March 20, 2011 - 4:38pm
Weekend Movie Guide — 3/11/10
BY KAVI SHEKHAR PANDEY
It’s finally over. With the crowning of “The Hurt Locker” as Best Picture Sunday night, the exhausting annual awards season came to a close. Now, instead of endlessly debating the narrative dysfunctions of “Avatar” or the quality of Sandra Bullock’s performance in ”The Blind Side,” let’s just sit back and enjoy some movies (at least until September, when the new season begins). Some readers will note that there are actually four films in wide release this weekend, but “Our Family Wedding” stars Carlos Mencia so it has been excluded from discussion.
“Green Zone”
A film that would have been more significant if it were released two or three years ago — Matt Damon is a military man who goes on a wild goose chase hunting down WMDs in Iraq, only to find that said weapons might not actually exist. Though the political context may be fading in relevance, the film’s action sequences should be superb, re-teaming Damon with his “Bourne” director Paul Greengrass. It’s trite to say that this movie looks like Jason Bourne in Iraq, but sadly, it’s the truth. Damon plays a lone man looking for answers, fighting the villains of a corrupt government who have constructed a mass conspiracy and cover-up. Luckily, the comparison is only advantageous — if “Green Zone” manages to blend the intelligence and astounding action of “The Bourne Ultimatum,” it should be nothing short of excellent.
“Remember Me”
As Jimmy Fallon would like to say, Robert Pattinson is “bothered” yet again. In “Remember Me,” instead of being a sulky, brooding vampire; Pattinson is a sulky, brooding NYU student. He’s got family problems (absent father who is an important businessman) and falls in love with a quirky girl (Emilie de Ravin) with family problems of her own (angry, overprotective cop father). The trailer definitely doesn’t scream “creative storytelling,” so one can only hope that this film has something to offer beyond a romance between two Troubled Pretty Young Teens. Otherwise, it won’t be remembered for very long (Get it? It’s a pun!)
“She’s Out of My League”
Hopefully, this film will be a star-maker for Jay Baruchel, who was oh-so-wonderful as the nebbish, nerdy actor in “Tropic Thunder”. It’s especially delightful to see another Judd Apatow sitcom graduate getting a major lead role, as Baruchel was incredible as the hero of the short-lived television series “Undeclared.” But it’s undeniable that the Judd Apatow feature film convention — the not-classically-attractive protagonist with a crew of vulgar white friends finding himself way over his head with the woman of his dreams — has become stale. It was fresh and exciting in “The 40-Year Old Virgin” and repeated well in “Knocked Up,” but that was five years ago and countless imitators have diluted the formula. The trailers are funny but inconclusive: “She’s Out of My League” could either be a solid continuation of the “loveable schlub” series, or, more likely, its last dying gasp.
