Review: 'Behaving Badly' Starring Selena Gomez and Nat Wolff

A number of really talented people make appearances in the wretchedly unfunny teen sex comedy Behaving Badly; so many that you wonder if a producer has incriminating photos stashed somewhere. Not that there are a lot of expectations for a film so obscure even Selena Gomez's fans don't know it exists, and likely won't have a kind word to say about it even if they do. It's the kind of film where one can sense writer/director Tim Garrick throwing in every half-assed idea he can think of in hopes something works, but when nothing does turning up the raunch is his only fall-back plan.

Nat Wolff, who was excellent as a blind cancer victim in The Fault in Our Stars, must've been blind to agree to this humorless farce that wants to be outrageous and risque but comes up limp. Wolff plays Rick, and in the opening moments we get close-up of his crotch followed by the admission he has somehow contracted crabs. Yep, that's the level of moronic humor that is quickly established and becomes the standard throughout a painful 96 minutes. So what's Rick's deal? He's supposedly a virgin but that's not really a big deal because every hot piece of tail is throwing it his way. That includes his best friend's frisky mom (Elisabeth Shue), a smokin' drug-addled lawyer (Heather Graham), and random prostitutes. His mother (Mary Louise Parker) is a raging drunk, but she also appears as some sort of dominatrix-clad guardian angel. What that's all about is unclear and pointless to the "plot" anyway.

But for all the sex Rick can get he really has eyes for one girl, the saintly Nina (Gomez) who he has had a thing for all his life. She's the model of goodie two-shoes perfection and wholesomeness, certainly too nice for an awkward sex fiend like Rick. Of course she takes a liking to him, anyway, even as he gets neck deep in trouble with the local Mafia. Why's the Mafia in this? You got me. But then again there's not much explanation for Jason Lee appearing as a priest of suspect morals, or Dylan McDermott as a sex-crazed strip club owner. Notice a theme here? Sexual perversion has never seemed so tame, and as Garrick piles on one "outrageous" situation after another it only gets more desperate.

Not helping matters is a completely uninspiring performance by Wolff, and it's hard to tell if he's just bored or terribly miscast. Ultimately it doesn't matter, does it? He actually makes things considerably worse and every scene he's at the center of more painful than the last. Gomez is kind of fun in a squeaky clean misplaced Disney starlet sort of way (kind of like Spring Breakers), but that seems to be the only role she's capable of playing. And I have to admit getting a chuckle from Shue's endless flaunting of her rack, reminding me of her unsung performance in the trashy crime flick, Palmetto. But those are hardly enough reason to suffer through a movie this lazy and lacking in any laughs.  Those who don't run away screaming from Behaving Badly after 10 minutes will spot a brief cameo by Justin Bieber. What drags him into a movie like this? It was shot more than two years ago back when he and Gomez were still a tabloid item. Can't imagine why this has been sitting on the shelf for so long...

 Rating: 1 out of 5

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Selena Gomez and Nat Wolff are 'Behaving Badly' in New Trailer

The month of August has not been nice to Selena Gomez. Last year she appeared in the laughable car chase flick, Getaway, which ended up on the "crap list" for a lot of folks and deservedly so. This summer she's starring in another film that doesn't look so hot, a comedy titled Behaving Badly, and despite a cast of some pretty big names the film is being dumped into limited release with little fanfare.

Shot in only twenty days about two years ago, the film is an adaptation of Ric Browd's novel, While I'm Dead Feed the Dog, and basically this looks like something that should be on the Disney Channel. The Fault In Our Stars' Nat Wolff stars as 16-year-old Rick Stevens who has the hots for Nina (Gomez), but to win her heart he'll have to deal with a whole cast of crazy characters. Heather Graham plays a sexy attorney, Elisabeth Shue a sexy neighbor, Mary Louise Parker a sexy saint, and...well, you probably get the drift. Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, Gary Busey, and Cary Elwes co-star.

Behaving Badly opens August 1st, directed by Tim Garrick.

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Review: 'The Fault In Our Stars' Starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort

One of the great things about John Green's novel, The Fault In Our Stars, is that it isn't a typical cancer story. It isn't a typical anything, really, and even loosely considering it a "cancer story" seems like a momentary injustice. Nor does it quite conform to our traditional notions of sappy, angst-ridden teen romances. There's something quite extraordinary about the novel; its realized characters and full-hearted story of exceptional love, both of the romantic variety and the unbreakable love a parent has for their child. And because of all the things the book gets so right, the fact of Josh Boone's big screen adaptation nailing them so perfectly makes the film all the more special.

Right away the lead character, Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) lets you know this isn't going to your average everyday story, either. Hazel is a brilliant, witty, well-read young woman who also happens to have thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Because of it she carries an oxygen tank around with her and has little tubes connected to her nose. But her outlook on the situation is more acerbic than grim, with her clever and funny observations on "cancer perks" drawing the attention of Augustus "Gus" Waters (Ansel Elgort), a handsome, 18-year-old she meets at a cancer support group. Not exactly the ideal meet-cute, but then again nothing about their situation is truly ideal, which makes them finding one another such a thing of pure magic.

See, Augustus is currently in remission from osteosarcoma, ending his basketball career when the disease took his leg. Like Hazel, he has a somewhat offbeat perspective on life, and where she's a bit bleak he's of a sunnier disposition. They complete one another and learn from one another in just about every way imaginable. A voracious reader, Hazel introduces Gus to her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, an extensive tome from a reclusive author now holed up in Amsterdam. Gus loves Hazel almost immediately, ingratiating himself into her life and charming her parents (Laura Dern and Sam Trammell), even though Hazel remains distant in an effort to hurt as few people as possible.

Green's novel, written with incredible care and emotional heft, does much of the heavy lifting for screenwriters Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter (500 Days of Summer and The Spectacular Now); both old hands at penning romances that are a little off the beaten path. They also know how to work with Woodley, who is content presenting Hazel and all of her flaws and quirks. Despite this being a story with a somewhat inevitably heart-wrenching conclusion, none of the characters are treated with kid gloves. Hazel has her issues; she's as stubborn and moody as she is funny and passionate. And while Woodley is careful not to make Hazel too precious, Elgort has the difficult job of making the all-too-perfect Gus seem like a real person. A boy with a fondness for grand symbolic gestures, Gus will give you flashbacks of Say Anything's Lloyd Dobbler, and Elgort's performance on par with John Cusack's. Elgort, who played Woodley's brother in Divergent just a couple of months ago, exudes confidence without being brash. Both he and Woodley capture the frailty and strength in these wonderful, unforgettable characters. Beyond the terrific pop culture references there are so many quotable lines that you'll want to try them out on your significant other.

There are a few small changes from the novel that don't completely work, mainly in the streamlining of the relationship between Hazel and Gus. It's almost too planned, too preordained the journey they are on. As wonderful and heartbreaking as the performances by Dern and Trammell, there needed to be more of Hazel's relationship with her parents, who are on just as much of an emotional roller coaster. But these are small quibbles, and to include more would detract from every cherished moment with Gus and Hazel, and we simply can't have that. The Fault In Our Stars isn't a story about two people dying from cancer, but of two people who lived and loved to the fullest extent despite it. Everything that made John Green's book so great is here, so maybe just this once the world really is "a wish-granting factory."

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Review: 'Palo Alto', Starring Emma Roberts, Jack Kilmer, and James Franco

Gia Coppola comes from a family of directors, actors, and screenwriters. So, it's really not surprising that she's found her way to it as well. She already has her own unique style, some beautiful facial shots, and a way of telling her story that's solely her own. It's a shame, however, to say that the source material for Palo Alto, based on the short stories written by James Franco (who knew, right?) don't help her at all. The film lacks any substance, its characters making teenagers and their problems look bland and shallow because there's no in-depth look at any of them and why they act the way they do. It's mottled with too much emoting and for no good reason. The result is a lackluster and slow-going film where its stories don't pan out well.

April (Emma Roberts) is a "good girl." Or rather, she's the stereotypical definition of a good girl (a vague terminology which is thrown around far too often to describe quieter, naive-seeming, and less outrageous girls). She's on the soccer team, gets good grades (for the most part), and babysits for her coach Mr. B (James Franco) on the weekends. She's

confused about her affection for Mr. B, his supposed love for her, and college among other things. 

Teddy (Jack Kilmer) likes April. Wading through his life of drugs, getting drunk, and hanging out with his reckless and hanging-by-the-edge friend Fred (Nat Wolff), Teddy is forced to do community service after a hit-and-run, or end up in juvenile hall. He navigates strange encounters with Fred's dad, watching April from a distance without any real interaction, painting class, and parties. 

Other than some of the nice shots in this movie, Palo Alto doesn't really have much to offer by way of intriguing plot or characters. It takes its time unfolding the story, but you realize very quickly that there isn't much story to tell. The only character you truly ever feel some kind of sympathy toward is Emma Roberts's character. This is because her's is the more fleshed out storyline. You can sense her confusion and loneliness in the midst of it all because we see what's happening to her. With the other two male leads, Kilmer and Wolff, there isn't a drawing point for either of them. 

The teens in the film are all shallow and have no substantial reasons for doing the things that they do. It's almost like an insult to the age group. The '90s had such good stories about teens and brought them to life in a way the 21st century films about teens have seemed to destroy. There's always a lot of partying, drinking, sex, and smoking involved, but these things don't bring us closer to seeing them and their vulnerabilities in a way that's relatable. 

The two main stories in the film don't even feel like they fit together. April has her own problems, Teddy has his (if you can call them that), and by the time the end comes around we're supposed to feel like they've both reached a place, when they really haven't. Most scenes seem to drag on because we're following these characters into a dead end, the film taking itself too seriously and not providing us with any interesting and three-dimensional characters.

James Franco appears in the film, and the lack of real storytelling will be credited to him since he wrote the original short stories. He's been known to most definitely make some interesting artistic and career choices, and Palo Alto certainly falls into one of the more awkward and boring things he's done. Gia Coppola tries to breathe life into a movie that ultimately finds itself falling into the trap of angst-ridden teens with no sense of heart and lacking any substance for audiences to care about. 

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Nat Wolff, Emma Roberts, Mickey Rourke, and Sarah Silverman to Star in 'Ashby'

There has been a lot of strong buzz surrounding the performances of Nat Wolff and Emma Roberts in Palo Alto, the teen drama directed by Gia Coppola and based on James Franco's collection of short stories. That film opens this weekend and takes an extremely dark look at the usual gamut of teen troubles. Now Wolff and Roberts are set to re-team on another film that takes a much deadlier glimpse at the high school years.

Mickey Rourke and Sarah Silverman will join Wolff and Roberts for Ashby, a dramedy that "charts the relationship between a high school student (Wolff) and a retired CIA assassin (Rourke) who only has months to live." Tony McNamara will write and direct with filming set to begin next month. No wor

I can watch Emma Roberts and Sarah Silverman in anything and am curious to know what parts they'll play in a film like this. [ScreenDaily]

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Nat Wolff Takes 'The Stand' with Director Josh Boone

Warner Bros.' attempts to bring Stephen King's epic The Stand to the big screen have run into more than a few hurdles, and most centered on attempts to land a director. Harry Potter's David Yates circled the gig for awhile as his next big franchise, only to drop out and Ben Affleck take over, followed then by Scott Cooper. That fell apart, too, and recently it was The Fault In Our Stars and Stuck In Love director Josh Boone who took over. Now as the project continues to move forward, an actor Boone is very familiar with is the first to officially come aboard.

Nat Wolff, who starred in both films Boone has directed, has joined The Stand in a role being written specifically for him. The story takes place after a global apocalypse wipes out most of the human population, with a battle of good vs. evil erupting between the survivors.

So add this to what is beginning to look like a star-making year for Wolff. He's on board to star in an adaptation of John Green's Paper Towns, and will be seen next in James Franco's Palo Alto.

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'The Fault in Our Stars' Team Reunites for John Green's 'Paper Towns'

John Green is about to be Hollywood's next favorite author, with Fox 2000's adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars due this summer. Hitching on to Green's meteoric rise, the studio is now looking to bring another of Green's novels to the big screen, and reuniting much of the 'Stars' team to do it.

Fox 2000 has picked up the rights to Green's book, Paper Towns, setting screenwriters Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter to pen the screenplay. The duo has been red hot, especially when it comes to teen romances, previously writing (500) Days of Summer, The Spectacular Now, and the aforementioned 'Stars'. Nat Wolff, who also has a co-starring role in the cancer drama, will take the lead in Paper Towns, an off-beat story of mystery and revenge. Here's the book's synopsis:

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life–dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge–he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues–and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

No word on a director just yet, but is there any reason why 'Stars' director Josh Boone won't get the call?  [Deadline]

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Watch the First Trailer for Gia Coppola's 'Palo Alto' Starring James Franco and Emma Roberts

Much has been made of the various side projects James Franco has become involved with, whether it's a reality show, or adapting acclaimed novels such as Child of God or As I Lay Dying. But it goes even further than that, and a couple of years ago he published a collection of short stories titled Palo Alto, which was met with the usual helping of cynicism anything by the actor generally receives. With Telluride kicking off today, the first trailer for the big screen adaptation of Palo Alto has arrived, and no Franco isn't behind the camera, but in front of it.

Trying her hand at the family business, Gia Coppola writes and directs the film which takes place in the titular city and tells multiple intertwined stories. Franco plays a soccer coach, with Emma Roberts as a young babysitter he takes too much of an interest in. She seems to be friends with two troubled kids played by Jack Kilmer and Nat Wolff. Kilmer's father, Val, also makes an appearance. There are splashes of many different approaches here, but the most obvious influence appears to be Gia's sister, Sofia.

Palo Alto premieres at Telluride this weekend and is also part of the TIFF line-up. [Vulture]

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