Movie Reviews

Merry Matrimony (2015)

Merry Matrimony

Merry Matrimony (2015)

Director:

John Bradshaw

Starring:

Jessica Lowndes

Christopher Russell

Plot:

Brie, an advertising executive, lands her dream assignment organizing the perfect Christmas wedding for a fashion magazine. If she succeeds, she will make partner at her firm. The only catch is that she unknowingly has been paired up with a certain high powered fashion photographer who just happens to be her estranged ex-boyfriend. Stars Jessica Lowndes and Christopher Russell.

Review:

This movie was worlds better than the last one I watched, which isn’t saying much, but it does put it on tier with the rest of the Hallmark Christmas movies out there.

Lots of romance and definitely Christmasy, it was very cute. Brie loved Eddie, Eddie went to Paris for an amazing career opportunity, they lost touch. Seven years pass and neither has gotten over the other and their thrown back into each other’s lives. I never really get those stories, if you love someone as much as you’re saying then why’d you let them get away? Why did you not at least email?

Oh well. It was sweet.

3/5

The Night Before (2015)

The Night Before (2015)

Director:

Jonathan Levine

Starring:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Seth Rogan

Anthony Mackie

Jillian Bell

Plot:

On Christmas eve, three lifelong friends, two of whom are Jewish, spend the night in New York City looking for the Holy Grail of Christmas parties.

Review:

I love rated R Christmas movies, not sure why but I do. I liked The Night Before, but it wasn’t as good as the Harold and Kumar Christmas movie or even Four Christmases. I thought they should have eased off the serious stuff and just embraced the three friends going on one last crazy Christmas Eve before they accepted adulthood. That would have been funnier. Instead there was a steroids sideline and a whole getting over dead parents thing. The baby thing was actually funny, maybe they should have stayed that light and ridiculous with the other plotlines.

There were several funny moments and it was a nice holiday movie, but I felt like it could have been better.

3.5/5

The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014)

Nine Lives of Christmas

The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014)

Director:

Mark Jean

Starring:

Brandon Routh

Kimberly Sustad

Stephanie Bennett

Plot:

After a stray cat adopts Zachary, he meets Marliee and realizes the single life is not as fulfilling as he thought it was.

Review:

So if I was ever an actress one of my goals would be to star in a Hallmark movie. That and a Law and Order episode. But I’m weird. What are the odds that Brandon Routh is weird too? I feel kind of bad for him, I thought he was a good Superman, but I haven’t watched him in a movie since then.

A fair amount of product placement going on here. They weren’t in your face about it, so that was nice. But it was still very much there. Hmmm…maybe I need to go shop at Wal-Mart.

The story was cute and not as bad as other made for TV Christmas movies. The relationship moved fast, but then who could blame her? They did kind of push the cliche being in a relationship negatives that Routh was afraid of, but I kind of see what they were going with there.

I liked this Christmas movie but probably not enough to add it to my Christmas routine.

3/5

Inside Out (2015)

inside-out

Inside Out (2015)

Director:

Pete Doctor

Ronnie Del Carmen

Starring:

Amy Poehler

Bill Hader

Lewis Black

Plot:

After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness – conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.

Review:

Wow that movie was darker than I expected it to be. I don’t consider that a negative it’s just an observation. I really don’t think most children would have picked up on it, though. It was more for the adults.

I found myself crying throughout the whole thing and really wished my daughter was awake so that I could hug her. I’m apparently hormonal right now lol

It was a cute movie, I thought the concept was cool, but I don’t think I need to own it. Definitely watch it if you haven’t, but at your own leisure.

4/5

Tomorrowland (2015)

tomorrowland

Tomorrowland (2015)

Director:

Brad Bird

Starring:

George Clooney

Britt Robertson

Hugh Laurie

Raffey Cassidy

Plot:

Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.

Review:

It makes me sad that this movie bombed and no more will be made. It has such a ridiculously positive message and I loved it so much.

I read that critics felt it had pacing issues, but I honestly don’t know what I’d change. One minute it was balls to the wall action, the next it was lots of talking, but that’s what the story called for and I don’t think it made it bad. I never got bored, I never wondered when it was going to be over, I just wanted more.

My favorite part was near the beginning when Britt Robertson’s character was being told by the cast of Stargate: Atlantis (not really they were her teachers) that the world was basically fucked in every possible way and she asked how do we fix it. I loved that.

It’s silly to say but the movie resonated with me and it could very well be my favorite movie of the year. Definite buy and re-watch and hopefully indoctrinate my daughter.

5/5