Saturday, October 24, 2009

Amelia

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After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia(Hilary Swank) was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheart known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam (Richard Gere). In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history.

My Review: Amelia failed to take off in my opinion. The film told me nothing that what I had already not known. The script was horrific and a majority of the performances were wooden. The only praise this film gets from me is the scenery and the performance of Hilary Swank. It was a near-flawless representation in terms of personality and appearance. The movie had good intentions but failed to catch my eye. The man snoring two rows in front of me didn't help either. I was expecting more from such a renowned cast and production team. No Oscars except for acting are deserved. ★★

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Whip It

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Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) lives in small-town Texas and yearns to break free of her mother's world of beauty pageants and conformity. Bliss sees her chance when she meets the Hurl Scouts, a roller-derby team; she tries out for the team and wins a slot, lying to her parents about her new hobby. Bliss finds friendship and freedom with her teammates, but a conflict between a championship game and a beauty pageant threatens to spill her secret.

My Review: Drew Barrymore's directorial debut has potential but is missing key elements to have people watch attentively. For me, this was nothing more than a chick flick aimed toward all age ranges. As for the writing, it was decent. I miss watching Ellen Page in the "Juno"- like roles where she is all about cynicism and wit. Watching this made her seem more like Jennifer Garner in "Juno", quiet and uncomfortable. Other than that the film was enjoyable and certainly had a plausible lesson. 2 and a half out of 4 stars.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Couples Retreat

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Couples Retreat is a comedy centered around four couples who go on vacation to Bora Bora. While one of the couples is there to work on marriage, the others fail to realize that participation in the resort's therapy sessions is not optional.

My Review: The comedy aspect of the film is light. It focuses more on the situations happening between the couples. The only reason I wanted to see it was because of Vince Vaughn and he didn't disappoint. Though it wasn't as funny as Four Christmases, Couples Retreat gives movie goers the treat of laughter in an unusual format. On a different note, the other actors in the movie were hysterical, especially Jon Favreau who played a sex crazed tough guy that was very cynical. Now, even though the writing could have been a lot better this film was made just for the fans and not the critics so audiences could escape into a semi-funny story that pleases most. 2 and a half out of 4 stars.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Invention of Lying

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The film is set in an alternate reality in which no one has ever lied. Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais) is a lecture writer who is getting fired and nothing seems to go his way. He meets Anna (Jennifer Garner) who like everyone else, doesn't lie. When he needs to pay his rent, he goes to the bank and creates the world's first lie by withdrawing more than he has on his account. From there the story begins to unfold. The first 20 minutes of the film are laugh out loud funny but it never fully recovers after the first few scenes. A great attempt at a film that could have been ten times better given a better script and more time. I saw Ghost Town last year which didn't leave a lasting impression on me either but there is a story unlike most Hollywood movies. Stick to stand up Ricky! You do much better when telling jokes to a live audience. 2 and a half out of 4 stars.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Capitalism: A Love Story

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Michael Moore returns to the big screen in a documentary covering what happens to the country when Wall Street gets out of control. It is a sobering depiction of how everything in the media is sugar-coated. Moore goes to all lengths to show the audiences how corporate America is really screwing the citizens over. I won't get into politics but those of you who know me already are aware of my political standings. A must-see that doesn't get a lot of play in the media. It isn't his best film, but deserves mention. Nonetheless, I give him props for having the courage to stand up to what he is faced with in the movie. 3 out of 4 stars.