Movie Reax: 'The Wackness' overcomes the Olsen tornado

The best thing about the much-buzzed-about dramatic-competition selection “The Wackness” is that it features another great performance from Ben Kingsley, who seems to have found a second career in comedy.  The picture may also be the project that turns charismatic youngsters Josh Peck (Josh of Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh”) and Olivia Thirlby (“Juno”) into legitimate movie stars.  More importantly, though, the film may provide talented writer and director Jonathan Levine (“All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”) the breakout hit it appears he needs to get Hollywood’s full attention.  Yet, at the film’s world premiere, one person overshadowed the entire event: that adorable little Mary Kate Olsen. 

Not straying far from her character on “Weeds,” Olsen is fine as a trippy rich girl just out for a good time in the last days of freewheeling 1994 New York City, but you have to wonder whether the tornado of paparazzi and media attention that follows her really helps in drawing attention to the movie or just distracts from it.  Check out the two girls in our Audience Reaction video who crashed the Q&A after Friday's screening just so they could get a peak at Mary Kate.  Funny for sure, but some of this madness should be quarantined to Main Street (good luck with that).

A second storm should hit the festival when Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Smart People” premieres at the Eccles tomorrow evening (at least that girl's got real talent).  The local forecast also says to be on the lookout for Paris Hilton and Mischa Barton as well. Better bundle up!

-- Gregory Ellwood