Month in Review: April 2011

An old friend of mine was a frequent guest, and enjoyed watching films with me. Unusually, he seemed to have an aversion to comedies. I thought of him often in the last thirty days, as my analytical approach to criticism left me wanting.

If I’ve learned anything in our month of April foolishness, it’s that humour is tough to pin down. “Damn near impossible” if you want to know the truth. Only romance rivalled the challenge in evaluating these movies, as much an instinctive task as a conscious one.

And so here are my funny and frustrating five: favourites, surprises, disappointments, and least-liked, as well as the movie I’d most like to see based on the words of our resident Ferrellophile . . . madam, are you quite sure you’re a goth?

Favourite Film:
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) on 2011/04/06

“I could easily conclude by saying “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is The Mechanic for thinkers”. However it would be more accurate to say it led me to revisit my criteria for a five-star evaluation. If those criteria include not being able to think of a single significant criticism, then this piece deserves such a score, without a doubt.”

Honourable Mention:
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) on 2011/04/25

Greatest Surprise:
Galaxy Quest (2000) on 2011/04/14

“Galaxy Quest is no Great Film. It’s not even up to the standards of the pieces it parodies. Its acting is hammy, its story cliche, and its production more cheesy than slick. Nevertheless, that’s as it should be. It doesn’t need to shoot for the stars. It just wants to goose those who do.”

Most Disappointing:
Duck Soup (1933) on 2011/04/02

“If entertainment doesn’t entertain because it’s too busy Being Artistic, or satirizing a now-bygone era, then I’d consider it a failure of sorts. The Marx Brothers’ humour didn’t reach me here. “Madcap mayhem” only sounds good in theory. In practice it’s just overwrought and tiresome. Duck Soup demanded both too much and too little, and thus never satisfied me.”

Least-Liked:
Kicking and Screaming (2005) on 2011/04/30

“Kicking and Screaming is random incompetence, kludged to feature length.”

Show Me:
Innocent Blood (1992) on 2011/04/19

“How best to describe Innocent Blood? True Blood meets the Sopranos? No, not quite. How about La Femme Nikita Is a Bloodsucking Fiend?

“There. That’s closer.”