Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Lars and the Real Girl (PG-13):
This indie movie about a closed off man who starts a relationship with a blow-up doll had the potential to be very mishandled and shot for easy laughs, but turned out to be pleasant and poignant. It's one of those movies where the ad copy calls it hilarious, but instead it's mostly just charming. Free on Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: B+

Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping:
Patton Oswalt's latest comedy special is in the same vein as his previous work -- mainly storytelling through disjointed fragments of thoughts. It's moderately funny but loses momentum once he starts talking about his kids. The kids of stand-up comics are never as interesting as the comic thinks they are. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: C+

Dreamland, Season Two:
The second season of this Australian "The Office-like" show delivers more laughs, but pretty much covers the exact same ground as before. There's no overarching plot and each episode feels about the same. This is the type of show you'd want to watch an episode of in isolation when you need a laugh, rather than binging. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: B

Cheng's Oriental Restaurant:
Cheng's in Sterling captures the decline of Americanized Chinese food perfectly, right down to the indoor koi pond with no fish in it. The food was inexpensive and solidly tasty, although Rebecca was disappointed by how much of the menu was deep-fried. All in all, it was a pleasant dining experience. Though the place is not hipster-flashy or a brewery, sometimes you just want to eat some comfortable lo mein while surrounded by old white people.

Final Grade: B