Eat, Pray, Love (Movie Review)
08.13.2010 | By Namreta Kumar |
Although Eat Pray Love promises a heartwarming journey, it unfortunately does not reach deep enough. Read More
08.13.2010 | By Namreta Kumar |
Although Eat Pray Love promises a heartwarming journey, it unfortunately does not reach deep enough. Read More
08.13.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Ben Affleck’s new crime drama ‘The Town‘ has a new movie poster, which unlike its trailer, looks feeble and uninspiring. Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Hollywoodland) is a writer/actor now turned director. His directorial debut was ‘Gone Baby Gone,’ a stellar film starring brother Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, amongst others. He is now set to release his second effort, The Town, a Boston bank heist filled with the ‘it’ actors of the moment – Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).
Below is the official synopsis of the film along with the poster. What do you think of it? Leave your comments below…
Synopsis: There are over 300 bank robberies in Boston every year. And most of the professionals live in a one-square-mile neighborhood called Charlestown. One of them is Doug MacRay, but he is not cut from the same cloth as his fellow thieves. Unlike them, Doug had a chance at success, a chance to escape following in his father’s criminal footsteps. Instead, he became the leader of a crew of ruthless bank robbers, who pride themselves on taking what they want and getting out clean. The only family Doug has are his partners in crime, especially Jem, who, despite his dangerous, hair-trigger temper, is the closest thing Doug ever had to a brother. However, everything changed on the gang’s last job when Jem briefly took a hostage: bank manager Claire Keesey. When they discover Claire lives in Charlestown, Jem gets nervous and wants to check out what she might have seen. Knowing what Jem is capable of, Doug takes charge. He seeks out Claire, who has no idea that their encounter is not by chance or that this charming stranger is one of the men who terrorized her only days before. As his relationship with Claire deepens into a passionate romance, Doug wants out of this life and the town. But with the Feds closing in and Jem questioning his loyalty, Doug realizes that getting out will not be easy and, worse, may put Claire in the line of fire. Any choices he once had have boiled down to one: betray his friends or lose the woman he loves. “The Town” is a dramatic thriller about robbers and cops, friendship and betrayal, love and hope, and escaping a past that has no future.
08.9.2010 | By Jack Rico |
When you have a smile like that then you must be none other than Julia Roberts. I sat down with the EAT PRAY LOVE star to talk amongst many things, porn, yes porn, and what she thinks happiness really is.
08.7.2010 | By Ted Faraone |
“The Other Guys,†like almost every good pic in which Will Ferrell has starred, is  a vehicle for his comic genius. The plot is preposterous. There is adequate vulgarity to please teenage boys. The jokes are broad — so broad that they are farcical, and several of them are running gags. Pic marks the first pairing of Ferrell with Mark Wahlberg. It’s a happy combination. The pair have the chemistry of classic comedy teams such as Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, and Martin & Lewis. Ferrell and Wahlberg are NYPD detectives Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz. They are an unlikely pair, even for a buddy-pic comedy. Gamble is a forensic accountant. Hoitz is best known as the cop who shot Derek Jeter by mistake (who appears in a cameo) and cost New York a World Series. The punchline is, “You couldn’t have shot A-Rod?â€Â Hoitz is the little macho sparkplug, full of anger at himself and embarrassed to be partnered with Gamble, whose chipper attitude annoys him. Michael Keaton is the precinct captain, who works nights as a manager at Bed Bath and Beyond to pay his bi-sexual son’s tuition at NYU. What the heck are these two doing in a precinct? What the heck are these two doing as cops in the first place? They are the buffoons of the precinct, dumped on by the other cops. They are “the other guys†to the PD’s stars.
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Pic has roots in sketch comedy, and it shows. Ferrell and helmer Adam McKay, who shares screenwriter credit with Chris Henchy and Patrick Crowley, are veterans of TV’s “Saturday Night Live.â€Â Plot strings together the sketches. Ribbon on the package is narration by Ice-T which borrows heavily from TV’s “Law & Order†franchise.
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Premise is simple. Hoitz itches to redeem himself by cracking a big case. Gamble would rather do paperwork, run numbers, and track down permit violations. The diminutive Wahlberg holds his much taller partner in contempt. The pair are overshadowed by New York’s hero cops, Highsmith and Danson (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson in parodies of other action hero roles they have played). Highsmith and Danson are sort of Starsky and Hutch on steroids. In the first two reels they wreck two 1971 Chevelle SS muscle cars which had been in perfect condition — as well as countless other automobiles. The swaggering pair are got out of the way by a bizarre suicide: They jump off a 20 storey building chasing bad guys.
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Hoitz determines to replace them — even with Gamble as his partner. Gamble stumbles on missing scaffolding permits which he ties to a Bernie Madoff sort (David Ershon played by British actor Steve Coogan). What he doesn’t know when he arrests Ershon on the permit violations is that he has just walked into a $32 billion scam involving a hot blonde (Anne Heche), Chechens, Nigerians, and a mean security man with an Australian accent (Roger Wesley played by Ray Stevenson) who is very tall and very deadly. Rest of pic hinges on Gamble and Hoitz’s ill-starred attempts to crack the bigger case. This sets up pic’s running jokes, including references to a couple of bands popular in the 1970s (The Little River Band gets significant time on pic’s soundtrack) and Gamble’s odd irresistibility to extraordinarily hot women. Helping drive the latter point home is the stunning Eva Mendes as his loving wife, Dr. Sheila Gamble, a cameo in which Brooke Shields hits on Gamble, a bit with Natalie Zea as Gamble’s ex-girlfriend, Christinith, a name which sets up yet another joke, and a walk-on by smoking hot newcomer Pilar Angelique. Zea’s bit is actually a real plot twist in solving the crime. One has to give McKay credit for keeping pic’s surreal 107 minutes on track while maintaining the screwball farce.
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Pic also benefits excellent stunts and special effects, flawless timing from the principals, fine screenwriting for its genre, and editing by Brent White which is as disciplined as Ferrell’s comedy. A word on the latter: Will Ferrell off screen is not a funny guy. He works at comedy the way Lucille Ball did, the way Fred Astaire worked at dance. He succeeds. Other tech credits shine.
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Pic’s PG rating is largely due to today’s obligatory vulgarity and to one of the funniest scenes ever filmed since Alan Arkin and Peter Falk teamed for “The In-Laws.â€Â (Anyone remember “Serpentine, serpentine!â€?) While the bad guys are watching his house, Gamble hides outside and phones in an attempt to reconcile with Dr. Sheila, who has thrown him out. Their go-between is her mother, Viola Harris as Mama Ramos, who relays unbelievably steamy messages between the pair regarding three days of make-up sex. That scene is so funny that one initially ignores its utter implausibility. “The Other Guys†is a laugh a minute. Take the kids. They’ll fail to understand why the foregoing scene is so funny, but they won’t be exposed to anything that will corrupt them.
08.6.2010 | By Jack Rico |
The pornography premise for ‘Middle Men’ will be a main attraction for many male moviegoers who enjoy a good dose of sex plot to their movies with a touch of humor. It chronicles the rise and fall of three entrepreneurs who create the first legitimate porn website.
The film is “inspired by a true story†and that tagline held my interest throughout most of the 1hr and 45 minute duration. Part of my interest stems from its dramatic and almost absurd incidents about ludicrous business decisions that took place with copious amount of sex and drugs passed around. The acting by the cast was very good, in particular, Luke Wilson, who showed a dramatic presence absent from his previous roles. Giovanny Ribisi, delivered an interesting character, but I felt a bit over the top.
The film has enough drama, humor along with twists and turns to keep the interest level very high. If you want to see something under the radar, filled with sex, drugs and more sex, Middle Men has to be on the top of your list this weekend.
08.5.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Will Ferrell is going to extend his acting range… in Spanish!
This is really funny. According to TheWrap.com, Ferrell will be the star in “Casa de mi padre,” or “House of My Father,”.
It is going to be fully in Spanish with English subtitles.
There are no plot details to report at the moment, but I imagine some of the biggest Latino movie stars are going to get a call to either to co-star or appear in cameo roles.
Ferrell will produce through his company Gary Sanchez Productions, where the project is in development. No director or release date is confirmed yet.
08.2.2010 | By Jack Rico |
She’s up to it again! Madonna, The Material Girl is in Paris shooting her latest film, “W.E.“. The film will be two-tiered romantic drama focusing on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson and a contemporary romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.
Think Julie and Julia style.
The 51-year-old singer made her directorial debut in 2008 with “Filth and Wisdom,” about a Ukrainian cross-dressing punk-rocker. That didn’t go so well.
Madonna is not the only U.S. star to film in the French capital this summer.
Last week, Woody Allen was shooting his “Midnight in Paris” on location near the Pantheon and in a park behind Notre Dame cathedral. The film, starring Owen Wilson, also includes a performance by France’s first lady, model-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
07.31.2010 | By Mack Chico |
Looks like Rocky can’t leave Rambo. Sylvester Stallone either needs money or he just thinks he is still 30. As part of a fan Q&A at Ain’t It Cool News to publicise The Expendables, Sly was asked about going backwards rather than forwards with the franchise.
“I certainly think this is worth pondering,” was his response. “It’s intriguing to find the whys and wherefores of how peope have become what they are. The traumas, the loss and the tragedy of being in Vietnam would certainly be a great challenge for a young actor, and it would be ironic that Rambo directs younger Rambo having played it for twenty years plus…”
First Blood starring John Rambo may one day resurface as a prequel, but god please tell me it will be a reboot
07.29.2010 | By Karen Posada |
One thing I can say about Dinner for Schmucks is that it was well developed. It is not sloppy in a way a lot of comedies tend to get, but it is a bit too long for a comedy. It was funny although its humor is not clever, it is more ridiculous and idiotic than anything. Nonetheless, it will make you laugh and maybe even crack up a few times. I wouldn’t rush to the movie theater to watch it, waiting for it on DVD would be the smarter option. It is inspired by a French comedy Le Dîner de Cons, which was quite successful.
The movie develops with Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) who is working hard to get a promotion and making his almost perfect life completely perfect. He steps to the plate when one of the main guys at his office is fired and he is offered his position after a bold presentation; the catch is that he has to join his boss and the other big shots at a secret dinner to get the new position. This isn’t just any dinner, everyone must bring an extraordinary person a.k.a schmuck meaning idiot and whomever brings the most strangest specimen wins; while their idiot gets a trophy and is “released back into the wild”. Tim’s better half, whom he’s proposed to several times Julie (Stephanie Szostak) is appalled when Tim tells her what he has to do and she puts some sense into him. Unfortunately, by a chance encounter Tim is blessed with one of these rare people, Barry Speck (Steve Carell) and he is not able to turn away from this easy opportunity. Barry is an amateur taxidermist, he uses dead mice to create art pieces and his naivety pushes him over the edge to idiocy.
Barry takes over Tim’s life, he’s trying to help him but he ends up destroying every aspect of Tim’s life and plans. The more Barry “helps” the worse things get for Tim. The easy promotion is not so easy anymore. Barry forces his friendship upon Tim and teaches him that nothing is more important that sticking to one’s values and appreciating someone for who they are.
I don’t believe Steven Carell to be one of the funniest comedians of today, in this role he is the same character as in Anchorman and a bit less clever than his character in The office. The same goes for Rudd, he’s always the passive aggressive guy with a girlfriend that has to put up with the dummy. Although these are not refreshing roles for them they do fill the shoes well, Carell does a great innocent idiot. Another comedian that appears here and always does a great psycho is Zach Galifianakis. Finally, Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Concords completes the movie with his wild character.
If you’ve seen director Jay Roach‘s work such as Meet the Parents and the Austin Powers movies then you probably know what to expect. It is not a hilarious movie, except for a couple of scenes/jokes but it will give you a good giggle all throughout with its silliness and absurdity. If you want to watch a witty comedy then this would be the wrong movie to choose.
07.29.2010 | By Jack Rico |
Mexican director Guillermo del Toro will direct “At the Mountain of Madness,” adapted from the novel by HP Lovecraft, with the production help of James Cameron, director of “Avatar.”
The plot tells the story of an expedition to Antarctica in the 30s, during which a group of scientists found a mysterious and ancient city. According to Deadline Hollywood, the movie will be made in 3D.
Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy) will create a fantasy and horror film, which will require a substantial budget.
