Review of "Argo"

Argo concerns a group of US diplomats who are trying to escape Iran and the hothead who rescues them.

Argo
Starring Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston
Directed by Ben Affleck
My Opinion: Tastes like Lean Cuisine.

I've had no respect for the Oscars for some time, so I wasn't all that surprised when Argo was a generic popcorn movie. The film isn't bad, it's just very slow and boring. Had there been a little more action, a little more wit and a lot less waiting, I would have been more satisfied. However, like that of the other Best Picture nominations of 2013, the pacing is extremely slow. Argo lacks the artfulness of Lincoln and the thrills and controversy of Zero Dark Thirty. Perhaps staring at Affleck's dowdy face and pube beard threw me off, but I did not enjoy his movie. It's just kind of lame.

Review of "Admission"

In Admission, the life of Princeton admissions officer Portia Nathan is drug into disarray. Her live-in boyfriend dumps her for a Virginia Wolf scholar; meanwhile she might have just met the child whom she gave up for adoption 18 years ago. The child, named Jeremiah, wants to go to Princeton. Portia soon finds herself in the shoes of all parents with Princeton hopeful children, risking all she has left for her own blood.

Admission
Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Lily Tomlin
Directed by Paul Weitz
My Opinion: Really liked it,
but I can't speak for all.

In all honesty, I am quite possibly the worst person to review a movie starring Tina Fey because I'm in love with her. Exhibit A: I'm on my fourth go-around of Bossypants. Indeed, I squealed like Honey Boo Boo eating a stick of butter every time Fey came onto screen. But all obsessions aside, Tina Fey's performance is thoroughly emotional while maintaining her trademark comic bumbling. Surely drawing inspiration from her own maternal experiences, Fey illustrates Portia's shocked but stout motherly instincts. Though throughout my own life I have had a stronger maternal connection to grilled cheese sandwiches than the thought of having children, through Portia's reactions to the sudden existence of motherhood, I was able to develop a new understanding of this bond. The sacrifices she makes for Jeremiah are heart-wrenching and depict a raw, human urge to be needed. Though critics' opinions of the film vary greatly, most agree with me: Tina Fey delivers.

As a whole, Admission requires a more discerning eye. Many have criticized the film for its flat story line. I didn't really notice this while I was watching (probably because I was on the brink of crying from over excitement the whole time, but I do understand the flack). The entire plot focuses solely on Portia, but I enjoyed this "slice of life" style. There is something very humanizing about her experience and I felt myself becoming very invested: her relationship falls to pieces, her connection with her own mother is strained, her biological son might be back in her life, she's up for a large promotion - in short, her previously grounded life is spiraling out of her control. I've criticized films that don't have enough happening in them (Tiny Furniture), but Admission is different because it still has quite a bit of charm.

Although I will admit that Paul Rudd and Tina Fey lack chemistry, I think it actually works this way. Portia is in a desperate place, to which she's reacting. John (Paul Rudd's philanthropic character) is not the love of her life, but an option that makes sense in a certain time and place. Also, his son adores her. The typically movie-style romance is sacrificed for a grimmer but more realistic portrayal. I found it both refreshing and humanizing.

Admission is what it is and not everybody is going to like it. However, I did. I found Portia's ex-live-in-boyfriend and his new wife to be a very funny motif with great comedic timing. Furthermore, Portia's feminist bad-ass mother, Susannah, is hilarious. Don't go into this one expecting a fun romantic comedy, but rather a darker dramedy with ample laughs.