Movie Review: Friends with Kids (2011)

Look at the actors in Friends with Kids: John Hamm; Maya Rudolph; Kirsten Wiig; Chris O'Dowd; Adam Scott; and Jennifer Westfeldt.

The list is very impressive, especially with two-thirds of them just came off Bridesmaids success. But the final cut was a tipped towards the wrong pair of characters. (Hint: they were the actors that weren't in Bridesmaids.)

Don't get me wrong-- the story is very timely and the dialogue is snappy and sincere, but after a good start and a trajectory that pointed towards something original, it went to a very familiar place where rom-coms tread.

Friends with Kids would have been much, much better if the leads characters outside Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt were utilized better. But if you're a thirty-something looking for a comedy you can relate to, this film deserves to be in your to-do list.


Rating: 3/5


Technorati: Friends with Kids


A4WEK37FXDK5

Movie Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

I know I'm going to get slammed for this, but by expectations were quite low for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

I watched (or more accurately, partially watched) the original Swedish version and it was a huge snooze-fest. So you could just imagine why it took me three months after the Hollywood version's release to watch it in the theater, for fear of being lulled to a nice nap.

But after watching this version, I was practically knocking my head for not watching the movie sooner.

David Fincher's version is definitely much more watchable, despite the two and a half hour running time. The director (of The Fight Club and The Social Network fame), gave the somber Swedish setting a great deal of well-paced energy and  intrigue to make me root for Lisbeth Salander (played by Oscar-nominated Rooney Mara) and curious where the franchise will go in the next two movies.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a very intriguing film that's not for the young-- it's edgy, sexy, and and it has a good mystery to boot. I really feel stupid for underestimating this film initially.


Rating: 4/5


Technorati: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Movie Review: My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Marilyn Monroe was a cultural phenomenon that was larger than life in the 1960's but if we're going to take the portrait My Week with Marilyn paints, she was a fragile woman that wanted a lot of affirmation and recognition for her talents.

The story is an account of Colin Clark (played by Eddie Redmayne), a production staff member that got close to the Marilyn Monroe (played by Michelle Williams) for a week (hence the title, duh!). Marilyn struggled mightily as she worked with distinguished thespian Sir Laurence Olivier (played by Kenneth Branagh) but eventually pulled through with their film "The Prince and The Showgirl."

If you ask me, the film's story was pretty flat and had little drama-- it's primarily an acting vehicle for Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh (who incidentally got critical nods in the Golden Globes and Oscars). Apart from that, most folks will probably root for Marilyn The Acting Underdog and loathe Olivier The Iron-fisted Director.

I'm not a fan of Marilyn Monroe but My Week with Marilyn gives a generation a peek of what she was all about behind the spotlight.

Rating: 3/5


Technorati: My Week with Marilyn

Movie Review: The Grey (2012)

There are a very films that make me go saying "Ugh" over and over after watching and The Grey is one of them.

The Joe Carnahan-helmed survival action movie is visceral and gripping, relying on a pack of wolves and the harsh cold to create tension in the story. Liam Neeson is bad-ass and stoic as he plays a wolf sniper (yep, a wolf sniper) that leads a group of oil drillers get out of the frigid Alaskan wilderness alive. Once the story goes past the plane crash, it becomes a grueling ordeal to watch. I have to give brownie points to one character in the movie that made a reference to "Alive" (the 1993 survival film).

I like the twist at the end of the film that could be seen as an allegory to man's quest to go through life but the ending was just unsatisfying. After making me root for the plane crash survivors, I expected a little bit more.

Despite the ending, The Grey is one heck of a survival story.


Rating: 3/5


Technorati: The Grey

Movie Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

The moment I sat at the theater to watch Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, I felt I was transported to the 1970's. Apart from the grainy, oft-discolored quality of the film, the production design (as well as Benedict Cumberbatch's shaggy hair) gave the authentic old-school feel.

The movie is an adaptation of the 1970's spy novel that was low on tech, but high on suspense and this film version stays true to that. There are no gadgets nor high powered weapons, but it relies on the tension the cast creates. Gary Oldman got an Oscar nod for is role as George Smiley and it's well-deserved.

If you're used to the James Bond and Jason Bourne-type of spy movie, you'll be utterly disappointed. But you'll probably be happy that Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, and the aforementioned Benedict Cumberbatch all deliver great performances.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy may come from material forty years ago, but the final product is still very watchable today.


Rating: 4/5


Technorati: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Movie Review: Shame (2011)

Shame is a provocative film by Steve McQueen about a man and his sex addiction. And as you may expect, it's very, very graphic.(It received an NC-17 rating in the US, and 18A in Canada).

Micheal Fassbender plays Brandon, an executive living in downtown New York with a dirty secret. He indulges himself in a variety of sex acts, ranging from self-gratification with pornography to paying escorts for intimate relations. But once his troubled sister Sissy (played by Carey Mulligan), drops by for a surprise visit, Brandon is triggered to spiral further deep into his addiction.

This film has two things going for it: Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. The two have irresistible performances as flawed siblings make the film watchable despite the slower than normal pace and drawn-out sequences. I know this may sound weird, but despite the sexual underpinnings of the film, Shame goes down to being what family is all about.

To appreciate Shame is to go beyond the graphic scenes and the amount of skin shown.


Rating: 3.5/5


Technorati: Shame

Movie Review: Chronicle (2012)

Chronicle is probably the superhero sic-fi movie of 2012 because it has the sensibilities and angst of the YouTube video-sharing youth.

Set in Seattle, this film uses the "lost video tape" technique to show how the events unfolded when three teenagers mysteriously gain telekinetic powers and deal with their new found abilities. We all know Spider-man's "With great power comes great responsibility" schtick, but this film makes it more fleshed-out.

What I like about Chronicle is that it got the best of the "superhero with problems" genre and not making it look like "Smallville." What makes it more amazing is that this is director Josh Trank's Hollywood debut. I can just imagine if he did something with the more established superheroes like Spider-Man.

Some will relegate Chronicle as a gimmicky film and a Blair Witch Project clone, but I think it was able to do something fresh that I would't mind sharing to friends.


Rating: 4.5/5


Technorati: Chronicle