Funny People

George Simmons was prepared to die, but then a funny thing happened.

So reads the tagline to Funny People. Only things is, the film is actually at its funniest and most enjoyable while George Simmons still thinks he is going to die. Then comes the long boring bit of him visiting his ex and her kids and then her husband shows up unexpectedly. Yes, it gets really awkward, which could work well in a comedy but here just gives Eric Bana opportunity to pull strange faces (as if his starter kit face weren't strange enough).

Up until that part the film was really great, aside from the drift into potty humor (courtesy of Seth Rogan's character). What came as a surprise to me that I did not absolutely hate Adam Sandler in this. See, when he is not the one actually responsible for a story and only acts in a film, said film can be enjoyable.

Now, if only we could keep him from orchestrating his dreadful brand of humor....

Anyway, overall just okay thanks to the slow second half.

6/10

The Grand Budapest Hotel

I wholeheartedly embrace Wes Anderson's weirdness in films. If you don't appreciate the garishness of the colors and the awkwardness of dialogue you will not like this film.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is only the backdrop to a story of false accusations of murder, jail break and a strong bond between concierges of world-renowned hotels across Europe. When an elderly woman (played impeccably by the wonderful and wonderfully weird Tilda Swinton) dies and leaves the priced painting Boy with Apple (which depicts, yes, a boy holding an apple) to M. Gustave, concierge to the Grand Budapest, her family frames him for her murder. With help from a whole array of weird characters, Gustave escapes from prison and is proven innocent.

It is colorful. It is ridiculous. It is awesome.

And everyone is in it. Everyone. Ralph Fiennes, the aforementioned Tilda Swinton, Adrian Brody (sporting a fantastic hairdo), F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Jude Law, Harvey Keitel, Jeff Goldblum, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, Karl Markovics. Also, several cameos.

Then, of course, there is the utterly unknown Tony Revolori, as Gustave's constant companion and protege, who more than holds his own around the onslaught of brilliant actors.

The story may be contrived, complicated and told in fitful, hurried, overloaded dialogue, but this is everything we have come to expect (and love) from Wes Anderson, who has always stuck to his guns. Finally, people seem to get it on a much, much bigger scale.

8/10

Fantastic Mr. Fox

This is an animated film version of Roald Dahl's book of the same name. Of course, in the capable hands of Wes Anderson, this is clearly not aimed at children, even though the dreaded f-word is replaced by the word cussing.

The Mr. Fox in the title was formerly a thief of birds but promised to retire after his wife became pregnant. Life as a newspaper writer, however, does not a happy fox make. Eventually, with the help of the slightly weird Kylie, he breaks his promise and raids not the farms of Boggis, Bunce & Bean.

When the three disgruntled men come after the thieves (and shoot off Mr. Fox' tail), the entire wildlife of the area is effected by the destruction of the habitat. After everyone is initially upset with Mr. Fox, they soon team up to get the humans back by stealing, well, everything.

This leads to all-out war between the animals and the humans and it ends with the animals on the upside. They even steal back the - now detachable - fox tail. The animals move together into the extensive sewer system, that has an exit directly into the Boggis, Bunce & Bean supermarket.

Joy and happiness all around.

Quite entertaining and very weird.

7/10