Monday, May 30, 2011

The Hangover Part II

Overall the sequel to the laugh-out-loud original movie was if not more, then just as funny. Although the story and the chain of events almost mirrored the first film, its disastrous situations made up for the lack of originality. The character of Allen made the movie what it was even more so than he did in the first installment. If I'm going to speak from an intellectual standpoint, I would say that this film is an embarrassment of American cinematic production that shouldn't have gone past the drawing board. On the other hand, as a movie-goer I would say that it was a hilarious film. Even though a lot of the images in the movie were not needed and may have scarred many in the audience including myself, it did not subtract from the level of hilarity that the sequel had. If I have make one thing clear however, it would be that I don't want there to be a third movie. That would be over-kill to what has already been killed. 2 out of 4 stars.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen's latest film involves a couple played by Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams, who take a trip to France for family business. Allen addresses the idea of nostalgia as being perfectly normal despite "pseudo-intellectuals" in the film frowning upon the idea of wanting to be somewhere else in time. Owen Wilson was portrayed closest to what Allen's character would have been in the film. He yearns to live in 1920's France with writers of that time. His fiancĂ©e in the film couldn't disagree more with Wilson's late night strolls in Paris where he goes to a world unknown to anyone living in present day... except for one person. Marion Cotillard played brilliantly the role of a costume designer who lives in Wilson's nostalgic world. The movie was very funny with subtle humor that gets everyone laughing out loud. "Paris" is easily Allen's best film of the new millennium with its star-studded cast, charming story and simplistic take on life. 3 and a half out of 4 stars.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Something Borrowed

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and some drug material.
Something Borrowed is a romantic comedy starring two Hollywood starlets, Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin. The film is based on a book by Emily Giffin. The film is essentially about two young women who have been friends their whole lives and share everything, including men. Through this debacle of a situation, they show their true colors toward each other and true friends will be sorted out from the other people in their lives who were considered to be important to the leading ladies. Although the film is cute and all, it lacks the unpredictability factor. The audience can almost sense what is going to happen next and it makes for dull moments when they should really be interesting. John Krasinski stars as a friend of Goodwin's and provides ample comic relief, much like his character did in "It's Complicated"- come to think of it, it feels like he was transported through film and the same character was inserted into this movie. Still, it was fresh and provided me with several "aha" moments in a film that was otherwise very clichĂ©. 2 out of 4 stars.