It's Complicated is a romantic comedy directed by Ro-Com master Nancy Meyers and featuring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. This romantic comedy is honestly the funniest I have seen since Nancy Meyers' Something's Gotta Give, an older crowd sated Ro-com with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. Both of these have something in common, the realism of falling back in love after having a tattered heart. Meryl Streep gives a great performance as Jane Adler, a divorcée of ten years from the Alec Baldwin character Jake Adler. As part of her post divorce memory breaker, she is constructing a new hose being built by Steve Martin's character Adam, whom she starts to develop feelings for. This is when it gets complicated, does Jane want to get back with Jake or start a new relationship with Adam. Overall the point of this laugh fest is that it has no real message other that hearts once tattered with can heal. I give this film my highest recommendation.
Reviews
12 Reviews
It's Complicated
(2009)
It's Complicated: Funniest Romantic Comedy Since Something's Gotta Give
2 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The Kids Are All Right
(2010)
The Kids Are All Right: A Comedy/Drama About Life, Love and Finding Our Way Back Home
12 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The Kids Are All Right is a fantastic film. The performances of Annette Bening and Julianne Moore both deserve Oscars for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in that order. Mark Ruffalo gives an inspired performance and perhaps his best since You Can Count on Me, a movie very much like this one. Annette and Julianne play a lesbian couple Nic and Jules. Nic is a nurse and the primary breadwinner in the family. Jules is a housewife with a dream of starting a landscaping business and she feels as if Nic does not have faith in her plans and feels more neglected. Their children Joni (named after Joni Mitchell) and Laser search for their father and the couples sperm donor. The realism of this story really comes in when they all must adapt to their new environment. Laser, Joni and Jules adapt well but Nic feels as if he is taking her family away from her. Paul, the sperm donor, hires Jules to do landscaping on his property and due to her feeling neglected by Nic, begins an affair with Paul. This is a film about family and how families struggle with each other and how they are a family. It shows how we all make mistakes and how those mistakes make us better people. The Kids Are All Right should be a real Oscar contender, especially in the Actress area with masterful performances from Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. See this film by any mean possible.
American Son
(2008)
American Son: One of the Best Films I Have Ever Seen
11 October 2010
From the first credits to the final scene of American Son is a complete masterpiece. Neil Abramson co-wrote and directed this story of a 19 year old Marine named Mike, who on a four day Thanksgiving leave, must let his family and friends in Bakersfield know that after that leave, he will be deployed to Iraq and on his way home from training camp, meets a young woman he ultimately falls in love with and ultimately must decide between his home life and his soldier side. Nick Cannon gives what I think would be the performance of a lifetime as this young soldier, he must tell his mother, his step father, played brilliantly by Tom Sizemore, his long time best friend, and his newly found love. THis film is one of the best depictions of a soldier going off into combat and the inner turmoil he faces with his choice to leave what he considers home. This film is understated and I believe deserves to be seen by everyone at least once in their lifetime.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
(2005)
The 40 Year Old Virgin: Crude, Funny, and a Must See
8 September 2010
The 40 Year Virgin is one of those titles where if you've seen the film will think of humor, sex and almost everything else but hardcore logic. Steve Carell plays Andy, the 40 year old virgin completely at peace with his life until co workers played by Seth Rogan, Paul Rudd and Romany Malco. After this discovery, his workplace begins a buzz, and it comes to the attention of Paula played by Jane Lynch, who has had attraction to Andy and gives him a little teasing on the side. One day after meeting an assortment of women, he meets Trish played by the always wonderful Catherine Keener, to whom he keeps this secret and keeps her daughter from losing her virginity. In this film, you have raunchy humor mixed with heartfelt storytelling. If the jokes weren't crude and the story wasn't so heartfelt, The 40 Year Old Vrigin wouldn't be the movie it is.
The In-Laws
(I) (2003)
The In-Laws: Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks Give Up the Goods, but Where are the Good Supporting Roles for the Others
29 August 2010
The In-Laws is a sharp, genuine comedy from director Andrew Fleming. The plot is good, but sometimes, it can feel predictable and completely out of whack, but sometimes it's good to have that in a film. Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas are given the most screen time with what I thought were genuinely funny and deeper characters than they appear, at times though, the Michael Douglas character is predictable with his inner self, but saves it with another great performance. Albert Brooks is funny in this role, in a way, he carries the light spots of this movie on his back due to sharp one liners, which I believe he may have improvised. But the really snores in this film come from the sub plot, a wedding for Douglas' son played by Ryan Reynolds and Brooks' daughter played by Lindsay Sloane. The problem with the sub plot, is it is just not funny or sharp enough, Ryan Reynolds was a complete miss-cast in this role, he just isn't funny. During this subplot, we see Candice Bergen slip into the picture in one of those one liner funny roles that she does so well. Overall, if not with casting of Ryan Reynolds, maybe neglecting the sub plot, with more heavy detail on the comedic action, The In-Laws would be a fantastic comedy, but what is done is done, and you are left wondering what could have been.
The Human Centipede: A Sickly Film with A Great Lead Performance from Dieter Laser
26 July 2010
First, I must state that this film is graphic and vile in almost every way possible, but a creepy dead on performance from German actor Dieter Laser, makes the film good enough to rent. Even with its sickly plot, director Tom Six makes his best shot of doing a project he himself had dreamed of, that took a lot to create, and for investors to come on board took balls to do. Even though this film is nasty and sickly, a great lead performance from Dieter Laser as Dr. Heiter makes it good enough for me to say that if not see it in a theater, rent it to give yourself a terrifying evening in. Watch it just for the lead performance of Dieter Laser, he just captures this role and runs with it to the furthest extent to go with the material, some may vomit during it, some may never see the world the same again, but see it for its lead
Five Minutes of Heaven
(2009)
Five Minutes of Heaven: One Killer Movie with A Killer Performances from Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt
19 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
In Five Minutes of Heaven, Liam Neeson plays a killer with a truly sorrowful mindset as they try to get him and the brother of the man he killed to reconcile on Irish Television, but the brother plans on stabbing the Neeson character on live television. The plot of this movie could in my opinion, make two separate masterpiece films. The first half deals with Alistair Little (Neeson) and his joining the UVF and killing Joe Griffin's (James Nesbitt) brother within the orders of his commander. The second half deals with a freshly released from prison Alistair and his meeting with Joe on Irish television for the reconciliation, little known that Joe was planning to stab him on live television in front of many viewers. Thanks to the two parted plot and fantastic performances from Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt, you all must see Five Minutes of Heaven.
Touching Home
(2008)
Touching Home: Touches the Heart with a Well Written Script and an Oscar Worthy Performance from Ed Harris
13 July 2010
Touching Home is just one of those movies destined to become a classic and part of Ed Harris' best work as an actor. Right along movies such as Radio, Stepmom and Pollack, this ranks among his best work as an actor and it wouldn't be a surprise if he is nominated or even wins the Oscar for Best Actor for his touching and excellent performance as Charlie Winston, an alcoholic who is struggling to keep himself alive for his day to day existence. Debut directors Noah and Logan Miller make this film as realistic as it can get and their performances as Ed Harris' sons struggling to accept their father's disease. Overall great acting and a heart tugging script make this small indie film worth seeking out and seeing.
The Ghost Writer
(2010)
The Ghost Writer: A Stunning Piece of Plot and Acting-One of the Most Subtle and Excellent Thrillers I Have Seen in Years
13 July 2010
The Ghost Writer right off the bat is expected to be a masterpiece. With director Roman Polanski and acting from Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan along with Kim Cattrall and Olivia Williams. Not only is this a masterpiece, it is among the best of Roman Polanski's best work, and this includes The Pianst and Chinatown. The acting here is flawless, i expect to see McGregor nominated for the Best Actor Oscar while I see Brosnan get a win in the Best Supporting Actor category, as for Cattrall and Williams, they will both get nominations for Best Actress, but I am truly unsure either will win due to some of the great work from the great actresses this year in supporting roles. The plot of the film never get dull, and contains a little bit of a blackish humor in a way, but it helps enhance the story and make it the classic it is destined to become. The Ghost Writer, if it happens to be Mr. Polanski's last work, it will be considered among his best
The Oxford Murders
(2008)
Excellent Acting Transcends The Oxford Murders into a Thriller Worth Watching
4 July 2010
The Oxford would be an ordinary thriller film with a seven or eight star review if it wasn't for excellent performances by John Hurt, Elijah Wood and company. This movie is the straight forward thriller with a twist of logic at the end. John Hurt plays a Math professor at Oxford University in a great late day performance when a admirer played by Elijah Wood want his tutorship. They meet over a murder and figure out this murder with a math symbol figure out and it has itself a smart twist at the end which make this thriller good enough to see in limited release, i watched it through Magnolia Pictures' Video On Demand service so either one would be sufficient. But for a plot twit and excellent performances by John hurt and Company make The Oxford Murders a good enough thriller transformed by acting.
Kevorkian
(2010)
If You Still Didn't Know Jack, You Know Him Well Now
2 July 2010
In "Kevorkian", they profile Dr. Jack Kevorkian a.k.a Dr. Death who is known for practicing Doctor assisted suicide. This profile shows his life after parole and his 2008 run for the Congress seat in Michigan. He shows himself as a man of strong opinions and stances. With this he intends to show people the power of the 9th Admendment and it's power to the people's rights. He has always been in my opinion on the good side of the fence and personally stand by his views but I think people will take a new stance and believe what Dr. Kevorkian was intending to do and that was to bring peace to many who were deathly ill and wanted release. Overall, the director, interview persons and Kevorkian himself keep this project a must see for all haters and believers in this man's vision.
The Quiet American
(2002)
The Quiet American: A Lesson in Fine Acting by Caine and Company
26 June 2010
When I first saw this film, two thoughts hit me, all the acting in this film is masterful and the second is that these are the types of thrillers Hollywood should make but fails to try to even find movies such as this a wide studio release and it way to become a hit. Some of the acting in this film is some of the best I have seen in a long while, Michael Caine gives what I think is his best performance since 1971's Get Carter and this along with The Cider House Rules rank among his best work. For his co-stars, Brendan Fraser gives his best performance at this point in his career. The plot itself does play a major part in this film but I could go for a plot less movie if it only had this type of acting, if a normal thriller or even romantic movie had this acting all the time, they could become major hits and critically praised. Not only for it's plot and acting, along with many other great things in this film, you must see "The Quiet American".
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