Cafe Society charms Woody Allen fans

Movie Title:  
    Cafe Society

Grade:   B

Rating:   PG-13, 85 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Woody Allen is a master at quirky characters and conversations.  In this dark comedy about love, regret, and existentialism, old Hollywood and Manhattan glamour drip with nostalgia.

As Bobby Dorfman says, you will be “half bored, half fascinated.”   

Uplifting theme: 

• “Live every day like it’s your last and someday you’ll be right.” – Evelyn’s mom
• “I guess some feelings never die.  Is that good or bad?” – Bobby Dorfman
• Regret, longing, love.

 Things I liked:

• The talented cast includes Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, and Blake Lively, and Rad Taylor.
• The end will leave you thinking about the love that got away in your own life.
• You get to see beautiful homes, theaters, clubs, and even famous celebrity homes.
• This is the third time that Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart have worked together in a film.  Their chemistry is evident and they both deliver spot-on performances.  I love Jesse Eisenberg in everything he does.  Turns out, he's perfect for Woody Allen material too.
• The stylized music in the very beginning does a great job of setting the tone and enveloping you in the time period throughout the entire movie. 
• It pokes fun at the superficiality of society life, but it sure makes being rich look fun.  (wink)

Things I didn’t like:

• A lot of movie critics say this movie is “charming.”  I’m sorry, but I do NOT find adultery charming.
• It’s very “Woody Allen.”  If you like his style, you’ll enjoy the movie.  If not, it’s more of the same.

Interesting lines:

• “Unrequited love kills more people in a year than tuberculosis.” – New York writer
• “Dreams are dreams.” – Vonnie (Kristen Stewart)

Funny lines:

• “First a murderer, then a Christian.  What did I do to deserve this?” – Evelyn
• “Too bad Jews don’t believe in an afterlife.  They’d get a lot more customers.” – Evelyn
• “Socrates said, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living’, but the examined one is no bargain.” – Leonard (Stephen Kunken)

Tips for parents:   

• Children will be completely bored.  It really is a movie meant for adults.
• There is an awkward conversation with a prostitute.
• Some mobsters knock off a bunch of people.

The Other Woman offers estrogen-filled gal pal laughs

Movie Title:  The Other Woman

Grade:  B

PG-13, 1 hour 49 minutes

In a Nutshell:   

A woman’s guilty pleasure is to see a two-timing, adulterous scumbag get what’s coming to him.  It kind of gives “screwball comedy” another meaning.  This movie is all about revenge, girl power and the unconditional friendships that women crave and need.  The target audience is truly the stiletto crowd on a Girls Night Out.

Uplifting theme:   

• No woman deserves to be lied to and cheated on.
• A woman needs to be happy with herself and not rely on a man to do it for her.

Things I liked:

• Kate (Leslie Mann) brings Boston Market take-out to Carly (Cameron Diaz).  I haven’t eaten that since I lived on the east coast.  Yum.
• The audience loved it when Kate took off her bathrobe, revealing a black spy suit accompanied by the Mission: Impossible theme music.
• There is a lot of silly physical comedy featuring Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz.  They have some great chemistry together and who doesn’t want to see them chest-bump in an ode to female empowerment?
• Guys just can’t truly appreciate the estrogen meltdown scenes like when Carly puts on her old wedding dress and gets drunk in a pity party, while squirting whip cream into her mouth through her toile veil.

Things I didn’t like:

• Watching a Great Dane poop.  Ick.  The slobbery giant’s name is Thunder and is really a handsome creature.  The audience howled with laughter.
• How nice that all of the parties involved were super rich and had amazing cars and houses.  I suppose it wouldn’t have been a comedy if they were all living in low-income housing.
• It’s strange to see Miami Vice: The Complete Series leading man, Don Johnson, as such an old guy now.  Of course, his character is still a romancer.
• Sure, there are messy problems with the movie, but you won’t mind too much if you’re watching it with your gal pals and eager to laugh at a silly chick flick.
• You don't realize Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz are aging until you see Kate Upton.

Interesting lines:

• “Cheaters don’t change.” – Carly     Do you think that’s true?
• “Cry on the inside like winners.”  - Carly tries to teach Kate how to show strength during sorrow, but instead, Kate comically grimaces while attempting her brave face.

Funny lines:

• “If we find anymore mistresses, I’m going to have to send her to rehab.” – Carly
• “She makes me look like I’m wearing a diaper.” – Carly when she sees Amber for the first time.
• “I’m like Martha Stewart, but with big underpants.” - Kate
• “It’s a light recon day.” – Kate    Her brother Phil (Taylor Kinney) looks at her bag on the table and says “A grappling hook?  Really?”
• Kate says to Carly “No, you can’t have my husband AND my brother.  No! That’s just…no…greedy.”
• “My situation is pretty well situated, it’s true.” – Carly

Interesting references:

• Carly’s dad mentions eating Pho in Vietnam, a reference I wouldn’t have even understood before last weekend when my family went to a Vietnamese restaurant to try it for the first time.  It was delicious!  Find out if there is a Vietnamese restaurant in your town that serves it.  It’s kind of a soup with noodles and meat of various kinds.  They bring you a plate with bean sprouts, cilantro, lemon, pepper and sauces to add to taste.
• Carly says “I had a little Edith Piaf moment.”   Edith was a French singer who had quite a dramatic life.  Some of her songs have been featured in recent movies such as in Saving Private Ryan , , Bull Durham , and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted .

Tips for parents:   The subject matter of this film is really not appropriate for children.  There was quite a bit of profanity, although no F-bombs, which allowed it to be rated PG-13.  Although girl power is a theme, I would not recommend taking your daughters to see this.  There is a lot of discussion about sex and the many sordid aspects of it, not to mention adultery and fornication.