A troubled teen (Rutina Wesley) finds solace in her love of dance. Well that’s original! Wait… how about this movie, or this one, or this one, or this one, or, well, you get the idea. Tre Armstrong and Brennan Gademans also star. The film dances its way into theaters everywhere on Friday. Larger trailer available in the Full Diagnosis.
How She Move
N/A
Screenwriter Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Supremacy, Proof of Life, Armageddon, The Cutting Edge) directs his first film centering around a lawyer (George Clooney) who risks his career on a sabotaged class action suit. Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, and Sydney Pollack also star. Check out the official site. The film is being re-released in select cities on Friday; read the review! Larger trailer available in the Full Diagnosis.
Michael Clayton
4 Stars
This Week in Re-Release Read More »
In the same vein as the Scary Movie franchise, Not Another Teen Movie, and Epic Movie, comes this new parody based off 300 (read that review), and several other recent films, starring Sean Maguire, Kevin Sorbo, Greg Ellis, Carmen Electra, and Nicole Parker. Check out the official site. The film crashes into theaters everywhere on Friday. Larger trailer available in the Full Diagnosis.
Meet the Spartans
N/A
Two brothers in financial stress choose to embark on a crime that leads to murder, guilt, and broken lives. No, this isn’t Sidney Lumet’s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, it’s Woody Allen returning to the conscience and consequence of murder he previously explored in films such as Match Point and Crimes and Misdemeanors. So is it worth your time? Well, that’s the real question, isn’t it?
Cassandra’s Dream
3 Stars
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Ian (Ewan McGregor) and Terry (Colin Farrell) are brothers living outside their means. Ian has dreams of running hotels in California and a new expensive girlfriend (Hayley Atwell). Terry has a wife (Sally Hawkins) and a sizable gambling debt. Stuck in a situation without any alternatives the brothers reach out to their wealthy Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) who agrees to give them the cash they need in exchange for one simple favor – murder a man who is set to testify against him (Philip Davis).
If this sounds familiar you probably saw Sidney Lumet‘s Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead released earlier this year which involves a similar tale of brothers in financial difficulty choosing to commit a crime. The film is also very similar to Woody Allen‘s earlier films Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point (read that review) without adding anything new to the equation. The film is well done and the story is engaging enough, but we are constantly noticing we have seen this all done before, and done better.
Much like the new remake of Sleuth this film is more a curiosity than anything else. The only interesting piece of the tale is the casting against type of both McGreggor and Farrell. It’s kind of interesting to watch McGreggor play the hard ass and Farrell play the conscience of the film. Although this makes for a cool acting exercise for both of them it isn’t really enough to carry the film.
Cassandra’s Dream isn’t a bad film, it’s just one that we’ve seen many times before in both story and style. At this time of year it’s hard to find quality movies at the theater and Cassandra’s Dream certainly qualifies as a well-made film. But it doesn’t really qualify as a well-made Woody Allen film. If you’re curious enough give it a try, but otherwise head to the video store and spend a little less on one of his other, better, films.
Save me from chick flicks. 27 Dresses is one long tedious joke about a woman who has spent her entire life making her friends dreams come true and helping to give them each the weddings they’ve always wanted. Trouble is she’s stuck with unhealthy crush for her boss, who is now interested in her devious little sister, and a new stalker who wants to write the story about what a whackjob she is, until he falls hopelessly in love with her. Ain’t love grand.
27 Dresses
1 Star
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Jane (Katherine Heigl) has a great job, and a man she adores. The problem is George (Edward Burns) is her demanding boss who doesn’t think of her romantically. Jane’s life is further complicated by a reporter (James Marsden) secretly doing a story on her and the appearance of her younger sister (Malin Ackerman) who immediately hits it off with George.
I don’t know if there is actually a book entitled “How to Make a RomCom,” but if so the these writers have read it cover to cover. Every cliche is present, the disinterested right guy, the animosity to meeting the really right guy, the embarrassing situations, the betrayal, the miscommunication, and the inevitable happy ending. The film even goes farther with wacky cab rides and bad drunken karaoke.
Nor does the story make that much sense. Both of the men here are complete jerks. Her choices are they guy who constantly takes advantage of her and never takes her feelings into account, or the guy who goes behind her back, lies to her, and makes a mockery out of her life. Ladies get in line to snatch up one of these prize hubby candidates.
About half-way through the film there exists a scene between Heigl and Marsden where she tries on all the bridesmaid dresses she owns and talks about being a bridesmaid. Somewhere, hidden deep down, in this is an interesting tale of a woman who gives so much of herself and makes everyone else’s dreams come true. There’s actually something there that might make the center of a good film. Sadly that’s lost among the bad jokes, groans, and pratfalls. And for a comedy there sure isn’t much to laugh at. There ware a couple lame attempts that got a chuckle from me, but only one genuine laugh from the entire film. I won’t ruin that one moment for you in case you are forced to see this film, though if your girlfriend drags you to this you might want to reconsider your options.
The quote above comes from the film. If only Hollywood would take it to heart and stop making these generic movie in a box tales filled with lame humor, stupid characters, “funny” coincidences and humiliations. You’ve seen it all before, and you’ll see it all again. Actresses seem cursed with having to make these films as some kind of rite of passage. It’s almost as if the studios want to see how bad of a movie an actress can carry without destroying her career. If she makes it through maybe she gets better scripts and if not she becomes Kate Hudson.
27 Dresses, 3 Chuckles & 1 Laugh Read More »
