Say Anything...

A directionless senior (John Cusack) wants nothing more out of life than to practice karate and woo the gorgeous, good natured, and seemingly unattainable valedictorian (Ione Skye). Cameron Crowe's Say Anything... is funny, innocent, intelligent and on an entirely different plane than most similar fare. Having never been much of a Cusack fan I have to admit that he boasts definite appeal here. Skye is absolutely adorable and John Mahoney is strong in a supporting role as her doting father.

*** 1/2 out of ****

We Bought a Zoo

A recently widowed father of two (Matt Damon) quits his job, sells his house, and seeks the perfect location to heal his aching family. He finds this setting in the form of a closed down, dilapidated zoo which where, with the help of the assorted staff and the beautiful head groundskeeper (Scarlett Johansson), hopes to restore it to its former glory. "We Bought a Zoo" is overly mawkish fare from writer/director Cameron Crowe who has shown he is capable of making sentimental films that spare the sap (i.e. "Say Anything...", "Jerry Maguire", "Almost Famous"). The screenplay is a by-the-numbers "Field of Dreams" type of story and Crowe pours it on at every chance he gets. Matt Damon is appealing here as a middle aged, maudlin father trying to relate to his kids while throwing everything he has at his grand undertaking. I also liked Thomas Haden Church as Damon's disapproving brother. Yet, Scarlett Johansson again overreaches in an unnatural, forced performance. Also the members of her zookeeping troupe are standard and bland. I think that the material for "We Bought a Zoo" could have made for an engaging family film, yet Crowe's kiddie geared treatment of it as ideal fodder for the Disney channel.

note: the musically inclined Crowe has provided a nice soundtrack, which makes this ride a little smoother.

Pearl Jam Twenty

In the late 1980s, the Seattle grunge movement had gained momentum and one of the celebrated bands on the local circuit was Mother Love Bone. Following the overdose death of their lead singer Andy Wood, bandmates Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard teamed with Mike McCready and a brooding, powerful vocalist named Eddie Vedder. Pearl Jam found almost instant success and alongside rival Kurt Cobain's Nirvana, propelled grunge to the national stage. Cameron Crowe's "Pearl Jam Twenty" takes us through the band's soaring highs and crushing lows over the last score. Once a music journalist himself, Crowe works from a wealth of compelling footage and is able to propel his film without gimmicks or narration. There are some wonderful moments as well, such as when the band tries to piece together the song "Daughter" or during the video shoot for "Jeremy". Darker episodes are also discussed such as the infamous battle with Ticketmaster and the unfortunate tragedy where nine fans were trampled to death during the band's 2000 tour in Denmark. In addition to the footage, we also hear personal stories from all band members as well as collaborator Chris Cornell, and the band's dark, high energy music plays throughout. "Pearl Jam Twenty" is a comprehensive film of an enduring band.