8:00 PM, 29th October, 2010
Disney has given us the iconic film version of Goethe’s story of the sorcerer’s apprentice once before – in 1940, with the title role taken by Mickey Mouse. It’s one of those cartoons so deeply embedded in popular culture you’ve seen it even if you haven’t seen it. The story involves an apprentice who, while his master is away, casts a spell on a broom to get it to carry water from the local well – but can’t get it to stop, and in the end nearly drowns.
Told at an unforced pace the cartoon takes around 10 minutes. The analogous section of the film is over in less than half that time. Let’s just say some extra padding was needed to make a full-length movie. Goethe’s story is about a novice who doesn’t know what he is doing, makes a proper donkey of himself, and needs to be rescued by his boss. That’s all very well at first, but what we want in a full-length movie is a novice who rises to the challenge (let’s make the challenge a villainous sorcerer’s threat to modern-day New York) and triumphs.
The title role is played by, appropriately enough, some nobody (Baruchel – okay, he’s been in a dozen films, but although I remember the films I can’t for the life of me remember him). It’s really the older generation of sorcerers who give this light adventure the air of authority it needs: Cage as the good master, Bellucci as his lover, Molina as the villain. It’s not the next Harry Potter but there’s plenty of fun to be had along the way.
Henry Fitzgerald
10:15 PM, 29th October, 2010
The thinking behind You Again is simple – grab some talented actresses and contrive a set of circumstances where they can get into as many hilarious fights (verbal and physical) as possible. And while it’s certainly not going to challenge for any Oscars this year, seeing these girls chew up the scenery (and one another) certainly makes for an enjoyable evening.
The aforementioned contrived premise is as follows – Marni (Bell) goes back home to attend her brother’s wedding. When she gets there she discovers that the love of her brother’s life is the same girl that made Marni’s school life a living hell. To add to the tension, Ramona (Weaver) has just flown in to attend her niece’s wedding – she just so happens to be the school-day nemesis of Marni’s mother Gail (Curtis). Will these two sets of former rivals put their respective pasts behind them and merge seamlessly into one big “Brady Bunch” family? Well it is Disney, but thankfully the answer is no.
Throw in White as Marni’s grandmother and Kristin Chenoweth as the wedding planner caught in the middle and you have quite an ensemble of actresses (I think there may have been men in it too… doesn’t matter), all of whom were clearly having a lot of fun. You should too.
Pedr Cain