It’s Kind of a Funny Story – The Movie Gourmet

Social Network1 — Rooney Mara and Jesse Eisenberg open The Social Network

The Social Network is still the top choice in theaters this week. The birth story of Facebook is a riveting tale of college sophomores that are brilliant, ambitious, immature, self-absorbed and disloyal – and about to become zillionaires. It’s a triumph for actor Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, Zombieland and Solitary Man), director David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac) and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing, Charlie Wilson’s War). It’s already on my list of Best Movies of 2010 – So Far.

Howl has a fine performance by James Franco, but is marred by an unsuccessful animation.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story is a light and wry coming-of-age comedy set in a locked psychiatric facility. It’s good-hearted fluff with a few chuckles and an unexpectedly restrained and heartfelt performance by Zach Galifianakis.

Without strongly recommending it, I can say that The Town is a satisfying Hollywood thriller. You can skip Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger.

For trailers and other choices, see Movies to See Right Now.

My DVD of the Week is The Day of the Jackal, like The American, the tale of an international master assassin – only fact-based and even better. For my recent DVD choices (including trailers), see DVDs of the Week.

Movies on TV include Mister Roberts, Repo Man and Arsenic and Old Lace, all coming up on TCM.

Edward Norton corrects Edward Norton in Leaves of Grass

I’ve just updated Movies I’m Looking Forward To. We’ve got Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Howl, The Social Network and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger all coming out in the next two weeks. Here are some new entries:

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: Woody Allen’s latest comedy about romantic entanglements and human self-delusion. Stars Naomi Watts, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas and Josh Brolin. Releases October 1.

Tamara Drewe: Steven Frears (The Queen, The Snapper, Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity) brings us a sex comedy. A writer’s colony in the English countryside is disrupted when a local woman returns with a nose job that has made her into an irresistible hottie. She enjoys being irresistible. Releases October 8.

Leaves of Grass: A college professor is tricked into returning to Oklahoma by his pot-dealing identical twin brother. Hilarity ensues. Edward Norton plays both twins. Strong supporting cast with Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss and Tim Blake Nelson. Rolling out slowly across the country.

Tabloid: A reputedly very funny Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, Mr. Death, Gates of Heaven) documentary tracing the story of a woman who had her dead dog cloned; it turns out that, years before, she was accused of manacling a Mormon missionary as her sex slave. Debuted at Telluride; wide release not yet scheduled.

For trailers, go to Movies I’m Looking Forward To.