Friends With Benefits

You are about to read a very unlikely film review. You are about to delve into a film review about a movie of the romantic comedy genre, that is completely stellar. Publicity for this film has been absurd. I've been waiting for this movie to come out probably since May. However, I've been waiting for it from a very skeptical stand point. As I have discussed in earlier blogs, Justin Timberlake, in his recent film endeavors, has yet to really "tickle my fancy" with his performances. After all, it is just a romantic comedy, and you can only expect but so much, right? I saw No Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher a few months back, which is a movie with the exact same plot concept as that of Friends With Benefits, also very well-publicized and highly anticipated, and it didn't live up to the hype for me. It was good, but it wasn't great, but how often does one say a romantic comedy is great?

Friends With Benefits, on the other hand, is a totally different story. I, in no way, expected to like this movie as much as I did. I loved it, and I would see it again. I like a good ol' romantic comedy just as much as the next girl does. But never have I had a desire to pay to see one twice.

Mila Kunis is fantastic. I love her. I think she's a natural and I cannot say this about a lot of actresses today, but I completely understand the hype surrounding her in Hollywood and in the public eye. She's cool. She's funny. She's spunky and she just doesn't seem like the average chick. I would bet that the character she played in this movie is pretty close to her character in real life. This means that the movie may not have been a huge display of her acting capability, but it sure as hell told me that she's someone I would want to hang out with.

Justin is funny. He's funny and genuine and that is the first time I can say that out of probably all the films I have seen him in. He plays a real person and he's totally natural. I loved watching him in this. Did I mention he's hot? I mean, extra hot. His body? Ridiculous. Six pack, washboard abs and that rear end of his? You have the pleasure of seeing that several times throughout the film. And, yes, it is an absolute pleasure to see.

Timberlake and Kunis are both beautiful, they look great together, and their chemistry in the movie is fantastic. You actually believe that the two of them are best friends that just decided to have sex. They play that messy situation very well. There are a lot of sex scenes in this, obviously, and even in romantic comedies, sex scenes can be a little awkward to watch. All of these scenes in Friends With Benefits are pure comedy. I am not sure if that is because the movie is so well written and well directed (director, Will Gluck who also directed Easy A), or if it is because Justin and Mila are so great together.

The movie is very "cool." It is based in New York City and it stays true to NYC roots and culture. Kunis' character, Jamie, when they first meet, takes Dylan, Timberlake's character, to a flash mob occurring in Times Square to try to convince him to make the move from Los Angeles, to New York for the new job at GQ that she has recruited him for. New York City culture is very much an active part of this movie. It drives the development of the relationship between the two lead characters and is evident even down to the fashion worn by Justin and Mila.

The other great part about this film, that sets it apart from No Strings Attached, specifically, is the fact that each character had a reason for only wanting a sexual relationship. They had some hang up because of some situation from their past, and the movie explained it, and delved into this very human part of each of them. I loved that. I loved that you get to know Dylan's dad, and Jamie's mom and that through those relationships came the explanation for Dylan and Jamie's weaknesses.  I am not sure if everyone will like this movie as much as I did, but I loved it. I connected to it for some reason, and I may still be on a high from seeing it, but it actually might be the best modern day romantic comedy that I have ever seen.

The Adjustment Bureau

I had to re-post this one because it's now on NetFlix and RedBox for rent, and I LOVED this movie and I want EVERYONE to see it.

First off, I just have to say that this movie is a philosophy major's dream. Seeing as I am a philosophy major myself, the movie kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. However, for the larger majority of you that hate philosophy, or do not know what the hell it actually is (cause I sure dunno what the hell it is), the movie is so fantastic because it is so relatable and relevant to our every day lives.

This film completely surprised me. I did not read the synopsis before going in, and I had no idea what the previews were revealing about the plot. The only expectations I had for the film was that it would hopefully be entertaining. It surpassed my expectations. As always, Matt Damon is excellent. His leading lady, The Devil Wears Prada star, Emily Blunt, is wonderful. She and Damon have incredible chemistry and it's hard to take your eyes off of them.

The movie is filled with twists, flips, and turns, keeping you guessing until the very end. The cinematic style is great. The visual effects are pleasing. For me, however, the greatest part of this film is its originality and message. The plot is brilliant. To put if very briefly, it takes the unexpected, unexplainable parts of life, and makes them tangible and concrete, turning our real lives into a sci-fi/action film. I loved it. It explores life. It explores life's meanings, it explores love and the inexplicable, overwhelming emotions and impulses that come with it. It forces you to dig deep within yourself, question your dreams, to find them, to go for them.

There is not much more I can say without going into too much plot detail. I want each of you to be just as surprised and overjoyed with this film as I was. I laughed, I screamed, and at the end, I even cried and trust me, that is a rarity. Just go see it. That's all I've got to say on this one. Go to your local RedBox and pick this one up! 

Horrible Bosses

Well...it definitely wasn't horrible. I am at a loss actually on how to evaluate this film exactly. I'm not 100% positive how I feel about it. It was funny. It was hilarious in some parts, actually. In other parts, I'm not so sure. I think it might have been over-done in certain areas, and under-done in others. Before I begin rambling, let me get to what I know for sure...

I know absolutely that no one has ever seen this side of Jennifer Aniston. She's darker, and she is absurdly sexy. I would like to emphasize the word absurd to describe both her physically and verbally explicit character in this film. She plays a crude, unbelievably raunchy, over-sexed dentist that is lusting so deeply for one of her engaged employees, she even threatens to go as far as breaking up his relationship, if he doesn't have sex with her. Sounds contradictory and kind of crazy, right? Aniston completely owned this role. It is so far removed from the typical roles she plays and because of that, she is more than a pleasure to watch. She will shock you.

Now, for the difficult part. As I said earlier, parts of this movie are absolutely hilarious. It is really difficult to go terribly wrong with a movie starring comedian veterans like Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis. However, I can say that other parts of the movie are a little flat. The best way I can evaluate it will be to compare it to comedies I have recently written about. I would say that for overall execution, it is better than Bad Teacher, but I do not think it comes close to measuring up to Bridesmaids. The concept of the movie is great. At a point in everyone's life, we end up working for someone we cannot stand. The script, and comedic execution in parts of the film are just so-so. In others, it's fantastic. I would say if nothing else, go see it for Jennifer Aniston. As for the rest of the film, I'll let you make that judgement. In fact, I encourage you to see it because I want to hear back from you. Go see it, tell me what you think, and help me take a stance on how I really feel about this movie!

Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher gets a B+, and that grade may be slightly generous. It’s a decently funny movie, but there are not a lot of redeeming qualities about the film. I cannot say anything that truly separates it from other comedies. However, I can say that Cameron Diaz is fantastic. She does a great job of being a “bad teacher.” Her characterization is on another level. You've never seen crude, dirty, Cameron Diaz, and you definitely get her in this film. She's fun.

I know what the film was attempting. It made an attempt at being an outlandish, over-the-top, comedy about life as a middle-class school teacher, and what that working environment is like, on a parodied level, where each character, is in fact a caricature. On a basic level, this was successful. However, I feel that each character was so excessive, it was difficult to find any realism in the film. That is what makes comedies funny-being able to draw the parallel between the ridiculous comedic situation, and the small bit of truth of that situation in your real life. I think this movie lacks that. The characters and the acting is over-done. Jason Segel is the only realistic, normalized character in the movie. His character was a relief, but I found myself only wanting to watch him.

Justin Timberlake. I could write a book on this man. That’s how in love with him I am. However, outside of Saturday Night Live, I think his comedic film endeavors fall flat. As much as it pains me to say this, I do not think he’s great in the movies I have seen him in thus far. I thought he was “good” in Black Snake Moan and “good” in Alpha Dog. He was an amateur actor in these early films, though, and I never expected a performance worthy of an Oscar nod. I LOVED The Social Network, as did most people. Again, I didn’t think JT’s performance added anything special to the movie. I thought his portrayal of Sean Parker was caricature-like. I did not think it was very realistic. I felt as though it was over-done. I have yet to be overwhelmingly impressed, especially since he’s getting good roles in major movies, with major actors and directors! Don’t get me wrong-I love him. I think he’s one of, if not the most talented person in Hollywood. His roles just aren’t “doing it” for me like I hoped they would. However, Friends With Benefits, his new movie, and biggest role yet, with Mila Kunis comes out Friday, and I heard it’s hilarious, so I’m definitely optimistic.

Overall conclusion: The movie is decent. You will certainly have a few laughs. And I would still recommend it. If you happen to have an uneventful afternoon heading your way in the near feature, and perhaps you’re in need of a few cheap laughs, go see the “Super Bargain Matinee” at your nearest cinema and check this one out.

Super 8

Spielberg did it again. If you grew up loving E.T., and wanting one for yourself. If you still get goosebumps thinking about the first installment of Jaws. If you see Harrison Ford on the red carpet at the Oscars, but you call him “Indiana Jones.” If Robin Williams in Hook was one of your favorite childhood movies. If any bit of this applies to you, you will absolutely love Super 8. It has the same magic that is so emblematic of these older films.

The child cast is lead by rising star, Elle Fanning and she absolutely shines. She is sister of child star, now turning adult actress, Dakota Fanning. I think it goes without saying that performance is in the blood in that family. Watching Super 8, I felt very similarly to how I felt the first time I watched E.T. You feel slightly nervous and a little caught off guard. At the same time, you feel gleeful, exhilarated even, and it’s hard to explain why you feel this way. Super 8 is based in the 1970’s and E.T. was filmed in and based in the early 1980s. I think this fact certainly adds to the inculpable nature of the film. The storyline begins with kids, making a horror movie on an 8mm camera, hence the name, Super 8. Kids don’t really do these things anymore. We live in a world of technology where children play video games and live on the internet. The 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s are a time we can admire and be envious of and truly cherish in history because it was a very real, and honest time. People lived more neighborly, and children acted more like children. Steven Spielberg gives us back the magic of these years in this film.

The major difference in this movie, than that of E.T., that I so heavily compare it to, is its action. It is action-packed! I will not say anymore than this, but the kick-off event in the film is a train wreck. This movie is NOT in 3D and I can honestly say you feel as if you are really there. The audio is out of this world, and the visuals are impeccable. This is a film for the sci-fi lover. This is a film for the action junkie. This is a film for date night. This is a film for the family. Director, and king of sci-fi cinema, J.J. Abrams, and executive producer, Steven Spielberg truly out-did themselves.

X-Men: First Class

Alright. So, let me premise this by saying that before this one, I had never seen any of the X-Men movies before, and because of that, this blog will be particularly short. I heard, however, that this movie was especially well done, and I figured that since this movie was about how the X-Men saga began, I would be able to follow pretty well. I was right. And so was everything I heard leading up to my viewing of the movie. I loved it. I thought the story-telling was fantastic. You saw the evolution of each character.

More than anything, I loved the historical context of the movie. I am not sure if this is well-known throughout the rest of the films, but this particular X-Men installment is based in the 1960s, and Professor X and Magneto parallel the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. What each of these characters stand for in X-Men is reflective of what each of these historical figures stood for in American history.

It’s a great action flick. Obvioulsy. If you loved the old ones for this, you will love First Class even more. I recommend this film to anyone-new fans, like myself, and old!

The Hangover Part II

Funny. But on a much different level than the first one. The thing about sequels is the fact that the audience goes in with an expectation that this one, must be as great as the first one. That is why you’re seeing it, right? The only reason we go see sequels is because we saw an original that took our breath away. The Hangover (part 1), will go down in film comedy history as a classic. With its release in the summer of 2009, it was a comedy like none of us had seen before-at least not in recent years. There was situational humor, a laugh-out-loud, hilariously written script, and a cast full of (mostly) no-name actors that rocked all of our worlds.

The best way I can describe the second movie is that, it’s a sequel. It’s as simple as that. They almost never measure up to the spark and excitement of the first. However, that is not to say that The Hangover Part II is not funny. The movie is, without question, very funny. If I had not already seen the first one, I would probably find it wildly hilarious. However, it just doesn’t quite measure up. The plot of the film is the exact overall plot of the first film, except the entire story takes place in Bangkok, for Stu’s wedding, instead of Las Vegas. The film follows the same mishap timeline as the first one, but it never quite rises to the occasion to match the insanity of the first movie. I think that they tried too hard with this one. The first film was a big hit, and they churned out a new script for a second movie very quickly, and it missed the mark. With all that said, I still encourage you to see it. If you loved the first movie as much as I did, out of pure curiousity, you have to see the second. It is for sure a guaranteed laugh. I just don’t advise you to go in with through-the-roof expectations.

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is the first "female" comedy in years. The great thing about this movie is that "female" in "female comedy" does not at all mean a film that caters to feminine humor or a more female audience. This is a comedic ride for everyone.

The film star's Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. This pair is absolutely hilarious, with Kristen Wiig's character, Annie, leading the comedy whirlwind this film truly is. These women are funny. It's as simple as that. The film is comprised of physical comedy, situational humor, crude humor, absurd and exaggerated characters and is fueled by a downright gut-bustingly well-written, and well-executed script.

At the core of its extraordinary comedy, are very human characters with very human desires, hang-ups, and life-situations. I could spend the entire blog entry raving about how uproariously funny Kristen Wiig and her fellow cast mates are, but you just need to see it. No words can explain the hilarity.

I would honestly recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. So make it a date-night, and if this one is still in a theater near you, go see it! You won't regret it.