St. Louis Eats and Drinks With Joe and Ann Pollack

The Best and Worst of 2100

 

Well, here we are again -- the final week of another year. No movies opening to provide fodder for this space. What to do? Sigh!

I know. I'll write about the movies I saw during 2011. I'll make a list of the best -- no, even my ego won't allow "best." Besides, what is best? What criteria do use? How about a list of movies that I saw, enjoyed and would happily see again? And that, of course, creates other problems in terms of movies that have not opened in St. Louis yet, and some movies that I did not see, for one reason or another.

All right. Herewith, an arbitrary decision. My favorites, and least-favorites, that opened and were discussed in this space during 2011. The list includes 12 that I liked a lot and 10 that I cordially despised. Standards? I see a lot of movies and have throughout my life, especially in the 40 years I've been writing about them professionally. Regular readers will understand that my tastes are quirky. I have a peculiar sense of humor. I like some movies that other critics, and movie-goers despise, and vice versa. I was one of the rare critics to dislike "The Way We Were," way back when. I'll probably offend some people, though I'd rather pique their curiosity and, perhaps, engage in a discussion.

Well, enough about you. Here's my list, and it's in chronological order so that you can more easily find the original article from this very blog file.

Casino Jack (Jan. 7): St. Louisan George Hickenlooper saved his best work for last. His direction of a bitter tale based on the life and works of Jack Abramoff, con man and lobbyist and friend to our senators and representatives was brilliant, and Kevin Spacey delivered a matchless performance in the title role. Hickenlooper died in October, 2010, at the age of 47.

Rabbit Hole (Jan. 14): Nicole Kidman never has been more powerful, or given herself up to a role more completely, than in a movie that explores the after-effects of the death of a child. It's based on David Lindsay-Abaire's play that ran in the Rep's studio a few years ago, and he also wrote the screenplay. John Cameron Mitchell, also a playwright, directed with style. Kidman and Aaron Eckhart are the parents of a boy who ran out of his yard and was hit by a car driven by a high school student, Dianne Wiest portrays Kidman's mother.

Cedar Rapids (Feb. 18): I described this movie as being rude, crude, tasteless and vulgar. Also very funny. Phil Johnston's story of a weekend convention of Midwestern insurance salesmen is hilarious, more so if you like rude, crude, tasteless and vulgar, and funny performances by John C. Reilly, Ed Helms, Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche and Alia Shawkat. There are times when gross is good, and this is a giant sale from the gross-ery store.

Of Gods and Men (March 25): A strange juxtaposition of films, but coincidence is stranger than fiction, and this story, based on fact, took place in 1996, when a group of Algerian rebels threatened a monastery. A group of French Cistercian Trappist monks faced almost certain death but would not leave their home, where they produced honey and did good to the poor people of the village. Michel Lonsdale and Lambert Wilson lead a wonderful cast in a heart-rending tale directed by Xavier Beauvois. Lonsdale quotes Blaise Pascal, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction."

Winter in Wartime (April 29): A Dutch film, set during World War II, that is a coming-of-age tale and one about fathers and sons. A teen-aged Dutch boy, son of the mayor of his village, helps an English pilot evade capture and eventually escape. At the same time, the rigors of war in winter are shown in a perfect representation of an event only 66 years ago, but largely forgotten.

Midnight in Paris (June 10): The longest St. Louis run of a film in many years (more than six months), and a return to joyous form by Woody Allen. A fantasy of Paris in its glory years of the 1920s and its even more plush times as the 19th century turned into the 20th. Owen Wilson delights as an American honeymooner who meets a list of classic characters from Ernest Hemingway to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, including Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter, Paul Gaugin and Salvador Dali. A wonderful fantasy.

Sarah's Key (July 29): A multi-generational tale of a little Jewish girl and her brother, set among the Nazi occupation of France, with Melusine Mayance showing much skill as the title character. Many years later, Kristen Scott Thomas as an American writer with a French architect husband, moves into the apartment. Gilles Paquet-Brenner directs intelligently from the novel by Tatiana de Rosney.

The Descendants (Nov. 23): The ubiquitous George Clooney, perhaps the most relaxed and understated movie actor since Cary Grant, looks as good in Hawaii as he does everywhere else, as he deals with becoming a widower and the single father to two daughters while mysteries and real-estate deals keep him occupied. Alexander Payne's direction is relaxed and on target, and young Shailene Woodley is remarkable as Cooney's teen-aged daughter. So is Nick Krause as Sid, her boy friend.

Into the Abyss (Nov. 23): German director Werner Herzog is a genius, and shows his skill in a documentary about a man just eight days before his execution for murder. Michael Perry and Jason Burkett killed three people just to steal a car, and Perry is about to die. Herzog is a low-key interviewer, talking to Perry, his father(also in prison) and others who were involved. The aura of "In Cold Blood" hangs in the air and Herzog's movie stays in one's mind for a long, long time.

My Week With Marilyn (Nov. 25): Michelle Williams doesn't look like Marilyn Monroe but she has the moves, the moods, the aura, in a lovely homage based on an absolutely other-worldly experience by Colin Clark. Kenneth Branagh sparkles as Laurence Olivier, who cannot cope with Monroe's antics; she cannot cope with being an actor. Delightful comedy, perfect date movie.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Dec. 20): Rooney Mara is only an eyelash behind Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander, the toughest cookie in Stockholm, in a fine adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel by Steven Zaillian. David Fincher directs the long, tense, powerful tale, and Daniel Craig is a slightly different, but equally strong, Mikael Blomkvist. Long, but exciting and tension without pause.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Dec. 23): With Gary Oldman in a marvelous portrayal of George Smiley, the great spy novel by John Le Carre comes to the big screen. Tomas Afredson directs a long but fast-moving story of English spies and those who spy on them. A large, impressive cast that includes Colin Firth, John Hurt and a who's who of English actors and a taut, plot line. Mystery fans will be very happy; so will movie buffs

And toting the push brooms behind the circus parade: These films have one common thread. They're dumb, and the filmmakers treat the audience as being dumb, too, No imagination, no spark, neither grace, nor charm, nor humor. And the losers are: Somewhere (Jan. 14), The Eagle (Feb.11), The Battle of Los Angeles (March 11), Ka-Boom (March 25), Heartbeats (April 29), White Irish Drinkers (May 6), Hesher (May 13), Meek's Cutoff (May 13), The Future (Aug. 19), Machine Gun Preacher (Oct. 7).

 And a Happy, movie-filled 2012. . . .

-- Joe

Bailey's Range

David Bailey, who has given St. Louis Rooster and Bailey's Chocolate Bar, among other places to eat and drink, went into the downtown burger business at Bailey's Range during the time the Cardinals were winning the World Series. We can only begin to imagine the crush on those nights. While the Range looks small, there's an upstairs, and it seats about 120. That's a lot of hamburger-seekers to fall upon a new spot. But Bailey quickly got the ducks in a row, and is cranking out satisfaction day and night. Night, especially, when it's open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday (or Saturday and Sunday, depending on how you look at the middle of the night).

Regular readers know that for us, it's nearly all about the food. But we'd like to point out before we get swept away in burgerness that the décor is pretty amusing. A looooong communal table (seats 40? Yep.) and a semi-partition made of old windows, a good view of the immense kitchen, and a fair view of the passing street scene all make for fun, as do the old milk cans used as light fixtures.

Don't think that because we're talking burgers, fries and shakes, this is a diner menu. Not at all. Yes, chili cheese fries as a first course, but also chicken liver mousse. That mousse, silky and rich, is as good as it would be in a restaurant with entrees priced three times as much. “Regulars like it,” reports Bailey, although he admits newcomers are occasionally taken aback by its presence on the menu. And cheese curds, sourced from Marcoot Creamery in Illinois, are creamy, just a little squeaky, the way cheeseheads say they should be. Several thin slices of Granny Smith apple are a reasonable garnish.

Not all the Range burgers are beef. There's bison, chicken, duck, lamb, pork and vegetarian (oddly, neither deer nor antelope), and if you like one set of toppings but prefer another meat, well, that can be done, too. We headed for the Ozark, a rustic-sounding name but a sophisticated approach with sauteed crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions and a blob of black pepper goat cheese, with lettuce and tomato alongside. This is a kitchen that understands "medium-rare;" the burger arrived dark pink inside, extremely juicy, the goat cheese and vegetables all dancing in perfect synchronicity. We've just returned from New York, and visited the home base of a small-but-growing group called Five Napkin Burger, a name that, while surely trademarked, certainly applied here on Olive Street.

A duck burger? Yes, especially one named Smoking Duck. And it was excellent, cooked a bit longer to leave just a bit of pink, nicely smoked, topped with some first-rate and notably crisp slaw and a barbecue sauce that had a hit of cassis, the black currant liqueur. It was the sort of dish that causes one to grunt with pleasure with the first bite. Delicious, and juicy, but more complex than its cousin on the next plate.

Fries were pleasant but not outstanding, although the idea of 10 choices of dipping sauces is a winner. The "crazy ketchup" had both sriracha, the South Asian hot sauce, and perhaps Tabasco, providing enough heat to be overkill to some. We liked it but would have preferred some mellow notes to round things out properly. And yes, there are salads.

Desserts are ice cream and their offspring, though there are no ice cream sodas, drat the luck. We tried two shakes, one with liquor. The non-booze featured chocolate and salted caramel, and we can attest to enjoying some very rich ice cream. Additionally, Bailey knows the difference between caramel and butterscotch, and the salt is a splendid balance to the sweet. The boozy one was an adaptation of the mojito shake, which involves cachaca, mint leaves and lime sorbet. We asked for it without the mint leaves, placing it somewhere between a caipirinha and a daquiri. Tart and refreshing, neither too thick nor too thin, it was dangerously good.

We sat at the bar, with fine service, save for a food runner who did the “Who gets the . . . .?” routine, a question that is never acceptable at a table for two. Good people-watching, and good food, with a sound level enough to cover a discouraging word.

 

Bailey's Range

920 Olive St.

314-241-8121

www.baileysrange.com

Lunch and Dinner Wed.-Sun.

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: Good

Smoking: No

Burgers: $6-$12

Stotties

Christmas week, when things are almost as quiet as August: Fewer meetings, more folks at home, and a good time to offer something a little special. I found this recipe in a recent ad supplement, and adjusted it a little to reflect what I had on hand.

Stottie is not a word often heard in this part of the world. They're traditional breads from the north of England, and they're not usually made in this sweet-ish style. Rather they're bread-like, split and used for sandwiches like ham and pease pudding (I'm not making this up...) or sausage, bacon and egg. Sounds like just the thing on the way home from the pub after closing time, their answer to what we fill with White Castles.

This one, though, is dense and moist, slightly sweet, the sort of thing I can see Grandmum cutting slabs of for a winter afternoon pot of tea. I don't think butter or jam is necessary, although it's good toasted. Not a handsome loaf at all, to be sure, but very easy to put together, no kneading and just one rise. You could even call it relatively healthy with all the fruit and nuts and oats. And I think it would be fine to substitute whole wheat flour for part of the white flour.

 

1 c. old-fashioned oats

1/2 c. honey

1/4 c. butter

1 Tbs. salt

1 1/2 c. water

1 c. applesauce

5 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided

2 envelopes Rapid-Rise Yeast

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

(or may substitute 2 tsp. “pumpkin pie spice”)

2 eggs, room temperature

1 6-oz. package dried cranberries (about 1 1/2 c.)

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

 

Grease two 8- or 9-inch round pans. I used 8-inch springform pans, which have higher sides than my regular cake pans that diameter, and they worked well.

Place oats, honey, butter and salt in a large mixer bowl. Heat water and applesauce until boiling. Add to bowl and stir well. Cool mixture until it's just fairly warm (120 to 130 degrees). The length of time to cool will depend on your mixer bowl; my Kitchen Aid has a heavy base and doesn't cool off very quickly. A sink half-full of cold water helps cool such bowls down.

Add 2 cups flour, yeast, spices and eggs. Beat 30 seconds on low to combine, then raise speed to high and beat for 3 minutes.

Stir in cranberries. Add remaining flour and walnuts to make a stiff batter. Spoon batter into the pans. It will probably be too stiff to spread with a spatula, just dampen your hands and pat it down so it's all about the same height. These are supposed to look rustic. Cover the pans and let rise in a warm place until batter has about doubled in size, perhaps an hour depending on ambient temperature. While they're warming, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure there's a rack in the middle of the oven.

Bake for 50-55 minutes. They should sound hollow when thumped. Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Gives 2 loaves.

 

-Ann

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

They called it the Circus, partly because it was located in a warren of offices near Cambridge Circus in London, partly because of its various legal, illegal, immoral and vital activities as the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service of England. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," a powerful, intelligent, gripping movie based on one of John Le Carre's classic spy novels, opens today as a highlight of the holiday movie season.

This is not to be confused with the TV series of 1979, when Alec Guinness portrayed George Smiley in the six-hour mini-series. Director Tomas Alfredson and the brilliant Gary Oldman bring this one to ground in a little over two hours of taut, tingling tension. The story is unchanged: Smiley, a year into a forced retirement, is brought back to find a double agent who is a player in the Circus.

Le Carre, born David John Moore Cornwell, was himself a spy, working for British intelligence before being exposed by Kim Philby, himself a famed double-agent who disappeared into Russia in 1963. Philby and four colleagues, including Guy Burgess, came through Cambridge University in the 1930s, became Russian agents and, to put it mildly, caused major problems to Allied intelligence during World War II and its aftermath.

The movie features some of England's top actors as Smiley's colleagues, working under a man known as Control, the leader of the Circus and Smiley's boss, as well as his good friend. John Hurt, a matchless actor, is a joy to watch. The other insiders include Colin Firth, Toby Jones, David Dencik and Ciarin Hinds, and none of them misses a beat. Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan wrote the screenplay and Hoyte van Hoytema was the director of photography.

There certainly is some violence, but "TTSS" is primarily a tale of character, of men who live on the edge of a constantly shifting ledge. It's a wonderful book, with Le Carre at his best and the various spies living under constant pressure, depicted almost lovingly in the book. Alfredson, born in Sweden, revels in the increasing tension, and audiences will applaud him for keeping them so involved.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy opens today at several theaters.

--Joe

The Artist

Many people, my fellow St. Louis Film Critics among them, have chosen "The Artist," which opens here today, as the best movie of 2011 and are supporting it for Best Picture honors when the Academy Awards come around on Feb. 26.

I respectfully disagree.

I've seen the majority of the 2011 releases, though I'm still waiting on "Albert Nobbs," "Coriolanus" and a couple of others that may be contenders, and while I'm fond of "The Artist," and think it's an outstanding achievement and a very entertaining movie, there are a couple of problems. First, making an "homage" to a dead art immediately limits the size of its audience and pins a target that says "pretentious" on its chest. Second, after a wonderful opening, the "homage" factor runs dry and so does the story for about 20 minutes after the midpoint.

Making a silent film, in the style of the 1920s, is not easy, and writer-director Michel Hazanavicius has done a superb job (and I might support him for a directorial Oscar). Going back to the square format offers a different look to audiences, and convincing actors to try something different had to be a chore, but it was successful.

Guillaume Schiffman, the director of photography, delivers brilliantly, and the editing, by Anne-Sophie Bion and Hazanavicius, is magnificent. Real skill in both areas.

The story has more than its share of whiskers. Jean Dujardin is remarkable as George Valentin, and note the character is a letter away from being Valentino, hardly a coincidence. He's a star, with a beautiful wife (Penelope Ann Miller) and great popularity, and a gorgeous young co-star in the marvelous Peppy (Berenice Bejo). He has a loyal chauffeur, Clifton (the wonderful James Cromwell) and he works for a cigar-waving boss (the really excellent, cigar-chewing John Goodman, who might get my vote as Best Supporting Actor).

But sound is on its way in, and matinee idols like Valentin are on their way out. Peppy becomes a star. Clifton remains loyal.

People who never have seen many silent films will enjoy the experience. People who like well-made films and who enjoy the work of directors who take chances will be entertained. But in the final analysis, I'm glad that movies have sound, and dialogue, and even special effects. I'm also glad that cars have starters and do not have to be cranked any more. It's fun to peek into the past every now and then, but I wouldnj't want to live there.

The Artist opens today at several theaters.

-- Joe

We Bought a Zoo

In a holiday season with lots of sex and violence, I knew there would have to be a warm-hearted movie aimed at the entire family. "We Bought a Zoo," as one immediately realizes from the title, fills that slot as it opens today. In truth, it's so warm and so filled with heart that it is not recommended as a follow-up to a big Christmas dinner. It's hokey and predictable, too, but it is entertaining, especially if there's a child in the next seat, most especially if there's another on the other side.

Based on a true episode in the life of Benjamin Mee, an English writer, it makes the easy transition to the U.S., where the animals speak in the same accents. Matt Damon portrays Mee, a writer trying to cope with the recent death of his wife and the fact that he has become a single father to 14-year-old Dylan (Colin Ford) and seven-year-old Rosie. That's the perfect age for a child actress, and Maggie Elizabeth Jones steals every scene she's in as if she were Margaret O'Brien as Tootie in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

I wouldn't say little Maggie is impressive, but it wasn't until the credits were rolling that I realized Scarlett Johansson was in the movie, too.

Johansson is managing the zoo, which Mee buys after a single visit. He then decides he'll make it his life's work, though he probably has a book deal in the works, a fact that neither director Cameron Crowe nor Aline Brosh McKenna, with whom he wrote the screenplay, shares with the audience. He has sufficient funds to pay back wages to the loyal staff that has been taking care of things while not being paid.

Damon is solid, and Crowe's direction keeps the story rolling nicely. The movie is about 15 minutes too long, but what the heck, the animals don't get overtime.

We Bought a Zoo opens today at several theaters.

-- Joe

The Elves and the Shoemaker

The Imaginary Theatre Company is not a figment of anyone's imagination, not even the vibrant one belonging to Steve Woolf. It's a real theater company that lives and works at the rep, taking productions aimed at young audiences to school groups and such around the area, entertaining and teaching and, we all hope, creating a permanent love of theater inside everyone.

Every now and then, ITC shows off to the public with short runs, and right now, a charming, bright production of "The Elves and the Shoemaker," is on stage at the Heagney Theatre of Nerinx Hall High school. Unfortunately, only three performances remain -- one Thursday morning and two on Friday, and the Rep's web site reports them as "sold out."

Adapted from one of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm by Sarah Brandt, with Neal Richardson, the musical director, adding some pleasant music and lyrics, the story has been updated a little, and the four-person cast, directed by Bruce Longworth, displays considerable skill. The actors wove a spell that enchanted a theater filled with small people for its entire 55-minute running time.

Jerome Lowe is the Shoemaker, Lakeetha Blakeney is his wife, and the talented couple of Alan Knoll and his off-stage wife, Laurie McConnell, do everything else, from royalty to beggary to a display of elfin skills. They also show the ability and agility to handle quick changes as they bolt through a series of Dorothy Marshall Englis' bright and evocative costumes.

In truth, Lowe is not a talented shoemaker. It's almost as if he began as a hat- or wig-maker, failed badly and let the force of gravity take over as he continued to seek a career in fashion design. He now has reached bottom with a pair of green shoes. Trying to sell them in the town square, he's a total failure, but he's a kind and generous guy, and when he meets a poor beggar (McConnell), he gives them to her.

When he returns home, Mrs. Shoemaker is not amused, which is not surprising, because while a soft answer may turn away wrath, a empty stomach does not. But while they sleep, the Elves arrive and begin to turn things around for the Shoemaker. Knoll and McConnell, with a variety of accents and dance steps, move from role to role -- Knoll's attempt at re-creating Dame Edna Everage is a high spot -- and as hard as it may be to believe, everyone's a winner before the final curtain.

Lowe presents delightfully befuddled innocence, and while Blakeney shows the anger of hunger from time to time, she's a loyal wife. Knoll, who has brightened local stages for close to a decade, always has shown fine comic timing, and McConnell makes an excellent stage partner. Ellen Isom's pleasing choreography, is nicely entertaining and Scott Loebl's set works well.

Best of all, Longworth and the actors approach the material, and their audience, with an impressive lack of condescension.

The Imaginary Theatre Company presents "The Elves and the Shoemaker" at the Heagney Theatre Thursday (Dec. 22) and Friday (Dec. 23)

--Joe

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

From the charming drawings of the Belgian artist George Remi, using the pen name of Herge, the young newspaper reporter named Tintin and his loyal dog, Snowy, go off in search of good stories and buried treasure in "The Adventures of Tintin," a feature-length animated film that is entertaining in spite of being in 3-D.

I don't like 3-D. Never have. I think it's phony and a gimmick, and it bothers me that a director of Stephen Spielberg's taste and ability would use it. The film, in the works for many years, is a blend of real animation (Snowy the dog) and live movement turned into computer animation (Tintin and others). With his carrot-colored hair and top-knot, Tintin has a face that looks a little like a Kewpie doll, or even a Billiken. Jamie Bell is the voice, with Daniel Craig, the hero of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," as Red Rackham and Ivanovich Sakharine. Andy Sarkis is Haddock, and his ancestor, also named Haddock.

The film combines three of the comics, "The Secret of the Unicorn," "The Crab With the Golden Claws" and "Red Rackham's Treasure." Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish wrote the screenplay, and there is more Tintin in the plans if it goes as well on American screens as it has in Europe.

As in all comic books, our hero goes through a wide variety of adventures, always arriving safely at the other end of the story. Children and, to a great extent, their parents, will have a grand time. I did.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, opens today at several theaters

-- Joe

Brunch: Jilly's Cupcake Bar

Cupcakes? Marvelous cupcakes, sweet constructions of carbohydrates and buttercream, are in sharp and delightful contrast with the equally tasty, slightly more savory, if less traditional food offered for brunch at Jilly's Cupcake Bar & Cafe. Chef Dana Holland, whose work we first encountered at the original Babalu's on Euclid, doesn't go for the ho-hum, so there's a wide variety of interesting fare every Sunday morning.

That said, the brunch is not without a few glitches. This is a hopping spot; and arriving sans reservations is chancy. Lots of windows and signature pink walls make everything bright as servers thread their ways between tables, bearing coffee, juice and used plates. The drill is a little confusing at first: Check in with the host or hostess, and when a table or seats are assigned, line up to pay, potentially a problem if tipping is necessary even before setting eyes on the server. Then proceed to the table, and thence to the buffet. The line for the food waxes and wanes, so patience may be necessary, especially when the person directly ahead saves a place for a couple of relatives and their 8-year-old.

The buffet table contains a delightfully large number of dishes, despite its compact layout, with light and cold items first, then the chafing dishes, and finally the official desserts, with, yes, the cupcakes as a highlight. Wonderfully moist banana bread sits with the mini-muffins. Chicken salad, normally among the most boring items at a brunch, is creamy, savory, white meat that remains moist without being overdressed; it carries a small note of onion, but neither grapes nor celery. Just interesting. Just delicious. Also quite tasty were slices of pate and rilettes, moist and with notes of brandy and perhaps a little mace. Untried: Egg salad, fresh fruit, pasta salad, brie with apricot chutney, several other items that looked tempting.

Biscuits and gravy? Of course, but with an orange-y Creole gravy, not killer-hot by any means, but a good match with Holland's maple sausage links. Also among the hot dishes was a caramel-apple bread pudding, a reasonable substitute for pancakes or waffles, especially when its lily can be gilded with roasted pineapple on the next plate, resting happily in its brown sugary juices. Similar in theory but completely different in execution is the Mexicali strata. Strata is basically a savory bread pudding, eggs and bread with unsweet ingredients. The texture indicates the addition of cheese and some corn tortillas, seasoned with cumin and chiles, plus extra salsa and sour cream to add as desired. Absolutely delicious, a superb example of what makes Jilly's brunch stand out.

And then there's the eggs Benedict. Thin slices of baguette and tender ham rest under properly poached eggs, the whole topped with hollandaise. But wait, that hollandaise, or perhaps Dana Holland-aise, carries serious heat. That's definitely not paprika sprinkled over the top. There's no excuse to miss the macaroni and cheese, clearly of the tender/gooey school rather than the firm/tidy one, and utterly irresistible for all ages of customers. Only the green onion cheese potatoes fail. Sounds like a good idea, but not warm enough, not cheesy enough and not much green onion flavor, a surprise considering its neighbors on the menu.

Shrimp cakes, less fragile than crab cakes, are imaginatively seasoned like the Maryland classic crab version. (We'd like one of these as a base for the poached egg and hollandaise, come to think of it.) Pork loin, so often tough and uninteresting, is fork-tender and moist despite being pre-sliced. Piped next to it is a light tan cloud that is either a dense cumin-laced gravy or a light cumin-laced potato puree, and some honey-sweetened applesauce waits in front to add its own particular contrast. Another fine dish.

Yes, dessert includes mini-cupcakes, un-frosted, with three different bags of icing and various sprinkles for do-it-yourselfers. But we went for and were delighted with the so-called parfaits. Flat cakes are split, filled and frosted with a couple of the house's cupcake combinations. This is an excellent idea, producing a wonderfully moist result that allows for portion control, if you're the sort of person who controls dessert portions. The turtle version, all dark chocolate, caramel and pecans, was nice, but it was the lemon-raspberry that rang the bell. For those who remember jelly rolls from childhood, here's the same great combination, a delicate sponge cake flavored with lemon and a tart raspberry filling, worth waiting in line for.

Good coffee, although it was so busy on our visit that getting refills usually meant walking up to the beverage station. Orange juice, too, is included in the price of the brunch, which at $15 is good value for the money. (No liquor license, if that's a concern.) And do plan on making reservations.

 

 

Jilly's Cupcake Bar & Cafe

8509 Delmar Blvd., University City'

314-993-5455

www.jillyscupcakebar.com

Brunch Sun. 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: Fair to good

Smoking: No

Brunch: $15

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

It's very long. It's also incredibly powerful, keeping me riveted to my seat for its entire 158 minutes, or more then 2 1/2 hours .

That's my take on "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," a strong, vibrant adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel. Screenwriter Steven Zaillian has taken some liberties with Larsson's work, though I think he does minimal damage to the original, and young Rooney Mara comes within an eyelash of equalling Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander. Because of Zaillian's vision, or perhaps that of director David Fincher, we don't see quite the same Mikael Blomkvist, but Daniel Craig's portrayal is as solid as that of Michael Nykvist. Craig's version is slightly humbler, less the casual seducer.

Fincher's sexual scenes between Salander and the horrid, sadistic Nils Bjurman (Yorick Van Wageningen) are fiercer -- perhaps more difficult to watch -- in 2011 than in 2009. Her revenge also is more violent, but Bjurman had it coming.

Mara's full name is Patricia Rooney Mara, and she's the daughter of Tim Mara, grandson of Jack Mara, the founder of the New York Giants of the NFL. Her mother, Kathleen, is a great grand-daughter of Art Rooney, who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL royalty, indeed, but the 26-year-old actress has been working in film and television for six years. She played Erica, the girl friend of Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network," also directed by Fincher.

The cast is deep and strong, with Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger, the billionaire who wants to see his daughter, Harriet, avenged; she's played by Alexandra Daddario as a young girl, Moa Garpendal as she grows up. Stellen Skarsgard is outstanding as Martin Vanger and Joely Richardson as Anita Vanger. Robin Wright is Erika Berger, the editor of Millennium magazine and Blomkvist's boss

Mara is strong and wonderfully expressionless as Lisbeth; her stare sends a chill into you. Interestingly, I found that she and Rapace, from the 2009 film, are almost interchangeable as you watch them. Terrific performances by both.

Cinematographer Jeff Cronenworth has the gloomy Stockholm palette down pat, and Fincher's pace allows the viewer time to keep the various characters in their proper places. I'm glad I do not have to choose between the two versions; they're slightly different but highly enjoyable.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo opens today on several screens.

-- Joe