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philipmater
Reviews
Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Hazy
Paul Rudd, the main actor, plays the same role he has played in many movies before, a bumbling version of himself. From that I can assume he is very charming and lovable in real life and that personality is the anchor of this film. If you cannot stand Paul Rudd, you will not enjoy this film. Strangely enough, a film that could have been very enjoyable gets weighed down by the female characters, his sisters, who are very one dimensional stereotypes with no personality and undertones of mysogyny everywhere. And it was written by a woman. Go figure. That aspect of the film damages the validity of the plot and makes major parts of it painfully unrealistic. The film at heart has some heart and wants you to to find your heart in it but it hates and makes you hate so many of the other characters that it is hard to find that good piece. Funny at times, but not enough. Also terrible Hollywood ending. Wait until it comes out on TV.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
A great bonus to the originals.
Planet of the Apes is a franchise that I have been a fan of since my teenager years. I saw the original 70's 5 classic films, the TV show and the animated show. In my opinion it is better than Star Wars and should be and is at that level. They even had action figures and I had a few. This new film is a modern adaptation that also serves as a prequel to the 5 original classics. This film has great animated computer graphics and has the best of it in quite some time. I enjoyed the action but the great thing is the subtext of animal rights cruelty that brings heart to the center of the story and makes you understand what happens ultimately. It makes you care for the main ape Cesar. Very moving. A little King kong, a little Frankenstein, a great adding to the Planet of the Apes franchise and I thank them for also paying many homages to the original films in the dialogue and script. Very well paced film, a bit over the top at times but it was worth it. Do yourself a favor and go and see the origianal 5 classics and then see this masterful and smart blockbuster. Not many out there with smarts and action.
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Excellent retelling
We took our infant grandson to see this wonderful retelling of the classic Walt Disney original thinking that it was a rerelease of the original beloved story. To our surprise this new version is as fresh, lovely and funny as that original and even more so since I had not seen that original version since my daughter and son were very young. All the original characters are in tow for this new adventure with winnie the pooh once again as the main character. Without giving anything away, I can say that this will keep the youngsters entertained with the great music and very colorful animation and the fact that it is so short, an hour at best, will keep their attention from drifting while not boring the parents or guardians who will also enjoy the pacing of the story, the great voice work of the actors and the wonderfully funny and witty script that bounces with wordplay. An excellent little gem to stand with the original. For all ages to enjoy. Highly highly recommended for children and its parents. There even was teenagers in the theater.
Horrible Bosses (2011)
Not Horrible
Messy, sloppy, very bizarre, wacky and very entertaining. I do not accustom to going to the movies to watch things like this but I went on with my teenage son because he chose it and i give it a big endorsement because it had me laughing from start to finish. It reminded me a lot of a film from the 80s called 9 to 5 in a gender inverted way and its just as funny as that film. Also they mention their salute to my favorite movie maker Hitchcok by mentioning how similar it is to Strangers on a train. I really felt guilty laughing at some of the immature jokes but i have to admit that they were very funny. Also funny was the great chemistry between the 3 lead characters who are very fun to watch. The young man with the beard is terribly funny. Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston have very minor characters to my surprise but they enhance the madcap scenarios of the entire premise. If you enjoy raunchy comedies and are not put off by a little immaturity and absurdity, this will more than please you, take it from me, I never thought i would like it and i really liked it.
Larry Crowne (2011)
Bland but engaging
This film is very confusing to recommend. The always affable Tom Hanks is in the film and even was the director but I did not believe a second of this films implausible events between the main characters. They seemed like characters in a television sitcom more than in a movie. The film's plot is bland, safe and is the kind of film that will fill the theater with senior citizens. This is where it becomes confusing. I did enjoy it more than I did not. The plot about reinventing oneself combined with the relatable depiction of the economic struggles of these days even though corny, was interesting and serves to feel warm about Larry, portrayed by the always likable Tom Hanks. Julia Roberts is as annoying as always competently portraying herself as a character as she always does but her scenes with Hanks gain momentum due to their chemistry. I understand and cannot say that it is a important movie or a great one or even a decent one but I found myself at times getting comfortable with it in a good way.
Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)
Predictable and rehashed
This is the kind of film that Hollywood has been making for decades. The same morals, the same hijinks, the same problems and solutions and almost the same type of lead actor. I was dragged into this film by my wife because we were close to the theater and had time to kill. An hour and a half to possibly enjoy before supper. I could have gone to any store that sells dvds, looked up a film about a family, problems with the kids and some kind of animal, and it would have been the same. It does have a few laughs, but don't they all. The story has been so over done that everything becomes yawn inducing predictability. Never a big fan of Jim Carey and this proves why. He's just an one speed actor. I am urging all the parents willing to take the kids to see this, pay a babysitter to take care of them and go with them to see this, and you go and look for a more interesting unpredictable film.
Yesterday Is Here (2011)
Interesting
I watched this film tonight at the Interrobang Film festival and was pleasantly surprised and rewarded. Very low key story that says plenty with its main character's struggles. Not the most likable of characters but there is something very human about him that keeps you interested even through his bad decision making, which is often. I gathered that was the point of the story. The supporting characters are also very well fleshed out and compliment the main character sometimes even taking some of the weight off of following him. Good acting from the three main actors. The direction is also very low key but very evocative and interesting with its compositions that along with the music say a lot without drawing attention to itself falsely or trying too hard to impress. This is not made for the century 20 multiplex crowd its more for the fans of artistic film for sure specially old films from the 70s or even older because it is slow but not too long which was felt needed. Very interesting. Seems like a foreign film with it being black and white but it was good. I enjoyed it.
Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived (2008)
Recommended
I have just seen this documentary at the Interrobang Film Festival. This very engaging documentary will please, interest and captivate history buffs all over the country and possibly abroad with its profile of a war starting up and was out of control even then and a president that was hell bent on preventing that from happening or ant war for that matter. It presents thought provoking questions about Jfk and the war in Vietnam through rare footage not seen before ad great footage through out. I myself was born the exact same year that president Jfk was assassinated in Dallas and my father was drafted into the war when I was barely 3 so it held significant importance and curiosity for me. This film should be on the history channel, the military channel or on Pbs shows and i will not be surprised to see it there soon. People will really enjoy it and its short enough to fit into a one hour program. Recommended.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Very enjoyable.
This film is a very enjoyable and whimsical little film that will delight all ages. My wife and I had no idea it was a Woody Alen movie until the credits at the beginning came on the screen and we had not seen a film by Woody Allen since probably the 1980's but it was very nice and funny and romantic and creative. All of the actors did a great job and I don't want to give a way anything but there is a very interesting turn of events during the film that makes it such a great film. Everyone in the theater was laughing along and my wife and I liked it very much. Will recommend to all our friends and all the people reading this review because it will not disappoint.