By Jacqueline Hlavenka
“Adventureland” (Miramax, 107 min)
For all its post-collegiate angst, “Adventureland,” at heart, is a deeply nostalgic 1980s film: the hair was big, pants were stretchy and the music was sometimes good, sometimes horrendous (we’re looking at you, Falco). Atmosphere aside, what “Adventureland” captures so eloquently is the grace period between college and adulthood. Our protagonist, James (Jesse Eisenberg), is an unemployed college graduate who can’t find work in his field, so he takes a job at the local theme park to raise money for his graduate school education in New York City. Here he bonds with fellow game stand employee Joel (“Freaks and Geeks” Martin Starr), falls in love with Em (Kristen Stewart), who is having a long-running affair with the park’s technician, Mike (Ryan Reynolds), on the side. It’s no dreamland, but there is something romantic about the scene: “Adventureland” acts as the place between adolescence and the real world. Through the faded carnival lights and the recurring theme of Lou Reed’s “Satellite of Love,” it’s a coming-of-age story that will definitely resonate with students. Look out for great performances from Eisenberg and humorist Bill Hader.
“Sugar” (Sony Pictures Classics, 120 min)
It’s hard to tell a story about sports without coming off hokey or juvenile-“Sugar” is the real deal-not everybody wins. It is the journey of Miguel “Sugar” Santos (Algenis Perez Soto), a Dominican pitcher who is recruited to a minor-league baseball team in rural Iowa. Back in the Dominican Republic, his family dreams Sugar will become a huge baseball star in the United States, but what he finds out: the American Dream is not all that cracked up to be. Facing constant pressure to play well or return home, Sugar performs with his emotions and frequently breaks down on the field. Unlike other sports movies, “Sugar” never turns it around. There’s no fireworks or fat contract from the New York Yankees in the end-but the athletes in “Sugar” learn their true identity through the game itself.
“Entre Les Murs” (Sony Pictures Classics, 128 min)
If “Entre Les Murs” (French for “the class”) was an American film, there would easily be more drama. For starters, there would be a possible gang war, a shoot out, maybe a song from Coolio during the end credits. Taking a realist approach, “The Class” is significantly different and far more democratic. Shot documentary style, the film profiles teacher and novelist Francois Martin (Francois Begaudeau) tackling race relations with unruly students in a run-down Parisian neighborhood. While the acting feels genuine, the film itself lacks umph. The material itself is somewhat is in limbo: “The Class” is fictional, but at the same time, it’s not a documentary. It needs to pick a side and stay there to be truly powerful.