Trust the Man

Directed by: Bart Freundlich
Starring: David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Eva Mendes
Running Time: 1h 43min

Adult comedies that work don't come around that often. And when they do, they're often so profanity laden and raunchy, that they earn their R rating, and as a result, the laughter ensues from the shock and taboo release we find in them.
Rarely are they funny in a mature, complex, and honest manner, filled with characters that are three dimensional and realistically flawed.

Trust the Man is a gem, in that it is a rare cinematic achievement, that takes enough risks that could go wrong, but is so well cast that everything goes right. Immediately, each actor reveals enough depth and humanity, that it is easy to fall into the world in which they live, as we watch a number of couples struggle with their fidelity, relationships, and self-worth. After watching a few scenes of Duchovny, Moore, Crudup and Gyllenhaal trading lines and looks, you can't help but wish this were a weekly series so you could tune in and enjoy their insanity week in and week out.

Hollywood has given us so many stock romances with typical character and story arcs, that while watching this film, you're expecting it to go in certain directions, but it never fully turns out as expected. Sure, the basic premise might go in the obvious direction, but never without a stylistic twist, or an odd humerous angle. The leading four, plus Mendes as a supporting character, truly embody a wonderful place where comedy and drama show no boundaries, as all five are equally adept at both worlds. Their skill at both aspects peppers each scene with a tone unlike most films.

There are some bizarrely funny moments, and scenes written completely for the gag. Yet there are just as many scenes that punctuate the difficulties couples have growing together, whether its growing apart, growing old, or growing in spite of the other. The swinging emotional ride takes a little getting used to, but once you realize that this is not going to be a typical film, that follows its characters more than it leads them, then you are in for a refreshing, fun, unique bit of dramedy.

Filled with many laugh out loud moments, some tragic heartbreak, and some smart, reflective dialogue, Trust the Man is a great writing and directing effort that gets the most from its talented cast. Definitely worth the time spent, and hopefully we will see these thespians involved in future projects together, quite possibly with the same writer.

Grade: B+

Bee Movie

Directed by: Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Renée Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, Chris Rock, Kathy Bates, Barry Levinson, Larry King, Ray Liotta, Sting, Oprah Winfrey
Running Time: 1h 30min

It's sad to think, that in the years since Seinfeld's self titled sitcom has been off the air, that all he has been able to muster is this mediocre film populated with stock jokes, tired cinematic conventions, and lazy one liners. Considering he was the star of such a consistently funny, cleverly paced, and tightly woven series, that provided fresh laughs and continues to be the hallmark of situation comedies, Seinfeld's first foray into film is a disastrous flop.

The premise sounds like great comedic fodder, the workman like bee hive, with all its natural wonder and colony code of conduct. It seems perfectly matched with Seinfeld's stand up style, of pointing out life's oddities and silly social structures and situations. Yet all Bee Movie offers are the run of the mill punny honey jokes that you can see from a mile away. Even the lousiest Seinfeld episode has more laugh out loud moments than this film. Even jokes aimed at the preschool crowd fall flat, so that no matter what age you are, this film fails to offer any laughs.

Lack of laughs aside, there really isn't any insightful or meaningful moments which are often peppered into animated children's films. The human-bee relationships seem awkward and borderline crazy, and the premise of bees talking and humans listening is too easily glazed over, when it could be a goldmine for humour, allegory, or moralizing. Instead, we're left with the message that capitalists have been trying to subversively instill in workers for centuries; accept your lot, because you never know what disaster could strike if you choose to rebel against your meaningless McJob.

Perhaps the only bright spots in this film can be credited to the supporting cast, who do some great voice work in their roles. Zellweger, Broderick, Warburton and Rock all get a lot of millage out of their roles, showing some real skill and style with their line delivery. Their screen time makes you wish their characters were more developed and more integral to the film's plot.

The bottom line however, is that a good animated film rests on strong voice work, a clever story line that's suitable for both kids and adults, and finally, but most importantly, great animation. Bee Movie strikes out on all three fronts. Seinfeld can't carry the film on his own, as his whiny voice does little to inspire the audience to rally behind the hero. The plot skips and jumps its way along, in search of meaning while forgetting any semblance of coherency. Sadly, the animation is uninspired, with only the moments of bumblebees in flight providing any visual excitement. Robots did a much better job utilizing the geometric designs into the world inhabited by its characters, and both Antz and A Bug's Life, not to mention Toy Story and Finding Nemo, painted much more lush, extravagant backdrops for it's tiny creatures living amongst humans.

Bee Movie is a huge disappointment, as a comedy, as a kid's flick, and as an animated adventure. It doesn't even rate a "B", but due to some interesting scenes, a few clever cameos, and some decent supporting work, it isn't a complete failure. Let's just hope it doesn't warrant a sequel.

Grade: C-