NYFF51 Day 16: Generations After Crackberry Comes 'Her'

HEAD’S UP: The 51st New York Film Festival is off to the races, and so are we. This year, we borrow a page from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York coverage, which borrowed a page from Twitter (http://www.ow.ly/pmqvr). To that end, all film reviews / comments will be 100 words or less. Yes, 100. Or less. Ready? Lights. Camera. ACTION! ...

IN the not-so-distance future, people will have full-blown relationships with their electronic devices, including doubledates and surrogate sex.

This scenario is presented in Spike Jonze’s “Her,” the closing film of The 51st New York Film Festival in its world premiere tonight. (See video at top).

An intriguing premise, but the devil is in the details of execution. Pressed to give one word to describe the film, it would be boring.

However, Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as nerdy-sensitive professional letter writer Theodore Twombly who falls for his OS (operating system), an extremely engaging voice provided by Scarlett Johansson.

NYFF51 winds down Sunday with encore screenings of select films, including "Gloria," "12 Years a Slave" and "Blue is the Warmest Color."

Visit http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff2013 to learn more about The 51st New York Film Festival, including tickets and showtimes.

'Man of Steel' Has Selective Memory and Action Aplenty

A film franchise reboots and the result is “Man of Steel,” the latest in the “Superman” series.

“Man of Steel” goes back to the future, revisiting Krypton, the homeworld of the humanoid infant Kal-El aka Clark Kent who would be snatched from the jaws of death and relocated to Earth’s heartland and raised by Smallville, Kansas couple, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane). (See video above).

The Zack Snyder-directed film, which opens in the United States, today has amnesia as it regards its critically-acclaimed predecessor, “Superman Returns” (2006), which also had its amnesia around what came before it.

This most recent attack of (selective) memory loss, though, has everything to do with the disappointment of Warner Bros. over box office receipts of “Superman Returns.” They were around $400 million with an “M” worldwide instead of the $500 million that the Suits were hoping for.

Mind-boggling for sure, but it’s the film bidness where greed is good. “Man of Steel” is fair, with moments of an exquisite abundance of action and obscene absences of story. Those ramped-up action sequences, meant to appeal to young males, will very likely get Warner Bros. the results it desires.

“Man of Steel” has a cast nearly as strong as its hero. KC has gotten good notices as Clark’s father. Amy Adams shines as Lois Lane. Other principals onboard for the ride are Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White and Michael Shannon as General Zod.

“Man of Steel” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language; visit http://www.manofsteel.com/index.html?home to learn more about the film.

Career, Family Matters in 'Trouble With the Curve'

ON the surface, “Trouble With the Curve” may look like a baseball movie. After all, it is about a scout and many scenes are shot in ballparks across the United States.

“Trouble With the Curve” is actually a buddy film, though an atypical one. In this variation on that theme the pals are father and daughter, Gus and Mickey Lobel, played by the unlikely duo of Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams. The film opens nationwide today.

Gus is a widower and scout trying to hold it down in a young man’s game. Mickey, is an abandoned child transformed into a high-powered career woman with way too much to prove. Of course, they have issues and will work through some of them on the roadtrips they make with an eye toward saving Gus’ career. (See trailer above.)

Opening today in wider release is “The Master” (http://www.bit.ly/R0yhx7)… More shortly.

Sheep Rebels Against Shepherd in 'The Master'

LANCASTER Dodd is a charismatic leader of a pseudo-religious sect in 1950s America and Freddie Quell is his almost-disciple.

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix deliver masterful performances as the two unlikely allies-turned-enemies in “The Master.” The film was written, directed and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. (See trailer above.)

Fresh off of its well-received world premiere at the 69th Venice International Film Festival, “The Master” makes it North America debut today in select theaters. (Check local listings for showtimes.)

Also in main roles in the stellar cast are Amy Adams and Laura Dern.

“The Master” is rated R.