Film Screening 28th February, 2014

Poster for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 

7:30 PM, 28th February, 2014
No Guests

  • PG
  • 114 mins
  • 2013
  • Ben Stiller
  • Steve Conrad
  • Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Sean Penn

Walter Mitty (Stiller) leads a completely dull outer life, as a lowly “Life” magazine employee in charge of the negatives that their photographers submit from all over the world. However, like all of us, he leads a secret inner life.

In this second adaptation of the short story by James Thurber, Walter’s heroic fantasies are brought to vivid life; contrasted with his humdrum real-life existence, where he lacks the courage to even speak to attractive co-worker Cheryl (Wiig). One of his fantasies even involves him rescuing the inhabitants of a burning building.

We find out that the magazine is moving to an online version, which means that Walter and many others will be losing their jobs. When a negative by genuine adventurer and the magazine’s ace photographer Sean O’Connell (Penn) meant for the final cover goes missing, Walter’s chance to have a real adventure may finally have come. If he can find the courage to take it, his fantasy life may come into the real world at last.

With thrilling special effects and a heartfelt story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a well-deserved summer hit, and another triumph for actor/director Ben Stiller.

Katie Taylor

Poster for Enough Said

Enough Said 

9:34 PM, 28th February, 2014

  • M
  • 93 mins
  • 2013
  • Nicole Holofcener
  • Nicole Holofcener
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette

It is unfortunate that we won’t see more movies starring James Gandolfini as his best years exploring the roles he could take on were still before him. Best known for his hardline roles as gangsters (his portrayal of Tony Soprano in “The Sopranos” continues to be lauded as one of TV’s greatest roles) and underhanded sleazy bosses (like his roles in Killing Them Softly & 8mm), Gandolfini surely was only starting to explore his repertoire. His performance in the romantic comedy Enough Said ventures into the sweet and softly spoken side of this gruff actor, which is pleasantly surprising.

His presence in this movie beams a charming light on a story that is heartwarming but not hokey enough to be vomit-inducing. Louis-Dreyfus plays Eva, a masseuse who is plagued by middle-aged singledom but finds an unlikely attraction for Albert (Gandolfini) when she meets him at a pool party.

They’re both imperfect, but they discover more about each other’s unique quirks and tolerate them in a very believable, down-to-earth way. The relationship runs into trouble however, when Marianne – one of Eva’s clients – is discovered to be Albert’s ex-wife and questions get answered as to whether those unique quirks are actually becoming issues.

Enough Said is a mature, thought-provoking adult dramedy that doesn’t stay within the lines of the rom-com movie rules, which is pretty refreshing to see. The plus of seeing one of Gandolfini’s finest performances is an added delight.

Philippe Perez