Love and Other Drugs
The wait is over! The highly anticipated new movie from Jake Gyllenhaal (highly anticipated in my world, at least) came out today and, of course, I rushed to go see it.
Jake plays a charming, careless pharmaceutical rep who falls for Anne Hathaway’s character, Maggie, a young victim of Parkinson’s disease. Their initial encounter is quite original: he pretends to be medical intern which granted him full view of Maggie’s breasts during an examination by her doctor. A genius start to a loving relationship. However, the rest of their love story follows the worn-out script of many past romantic movies. All of the familiar elements are there: the resistance to fall in love; her blasé attitude towards intimacy; his relentless pursuit of her; her pushing him away; and, my favorite, the big chase scene in the end where he tries to win her back by professing his unfaltering love all in one fell swoop.
Although viewers will root for the two to overcome their relationship challenges and to have Love prevail over all, Jamie’s deep devotion to Maggie comes across as unjustified, and consequently, unconvincing. Besides her being the only woman in his life to ever reject him (and besides the fact that these two actors make a painfully attractive couple), the movie does not offer more grounded reasons for Jamie to choose to be with someone whose illness will undoubtedly lead to a rough road ahead. This is especially missing considering Jamie was a bona fide playboy just a couple scenes back.
Regardless of the overly used love story, Love and Other Drugs redeems itself when it came to the other prevailing topics: Big Pharma and health insurance. One of the most notable scenes in the movie is when Maggie’s doctor asks her if she has health insurance, and she shows him a wad of cash instead. Maggie’s mission to bus senior citizens to Canada also adds an obvious commentary to the health insurance issue. And then there’s Jake—my beautiful Jake—who brilliantly displays the ass-kissing world of pharmaceutical sales and reveals the troubling relationship between Big Pharma and medical doctors.
Bottom Line: The movie should have been called OTHER DRUGS and Love.
Children of Invention
Children of Invention tells the story of a mother raising two young kids on her own. When she gets arrested for being entangled in a pyramid scheme, her pragmatic children come up with an ingenious way to take care of themselves as they wait their mother’s return. The movie starts out slow as it lays out the background info for its viewers, but the build up is part of why the second half becomes so emotionally charged. The turning point in the movie—and no one will be able to miss it—is a guaranteed tearjerker.
Although the children takes center stage for most of the movie, the mother’s story—and her resilience—is undeniable. Both sides of the coin are shown exceptionally well: the mother’s struggle to provide a stable home and the forced-upon maturity of the children.
Bottom Line: It’ll make you miss your mother.
Arrested Development, The Movie
Bring Back the Bluths!
I cannot wait any longer!
It’s been official for some time now that the screenplay is in the works and that most of the original cast members from the beloved TV show will sign on to reprise their roles.
First it was rumored to be released in 2011; now it’s slated for 2012. Oh, c’mon! I’ve been waiting since 2009! So I know that it’s only 2010 and I’ve only been waiting for less than a year, but considering the show ended in 2006, the studios should give the fans what they want, and give it to them now.
All I’m saying is that they need to hurry up before Michael Cera becomes an even bigger star than he is now and changes his mind about the whole project. If this movie gets pushed back any further, we may never get to witness its magnificence on the big screen since we’ll all be dead after 2012. I’m just saying…
This Is It
This Is It is for the fans. If you’re not one of them, or if you don’t have even a grain of curiosity about the superstar that is Michael Jackson, then do yourself the favor and skip this movie. For the rest of us, This Is It is the much needed last glimpse of the Gloved One.
He sings, he dances, and most memorably, he laughs. All preconceived notions of the man and of his health during the timing of this movie and everything leading up to its release should be left at the door. He put his all into this production and it shows. The audience is treated to a backstage pass for over-the-top performances and an intimate showcase of his vocals.
The only moment of eeriness comes when the ending credits begin to roll. Michael Jackson’s song, appropriately titled “This Is It”, begins to play. The song is hauntingly good. The lyrics start with: This is it/ Here I stand/ I’m the light of the world/ I feel grand. It’s such a beautiful song that perfectly closes out the movie and the sad ending of such a musical genius. After watching Michael Jackson perform in his rawest form and seeing him give his soul to this work, the movie ends and the magic is taken away—the man is taken away. And you’re left thinking: This is it. This really was it.
Bottom Line: The man did still have it.
Shades of Ray
Shades of Ray is cute. Period. There’s no going around it. Its simple storyline is filled with humorous moments that arise out of an interracial marriage, and moreover, out of the struggle of an adult-child dealing with his parent’s cultural differences.
Zachery Levi (best known as the star of the TV show Chuck) takes on the lead role as Ray Rehman, a half-Pakistani, half-white male who has found the love of his life, a beautiful blonde from an upper-class family. But when his future wife-to-be delays giving him an affirmative answer to his marriage proposal, his Pakistani dad takes the opportunity to push his son onto a more traditional Pakistani woman. With a little push from his father (and the advice from his level-headed mother), Ray begins questioning fate and understanding the relationships that surround him.
Shades of Rey has all the elements of a warm dramedy that’s perfect for a relaxing evening in. The cast is loveable—from the easy-on-the-eyes lead character to the quirky father. Credit goes to the writer-director for being able to to shed some light on touchy cultural issues (and stereotypes) without the heavy undertones.
Bottom Line: A sweet and humorous depiction of an otherwise complicated love triangle.
Revolutionary Road
Another Kate Winslet movie; another tragic love story; another two hours of gloom. Kate Winslet dominates in this genre, and rightfully so, as the role of a 1950’s depressed housewife suits her perfectly in Revolutionary Road. Although viewers may be turned off by this dark drama, working-class Americans will relate to the story’s premise in one way or another.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet plays an unhappy married couple trapped within the box of their seemingly perfect suburban lives. The days of bold dreams and endless opportunities took a backseat to a corporate job, a kept home, and two children. After falling in love and achieving the “American Dream,” what follows is a series of arguments and much marital distress as the two constantly blame one another for the lackluster lives they lead. Resentment of their significant other ensues and self-pity for their own loss of potential takes the couple down a destructive and tragic path.
Both DiCaprio and Winslet deliver scenes with such conviction that it only adds to the movie’s relatability. In fact, Kate Winslet does too good of a job portraying an uninspired mother who can’t find joy even in the faces of her own children, so well so that she easily becomes the story’s antagonist—you just can’t find yourself rooting for her.
Unfortunately, the climax of this movie is in the last fifteen minutes. Just as the couple seems to accept their circumstances and almost manages to salvage their marriage, one decision ruins everything the two has created together. The scene that unfolds touches the heart and, subsequently, breaks it into a million different pieces.
Bottom Line: A heartbreak of a movie…just don’t compare it to Titantic.
Unknown
Watch the trailer for Unknown and more than likely, you’ll be tempted to watch the movie.
The best part is, the trailer doesn’t even show half of what this movie has to offer.
Sure, the premise of the movie is a little far-fetched; but it’s true movie-making genius when viewers can forget about the reality of the events, and just focus on the characters. The movie pulls you into a crime mystery and it becomes a non-stop guessing game of who’s good and who’s not.
The brilliance of this movie isn’t in the story, itself; it tells a crime story that has been recycled over and over again on the big screen. Instead, the brilliance lies in the presentation, namely, the angle it chooses to present. The writer and those involved in this movie were clearly on a mission to crush the spirits of self-proclaimed movie know-it-all’s. Just when you think you got it all figured out and have boldly stated your predictions, you’ll most likely end up getting “pwnd” by Unknown.
Bottom Line: A gem for the suspense genre! One of the most clever build-up in a crime story with a more than satisfying ending.
The Reader
I did it. I finally did it: I sat down today and finished a Kate Winslet movie. Not that I don’t like her; she’s undoubtedly a great actor. It’s just that when Kate Winslet comes to mind, I think “depression” and “drab” (no offense, Kate). But today, The Reader arrived in the mail and I was in need of something original.
And originality was exactly what I got. Surely, The Reader was no blockbuster hit, but if creativity and good screenwriting could easily translate into money, this movie would have raked it in. Kate clearly deserved the Oscar for her role as a lonely, middle-aged woman struggling with her obscurity and personal insecurities. She manages to make her involvement with a teenager a showcase of her vulnerability instead of her wrong, despite the almost pornographic nature of those intimate scenes.
Although Kate walked away with the Oscar, her costar, Danny Kross, gave her a good run for her money. In a very unconventional role opposite a respected actress, “the kid” held his own. Not many young actors these days can confess their love in a scene without breaking into a song and dance; Danny Kross can with just his eyes.
So, does Kate Winslet still bring up connotations of sinking ships and dying flowers? Yes. But the Reader was worth it, and a little rain every now and then never hurt anybody.
Bottom line: A captivating drama done well, but not for the weak at heart.
Terminator Salvation
As a die-hard fan of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, I have not watched any of the other Terminator movies out of fear of seeing young John Connor grow up. (I wasn’t around for the first installment, but I was surely there for the second.) It was this movie alone that inspired me to dream big: I pined for my very own Arnold-like terminator body guard…and I still do.
Although Judgment Day was an action-packed movie, it had a lot of heart. I rooted for Arnold, especially against the creepy-looking T-1000 guy, and I rooted for him to use more of the average American catch phrases (which were the most memorable parts of the movie, some would say). Moreover, I cried whenever Edward Furlong’s pubescent character cried. Yes, this movie made me mad, happy, and sad all within 2 hours of it’s running time. So, I had to skip Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines—it was too soon. And now, in 2009, I felt it was time. It’s been almost 20 years since Judgement Day and I’m finally ready to believe in machines again.
In Terminator Salvation, we’re thrown into what seems like Armageddon. It’s the big battle between the humans and the machines. John Conner, as I dreadfully expected, is now all grown up and is leading the resistance against Skynet…and that’s pretty much it. Are there other layers to this story? No. Are there any great memorable quotes equivalent to “I’ll be back”? No. Does Arnold, the ultimate action hero from my childhood, make an appearance? Not really, unless you consider a highly graphically-enhanced, non-speaking Arnold, an appearance. Where was the dialogue? Where was the element of human virtue? Those were all replaced with Christian Bale’s flat portrayal of another heartless action hunk. They come a dime a dozen; nothing memorable about those guys.
I will never watch another Terminator movie ever again, unless Edward Furlong makes a comeback (and magically looks 20 years younger). But I won’t hold my breath.
Bottom line: A good 2-hour adrenaline rush—and nothing more.