Crazy, Stupid, Love.

          So far on this blog I think it's safe to say that I have reviewed a fair amount of romantic comedies, especially lately. But then again, I think that term is thrown around too loosely sometimes, or used too technically. I've done it myself. For example, when you talk about Wedding Crashers are you saying its a comedy or a romantic comedy. My bet is most people say comedy. I do, but if you wanted to get technical you should label it the latter. Any who, my point is that when the term romantic comedy is used, most people expect some cheap, cheesy, gimmicky movie starring Hugh Grant or Katherine Heigl, that in all honesty is probably a chick flick. However, every now and then a movie comes along that fits the title of its genre, but does not go by its specifications. Crazy, Stupid, Love is one of those.
           Crazy, Stupid, Love is about....well...love. DUH! It's about first loves, lost loves, new loves, and everything in between. This movie follows many different people that all become connected in some way, but mainly around Cal and Emily Weaver, played by Steve Carell (Despicable Me) and Julianne Moore (Chloe). They're married high school sweet hearts and the movie opens on them at dinner. It's quite obvious the two have fell in a rut, but no more than a couple minutes into the movie does Emily drop a bombshell. She wants a divorce and has slept with a coworker named David Lindhagen, played by Kevin Bacon (X-Men: First Class).
          At this point Cal is quite depressed as expected, and begins going to the same bar every night where he drinks heavily and complains about his life. Here he meets womanizing, smooth talking, playboy Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling of All Good Things) who vows to take Cal under his wing and show him how to pick up women and get him over his ex-wife. All the while, Jacob had his advances spurned just a tad earlier in the film by an attractive young woman named Hannah (Emma Stone of Easy A) who seemed to have really caught his eye. From here we watch as Jacob helps transform and revitalize Cal into a new found image and persona. But through it all Cal still suffers as he goes through his divorce and deals with not only his longing love for Emily, but his son's love issues as well.
          Though this story focuses centrally around Cal and Emily and their relationship, everyone else involved has their own love and relationship to figure out too. It's how all of these people intertwine with each other and connect in some way that makes this story so good. It's really quite clever how the writers were able to put it all together and that just adds onto how funny the movie is. The trailer is loaded with laughs, but those aren't the only ones in there. Steve Carell is hilarious as usual and Ryan Gosling portrays his character perfectly. It's an all around great effort by a superb ensemble cast and everyone gets in on the laughs. Though my favorite line might be one by Cal midway through the movie, where right as you think the movie is falling into a gimmicky cliche, he drops a line that totally calls the movie on it and makes fun of itself; and as you all know I love when a film is able to do that.
           In reference to the ensemble cast, I do not want to leave out Marisa Tomei (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Kevin Bacon's characters. Though not seen much, they both make the most out their short screen time. Tomei is hysterical and perfect as a slightly crazy hookup of Cal's that comes back to haunt him, and Bacon is funny as Emily's moving to fast boyfriend who is quite frankly, just a douche.
          Overall, this movie had everything one good ask for. It appeals to a mass audience and both genders. It's funny, touching, clever, and provides a few unexpected twists to keep the viewer quite entertained. Plus, it's not overly long with running time of 1 hour and 58 minutes.
           I give this movie a thumbs up and 3.5 out of 4 stars. If you haven't seen it, do so. It's a great date movie. If you have seen it, see it again. Heck, I'll probably go buy it. As you could guess this movie is out on DVD and Blu-Ray and is also available at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  As I said in my previous post from this point until the Oscars I will be more than likely only posting reviews of Best Picture nominated films, though who knows something else could slip in. My next review will be on the nominated Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris, starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams.

2012 Oscar Nominations

           Well the nominations are in for this year's 84th Annual Academy Awards. There seems to a quite a few surprises this year when comparing the nominations to the award shows this season. However, when is there a year where this isn't snubs and surprises?
            Leading the pack this year with the most nominations is Hugo with 11 total and The Artist coming in a close second with 10. The Oscars will air on ABC on Sunday, February 26th and for a full rundown of the nominees check out the list below.


Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo 
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse 

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris 
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life 

Best Actor
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor 
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help 

Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan and Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Animated Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango 

Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)

Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Film Editing
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Kevin Tent
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker 
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen

Makeup
Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston, and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk, and Yolanda Toussieng 
The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)
The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, and Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Editor's Note:  Look out later today for the review of Crazy, Stupid, Love. Also, I will now begin to watch and review all 9 of the best picture nominees as we lead up to the show so stay in tune for that!

Friends With Benefits

             Awww relationships, are they ever easy? Do they ever not get complicated? The complexity that is a romantic relationship has developed so many questions and answers and variable solutions that a whole industry has been created. Men trying to understand women and vice versa. The movie industry is no newbie to playing to this facet of human life either.
            Does that paragraph seem oddly too familiar for some reason? Let's be real, probably not because who's going to remember something that lacks any importance. But if it somehow does it's because that's how I started my review for No Strings Attached. Since I'm reviewing a movie with essentially the exact same premise why not cut a few corners right? Don't worry, I'm not going to do that. However, I can't say I wasn't a bit skeptical going into this movie since the former had come out about 5 months before it. I told you Hollywood is no newbie to playing off of the same idea over and over.
           Any who, Friends With Benefits is a movie about exactly what its title says. Justin Timberlake plays Dylan Harper an art director for a small internet company in Los Angeles. Mila Kunis (Black Swan) plays Jamie Rellis, a head hunter for a job agency in New York City, who recruits Dylan for a job at GQ Magazine. She is able to convince Dylan to take the job after his interview by spending the night taking him all around town showing him the sites, and thus sparking their friendship. Things become more intimate down the road when the two decide to take out their sexual frustration on each other. Having both just gotten out of relationships not long before and agreeing they're not ready for a new one, they decide what better way to answer their sexual needs without getting tied down. They set up rules so as to keep themselves from becoming emotionally attached. From here we watch as the two characters both seem to be falling for each other, but are far to afraid to admit it to each other or themselves.
           As I said above I was a bit skeptical going into this movie, but I had heard good things so I figured I should check it out. I'm glad I did because quite frankly, it's hilarious. Most of this is due to the fact it's aimed directly at my generation, from its plot focus to its humor. They even make fun of themselves and the type of movie they're making which I always think is great. As for the actors, Kunis has always been able to be funny going back to her work on That 70s Show and Family Guy, while we all know Timberlake can bring it thanks to his great skits on SNL. Plus, I must admit he's becoming someone I'm enjoying watch act as he's doing a really good job in both comedic and dramatic roles. That bastard, what can't he do?
           This movie has a great little cast of supporting characters around it too. Woody Harrelson (Zombieland) is probably the funniest character in the movie as he plays the gay sports director at GQ alongside Timberlake. It's really too bad he isn't in the movie more. Fair warning, he is vulgar as hell, which was completely unexpected, yet hysterical.  Then there's also Patricia Clarkson (Easy A, One Day) as Jamie's wild promiscuous mom, and Richard Jenkins (Step Brothers) and Jenna Elfman (Dharma and Greg) as Dylan's dad and sister. There's also a great little cameo by Shaun White.
            Overall, I thought this movie nailed it in what it was trying to produce. It delivered strongly on the comedy side, which was its main intent, with jokes that appealed to a mass audience, but struck hard with its target. Then when it needed its romance points it played into those well, whether gimmicky or not, and all the while didn't lose site of what the movie really was and had fun teasing themselves about it.
             I give this film a thumbs up and 3 out of 4 stars. Like I said I believe most people will enjoy this movie but anyone in the young adult range will relate to it more. It's a good date movie as it works great for both sexes. It even has a partial nudity scene of each main character to please each party so you can't go wrong. You can buy this movie on DVD or Blu-Ray now as well as rent it at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  My next review will be on the romantic comedy (once again, I know) Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone. Also, the Oscar nominations are being announced tomorrow so be on the lookout for those as well!!!

One Day

              The thing about book adaptations into movies is the movie is never as good as the book. To be fair, the movie never really has a shot at being better. A book will always win due to the fact it doesn't have a limit on information its able to give the audience. With a movie you're usually looking at about a 90-120 minute running time to condense a book into. This book can be anywhere from 200-1000 pages, and within those pages pack in many more details, subplots, etc. that can all help develop the story. For example, look at the Harry Potter series. With all of this it makes it harder on the screenwriter to try and cut information that has little or no relevance to the main story line, or perhaps change things so that it fits and flows better when in a movie.
             With all of this said, some movie adaptations are awful and some can be quite good. Again, look at the Harry Potter series for an example of success. Where One Day falls on this scale would have to be on the good side, though like I said above, it's not as good as the book; which yes I have read as well. One Day is based on the book of the same name by David Nicholls, who also wrote the screenplay, which I believe is big part of why it was adapted well. Now this is a love story through and through, but what makes this stand out against other ones is its completely original way in which it is told.
              In One Day, Dexter Mayhew, played by Jim Sturgess (21, Across the Universe), and Emma Morley, played by Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs), meet on July 15th, 1988 after their graduation from university. They spend the night together, but nothing really happens between them and thus they decide it'd be better off if they just be friends. From this point on, the only time and interaction we see of the two is what happens on that "one day," July 15th, of every year. From this unique perspective the audience is taken through these two peoples' lives as they go through many of the hardships many people face in their own lives. Figuring out their careers, relationships, and just straight evolving as a person. All the while doing this trying to remain friends with someone as distance, people, and each other stand in the way.
            Jim Sturgess does a great job at playing Dexter as he's able to portray and transition the character from his 20s to his 40s. From the smug, cocky, self obsessed, hard partying young man all the way into a more reserved, humbler, middle aged guy with flashes of his younger self. Anne Hathaway was an interesting choice for Emma, since one she isn't British, but I think she does a decent enough job with her accent that I for one was able to forget that fact. Plus, she herself does a great job with Emma's character as she goes from a nerdy, bookworm, harsh self critic when she's younger to an ambitious, more forgiving and accepting, yet still bookworm type adult.
            The great thing about the way this story is told, for a movie's perspective, is how you're able to tell the two character's whole life stories together in such a shortened period of time. Though David Nicholls is forced to cut a lot of detail of the two characters' lives and interaction between them, he is still able to keep much of the key components of the story without affecting too much. Though this is where people who have read the book will have an issue with the movie. The forced cuts do affect getting a better, fuller understanding of the complex relationship between Dexter and Emma and how their relationship with each other affects their relationships with other people. But again, this is just something the freedom of a book allows you to do.
           However, this is something that may be not noticed at all by viewers who haven't read the book and are enjoying this story for the first time. And in either case, the story is quite good outside of just the way its told. There's a few plot twists that are quite unexpected and will most likely surprise first time viewers.
            Overall, I have to give this movie a thumbs up and 2 1/2 out of 4 stars. It's close to three and I really did enjoy it. But for me, the fact I read the book already did knock it down just a little bit. I do believe many will enjoy this movie either way, and will be happy with its outcome even if they have read the book. This movie is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as at your local Redbox. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  The next movie I will be reviewing will be Friends With Benefits starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake

Oscars!

Alright everyone, since this is a movie blog the Oscars are bit of a big deal and the nominations are being revealed two weeks from today. Last year I watched all ten of the Best Picture nominees and that's what ended up causing me to start this blog. So this year I plan to do the same thing with however many nominees there are (it can be anywhere from 5-10). I plan to review each one of these and probably give my own Oscar predictions once I'm done. We'll see if I'm smart and kind of know what I'm talking about or if I'm perhaps completely full of crap! Either way that's something to look forward to over the next month and a half. Stay tuned!

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

           Having never read any of the original Sherlock Holmes stories myself, it's hard for me to cast any sort of judgement of comparison between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation and Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal. Though I believe it is safe to say the two don't add up to closely, and the same can probably go for the original stories and the movies. However, with such an iconic character as Holmes, to continue to retell and/or create new stories about him means people must be willing to change and adapt the character so it can seem fresh and new. Plus, the audience must be willing to accept this as well. The BBC did this just this past year with a mini series that placed Holmes as a detective in today's world and not the 1800s. This was a fresh new look and I'm glad to say that Director Guy Ritchie's version, though still in the 1800s, is still just as fun and fresh as the one we watched two years ago.
            Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows kicks off pretty much where we left off when the first one ended. Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) is finished helping Holmes solve cases as he is preparing to marry his fiance Mary. Holmes is as eccentric as ever as he's working on a new case. A case that if not solved could lead to the outbreak of World War I, only 25 years ahead of time. Holmes suspects well renowned Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris of Mad Men) to be behind all of it, which naturally no one else can seem to believe as it looks implausible. Of course Holmes doesn't take no for an answer, and sets out to stop Moriarty. Along the way he tricks Watson in to doing this one last case with him, all the while picking up the help of a gypsy woman named Madam Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace, who you might recognize as Lisbeth Salander from the original Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), whose brother seems to be mixed up in the situation. Unlike in the first movie which stayed in London, this story takes the trio outside of England into France, Germany, and Switzerland as they race against time to try and prevent the outbreak of war.
            A Game of Shadows is nothing short of what you should expect from the Holmes sequel. With Guy Ritchie at the helm again as director you get the same kind of style, camera work and story telling that we received from the first one, as well as many of his other movies. For example, the great decision making on when to use his patented sudden slow motion in the middle of an action sequence that then quickly speeds up to the high speed action it was just in. The writers do a good job of keeping the personalities of the Holmes and Watson portrayed in the first movie the same, and thus allowing the back and forth done by Downey and Law to do most of the comedic work.
            Law is great again as Watson, the upper class doctor, but with an itch for danger and adventure that he just has a hard time staying away from, especially with Holmes around. Enough can't be said however about Downey's portrayal of Holmes. Yes, he's eccentric and self centered, but he's also hilarious and a bit of a bad ass as he is able to fight. Not many, if any other versions of Holmes go around having to fight their way out of jams when solving cases.
            Plenty of people reprise their roles from the first film in this installment, though most in a limited capacity. One such being Rachel McAdams' character Irene Adler whom sadly isn't seen enough. But that's just the way of the story and thus does no harm to the movie. In this film we also meet Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother, who is played by Stephen Fry (Known more for his voice work such as the Cheshire Cat in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland).
            Overall, this movie had a lot of the same elements that were fun and enjoyable in the first movie. Thankfully, they didn't rely on just this as the plot was new and clever on its own and would have made for just as an enjoyable movie if it was the first one and not a sequel. Plus, as far as I'm concerned whenever you can go into a sequel and its just as good as the first, then you have a winner.
             I give this movie 3 out of 4 stars and a thumbs up. This movie is still out in theaters now and I recommend you go see it there as it's probably one of the few out there worth spending ten dollars on. With the action and quality you can't go wrong. Enjoy!

Editor's Note:  Sorry for being out of the loop the last couple months. It's just been pretty crazy plus didn't really have much to review. Anyways, my next movie will be One Day, based on the book of the same name, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess.