People Like Us (Movie Review)

‘People Like Us’ is a good mix of drama with a sprinkle of comedy and sweetness, a perfect dose of entertainment. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film since it seems to have a pretty clear plot, but fortunately thanks to all the different personalities it is anything but predictable. At times the film gets dangerously corny, but as Alex Kurtzman’s directorial debut it is a refreshing film about life choices and family, which teaches us all a lesson.

 

When Jerry Harper a record producer and Sam’s (Chris Pine) estranged father passes away, he reluctantly flies to Los Angeles with Hannah (Olivia Wilde) his girlfriend, to attend his funeral and settle his state. At home we get pieces of what his childhood was like, as his mother, Lillian (Michelle Pfeiffer) doesn’t seem very nurturing. To his surprise his father left him the task of contacting a half sister he didn’t know existed, Frankie (Elizabeth Banks) to deliver an enraging amount of money to her. While contemplating what to do with the money, Sam scouts out his half sister and gets a peek into her complicated life as the single mother of Josh (Michael Hall D’Addario) and unexpectedly gets drawn into their lives.

 

The best part of this movie is D’Addario, the kid is hilarious because not only does he act like an adult since he has to take care of himself, but he’s too smart for his own good. Banks doesn’t stay too far behind as we see where the kid gets it from, she also has a smart mouth, is strong and sexy all at the same time. Pine’s character is the darker, mysterious one and he plays the roll well. Wilde although doesn’t have a lot of screen time, serves her role as Pine’s conscience perfectly. Finally Pfeiffer, rounds out the parent role, as obviously the missing parent is talked about a lot and becomes a presence in the film, but she’s one of the characters that can bring him to life the most.

 

The movie’s fuel is the tension between the siblings and although it is beyond frustrating, it works, because that’s exactly what keeps you interested and cringing at the same time. The movie weaves in music with funny and dramatic moments masterfully. Slowly without noticing you come to care for this characters and even when it starts to get corny you still want to know how the story ends. The key to the story is that we see how someone’s actions (the deceased father’s) affected the lives of many people, even the ones that didn’t know him. The movie is loosely based on the director’s real life and this isn’t a story that is hard to believe; it’s pretty down to earth without being dull.

 

Pine delivers some worthy life lessons, but most of all the film let’s us know that there’s usually more to the actions of others than we know. As children we are quick to judge our parents and react on it as adults, here we explore how the options of running away or sticking around pan out. In the mist of summer movies this is a heartfelt hidden drama in between all the action and comedy ones that will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling.    

Magic Mike (Movie Review)

‘Magic Mike’ is nothing more than a top-notch peep show, it tries very hard to be much more than that but it simply fails. I would say this is the cheapest way to enjoy a male strip show rather than going to a strip club, because that part of the movie is a guaranteed good time. The movie definitely out does itself with all the butt shots and fun sexy shirtless moments; honestly that’s what most people are going to check out this movie for anyway. I would definitely suggest leaving your boyfriend home for this one, so you can enjoy all the eye candy without being pinched every five seconds.

 

The story is divided between Mike (Channing Tatum) and Adam (Alex Pettyfer). Basically, Mike who is an entrepreneur and holds a handful of part-time jobs, the most prominent being a male stripper, decides to take nineteen year old Adam who he nicknames “Kid†under his wing. Adam is a screw up at everything he does, his lifeline is his sister Brooke (Cody Horn), but thanks to Magic Mike’s guidance he finds something that motivates him. Magic Mike entered the world of male stripping thanks to Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) owner of club Xquisite, in Tampa. Here Magic Mike and newcomer Kid show their talent, along with: Big Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello), Ken (Matt Bomer), Tito (Adam Rodriguez) and Tarzan (Kevin Nash), they perform to the music of Tobias (Gabriel Iglesias). Slowly we explore the nightlife these male strippers lead and all the ups and downs that come along with that.

 

Director Steven Soderbergh worked off Tatum’s idea, which became one of the producers of the movie that stem off the fact that he was a male stripper for eight months when he was 18 years old. To compose a rounder idea they decided to portray a young newcomer versus a thirty year old experienced headlining stripper. The idea works, since this is the only real believable connection in the film. It was interesting to see that despite all the fun, most of these characters are lonely and have almost like a “rockstar†kind of life. There are certainly a number of funny moments that will make you giggle, some that will make you drool, and others that will make you cheer.

 

The other connection they work very hard at is between Tatum and Horn, although she’s the biggest obstacle of the film and she serves her purpose it feels too forced and awkward most of the time. But, the thing that bothered me most about the film was the way it was edited, it had a timeline, which served as a way to cut up the movie into chapters, but it was distracting and rushed the movie along especially at the end.

 

There are no great acting performances here, except for McConaughey who really knows how to play a controlling nut, besides that the only great performances happen on stage. Without a doubt Tatum delivers every time the spotlight is on him and it is time to seduce, but he has yet to convince me that he’s more than a pretty face. It was nice to have comedian Iglesias play one of the most serious roles of the film, although it’s such a hidden and unexplored story.

 

Perhaps if the film had focused on the title the plot would have been more interesting, as Tatum’s character clearly has layers to work with. It would have been nice to have a fun time along with a sensible storyline, but not all is perfect in life. So, enjoy the entertaining yummy peep show and try to overlook everything else that surrounds it.  

Wrath of the Titans

There’s very few times when a sequel is better than the original, but this is true for ‘Wrath of the Titans’.  This probably has to do with the fact that it has a new director, Jonathan Liebesman, as well as different screenwriters, Dan Mazeau and David Johnson. Obviously, this helped it tremendously as the original ‘Clash of the Titans’ had a flat storyline and other various problems that made it very hard to like. This sequel has a storyline that is more captivating and nutritious, it also has some mighty shots of various horrifying monsters that made the action all the more interesting. The screening I went to was 3D, which didn’t really enhance the movie as the 3D work was not good and this could be because of the fact that it was converted into a 3D film, it wasn’t shot as one.

This second film picks up with Perseus (Sam Worthington) a decade after his last adventure, although he’s a demigod he’s decided to live life as a fisherman and as the single father of Helius (John Bell). His calm life begins to change when his father, Zeus (Liam Neeson) comes to ask him for help, the gods have weakened since people have lost faith and they are losing control of their prisoners in the underworld: Hades (Ralph Fiennes) and the titans. Perseus refuses but is forced to come into action when the unstoppable wrath begins. He recruits the help of Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike) and Agenor (Toby Kebbell). Together they go on a journey in which if they don’t succeed the world will cease to exist along with them and their gods.

We get a couple of new characters in the story; one of the most exciting ones is Zeus’ godly son Ares (Edgar Ramírez). This Venezuelan born actor plays the god of war just how mythology and his title describe it. It is great to see a Hispanic playing a big role in a blockbuster film like this one. Another note worthy fact is that a big portion of the film was shot in the Canary Island of Tenerife, one more reason to like the film. The main actor, Worthington for the most part does well with action films and so this role fits him. I would also say this sequel fits Neeson better, as I thought it was embarrassing that he was involved in the previous film.

One thing I enjoyed about this film more were the monsters, they were so much more real and detailed. The diversity of them also really added to the story, along with the fact that in this film we have more than one fighter getting rid of them. Like mentioned before, the 3D might have been an element that took away from the film. Also, there are certain parts of the story that are supposed to be complicated but somehow end up having an easy solution, which I’m not sure was fitting. The film also should have worked a little more in relationships, as most characters seemed to lack emotion in certain places that merited it.

This film is just fun to watch because you are taken on a mythological journey, where you are surrounded by gods, monsters and powerful humans (both men and women) who together make for a fascinating story. Although this film is much better than its’ predecessor, is not to say it is the best action film of 2012 but nonetheless it is entertaining and will take you on a wild adventure for a short 99 minutes. 

Pixar’s ‘Brave’ is #1 at the box office

‘Brave’ Pixar’s animated film opened at number one with $66.7 million dollars. This is the studio’s fifth best film debut; obviously the adventures in Scotland of this redheaded girl, Merida, captivated many.

Another animated film that has done very well ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ ended up in second place with $20.2 million dollars. What’s interesting is that the film that mainly takes place in Europe has yet to premiere there, surely it will collect even more when it does.

In third place is ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ with $16.5 million dollars. This film that injects fantasy in the life of the United States 16th president, received mainly negative reviews.

The Top 10 Movies in the Box Office are:

1.Brave – $66.7 mil

2. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted -$20.3 mil

3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter-$16.5 mil

4. Prometheus -$10 mil

5. Rock of Ages -$8 mil

6. Snow White and the Huntsman -$8 mil

7. That’s My Boy -$7.9mil

8.The Avengers -$7mil

9. Men in Black 3 -$5.6mil

10. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World -$3.8mil

First look at set pictures of ‘Machete Kills’!

We have some exclusive photos from ‘Machete Kills’, which is coming out next year and is already shooting, thanks to Jessica Alba. In this sequel of ‘Machete’,which came out in 2010, Texas born Mexican director Robert Rodriguez brings to the screen the continuations of Machete’s (Danny Trejo) story. Here the U.S. government recruits him to battle an arms dealer in Mexico, who wants to launch a dangerous weapon into space.

The cast is filled with very talented Latinos: Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Vergara, Demián Bichir and of course Jessica Alba and Danny Trejo. Mel Gibson will be starting as well. 

Here are some of the pictures of the cast and of the very special birthday celebration for director Rodriguez:

Edgar Ramírez encarnará Simón Bolívar en ‘Libertador’

Venezuelan director Alberto Arvelo Mendoza has announced the cast for his biographical film about Simon Bolivar, titled ‘Libertador’ by scriptwriter Timothy Sexton who wrote ‘Children of Men’. Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez who’s played noticeable roles in ‘Wrath of the Titans’ and ‘ The Bourne Ultimatum’ will be the liberator, in this movie about the work Bolivar did to unite the nations of South America. During his lifetime (1783-1830), Bolivar fought for the independence of Latin America from the Spanish Empire and carried out military campaigns that extended in a territory far greater than that of Alexander the Great. The rest of the cast are: Spanish actress Maria Valverde, Danny Huston who worked with Ramirez in ‘Wrath of the Titants’ and has been in ‘Children of Men’ among others, Imanol Ariasm and Gary Lewis.

This is an ambicious project in which the director wants to concentrate in how Bolivar really was beyond of what history says about him. Since he’s considered as one of the most influential emancipators and politicians in the history of America. Producer Winnifred Hammacher said that without a doubt this team will be able to make ‘Libertador’, which is a story told from Bolivar’s perspective, into the ‘Braveheart’ of South America.

The production of the film which is mainly in Spanish with a little bit of English and French, has taken place in Venezuela and for the second half has moved to Spain. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel’s very own Los Angeles Philharmonic will make music for the movies for the first time in this one.

‘LIBERTADOR’ will open in 2013

‘I’m so Excited’, title of Almodóvar’s next comedy

The next movie from Spanish director Pedro Almodovar ‘I’m so Excited’ from his production company El Deseo, was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, which already has had a long working history with the director.

There are still no details about the story, but it’s described as a mixed comedy written and directed by the Spanish filmmaker. The cast for the film has been announced: Javier Cámara, Cecilia Roth, Lola Dueñas, Raul Arévalo, Carlos Areces, Antonio de la Torre, Hugo Silva, Willy Toledo, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Banca Suárez, José Luis Torrijo, José María Yazpik, Laya Martí with special collaborations from Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz y Paz Vega.

Almodovar’s last film was ‘The Skin I Live in’ which received mixed but enthusiastic reviews. The movie ‘ I’m so Excited’ will begin shooting next month and will open summer 2013.