Not as zingy as his first semi-improvised comic mock-doc, “Incident At Loch Ness,” writer-director Zack Penn’s “The Grand” allows his actors a chance to chisel comic fineries with character consistency, if not always agreeable comic results. Unfortunately, the subject’s card playing, which like sex and infidelity is always a more interesting topic to those with hands in the pot than those outside. While there are bits from Woody Harrelson, David Cross, Dennis Farina, Cheryl Hines, Richard Kind, Ray Romano, Gabe Kaplan and Chris Parnell that miss and hit, I kept my eyes open for “The German”—Werner Herzog in another tasty passage of gleeful self-parody. Still, unlike recent Christopher Guest offerings, I didn’t feel like I needed a shower immediately afterward. There’s silliness here, but not much spite. 104m. (Ray Pride)
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
