Movie: Prom
Movie: Water for Elephants
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 2011
Notable Cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz
Stars: 2
Review: Totally sub-par movie, in almost all respects. Where to begin? Robert Pattinson is a terrible actor. I am not a Twilight enthusiast but I did see the first movie and have briefly seen his media interactions, and I feel safe in making a generalization about Pattinson as an actor-- He is the Keanu Reeves of his generation. That is to say, he is a nonexpressive, blah actor who directors/writers seem to be trying to sell based only on looks and popularity as opposed to any amount of actual acting ability. He had very few lines in the movie and was generally vapid and expressionless with delivery. Reese Witherspoon, in stark contrast, is an exceptional actress but I continue to be disappointed in her poor choice of film roles. This movie was clearly below her abilities and worth as an actress. She played her role incredibly well, but that did not make up for the fact that her character was an unrealistic, foolish one and wholly uninteresting to watch.
Character construction and development was abysmal. I particularly had a problem with the so-called villain character. How he was portrayed by others and the narrator was not in keeping with his actions (e.g., letting Pattinson go, whereas everyone kept alluding to his thoughtless murdering of countless workers). I think he was meant to be a truly evil guy from whom the main characters were understandably trying to escape. You just didn't buy it from his dialogue and actions, though. I strongly dislike movies where you are told to believe something that is not demonstrated. To harken back to good ol' 9th grade English advice, "show not tell!" Shouldn't be too hard in a movie (as compared to a book), and yet this movie failed miserably.
Love story: Meh. It was just okay. No real chemistry.
After the long list of flaws, I must spend a few words in ardent praise of the incredible set and costumes. Very authentic and beautiful! Definite props there.
Good date movie? Yeah.
Movie: It's Kind of a Funny Story
Rating: PG-13
Release Year: 2010
Notable Cast: Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Zach Galifianakis
Stars: 3.25
Review: I really enjoyed this movie. It is in the same genre as Garden State, Juno, and Easy A... actually, it strikes me just now that this might actually be my most favorite genre of movies. I appreciated, in a very Caufield-esque vein, how un-phony were the characters and storyline. Casting was spot-on; all three above-named actors were great in their respective roles. The characters were wonderfully developed. I particularly appreciated the thoughtful construction of the happenings and interactions such that we slowly but surely gained comprehensive insight into the nature of each character. The main character is a straight man in this movie, as it is a existential type of story where the protagonist learns about himself from his unique experiences with rather unique individuals.
Of note, this movie is somewhat juvenile and innocent, much like the other movies of its genre. There is the hint of naivete and simplicity expected in all of Hollywood's productions-- the so-called "happily-ever-after factor." Put simply, the problems presented in the movie are just a little too neatly, and idealistically, resolved, in contrast to the inherent messiness in life. I think, though, that the writers were completely well-meaning. I did not get the feeling that they were at all trivializing the complexity of real-life issues but, rather, offering up hope and optimism. And for this, I applaud them. I am a firm believer that one of the great responsibilities of a movie is to provide escapism, and when a movie also subtly provides hope about real-life stuff, it transcends from enjoyable to moving and inspiring.
Good date movie? For well-established relationships, on a cozy/casual/comfortable date night.
Movie: Prom
