Eagle Eye, Nick and Norah, How to Lose Friends...

Eagle Eye - At the very least it's entertaining. Entertaining in a "wow, this will never ever happen" kind of way. I'm all about conspiracy theories and corrupt government tales but, geez, even this one is pushing it. I'm not going to give away the big surprise but I will say that it's disappointing to say the least. I am still on the side of the fence that thinks Shia LaBeouf is fantastic. Maybe he's not as good of an actor as someone like Emile Hirsch or Paul Dano but he is charming as hell. He's got that perfect sort of combination of charm, wit and looks. So, watching him for two hours (only it felt like three) was great. I can't say that this movie is good per se but it is exciting at times and it will at least keep your interest, even if it is a little hard to follow at times. Still, it's not a bad way to kill two hours.
Grade: C+

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - The same could be said for Nick and Norah. Not a bad way to kill two hours. It's at times very funny, it's always very hipster friendly but it's mostly predictable and cliche. It's maybe trying too hard to be cool. But, then again, aren't most hipsters trying too hard to be cool? Anyway, the film follows one crazy night in New York City and the adventures of a bunch of teens as they try to make it to a secret show by the elusive band Where's Fluffy. Much ensues, mostly focusing on our hero and heroine, Nick (Michael Cera - wonderfully funny and charming) and Norah (Kat Dennings - not as annoying as I thought she'd be). They have an attraction to one another but both have some issues with exes. Nick is still hung up on the Tris (the beautiful Alexis Dzenia) who broke his heart and Norah is on-again / off-again with Tal (one of my celeb crushes, Jay Baruchel whose very presence makes this a better movie). Anyway, the movie is fun at times and very funny at times as well. Still, we've seen it all before. Mostly the "plus" here is for whoever cast this film because the cast is pretty fricking great - even if they don't always have the greatest material.
Grade: C+

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - It's pretty sad when I have to type the following sentence... "Thank heavens for Kirsten Dunst." Yeah, I said it. I'm not her biggest fan (or her fan at all, really) but she's really the only thing decent about this movie. Her Alice (or Allison... I'm not entirely sure... that's how much I didn't care about this movie) is the living embodiment of most women in their twenties and she does a damn good job portraying the confusion and frustration. Lead Simon Pegg, usually funny and charming, is trite and boring here. Hottie Megan Fox does a solid job being hot... but that's about it. For being billed as a comedy, the only funny things really come out of Jeff Daniels mouth - and that's not really a surprise. Overall, this movie is pretty boring.
Grade: D

88 Minutes - Why Al Pacino why? I don't even know what to say about this mess. First of all, yes, it's called 88 minutes and it runs for almost two hours. I'm fine with that. There is a deeper meaning to the phrase "88 minutes." I mean, if you can call "lame filler back story" deep then sure. The supporting cast is terrible. The script is terrible. The big outcome twist is apparent to anyone with half a brain. And, really, why Al Pacino? Why?
Grade: D-

Jumper + more

Jumper - Jumper suffers from what many movies suffer from - great idea, poor execution. I actually really loved the idea - a man could teleport anywhere in the world but has to deal with evil guys hunting for him because only God should have the power to be everywhere and anywhere. The film has great pacing and energy. The special effects are pretty solid (there is a particular fight scene between Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell near the end which is just simply great). Jamie Bell's performance as the nervy Griffin is the clear stand out. His performance adds a frantic energy to every scene he is in. He's smart and funny and engaging. Unfortunately, he's not in the film nearly enough. Most of the good things I can say end there. The film suffers from one big thing: Hayden Christensen. He surely has the looks to be a matinee idol. He's a great looking kid and he's not a terrible actor (see: Shattered Glass). Unfortunately, he is more often than not wooden and ineffective. I could use those words to describe his performance here as well. There's very little development in the story as well. This could have been a really great superhero or anti-hero story but the writers hardly seemed to notice just how self involved the hero really is. It was almost enough to make the audience root for the villain, Samuel L. Jackson - except he was almost cartoonish, what with the blonde hair and ridiculous dialogue. And I love Samuel L. Jackson! Then there's Rachel Bilson. Summer, Summer, Summer. I loved you oh so much on The O.C. However, I fear she showed the extent of her abilities on that show. The fast talking cutsie thing worked very well on that hipster show but you can't always do the same thing. In film, you have to be able to branch out and do different things. I just don't think Bilson has it in her. Then there is the rumor floating around that Bilson and Christensen are romantically linked in real life. I don't care if it's true or not. If it is true, however, I really hope they have a lot more chemistry in real life because they have none on screen. Unfortunately, this movie is mostly mediocre. A great plot and Jamie Bell can only get you so far. Action sequences aside, the movie becomes quite boring. Jumper is somtimes fun and sometimes interesting. I actually hope they make a sequel and perhaps they can do a better job the second time around because it really is an interesting idea.
Grade: C-

Sex and Breakfast - This is a small little movie that is intimate and mostly interesting. It focuses on two young couples having trouble in their relationships. James (Macaulay Culkin) and Heather (my girl Alexis Dziena) are in love but Heather is unable to acheive orgasm with James. Ellis (Kuno Becker) and Renee (Eliza Dushku) want to marry but they feel like they've become boring. Both couples are looking to spice up their sex lives and see a counselor who suggests group sex. The thing about this movie is it's not as shocking as you would think. When you hear the concept, you think, 'Oh, it's going to be all about sex with tons of nudity and whatever.' But, not so much. It's actually pretty character driven and focuses more on the relationships of the couple than their eventual intimate interactions. The writing is a little hit or miss for me and I don't know if the movie completely works. It actually would have worked a lot better as a short film, I think. Still, the performances are all solid and well done. It's not a great movie, but it's decent.
Grade: C+

Wind Chill - The beginning of this movie isn't half bad. It's sort of ominous, it gives you a great atmosphere and a good character and story build up. I mean, sure the characters are unlikeable, but that doesn't really matter to me much. Emily Blunt is good at being a bitch when she wants to be. Her character sort of has an arc which is unusual for ghost stories. Ashton Holmes is only slightly creepy. There's not much to work with set wise because it's basically too kids stuck in a pile of snow for a long time. The writing is pretty weak. It makes too many uncomfortable shifts from 'romantic' to 'horror.' It just doesn't work in horror movies. The only way romance should ever play a part in a horror movie is if the couple is already established at the beginning of the movie. People usually don't fall in love during terrifying situations. There's absolutely nothing scary about this movie whatsoever. The biggest waste of all is that it just throws away all the atmosphere it built up so well in the beginning. In the end, I just wanted someone to kill the lead characters because they were just so stupid I could barely stand it. Please, skip this movie at all costs.
Grade: D