Farewell my readers! While you're singing along with the boys of Punk Rock Karaoke on Saturday, I'll be pursuing journalistic integrity in the reviewing of movies at the 19th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Writing for free has finally paid off in the form of a media pass (when you don't have much, every little bit counts).
1) Girl With a Pearl Earring (wide release)
2) The Big Bounce
3) I can't decide between an independent gay film, or a French action film. You're on your own.
Now for the true test of the value of this pass -- will it get me into all the parties with the free food and booze? Cross your fingers and hope that dear Maureen in PR pulls through for me.
The Big Bounce
No one writes a comedy crime caper like Elmore Leonard, so if you're looking for something fun to see this weekend, then this could be your best bet. Owen Wilson stars as a con artist among con artists, and there is no honor between anyone. Girls get Owen Wilson (who is steaming hot in that funny/charming kind of way) and the guys get Sara Foster (who I've never heard of, but has a body I would kill to have and walks around in a bikini for the whole movie). Hard to beat.
The Perfect Score
Scarlet Johansson went from Lost in Translation and Pearl Earring to this?! What happened? Did she develop a sudden case of retardation after stellar back-to-back acting choices?! There's simply no excuse for this underwhelming teen comedy.
You Got Served
The best team of hip hop dancers in LA must learn to suppress their egos and work together in order to beat a team of white kids from Orange County. Do you hear that? It's the sound of crickets chirping in a movie theater.
Girl With a Pearl Earring (wide release)
I had to go with the intellectual choice for my first pick. The cinematography is breathtaking. The perfect choice for we art aficionados who can properly pronounce Vermeer and Monet.
Latter Days
A super gay party boy falls in love with his new next-door neighbor who is a missionary for the Mormon Church. The trailer looks sappy, but the competition is less than fierce.
On the Run: Trilogy 1
A man escapes from prison and returns to his hometown, where the wife of the captain of police agrees to hide him. Not to seem like a criminal genius or anything, but if I escaped from prison, that last place I would go is my hometown. Is it that obvious, or did I miss my calling as a felonious mastermind?
It's in French, and not to worry, it's only the first of three. Maybe he'll get smarter.