Amy, Al, Bono, and Lips
Woke up this morning to another stunning snowstorm, with about six new inches of powder on the ground. Nothing beats that early morning quiet when everything is covered with a blanket of white. And with the sun out for a bit and temperatures climbing into the high 20s, snowballs can be on the menu as soon as I find someone to nail.
More quick takes on movies: ANVIL: THE STORY OF ANVIL (4-stars) is a surprisingly touching doc about friendship, dreams, and the neverending quest for success by a once-marginally famous Canadian metal band of the early 80s. Hilarious in spots and completely absurd in others (even though it’s all true), this is way more than just a portrait of a real-lfe “Spinal Tap,” and I would think a sure thing to get picked up.
SUNSHINE CLEANERS (3-stars) is wonderfully acted by a cast including Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn and Mary-Lynn Rajskub. It’s a story about two squabbling sisters—one living with a kooky dad who’s always got a new business scheme working, the other working as a maid trying to support her troubled son and having an affair with a married local cop and former sweetheart—who start a company cleaning up after murders and violent crimes. An entertaining dramatic-comedy, but the storyline did not grab me, and enough already with the crazy Alan Arkin/young relative relationshiip stuff.
The world premiere of U2-3D (4-stars) was a trip. The scene at the Eccles was completely nuts, and not only were directors Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington in the house, but so were all four members of U2 and Al Gore. With the aid of $50 digital 3-D glasses (wonder if these will be what our local IMAX screen will utilize when it opens there?), the viewer is plopped down in the middle, above, through, and around an impressive collection of performances from their South American tour a couple of years ago. Not real gimmicky for a 3-D film, the movie lets the songs and the technology speak for themselves. Featuring many of their greatest hits and a rare obscure album track or two, my only complaint would be that the set felt a liittle short—I was ready for more and hoping for “I Will Follow,’ “Desire” or “11 O’Clock Tick Tock.” A minor quibble—I’ll be back for an encore to bring the girlfriend and the kids once it opens Orlando.
—Matthew
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