Newspaper Page Text
rmm> reviews
Bridget Jones Is Back, Baby
PLUS, A REMAKE, A BIG-BUDGET BOMB AND A BEATLES DOC
By Drew Wheeler movies@flagpole.com
BRIDGET JONES’S BABY (R) The first Bridget
Jones movie was perfectly acceptable; the
second one, Edge of Reason, was complete
rubbish. It is fitting that the third, Bridget
Jones’s Baby, reverts back to the norm of
the franchise’s first feature. The third movie
milks some pretty predictable gags for all
they are hysterically worth.
Renee Zellweger and Colin
Firth return as on-again, off-again,
on-again lovers Bridget Jones and
Mark Darcy. But the triangle’s third
leg, Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver,
has been replaced by American
billionaire Jack Qwant, played by
Patrick Dempsey. And the triangle
has become a rectangle, because
Bridget is now pregnant, but by
whom—her acknowledged soul
mate, Mark, or the cute new guy,
Jack?
The whole movie plays like a
big-screen sitcom, but the play
ers are charming. The screenplay
by author Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer and
Emma Thompson—whose brief appear
ances as Bridget’s doctor are highlights—is
witty when necessary and broadly comic
the rest of the time. Some inane workplace
antics about young, hipster bosses bomb,
as does the faux-Pussy Riot subplot. These
weak additions plump the running time
above two hours and drag down what would
otherwise have been a nice hour-and-40-
minute romcom.
BLAIR WITCH (R) I find the new Blair Witch
difficult to review. I have adored director
Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett’s
prior work going back to A Horrible Way
to Die; You’re Next did not achieve half the
success it should have. Their secretive con
tinuation of the Blair Witch franchise has
so much less ambition than the lambasted
sequel, Book of Shadows, but works as a
remake for horror fans who don’t remem
ber its 1999 predecessor.
Atlanta native James Allen McCune stars
as the brother of The Blair Witch Project’s
Heather, who has been missing since the
footage for the original film was discovered.
James, several friends and some townies
(including Valorie Curry, Emma Hill from
“The Following”) spend multiple nights in
the Black Hills of Maryland. Despite new
technology like drones and first-person
enabling cameras, Blair Witch tells the same
tale in much the same way, just louder.
Without getting spoiler-y, the final act
does little to dispel comparisons to the
superior original. The Blair Witch Project is
scarier and more successfully establishes a
real world captured in found foot
age. The new movie is not bad, but
it definitely disappointed this fan of
its precursor.
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK-
THE TOURING YEARS (NR) The Beatles
are amazing. Ron Howard’s Beatles
doc probably does not contain any
information that will amaze die
hard fans, but they still will not
want to miss the live performances
and interviews that are included.
Following the Beatles through
out the years they were touring
(hence, The Touring Years), this doc
umentary captures the band at its
height. Pop success stories like the Beatles
seem to recur monthly nowadays. But per
sonalities like John, Paul, George and Ringo
are one of kind, and the film reminds us
how cheekily charming they were.
Whether or not you love the Beatles,
this doc is bound to spread their infectious
backbeat. The only other film as likely to
achieve this goal is the classic mockumen-
tary A Hard Day’s Night. Be sure to check it
out at Cine (through Sept. 22) for exclusive
footage from the landmark show at Shea
Stadium.
SNOWDEN (R) With Snowden, Academy
Award winner Oliver Stone delivers his
most clear-headed work since the 1990s (I
would say since Nixon). The film dramatizes
the already dramatic tale of traitor-or-hero
Edward Snowden, who is beautifully and
completely inhabited by Joseph Gordon-
Levitt.
Anyone who has seen the superior
documentary Citizenfour will be familiar
with the film’s frame. Snowden is in hid
ing in Hong Kong and telling his story to
documentarian Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo)
and Guardian journalists Glenn Greenwald
(Zachary Quinto) and Ewen MacAskill (Tom
Wilkinson). The rest of the time, Stone and
co-writer Kieran Fitzgerald re-create and
fictionalize the events and people that lead
to Snowden’s tremendous act.
Anyone wanting to really understand
Snowden should watch Citizenfour; Stone’s
film will certainly provide viewers with
what they need to know about Snowden’s
treason and/or heroism—like how it was
influenced by Rhys Ifans (the naked room
mate from the underrated Notting Hill) and
Nicolas Cage, who is welcome but abjectly
superfluous.
JGL’s performance is the only highly
commendable aspect of Snowden. The film
is like Snowden 101 when a grad-level class
(psst... Citizenfour) is already available to
everyone. Both are highly watchable. One
has Joseph Gordon-Levitt; the other is his
tory writ with lightning. ©
RUHR WITCH FLICK-SKINNY
So dog eta (A laVe. ^o's CosfoMcc v*n+r> TheU/deo Stone t
V/rtS'fape'IW’ 9ys "BWsvJ'.lle.MDWt z
SUoU if. SoT«M If Svricosfj WeJ Mt
GwfleKh ^ Grtach! M, wriualfy & 1*™«* ~*
kif1W<dr«s uJkvtif W Sef-yf scenes <W
Hvj SisWlVoi/U up. , , i
i\s <\ (confide \SzJ \ea tvo ol of Tfe-
a.td Mtj oo&c 5i l 6-feic i '
l/lOUldM M 3 dirties
fte, rurmiri# levies bt-inj
sWihj Wf ke/c &ue*\ Tke.
pef-op Scenes cl<z VjoKif loduci^ffy
g,aiV\6-
9o\f\b[
-
Bet* 6 - , t
3
\5 vs c\ f ai/\d 1W art Som Securts ,bof bj'foe Se./W
){ ^oo fealizeWs is a\\ ^osf HIoiaimW levies people
\ v\aMe5^naoSeuiA.' l AsLiley 7 AsUe^?AsMe^^/
l... /Vje-i)rJi7C^ef A©Ue^f dfeadtfj Skes
QYfO. plus, (/Okoi
flll *5 " lost
bp* £ ^ ^
Itort were
AesWejOsi Uh4«
\Qt»f5 aiAid is f/ \\" ]
off.
Jsf brfrjs | l l \^Mi
Jive beW'
-twea
So<~ IB . ,, \
ART HOUSE THEATER DAY
PHANTASM
LIVESTREAM Q&A
„ j with DIRECTOR
i; DON COSCARELLI
I T® _ SATURDAY
l W/ ^ SEPT 24
FAMILY
MATINEES
SEP 24-25
Paramedical
Micropigment
Implantation
Classes
September 25-28
Focusing on:
1. Scar Correction
2. Hair Follicle Restoration
3. Tattoo Removal
No Experience Necessary!
Call 706-255-5897
for more info
Class held in Athens
www.micropigmentimplantation.com
FALL = FOOTBALL
Come Watch at
Monday-Thursday • 4pm-2am
Friday & Saturday • Noon-2am
Sunday • 11 am-12am
1354 Prince Ave.
in Normaltown
SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 -FLAGPOLE.COM 19