Sister Helena Burns likes “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Calls it
the best movie of 2010 so far. Everything about it is sterling: the acting, the story, the dialogue, the soundtrack, the pacing, the humor, the editing. Everything clicks and pops.
Having just yesterday bailed out from true-life attitude and behaviors to watch “Bounty Hunter” at the Lake — was well rewarded with untrue-to-life stuff as to cops, robbers, etc. (so what? who needs the real thing?) and with wise theme commentary on marriage and what makes it work: the Aniston woman and Gerard Butler quite good at this part of this basically feel-good movie — I am specially alert to this un-wimpy review.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” avoids all kinds of movie-making tropes, and is a surprisingly fresh and profound take on young people’s development of character. There is no snarkiness or smart-aleckiness. Just kids as kids trying to survive and make their way in life, getting involved in downright hilarious, yet not too impossible, adventures.
It is nonstop entertainment — including adolescent boy gross-out humor — but it’s never quick and cheap. It’s all expertly folded in to a fully-fleshed out story. Every scene deftly advances character and plot.
She’s not bad herself. Her copy moves along, this puiling out stops of praise is not her usual approach, hence is more credible here. I will have to catch a Holy Week matinee of it. Does that mean I did not give up movies for Lent? ‘Fraid so. I’m not the boy I was in the early ‘40s, no.
Blithe Spirit 