Villa Rosa Italian Restaurant & Grill

NOTE: Villa Rosa's food quality has slipped during recent visits, and it is definitely starting to show its age. A 7.25 would be a more appropriate rating.

Located off of Wendover Ave. at 610 Landmark Center Blvd. in Greensboro, Villa Rosa offers pizza, pasta, soup, salads, and other Italian fare. There is a full bar, daily specials, and weekly lunch specials. For parties and banquets, private rooms and custom menus are available.

In my experience, Italian restaurants tend to fall into three distinct strata. At the lowest level, there are pizza-and-sandwich places that offer a few pasta dishes. They tend to be cheap, but you get what you pay for. At the highest level, there are establishments that appropriate Italian naming for their menus (Primi or antipasto for appetizers, dolce for desserts, etc.) and offer bold combinations of authentic-sounding ingredients. Of course, the culinary craftsmanship – or at least the illusion thereof – comes at a price. In the middle are traditional red sauce joints, the familiar, moderately priced restaurants that offer a wide selection of recognizable Italian dishes. Villa Rosa sits firmly in this middle tier, but it is among the better of this type that Greensboro has to offer.

Established by Sicilian immigrants, Villa Rosa is the epitome of an old-school Italian-American eatery. The large menu incorporates plenty of familiar names but little innovation. Capelini replaces linguine for a few of the dishes, but don’t look for squid ink pasta or an uncharted variety of ravioli: the requisite Alfredo, arrabiata, with clam sauce, and diavlo are all here. There is, however, enough variety here to keep everyone happy. In terms of quality, complimentary salad and garlic bread were mediocre, but an order of seafood pescatore really delivered. The sauce was sweet and flavorful, and the dish came with a copious amount of shrimp, scallops, and calamari (the lesser quantities of mussels and clams were fine by me).

Villa Rosa’s conventionality extends beyond the food. The décor is of the sort that you can image Robert Irvine taking a sledgehammer to: wooden booths, tile floor, off-reds on the tables and the walls. It’s tired, to be certain, but it isn’t garish or cheap. There is no shortage of seating, and even on a busy night, you won’t feel like you are eating elbow-to-elbow with another party. Service rates above average. My server was speedy, attentive, and polite, and one of the owners came around to chat with customers at another table.

Price-wise, Villa Rosa gains an edge on its direct competition (such as Elizabeth's). Most of the pasta dishes run from $10 to $13 while grill and Italian specialties are higher. This might not seem like a bargain at first, but the portion sizes are quite generous. Factor in the salad and bread, and you end up with a lot of food for the money. The $4.99 weekday lunch specials are an outright steal.

Villa Rosa is by no means a trend-setter. It lacks the sophistication (and the hefty pricetag) of Giovanni’s and the quirky charm of Bianca’s, but there is comfort in its familiarity. If are seeking reliable Italian cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere, make this your first stop.

8.25/10

The Mechanic

Head-to-head: The Mechanic (1972) vs. The Mechanic (2011)

Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson in the original, Jason Statham in the remake) is the titular “mechanic,” a master assassin in the employ of a mysterious organization. Though he is well-paid for his work, Bishop is largely isolated from the world around him. After the organization forces Bishop to kill his friend and mentor Harry McKenna (Keenan Wynn/Donald Sutherland), McKenna’s son Steve (Jan Michael Vincent/Ben Foster) cajoles his way into becoming Bishop’s apprentice. The newfound partnership puts both men at risk.

Another year, another remake. While the Simon West-helmed version of Michael Winner’s existentialist action drama is relatively faithful (save for the ending), it lacks the solemnity, depth, and at times, even the excitement of the original. The lesson here, as always, is if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.

Part of the discrepancy between the two films can be attributed to the casting and the different interpretations that the actors bring to their roles. No one will accuse Bronson of having great range, but his stoicism suited his part well: Bishop’s work makes him antisocial by nature. Statham looks pained for a moment or two, but his Bishop seems prouder (or at least more comfortable) with his place in the world and is little different from other Statham characters (that is to say full of snarky dialogue and hell-bent on causing injury/getting revenge). In support, Foster has proven himself adept at playing volatile or deranged young men (and does so here), but a pre-Airwolf Vincent upstages him. The latter’s take on Steve is complex, enigmatic, and calculating; in other words, far more interesting than Foster’s hot-head with something to prove. The only role to get an upgrade in the remake was that of Harry McKenna. Wynn’s Harry is so unctuous and naïve that you practically can’t wait for Bishop to put a bullet in him. Sutherland’s wheelchair-bound version is much more savvy and has a cynical edge.

Differences in style also point to the original’s superiority. West’s film is louder and more kinetic, but truthfully not really more exciting. In a “been there, done that” era of filmmaking, none of the fights, shoot-outs, or other stunts stand out. While Winner’s film is slower and has its dull moments (the first several moments of the film contain no dialogue), the action sequences seem more meaningful. A car chase on a twisty mountain road still seems harrowing even though similar scenes have been shot over the years. Credit Winner for not drowning out pivotal moments in noise.

Perhaps the biggest difference between original and remake is the treatment of the protagonist, and, by extension, the viewer. In the original film, Bishop is resigned to the life that he has lived. He is not happy about it, but he accepts it for what it is. His attempt to break the mold is met with calamity. All of these combine to make him a tragic figure in our eyes. In the remake, Bishop is elevated to the role of hero, and the organization for which he completes “assignments” is cast in a more one-dimensionally villainous light. This makes for a far more dumbed-down and less interesting narrative, and the changes to the film’s oft-imitated ending (hint: read the note before you start the car) likewise feel cheap.

Dated and stilted as it may occasionally seem, the 1972 version of The Mechanic is a stark look at a loner battling with change. The remake, while serviceable as an action film in its own right, is style over substance and a clear step down.

1972 original: 7.75/10

2011 remake:  6.25/10

Cleopatra Restaurant (CLOSED)

NOTE: Cleopatra relocated to High Point, declined, and ultimately closed in 2016.

Located at 1310 Westover Terrace in Greensboro, Cleopatra offers Egyptian and Middle Eastern cuisine. The restaurant is open seven days a week, starting at 11 a.m. Tea flavors and other specials rotate daily.

Those who venture to Cleopatra in search of exotic Egyptian dishes may find themselves disappointed. Despite the name, the restaurant’s menu is fairly generically Middle Eastern: baba ghanoush, shawarma, and kebabs all feature prominently. But for as predictable as the food is, it’s also done quite well. A lamb and beef shawarma was tender and expertly seasoned, and tomato-onion rice (they offer a choice between two types of rice or home fries) complimented it perfectly. The accompanying grilled vegetables and the freshly made bread were both dry, however. In all fairness, this probably could have been remedied had I thought to order an app or side for dipping purposes.

Cleopatra does not occupy a large space, but the décor is bright and inviting. Red and blue tapestries adorn the walls while Middle Eastern music plays unobtrusively in the background. All of the staff are friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, and solicitous almost to excess. That might change during a lunch rush (I went for Friday dinner), but you definitely get the sense that they are eager to see that you enjoy your meal.

Cleopatra is not cheap, but for the amount of food you get, it represents a good value. Entrees run between $12 and $20 for dinner (and between $10 and $12 for lunch) and include bread, vegetables/salad, and rice/fries. In the event that they don’t fill you up, apps can be had for under $4, falafel goes for $7, and desserts are $5 apiece.

There are more innovative and tastier restaurants in Greensboro, but Cleopatra offers a tough-to-beat combination of well-prepared food, attentive service, and pleasant ambience.

8.25/10 

Midnight in Paris

Idealistic Hollywood screenwriter Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) feels disrespected by his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams), her conservative parents, and her pretentious friends. After getting drunk and wandering around the streets of Paris, Gil accepts a ride from strangers and ends up teleported to the 1920s where he interacts with F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), Ernest Hemmingway (Corey Stoll), and other members of the Lost Generation. Pender eventually falls for Adriana (Marion Cotillard), the mistress of Pablo Picasso, and must choose between life in the past and life in the present.

Midnight in Paris is a difficult movie to hate, but it’s also a difficult movie to fully embrace. Woody Allen’s ode to the 1920s oozes nostalgic charm; however, the sentimentality is often kept in check by doses of his trademark humor. Inez’s pompous friend Paul (Michael Sheen) is memorably shown up by a museum guide (played by current French First Lady Carla Bruni), Hemmingway spits out lines about truth and courage with J. Jonah Jameson-like cadence, and a group of self-important surrealists led by Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody) finds nothing out of the ordinary about Pender’s situation. The cast, which also boasts Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein, is clearly having fun, and for the most part, the historical roles are faultlessly performed.

In addition, Midnight in Paris boasts top-notch production values. The cinematography features warm, red tones that enhance the 1920s scenes’ sense of romance. Period music is also used to good effect. Cole Porter appears both on the soundtrack and as a character on screen. Even the comparatively bland present-day scenes feature some flattering shots of contemporary Paris.

Unfortunately, all of this amounts to what is essentially heavy gloss on a ridiculous premise. The fact that Pender actually travels back through time and is not just hallucinating, drunk, or daydreaming throws the tone of the movie off-kilter. Such a concept would work in a screwball comedy, perhaps, but not in a movie which tries its damnedest to be earnest and whimsical. Also to the movie’s detriment is Allen’s insistence on the “it all works out in the end” conclusion. It made Whatever Works seem very pat, and it’s equally disappointing here.

Midnight in Paris offers a stunning snapshot of 1920s France and a chance to see famous names of years’ past come to life, but the sum is clearly less than the parts. As a film, it is lightweight and largely forgettable.

7.75/10