A labyrinth of love

In theaters Friday: Alpha Dog, Arthur & The Invisibles, Miss Potter, Primeval and Stomp The Yard.

New on DVD: Crank, Idiocracy, The Illusionist and The Night Listener.

Celebrity birthday: J. K. Simmons turns 52 today. Happy birthday, J.K. You’re my favorite J.K., just ahead of Harry Potter scribe J.K. Rowling, and heartthrob Justin K. Timberlake. Okay, I made that last one up. Hey J. K., I know you’re an Ohio State grad, so, you know, sorry the Gators destroyed your Buckeyes. But at least you’re still the voice of the Yellow M & M in those commercials, and you’ll still be harassing Peter Parker as The Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man 3 this May. If you were my editor, I’d do PR.

I love concept art. Whether it’s more rudimentary sketches done by the writer or director himself, or full-blown gorgeous artwork from a skilled illustrator, concept art is fertile territory for imaginations unlimited by budgets, continuity, or the fixed figures of flesh and blood actors. What’s even cooler about writer/director Guillermo del Toro’s sketchbook is that it’s 20-years-old. He’s been thinking about Pan’s Labyrinth for that long! You can see some of his oldest sketches and more recent art for the film right here.

I saw a few films over the weekend, The Last Kiss, The Devil Wears Prada and Basquiat. The Last Kiss was somewhat of a drag. Nothing about the movie really appealed to me. It felt contrived, and ultimately I didn’t really care if they had a post-cheating reconciliation or not—which is a bad sign for a film reaching for aching sentimentality with every frame. The Devil Wears Prada is your typical coming-of-age story, this time set in the superficial, latte-fueled world of New York fashion rags. What was surprising is just how many times I laughed out loud at Meryl Streep’s demanding editor-in-chief and her prissy go-to-stooge, Stanley Tucci. They kept the film entertaining, even as Ann Hathaway’s malleable go-getter didn’t muster up much of a personality.

By far, my favorite rental, though, was the patchy but thoroughly engaging Basquiat. The 1996 film showcases the meteoric rise of late painter Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1980s. Directed by his friend and fellow neo-expressionist of the period, Julian Schnabel, Basquiat stars Jeffrey Wright in a sly performance as internally turbulent as it is externally unaffected. Wright gets splendid support too from Benicio del Toro, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken and David Bowie as Andy Warhol. Basquiat rose from middle class ex-pat and street graffiti artist to International wunderkind, millionaire and Warhol collaborator in about three years time. A breathless climb filled with incredible talent, treacherous acts, supplication and more than one instance of blind luck, that I wish the film had covered in more detail. What this movie does do, before painting heart-stopping portraits of the early deaths of both Warhol and Basquiat, is ask this essential question: Might some artist’s work be better when they are messed up on drugs than when they are clean? And if this is the case, is it ever worth it? Sadly, Basquait died of an overdose at the age of 27, too scared to clean up, get away from the limelight, or try a new artistic direction.

Finally, here is a great trailer for Reno 911!: Miami, out Feb. 23. Long live The State.