Shout it loud and clear

To be honest, when Lawren told me we were opening Today's Special on April 1st, I thought she was either a little off her rocker or that this was some lame attempt at an April Fool's joke. Sure I would love to see the resurrection of the childhood show that paved the way for the hit movie Mannequin and taught me wonderful life lessons from a guy in a plaid hat and a puppet security guard.

Then I learned Today's Special is actually a movie about a chef, who happens to be Indian, but has no desire to cook Indian food. When his father has a heart attack, the struggling family business needs his help and he is forced to reach for the masala. Another comedy, with The Daily Show veteran Aasif Mandvi playing the son, Samir. I was just happy to see Ajay Naidu, who played Samir in Office Space working again. Then I was sad for Hollywood and my people that every major character in films had to be named Samir. Good news is that this is another light-hearted, easy to digest film (unlike the chicken vindaloo I had the other week) that this Hollywood Reporter critic believes you must see. Check out the trailer:

Two-thirds of our staff has already requested the week off to hit the Indian buffet after watching that trailer.

L'illusionniste

Today's blog was appropriately contributed by Genevieve..l'artiste...

If you found the visual storytelling and colorful characters of The Triplets of Belleville to be a nice departure from the highly-polished look of today's CGI animation, you will definitely want to catch The Illusionist. If you haven't seen Triplets and desperately need a break from the typical animation formula, you too will definitely want to catch The Illusionist.

Director Sylvain Chomet delivers an impressive visual follow-up to his earlier work in this stunning film, again not following a formulaic method of storytelling. One of the most amazing qualities about The Illusionist is the way that the scenes are at once still works of art on their own, yet at the same time, they wordlessly tell the story of an aging magician and a young fan who becomes his ward. As a French film set in France and Scotland, there is very little use of dialogue--indeed no subtitles at all. Perhaps in homage to Chaplin's Modern Times, Chomet's magician bumbles through various jobs in order to buy his young friend the things she sees in storefront windows. The characters they encounter are wildly entertaining, but also laced with a dark realism that you just don't get from Disney. Although tinged with this French existentialism, the combination of beauty, humor and reality communicated through animation is startling--and not to be missed.

Rated PG for 'mild thematic elements & smoking,' this film offers something for people of all ages, and I look forward to discussing it with young fans over the next week. (I am seriously dying to get a 5 year-old's reaction to this film!) It's spring break and there are weekday matinees just for you all! Check out the trailer:

It's so hard to say goodbye...

So it's here. The day some of you thought may never come. We say "cheerio" to The King's Speech. Obviously, a lot of mixed emotions here. I have to imagine it's kind of like my parents felt when I left for college - proud of what I'd accomplished, and so used to having me around, but on the flip side, PARTY cause I was out. The only way to properly move on is with a Boyz II Men video...

Oh yeah, I guess Another Year is moving on, too, which means we have two new movies opening this Friday! And in another twist, both are actually comedic in nature. So brush off that St. Patty's Day bender with some laughs by enjoying either Cedar Rapids or Barney's Version. Ed Helms stars in the former as an insurance agent at a convention in the wonderful town of Cedar Rapids. John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, and Isaiah Whitlock, Jr. round out the cast which after typing that I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to see this. Check out the trailer and the review from its premiere at Sundance:

On the other screen, Paul Giamatti shows why he won a Golden Globe in Barney's Version, as he tells his life story and ultimately falls in love at his second wedding (but not to the second wife!). Dustin Hoffman co-stars in this Canadian film. Why do I point out that it's Canadian? Because we all know Americans laugh at everything that is Canadian, eh? I kid, I love our neighbors up north. Another trailer and review...

Bring your four leaf clovers

You know, it's the little things in life that make it all worthwhile - in this case, quite literally, as a deadly little leprechaun graces our screen at a/perture in honor of St. Patrick's Day. What better way to start off your night of celebrating a traditional religious Irish holiday that's become a celebration of all things green here in the states? As your curator takes a break from "films" and watches Jennifer Aniston in The Switch, I'm amazed at how far Ms. Aniston has fallen. I tried to find a review of this movie, but when every one is from a site called "craptastic movies" or "b-movies" and the like, you know no reviewer will do this film justice, and you just have to see it to appreciate it. They wouldn't have made five more (yes, there are five others) if it wasn't quality. For your enjoyment, the trailer for one of my favorite worst movies ever.

And let's hope that this Warwick Davis leprechaun isn't the one that made the rounds in Mobile, Alabama a few years ago...

Another Year

If you've seen either of the Diary of Bridget Jones films, then you are probably just as in love with Jim Broadbent, the actor who plays Bridget's dad, as I am. If that's the case, then you should venture down to a/perture this week and catch him in Another Year. Seriously, how can you resist?

Another Year can basically be summed up as a film about a married couple who have managed to remain blissfully happy into their autumn years, who are surrounded over the course of the four seasons of one average year by friends, colleagues, and family who all seem to suffer some degree of unhappiness. It's Mike Leigh's latest effort and Another Year has a similar air of melancholy to his previous films including Grown Ups and Secrets and Lies.

This is how Leigh views his films (pulled from a Salon.com interview back in 1996): "Well, I would suggest -- without being too arrogant -- that what you see in my films you mostly don't see in movies. As a kid in the '40s and '50s, I would sit in movies endlessly -- and that's mostly Hollywood and British films we didn't see any other films -- and think wouldn't it be great if you could see people in films like people actually are."

Another Year was nominated for a slew of awards including an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Actress Lesley Manville was also critically lauded for her performance. Mark Burger from Yes!Weekly says Another Year is a film to cherish. Check out the trailer:

A rabbit in the hole

So today we add another tearjerker to the lineup for Studio 2...it should be the last one for a bit, so come with your hanky if you're headed to that side of a/perture. When I left the theater after seeing Rabbit Hole, I had a similar feeling as to when I watched Terms of Endearment years ago. The subject matter may be sad, but the film is sprinkled with humor and a "light at the end of the tunnel" kind-of-feeling. Rabbit Hole is directed by John Cameron Mitchell and if you are familiar with his biggest hit Hedwig and the Angry Inch, it's really nothing like it. It's a very personal film. John Cameron Mitchell was attracted to the project because at age 14 he lost his 10 year old brother to a heart problem and he says, "It was a sudden, unexpected event. It defined a family forever and recovering from it was something we're still doing."

Nicole Kidman not only stars in the film but she produced it as well (and she was deservedly rewarded with a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role). Another tidbit, the film is based on a very successful Broadway play written by David Lindsay-Abaire who also penned the script. Nicole read a review of the play (which happened to produce a Tony Award for star Cynthia Nixon in 2006) and her interest was immediately piqued.

Check out the trailer below and the review from Yes! Weekly.

We've also begun to weave in some amazing StoryLine recordings into our pre-show reel, so come early and listen to a local pair's inspired story of a friendship which grew out of loss.