SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE- Movie Review

SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE- Expectations can be a bitch. Going into a film with high expectations can lead to disappointment and, in the worst cases, feelings that you’ve wasted two hours of your life. Going into relationships with expectations set too high? Well, that’s simply a recipe for disaster. 

She’s Out Of My League– much like its central character, Kirk, a nerdy airport security agent pining for an abusive ex-girlfriend who still hangs out with his abusive family– benefits greatly from lowered expectations. It’s got a no-name director (Jim Field Smith), a star (Jay Baruchel) who would barely qualify for the Hollywood C-list, and about as much hype as a new Starbucks. But in the end it delivers both laughs and emotion, balancing absurdist comedy and genuine drama with a deft, nimble touch. 

The story follows Kirk’s budding relationship with Molly (Alice Kim), the upscale event planner referenced in the title. Nobody can believe these two opposites belong together, least of all Kirk, and the film derives huge laughs from watching their disparate worlds collide.  But as crazy as Kirk’s friends and family are, Baruchel and Kim keep the film grounded by playing the emotions of their love for real, even when the circumstances surrounding them border on ridiculous. 

In the end, this heartwarming coming-of-age comedy about nice guys finishing first plays like a Judd Apatow film without Judd Apatow… or big stars… or hype. And yes, that is a VERY good thing. (B) –Bret Love

(originally appeared in INsite)

MORNING, SUNSHINE!- My Interview w/Robin Meade

SUNSHINE SUPER(WO)MAN- ROBIN MEADE ON SELF ESTEEM, CONFIDENCE & EMBRACING YOUR INNER BITCH

by Bret Love

 

As the perennially perky host of HLN’s Morning Express, Robin Meade would seem to have it all: She’s funny, informed and drop-dead gorgeous. But as the former Miss Ohio explains in her new book, Morning, Sunshine, she wasn’t always so well put-together. Before landing an anchor job with the network then known as CNN’s Headline News, Meade suffered a series of anxious panic attacks that nearly derailed her career. Now, having conquered her own self-esteem issues, she’s on a mission to help others do the same. We recently sat down with the 40-year-old hottie for a candid talk that covered everything from growing up the daughter of a minister to being named “Sexiest Newscaster” in Playboy poll.

 

 

What was your childhood like, growing up in small-town Ohio?

 

I think the small-town lifestyle definitely had a big impact on my confidence level. When you grow up in a small town, you don’t get away with anything because it always gets back to your parents. My town was so small, we were allowed to go out for lunch downtown at the pizza joint and come back to school, and they trusted us to come back on time. It was so small, there were never enough kids for all the extracurricular activities, so you got to do whatever you wanted and never had to worry about being cut. That’s really good for your self-esteem! (Laughs)

 

How did your father being a minister impact you?

 

Well, he was an associate minister, but he refused pay. During the week he worked in a factory as a full-time manual laborer, and my mom worked in a different manufacturing plant as a manager. So I would get the union line from him and the managerial line from her, which really taught me to be balanced in how I viewed things. So now job I know that there are always two sides to every story, because I grew up seeing it in my own household.

 

When did you first realize you wanted to get into news?

 

My senior year of high school I took an aptitude test and the results showed that I was all about creative writing and reading comprehension. At the bottom it asked in what field you’d like to use these traits, but I didn’t know what to write. My friend had gotten similar results, and she wrote down that she wanted to be a broadcast news journalist. I thought that was a great idea, so that’s what I wrote down. Isn’t that terrible? (Laughs) I’d always asked a lot of questions and had a knack for making people feel comfortable talking about themselves, which played very well into this field. I remember when I entered a Junior Miss pageant and wrote down that I wanted to follow in Diane Sawyer’s footsteps, and my mom was like, “Honey, let’s write down something a bit more realistic!” It seemed like such a foreign idea for this kid from a cornfield to be like, “I wanna be on TV!”

 

Do you think being a beauty pageant winner helped or hindered your effort to break into the field?

 

It definitely helped me break into the field. I was competing for the title of Miss Ohio, and my first job was at a TV station that also happened to broadcast the pageant. So when I went in for my interview, the general manager already recognized me and gave me the chance of a lifetime. They had a TV station and an AM and FM radio station, and when you worked there you did it all. I carried my own camera, shot my own stories, edited them to create radio and TV versions… it was the single best learning experience about the mechanics of TV journalism. Then, when I won Miss Ohio in 1992, I got a job as an anchor at a station in Cleveland. So it definitely helped me break in, but I don’t think it did me any favors as far as being taken seriously, and by the time I got to Chicago I’d learned to just shut up about it! (Laughs)

 

What made you decide to write Morning, Sunshine at this juncture in your career?

 

One of the editors at the book company actually came to me because she liked the show and had a feeling there was more to me than meets the eye. She asked if I’d like to write a book and, if so, what I would write about. When I thought about what would have meaning for my viewers, I thought about trying to get through my panic attacks because it caused me to really examine myself. So many people see people on TV or in their office and think, “Oh, they’ve got it so easy!” because the grass is always greener on the other side. But I think if we as human beings could learn to talk about our problems, we’d know that life’s path is not always easy and get rid of the stigma that surrounds anxiety.

 

You talk about embracing your inner bitch: How do you suppress that desire to be liked all the time, and where do you draw the line as far as being TOO bitchy?

 

(Laughs) When I say embrace your inner bitch, it doesn’t mean I think we should zoom down and strike our neighbors with lightning bolts. It’s an internal thing: People-pleasers, when they stand up for themselves, have an immediate fear of the repercussions instead of just saying no. If you are going to stand up, draw a line and set boundaries, you have to learn to live with that and stop second-guessing yourself. You have to think, “Okay, they’re not gonna like me now, but what are the benefits of them not liking me?” Which is a tough thing for a people-pleaser to do.

 

Finding balance is something a lot of people wrestle with. How do you know when you find it, or is it constant struggle that never really resolves itself?

 

Whenever I come to a place of conflict or decision-making in my own life, I recognize the pendulum in my brain that goes back and forth, considering the good and bad of each decision. Once you can make it be still and come to the middle, you’ve balanced your thought process. You have to do the same thing with yourself: You’re not all good, you’re not all bad, you just are who you are. As far as balancing time, I think it’s constantly changing. But if you recognize that life isn’t all about work and it isn’t all about your marriage or your kids, then you’re finding that balance.

 

Everything you write about in the book is great, but some people may look at you– former Miss Ohio, voted sexiest newscaster by Playboy readers– and wonder you could relate to what the average girl is going through. What would you say to them?

 

Well, self-esteem isn’t always about your appearance. For me, it was about being liked and being likeable. I completely understand that someone could say, “You work in a visual medium, how can you not be confident?” But that has nothing to do with the inner turmoil of the soul and the brain. No matter what the roots of your self-esteem issues are, I think it helps to learn how to make a better assessment of yourself. You have to balance the things you don’t like about yourself with an honest assessment of the things you’re good at. I could be the simplest thing, but if you have some things you are confident about it can help you realize that the thing you aren’t confident about is not the whole of your being.

 

As a guy, I'm curious what we can do to help when our wives or girlfriends are wrestling with issues of confidence and self-esteem?

 

My husband actually took an extreme measure and went to his chiropractor, who said she helped people with mental breakthroughs, and said, “Oh my god, she needs help!” And thank goodness he did, because now we have this story and we can tell the rest of the world and hopefully it helps other people. But I think you can tell someone about all the positive things you see that they should be confident about, and it doesn’t have to be about their appearance. In fact, sometimes it’s better if it’s not. Once they write out all the reasons they have to be confident, it can bring their opinions of themselves up. So it’s really all about encouraging them and just being a good listener.

 

What do you hope people will get out of reading the book?

 

I hope they’ll understand that just because someone is a public figure, it doesn’t mean their life is a fairy tale. We can all learn something from each other. But most of all I hope that the little confidence-boosters I have in there can help them examine why they don’t have confidence. I hope they’ll emerge from it a better person, feeling better about themselves. 

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)

March DVD Reviews

Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season- In TV, you’re lucky to be associated with one classic show. With Breaking Bad, writer/director/producer Vince Gilligan (The X-Files) has two. This 4-DVD set finds chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) battling chemotherapy, domestic problems, inept assistant Jesse (Aaron Paul) and aggressive competition as he tries to build sales for his meth operation. Extras include commentaries, deleted scenes, making-of features, 6 original Webisodes and more.

The Princess and the Frog- Back in the ‘80s, Disney went through a major slump before The Little Mermaid ushered in a new era of animated excellence. Here’s hoping this amazing hand-drawn musical about an African-American girl (Anika Noni Rose) struggling to open up her own New Orleans restaurant will do the same. It’s got everything you want in a Disney flick– a strong heroine, humor, heart, wacky sidekicks, a great villain– plus a killer Jazz Age soundtrack. Oodles of DVD extras make it a must-own.

Swedish Auto- Beautifully shot and acted, this quiet, though-provoking slice of indie filmmaking stars Lukas Haas (“Witness”) as Carter, a quiet, cerebral auto mechanic who falls for Darla (Mad Men’s January Jones), a shy diner waitress with a troubled home life. At a time of year when there’s not much worth seeing at the multiplex, Swedish Auto is the perfect anecdote to loud, abrasive, big budget Hollywood movies. 

The T.A.M.I. Show- Released on DVD for the first time, this historic concert was filmed live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1964, and has never been seen in its entirety since it originally appeared in theaters. The show features an incredible lineup of ‘60s rock talent, including the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and more. Extras include director commentary and a 20-page booklet with rare photos and memorabilia.

We Live in Public- The latest Sundance Grand Jury Documentary winner from Ondi Timoner (Dig!) explores the effects the Internet is having on our society as seen through the eyes of web pioneer Josh Harris, whom the director filmed for over a decade. Harris believed the virtual world would inevitably control our lives. Through his experiments– including six months living with his girlfriend under constant online surveillance– he demonstrated the price we will all ultimately pay for abandoning our privacy.

 

 

OTHER MARCH DVD RELEASES

 

March 2- Cold Souls • Gentlemen Broncos • Ponyo • The Private Lives of Pippa Lee • Return to the 36^th Chamber • 2012 • Where the Wild Things Are

 

March 9- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day • Capitalism: A Love Story • Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum • Fix • Old Dogs • Planet 51 • Precious • Turn the Beat Around • Up in the Air

 

March 16- Armored • Astro Boy • Bandstand • Brief Interviews With Hideous Men • Broken Embraces • Did You Hear About the Morgans? • The Fourth Kind • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVII •

Ninja Assassin • South Park: The Complete 13th Season • Wonderful World

 

March 20- The Twilight Saga: New Moon

 

March 23- The Blind Side • Fantastic Mr. Fox • Mad Men: Season Three • The Men Who Stare at Goats • Red Cliff

 

March 30- Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel • An Education • The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty • Sherlock Holmes • Sports Night: The Complete First Season 

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)

THE PAGE'S TURN- My Interview w/30 Rock's Jack McBrayer

THE PAGE’S TURN

WITH AN EMMY NOD FOR 30 ROCK, JACK MCBRAYER HAS HIS MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

By Bret Love

 

It’s not difficult to gauge the impact the scene-stealing role of Kenneth Parcell has had on 30 Rock star Kenneth McBrayer’s career. Before he was cast on the critically acclaimed show (which has won 14 Emmys and been nominated for an amazing 37 more), McBrayer’s biggest claim to fame was a 2-episode stint on Arrested Development; now he’s got a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nod under his belt, not to mention roles in hit films like Talladega Nights, Walk Hard and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. We recently caught up with the 36-year-old actor to discuss his Southern roots, improv background and what’s next for everyone’s favorite NBC page in the fourth season of 30 Rock.

 

 

You actually grew up in Georgia, didn’t you?

 

Yeah, I lived in Macon until I was 15 and then I went to high school in Conyers, which is a little suburb right outside Atlanta.

 

How has being so Southern impacted your ability to get ahead in show business? Did you have any problems before 30 Rock with people wanting you to get rid of the accent?

 

Yes, absolutely! But it was one of those things where it's like, this is what I have to work with. You know, if they said, “I wish you were shorter,” there's not really a lot I can do about that either. So you just maximize your assets and minimize your liabilities and hope that something will stick to the wall at one point.

 

You've done improv for years at Upright Citizens Brigade, improvOlympic and Second City. How did that training help when went into acting for television and film?

 

I think in a very general sense doing improv taught me to be prepared for anything and just roll with the punches. It’s also about working together with a group to create something that's ideally funny at the end of the day. In terms of making it easy to work with this group in particular, anything that the writers give you– no matter how ludicrous it is– you're like, “Yes I will do this and do it with gusto!” So it’s just about commitment to their ideas, and a lot of that I did learn through improv.

 

You initially worked with Tina Fey at iO and Second City, right? Could you talk about working with her?

 

Oh God, absolutely. I wouldn't be talking to you right now if it weren't for old Tina Fey. I was in Chicago for seven years, 1995-2002, and that is where I met Tina. Her husband, Jeff Richmond, was my first director at Second City. Although I probably knew Jeff better than Tina there, when I moved to New York I got to know her and her comedy better. Chicago totally prepared me 100% for what I'm doing now. And it’s weird that, without even knowing it, I was networking back then and it really did get me to where I am.

 

Your comedic timing is excellent. Was that something that always came naturally to you or did you have to work at it?

 

Well, I always enjoyed making people laugh when I was growing up and being in school and stuff. But I spent several years at the Second City and improvOlympic in Chicago, and that's where I honed my skills. But I'm telling you, the writing here on 30 Rock makes it so easy. Even if I had the worst timing in the world, these guys will make you look funny week after week.

 

How much interplay is there between the writers and performers? Do you guys ever improvise stuff that makes it into the script?

 

There's very little improv involved with this, mainly because the writers do such a good job in the first place. Also, what I didn't realize getting into this is that a 30-minute sitcom is actually only 21.5 minutes, so there ain't a lot of breathing room. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, so we've just been trusting the writers for the most part.

 

Do you have any favorite episodes of 30 Rock?

 

Oh, definitely! I’ve enjoyed so many of the episodes, but I guess one that really sticks out in my mind is where Kenneth has a party at his apartment that everybody has to get an invitation to. We only saw three seconds of the actual party, but it was just so fun shooting that because it's so rare that the entire cast gets together. In Season 1 I had to play a poker game with Alec Baldwin's character. That was fun, but also very scary because I still wasn't real familiar with Alec Baldwin as a person, so I was very grateful that I had to be nervous during that scene.

 

Are there any roles other than Kenneth you’ve played that you especially enjoyed?

 

Yeah! I mean, I haven't even done too many other gigs, but in Forgetting Sarah Marshall I just loved being a newlywed at a Hawaiian resort. So if you’ve got any more roles like that, please feel free to pass those on to my people. (Laughs)

 

You're so closely identified with Kenneth now. When you’re on hiatus and doing other things, are you actively trying to get away from that type of role?

 

Unfortunately I'm not that great of an actor! (Laughs) I can lose the navy blazer, but that's about it. No, I know what I can do and what I like to do and they're pretty much along those same veins, so when people are tired of seeing that then I might flex some other muscles. But right now I'm real happy with where I am and what people are asking me to do.

 

Tina Fey has said that she created the character for you and made Kenneth a lot like you. What are the things you have in common with him?

 

Well, I think just very generally being a people-pleaser and always wanting to do good at my job. And I will be the first to admit that sometimes I'm not exactly sure how this big world works, but I just try to cope with it as well as I can.

 

What continues to challenge you about the role now that you’re four seasons into 30 Rock’s run?

 

Well, it sounds like I'm complaining, but if this is the worst part then I guess I'm doing all right. Sometimes I just have to have a LOT of caffeine to be that peppy at ungodly hours in the morning or at night, you know? Sometimes I'm like, “Oh, daddy needs a nap!” That's where the Diet Mt. Dew comes in handy and all is well.

 

Why do you think people continue to tune in and watch the show?

 

Well, what we’ve found is that it is just so relatable as a workplace comedy. Anybody who's ever had a job has had a domineering boss or very needy coworkers or just crazy people around. So in that sense I think that people can just relate to it.

 

With the economy nudging companies to hire more interns as the new entry-level positions, do you think Kenneth is becoming a hero of this rising young working class?

 

Well, the thing about posing yourself as a hero is that one day it's going to bite you in the ass! (Laughs) My only frame of reference for the role that I'm playing and the people that I deal with are the real-life pages over at Rockefeller Center. So far they seem happy with the way they're being depicted and how they're being treated by people, but I’m always awaiting the day that kind of thing will come back and get you.

 

What do you think of Community joining your Thursday night comedy block?

 

I'm a big fan of it! One of the actors on the show was previously one of our writers– Donald Glover, who plays Troy on Community– so I'm real happy for him. And honestly I'm just happy whenever NBC gets anything fun and enjoyable on there because, you know, TV is just a very tenuous area right now. I'm like, let's go with anything that might stick around for a while!

 

Can you talk a little bit about what storylines Kenneth might have coming up this season?

 

Well, it’s pretty much my usual high-jinx. We do have a little bit of fun with Kenneth in a couple of things. I don't think I'll get in trouble here, but at one point Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey's characters go down to Kenneth's hometown of Stone Mountain, GA for a talent search. I think some of the characters that you will see in that hometown might resemble Kenneth quite a bit, but you have to look closely. It’s kind of like Where's Waldo, but we had some fun with that. Otherwise it's just the usual stuff. Kenneth’s just always wanting to be the best at the job, as menial as it may be. The more menial, the better!

 

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)

 

DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM- movie review

DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM- When District 13 was released in 2004, it seemed to come out of nowhere, introducing American audiences to the French sport of parkour and establishing Pierre Morel (Taken) as one of the best action film directors in the business. Written by Luc Besson (The Professional, The Fifth Element), the story wasn’t the most original, following an undercover cop (Cyril Raffaelli) and an ex-thug (David Belle) attempting to infiltrate a gang in the ghettos of Paris in order to defuse a neutron bomb. But the action was spectacular, with scenes of Belle leaping from balcony to balcony to descend a high-rise building setting the stage for the sport’s mainstream exposure in the James Bond films. 

The sequel? Unfortunately, not so much. Besson’s script, which reunites Belle’s Lëito and Raffaelli’s Capt. Tomaso for a mission to bring peace among five rival gangs before a corrupt Secret Service leader convinces the President to nuke the whole district, seems outdated in its sociopolitical skewering. There’s virtually no parkour action to speak of, which puts all of the emphasis on plot and performance, which was never the original’s strong suit. Patrick Alessandrin isn’t quite the director Morel is: his editing lacks punch, his cinematography lacks style, and his storytelling lacks dramatic tension. 

The actors do the best they can with what they’re given, making what could’ve been an unmitigated disaster into a decent direct-to-DVD flick. Still, Ultimatum winds up being more of the same… only less. (D)  –BRET LOVE

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)

BEST MOVIE OF 2009- Up In The Air

“To know me is to fly with me,” says Ryan Bingham as he packs his bags and moves through the airport with rapier-like precision. “Everything you hate about travel… are warm reminders that I’m home.” It’s the perfect introduction to a man George Clooney was born to play. 

Bingham is a 21^st century gunslinger, hired to travel around the country firing employees their bosses are too timid to terminate. Bingham spends over 300 days a year on the road, and loathes every minute of the few days he’s home in Omaha. He finds comfort in first class upgrades, Admiral’s Club admission and frequent flyer miles (his dream is to become the 7^th person to reach 10 million). “Moving is living,” he says in his “What’s In Your Backpack” motivational speeches, avoiding emotional intimacy at all costs and considering commitment a fate worse than death. 

When he meets a fellow road warrior (Vera Farmiga) in a hotel bar, comparing reward program cards and discussing mile-high club experiences, it’s a match made in heaven. “Think of me as yourself,” she quips, “only with a vagina.” After a quick romp through the Kama Sutra, they’re coordinating schedules to arrange another rendezvous. That is, until Bingham’s upwardly mobile associate (Anna Kendrick) suggests the company fire people via teleconference, saving themselves thousands on travel costs. Bingham’s job may not be in jeopardy, but his nomadic lifestyle is, and there’s an undeniable air of comedic tension as he takes the young gun on the road to show her the ropes. 

Co-written and directed by Jason Reitman, Up In The Air is easily one of the year’s best films– an adult comedy that evenly balances humor and heart while tapping into our cultural zeitgeist by putting human faces on the economic downturn. Jason Bateman delivers another fine supporting turn as Bingham’s smarmy boss, while Kendrick proves one of the year’s best new talents as a recent college grad struggling to get ahead in her career while pursuing the traditional American family dream. 

The film wisely makes no character judgments, leaving it up to the audience to decide whether Bingham’s existence is a valid lifestyle choice or merely a self-protective emotional cocoon. It also offers no pat Hollywood resolutions, letting you figure out for yourself whether our dashing cowboy hangs up his hat for good or simply rides off into the sunset. (A)  –BRET LOVE

(originally appeared in INsite)