Mini Reviews

Every year, I try to watch as many film released within that year as possible, so that at the year's end I have as many films as possible for consideration onto my best and worst lists. So, I've been keeping up with films I missed at the theater or that went straight to DVD through Netflix. Here are some mini reviews for those films.

Being Flynn
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Paul Dano, Olivia Thirlby
Plot: A wannabe writer discovers his deadbeat dad is sort of a loser despite the fact that he claims to be the greatest living American writer.
Thoughts: Solid acting from Dano and DeNiro can't save this cheesy, melodramatic, boring mess of a movie.
Grade: C+

Friends With Kids
Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolf, Kristen Wiig, Jon Hamm, Chris O'Dowd, Ed Burns, Megan Fox
Plot: A woman in her upper 30s and her longtime best friend decide to avoid the pratfalls of their friends who got married and had kids and just stay friends and have a kid.
Thoughts: The first two thirds of this movie are an absolute joy. The cast is fantastic and it's genuinely touching and funny and well-written. However, a cliched third act threatens to ruin everything.
Grade: B-

Hick
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, Eddie Redmayne, Juliette Lewis, Rory Culkin
Plot: A young girl realizes she's had enough of her hick family and decideds to run away to Vegas where she plans on finding a rich man. She meets some shady people along the way.
Thoughts: A super mess of a movie, although Moretz is great. But even Juliette Lewis (who really isn't in enough movies these days) and Rory Culkin (the best Culkin!) can't save this mess.
Grade: D+

Innkeepers
Starring: Sara Paxton
Plot: On the last weekend run for a Bed and Breakfast, two co-workers decide to investigate the fact that the place may haunted.
Thoughts: A fairly effective, yet predictable, ghost story. The moments of boredom and the overall lameness is nearly saved by a really great ending.
Grade: C+

Lockout
Starring: Guy Pearce, Maggie Grace
Plot: In the near future, there is a maximum security prison floating in space. The president's daughter (Grace) happens to be there when a riot breaks out. A conman (Pearce) is sent in to save the day.
Thoughts: Super cliched in just about every way, but also not such a bad way to spend a mindless summer night. Pearce is the saving grace as a smart ass anti-hero.
Grade: C-

Project X
Plot: High schoolers throw the most epic party ever.
Thoughts: It wants to be Superbad or The Hangover, but it's not nearly funny enough to be either. It tries its best to be shocking but that's not enough.
Grade: D+

The Woman in Black
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe
Plot: A young man goes to the English countryside to investigate the death of a woman.
Thoughts: Totally boring and cliched up until about the last 5 minutes when it finally got compelling, but too little too late.
Grade: D

Transformers, Puccini For Beginners (DVD)

Transformers - To begin with, I was as excited about this movie as the next kid. After all, I loved Transformers when I was a kid. But, then again, I was, you know, like, six. It actually wasn't until about a third of the way into the film, when the autobots began talking, that I truly realized how ridiculous this movie really was. Anyway, apparently Steven Spielberg was so impressed with auteur (ha!) Michael Bay after seeing his nuanced work in The Island (if nothing else, at least I'm amusing myself with this review...) that he so eagerly sought him out so that Spielberg himself could executive produce his next film - Transformers. I could only imagine what the pitch meetings for Transformers were like. Not only did they encourage everyone to throw out any and all ideas - they even decided to put any and all ideas into the script! Sure Transformers is sort of fun... in the way that car crashes are fun. It's like watching Nascar or, no, even worse, a really, really, really, really, really, really long car commercial. If loud and abrasive and ridiculous and silly are fun, then, sure, it's fun. I'm sure everyone knows what the movie is about. I don't need to tell you plot. The movie stars a lot of names. Jon Voight as the secretary of defense, Shia LaBeouf as the kid that might save the world, Megan Fox as the hot girl who is there soley to impress the 15 year old boys, Josh Duhamel as an Air Force dude who we learn has a newborn baby he's never held. I guess we are supposed to really want to see him get back to Fergie, I mean, his blonde girlfriend/wife/whatever and their baby. I mean, these people are under the mistaken impression that I actually care enough about Josh Duhamel to really give a crap if he lives or dies. I mean, he's not exactly an engaging actor. And then, to make matters better or worse or whatever, John Turturro shows up. I'm not even sure why. Perhaps it's because he was really sick of having such an awesome resume that he thought to himself, "Hey, I should go sign up for a big budget action flick and give the single worst performance in the my entire career. Wouldn't that be a treat for everyone?" Shia deserves some extra credit points here and not just for being super hot. Not since Leonardo DiCaprio was on a certain sinking ship has an excellent actor delivered such awful dialogue with such charm and wit. There's a reason why he's the Current/Next Big Thing. Even Shia can't save the movie. But the emotion he shows when his autobot friend Bumblebee is dying is really, really amazing. Yet, I can't really say I felt a damn thing. I mean, these people are under the mistaken impression that I actually care about a car/robot. What can I say on the plus side? Well, the special effects are amazing... probably the best I've ever seen. But it's 2007 and that's to be expected. We're well past the point where a film should get extra points for having great special effects. In the end, Transformers was just a huge disappointment for me. It's a good thing that the movie has already made over $100 million and it really doesn't matter to anyone what I think. If anything, Shia LaBeouf is going to become a huge star because of Transformers. Based on recent interviews I've read with him, I really don't think it could happen to a better kid. He seems like he has his head firmly planted on his shoulders and I don't think he'll be entering rehab any time soon. So, at the very, very least, one good thing will come out of this messy movie. Well, that and my new girl crush on Megan Fox. I guess I'm as susceptible as those 15 year old boys.

Grade: D-

EDIT: All right, whatever, the special effects were really amazing, so: D

Puccini For Beginners - Never in my life have I related more to a fictional character than I did to Allegra (played brilliantly by the brilliant Elizabeth Reaser). I don't really know what that says about me. She says things like, the idea of marriage makes her sick to her stomach. And when talking about commitment, she says it's such an awful word because it's usually used in the context of people being commited to mental hospitals. I just absolutely love this character. Perhaps that's why I probably enjoyed this movie far more than the average viewer might. For once, this is my kind of complicated love story. It's sort of a throw back to those brilliant screwball comedies that I love so much (like Bringing Up Baby). It follows Allegra, a smart and cynical New York writer who recently broke up with her lesbian girlfriend Samantha (Julianne Nicholson). Soon, Allegra starts to date a man (Justin Kirk)... and his ex-girlfriend (Gretchen Mol). This was truly an intelligent, fun, witty, entertaining film. It was shot beautifully, using all New York City has to offer. The script was great and the performances by the main actors were even better. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of a lot of early work by - are you ready for it - Woody Allen. Now I'm sure you all understand why I loved it so (except, if Woody had written it, it probably would have been even funnier and better). This movie is just so damn cute. I highly advise everyone to rent it as soon as possible. And then tell me how much I remind you of Allegra (except for the whole lesbian thing... although that option is looking better and better lately). And except for the fact that Elizabeth Reaser looks like a goddess. Netflix it now.

Grade: B+