relative success will put some decent scripts in front of the talented Mann and take her to the next, deserved level. It’s hard to watch her in this sort of squalor. Ω

5

4Captain America: The Winter Soldier Like Thor 2 and Iron Man 3, this movie shows us how an Avenger deals with life after saving New York City from an alien attack. Cap (an endearing Chris Evans) is just trying to catch up on modern culture now. His list of things to do includes watching Star Wars and Star Trek, trying Thai food and listening to Nirvana. He’s attempting to settle into a world after being frozen for 50 years. Of course, he’s not going to be able to just kick back and relax because evil still exists below America’s shimmering surface, and governmental wrongdoings are going to challenge Cap’s ability to remain loyal to the country he’s named after. After an attempt on the life of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson just Samuel L. Jacksoning it like only Samuel L. Jackson can!), attention is called to the likes of somebody called the Winter Soldier, a fighting machine with powers similar to Cap and identity that won’t be revealed in this review. Cap’s mission eventually leads him to the discovery of HYDRA, an evil movement controlling members of the government, started back in the Nazi days. With Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Falcon (a well cast Anthony Mackie) at this side, Cap looks to take down HYDRA, kick the Winter Soldier’s ass, and possibly work in a date somewhere during the whole mess. The film packs a solid action punch, and some decent dramatics to boot.

3Draft Day In a film that feels more befitting a TV series than a theatrical release, Kevin Costner plays Sonny, general manager of the Cleveland Browns. It’s draft day, and Sonny has some big decisions to make after he trades away his future for the number one pick, much to the dismay of his head coach (Denis Leary). This is all happening after finding out he’s having a baby with a member of his staff (Jennifer Garner) and shortly after the death of his dad. Directed by Ivan Reitman, who usually helms straight comedies, this is a more dramatic offering from the guy who gave us Ghostbusters. If there’s a big problem here, it is that we watch Sonny go through all of this stuff on draft day, and never get to see the fruits of his labors. The film ends after the draft day is finished, and we never get to see the team play. I’m doubting there will be a Draft Day 2, so I’m thinking this would’ve worked better as an HBO series or something like that. Still, Costner is good in the role, and Reitman has constructed something that is entertaining, while not altogether groundbreaking.

4Filth James McAvoy delivers his best performance yet in this morally vacant take on Irvine Welsh’s (Trainspotting) sick novel. McAvoy stars as Bruce Robertson, a Scottish cop strung out on drugs, hearing voices in his head, hallucinating and behaving very badly on the job. At the center of the film is a murder mystery that provides the film with a final twist that cements the movie’s nutball pedigree. McAvoy essentially gets to do his own riff on the Bad Lieutenant (a role that served both Nicolas Cage and Harvey Keitel well), allowing him to go completely gonzo. What makes his turn a little different is that the movie allows him to have some genuine emotional moments mixed in with the mayhem. This results in a surprisingly balanced, well modulated performance despite the subject matter. The supporting cast includes Jamie Bell as a fellow cop with a small member, and Eddie Marsan as Bladesey, a tightly wound member of the force who is Bruce’s best friend while also being one of his saddest victims. Robertson’s prank filthy phone calls to Bladesey’s wife Bunty (Shirley Henderson) are hilariously vile, and clearly indicative that Bruce doesn’t value his Bladesey friendship all that much. Bruce Robertson is one of those unreliable narrators, like Ed Norton’s character in Fight Club, who make viewing a movie like this a blessed adventure. You never really know what’s truly going on until those final credits roll.

5The Grand Budapest Hotel Writer-director Wes Anderson does it again with another wholly unique, beautiful, quirky movie that could’ve only been made by him. In a performance that must be remembered come awards time, Ralph Fiennes is magically hilarious as M. Gustave, the concierge at the infamous fictional hotel named in the film’s title. Gustave has a penchant for older woman, much older woman, and his life takes a drastic turn when he is suspected in the murder of an elderly lover (Tilda Swinton in super heavy makeup). Stolen art, scary train rides and a high speed chase on skis ensue, with Anderson even employing stop motion animation at times, as he did with Fantastic Mr. Fox. Supporting performances by Jeff Goldblum, Adrien Brody, Jude Law, F. Murray Abraham, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Saoirse Ronan and many more make this a can’t miss film. There’s something so joyous and fun about the way Anderson makes movies. This is a remarkable, tremendously enjoyable achievement.

4Noah Whether you are religious or not, the Bible is, no doubt, a pretty sweet platform for over-the-top cinema. With Noah, director Darren Aronofsky has concocted a totally crazy, darkly nasty disaster film befitting those few pages in the book of Genesis. In his best performance to date, Russell Crowe plays the title character, a good, passionate man in a not particularly good time. The people outside of Noah’s family circle have turned Earth into a place of carnivorous debauchery. “The Creator” (this film’s go-to name for God) intends to wipe all humanity off the face of the Earth with a great flood, and Noah is tasked with saving all of the innocent animals on a huge ship to be built by him, with the help of large rock monsters. The movie, as spectacle, is quite good, although its CGI has a few moments of weakness. The flood itself is a frightening sequence, with a horrifying moment involving screaming people outside of the ark getting washed off a big rock by waves. I’m actually surprised this movie pulled a PG-13 rating. It struck me, very much, as an R-rated film due to its violence.

1The Quiet Ones Here we go with another low cost, poorly lit, flimsily shot horror movie that substitutes loud, jarring noises and cheap parlor tricks for genuine scares. Jared Harris plays Professor Joseph Coupland, a snobby chain smoker who is conducting an inexplicable experiment on mental patient Jane Harper (Olivia Cooke). I say inexplicable because I never did really figure out what the hell was going on in this movie. I can tell you that the experiment is being filmed by an amateur filmmaker (Sam Claflin), which at least allows for some of that “found footage” horror movie feel we’re all getting sick of. As far as I could gather, Jane is possessed, but the professor is trying to prove that she is just sick, although he seems to believe there are dark forces at hand, or something like that. It’s all very confusing and, ultimately, very stupid. Director John Pogue provides what he would like to think are shock moments, but they are basically just irritating. He favors sudden, loud noises, and there’s something about their timing that renders his scare attempts impotent. It was a true task watching this thing.

1Transcendence For those of you hoping Johnny Depp would make up for that dick move he made playing Tonto last year by putting forth a fine offering with this picture, consider that hope dashed upon the rocks, swept out to sea, and ultimately devoured by sharks. This is another one of those “technology is evil” movies that suggest we as humans are slaves to computers. That may very well be true—I, for one, have been sitting at my damn computer all day—but movies haven’t really gotten evil computers right since 2001: A Space Odyssey and WarGames. Depp plays a scientist who uploads his brain into a computer before he dies so that he can keep hanging out with the wife (Rebecca Hall) and, oh yeah, take over the world. The computer Depp and his wife buy a small town, enlist a strange army of computerenergized supermen, and proceed to try and infect the world with some sort of computer dust. None of it makes a lick of sense, and all of it is lacking in entertainment value. This is a flat, boring affair that represents Depp at his slumming worst.

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Swill Coffee and Wine 3366 Lakeside Drive

Thursday - May 8, 11 a.m. to Noon, special focus on seniors Wednesdays -June 4, August 6 & September 3, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Itʼ s happening in

ACTIVITIES

2nd ANNUAL PLAYHOUSE BUILD-A-THON

Come join us in front of Lowe’s in the Legends Outlet Mall for our 2nd Annual Playhouse Build-a-Thon. Enjoy music, food and carnival games. Sa, 5/3, 9AM-5PM, free. Outlets at Legends, 1310 Scheels Dr. (775) 358-3800

CINCO DE MAYO 2014

Victorian Square is the location of Sparks’ second annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, WITH 8 to 10 live music groups and fun for the entire family! Sa, 5/3, 11AM-9PM and Su, 5/4, 11AM-9PM, free. Victorian Square, Victorian Ave., Sparks, NV 89431

SCHEELS KIDS KLUB: LAWN GAMES

Join the Scheels lawn games expert to learn all about the new fun games you can play this summer with your family and friends! M, 5/12, 6PM, free. Scheels, 1200 Scheels Dr. (775) 331-2700

7th ANNUAL WALK FOR ANIMALS

Nevada Humane Society is asking animal lovers to gather donations for the care of homeless dogs and cats by participating in the Walk for Animals! Sa, 5/24, 8AM-1PM. Sparks Marina Park, 300 Howard Dr. (775) 353-2376

SALUTE TO WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT

The 23rd annual Nevada Women’s Fund Salute to Women of Achievement Luncheon will feature keynote speaker Lucille O’Neal, author and motivational speaker and mother. Th, 5/29, 11:30AM1:30PM, $125 per person or $1,250 a table. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

KIDS ACTING

Learn to act while gaining self-confi dence and poise. W, through 5/28, 4-5PM. $45. Alf Sorensen Community Center, 1400 Baring Blvd. (775) 353-2385

ART ADVENTURES

Watercolor, pastels, mixed media and more! Th, through 5/29, 4-5PM, $45. Alf Sorensen Community Center, 1400 Baring Blvd. (775) 353-2385

PAINT THE MASTERS

Create masterpieces inspired by the art of master classic and modern painters. Th, through 5/29, 5:15-7:15PM, $85. Alf Sorensen Community Center, 1400 Baring Blvd. (775) 353-2385

CHIRUNNING INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR

Learn about this revolutionary approach to proper running and walking athat helps develop safe and effective life-long fi tness programs. W, 5/7, 6:30-8PM, free. Scheels, 1200 Scheels Dr. (775) 331-2700

CROCHET CONNECTION

Learn to crochet or share tips with other crochet enthusiasts. Th, 4-5:45PM, free. Spanish Springs Library, 7100A Pyramid Lake Highway (775) 424-1800

CLICKETS KNITTING GROUP

Jean Peters guides this class for knitters of all ages and levels. Yarn and needles are available. First and Third Su of every month, 1:303PM, free. Spanish Springs Library, 7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, Spanish Springs (775) 424-1800

SCHEELS RUNNING CLUB

Run with expert pacers and enjoy running in a group Tu, 6:30PM through 12/9, free. Scheels, 1200 Scheels Dr. (775) 331-2700

FOUR SEASONS BOOK CLUB

The book club meets the fi rst Saturday of each month. Call to fi nd out each month’s book title. First Sa of every month, 1-2PM, free. Sparks Library, 1125 12th St. (775) 352-3200

CONVERSATION CAFE

The drop-in conversation program meets on the fi rst Saturday of each month, 2-4PM, free. Sparks Library, 1125 12th St. (775) 352-3200

PERFORMANCE AND MUSIC

DJ BOBBY G

DJ Bobby G rocks The Cat's Meow at Bourbon Square Friday & Saturday nights! 8PM. No cover. Bourbon Square Casino, 1040 Victorian Ave. (775) 997-7177

COUNTRY NIGHT

Thursdays, 6:30PM – 10PM, free. Bourbon Square Casino, 1040 Victorian Ave. (775) 997-7177

KANEKOA TRIO

F, 5/2, 8PM, no cover. Great Basin Brewing Co., 846 Victorian Ave. (775) 355-7711

WICKED HICKS

F, 5/2, 9:30PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

A tribute to that memorable night in Memphis when Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded at Sam Phillip’s Sun Studios. Sa, 5/3, 6PM, $45. John Ascuaga’s Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave. (775) 356-3300

MOON GRAVY

Sa, 5/3, 8PM, no cover. Great Basin Brewing Co., 846 Victorian Ave. (775) 355-7711

ROLD'S ROYCE WITH MIMIC & GUESTS

Sa, 5/3, 9:30PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

LIVE MONDAYS WITH TANY JANE

Open mic night every Monday at 8PM, hosted by Tany Jane. M, 8PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

OPEN JAM WITH TAZER & FRIENDS

W, 8PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

ERIKA PAUL

Enjoy Louisiana-style food and the soulful, breathtaking jazz sounds of Erika Paul on keyboards and vocals. No cover. Th, 6PM, no cover. Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 1180 Scheels Dr. (775) 657-8659

BLACK AND BLUES JAM

Tu, 8:30PM, no cover. Sidelines Bar & Nightclub, 1237 Baring Blvd. (775) 355-1030

LIVE JAZZ

Vocal and instrumental jazz from “The Great American Songbook”, performed by First Take featuring Rick (SAX) Metz. Fridays, 6PM through 12/27, no cover. Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, 1180 Scheels Dr., Sparks, NV 89441 (775) 657-8659

KARAOKE Th-Sa, 9PM, no cover. Bottom’s Up Saloon, 1923 Prater Way (775) 359-3677

Th, 7-10PM through 4/24, No cover Elbow Room Bar, 2002 Victorian Ave. (775) 356-9799

Sa, 8PM, no cover. 50 Yard Line Bar & Grill, 400 S. Rock Blvd. (775) 358-8848