Catching Up: 2 to See This Weekend and 2 to Miss

I know I am woefully behind due to vacation and moving house, so I'm going to put my most recent reviews into one here.  Luckily, two of them don't warrant much attention anyway ;).

 

Diane Keaton's schtick has finally gotten old and tired and Michael Douglas has simply gotten old and tired.   The story of an grumpy old man forced to evolve by having a young cherub thrust upon him is an overused gimic. Combine that with poor dialog and a total lack of direction and you get this movie. It's like "How Do You Know - the Golden Years". Skip it.

 

2 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

 

Tammy was actually a pleasant surprise from what I expected, but still didn't qualify as "good".  This is a case of mis-marketing.  The commercials made it seem like a crude spin off of Bridesmaids, capitalizing on what some think is Melissa McCarthy's only appeal to audiences: being bawdy.  (Here is where I insert my objection to movies being rated R just for language again, probably done in this case just to attract the Bridesmaids crowd as well). However, it turns out that her character is the most sympathetic and Susan Sarandon as her grandmother is the somewhat repulsive secondary character. It's a bit of a madcap road movie (much of it in the midwest and Missouri in particular) with colorful characters and circumstances thrown in along the way, but the acting is far too real to allow it to be funny in most cases. This movie had heart and a good cast - see it for that...or don't see it all.

 

2.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

The Hundred Foot Journey must have looked tremendous on paper to get the likes of Helen Mirren, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg involved, and it almost is, but that doesn't count in movie making.  It's a pleasant story combining cultures, generations and palates, the third subject being my favorite part, which includes a sequence of competitive chopping and beautiful cinematography, but it never quite achieves the right chemistry of the three genres together. There are a few moments of humanity that pull at the heart strings, but the only greatness is Helen Mirren who is wonderful as a starched French restaurant owner. The rest of the cast cannot rise to her level and those mismatched feeling lingers throughout the film.  The leads are very appealing and could do better on their own, so a spinoff might be called for.

 

3 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

 

Boyhood is a fairly bold experiment in movie-making.  Filmed for a week or two each of 12 consecutive years, we actually see the actors age and evolve almost in real time - the most pronounced being the young boy who we see turn into a man.  The barely scripted improvisational style of the film also lends to this heightened reality.  It's not a reality show or a documentary, but at times feels that way.  (Also, in reality, people curse, even children, so this is how even this movie attains the R rating). My favorite aspect of this approach is that when they made current pop culture references to ground the film, they actually WERE current.  They didn't need to look in the archives and go figure out what would have been popular at the time - it simply was.  However, with such an open minded approach to making this story of a boy growing up, the (very long) movie at almost 3 hours doesn't end up having a story arch or even a climax.  At the end there is no lesson behind the plot, or even a plot.  So again, I applaud new ways of evolving the cinematic experience, but I would think most audiences would not appreciate that aspect alone enough to consider it one of the best films of the year.  Perhaps the Oscars should add a category for "Most Innovative Filmmaking Endeavor".  I would definitely sign up to see all of them.

 

3.25 out of 5 stars

 

Planes: Fire & Rescue S'Movie Review

Full disclosure: I did not see the first Planes movie.  I was miraculously able to pawn that task off on another family member.  That said, I kind of really enjoyed this second movie.  It had a great story, with the heart and subtle humor of the first Cars movie, which it’s loosely based on.  Cars was so well written, I never expected much from sequels or spin offs, but somehow they managed to make another quality film.   

I’m a fan of puns and this movie was full of flying related humor that most children would miss, but is a prerequisite tongue-in-cheek aspect of these anthropomorphic animated films.  The fire fighting aspects of the plot (these planes are essentially fire jumpers) are actually pretty intense and with the current forest fires in the Northwest, I worried that even my 11 year old would be a little scared by it.  The soundtrack lends a hand to the enjoyment of the movie as well, in particular with the use strategic use of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”. 

Overall, it’s no 3D Dragon, but  I almost regret not seeing the first Planes movie…almost.

 

3.25 out of 5 stars

Another Great Movie to Review! Earth To Echo

Most people are saying this is a modern day E.T. and while that is a tremendous complement and not too far off the mark, I would say it's more like Stand By Me meets Close Encounters with a little E.T. and Blair Witch Project thrown in.  It has the coming of age and kids on the road aspect of SBM, with the Richard Dreyfuss aspect of CE, the bad guys of ET and the camera angles of BWP LOL. 

This movie was fast-paced and so well-written and well-acted by these young actors that most of the time it did feel like a reality show, the way it is filmed by one of the main characters.  Real life is happening all around these youngsters, with all the angst and awkwardness, even amidst an otherworldly encounter and numerous dangerous situations.  I smiled constantly at them and laughed out loud frequently at their unintended one-liners and pubescent naiveté.

Yes, the little alien is cute, but he doesn't take up very much screen time - it's all about the kids.  The special effects and music were top notch as well.  I would say the adult characters were one-dimensional and almost cartoony, which detracted just a bit, but they were also such minor parts of the film that I quickly forgot about them.  The song played immediately after the movie ended, over the credits, was a strange choice and a bit jarring in contrast to the mood music so effectively used throughout the film itself, but it's one of my favorite current pop tunes (One Republic's Counting Stars), so I can see why they added it.  Other than that,  there was no aspect of this movie that my daughter and I didn't like and we immediately wanted to see it again, like we just got off a ride at Disneyland, or better yet, Universal Studios.

P.S.  There is an extra scene after all the credits that hints of a sequel - I hope it's true!

4.25 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Jersey Boys

Sorry, I went on vacation right after seeing this movie, so it's taken me awhile to post it, but even if I hadn't gone on vacation, I'm sorry to say I wasn't too excited to write this one.  It's not a bad movie, it's just kind of there.  Uh-oh, I think I just made you stop reading...but just in case you didn't, here is what I have to say about Jersey Boys.

Jersey Boys is based on a hit Broadway musical that should have stayed on the stage.  I'm sure it is great to see this kind of thing on stage, because I've seen several in this style (Saturday Night Fever for one) and they have been wildly popular in recent years, with some even successfully making the jump to screen (Mamma Mia for one).  However, in transitioning to the screen with Jersey Boys, a little more drama and a little less stage effects would have served the story better.  The music is fantastic and most of the acting is decent, but it's too polished overall (stage costumes) and the multitude of characters talking directly to the audience just don't work. 

My favorite moment was when the most passive member of the band goes verbally postal when the group falls apart, which may have been unintentionally funny.  I also enjoyed the little hints of the film's directory, Clint Eastwood, with one of his daughters playing a minor character in one scene and Clint himself gracing a "screen on screen" when one of the main characters is watching TV and it just happens to be playing an old Clint Eastwood movie.

Still, the story is interesting, if a little rushed and there are definitely funny moments, but the stage number at the end, involving formerly sinister characters and enemies smiling and singing together was what put it over the edge for me.  This too is a traditional Broadway stage ending, but it doesn't work for this story, at least on screen.  Let's reserve those for happy endings.  Neither the plot nor the future of Jersey Boys has that.

2.75 out of 5 stars

I Hate to Say It, But There's No Fault in The Fault in Our Stars - Movie Review

Where to start?  Well, to start with, I haven't read the book, so let's get that out of the way right at the start. Those of you who have read the book may have different insight than I do on the comparison, etc., but I always look at books turned into movies as two different art forms and evaluate them separately anyway...Now on with the review.  I honestly can't find much wrong with this film and if there is anything, it is definitely counteracted by what goes above and beyond here.  I am not a fan of sappy movies or "chick flicks" and I have never even seen many of the most popular of that genre, including The Notebook and the Twilight Series.  However, my 11 year old wanted to see this movie after having seen the previews as many times as the rest of us and it didn't look quite as pukey as some of those others, so off we went.

I'm sure the book is very well written - why, you ask?  Because so much of the film is very well written and that is usually the downfall of translations like this. The writers of Fault also wrote 500 Days of Summer, which was phenomenal in much the same way and is now probably just old enough for the audience of this film to require a recommendation from Netflix to see 500 (but seriously, do it). From the interpersonal dialog to the underlying intelligent themes, this movie must be doing a pretty good job of satisfying at least some of the fans of the book.  The individuals and the relationships are so well written, that I will go so far as to say it is one of the best portrayals of motherhood and of falling in love that I have ever seen on screen.  Laura Dern is literally ALWAYS good, but the subtlety with which she performs even the smallest moments with her terminally ill daughter is beyond accomplished - it's reality.  These are Oscar nomination moments.  Willem Defoe deserves a mention here as well, playing yet another unlikeable character, though in a completely different way...

Shailene Woodley is at her best in this film (she is much better suited to intricately played drama than interchangeable action heroism, see: Divergent).  She is completely natural and it left me wondering how very close to one girl's reality of living with cancer her performance actually is, not having direct experience with this particular road traveled myself. 

The complete surprise of the film for me was the lead actor who truly lit up the screen, Ansel Elgort.  He played Shailene's brother in Divergent and though his part was too small to garner much attention in that film, at this point, I can only think they didn't want to cast him as the lead opposite Miss Woodley in two films in a row, because his acting abilities, plus the way the camera loves him and the chemistry between them would have them cast and re-cast together ad nauseam.  He was beautiful in their first film together, but I wonder how strange it was to play his love interest after playing his sister.  It may be that their amazing chemistry was so evident on the first set that it led to the casting of Fault. We will get the unusual opportunity to explore this issue on the flip side when Insurgent comes out as well.

To no surprise for those who loved 500 Days, Fault also has a tremendous soundtrack - check it out.  I also liked the innovative way they integrated the reality of texting into the film, since it is a way of life, especially for youngsters, but probably doesn't normally translate too well visually.  (Chef also recently created a quirky way to integrate social media into this visual art form and I have to say I support this trend).

One final note.  I said I'm not into schmaltzy movies, but that doesn't mean I'm not a crier.  In fact, I sometimes cry at commercials or bad Adam Sandler movies (not for the reason you think).  So let's just say that I forgot to get napkins with my hot dog and so my hoodie sleeves haven't been this snotty since the last time a boyfriend broke up with me.

4 out of 5 stars

Final, final note: This review dedicated to my friend in cupcakes, Kelsey Hays.

Finally, A Good Movie!: Chef Movie Review

Finally, a good movie!  Sometimes I think anyone reading my reviews might think I'm too harsh and don't like anything, but thankfully, Chef has come along to counter that perception.  It actually caused me to look back at the movies I've seen this year and there are about 5-6 favorites so far, which puts me perfectly one track to have a Top 10-15 for the year, so 2014 is shaping up nicely.

Chef is a food movie in the grand tradition of food movies like Babette's Feast and Big Night, only more watchable than the first and more fun than the second.  If you love food, there is enough food porn in this movie to both satisfy you and make you hungry at the same time.  It is also a bit of a road movie, with visits to Miami, New Orleans and the LA restaurant and food truck scene. I may have a soft spot for Jon Favreau, but the level of acting across the board is natural and enjoyable (and this is a vast and varied group of actors with all of Favreau's friends on board for the ride).   Even the music is notable, with great local choices made for each location without being cliché. 

With a  food truck background myself, I found it very believable (aside from the seeming ease of starting a food truck and dealing with regulations which in reality are a nightmare, but not necessary to the plot) and fun and I really didn't want it to end.  For those not into food or food trucks, it may seem slow in a couple of places as they linger over the food and the chef's world, but the only problem I found with this movie was the R rating.  This movie has "colorful" language from the first moment to the last, but THAT IS IT!  Again, cursing is easy to explain to kids and you know whether or not your kid can handle it.  There is none of the ambiguous and impossible to explain over the top sexuality and innuendo or supernatural conjecture of other films routinely rated just PG-13.

This movie is heartwarming without going too deep and should really be seen and enjoyed by all age groups.  It's opening wider and wider every weekend, so it should now be at a movie theatre near you.   Grab dinner at a local food truck this weekend and follow it by seeing Chef!

4.25 out of 5 stars

Mirror Mirror & Legend Did it Better - Maleficent Movie Review

So I'm not going to harp on the quality of acting here, and I certainly don't blame the director for it this week, but it IS a Disney movie and some might say they picked the perfect actress to play Maleficent...it's just that Angelina Jolie doesn't really settle into the roll until the second half of the film, when she's truly a villainess, with or without a heart of gold.  In the first half of the film, there are only two actors I liked, and one of them played a crow (Sam Riley) ;).  The other was Imelda Staunton of Harry Potter fame - those two got all the good lines early on and they handled them well.  Also, once the princess comes along, Elle Fanning is so one-dimensional that I think I prefer the acting range displayed by the animated version of Aurora.

Though this is supposed to be the origin story of Maleficent, we still don't know what happened to her parents and later when we are given an early reason for her initial hardening of the heart, it seems less than even a schoolgirl would fret over.  We're supposed to see her grow into a young woman as beloved by her fellow woodland creatures as later Sleeping Beauty is to become, but Maleficent has no friends, so I don't think I was appropriately endeared to her for the following struggle.  Later, when there is an epic battle between Maleficent and the King, I couldn't find it within myself to cheer for either of them because I still felt they were both in the wrong and both justified in their actions.

It's definitely a female power movie, with even the Prince (played by Brenton Thwaites of this summer's highly anticipated - by me - The Giver) relegated to just a few lines and tossed aside, which I can't say bothered me ;).  However, the ultimate story of "love" triumphing over all, no matter how dysfunctional, left me with mixed emotions, though it was a story preferable to the original.  The original Sleeping Beauty never captured my imagination as a child and seemed to make the least sense of all the stories available to little girls of my generation anyway.  Maleficent herself was always more interesting, but I'm not sure this version made her any moreso.

Try 2012's Mirror Mirror (if you like musicals) with Julia Roberts and Lily Collins for a more upbeat and overall better film or even reach back to one of my all time favorites - 1985's Legend, starring Tom Cruise and Mia Sara.  That one is just as dark, but more beautiful and Angelina Jolie's headdress is just a sad copy of Tim Curry's Darkness anyway.  If it's any consolation, the 10 and 11 year olds in the car with me at the drive-in really liked it but thought it was too scary for PG - they were pondering the possibility of creating a new rating of PG-10 - girls after my own heart.

2.75 stars out of 5

Yours, Mine & Ours Did it Better: Blended Movie Review

I see few movies reluctantly, but I could smell this one coming as my darling daughter dragged me to it.  I'd seen it in the many, many commercials and previews I've seen for it, all the time wondering why a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore could look so bad.  Even 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler himself was a decent rom-com.  Then it hit me.  This isn't a Drew Barrymore movie, it's an Adam Sandler movie, and I had solved the problem.  Grown-Ups aside, when Adam Sandler gets together these days with a few friends to have a few laughs, he decides to film it and is never able to translate what I'm sure is a hilarious few weeks of work for them into an even halfway enjoyable 2 hrs for those of us paying to see it.

In this case, I mainly blame direction, but with the recent Here Comes the Boom and ZooKeeper under his belt, I shouldn't have been surprised. (Frank Coraci, what's happened to you since The Wedding Singer!?!?).  There are some good actors in this movie who can't even deliver simple one liners with any kind of comic timing, and I'm sure they all tried their best.  Few things upset me more than when a bad director blemishes an otherwise laudable career because I bet most people blame the actor.  Of course, there is some blame there as well, since they must have seen the script, and I do give some actual credit to whoever cast this mess because they somehow convinced seasoned as well as up and coming promising actors to participate.

Take your pick of poorly rendered aspects of this movie - offensive racist and sexist jokes/themes, check!  going for over the top physical comedy and failing miserably, check!  There were even scenes that had potential and I had (well, not high, but moderate) hopes for that were sloppily directed and edited, leaving the audience with no payoff. 

There were a couple of things I liked about the film.  1) They were successful in making the strikingly beautiful Bella Thorne look frumpy and she really gave herself over to the part, which let her acting skills shine through when others seemingly gave up.  2) The overall theme of step-families was unexpectedly pretty true to real life.  There were no fairy tales here, just a multitude of varied responses to the often difficult realities of blending families and I appreciate realism, so it got me there.

Overall, the movie was uneven with many lows and no real highs and the only people who might really enjoy it are under 8 years old, but it's rated PG-13 and I wouldn't want to start the conversations this movie would undoubtedly cause with that set, especially while they are simultaneously laughing at potty jokes.  Rent Yours, Mine & Ours (2005, PG, Rene Russo & Dennis Quaid) instead.

2 out of 5 stars

Neighbors (at least I think that's what it was called, all I remember is Zac...) - Movie Review

Yes, I know Seth Rogen was in the movie too, but for the life of me, I can't remember him...I'm just kidding of course, Seth was naturally hysterical as always, but truthfully, Zac Efron is completely underrated and he proves it again in this movie.

A kind of Animal House meets The Burbs, this movie had me laughing throughout and reminded me both of my college days and my baby days, with a good balance of relatable jokes from both.  Yes, it's a bit bawdy, but honestly not as bad as I expected ;).  Oh, it's a bit excessive, but doesn't cross that invisible line that Million Ways to Die in the West did recently.  It's equally funny, but I'll give it a higher rating just for that.  Rose Byrne is surprising as the suburban wife with a party past.  She's the straight woman to Seth's bumbling husband, but her timing is suspiciously good, almost like she planned to be cast in a series of over the top comedies like Bridesmaids and last year's Internship.  Maybe the accent was throwing me off the scent...

The secondary cast members provide good support, but there are no stand-outs, which probably would have made this one of the funniest movies of the year, but it doesn't quite get there.  Also, actually being a parent myself, I kept wondering how they could leave their infant daughter alone in the house while they partied, plotted and sabotaged for hours night after night next door, which was a bit distracting for me as an audience member!

3.5 out of 5 stars

Seth MacFarlane Can Act? - A Million Ways to Die in the West Movie Review

How  many of you have seen Seth MacFarlane in a leading role?  In fact, how  many of you have seen him act on screen for more than just a few minutes at a time?  His presence in a couple of Gilmore Girls episodes has thus far more than sufficed for me.   I figured the reason he cast himself in the lead in this particular movie is because his love interests were Amanda Siefried and Charlize Theron, but it wasn't very long into the movie before it hit me - he can act.

Going into the movie, I already knew my general tolerance level for MacFarlane-written antics, my approximate 5 minute Family Guy limit but making it all the way through Ted...this movie was at once sweeter and raunchier than those.  It was kind of adorably cringe-worthy.  For myself, I've learned there's a line in a movie that once crossed, means I don't care to see the film again and can only recommend the entire film to a select few.  Yes, MacFarlane crossed that line again...and again in Million Ways.  However, I want to make it clear that it was funny and clever and I appreciate this homage to Blazing Saddles (there were some particularly good bits about farts, if you can believe it).

There are a few scenes that either went too far or too long for my taste, which I have grown to expect, so consider yourself forewarned.  However, it is also laugh out loud funny and enjoyable to watch the rest of the time.  I love the layering of modern day sensibilities over the absurdities of the past.  MacFarlane has written and directed a clever satirical screenplay that plays like a loving roast of the old western.  There are also so many small roles and cameos, that it is clear everyone in Hollywood wanted a piece of this movie.

Another caveat, however.  If you are familiar with his work, you know that he also blurs the lines of racism, sexism and any other -ism he can get his hands on.  You may fall on the opposite side of those lines several times during this movie, as did I, but it remains to be seen if any actual controversy will arise.  I'm confident the worst of it was left on the cutting room floor, however.

3 out of 5 stars

Mom, Bikers and, oh what the heck, God! - Mom's Night Out Movie Review

There has been a new trend in movies lately, well it's not new, it's one of the oldest ideas actually - God.  In movies like Heaven is For Real, Noah and Son of God, I knew about the religious aspects when I bought my ticket.  However, in Mom's Night Out, I did not.  This is a full on God movie, people, so just know that going in.  I saw all those other movies, so I don't have a problem with that theme in itself, but I like to know what kind of movie I'm paying for up front.  Of course, knowing that much ahead of time would not have saved this movie anyway (pun intended).

Rest assured, there is definitely an audience for this movie, and there were 3 older folks in the theatre with us to prove that point.  Sweet PTA moms and very small children might like it as well.  However, it was not funny and where it tried to be heartwarming, it failed almost entirely as well.  With a respectable cast with their hearts in the right places, I believe I have a right to expect more.  The best part was the much more than just a cameo role of Trace Adkins as a biker.  He wasn't quite a revelation, but he can actually act.   The lead actress you can tell was meant to burst on the scene with this movie, but I'm afraid she's going to have trouble building a resume off this one.

I guess I was looking for what the previews promised - a madcap, but sweet (rated just PG!) story about moms having a night away from their kids, but I did expect funny and didn't come to be told I'm good enough because Jesus loves me.  I know all that.

2 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: 3 Days to Kill

 

Let's be honest.  you don't go to see 3 Days to Kill expecting high art.  All you want is to be entertained by one of the most reliably likeable on screen heroes of a certain generation.  Spoiler: You get that here.  With that out of the way, let me give some details.

Yes, the plot is a bit contrived, with the hero is dying and an estranged wife and daughter.  Yes, the femme fatale role (played with Jessica Rabbit cartoonish relish by Amber Heard) is a bit over the top, complete with sinister snake rattle whenever she appears on screen.  I'm still not sure if the scene where he attempts to teach his teenage daughter how to ride a bicycle on the streets of Paris is supposed to evoke the Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or not, but the sweetness actually worked on me, once I had settled into the overall tone of the movie.  There's a bit of a European twist as well, with squatters showing up in his oft-empty flat, but even here there is just more opportunity for teary eyed sentimentalism.  Again, it worked well enough for me.

I already told you I didn't mind the fairly contrived storyline, but in case you, the audience, do, there are plenty of tried and true Kevin Costner moments to remind you of why you like him, including his much maligned "western" wear from the Parisian perspective.  There's even a "Bodyguard" type moment orchestrated, I'm guessing, to bring back a time when all of America was fonder of Kevin Costner than nowadays, only with his character carrying his daughter out of a seedy nightclub and away from a group of groping guys (yes, I went for it with the alliteration there), not Whitney Houston.  In case you forgot where the movie was set, or just to make the movie even more likeable, the director also chooses the Eiffel Tower for the backdrop as much as possible.

Costner himself is as dependable as always. 'Nuff said.  I'd like to comment on the women now.  Haliee Steinfeld is as good as I've seen her, including her Oscar nominated debut in True Grit.  She's growing into a full teenager very naturally.  Costner's wife is played by Connie Nielsen, who I haven't seen since Gladiator, but she must have made an impression then, because I knew I knew her from somewhere and now looking at her roles since then on IMDB, I'm surprised she hasn't been more utilized.  She's beautiful and mesmerizing in both roles, however skimpy they are, and I'd like to add also age appropriate for Costner in 3 Days.

One more note on the title of this film.  Yes, Costner's character has approximately 3 Days to Kill someone in this movie, but the only time the phrase is uttered is by his daughter, who sees his sudden visit to reconnect with her as just because he has "3 days to kill", for lack of anything better to do.  I always appreciate plays on words - they're my favorite.

3 out of 5 stars