By Leslie Combemale
It is true that some of the most anticipated movies of the summer in the world of Disney, sci-fi geekdom and pop culture debuted this weekend.
"Elysium," starring Matt Damon and Jodi Foster, Pixar's "Planes," and the latest Percy Jackson movie all opened for the weekend. The raunch-com "We're the Millers" was released Wednesday. All will do at least respectably if not monumentally at the box office, and certainly "Elysium" is good enough to spend money to see, but that is not the movie about which Cinema Siren is singing today.
How absolutely wonderful to have a chance to tell you about another wonderful movie.
"The Spectacular Now," an indie movie that made a huge splash at Sundance — winning special Jury Prize there, and nominated for Grand Jury Prize — was released Friday as well. This well-written and inventive coming of age story starring Shailene Woodley ("The Descendents") and Miles Teller ("21 and Over") not only begs your attention but deserves it, and it also deserves to trounce all competition.
Why? When was the last time you saw a coming of age movie that actually captures the awkwardness and flitting butterflies of first love without compromising in the last few minutes? Authenticity should certainly be lauded in film and be reflected in box office receipts. Here is a case where we as an audience can help make that happen.
The story is of Sutter Keely, the king of his teenage world, who falls for good girl Aimee, and the experiences and interactions that ensue. There aren't big events, but little moments — successes and failures that bring to mind our own early moments of growth, however challenging.
Remember the confusion, the dizziness? It's all here, and written with truth. Remember darkness from your younger days? Well, there's darkness here. The screenwriters are known for "(500) Days of Summer." Also present are Jennifer Jason Leigh — who seems to sniff out great projects — and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who has an understandable fan base.
This is not a formula picture. It builds real characters you learn to care about and appreciate. The screenplay and the actors are the stars here, making the hype over the last year about Woodley well founded. "The Spectacular Now" will get under your skin and stay there.
"The Spectacular Now" is playing at the E Street Cinema in Washington and the Angelika Film Center Mosaic in Fairfax. Click here for showtimes.
Leslie Combemale, "Cinema Siren," is a movie lover and aficionado in Northern Virginia. Alongside Michael Barry, she owns ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery in Reston Town Center. She has a background in film and art history. She often is invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic Con. In 2013 she will moderate "Legendary Animators of Classic '60s Cartoons" at SDCC. She previously moderated "The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster" and is a perennial panelist on the Harry Potter Fandom panel. Visit her art gallery online at www.artinsights.com, and see more of her reviews and interviews on www.artinsightsmagazine.com.
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