“New Year’s Eve” is one of those ensemble movies that tell the story of the same time period in the lives of many different characters, some of whom will overlap in the end.
Normally, I automatically recoil when I hear cuss words come from the mouths of children in films, especially when only used for shock value, or a cheap laugh at the incongruity (of course, the more it’s used, the less incongruous it is).
One of the reasons for the high popularity of Stephanie Meyer’s storytelling is that she manages to establish and maintain many tensions at once. And that’s a big reason the movies based on the books work so well too.
What if William Shakespeare’s plays were not really written by the sometime actor? What if, instead, they were penned by Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford? And if so, why the subterfuge?
Why do a CSI movie when there’s so much of that already on television? Well, maybe because you have a more complex story that takes longer to develop, and maybe because you can sustain a gritty mood with more subtle artistry.
As a pastor, it’s a very delicate thing to criticize faith-based movies. In a week where “50/50” is being released, which is Hollywood’s story about a young man who contracts cancer, where stunningly neither God nor faith is ever mentioned by anyone, here we have the opposite end of the spectrum: We’re playing high school basketball, and religion permeates the entire film.
This movie is so extremely “chicky-flicky” that it will struggle to attract any male viewers at all, but perhaps this niche market is so strong that it doesn’t really need the males, which, actually, is part of the point.
Interviewer: What was it like working with Brad Pitt?
Jonah Hill: It was amazing. Look, you get a part like this, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an actor to star alongside this icon, as well as the other great people in this film, and it was like a dream.
The story line of “Restless” is not one that will cause people to flock to the movie theaters: terminally ill teenage girl meets high school dropout guy who crashes the funerals of strangers. They spend some time together before she succumbs to her illness.
“Moneyball” is a baseball movie, so right away that limits its audience. However, there are many other appealing dynamics in the film that transcend baseball and are just about life.
“Dolphin Tale” is one of those “family films” that you know are going to feature good-looking children, beleaguered parents, a little bit of stress, and the triumph of love and acceptance. So what’s wrong with that? Nothing.
This is the kind of movie that invokes every viewer’s experience with racism. So this review will reflect a more personal perspective than normally expected, since emotional detachment is virtually impossible, if not downright dishonest.
Wow, what do you make of a film like this, which delivers exactly what it promises and with a straight face? Just go with it? Make fun of it? Consider it a self-parody? An unwitting farce? Hollywood camp? Or do we make this kind of adventure/sci-fi/CGI film just because we can?
