Portlandia (IFC) – Season 4

Fred Armisen convincing Carrie Brownstein to keep a hot tub he purchased under a shared account

Portlandia, IFC’s crowning achievement, goes into its fourth season with more wit, character, and self-confidence than ever before. Not looking to appease everyone, Armisen, Brownstein, and Krisel channel their creative potential into the show’s niche writing with more acuity, creating stronger characters and wittier humor. In five-minute segments, they develop real scenarios with real characters having real (hilarious) conversations. The show is now less about criticizing and making fun of Portlandians, and more about understanding and exploiting the humorous aspects of their lifestyles.

Brownstein and Armisen observing art in a rush

Armisen and Brownstein let down no expectations with their acting. Maintaining poise and composition despite their ridiculous situations, they allow their audience to escape into the comedy of the moment without feeling like they’re explicitly being told a joke. Their characters, although less quirky and spontaneous and more down to earth, are still as equally rich with vivacity as they were in previous seasons. Throw in near-flawless production quality and editing, and you have the most stunning quirky sketch comedy since…well, Portlandia, Season 3.

FINAL SCORE: 4½ out of 5 stars (raw score: 87.5, between “great” and “almost perfect”)

This season of Portlandia premiered February 27, 2014. It airs every Thursday at 10:00 EST

St. Vincent [St. Vincent]

St. Vincent’s self-titled album is a work of experimental alternative genius and a triumph of human spirit in an age where, more often than not, it is masked rather than exalted by instrumentals. Annie Clark arranges an eclectic potpourri of styles (syncopated vs. steady and even), sounds (acoustic vs. synthetic), and textures (delicate vs. pyrotechnic) and blends them so skillfully, the resulting album feels more like a qualitatively homogenous and entirely original composition than distinct parts of a whole snapped together. Her voice (sonically and lyrically) bursts with definition, maturity, and a critical mind towards her circumstances; she incorporates the carefree cynicism of Lorde with the intellectual confidence and thematic assertiveness of PJ Harvey. This is an album not to be missed, whether or not you know of St. Vincent.

FINAL SCORE: 4½ out of 5 stars (raw score: 90, “almost perfect”)

St. Vincent was released February 25, 2014

The Monuments Men [Dir. by George Clooney]

George Clooney Creates an Interesting Action Biopic that Approaches its Subject Matter with Warmth, Lightheartedness, and More-Than-Decent Performances by a Strong Cast.

A group of men who are tasked with recovering stolen art during WWII? A movie with that premise can only be so engaging. However, in The Monuments Men, George Clooney hits mostly high notes in his retelling of a surprisingly exciting and unconventional WWII mission. He combines a simple, straightforward narrative with a distinctly old-timey milieu to weave together an upbeat and wholly enjoyable experience, akin to a nattily arranged appetizer – barely scrapes the surface of content and value, but delivers its however vapid screenplay with a trademark George Clooney smirk.

Frank Stokes (George Clooney) discussing his plans to establish the “monuments men”

The screenplay is a double-edged sword in The Monuments Men. While it smartly and earnestly approaches a textbook-style recounting of a did-you-know factoid from WWII, it’s sometimes just as boring to watch as the premise suggests. The morsels of action are small, fleeting, and somewhat dispensable, but they succeed in providing sufficient depth to the development of the characters (when Damon’s character accidentally steps on a land mine, the ensuing five minutes offer valuable highlights about the personalities of the “monuments men”). The sprinkled humor rarely fails, but never really makes enough of a statement to be memorable, either. Thankfully, a coating of nostalgic cinema charm and a definitive direction save this somewhat imbalanced screenplay.

Claire Simone (Cate Blanchett) discovering art theft

The Monuments Men’s silver lining is its characters; they are all likable and good-humored. At first, Clooney makes a safe attempt when it comes to character development, but he is too timid to delve deep until the second half of the film. The brotherly chemistry between Bill Murray and Bob Balaban is sincere and witty. Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett also play off each other pleasantly. And Hugh Bonneville constructs a passionate and memorable character that is sure to steal your heart. However, George Clooney’s character comes across as aloof and self-entitled throwing an awkward wrench in the brotherhood he attempts to establish between these “monuments men.” We all know Clooney is a better actor than director. But in this film, his character feels more like a flat, cardboard George Clooney life-size cutout than anything.

James Granger (Matt Damon), Donald Jeffries (Hugh Bonneville), and Frank Stokes boarding an aircraft

Is The Monuments Men a bad film? Not at all. It’s highly improbable that you’ll hear its name at the Oscars, but its welcoming atmosphere and intelligent appreciation of the real-life events as well as the value of classic art will make for a pleasant Sunday at the theatres. It maintains a lighthearted mood all throughout. You’ll come away feeling like something important really did happen, but you’ll be at a safe enough distance to not have to worry yourself over it, kind of like reading a dramatic, amateurishly written biography.

FINAL SCORE: 3½ out of 5 stars (raw score: 67.5, between “a decent watch” and “pretty good”)

The Monuments Men was released by Columbia Pictures on February 7, 2014