Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Jon Hamm, Matt Lucas
Dir. Paul Feig
Scr. Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo
Bridesmaids has been labelled the female Hangover. And it’s not a bad comparison – there is complete inappropriateness that will make you shake your head at your own laughter, an element of the crude and many memorable moments (good and bad). For my money, Bridesmaids is better written with sharper dialogue (thanks largely, I suspect, to the brilliant Wiig), though twenty minutes could have easily been shaved off to make the movie more evenly paced. Simply put, you will know whether you’re the type of movie-goer that will want to spend $15 on a film such as this. I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
Bridesmaids is about a wedding, that’s a no-brainer, and a maid of honour struggling to do right by her best friend. Annie (Wiig) is disastrously unlucky in love and, when asked by Lillian (Rudolph) to be her maid of honour, has an immediate hot flush. Not a great start. And, believe me, it all gets a whole lot worse. From food poisoning to being kicked off a flight to freaking out at the bridal shower, Annie is not cut out for the job. Her arch nemesis, Johnny-come-lately friend Helen (Byrne), outdoes her at every turn and Annie is stripped of her maid of honour title. I’m sure I’m not spoiling the ending by saying everything turns out for the best, but not without some soul-searching, a new beau (O’Dowd) and some brilliant life coaching from fellow bridesmaid Megan (the wonderful McCarthy).
Wiig is undoubtedly the star of the show. A Saturday Night Live veteran, Wiig has finally been given a high profile vehicle all of her own. And it’s about time. She has a Meg Ryan/Cameron Diaz quality to her – loveable and goofy. She walks a fine line in this film – the character of Annie is very close to being completely unlikeable, but Wiig’s comic skills and persona make you root for her despite all her misdemeanours. I imagine most women can, in our own way, relate to Annie. She is a wonderfully written character, warts and all. Wiig has surrounded herself with a stellar and sometimes surprising cast. The fellow bridesmaids & bride are an eclectic bunch, played by some very funny actresses. McCarthy is particularly memorable, but they are all wonderful in their way. A key to the success of the story is the relationship between Annie and Lillian and this is played out with touching authenticity. O’Dowd, as Annie’s love interest Nathan, is simply adorable and quirky. An uncredited Hamm, of Mad Men fame, gives a brilliant turn as Annie’s love dis-interest. Turns from Matt Lucas and even Wilson Phillips makes Bridesmaids, at times, a little surreal.
Bridesmaids falls flat a little in the middle and I think it could have easily shed a few scenes without affecting the story. But it never takes long to get you back on board and, invariably, laughing or cringing again. There were two particularly cringe-worthy scenes, during both of which I was hiding behind my hands – one out of sheer embarrassment, one because of sheer gross-out factor. And while I would be loathe to have taken either scene out of the movie, part of me wishes the latter could be wiped from my memory! And that brings me to a warning: you need to know what type of movie this is before you go. This is not Steel Magnolias. This is not a film to take your grandmother to (unless your grandmother happens to be Betty White). I’m going to recommend this movie – don’t come crying to me if you see it on that recommendation and it grosses you out.
In the end, Bridesmaids is sweet, funny and a little sickening. It’s certainly formulaic but manages to outshine most comedies of the last couple of years with sheer sass. You may have to drag your male significant other (I didn’t succeed on that front), but I doubt they will regret it. And Kristen Wiig – oh my, what a joy. Let’s just say I have a new lesbian crush. Oh, and there are yawning puppies – there is simply nothing cuter on earth.
-----------------------------
13-Year-Old Girl in Jewellery Store: You're weird.
Annie: I'm not weird. OK?
13-Year-Old Girl: Yes, you are.
Annie: No, I'm not! And you started it.
13-Year-Old Girl: No, you started it! Did you forget to take your Zanax this morning?
Annie: Oh, I feel sorry for your parents.
13-Year-Old Girl: I feel sorry for your face.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Super 8
Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffins, Ryan Lee
Dir. JJ Abrams
Scr. JJ Abrams
Super 8 is a movie that, simply put, gets it. JJ Abrams gets that you have to make the audience care about your characters. He gets that sweetness and humour can go hand-in-hand with explosions and terror. He gets that kids don’t have to be toxic to a film as long as you just let them be kids. Sure, Super 8 is a throwback to the heyday of 1970s cinema, where the likes of Spielberg and Lucas were making groundbreaking films for the whole family. But it’s not a carbon copy. And while it’s certainly corny and perhaps a little clichéd, it’s also wonderfully compelling, truly frightening and completely endearing. Only the most cynical moviegoer will not be moved and entertained.
It’s the late 1970s in small town USA and a group of pre-teen boys embark on a summer of zombie movie-making hijinks. While filming, the friends witness an odd and truly terrifying train crash – what turns out to be an Air Force train carrying who knows what. Strange happenings and mysterious disappearances become disturbingly commonplace and the kids, along with the Deputy Sheriff, investigate just what was on the train and what secret the Air Force seem to be so intent on keeping. This is, of course, a sci-fi flick. But don’t let that put you off if you’re not that way inclined. There is much more to this story than an angry alien.
This movie would have undoubtedly fallen flat on its face if it wasn’t stacked with some very fine performances. What is surprising is that while there are a couple of very important adult characters, Super 8’s heart and soul is its young cast who truly carry this film. I can’t fault any of the performances, but special mention must go to Joel Courtney (who plays the Deputy’s son Joe Lamb and is the star of the show) and Elle Fanning (Alice). They are simply brilliant – at times, wise beyond their years as kids sometimes are; at other times, we are reminded they are truly vulnerable. There is a humour that is very real to their age – silly but not crude, naïve but not dumb. Without laying it on too thickly, Abrams manages to make us care very deeply for these kids. Beyond just wanting to protect them because they are young. Cleverly, the filmmakers chose not to put a big name actor in any of the adult roles. A Tom Cruise or even a Jeff Bridges would have almost certainly changed the dynamic of this film. And not in a good way. Instead we have Chandler (Joe’s father) and Eldard (Alice’s father), two faces you may recognise but won’t distract. Both give wonderful performances as solo parents struggling with their own inner demons.
The special effects in Super 8, as you might expect in this day and age, are very good indeed. The train crash is one of the loudest and scariest action scenes you are likely to see for a while. But beyond wanting to make sure he has your full attention, Abrams’ goal is surely to make sure you realise this sleepy wee town will never be the same again. The alien, once we get a real good look (which, cleverly, is not for quite some time), is suitably creepy and frightening.
You’re going to read a lot about Super 8 being a cross between ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Stand by Me and The Goonies and whatever else. And while Abrams is clearly playing homage to the films that inspired him, we should not forget there is a generation of kids out there who are looking for their very own ET. Maybe it’s Transformers or Harry Potter. But I certainly hope more than a few of them see Super 8 and leave the cinema with the same sense of wonder that I did.
----------------------------
Jack Lamb: The Air Force isn't answering a damn question - they're looking for something.
Dir. JJ Abrams
Scr. JJ Abrams
Super 8 is a movie that, simply put, gets it. JJ Abrams gets that you have to make the audience care about your characters. He gets that sweetness and humour can go hand-in-hand with explosions and terror. He gets that kids don’t have to be toxic to a film as long as you just let them be kids. Sure, Super 8 is a throwback to the heyday of 1970s cinema, where the likes of Spielberg and Lucas were making groundbreaking films for the whole family. But it’s not a carbon copy. And while it’s certainly corny and perhaps a little clichéd, it’s also wonderfully compelling, truly frightening and completely endearing. Only the most cynical moviegoer will not be moved and entertained.
It’s the late 1970s in small town USA and a group of pre-teen boys embark on a summer of zombie movie-making hijinks. While filming, the friends witness an odd and truly terrifying train crash – what turns out to be an Air Force train carrying who knows what. Strange happenings and mysterious disappearances become disturbingly commonplace and the kids, along with the Deputy Sheriff, investigate just what was on the train and what secret the Air Force seem to be so intent on keeping. This is, of course, a sci-fi flick. But don’t let that put you off if you’re not that way inclined. There is much more to this story than an angry alien.
This movie would have undoubtedly fallen flat on its face if it wasn’t stacked with some very fine performances. What is surprising is that while there are a couple of very important adult characters, Super 8’s heart and soul is its young cast who truly carry this film. I can’t fault any of the performances, but special mention must go to Joel Courtney (who plays the Deputy’s son Joe Lamb and is the star of the show) and Elle Fanning (Alice). They are simply brilliant – at times, wise beyond their years as kids sometimes are; at other times, we are reminded they are truly vulnerable. There is a humour that is very real to their age – silly but not crude, naïve but not dumb. Without laying it on too thickly, Abrams manages to make us care very deeply for these kids. Beyond just wanting to protect them because they are young. Cleverly, the filmmakers chose not to put a big name actor in any of the adult roles. A Tom Cruise or even a Jeff Bridges would have almost certainly changed the dynamic of this film. And not in a good way. Instead we have Chandler (Joe’s father) and Eldard (Alice’s father), two faces you may recognise but won’t distract. Both give wonderful performances as solo parents struggling with their own inner demons.
The special effects in Super 8, as you might expect in this day and age, are very good indeed. The train crash is one of the loudest and scariest action scenes you are likely to see for a while. But beyond wanting to make sure he has your full attention, Abrams’ goal is surely to make sure you realise this sleepy wee town will never be the same again. The alien, once we get a real good look (which, cleverly, is not for quite some time), is suitably creepy and frightening.
You’re going to read a lot about Super 8 being a cross between ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Stand by Me and The Goonies and whatever else. And while Abrams is clearly playing homage to the films that inspired him, we should not forget there is a generation of kids out there who are looking for their very own ET. Maybe it’s Transformers or Harry Potter. But I certainly hope more than a few of them see Super 8 and leave the cinema with the same sense of wonder that I did.
----------------------------
Jack Lamb: The Air Force isn't answering a damn question - they're looking for something.
Monday, June 6, 2011
X Men: First Class
James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Oliver Platt
Dir. Matthew Vaugh
Scr. Matthew Vaugh, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz & Jane Goldman
It was exciting. It had explosions. It was smart and funny. It had some emotional grunt. I’ll go as far as to say it’s the best comic book action flick since Dark Knight. X Men: First Class – part one of a prequel trilogy – has the potential to outclass the original trilogy of X Men movies and make a tremendous addition to the ever-growing comic book action genre. Two big thumbs up from me.
Before Professor X and Magneto were Professor X and Magneto, they were Charles (McAvoy) and Erik (Fassbender), two mutants who think they are all alone with their powers. Against a backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, they forge a friendship to help the world avoid the very real nuclear threat and, with the help of the CIA, find and recruit others like themselves. The uber-baddie here is wonderfully bad – Kevin Bacon hams it up in his role as the evil mutant genius (Sebastian Shaw) hell bent on helping the super powers destroy mankind to make way for his utopia of mutantkind. Throw in a little wartime Poland, a smattering of civil rights and a whole lot of mutant self-discovery, and you have a very compelling and intriguing film. Full credit to the team of screenwriters (including the brilliant Jane Goldman) who took on a huge amount of material to pack into two-hour-plus movie.
This wonderful new direction of smart comic book action movies ultimately needs a cast of credible actors. Hence the Christian Bales, Robert Downey Jnrs and, in the original X Men, the Patrick Stewarts and Gandalfs. First Class is no different. McAvoy and Fassbender are brilliant, the latter especially. And such an interesting choice. Along with Jennifer Lawrence (in the role of Mystique), Fassbender is certainly not of the typical action genre stock. But there’s no doubt he has the necessary gravitas and the acting chops and, for me, he is certainly the stand out. I teared up twice, both thanks largely to Fassbender, which is not a usual occurrence for the viewer of a comic book-inspired flick. McAvoy is charming and yummy, if somewhat annoying (but that’s certainly the character). It’s a treat to see a younger incarnation of the Professor – shamelessly hitting on anything in a skirt with his nerdy knowledge of genes and mutations. If these two characters/actors hadn’t gelled then you would have had a disaster on your hands. Thank the casting gods for such good fortune. The only stand out for all the wrong reasons is January Jones (as Emma Frost) – wooden and boring, but thankfully not onscreen enough to be too problematic. The always wonderful Oliver Platt (Man in Black) and the lovely Ross Byrne (Moira MacTaggert) are the main non-mutant additions and they are delightful. And keep your eyes open for an inspired and hilarious cameo from a mutant favourite.
This movie looks mighty good. With enough big bang action set-pieces to keep the audience on their toes, as well as more intimate and emotional action scenes (young Erik distressed at hands of the Nazis and a coin through the head are two that particularly stand out). Special effects are flawless. The 1960s is captured with flair. I can’t think of anything to fault in terms of this film’s look and feel – nothing distracted me from the story, which moved along at quite a clip.
The only one of the X Men family of films that I would recommend to an action movie sceptic, this is a film on fine form. There is a lot going on but don’t let that put you off. And sure, you may know what eventually happens in the end, but you’ll have a rollercoaster of a time getting there.
---------------------------
Charles: We have it in us to be the better man.
Erik: We already are.
Dir. Matthew Vaugh
Scr. Matthew Vaugh, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz & Jane Goldman
It was exciting. It had explosions. It was smart and funny. It had some emotional grunt. I’ll go as far as to say it’s the best comic book action flick since Dark Knight. X Men: First Class – part one of a prequel trilogy – has the potential to outclass the original trilogy of X Men movies and make a tremendous addition to the ever-growing comic book action genre. Two big thumbs up from me.
Before Professor X and Magneto were Professor X and Magneto, they were Charles (McAvoy) and Erik (Fassbender), two mutants who think they are all alone with their powers. Against a backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, they forge a friendship to help the world avoid the very real nuclear threat and, with the help of the CIA, find and recruit others like themselves. The uber-baddie here is wonderfully bad – Kevin Bacon hams it up in his role as the evil mutant genius (Sebastian Shaw) hell bent on helping the super powers destroy mankind to make way for his utopia of mutantkind. Throw in a little wartime Poland, a smattering of civil rights and a whole lot of mutant self-discovery, and you have a very compelling and intriguing film. Full credit to the team of screenwriters (including the brilliant Jane Goldman) who took on a huge amount of material to pack into two-hour-plus movie.
This wonderful new direction of smart comic book action movies ultimately needs a cast of credible actors. Hence the Christian Bales, Robert Downey Jnrs and, in the original X Men, the Patrick Stewarts and Gandalfs. First Class is no different. McAvoy and Fassbender are brilliant, the latter especially. And such an interesting choice. Along with Jennifer Lawrence (in the role of Mystique), Fassbender is certainly not of the typical action genre stock. But there’s no doubt he has the necessary gravitas and the acting chops and, for me, he is certainly the stand out. I teared up twice, both thanks largely to Fassbender, which is not a usual occurrence for the viewer of a comic book-inspired flick. McAvoy is charming and yummy, if somewhat annoying (but that’s certainly the character). It’s a treat to see a younger incarnation of the Professor – shamelessly hitting on anything in a skirt with his nerdy knowledge of genes and mutations. If these two characters/actors hadn’t gelled then you would have had a disaster on your hands. Thank the casting gods for such good fortune. The only stand out for all the wrong reasons is January Jones (as Emma Frost) – wooden and boring, but thankfully not onscreen enough to be too problematic. The always wonderful Oliver Platt (Man in Black) and the lovely Ross Byrne (Moira MacTaggert) are the main non-mutant additions and they are delightful. And keep your eyes open for an inspired and hilarious cameo from a mutant favourite.
This movie looks mighty good. With enough big bang action set-pieces to keep the audience on their toes, as well as more intimate and emotional action scenes (young Erik distressed at hands of the Nazis and a coin through the head are two that particularly stand out). Special effects are flawless. The 1960s is captured with flair. I can’t think of anything to fault in terms of this film’s look and feel – nothing distracted me from the story, which moved along at quite a clip.
The only one of the X Men family of films that I would recommend to an action movie sceptic, this is a film on fine form. There is a lot going on but don’t let that put you off. And sure, you may know what eventually happens in the end, but you’ll have a rollercoaster of a time getting there.
---------------------------
Charles: We have it in us to be the better man.
Erik: We already are.
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