Star-crossed roommates
For his debut film, Kiss Me, Guido, writer-director Tony Vitale puts a contemporary spin on “The Odd Couple” formula by throwing together a pair of very unlikely New York City roommates. Budding thespian Frankie (Nick Scotti) is from an old-school Italian family in the Bronx and sports enough trappings of its macho aesthetic (slicked hair,…
Drunks
Nothing renders human fallibility as an action sequence quite like substance abuse, inspiring a slow-down-to-see-the-car-crash blend of sympathy and spectatorship. And so movies like Leaving Las Vegas and Trainspotting have made a joyride out of careening off life. Filmmakers have a harder time finding the straight life screenworthy. Like the experience of witness-protection-programmed Ray Liotta…
Five Lakes Grill
NOTE: THIS RESTAURANT HAS SINCE ALTERED ITS FORMAT TO MEXICAN: Brian Polcyn’s restaurant combines a casually chic small town setting with a big city menu. He cooks seasonally and with imagination. Lots of creativity here.
Golden Mushroom
Game is a feature as is Dover sole, roast duckling and mushrooms in many varieties and treatments, beginning with a wonderful soup. The wine list is extensive. Reservations are advisable.
Tribute
Over-the-top detail in both decor and food sets this luxurious restaurant apart from the crowd. Diners can be assured they are treating themselves to the area’s most expensive restaurant. The a la carte menu is in a constant state of flux, as exotic ingredients ebb and flow.
Gandy Dancer
One of Ann Arbor’s most popular restaurants offers a daily menu of fresh fish, seafood, steaks, and pastas in a historic brick and granite structure. A C.A. Muer restaurant that transcends the casual tavern concept, known to U-M students as the place to take mom and dad (when mom and dad are picking up the…
Box of Moonlight
For electrical engineer Al Fountain (John Turturro), a rigid control freak affectionately dubbed “Mr. Clockwork” by his wife, time is something to be precisely measured, parceled out, then used in the most efficient manner possible. With ramrod-straight posture, clipped speech, an eye for minutiae and a closet full of generic white-collar wear, Al exists as…
“We would have saved Detroit”
Architect Gunnar Birkerts questions the path ahead….
Conspiracy Theory
Just because you’re paranoid, the saying goes, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you. This turns out to be the unstated motto of New York City taxi driver Jerry Fletcher (Mel Gibson), who tells his passengers loopy conspiracy theories until their eyes glaze over. Under director Richard Donner’s watchful eye, the jittery and gabby…
Cop Land
Here’s an idea. What if you got together Harvey Keitel, Sylvester Stallone, Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro, all in the same film? And then what if you added a couple of cool women, Annabella Sciorra, say, and maybe Janeane Garofalo? Sounds pretty interesting, right? But what if you forgot to pick up anything else…
When love runs out
When they’re first seen, driving home through the bland suburbs of Long Island after Thanksgiving dinner, Eliza (Hope Davis) and Louis (Stanley Tucci) seem like a happy, well-adjusted couple. You come to learn their small house is comfortable, their relationship affectionate, their routine established. After he leaves for his commute to a Manhattan publishing house…
America’s Secrets revealed
Harry Smith’s American folk music anthology sheds the light of day on a country long gone.
