O, the Humanity

THE HUMAN SCALE (B-minus) - A fascinating topic but a disappointing documentary.

Andreas Dalsgaard fills us in on the dire projections for urban life, and he explores ways in which humans can save themselves from suffocating as a species. He relies on architect Jan Gehl, who has studied how urban areas can be more inviting to people. The big idea -- explored by several venues, including Copenhagen and New York -- involves wide swaths of pedestrian-only city centers, where cars are unwelcome. The concept, however, gets beaten into the ground, making the film feel repetitive.

This all feels strangely incomplete. There's little talk of what to do about suburbs and rural areas, where dependency on cars and trucks (and barrels of oil, of course).

Another distraction in the film is the number of non-native English speakers as talking heads. It sounds callous, but it was hard to understand some of them; Dalsgaard might have been better off letting them speak their first language and putting subtitles beneath them. 

We get some fascinating insights at times, and some of the shots are lovely, but as cinema, this one too often just sits on the screen, spinning in circles. 

DATE & SWITCH (C) - Answering the question, finally, what would have happened if John Hughes made After School Specials?

Director Chris Nelson and writer Alan Yang dredge up a tired old trope: Two high school dudes vow to lose their virginity before the prom. The twist is, one of them turns out to be gay. What follows is passable entertainment, though it has a certain charm. The script has its occasional moments, but too often is sounds like it was written by a computer program. And the young actors are barely up to the task of making it seem plausible.

The cast, oddly, has the familiar look of a cheap knock-off. Nicholas Braun as Michael looks like a young John Cusack. Hunter Cope (Matty) has that Seth Rogen/Jimmy Kimmel meat-headedness. The pretty gal (Em), Dakota Johnson, resembles early Elisabeth Shue. The cute boy (Greg) is played by Zach Cregger, who gives off a Ryan Reynolds/James Van Der Beek vibe. It's as if the filmmakers wanted us to do double takes and wonder if maybe this wasn't some unearthed gem from Before They Were Stars.

The adults, a talented trio of actors, don't get much to do. Gary Cole and Megan Mullally just sort of drift. Nick Offerman, as usual, finds depth and quirk as the sensitive, understanding parent.  

The gay theme struggles for credibility; at times the production comes across as enlightened, but the campy gay-bar scenes induce cringing. Their hearts are in it, but the talent is lacking.