uberlibrarian

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one, when I read about Fred Astaire teaming up with George Burns & Gracie Allen in a movie with a script by P.G. Wodehouse and music by the Gershwins. It is definitely worth seeing, but lacks the cohesive quality of the Fred & Ginger movies.

The story would probably be better to read in a Wodehouse book, where the humor comes across better. Some of the acting is downright painful to watch (notably the young boy and the damsel).

But...! The funhouse dance is worth more than most movies. I never knew that Gracie Allen could dance, but boy does she in this movie. Have you ever tried to remain standing on one of those spinning discs in a funhouse? Imagine tapdancing on one in high heels! She keeps up wonderfully with Astaire and adds greatly to the overall quality of the picture.

Several nice songs, particularly fun are Nice Work if you Can Get It and Stiff Upper Lip.

Recommended for fans of Astaire, Burns & Allen. I had to go back and re-watch the funhouse dance as soon as the credits rolled.

I nearly didn't rent the DVD, because most of the reviews were so bad. I'm glad my love for Cole Porter led me to disregard them. I really don't care whether the movie is an accurate representation of Cole Porter's life. I don't care whether the sequence of the song performances was the same as when Porter wrote them. The movie is nice to look at, has a reasonably pleasant story, and contains absolutely fabulous music. I particularly enjoyed Robbie Williams singing It's De-Lovely and Alanis Morissette singing Let's Do It. The only thing I disliked was that the director (or Kevin Kline or someone) decided to keep the verisimilitude of Cole Porter's lack of singing talent. Kevin Kline can sing very nicely--too bad he didn't in this movie. And, as a big fan of Fred Astaire, it would have been nice to see some recreations of the collaborations between Astaire & Porter in introducing those terrific songs.

Recommended for those who are not purists, but who enjoy Cole Porter's music.

Garden State is a very enjoyable movie. I'm glad I didn't read all of the reviews before seeing it, because I think the movie is more fun when it's surprises are left to the view to discover.

Zach Braff does a good job with both acting and directing, and since he also wrote the script--he deserves the full credit for this creation.

Natalie Portman is terrific as the love interest. This is the first time I've seen her in a movie where I found her appealing.

The supporting cast is excellent. Jean Smart is particularly good as a zonked out, but very loving mother.

The soundtrack is sumptuous, and adds greatly to the movie.