Movie Reviews

The Decoy Bride (2011)

The Decoy Bride

The Decoy Bride (2011)

Director:

Sheree Folkson

Starring:

Kelly Macdonald

David Tennant

Alice Eve

Plot:

When the world’s media descend on the remote Scottish island where a Hollywood actress is attempting to get married, a local girl is hired as a decoy bride to put the paparazzi off the scent.

Review:

Another Netflix recommendation. Love the Scottish accents, it reminds me of Brave. A quick search tells me that Kelly Macdonald did the voice of Merida in Brave, so that’s probably why.

I kind of feel sorry for Lara, Alice Eve, she’s evidently a great person, she’s just not right for James, David Tennant. He is the doctor, though, so it’s hard to be the one for him.

The story was cute, nothing really amazing except for the accents. I liked it and would watch it again. Reminded me of The Matchmaker with Janeane Garofalo, but that was probably just the accents. Did I mention I loved them?

3.5/5

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Director:

David O. Russell

Starring:

Bradley Cooper

Jennifer Lawrence

Robert De Niro

Plot:

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Review:

So this was one of the top movies Netflix had recommended for romance and I haven’t seen it, so I figured why not.

Not a very romantic opening. Bradley Cooper’s character is bipolar and doesn’t want to take his meds. He’s a bit crazy with moments of way too crazy. Tiffany, Jennifer Lawrence, is also messed up. Her cop husband has died and she has fallen back into bad habits. Slutty habits. She really just needs someone to love her for her and not for her wild sexy behavior.

After it’s clearly explained that they’re both fucked up, Tiffany says she’ll only give his ex-wife a letter if he dances with her. Naturally.

When they finally dance I had my fingers in my ears and I was humming because it was just too much tension for me. In the end their crazies meld and everyone was happy.

This was not the type of romance I was looking for, and the beginning was a bit rough for me to get through, but I liked the ending. I guess I’m just not cultured enough to like Oscar winners.

3/5

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Director:

Andy Wachowskis & Lana Wachowskis

Starring:

Channing Tatum

Mila Kunis

Eddie Redmayne

Plot:

In a bright and colorful future, a young destitute caretaker gets targeted by the ruthless son of a powerful family who lives on a planet in need of a new heir, so she travels with a genetically engineered warrior to the planet in order to stop his tyrant reign.

Review:

First off, I thought the score was amazing. More movies need full scores.

Now onto the rest.

I was really looking forward to this movie because I love the Wachowskis. The last time I doubted them, they brought me Cloud Atlas, and that is one of my top ten movies. So I tried to ignore all the negative reviews I was seeing for Jupiter.

Honestly, I didn’t hate the movie, but it is not one of my favorite. I thought it was merely ok.

The first fight scene was fine, though I thought they cut too often to people’s faces and didn’t show the action as well as I would like. It wasn’t shaky cam it was editing. My husband says they wanted to highlight the fact that the actors did their own stuff, to which I say, I don’t care, I want to see action, not close ups.

There were several jumps in the story, where I guess they ran out of time and assumed the viewer could figure it out. When they did this it took me out of the movie while I figured out an explanation for what was going on. I found that to be incredibly frustrating.

I hated the romance between Kane, Tatum, and Jupiter, Kunis. I thought it was completely unnecessary and they could have easily cut it and filled out all the places that they jumped over.

I didn’t mind the casting, though, Tatum was not my favorite. I thought Kunis was able to pull off regal well, but I disliked the fact that Kane was always saving her. That being said I thought she handled the last fight well enough. Balem, Eddie Redmayne, the main bad dude, wasn’t someone I enjoyed either. His low voice at times was hard to hear. I understand that him yelling was supposed to show his uncontrollable temper, but I thought he could still do that without talking so low all the time.

I did not like the ending. The movie was on such a grand scale. Universes and planets and corporations that last a millennium. All that, and the ending is her on those stupid gravity boots flying through the Chicago skyline with her new boyfriend. Talk about anticlimactic.

Not my favorite movie and I thought there was a lot wrong, however, the world that was created was incredibly interesting and I would love to know more. Also, and it bears repeating, amazing score.

2.75/5

Re-Watch: You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Youve Got Mail

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Director:

Nora Ephron

Starring:

Tom Hanks

Meg Ryan

Greg Kinnear

Plot:

Two business rivals hate each other at the office but fall in love over the internet.

Review:

The intro is so great, the sound of the internet connecting. So many memories… Obviously the technology doesn’t hold up.

I like the modern interpretation of The Shop Around the Corner. Unlike In the Good Old Summertime, this isn’t just adding music or a modern setting. The story takes several new changes. Kathleen Kelly, Meg Ryan, isn’t working beneath Joe Fox, Tom Hanks, she owns her own business and they are rivals. She isn’t as mean as the other women either. She has her moment, but it’s a fluke and not something she’s normally able to do. When she is mean what she says is, basically, what the women said in the previous movies.

Tom Hanks is probably just as awesome as Jimmy Stewart, love him.

Like the soundtrack in this movie too.

Honestly, this is one of my favorite romance movies, it’s been a while since I’ve watched it so I’m glad I had an excuse.

5/5

Re-Watch: In the Good Old Summertime (1949)

In the Good Old Summertime

In the Good Old Summertime (1949)

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard & Buster Keaton

Starring:

Judy Garland

Van Johnson

S.Z. Sakall

Plot:

Musical remake of 1940 “Shop Around the Corner” by Lubitch.

Review:

IMDB’s plot is pretty spot on. I’ve watched the movie many times but never right after The Shop Around the Corner and there are a lot of repeated lines. The plot is the same, Veronica, Judy Garland, is kind of mean at times as well. The big changes are that it is set in a music shop and there is singing and dancing. None of the songs are anything major but Judy Garland is singing them so they’re nice to hear.

There is also the addition of another woman in Andrew’s, Van Johnson, life. He’s the character that Jimmy Stewart played in the previous movie. She pushes Veronica to feel jealous that there is someone else possibly receiving Andrew’s attention.

I like the movie a lot, but I like The Shop Around the Corner better.

4.5/5