rsyung

Eleven Eleven is a quirky, fun movie which transcends its budgetary limitations and is a mercifully good-natured tale of being true to yourself and following your muse, inspiration or harmless delusion, whatever the case may be. Of course, in Charles Baker's case (as Tim), delusion turns out to be reality, and it just serves to bind his family even tighter together.

Of course, adultery with an extraterrestrial immediately brings to mind the charge of "alienation of affection" that might go along with otherworldly infatuation, but so be it. Krista Allen is delightful as the naughty alien female, Andromeda, and Jennifer Pfalzgraff brings a well-grounded and even sympathetic performance as Eve, Tim's bible-thumping wife, who, in a less capable actor's hands, might have come off as just campy and off-putting.

The special effects are serviceable given the low budget nature of the film, but there is something to be said for a film that makes up for its flash and visual pizzazz with a warm hearted and genuinely funny story. Shot in Arizona, the natural landscape is integral to the story and becomes a character in its own right. Just one word of advice... if your closet is full of red shirts, you're just flirtin' with disaster.

Deadly Dance Mom is one of those movies you have to be in the mood for. If you want women-in-jeopardy, Lifetime Channel-type fare, it might be just the ticket. Acting is adequately over the top when it needs to be, the production values are surprisingly good for a low budget TVM, and the story moves along at a healthy clip. Beverley Mitchell is sweet but not saccharine as the mother of the more talented dance girl, and Christina Cox as the malicious titular dance mom is so out of control she almost elicits sympathy. As she weaves her tangled web of malice and deceit, we are swept along for the ride, wondering what evil deed she has next up her sleeve. When she receives her comeuppance (and a probable prison term) at the end, the ultimate family tragedy of a broken home is made good by the dad's renewed commitment to her daughter, and the bond of friendship now reaffirmed between the two girls. Perfectly suited to a "personal day" at home with a hot tea or glass of chardonnay, some fluffy pillows, and a turned-off cell phone.

Our Wife is one of those Laurel and Hardy comedies that at first seem so broad and farcical (it is) but upon multiple viewings, reveal a surprising number of beautiful subtleties. I know, because my two-year- old son loves it and constantly requests it…sometimes twice a day. Look at Stan, re-entering the room after having been quickly ushered out by Ollie, who wants some privacy to talk to his beloved. It is a completely guileless gesture, just like(need I say it) a two-year-old's response to a restriction he doesn't recognize as such. And Stan's satisfied smile when Ollie explains "Why, you're the best man!" And no small credit goes to Babe London as Ollie's betrothed. Just look at her expression of guarded optimism as Justice of the Peace Ben Turpin goes through his auctioneering gibberish during the ceremony. Then, notice Ben at the fadeout. After mistakenly marrying Stan to Ollie, all he seems interested in is pushing through the group in his living room and rushing back to bed. Even their struggles to get into that 1930 American Austin Coupe, the depression era's version of the Mini-Cooper, is doubly funny when considering the context, that of a rushed getaway. The time-space continuum "takes five" as they try to maneuver themselves into the car. Ollie's exasperated query: "What did you want to hire a thing like this for?" goes unanswered, hinting at an excised shot or two, but it also signifies the boy's quick acceptance of obstacles thrown in their path and their earnest attempts to overcome them. The whole movie is a series of set pieces in which the boys go through the minimal obligatory motions of an adult rite-of-passage: the one-layer cake, frosting peeling off like a tree shedding bark, the minimal wedding decorations, the quick spray of dried rice and a shoe to the head, the mumbled wedding vows, the pro-forma "Congratulations, my boy, you've married the sweetest girl in all the world!" from the justice of the peace… it's all about two little boys playing grown-up, and overcoming the brief lacuna of adulthood and ending up back together again.