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I thought the biggest issue with Beth cooper was the lead character. I never even came close to liking him. While I knew it was going to be pretty corny going in (over-used jokes and all), I expected a "coming of age" type of story. He never did. He was still an unsociable nerd at the end of the movie. All of this 'problems' were his own fault, and he felt no need to change them.
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Watched it last night and liked it.
World's Greatest Dad
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.
2009. Rated R, 99 minutes.
Cast:
Robin Williams
Alexie Gilmore
Daryl Sabara
Henry Simmons
Geoff Pierson
Evan Martin
Lorraine Nicholson
Zach Sanchez
Plot: Aspiring but unsuccessful writer and high school poetry teacher Lance Clayton (Williams) lives alone with his unapologetic jerk of a teenaged son Kyle (Sabara) and carries on a relationship with fellow teacher Claire (Gilmore) even though she doesn't want to be seen in public with him.
The Good: Robin Williams is usually only seen in two modes. He's either zany, verging on being totally out of control but fighting for some grand cause or morose and perhaps more than a little perverted. Here, he's much more a regular guy who seems to have life living him, instead of the other way around. He pulls it off, perfectly. Like so many of us in real life, his emotions are conveyed not by his words but by his facial expressions and body language. It's a wonderful performance. To aid this, we get a story that's excellently written. It's subtle, even when it seems to be over the top. It also puts us in position to seriously ponder what we might've done in the same situation. This brings us to the writer and director, Bobcat Goldthwait, who also shows up in a tiny role. Those of us who can actually remember the 1980s might be mildly surprised he hasn't already died of an overdose. Given that you might be completely blown away that he's still capable of coherent thought, much less writing a cerebral character examination. Kudos to him. Oh, I haven't even mentioned the fact that it's funny.
The Bad: Where is Kyle's mother? Unless I missed it, she's never mentioned. Doing so would've added another layer to both Kyle and the movie as a whole. We would be better able to psychoanalyze him, as we're already doing without quite enough information. I would have also love for us to meet Andrew's (Martin) mom, the alcoholic. She could've added tons, as well.
The Ugly: How and why the tragedy occurred.
Recommendation: We have another excellent effort in dark comedy, making 2009 a very strong year for the genre. As with most of them, there's just not enough hijinks and shenanigans to hold some people's attention. If you don't go in expecting another gross-out bromance or get too pissed off in the first few minutes that Lance hasn't beat the crap out of his son, you'll be in for a fun ride. Those of you into character studies, this one's for you.
The Opposite View: Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
What the Internet Says: 7.2/10 on imdb.com (1/30/10), 86% on rottentomatoes.com, 69/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 8/10
Originally posted by Tailback UComment
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Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Directed by Mark Waters.
2009. Rated PG-13, 100 minutes.
Cast:
Matthew McConaughey
Jennifer Garner
Michael Douglas
Breckin Meyer
Lacey Chabert
Noureen DeWulf
Robert Forster
Anne Archer
Emma Stone
Plot: The Scrooge of love, Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) is visited by the ghosts of girlfriends past, present and future during the weekend of his brother's wedding.
The Good: Without question, this is a Matthew McConaughey vehicle. It puts his charisma and matinee idol looks front and center. This means it floats along, letting him dominate scene after scene. It works because Connor Mead is the type of character he excels at, a smooth talking ladies man who flashes his million-watt smile quite often. Add in just plain fun performances by Michael Douglas as his late uncle and Emma Stone as "The Ghost of Girlfriends Past" and the mood is kept appropriately light.
The Bad: First, it's completely predictable to anyone who has ever heard of Charles Dickens. Second, there isn't a single character that even remotely resembles a real person. Connor is a one-note playboy (think Dan Fielding from Night Court, but with less heart). Sandra, the bride, feels like she's been copied and pasted from Bridezilla. Her bridesmaids and all the other women exist only to effort their way into Connor's bed. Well, except Anne Archer as the bride's mom. However, she very clearly states she would be right there with the rest of them if they weren't about to become family. Even Jenny (Garner), the woman who is there every step of the way, mostly just stands around with a hurt or contemplative look on her face. Worst of all, very little happens that's actually funny. There are madcap antics but they generally don't make you laugh.
The Ugly: What happens to the wedding cake.
Recommendation: This is a pure, unabashed light-hearted romantic comedy. The problem is it's sense of both romance and comedy are terribly off. It has it's moments and the considerable presences of both McConaughey and Michael Douglas may be enough to carry the movie for some.
The Opposite View: Jeffrey Lyles, Gazette (MD)
What the Internet Says: 5.8/10 on imdb.com (2/3/10), 27% on rottentomatoes.com, 34/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 3.5/10Comment
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Ghost of Girlfriends Past is terribleeeeeeee. I don't even know why I watched that shit.Comment
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I liked the soundtrack in Ghost of Girlfriends Past.Comment
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hey dell curious if you've ever seen this movie?
It's a Terry Gilliam directed movie so you kinda get an idea of what is in store for ya as you start it. That said, his introduction at the beginning of the movie is pretty much spot on. He said most will hate this movie, most will love it, and most be thinking wtf, which is where I was after it was over. Enjoyed it, but was def "wtf'ing" at certain moments.
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Actually, I've never heard of this one. He has done some great work that I've loved (Monty Python & the Holy Grail, 12 Monkeys, Time Bandits), a few I haven't seen but have been meaning to forever (The Meaning of Life, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Fisher King), one I thought sucked (The Brothers Grimm) and one I've tried to get through twice and couldn't (Brazil - I'll go back to this one again). I'll add this to the need to see list.hey dell curious if you've ever seen this movie?
It's a Terry Gilliam directed movie so you kinda get an idea of what is in store for ya as you start it. That said, his introduction at the beginning of the movie is pretty much spot on. He said most will hate this movie, most will love it, and most be thinking wtf, which is where I was after it was over. Enjoyed it, but was def "wtf'ing" at certain moments.Comment
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yeah i've been a big fan of his for a few years of course starting with his monty python work. i can't believe you haven't seen fear and loathing....one of my all time fave movies. and yes brazil sucks as does the brothers grimm. this one def will have people on one end of the spectrum...you love it or hate it...i can't see much middle ground when it comes to this one.Comment
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Just went back and read your review of In Bruges and agreed wholeheartedly. A little disapointing they couldn't think of a better plot device than the girl (though, her accomplice was hillarious).
It seems like a movie that will get better with more viewings, when you can focus more on the characters and less on the story.Comment
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The wife been picking the movies lately, Dell?
Have you seen The Proposition yet???! CMON MAN.Comment
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Big Fan
Directed by Robert D. Siegel.
2009. Rated R, 86 minutes.
Cast:
Patton Oswalt
Kevin Corrigan
Michael Rapaport
Marcia Jean Kurtz
Gino Cafarelli
Matt Servitto
Serafina Fiore
Polly Humphreys
Jonathan Hamm
Plot: Paul (Oswalt) is a die-hard New York Giants football fan. He eats, sleeps and drinks "G-Men". What will he do after he is beaten up by Quantrell Bishop (Hamm), his favorite player on his favorite team.
The Good: Director Robert D. Siegel does the impossible and gives us an original movie - one dealing with sports, no less. In fact, I'd hesitate to actually call it a sports movie. It's more of a sports fan movie. Instead of focusing on a player, team or coach and working up to "the big game," we walk with an ordinary joe who lives to support his team. That fan, Paul, is portrayed brilliantly and without a hint of sarcasm by Patton Oswalt. That last part is important because Paul could've easily become a comic figure and sank the movie. Through a skillfully ambiguous ending, we're not sure whether to feel happy or sad for him even though he is inexplicably happy. By the way, that's not a spoiler. You have to see it to know what I'm talking about. As Paul's mom, Marcia Jean Kurtz is not only a riot but a constant reminder of how pathetic her son truly is.
The Bad: While Paul is supposed to be a sad case, the movie took the easiest route to that destination by utilizing stereotypes. In this case it's that a guy who's passionate about his team and likes to call t he sports radio shows he listens to has to be child-like in all areas of life. Paul is so much so, it's nearly to the point of retardation. His buddy Sal (Corrigan) is similar. However, I wanted more from Sal. We can guess, but are never really sure how he feels about all that's going on. It's especially important since Sal is actually present when Paul is beaten. And what happens with what Paul's brother, Jeff (Cafarelli), is trying to do for him?
The Ugly: Whether you find her attractive or not, former (current?) porn-star Serafina Fiore as Paul's sister-in-law Gina has an unbelievably distracting appearance.
Recommendation: While it's an excellent movie, it's hard to recommend because it's a bit of a downer. It's doubly so for someone like me who is actually a Giants fan and likes to listen to sports talk radio. That said, definitely see this if you want to see a drama that's sports related but still has a unique vision. Just don't go looking for any actual sports scenes because there are none.
The Opposite View: Vadim Rizov, Village Voice
What the Internet Says: 7.1/10 on imdb.com (2/4/10), 88% on rottentomatoes.com, 70/100 on metacritic.com
MY SCORE: 9/10Comment
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Hmph. I'm gonna have to look-into that.
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