"The Weatherman"

Grade: C+

Variance, it can give a person room for error--a safety net of sort. But when the variance of youth becomes the precision of adulthood, some people are just not ready to adjust.

Nicholas Cage plays the role of a self-loathing Chicago weather reporter named Dave Spritz. His wife wants a divorce, his children are going through the tough times of adolescence, and his Pulitzer Prize-winning father is dying. For Spritz, the money and recognition of being a TV personality have provided no validation for his existence and throughout the first act of the movie, Spritz is high-strung and depressed. It is the age old tale of whether one's life has been productive. Is personal success and professional success mutually exclusive? "The Weather Man" explores this question and others through the vehicle of Spritz, a guy you can't help relating to, but also a guy you can't help but blame for his own personal demise.

Although much of the first act carries charm and candor, ultimately "The Weather Man" is a film that feels a bit hollow. Red Herrings are thrown at the audience, telling them that at any moment this picture is going to turn down a darker and creepier road, but all "The Weather Man's" streets are paved with predictability.

There are however, some very solid aspects of the picture. Hans Zimmer gives a spectacular score full of obscure ticks and tocks, that resemble a musical child born from Thomas Newman (Six Feet Under) and Michael Andrews (Donnie Darko).

The entire cast gives really strong performances, from Cage and on-screen father, Michael Caine, to his kids Mike and Shelly, played by Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy) and Gemmenne de la Pena (Erin Brockovich). The dynamic between Spritz and his father Robert is especially empathetic, resembling a dog bringing its aloof owner the morning paper, Dave does not adjust well to Robert's parenting style and even writes a novel in hopes to impress dear old dad. But it is the ailing Robert that gives son Dave the wisdom and guidance needed to become an admirable adult.

"The Weather Man" is a teeter-totter of a film. Its intentions are respected, but in the end the picture seems to give way to sap and redundancy. For all the good things "The Weather Man" has to offer, the forecast seems mixed; with some sunshine in the morning, ending in an overcast afternoon. But variance could cause a completely different outcome, depending on one's expectations.

--AM

"Shopgirl"

Grade: A-

"Shopgirl" is like biting into a Skittle with an overactive pituitary gland and discovering layer upon layer of wonderful, unknown flavor instead of the expected burst of manufactured, slapstick citrus.

Claire Danes, Jason Schwartzman, and Steve Martin star in this romantic drama, which is mistakenly advertised as a comedy. Danes carries the movie as Mirabelle, a lonely college graduate new to L.A. working at the glove counter in SAKS. Ray Porter, (Steve Martin), is an older wealthy business man who courts young Mirabelle, and eventually develops a substantial relationship with her. Jeremy, (Jason Schwartzman), is an eccentric, seemingly aloof roadie, who awkwardly pursues Mirabelle early in the film, leaves with a band, does some soul searching, and returns to pursue her again.

Although Schwartzman supplies much of the film's comic relief, the movie itself catches you off guard. Bittersweet, it grabs you with an incredibly lush score that weaves through the film almost operatically, taking you from one clean, strangely stark image to the next. Danes' performance is almost stoic in contrast to the much reserved performance of Martin, and the off-the-wall performance of Schwartzman, which leaves you on edge and thoroughly involved as these complicated characters work through imperfect relationships.

"Shopgirl" is easily one of the best romantic dramas this year, if not the best movie dealing with loneliness, unrequited love, and its consequences.

--BH
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