Quarterly Movie Update

Only a few movies over the past 3 months, mostly because I have been busy with other things:

1. Theory of Everything: I watched the Stephen Hawking biopic on my flight home from Oslo. It certainly held my attention, though I have to admit that I still think of Hawking as a bit of an egotistical ass, which is not exactly atypical for a physicist. His wife came across better. I have no idea how accurate the whole thing was, but it was entertaining enough and I can't really ask for more on an in-flight movie.
   
   
2. Into the Woods: Oslo to Newark is a long flight. I like Sondheim. Sure, it's not as good as the live musical on stage. And the title song has all the annoyingness of a commercial jingle. But the performances were competent enough and some of the aspects of the show I like were left intact (e.g. the princes, the wolf). Bottom line is that it was entertaining enough to keep me occupied during a long trip.
   
   
3. You Can't Take It With You: I was predisposed to like this 1938 Oscar winner. After all, it was based on a play by George S. Kaufman, who wrote for the Marx Brothers and collaborated with the Gershwins. Unfortunately, I also hate farce and this is essentially a farce, filled with characters who act out of sheer eccentricity. Sadly, I found the whole thing dull, preachy, and unfunny. A major disappointment.
   
   
4. The Sturgeon Queens: I saw this short documentary about Russ and Daughters, the famous Lower East Side appetizing store, at a Jewish film festival event. It was warm and amusing, filled with regular customers fumbling with the script, famous people (including Calvin Trillin, who had first brought the place to my attention), and members of the family, including two of the original daughters. I left hungry for some whitefish salad. However, I will note that it is less than an hour long, so felt as expensive as sable is these days.