As of this writing, I have not yet seen Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. I had some free time on Monday and, faced with two new releases that were both playing around the same time, I chose Immortals in 2D. I actually had a few opportunities to see the Leonardo DiCaprio picture prior to release, but passed each time. Like a lot of would-be Oscar contenders that drop during this time of the year, the poorly reviewed 'good for you' picture felt less like nutritious entertainment and more like homework. The conventional wisdom is that the problem with mainstream Hollywood is that it fashions its films for the tastes of fourteen-year old boys, while adult films for adult film-goers are relegated to the art-house if they are released at all. But my situation is a little different. I find that as I get older I am less and less enticed by the so-called grownup films. Faced with a choice between seeing the newest Oscar-bait film immediately upon release (or at a press screening downtown at 'pain-in-the-ass-traffic o'clock') or checking out something vaguely more escapist, the choice is harder and harder. I used to relish the opportunity to see the so-called 'grown up movies' as soon as possible. Now, due to obvious demands on my time, the insane time-crunch that is the year-end release schedule, and the glut of often mediocre art-house product (Gee, I sure hope that sensitive, quirky, and somewhat handsome young man overcomes his problems with the help of an out-of-his-league hottie who exists purely to make him enjoy life again), it sometimes seems more like a burden.
