Quick Reviews

While I was in Toronto last week, I had the chance to see The Namesake in advance of its nationwide release on Friday.  If you haven't yet seen it, drop what you're doing and buy tickets for it today.   It's an absolutely stunning film with a first rate performance by Kal Penn (of Harold and Kumar fame). 

On the other hand, if you were thinking of netflixing The Holiday to watch with your snugglepartner, don't bother: it's a snoozer that not even Jack Black can save.  The same can be said of The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (which is far more painful to watch, notwithstanding an NYT endorsement); Babel (completely over-hyped; it's like Crash but globalized), and Miami Vice, a movie I'm reluctant to condemn given that I'm generally a fan of the genre.

In the reasonably worth-watching category: The Illusionist and Fast Food Nation. Just be sure to not to be eating burgers while watching the latter.

Finally: this story, which involves my good friend as the match-maker, is destined to become a movie.  Almost can't believe it wasn't a NYT April Fool's Joke last week.