Director Joss Whedon, with co-writer Zak Penn, has assembled a film worthy of any of the classic Avengers comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This is no mean feat, considering the variables that have been lined up against him, not the least of which is the sheer number of characters. The main members of the Avengers Initiative include Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). They’re backed up by numerous agents of the super-secret spy organization known as SHIELD, including Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and the ubiquitous Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). And that’s before we even get to the bad guys, chief among them Thor’s Asgardian brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), set to release an alien army upon the Earth with the help of a mystical cube called The Tesseract.

Countless action franchises have lost focus and momentum with bloated casts, but here, Whedon and Penn have found a remarkable balance. Every hero gets moments to shine, and very little feels tacked on just to give a lesser character something to do. That balance extends to the performances, as well. It would be quite easy for strong and charismatic actors like Downey or Jackson to overwhelm the rest, but somehow they don’t, and this is achieved without decreasing their amount of screen time. They simply fit in as slightly more flamboyant members of the ensemble.

While we’re discussing actors, it’s Ruffalo who’s the big surprise here. New to the role of Bruce Banner, he nails the sheer exhaustion of a man who must constantly keep himself in check or risk releasing the green-skinned monster he can only call “The Other Guy”. He provides an unusual amount of depth to the character, mixing grim determination with a dry wit.

The main story is admittedly rather generic, but it’s enlivened by creators who understand comics and can bring those elements to the screen. The Avengers spend as much time (or more) fighting each other as they do their enemies, entertaining but never quite satisfying fanboy debates over who would beat who in a fight. These sequences are so engaging you hardly notice them as stalls in the progression of the plot. There are also big, big laughs here, often commenting on the many absurdities of these costumed heroes, to keep the tone light and the pace brisk, even at a hefty running time of well over two hours. (And you’re well-advised to stay in your seat until the very end of the credits, for a throwaway moment so elegant in its simplicity that it’s one of the film’s best gags.)

In a summer filled with blockbuster comics movies, The Avengers has set the bar very high indeed. Excelsior!

Around this time every year I ask myself “What would my mother never buy for herself but actually enjoy having?” Not surprisingly the answer every year is different. Here are some ideas that I have come up with over the years:

Spa Gift Certificate – Treat your mother to a half-day of relaxation with a massage and pedi/mani combo. As an extra special gesture pick her up and drop her off at the Spa the day of her appointment.

Theatre Evening – Spend some quality time by enjoying an evening out with your mother. Select a production that you will both enjoy and grab some dinner before the show.

Special Classes – Think of some interest that you and your mom share and take it to the next level. Enroll together in cooking classes, art workshops, sewing seminars, tennis lessons, wine tasting or another activity you think she will enjoy. The idea is to spend time together while having a good time.

Portraits – Organize a family portrait session with the focus on mom. Involve the entire family so mom has a special memory of the day.

Chore Free Weekend – If your family has young children, a good way to get them involved in giving mom a special day is to have them help with chores that mom would otherwise do. For example setting the table, dusting the furniture, taking out the kitchen garbage and assembling dinner with healthy store bought meals.

Also along these lines you can buy mom a couple of home cleaning vouchers from a local cleaning service.

Whatever you decide to do, mom will feel extra special knowing you took the time to think beyond the flowers.

Happy Mother’s Day!

[Image: Flickr user heather_juma]

As CTV News reported last week, there are going to be some big changes in the world of cross-border shopping. The 2012 Federal Budget, released by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on March 29, proposes increases to the dollar limit of goods cross-border shoppers can bring into Canada. If everything goes according to plan, these increases will take effect on June 1st.

So what’s changing? After a 24-hour trip, the current $50 duty-free limit will become $200. After a 48-hour trip, the limit will be $800, double the current rate. There is no current change to the no-exemption policy on same-day trips.

The increase is great for cross-border spenders, but on the other hand, retailers aren’t feeling so great.

“It isn’t good news for retailers on the border,” said Sally Ritchie, vice-president of Communications and Marketing at Retail Council of Canada. “It’s in fact, very bad news.”

Ritchie said they weren’t surprised at the increase proposal because they had observed President Obama’s and Prime Minister Harper’s talks about harmonization across the border. However, this change is not what they wanted to hear.

“We were hoping that this would be done in conjunction with an announcement about the reduction of tariffs, so that our retailers would still be able to compete [with U.S. retailers],” said Ritchie. “As it stands right now, they are unable to compete. The playing field is not level.”

Ritchie explains how to fix the problem. “The solution is to remove those tariffs, to remove that burden. The tariffs were put in place many years ago to protect Canadian manufacturing. At that stage, it made sense. It no longer makes sense,” she said. “The Americans recognized this a long time ago and removed their tariffs. The Canadian government should be following suit.”

She explains Canadian manufacturers no longer really require those same tariffs because they are not producing goods at the same rate as when they were put in place.

“We are going to be appearing before the Finance Committee that is looking into the price disparity between U.S. and Canadian goods,” said Ritchie. She expects this to be scheduled within the next month.

“We hope that the Canadian government sees fit to remove those tariffs to protect Canadian retailers,” she said.

Ritchie emphasizes this is a legislative issue, not an issue with consumers.

“Our problem is not with shoppers, our problem is with the tariffs that make it impossible for retailers to compete,” she says.

According to Ritchie, retailers aren’t happy about the limit changes.

“We’re hearing from members in border communities who are really upset. They’re struggling as it is, and this is just going to make it more difficult for them.”

The best possible situation for cross-border shopping, Ritchie says, is for the tariffs to be removed and for Canadian retailers to be able to offer competitive prices.

“They’re not asking for an advantage, they’re asking to be able to compete on a level playing field.”

Ritchie pointed out other disadvantages to the exemption changes. One, the Canadian government loses money when consumers spend their dollars across the border. Two, people who buy electronics in the U.S. may not have their warranties covered in Canada.

Ritchie pointed another factor that people may be unaware of.

“Consumers need to recognize that retailers are at the mercy of many other people when setting prices, and in some cases have absolutely no choice,” she said. This is in the case of popular cross-border purchases like chicken, butter and milk, where Canadian market boards set the prices for those products.

“Retailing is a complex game and it’s not surprising that the Canadian consumer wouldn’t understand everything – we understand that it’s complex. We’re just trying to ensure that they have the benefit of knowing the facts.”

Stephen Fine, Founder and Director of Business Development at Crossbordershopping.ca, sees this change in a better light.

Fine hopes this will lead to more competitive pricing in Canada.

“Consumers are savvy. They know where to go. They do their homework,” he said. “If items weren’t less expensive in the United States, they wouldn’t go.”

Fine said this change will also enable Canadian Border Services Agents to focus more on national security.

“Right now, they spend so much of their time checking cars for people who are over their limit and collecting taxes, when really they shouldn’t be spending most of their time doing that,” he said.

Fine provided some 2010 statistics. Statistics from 2011 were not yet available.

In 2010,

• Canadians made more than 24 million same-day car trips to the U.S.
• Canadians spent more than $5.5 billion in U.S. states bordering Canada.

For more information on cross-border shopping, read this CBC article.

By Sarah Munn

[Image: Flickr user richmondsquarephotos]

Though this story has been told on film many times, Walt Disney’s 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has so penetrated the collective conscious that any other version is inevitably compared to it. Mirror Mirror mixes most of the same elements up, giving its heroine more to do in the process. This is a very good thing – not to get down on poor Snow, but in most versions, she’s a bit of a doormat.

Julia Roberts stars as the evil Queen, obsessively vain, and jealous of her rapidly blossoming stepdaughter, keeping Snow (Lily Collins) locked up while she blows the kingdom’s money on parties and beauty treatments. She also has a complex relationship with a magical reflection of herself, which she visits by passing through a mirror hidden in the palace.

Curious to see what has happened to the kingdom since the absence and presumed death of her father, Snow escapes the palace and chances upon Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer), who has been assaulted by seven mysterious bandits (guess who?) and left tied up. Alcott makes his way to the palace, where the Queen sees both a handsome potential husband and deep pockets to fund her lavish lifestyle. On seeing that he only has eyes for Snow, however, she finally has had enough, and begins plotting the girl’s death.

There’s enough here to make the story feel fresh and provide some humour and surprise, and director Tarsem Singh’s characteristic visual sense gives the film a beautiful, otherworldly look that distinguishes it from most fairy tales. But the telling has some problems. The script, by Marc Klein, Jason Keller and Melisa Wallack, sticks mostly to the stylized speech we expect from the setting, but then drops in some sassy lines that wouldn’t be out of place in a modern romantic comedy, often in the same sentence. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, but in the mouths of the actors, it comes across as not only winking at the audience, but trying too hard.

There’s no Dopey, Sneezy, or Doc here, but each of the actors playing the dwarfs does a fine job of differentiating the characters and giving them defined personalities. And Collins’ Snow is an excellently balanced character, winning over the seven rogues with her domestic femininity before joining them as a Robin Hood influence. Hammer is game for anything, including a vaguely creepy puppy dog impression, but largely acquits himself well. And Nathan Lane, as the Queen’s servant, makes a meal out of a limited role.

Roberts has the toughest assignment, as she’s not an actor who does cold very well. She’s spent so much time as one of America’s Sweethearts that her evil turn here is slightly restrained, as if she doesn’t quite know how to do it. And yet, she still makes the role her own.

Mirror Mirror is well-suited to kids, and young girls should especially enjoy it. There is enough action and antic silliness, particularly from the dwarfs, to hold their attention. And possibly yours too, if you can rise above its inconsistencies.

Burlington Teen Tour Band Volunteers

The Halton District School Board invited 1200 Halton grade seven and eight instrumental students from twenty nine elementary schools and two high schools to participate in a most exciting two day Band Extravaganza.

The Halton District School Board commissioned two original concert band compositions specifically for this event; Stormchaser by David Marlatt and Pride and Valour by Ryan Meeboer. Both of these composers are well-known and respected Canadian composers of concert band music and publish with Eighth Note Music Publishers.

Ryan Meeboer is also a teacher at Alexander’s Public School in Halton. The 2 composers were on hand all day to work with the students and then conducted a performance of their compositions with the massed bands in the afternoon. These young musicians from the participating schools performed the world premiers of the compositions. The music will now be sold and distributed all over North America by Eighth Note Publications, a well known and respected Canadian music publisher.

Halton D.S.B. Organizers: Lynette, Mary & Franca

The day began with a concert; from Aldershot High School Concert Band (March. 28th) and TA Blakelock High School Concert Band, a band who practices over their lunch hour, and the Blakelock Senior Choir (March 29th). Both of these outstanding high school bands have won Gold Awards with Musicfest Canada.

The students concluded the day with a concert by the Halton Junior Jazz Ensemble – Halton’s award winning Jazz Ensemble of grade 7 and 8 music students from across the Halton District School Board. Each teacher took the time to encourage the grade seven and eight students to continue their musical career/studies once they enter high school.

After the opening concert, the students traveled to break-out clinics designed specifically for their instrument where they were coached by outstanding musicians and encouraged to take a close look at the music they would be performing later in day, together with the collective efforts of all the musicians and combined into one massive sound.

It is difficult to imagine the effect of six hundred young musicians playing together in a gymnasium, with talented conductors at the helm! Every band instrument was represented; drums, guitars, flutes, saxophones, clarinets, oboes, trombones to name a few. The students responded quickly during both of these compositions when requested to listen to each other; to the base instruments as they set the pace for the rhythm and to the timing and inflections asked for by the conductors. In Stormchaser, Mr. Marlatt was even able to get the students to click their fingers, clap their legs and shhhhhhhhhhhhh, creating an effect that sounded like rain and thunder. The results for each of the compositions were magical!

A special thank you is extended to the community partners for this massive event. Yamaha Canada and Long and McQuade Burlington generously supplied the twenty clinicians required for the two days. These clinicians were very well renowned local musicians who; teach privately, perform as professional musicians in orchestras, musicals, jazz groups, and work as free lance musicians. The students were fortunate to be getting instruction from some of Ontario’s top musicians. Rob Bennett and Bill Hughes of the Burlington Music Centre and the Burlington Teen Tour Band also played a big part to create the success of this undertaking by helping out with facility rentals, and providing percussion instruments.

Performing is an art. It gives musicians a goal and a reason to create great music. Performing brings pleasure to those who are playing and to those who have the opportunity to listen and enjoy the results of the dedication and focused efforts that are required to make the “magic of music” happen. Having had the opportunity to stand “in the midst” of the music created by our talented grade seven and eight students during the massed band performance, a thank you is in order to the composers, students, teachers, parents and community members who completely understand the value of their efforts and who were able to enjoy the magic of the sound that was created.

Despite the stretch of unseasonably good weather this past month in Ontario, the upcoming Easter long weekend is realistically what signifies the dawn of warmer air, bud break, and my wife’s conversion from shoes to sandals.

Easter is a holiday that (outside of spiritual belief) is filled with fresh ideas, new beginnings, and little smiles. Families gather for the first time since the winter break and once again, we prepare a meal of epic proportions – oh how I love the feast!

Hot-cross buns are traditional on Easter morning, but for obvious reasons I will avoid pairing wine with sticky-buns at 8am. Can I suggest a big glass of freshly squeezed OJ and a cup of piping hot coffee instead? My advice in this article is catered more to a point in the day when aromas of ham, turkey, or even lamb permeate through the household. Many families also enjoy beef or Asian cuisine over the holiday, and our focus today is how to pair the vast array of wine available at the LCBO with the varying flavour intensities of these entrées.

Turkey or ham is certainly the most popular choice, and in terms of wine pairing potential, your selection depends primarily on what accents the main dish. Rich gravy, mustards, savoury casseroles and flavourful side dishes dictate the style of wine needed to complete the meal.

As a rule, the richer the flavours, the more robust the required wine: try Gamay, Pinot Noir, or Oaked Chardonnay: In increasing intensity serve: Gamay from Beaujolais or Niagara; Pinot Noir from one of: Ontario’s Prince Edward County / Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune / New Zealand / the richer Côte de Nuits of Burgundy / Oregon. And from the white spectrum, try Chardonnay from: Burgundy / Australia / California.

A roast or rack of Lamb calls for Spanish Rioja – reserva or better, but Cabernet Sauvignon or a rich Pinot will work just as well. Cooler climate Cab tends to have a minty/eucalyptus aroma that will pair wonderfully with the mint sauce if you plan to go that route.

Roast beef, tenderloin, or pot-roast all follow the same principle and when the meat is garnished with peppercorns or spiced gravy, choose a wine that reflects that same depth: In increasing intensity serve: French Syrah / California Cabernet Sauvignon / Australian Shiraz / Barolo / Amarone

If you are planning Asian cuisine, the combination of sweet and spice calls for one of the following: Unoaked Chardonnay / Riesling: Alsacian or German Kabinett / Gewürztraminer / Prosecco: Italian sparkling wine (dry/brut)

Oh by the way, when the kids are in bed, snatch a few chocolate eggs from the basket and pop a bottle of Graham’s 20 year of Tawny Port – the two together are a match made in heaven… even the Easter Bunny deserves a treat!

The task of selecting a good bottle of wine has been greatly simplified by the folks at Wine Align. I highly recommend the ‘Find Wine’ feature at winealign.com.

Happy Easter!

[Image: Flickr user Andrew&Palmera]

Hi there Kevin,

Thanks for your help and we are open to suggestions.

Thanks for this question, this is what I suggest you try first.

Call the number on the back of your card and tell them you have seen lower rates and chances are that you can get them to lower it. If you have been paying your minimum payment on time and they consider you a good customer they will likely be willing to work with you to negotiate a lower rate. If you are told that there is nothing they can do, politely ask to speak to a supervisor as they may be able to make the change.

In a recent test, random shoppers in a Canadian shopping mall, were all given the same script and told to read it to their credit card company, asking for a lower interest rate.

Six of the ten participants were promised a lower rate by identifying themselves and simply following this script:

“I think I’ve been a good customer. I’d like to stay with you, but I really want you to lower the rate on my card. Can you help me?”

If the initial response was no, they asked to speak to a supervisor and make the same case again.

One shopper had her rate go from 18.9 per cent to 10.9 per cent. “It hadn’t even occurred to me to ask,” she said. “When they sent the card and told me what my rate was, you just kind of accept it and get on with your day.”

Another participant said he almost never carries debt on his card. Still, he said he found it “pretty surprising” that his credit card company was willing to lower its rate to 11.5 per cent from 19.5 per cent. It took one shopper five minutes to lower his rate by nine per cent, shaving it by half from 18 per cent. “I’m shocked. Thirty years of paying 18 per cent when I could have been getting nine per cent,” he said.

If that does not work for you then don’t worry, come in and meet with us about other available options open today to help reduce your high interest rate concerns. With interest rates still low, many homeowners look to refinance, whether to pay off higher-interest debts, credit cards or to fund renovations or other projects. With so much of our money tied up in credit cards and in real estate these days it’s so important to understand first all of the financial and legal details of any loan product before signing on the dotted line.

Saving money on rates is smart as long as all borrowers commit to being equally smart about reading and understanding the fine print.

* If you phone your credit card company and get your rate lowered, please leave a comment and let me know what your rate was and what it is now!

Regards,
Kevin

Half Way & Loving the Run

It was a beautiful day for Hamilton’s Around the Bay Road Race; North America’s oldest road race, first run in 1894. This year a total of 9,200 runners took to the roads, running a distance of 30 km throughout the streets of Hamilton and Burlington around the natural harbour that joins these two cities. In addition, 2,300 runners and walkers participated in the 5k race. Beginning and ending at Copps Coliseum, crowds lined the route to cheer for their favourite runners and walkers and to enjoy the energy and enthusiasm created by the participants who chose to tackle this challenging course.

The Around the Bay Road Race includes an opportunity for everyone to participate. There is a 30k Walk/Run, a 5k and two and three person Relay teams. Rich in tradition, the race has been won by the best from around the world. Vast amounts of training spanning many weeks are necessary to run this course and many of the runners participate year after year.

Related: Click here to view more photos of this event.

One must not forget the role of the spectators for this event. They often walk long distances from their cars and their participation is valued by the runners prior to race day throughout the training period and as they line the route to urge the runners to complete the race – in their best time! The Around the Bay Road Race is as much fun for the spectators as it is for the runners!

A Successful Run

This year, the winner was from Hamilton! Reid Coolsaet, a local runner who will likely be representing Canada in the marathon at the Olympics in London this summer, crossed the Finish-line in one hour, thirty three minutes and twenty seconds. Krista DuChene, the winner of the women’s division, lives in Brantford and had a race-time of one hour, forty seven minutes and three seconds. These runners were “poetry in motion” and very exciting to watch.

The Around the Bay Road Race has been a charity event since 2005 with all proceeds going to St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Foundation. The pledges raise funds to support compassionate care and groundbreaking research, helping St. Joe’s to continue caring for the community. The goal this year was to raise $240,000 for this worthwhile cause.

Congratulations go out to each and every participant who took part in the Around the Bay Road Race and we all look forward to next year! It is always a “Sell Out”.

As high school seniors, Jenko (Channing Tatum) was a jock and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was a nerd. But when they meet up years later at police academy, they realize they have the complementary skills to get each other to graduation, and soon become friends. All that training is for naught, however, as their first bust fails miserably, and they’re transferred to a special unit that exploits their youthful appearance to put them undercover, back in high school.

Their assignment is to locate the supplier of a new synthetic drug that is working its way through the school, by becoming friendly with the students who are dealing it. Straightforward enough, but then they get their undercover identities confused, forcing Schmidt to be the cool track star while Jenko has to deal with Advanced Chemistry. The resulting story is as much or more about finding your place in high school as it is about catching the perps.

Jump Street is at its best when it subverts expectations. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller and writer Michael Bacall (with additional story by Hill) know they’re dealing in clichés extending back into the 80s, and even call themselves on it occasionally: one character decries the recycling of old ideas that are then passed off as new ones. But every so often they twist them into good jokes – Jenko, for example, lands he and Schmidt in the principal’s office within 30 seconds by trying to use the standard jock-nerd playbook in a world where bullying is no longer cool.

The problem is that phrase “every so often”. This is a maddeningly inconsistent film, in its characters as well as its humour. We don’t expect logic to dictate in an irreverent comedy, but even here it’s sacrificed too many times for the sake of cheap gags. Schmidt, for example, is supposed to be the “smart but timid” one, yet he continually does impulsively dumb things, like firing his gun in the air to celebrate an arrest, or ignoring every order given by superiors without even a glimmer of concern. Yes, we laugh, because the very talented Jonah Hill is entertaining us, but these moments aren’t as funny as they would be if they came from a truer place.

The movie’s stubborn insistence on gratuitous immaturity also leads it down some troubling paths. The third act is more violent and bloody than it needs to be, and the overdose death of a student is conveniently forgotten, its only purpose to set up a scene where Jenko and Schmidt try forcing each other to vomit the drugs they’ve ingested. Parents are well-advised to heed the 14A warning.

Despite these concerns, as a whole Jump Street is more than the sum of its parts, and that’s largely due to the performances. Tatum is nearly as good as Hill, showing range in a character who might otherwise be a one-dimensional lunkhead, and the two actors work well together. Brie Larson and Dave Franco are also convincing as the students Schmidt becomes friends with. And Ice Cube is funny as the stereotypical angry black captain (their joke, not mine), even though it feels like some of his work ended up on the cutting room floor. There are even cameos from stars of the original TV show, though fans might not be pleased with how they’re treated.

Ultimately, 21 Jump Street will be very entertaining for its clearly-intended audience – late-night teenagers looking for a brainless laughter who know or care little about the source material. For everyone else the mileage may vary.

Platonic best friends Julie and Jason (Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott) both want children, but having no current partners, and mortified at what kids seem to have done to their friends’ marriages, they make an unconventional decision. They’ll conceive a child between themselves and then co-parent, leaving them both free to pursue romance with people outside the equation.

The friends (Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd, Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm), of course, think this is a terrible idea, but they have enough problems of their own, and agree to support the couple. What follows is an emotional roller coaster ride as both Julie and Jason find their “perfect” people, but can’t escape the feelings formed by parental bonding.

It’s easy to dismiss all of these characters as yet more self-obsessed cinematic New Yorkers, but as the story progresses, the script and direction by star Westfeldt begin to reveal more layers, which draws us in. This is completely fitting, since such major life events do tend to change us all, for better or worse.

The presence of no less than four stars from last year’s Bridesmaids is being exploited in the advertising to imply that Friends with Kids is another wild comedy, but that’s false. There are laughs here, but they eventually taper off, and the last third of the film is pure drama. It’s a slightly uneven tone, but the story remains involving.

The Bridesmaids crew also get far less screen time than you’d expect. What a nice surprise, however, to see actors well-known for comedy play it straight so well. Wiig is especially good playing opposite Hamm, who with his years of Mad Men experience has his own lock on playing inwardly desperate people. Even Megan Fox and Edward Burns manage to make something slightly more of the calculated roles they’re forced into.

The leads are unfortunately weaker, but not enough to torpedo the whole thing. Westfeldt’s performance is a bit too earnest for my taste, but I suppose that’s her right as the creator of this project. On the other hand, Scott seems a little disengaged, but great writing saves him in the scenes where he’s supposed to be emotional.

I liked O’Dowd’s character, Alex, best. A sloppy, clueless, shaggy dog of a guy, he ends up saying the most about why we stay in relationships that seem to have lost their spark, without even necessarily saying anything at all. It’s important balance for a film that’s often quite down on marriage with children.

Overall, Friends with Kids might be a good movie for a couple’s night out, without the kids. It will at least get you talking. Romance optional.