Category: DramCom

THE SWITCH (2010) movie review

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the-switch-movieI’ve never seen a more ridiculous plot made into something quite so brilliant.

I’ve never really been a Jennifer Aniston fan, but here she is vulnerable and lovely. Jason Bateman, as usual, is beloved as the straight man. Jeff Goldblum makes any scene laughable, but memorable, while Juliette Lewis plays to stereotype as the perpetually high bf.

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It’s truly ridiculous. Oddly neurotic but likable best bud guy friend who secretly loves his successful gorgeous single female best pal gets clobbered at the sperm party and replaces the donated sperm. Donor? Pretty Patrick Wilson. Nice. Stupid. Worst plot ever. It’s not funny. It’s horrifying.

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jason-bateman-thomas-robinson-the-switch-picThen somehow, twenty or so minutes in, I’m crying. I’m in love with Jason Bateman all over again. The music, the voiceover narration, the little boy, the daddy issues, the lovely family connections, the funny lines. This one is well written. If you can handle the low LOW concept and consider the acting for two minutes, you too can feel empowered to speak up when necessary in order to avoid the potentially costly and ridiculous antics of your own life. The Switch surprised me so much. I’m embarrassed to admit that saw it three times in a week. I kept it running. I replayed the precious moments to commit them to memory. Sure there is equal silly to smart in this one, but for some reason it also rings thoughtful, familial, precious.the_switch-1

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012) movie review

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Here is a self-help film.

I didn’t think they could do it.

I saw the Fighter (2010) by David O. Russell. I loved the performances, raw as the subject matter was. I still didn’t believe that Russell, as both filmmaker and screenwriter of this sweet one, could make us laugh.

I laughed and cried. Isn’t that why we go to the movies? I’m turned off by brutality and realism, especially together. I’m turned off by F-words. I think they make people sound unintelligent. But this went beyond the Friday Night Lights / Parenthood filming and drove its quirky far-past-the-Hunger Games-arena arrow straight into my heart.

While the every-film theme hinges on grief and daddy issues, prolonging the inevitable, this slices through straight to the therapy session. Oh, it is raw. It did earn its rating with language. But blast you Bradley with those blue eyes. You did it. You and your beautiful father, Robert De Niro, danced a savvy Jen Lawrence into a hopeful scenario…into what I believe you called a silver lining.

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED (2012) movie review

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This film walks and quacks like an indie, taking indie flavored risks with an indie cast. It supports small budget dreams until a surprise ending.

 

 

It’s sweet and sour. At times I wanted the dialogue to be smarter, but then the quirk made it real, albeit vulgar and slow. Don’t get me wrong. It has some perfect moments of oddly likable chemistry.

 

 

The main characters, Aubrey Plaza from the show Parks and Rec and newcomer Mark Duplass were wonderful. I love the honesty and unpretentious swagger that they both maintain.

 

 

I expected more from Jake Johnson, best known currently as Nick on the show New Girl. In Safety, he plays the jerk who learns little and attempts to shepherd the innocent intern to walk in his ways. That whole story angle could have taken better turns, but it didn’t.

 

 

It was fun to see my friend, David Schultz in the film!

 

A would-be sweet film without fences. Anything can happen. Adventures worth taking are always risky, but I’m glad that this is just a movie.

 

 

 

 

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2012) movie review

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“Someone once said, ‘It will all turn out alright in the end, so of it is not right, it is not yet the end.”

The casting is a delight from Dame Dench to Mr. Nighy. The scenery’s sublime yet honest. You will feel transported.
These guest are given honor from the moment they arrive, something they’ve sought and rarely found at home. Some take to the new setting, and some do not. Aging, though a theme, did not seem the center of the conflict. Finding love and contentment in whatever place and at whatever your stage in life did.

It’s a lovely few hours touring India with familiar british faces (especially if you are a fan of the BBC and of Downton Abbey, as I am). It’s unobtrusive. It’s not preachy. It’s not really a moral tale. Much of the humor is sexual and characters are not really out for redemption as much as a fresh start. At first it feels a bit Eat Pray Love-y in a less appealing setting, but it all grows on you as promised in the repeated line from the film,

“Someone once said, ‘It will all turn out alright in the end, so of it is not right, it is not yet the end.”