Quick takes (part 2)

"Becoming Jane" -- Any movie with a fan blog as good as this one has to have something going for it: sure, Jane Austen brings her own fan club with her wherever she goes, but I think this movie's success is due more to the charming, assured performance by the Prada Princess herself, Anne Hathaway (if "Brokeback Mountain" had a 'P' in it, I would have referenced that, too). She silences all doubters that a lowly American can play a Brit convincingly (didn't Katy, Texas-native Renee Zellweger silence those haters once and for all?). The historical jumping-off point for the story is purely fictional, but I jumped anyway, and enjoyed the trip!

"The Jane Austen Book Club" -- Speaking of Jane Austen fan clubs, this movie is a tailor-made chick-flick: it's all about relationships, talking about relationships, book clubs, more talking ... and I loved every minute of it! Interesting characters, clever plotting, appealing performances (especially by Emily Blunt, and my fave, Maria Bello), all make you overlook the unconvincing, politically-correct lesbian subplot (all the lesbians are 'hot': how unbelievable is that!?) and the predictability of it all.

"Gone Baby Gone" -- major props to Ben Affleck in his directing debut. The guy was obviously paying attention on the set. He smartly stays in the milieu he is most comfortable: the mean streets of Dorchester, South Boston. And boy are they mean! He brings an obvious affection for the neighborhood and its denizens, while not shying away from the ugly side (and boy does it get ugly!). Amy Ryan is awesome in bringing both sides to life. An effective crime thriller that doesn't shy away from hard-to-answer questions (impressively, it tackles them head-on), this Dennis Lehane story is just a notch below the previous film adaptation of his work, "Mystic River." And a notch below Clint Eastwood is a good place to start.

"Lars & the Real Girl" -- this movie is the cream of the crop, even though it is getting panned as cloying and unbelievable. The guy falls in love with a blow-up doll: what part do you not believe? In a more convincing portrayal than his excellent performance in "Half Nelson", the great Ryan Gosling makes you believe! I bought in to the sadness behind this slapstick premise, precisely because of Gosling's totally committed performance. The supporting cast all bought into it, too, which makes it a more heart-wrenching than laugh-out-loud comedy.

--Hey, I liked all four movies: how unbelievable is that!?! -- ffg