Movie Catch-Up

*I know I am a little behind in updating this blog, but it has been a crazy couple of weeks! The following movies I saw over the past three weeks.

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU- This movie was hilarious and very well put together. It honestly touches base on various different scenarios in the dating world. I felt like somebody finally got it right in the film! This movie is based off of a best Selling novel, and the writer is friends with the creators of Sex and the City. I think if any of you have ever experienced dating in this day and age, you have come across some of these situations. Sitting, waiting, wishing for that one special person’s phone call, wondering if they are really into you or not. Big Love’s Ginnifer Goodwin plays a spunky spice editor who is helpless when it comes to dating. From trying to “run” into someone at the known Sports Bar he goes to, to leaving long and rambling messages just trying to get something in return. She then runs into Kevin Connolly (the guy she *thinks* she is in love with)’s best friend and restaurant/bar owner Justin Long who helps Goodwin’s character through these horrible dating situations. Romance blossoms in some cases, and in others it just fizzles out.

Bradley Cooper plays the married man in this film, who felt like he jumped into marriage too soon. His wife however seemed like she could have cared less when he tells her he slept with Scarlett Johansson, but is more concerned and trying to figure out if he has taken to Smoking again. Whereas Ben Affleck who has been dating and living with Jennifer Aniston for over seven years, refuses to Marry. This upsets Jennifer Aniston, since she is helping plan her baby sisters wedding.

This film is filled with ups and downs and honest to goodness goes through almost every situation you could ever imagine. I had free tickets to this film the first time, and paid the full $8.50 for the second time. I would highly recommend this film to anyone in the mood for a cute romantic comedy, that the men are sure to enjoy themselves!

TAKEN- Liam Neeson plays an ex spy who worked for the government whose daughter goes to France for the summer and gets kidnapped. Neeson does not have a very strong relationship with his daughter, and is hesitant to let her go away. Part of the arrangement is that she has to call every night before bed, and let him know every place she goes. When he checks her arriving flight to Paris and sees that she still has yet to call, he gets frantic and continues to call. She finally answers, and goes into the bathroom to get away from the loud music blaring and witnesses her best friend being kidnapped. Her father walks her through whats going to happen and decided that at this point it is revenge.

With Neeson flying across the world to rescue his baby girl, a lot is uncovered including corruption within the police department, and a huge underground mob/prostitution/drug ring. He has very few hours to uncover everything before it’s too late and looses his daughter forever. This film was gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat. If you are in the mood for a great thriller action packed film check this out! It is definitely a theatre must see, especially for the sound quality alone!

CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC- based off the book by Sophie Kinsella, Ilsa Fisher plays a shopaholic that owes over $16,000 in debt due to her addiction. The trailers made this film look appealing but I would not recommend wasting your money. I felt as thought his film was all way to predictable and that it dragged on forever. Fisher’s character plays a young mid-twenties girl whose dream is to write for an upscale fashion magazine, but mistakenly lands a job for a financial magazine. This coming from a girl, who cannot pay any of her bills (including rent), and has a collections officer after her for a debt over $9,000. The antics this collections guy will go through to get his commission on this case is ridiculous and dragged on. I normally like “chick” flicks and what not, but this did not entice me at all. Personally I would not waste my money to see this again, but if you must subject yourself to it, wait for either a dollar film or Red Box.

Pink Panther 2

I had the ‘joys’ of viewing an advanced screening of this film last night. All I can say is I thankfully forgot how horrible the first one, and it was literally quite painful to try to watch the second one! Steve Martin is once again plays a ridiculous blubbering French detective Jacques Clouseau, who has to try to solve the mystery of who stole the Pink Panther diamond (I think the story lines are almost the same as the first one, except this time there is no Beyonce in it, sorry guys!). This film was a waste of 92 minutes, filled with slapstick dirty humor, that I felt should have been rated PG-13. Maybe some of the crude humor could overpass a small child, but my teenage cousins could definitely pick up on it, and makes me wonder what type of audience this so called ‘family film’ is really trying to target. Do yourself a favor and not waste even a dollar on Redbox for this one, and as my kind roommate put it “wait for it to come to HBO if you must see it”. This film is so far in the running for worst film of the year, and it is only Feb!

NEW IN TOWN

What a cute wholesome movie! I was surprised by how funny and clean this movie was! Just like most romantic comedies or “chick flicks” as some might call it, it was slightly predictable at parts, but it was okay in this context. I personally felt that a lot of people could relate to Renée Zellweger’s character in this film, a person who is set in their ways and not really up for experiencing new things. She finally decides to make the most of her experience and reach out to the community and find happiness! If you are looking for a nice getaway with cute humor, go see this film. I would recommend it to anyone; even some of the guys that went enjoyed it. Worth at least a matinee price!

Top 5 Best Films of 2008

*In No particular order

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON- This has to be one of my favorites, there is action, drama, curiosity, romance, everything you need in one film. The cinematography is amazing!

THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS- The amazing tale of true friendship and looking past what some have been “taught” see. The ability to not care, and be so naive that you really don’t know what is going on, and teach a little boy that race and religious matters do not mean a thing.

GHOST TOWN- Ricky Dervais is hysterical and you can’t help but love this movie! Dervais plays a not very friendly DDS who goes in for a ‘routine’ colonoscopy and unexpectedly dies for a little under 7 minutes. After that he starts to see ghost’s and is being haunted by them. It’s a good fairly clean film that you will enjoy over and over again!

ROCK AND ROLLA- I love music and I love movies, so why not put the two together. This film is a Guy Ritchie film and he really knocked it out of the park. It has a lot of dry British humor in it and reminded me slightly of Pulp Fiction. The plot line falls around a famous rock and roll artist who disappears (again) and decided to steal a painting from his step father’s house. Only that that painting was on loan for inspiration from a very well know Russian Mafia person. This film goes around and around in circles, and I totally want to see it again!

THE DARK KNIGHT- I am not normally a Batman fan but this film was amazing! The digital enhancements and the special effects was amazing! I will be honest I went solely for the factor that I loved Heath Ledger, but I never thought it would be as good as it was! The Joker alone was amazing, and how deep in character he got! I loved how just alone with Batman driving around on his bullet bike how you could feel your seat shake! I also enjoyed the creepiness of Two Face!

Top 5 Worst Movies of 2008

*The following are in no particular order.

LOVE GURU- How many times can Austin Powers be revisited? I never seen a film with so many sexual innuendos, and dirty things in it! I felt totally uncomfortable and I almost walked out. Do not ever waste your time or money on this film.

BE KIND REWIND- I love Jack Black, but this was not a good film choice. I felt like there where parts where I laughed, but other times when I was looking at my clock wondering how long this film is!

STEP BROTHERS- I normally enjoy all of Will Ferrell’s films but I literally walked out of this one and asked for my money back. That was a first for me! It was waiting on the rating for a long time, and then it was put at rated R, well by 45 minutes into it I was wondering if it was borderline NC-17?!!?? I was trying to pass the time, while there was a 4 hour commute home due to this truck that flipped and was blocking all 5 lanes, but looking back I would have rather stayed sitting in the hot heat than wasting 45 minutes of my life!

TROPIC THUNDER- I hear this is getting lots of praise, and I do not understand. I am not a fan of Tom Cruise, and props to him for making fun of himself, but this was horrible in my mind. I basically fast forwarded through the end of it, because I could not bare it any longer. I don’t know if it is my irritation with people making fun of war and thinking it is a joke or what, but I was not impressed. My brother is serving his second tour in Iraq, and I do not find anything about it funny.

LAKEVIEW TERRACE- Samuel L Jackson was not so Buenos! This looked like it would be a thriller type movie, and there was really no climax to it! the main plot was the fact that Jackson was upset because their was an interracial coupling that moved in next door and he wants to “teach them” a lesson. The only remotely suspenseful part was last ten minutes, and then you are left wanting more!

Revolutionary Road

Interesting film… Kate Winslet (won Best Actress Golden Globe) did an amazing job portraying an unhappy woman who back in the 1960’s would look to be “crazy” because she did not want the “normal” life. She felt like she was feeling suffocated in her cookie cutter life, and all she wanted was to get out and be free. She makes this plan with her husband to move to Paris and to experience life again, but her dreams come to a halt when her Husband Leonardo DeCaprio gets a promotion at work and he is too scared to turn it down. I would recommend seeing it, but this is a Redbox or dollar one.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

I think this was a cute family film. Going into it you know it is going to be a family movie about a security guards personal goal to save the mall he loves. There is cute slapstick comedy, and cheesy in parts. I would say though if you want to go see this, either wait for the Dollar Theatre or RedBox. I am not sure if I would have paid $8, knowing how it was going to be!