The Coming Attractions...

It's that time again!   Here are some highlights of what movies to look out for in the next few months.

To start, I would like to point out a film that has just received the opportunity to open in the United States.  I'm hoping that it is only a matter of time until it will be opening in Canada.  Fireflies in the Garden depicts a family dealing with a recent tragedy and the consequences that come along with that.  It follows their lives, flashing back from childhood to adulthood, showing the constant strained relationship between the children and their father.  It stars Ryan Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Willem Defoe, Carrien-Anne Moss and Emily Watson.  Fireflies in the Garden is set to release in the US on October 14, 2011.  Enjoy the Trailer!

Fireflies in the Garden

 

Now, for a film a little more thrilling than dramatic.  Drive follows the life of a Hollywood stunt performer as he gets involved with a heist gone wrong and tries to protect the victims in danger because of it.  Drive stars Ryan Gosling and Cary Mulligan.  It will be released on September 16, 2011.  

Drive

         
The next film I'm excited for stars some of my favourite and reliable actors, such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anna Kendrick.  50/50 is about a 27 year old man who is diagnosed with cancer and has to rediscover who he is and how to survive the disease.  With the help of Seth Rogen's comedic relief this film promises to be a heart warming eye opener.  50/50 is set to release on September 30, 2011.  

50/50

And now for some interesting recommendations...

- Coriolanus (a Shakespeare adaptation) starring Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler, set to release on December 2, 2011.

- A Dangerous Method starring Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, and Keira Knightly.  It is about the relationship between Carl Jung (Fassbender) and his mentor Sigmund Freud (Mortensen).  It's set to release on November 23, 2011.

- The Ides of March starring Ryan Gosling and George Clooney.  It is about corruption in the political world.  It's set to release on October 7, 2011. 

I hope these films live up to their hype! 

Fright Night

To be fair, I have yet to see the original Fright Night, however, this film still managed to make me smile with nostalgia.

Fright Night is a remake of the film with the same name back in 1985.  It's about a teenage boy who suddenly finds his life and the lives of those he loves in danger from his next door neighbour... who just happens to be a vampire.

The thing I like about this film is that it stays true to its genre.  It claims to be a horror/comedy film, which we don't come by that often these days.  But this film manages to pull it off.
Colin Farrel did a great job with his role.  His body language added to the character and his controlled facial expressions may have seemed mild and subtle, but actually were very effective.  I find that people tend to forget about Colin Farrel as an actor who takes his job seriously, because he always seems so calm and collected.  I think, however, as someone with his tracking record in films and acting, he never disappoints.  I'd like to give him a shout out here and now, because as an actor he gets overlooked too often and he deserves some recognition.
 
As for the film itself, I really liked how they didn't take long to get into the thick of it.  What I mean by that is, instead of dragging the ignorant part of the film - where all the characters are in disbelief and the main character keeps trying to convince them of the truth - the story gives in to its supernatural elements immediately.  The "bad guy" reveals himself fairly quickly and you never really question that.  It somehow seems appropriate, perhaps, because it is a comedy as well as a horror.  It's supposed to be humorous and slightly silly.        
         
As for the other actors, they were all pretty decent but no one especially stuck out to me.  The visual effects were very interesting and they kept true to the original film.  The fact that this vampire was a monster and not some misunderstood creature to be pitied or romanticized, made this film stand out.. ironically.  It was a nice change to what this generation has been surrounded by lately.  Sometimes going back to the classics reminds us of how much fun film making is supposed to be and how simple can sometimes be better.     

Ultimately, I give this film 7.4/10 for bringing back a true horror/comedy film, enlightening some of the more ignorant movie lovers and showing them how it's really done.  

The Change-Up

This film only remains passable due to one thing....

The Change-Up is about a friendship between two men who lead very different lives.  One seems to have it all figured out with a family and a stable career, while the other seems a little more lost.  In the midst of wishful thinking, a lot of alcohol, and a magical pissing fountain, their lives get switched.  Sounds like Freaky Friday doesn't it?  Well, not quite...

Like I said before, this film was only decent due to one thing: the acting.  If it didn't have such good actors, this story line and the screen play would have brought it tumbling down.  I thought Ryan Reynolds did a great job in his acting.  Jason Bateman did a great job as well and it was refreshing to see him in a different type of character.  However, the characters themselves - not the actors - needed a little work.  The character Mitch, for example, was not a likable character.  In films where you have two main characters that are equally weighed in importance, they both have to be ultimately likable.  Sure, they can be rough around the edges, but their has to be some sort of redeemable scene that overpowers whatever the character was seen as before.  This film did not do that for me.  The character Mitch was too much in his vulgarity, in his stupidity, in his ignorance and in his insincerity.  It came off unrealistic to watch and way too exaggerated.  And at the end when the bodies are switched back, you never feel that change that needs to take place.  Mitch remained what he was before, for the most part, and his redeemable scene didn't seem like enough.

But I would like to point out Leslie Mann.  She was very funny, consistent, emotional and played her character extremely well.  I think, personally, she was more of the highlight for me.  I found that Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman, after they switch bodies, are inconsistent with their personalities, and it became somewhat confusing keeping track of who was who.  But Leslie Mann kept true to her character and delivered a stable, solid performance that never seemed weak or unsubstantial in comparison to the main characters.                

So in a nutshell, I didn't love the story, I didn't love the character Mitch, but the acting was what kept it going, so at least there is a positive note.  Wouldn't see it again though.  Sorry.

I give this film 5.8/10.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

For the record, I saw this movie the second day of its release.  The reason it took me so long to write a review on it was because I didn't trust my own reaction.  Sometimes, your mood and expectations can alter your perspective.  I was expecting so much and the hype of the last installment weighed so heavily on me, that I didn't see the film clearly for what it was.  Therefore, I waited a little while to watch it a second time.  And I wasn't disappointed.

Looking back on all the Harry Potter films, the fans have to be proud of the effort put in to them and their execution.  I know I am.  I have only once been truly and rightfully disappointed in a Harry Potter film, and that was the sixth one.  But that's for another time.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 did a wonderful job of keeping true to the book and keeping true to the characters and their gradual development throughout the series.  I was so happy with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint for fully giving this film everything they have physically, mentally and emotionally.  It was the perfect end to a well-put-together series and I applaud them for giving it the proper farewell.

Now, I'm not going to give a synopsis for the film, because everyone pretty much already knows what it's about.  Let's just get to it, shall we?

The reason I felt conflicted the first time I watched the film was because of the speed in which it was moving.  I felt that the whole film was rushing through in order to get to the final battle.  But, the second time I watched it, my point of view slightly changed.  I still say that it felt a little rushed, but I now feel that there was a reason, which perhaps I misconstrued at first.  They were trying to create a different tone for the final film.  It was a tone of "getting down to business" and "jumping right in".  I find this appropriate because this is how the book plays out.  Harry has accepted his destiny and is ready to face it.  Extremely appropriate.  The fear is gone, therefore, the hesitation from the previous films has disappeared.  So my original issue was amended.

Only now there is another issue.  Because Part 1's tone and Part 2's tone are so different, the place in which they meet should coincide.  In other words, where Dobby meets his end and sadness makes its way throughout the theatres, to where Harry is suddenly an overly determined, ballsy, forceful and energetic man?  I guess I didn't quite feel that appropriate transition.  I was still caught up with feeling Harry's fear and sadness that I didn't quite understand his swift change of attitude.  That has less to do with the film as a whole, as it has more to do with how I watch them.

And now for the technical stuff.  The acting was well done.  It was consistent, at times even phenomenal (Alan Rickman/Ralph Fiennes).  The younger actors really stepped it up.  I found that all the loose ends were tied up and everything was explained with sufficient detail.  The graphics were especially great.  The visual of the entire film was extremely well done.  It was everything I imagined it would be, which says a lot.    

I give this film 9/10 for doing everything in their power to make these films the right way and making all the Harry Potter fans proud as a result.  Thanks for a decade of HP!!!

Crazy Stupid Love

The title is very fitting...

Crazy Stupid Love surrounds a family that deals with the complications of love throughout their daily lives.  Bottom line, you can only take love as it comes, because you can't control it, you can't tame it and you certainly can't understand it.  Just accept it anywhere you can find it, because that is what makes life worth while.

At least, that's what I took from this film.

To break the film down a little more, let's move on to the actors and their characters - because really, that's what made the film what it is.  Let me just say that Ryan Gosling is wonderful.  I have never seen him play a part that he didn't do well.  His character may have come off unrealistic at first, but upon second glance, turns out to be a character with some heart.  Steve Carrel is also wonderful because he always brings the awkward and uncomfortable out of everyday life, and finds a way to depict it flawlessly on screen.  That's what I like about Steve Carrel.  He doesn't pick characters that go through exaggerated events and coincidences, with extreme personalities that pop out at you.  He always picks a dorky character with real qualities and relatable embarrassments that make us reflect on our own lives, only to realize that perhaps they aren't as dull as we thought.  We just don't seem to appreciate our experiences when we're having them.  Sometimes you need an actor like Steve Carrel to remind us that life can be light and comedic if we approach it differently, even when it seems to be full of let downs and disappointment.

Emma Stone played her character as well as always.  She does seem to play a similar personality in most of her films, however, she always puts 100% of herself in her characters, making them so authentic, you can't help but enjoy her.

As for Julianne Moore, she is always amazing - I think that's a given.  And for the boy and the 17 year old girl in the film, you guys get a thumbs up!!!  A for effort.

Ultimately, I give this film 7.8/10 for using some of my favourite actors to, for once, give us a realistic approach to love.   

By the way, I love this picture I chose (above).  Best part of the film.  Look at Ryan Gosling's face and imagine him saying: "What are you grabbing?"  lmao, best line.  You'll see.  Go see it!!!!

Friends with Benefits

 

Another romantic comedy.  Normally, I wouldn't complain, but somehow, I'm starting to get a little tired of them.  

Friends with Benefits is about a headhunter named Jamie (played by Mila Kunis) who is trying to sell her client Dylan (played by Justin Timberlake) on a job offer in New York.  She spends an entire day, introducing him to the city as she knows it, and welcoming him in as a friend.  Eventually, to her surprise, he decides to take the job offer and moves to New York.  They become good friends instantly and discover that they both have issues with relationships.  Trying out an experiment, they begin sleeping with each other casually without any attachments or commitments.  I think we ALL know how this is going to end.  

As a whole, the film was okay.  It was funny at times, it was relatable.. I guess.  The acting was decent and the story wasn't completely predictable.  So I guess I just wanted more.  I wasn't blown away by anything.  There wasn't much emotion for me to feed off of.  Mila Kunis did a great job trying to bring that in, but Justin Timberlake was lacking.  He wasn't bad, but like I said, I wasn't really impressed.  To me, he didn't seem to have a hard job to pull off from the beginning, so to criticize him is difficult because it seemed like he played a very common character.  A light-hearted, take nothing seriously character.  I'd like to see more from him.  

So I give this film 5.6/10.  I wouldn't see it again just because it didn't stand out to me enough.  It was cute.. that's all.