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Save the Date (2012)
(Spoiler Alert) - But who cares, honestly.
How typical about a dude making a movie about women. Why not try having a woman make a movie about sisters so that it has some semblance of reality? Sure, have some men that are one-dimensionally good, pure, honest, lovable. And two women who are CRAZY. One that is a version of a manic pixie dream girl. I say this because it is uncertain why seemingly good men fall on their faces for her. And the other sister an extreme of the spectrum: wedding crazy. Seems to be man's idea of an abortion: have a scene about a "WOMEN'S CLINIC" that can only = abortion; and that abortion is obviously TERRIBLE, GRAY, and EVIL. And also is a typical man's fantasy where he casts women that are mind-bogglingly physically out-matched by their male counterparts. Waste of decent actors and just fundamentally wrong.
Horrible Bosses (2011)
In one word: MEH.
There's an incredible amount of comedic talent in Horrible Bosses: Charlie Day, Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, and Jennifer Aniston (yes, she CAN be funny). Sometimes when you have too much talent in a movie, you think that talent will cover up the lack of creativity or a need for good writing. I did get some good chuckles in. But I couldn't get over the outlandish plot turns. I don't expect anything to be believable when I step into a movie theater, but I want to be courted into the movie's suspension of disbelief. The three main dudes: Sudeikis, Day, and Bateman are pretty much the same characters they play in any other movie/TV show (except that Sudeikis is uncomfortably sleazy). That's not really a complaint, these guys are aces. Especially Charlie Day. As each day passes, my love for this man grows stronger and deeper. He's so goddamn lovable – I want to tell the whole world to watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Hands down one of the best shows on TV. I'd put it up there with Arrested Development. Actually, it has some strong parallels with Arrested Development – a family of despicable, bickering fools with black holes for hearts. Only there's a huge class divide between these two families – I kind of like that the folks in It's Always Sunny are working class, because it lends them to do things like dumpster diving, trying to get welfare, and making friends with bums under the bridge. I digress. The best thing about Horrible Bosses was the closing credits.
Check out our film blog: http://fatkidslist.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/horrible-bosses/
Somewhere (2010)
Sofia Coppola's pile of doo doo
Somewhere illustrates how a movie star's life can be just as dull as any regular asshole. Director Sofia Coppola has launched towards a downward trajectory of films that have become tedious to sit through. Somewhere had a promising trailer, but it was a trick! That Strokes song MADE the trailer, not a whole lot else to it. After my experience with Marie Antoinette, I was not looking forward to this one, but I thought I would give Coppola one last chance. And you blew it, Sofia. I'm done with you. Why? You are asking me why I don't want to see anymore of your painfully awful movies? Because it is masturbatory nonsense you call art. I don't find anything interesting about lingering on each moment of this man's excruciatingly normal life. Perhaps if there was a storyline or character to follow, there might be some meaningful connection to the movie. But no, this movie lacked any kind of substance entirely. At least Marie Antoinette was visually pleasing with all colorful costumes and food, in addition to an equally enchanting soundtrack . Somewhere didn't even have that going for it. Instead we get to see Stephen Dorff with plaster covering his head for a good 30 seconds with nothing else to entertain us but heaving breathing. Elle Fanning succeeded to win the audience with her youthful charm. She did what she could with the role. I would like to see more of her. I don't have anything to complain about Stephen Dorff's performance, it wasn't his fault that the writing was doo doo. If you've seen the trailer, you've already gotten more than would you out of the movie. http://fatkidslist.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/somewhere/
Rabbit Hole (2010)
One of the best films of 2010.
I left the theaters with damp sleeves, wet cheeks, and heavy boots. The subject-matter in Rabbit Hole is about the loss of a child – a sure-win for a tear-jerker. But the performance of Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as Becca and Howie Corbett moves past the shock of loss. Without melodrama, Rabbit Hole peers into the daily lives of this couple in months after the tragedy. Becca and Howie are both trying to learn how to relate with the world again. Becca is the main focus of the story, the one constantly on the brink of losing it. Every moment with Becca is on-edge, because no one knows what moment or look, will cause her mental breakdown. Rabbit Hole is not overwhelmed with grief, it allows some room for humor and maybe even something to look forward to. Kidman's performance has been recognized and approved, but it is no better than Eckhart, Dianne Wiest (as Becca's mother), or Miles Teller (as the boy responsible for the accident). I suppose as the biggest name, Kidman got the nominations, but each one of these actors delivered an impressive display of talent. As an adaptation of David Lindsay- Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the dialogue is sharp and potent. Wiest and Teller should have been formally recognized for their incredible performances. http://fatkidslist.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/rabbit-hole/
Dear John (2010)
BIG surprise
I know what you're thinking cause I thought it too. Here is how I got to seeing this movie. I saw the trailer for it and I was like oh HELL no. Then, I heard the song from the trailer on Pandora. My ears perked up to this vaguely familiar, sad song – and I thought – hey, that's a good song! I had to listen to the song on repeat for a few days and then watch the trailer again. That's when I decided I actually needed to watch the movie. And I'm glad I did. Despite the horrendous preview (for my tastes), I sat through the movie, suspended by the good-looking actors and decent love story! I do like to surprise myself from time to time, keeps me on my toes.There are several crucial elements to this movie that makes it a good romance. First of all, the leading lady, Amanda Seyfried, is a charming and intelligent young woman. I can actually see why a stallion like Channing Tatum would fall madly in love with her in two weeks. That's the problem with many of these movies (eg The Notebook), I just don't see what there is to love, but a pretty face. Secondly, it's not just about two lovebirds, but about other important relationships and priorities. Channing Tatum's father, played by Richard Jenkins, is a neurotic shut-in with autistic tendencies. I appreciated the inclusion of people with disabilities with subtly and grace. Fourth, I enjoyed the incorporation of 9/11 in the film. I haven't seen very many movies where the writer/director successfully includes an important, recent historic event. Usually, it's a complete distraction and utter failure (eg Benjamin Button). But here, it fit well and flowed with the story. I even enjoyed the moment it happened – a creative and subtle reenactment of the experience. Maybe because it's personal for me, but that's almost exactly how I found out – on my way home from class in college. Lastly, there's an element of keepin it real that I like – I don't wanna spoil anything, so I've got to limit it to that. I think this movie is under-appreciated. If you like romantic movies, go for it, watch Dear John. http://fatkidslist.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/dear-john/
Win Win (2011)
Warm Fuzzies
Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent and The Visitor set me up for something spectacular. Was it spectacular? No, but it was entirely enjoyable and left me satisfied with a good concoction of humor and warm fuzzies. It's important to know that Win Win didn't abandon common sense in order to contrive its feel-good moments. It felt honest. Tom McCarthy has demonstrated the ability to write in enough complexity and flaws into his characters to create sincere connections amongst his characters that don't require cheap happy endings for warm fuzzies. Jackie (Amy Ryan) is the wife of Mike (Paul Giamatti) and mother of two girls. Rather than simply a sounding board to the central male protagonist, Jackie is a separate force of spunk and integrity. Leo (Burt Young) and Terry (Bobby Cannavale) are delightful side characters that offer lots of comic relief in the somber story of ordinary folk. Kyle (Alex Shaffer), a troubled teenage boy, falls into the hands of Mike, a struggling small town attorney and an even worse-off high school wrestling coach. As anticipated by the trailers, Kyle turns out to be a remarkable wrestler. As exciting as wrestling can be (I have no idea what that feels like), this movie isn't the one to showcase its awesomeness. It's not really about the sport, or the game. In other words, I wouldn't get your hopes up for a heroic showdown of squirming prepubescent boys. Overall, a pretty good film: http://fatkidslist.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/win-win/