thomas4cinema

Very strange. Me of all people watching two comedies within two days (which have been comedies number 2 and three within the last 12 months, I guess), and most weirdly finding that the same guy plays a lead character in both.

I watched Superbad first, and it was interesting to wonder (again, after “Knocked Up”, which was number one of the last 12 months’ comedies I watched) why this specific film has created so much critics’ blitz. It has its moments, the cops on their own psychedelic night roam are quite fun, the nerdy fat guy and the quiet loser are a well-proven constellation to create some teenage party amusement. Interesting also to see how the third lead character (McLove) increasingly takes over and makes it basically his film from halfway through the action (culminating in a well-deserved, yet interrupted “Oh my God, it’s actually in!”). But then again: will be part of the big blur into which all those avergage film merge at the end of the day. (IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0829482/)

“Juno” may be a bit different in that respect. First of all, because the actors are way more sophisticated. Not only Ellen Page of grisly “Hard Candy” fame (bitch! I never will be able to feel sympathy for her misery again after that…), but also in particular the newspaper editor from the “Spiderman” franchise, making it (weird again) the second time in three days (after the completely out of place performance of McGuire in “The Good German”) that I see Spiderman people outside Spiderman – only much better here. It is absolutely useful to have two or three beers to get your humour and sentiments liberated before you start watching, but then it is an absolutely hilarious and funny ride. It is a lot about catchy one-liners (“I was hoping she was expelled or into hard drugs” – “Have you ever felt like you were born to do something? – Yes, heating and air conditioning.” – “Being pregnant makes me pee like Seabiscuit.”), but that’s not half of it. The characters are just utterly friggin’ cool (father, stepmother, girlfriend, boyfriendandimpregnatorofSuperbadfame) or absolutely despicable (all evil happening to that Jennifer Garner character in her hopefully long life is well deserved in advance). And it’s moving and tear-jerking – oh when she kisses the child’s father near the end and finds out what true love is … As I said, it helps to be a little bit drunk, but then it’s really entertaining and rewarding. (IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467406/)