Reviews: ‘Whip It’, ‘Zombieland’ & more
There was a whole slew of new releases this weekend: Zombieland, Whip It, The Invention of Lying, Capitalism: A Love Story, Toy Story 3D Double Feature, and Bright Star all made their debuts in Dayton theaters this weekend, and based on widespread critical reaction, they’re ALL worth seeing. Crazy, right?
Unfortunately, I only had time to see three of these over the weekend, plus I caught up with the Oscar-winning foreign film Departures at the Little Art. And to think: Next week, the abysmal-looking Couples Retreat is the only major release. Feast or famine, let me tell you. Thoughts on Zombieland, Whip It, The Invention of Lying and Departures after the jump.
Whip It: Although it hits every expected beat and indulges in every cliché, Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut makes up for this with both its uncommon subject matter and its honesty about family dynamics and teenage behavior. Starring Ellen Page (Juno) as a small-town Texas girl who becomes smitten with Austin women’s Roller Derby, Whip It is high-energy fun with a big heart.
Zombieland: I wrote a full review of Zombieland in tandem with its opening on Friday. Here’s a taste: “Zombieland stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin as a motley crew of survivors in the zombie apocalypse. That’s a winning formula any way you slice it. But although it’s consistently fun, Zombieland only really succeeds when it breaks free from convention and greets us with the unexpected.”
The Invention of Lying: Starring Ricky Gervais and the always luminous Jennifer Garner (who handles an underwritten character quite well), this is really an audacious mainstream comedy. In a world where no one can tell a lie, it posits, religion cannot exist. Although its ending is too conventional, and it ignores the fine line between what’s a lie and what’s an over-share, Lying goes for the laugh every time. It usually succeeds.
Departures: This Japanese flick won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film early this year. Departures is about an out-of-work cellist who answers a job ad with “no experience necessary” dealing with “departures.” Upon his arrival, he discovers the ad was a misprint: It should have said “the departed.” Touching drama with some light humor is exceptionally well-acted and elegantly shot, though its screenplay is a tad repetitive, and by the end it verges on saccharine.
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