Reviews

While not the best picture of the year, UP IN THE AIR deserved its nomination. Good writing, directing and acting all around. Would have liked to have seen the Vera character more fleshed out as to :SPOILER ALERT: why she carried on with Ryan as she did and looked like she wanted to be with him in a long standing serious relationship, all the while being MARRIED yet. It was like she had a split personality. If she was that unhappy in her marriage, although it's never acknowledged, why didn't she just leave the marriage? To carry on like a slut all over the place, being a mother yet, just didn't make sense. How she managed to be away so much with the Ryan character, do her job and have a home life is beyond reality. Other than that, a very enjoyable movie with an interesting story line. George Clooney was at his best and young Anna Kendrick just about stole the movie. All in all a worthwhile rental. But the ending and the Vera character left me UP IN THE AIR.

This movie was unusually good for its genre. I really do not favor this type of entertainment, but for what it was, it's a must see. The only problem was "fooling" the audience and its improbabilities. But in essence it's these improbabilities that make this work. If it were realistic the film would have faltered. SPOILER ALERT: I find it improbable that when people are stabbed, kicked around, shot at and fall off cliffs that they can all carry on as if almost nothing has happened to them. Case in point when one character is knifed badly, it doesn't seem to make much difference. Falling off a cliff and landing in water would be detrimental to anyone, but the character just gets out as if nothing has happened. And how many times can someone shoot someone and miss after eight or nine shots? The end when one character comes clean and points to the real villain it's just not in sync with the rest of the character and what has gone on before. Again, these are implausibilities that make the film fun.

I for one never figured out the twist until it was revealed. Maybe I wasn't paying that much attention, but it was cleverly done.

SPOILER ALERT: TOO MANY HUSBANDS doesn't have a resolute ending which is the main draw back to this film. Funny but kind of "over acted" by the two males, it still has its charm. Jean Arthur was a real talent, especially in comedy, and does well here, but her character is too childish and over bearing.

This looks like a filmed stage play and should have been opened up a little more and with more characters. Filmed on a low-budget for sure as were most of Columbia features done. I now know why they nick-named the studio POVERTY ROW.

The plot is much like MY FAVORITE WIFE and the ill-fated SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE which Marilyn Monroe never finished, although it was re-worked as a Doris Day vehicle called MOVE OVER DARLING. There was another film of this sort that no one seems to remember...The Betty Grable musical (again from Columbia) named TWO FOR THE SHOW. Actually that was the best of the lot. Too bad Columbia didn't release this on a flip side of TOO MANY HUSBANDS.

While THE HANGOVER has ONE fun moment it's quite illogical. Even a comedy should have some logic to it. I know it made lot's of money and had some critical acclaim, but there are too many odd moments that don't make sense. SPOILER ALERTS: A) THE SUITE. After the big night, the room looks like a tornado went through it or even a major earthquake...but later in the day when the guys return, the suite is just as it was when they originally arrived. No way could the room have been fixed up in a few short hours. It would have taken days of weeks to re-new it. ILLOGICAL. B) THE BABY. How could a baby be miss placed in a cabinet for such a long time. It would have suffocated. The Mother should have been arrested for child abuse and be put up for adoption. And leaving the baby in the car for so long a time? And what happened to it later in the film after it's so called "mother" got it back? ILLOGICAL. C) THE LION. It was dangerous and wild when they saw it in the bathroom. When the guys took the lion back to where it belonged,no one NOTICED it? Incredible. When in the car it clawed and damaged the inside of the car. Earlier then the "kidnapped" the lion, how then did they get the tiger out of the house, into the car, into the lobby to the Hotel without people noticing and not being clawed and mangled or harmed at all. If it was wild when they discovered it, how was it tame enough to get it in the room? ILLOGICAL. D) THE CHICKEN. How did a chicken get into the room in the first place, and what was the purpose of it, other than being stupid. ILLOGICAL E) THE Asian. What gives here? How did they get him naked and into the police trunk? Why did he wait a whole day before pounding and making himself known? He didn't suffocate? ILLOGICAL.

In movies of this ilk, don't the writers READ what they write? Doesn't the director or actors question these insane and bizarre circumstances and inconsistencies? Doesn't anyone CARE to make a movie that makes sense, even if it's just a little sense? Maybe it's let's make an inane movie, hope the young people of America fall for it and TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN.

I'm sure for those who loved this movie will have to agree to the above plot holes.

Oh, and performances are really bad, especially the guy playing the fat, dumb airhead. Ugh!! What planet did HE come from? An the "masterbating" baby was obsence.

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This could have been a good movie if more things were explained. Way too many plot holes to find this enjoyable. The ending in particular is off left field. SPOILER ALERT: How did the kidnapper get back to Dundee so fast and Dundee shows up at the house in a matter of two minutes? Way out of wack here. How did Anna get hold of the money? No explanation at all. If the Pete the cop knew Lancaster was in danger, why didn't he have a cop at the door in the Hospital. This and many more questions remain. Too bad because the premise was there, just bad writing and execution.

Good cast is wasted here. DeCarlo goes from bad to good to bad? Lancaster's character lacks development and Dureya is just blah as the "bad guy".

This could re-made with a cohesive story line and better writing. Of course it would be much more violent with lots of gratuitous sex and everything. The editing would be jerky as well I guess, so let's leave well enough alone.

MANAGEMENT is a small budget movie and it shows. The problem is that the elements don't add up. Is it a comedy? Is it a romance? Is it a drama? Life itself is all these things, but something went wrong with the elements here. Maybe too many scenes ended up on the cutting room floor, as at times the scene to scene cuts don't make sense.

Miss Aniston again plays Rachel, her character in FRIENDS. She talks with that hesitant speech pattern that can be annoying. She doesn't seem to finish her sentences as she stops and stutters too often. She's not a bad actress, but I wish she'd stop with those mannerisms. She tries to act natural, but it comes off as "unatural" Many actresses have a range of A to Z...hers is more like A to G.

One implausible element is when the Steve Zahn character is parachuting. How did he manage to hit the exact home that Aniston is living in???? Quite incredible.

The Woody Harelson character is the least interesting and should have been written and played differently. There is no reason Aniston would be with him.

Actress Margo Martindale who played Zahn's mother was wonderful and too bad she left the film so early.

I DID like the ending with the butt touch. Also

Just like junk food it's fun to watch junk movies sometimes. Obsessed is obsessed with being a thriller like FATAL ATTRACTON, but fails to live up to that classic. This is a "paint-by-numbers" plot and everything is telegraphed as to what is going to happen. SPOILER ALERT: The character of Lisa is obviously disturbed but how did she get that way? No back story. Since a detective was brought into to story, why wasn't her background checked? No one seemed to care. Also, the couple spend Christmas together alone? They are young enough to have parents on both or either side. Where were they during the Holidays? They are never seen, and in a situation being what it was, why no family members around? Just thought about it as it would have made the story a little more realistic. And another GAY character in the office. Come on now!! Despite these misgivings, it's a fun thing to watch and forget. As for the ending....again, come on now!!!