Flashdance is one of those movies you have to see once, just to know what all the buzz is about. There are a lot of cheesy dance flicks I like- Save the Last Dance, Center Stage, Step Up- but Flashdance fell flat for me.
Let me start off with the dancing, since that is the focus of the movie. First off, the style of dance isn’t one I like. It’s a personal taste thing, but I never got into the 80’s and a lot of the dance routines reminded me of exercise videos. I felt really guilty eating popcorn during this movie. Maybe if you’re into the 80’s or grew up then the dancing will click with you more. The skill used is amazing, but it’s also obvious that Jennifer Beals is not the one dancing.
I also had issues with the dancing at the bar where Alex works at night. What exactly is it supposed to be?! The summary says she’s an exotic dancer, but the girls don’t really strip. They just have these elaborate artsy dances in skimpy outfits. And the one routine where she had the white paint on her face and was dancing in front of a tv… was she a mime? Very, very confusing.
Most of the reasons I don’t like this movie stem from Alex herself. She’s moody, volatile, and has a toxic relationship with Nick. It’s not just that he’s her boss and older than her. Nick first takes note of Alex after seeing her dance at the bar. It seems sleazy to me that a girl's boss would try to pick her up after learning she also works as an exotic dancer (or whatever she is). In their relationship, Alex will be happy-go-lucky one moment and crazy the next, breaking windows, getting out of cars in the middle of the highway and slapping Nick. Not exactly the ideals of a healthy relationship. I think Dr. Drew would have a thing or two to say about her behavior.
Title: The Bounty Hunter (2010) Genre: Romantic Comedy Grade: B-
Summary: Milo Boyd, a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, gets his dream job when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurly. He thinks all that's ahead is an easy payday, but when Nicole gives him the slip so she can chase a lead on a murder cover-up, Milo realizes that nothing ever goes simply with him and Nicole. The exes continually one-up each other - until they find themselves on the run for their lives. They thought their promise to love, honor and obey was tough - staying alive is going to be a whole lot tougher.
Review:
This movie really surprised me. I found it on Netflix Instant when I was browsing around looking for something mindless. I was hoping a light romantic comedy would get me out of a stress induced funk I was in. I was just looking for cotton candy for the brain.
The Bounty Hunter is never going to make it on any of AFI's lists or even my favorite movie lists, but I think it's better than some of the other romcoms out there. What made this movie work for me was that it had a great mix of romance, comedy, action, and mystery. I particularly enjoyed the physical comedy, and Jason Sudakis has a small but hilarious role. There are a lot of plot lines that encompass these different aspects, but they were interwoven well.
I also really enjoyed the soundtrack. All of the songs were top 40's, and several were songs I normally never would have liked, but everything fit well with what was happening at that moment in the film. Also The Bounty Hunter had a very contemporary feel for me with the fashions and locations so top 40's seemed like a good pick.
In so many ways I felt that The Bounty Hunter could have originally been a contemporary romance novel and now I was just watching it play out on screen. The development of Milo and Nikki's relationship follows the same path that is seen in a lot of novels, right down to the Big Misunderstanding and how it is later resolved. In fact, maybe that's why I liked this movie so much- I got to see it all acted out visually instead of just reading it! It can definitely be argued that it's like that for most romcoms, but for some reason it was a lot more clearly defined for me in The Bounty Hunter.
I did think Milo and Nicole's romance could have been more dramatic or could have been taken more seriously at points, and Milo certainly went overboard with being a jerk once or twice. Like I said, not the best movie ever, but very, very fun. Team Aniston will also love this film- she looks absolutely fabulous in it!
I don't have anything against Taylor Lautner. Anyone who can go from this...
to that...
seriously gets some credit. (Give me a call, kid, when you hit twenty-five.) But, despite his ability to harness puberty better than 99.9% of the population, he's not the best actor out there. I mean there's a reason we've got meme's like this one popping up:
So I wasn't quite sure whether to laugh or cry when I saw this trailer:
Milking the cash cow are we? No, Taylor Lautner isn't the best actor, but casting him in action/thriller films that blatantly bank on the Twilight crowd wanting to see them isn't going to help his career. There's a reason actors like Jason Statham and Bruce Willis usually take those roles- because when a nineteen year old does it, it looks kind of dumb.
Movie: The Lady Eve (1941) Genre: Romantic Comedy Grade: B
Summary: Returning from a year up the Amazon studying snakes, the rich but unsophisticated Charles Pike meets con-artist Jean Harrington on a ship. They fall in love, but a misunderstanding causes them to split on bad terms. To get back at him, Jean disguises herself as an English lady, and comes back to tease and torment him.
Review:
A few days ago when hopping around the blogosphere I came across Dear Author's review of The Lady Eve and was intrigued. I'm a big fan of 1940's romances and screwball comedies, and also a lover of Barbara Stanwyck. Reading the review I realized, "hey I've seen this before!" but for some reason only the second half, so I jumped on Netflix Instant and watched the whole thing to judge it for myself. Interestingly enough, I came up with the same grade as Dear Author reviewer Jayne, but I completely disagree with her review. Janye, you've got it all backwards! Let me set the record straight...
I think I should start off my review by stating that I don't like Henry Fonda. Not one darn bit. I think he pulled his weight a bit in 12 Angry Men, but that had more to do with excellent direction by Sidney Lummet and strong actors like Lee J. Cobb to play off of. In The Lady Eve it's not his character Hopsy that's wooden, it's him! I also had some qualms with William Demarest's portrayal of Mugsy (to say the least it was one dimensional and over the top) but it was more a reflection of 1930's comedic acting styles than actual bad acting (i.e. Henry Fonda!).
Janye and my biggest disagreement is over the first half of the movie. The first half of the movie takes place on a steamboat headed back to New York from South America, where happy-go-lucky Jean begins a flirtation with Charles "Hopsy" Pike, millionaire and heir to an ale brewing company. Jean is the daughter of a card shark, and the flirtation was meant to help distract Hopsy, but soon she's falling for him too and calling off the whole scam. Janye thought this half was fantastic and laugh out loud hilarious. I thought it was mediocre and generic. I agree with her that the first half of the movie is a lot more light hearted, but that's what makes it so bland. There's no real tension that's developed yet.
That being said, the tone changes and becomes darker in the second half, once the tension has developed. At the end of the ship ride, Hopsy discovers what he believes to be Jean's deception and callously rejects her. She vows revenge and later stays with a family friend who lives by the Pikes, introducing herself as the Lady Eve only to capture Hopsy's heart once again, this time to break it. I felt Stanwyck really got a chance to shine in this half of the movie. She slide between the smiling society girl and the hurt and angry lover with ease (I couldn't help but think of her future character in Double Indemnity!). Ultimately she sides with good though and because of her love for Hopsy sees the error of what she's done.
The Lady Eve is a classic 1940's slapstick romantic comedy, and it's in the second half that it really acts like one. For most the movie the comedic burden has been on Stanwyck (and somewhat Demarest) but here Fonda finally helps out with some physical gags. I think to modern viewers these might seem silly and over the top, but I find them funny, especially when I look at them in comparison of other movies of the time when that's what comedy was.
There is one scene which really gets under my nerves though- the way in which Eve breaks Hopsy's heart is by confessing to a series of past flings and a previous marriage, which apparently is horrible enough to make him jump out of a train and refuse to ever speak to her again. Really?! Oh 1941... so appallingly anti-feminist. However, if you can block what they're actually saying out and just watch Stanwyck's delivery it's still funny.
Overall, I don't think The Lady Eve is the best romantic comedy, ever or of the 1940's. I don't think it holds up to the rapier wit of some of Cary Grant's early films (such as The Phildelphia Story) or The Thin Man series. It was, however, a wonderful performance by Barbara Stanwyck and a great way to spend an hour and a half. B
TiMER was an unexpected pick I found when browsing on Netflix. It's hard to exactly pick a genre for it- I'd maybe even place it as a romantic comedy, but with darker humor than usually seen and not the usual outcomes (I don't want to give too much away!).
If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?
Oona (staring Emma Caufield, Anya for all us Buffy fans!) has had the TiMER implanted in her wrist since puberty- a device that counts down to the exact moment when your soul mate enters your life. However, since her soul mate has not yet had his implanted, her countdown remains blank, and she feels in limbo. Steph, her sister, has a TiMER set to go off when she's 43, making her feel just as lost.
Each sister deals with their dilemma differently- Oona by making every un-TiMERed man she can find get the device and Steph by running through a series of meaningless one-night stands with other TiMERed men. But what happens when Oona meets Mikey, the younger, TiMERed guy who makes her ok with living in the present, and Steph finds Dan the Man, the un-TiMERed man who she might actually stick around for?
This was the most relatable romantic comedy I've seen in a while, despite it's alternate reality premise. It's so normal to be worried about when you're going to meet "The One" that you start to lose sight of the big picture and are willing to throw out a perfectly decent relationship because it likely won't last forever. I think to an extent everyone worries that love has no guarantees, so there are a lot of universal themes in this movie.
It's hard to discuss specifics of movie, because it took a lot of turns I didn't expect and it's not something I'd want to spoil. As I finished this movie and the credits began to roll I thought this would be a great movie to watch after a break up. It's all about the fact that the road to love is rocky and unexpected, and that there is no right answer, but it the end it will be ok. I would definitely recommend this one no matter your mood!
Hope everyone is having a good week. We're about to be hit by ANOTHER ice storm. Wherever you are be safe!
I know a lot of people a fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I've seen it blogged about several times and it's been a best seller for ages. I've never gotten around to reading it, but a few nights ago I was looking for a movie to watch and lo and behold, there it was on Netflix instant. It's 2:30am and I get myself comfortably situated and set up for some Swedish cinema. Now, can anyone see the problem with watching this movie in the middle of the night WITH NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PLOT!? Yea, there was some mental scarring.
Don't get me wrong. I loved the film and I don't regret watching it. I just wish I had a warning so I could have had a safety blanket and a tub of cookie dough ice cream on hand. European cinema is way more graphic than American. I know they're doing an American remake of the film, but even with a "R" rating they'll have to edit it way down. The funny thing is I almost went to this movie on a date a few months ago- so glad that didn't pan out!
Seeing that movie has altered my reading plans for the week ahead. At first I was considering downloading Anne Calhoun's new e-book Under His Hand. I really loved Liberating Lacey, so I'd like to read more of her work. However, after my recent experience, I think it's understandable why I'm going to wait a week or two before reading a book which focuses on dominance and submission.
Instead I think I'm going to hunt down something entirely light and fluffy. I'm sure I have something on my shelves, but any good suggestions are welcome!
We've been hit with several inches of snow over the past few days. The weather people are predicting a few snow showers tomorrow night, but I hope nothing to bad. It's days like this I'm glad I don't have car.... (Taken by my friend in the parking lot behind our dorm)
So what is there to do on these snowy evenings? Besides read, I already do that ;) Curl up and watch a movie of course!
Movie: The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
Genre: Romance
Grade: C+/B-
Summary:
Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships -- both old and new -- begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels.
Review:
The Jane Austen Book Club is a fun romp through Austenland with no particular emphasis on one book. I wouldn't say it's particularly deep, as all the connections between movie characters and book characters are obvious, and it's definitely not thorough with six characters and six books being covered. It does, however, capture a certain essence about Jane Austen lit, maybe about the dangers and resumptions of love, and the idea that somehow it all turns out well in the end.
About sixty percent of the movie is ho-hum standard romance for me (and ten percent I can't stand), but there is about thirty percent of the movie that I absolutely love and that's why I own a copy.
First, I absolutely love the May-December relationship between Jocelyn and Grigg. Jocelyn is an older woman who is a very successful dog breeder (and thus is related to the book Emma. Get it, she likes pairing things up?). Grigg is a well-off computer geek and sci-fi fan, and smitten with Jocelyn since their first meeting, not that she's noticed. If only he would stop being such a gentleman and make a move ;) Their courtship is sweet, hilarious, and of course, riddled with misunderstandings.
But really, the force which drives this movie for me is Prudie, played by Emily Blunt. At first cold and stern, we watch as she spirals out of control and her marriage falls apart. Considering how horribly unlikeable Prudie starts off as it is amazing how easy it is to come to care for her. She is by far the most interesting of the characters and I think Emily Blunt is an amazing actress.
On those two factors alone I think the film is worth seeing once.
It ends a bit like a Jane Austen book, which is perhaps why the acting takes a turn for the worse at the end. With everything so neatly tied up in little bows their isn't much to work with. Every couple is neatly paired off, ecstatically happy and dialog is reduced to a mush of sappy cliches. I suppose if the movie meant to imitate Austen, a true advocate of the happily ever after, they did it well.
Bride and Prejudice (2004) Genre: Romance/Musical Grade: C+, but still recommended
Loving Pride and Prejudice seems to be a prerequisite for loving the romance genre. Ok, maybe prerequisite is a strong word, but I can probably count on one had the number of people who love the romance genre but aren’t lusting after Mr. Darcy. And how many of us have gotten into a debate about whether Colin Firth or Matthew McFadden played it better? Uh, guilty!
There are so many knock offs, spin offs, and take offs on Pride and Prejudice it’s impossible to keep track. So let me tell you about one of my favorites. Anyone ever heard of a movie called Bride and Prejudice? Yes? No? Well let me say this is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I’m going to come out and admit it’s not the best of movies, but as long as you don’t think about that too hard you can really enjoy it.
Bride and Prejudice is essentially Bollywood-lite meets American musical with a healthy serving of beautiful people. And it works. Because it’s fun! The landscape is gorgeous, you have bright colorful saris swirling all around, funny stereotypical Indian mothers running around arranging marriages, and people bursting into song in the middle of the street.
The worst part about this movie was that it made me want Indian food really really badly! I go to school in a small town and there are no Indian restaurants anywhere near me. I can’t wait to go home on break because there are tons of Indian restaurants near my parents house. Bring on the curry!
I've been out of the blogosphere for almost two weeks now. Like most of the population I've been under the weather, and then got backlogged with life and had no time to update. So, to make up for that, I'm doing a Mega Post of Happy Things. In other words, a big list of things that make me smile with as many links as possible.
Non-Romance Blogs I Follow
1. Lolcats: Who doesn't follow this one? I'm also going to mention the numerous associated blogs I check out on a regular basis: ROFLrazzi, Pundit Kitchen, Graphjam, Kludges, Failblog, Failbook, and Hacked IRL.
2. Nathan Kamp: Book Covers: Ok, so this is sort of related to romance, but more under the hot men category. You can probably recognize him because he's on tons of romance covers. Did anyone else watch the pilot for Royal Pains just for Nathan's two-second cameo...?
3. Odd News: Mainly from the UK, but the articles are universally funny.
4.Oddly Specific: I think this one is also associated with Lolcats, but I like it enough to give it its own line.
5. Picture is Unrelated: Another golden Lolcat cousin filled with WTFckery.
6. Sleep Talkin' Man: From the UK as well, but this guy must have hilarious dreams.
7. Stop Making That Duckface!: You know someone who does it, and please, just stop.
8. manvszombies: I've never really gotten into the whole zombie thing, but I get a kick out of this. If you've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies you might like it.
9. WEDINATOR: Snark-worthy wedding moments.
10. Cake Wrecks: This goes well with WENDINATOR.
11. XKCD: Geeky jokes for the nerd in all of us.
12. Autocomplete Me: When Google suggest goes awry.
13. Hunk du Jour: Self-explanatory. Hot Men make me happy.
14. 5-Star Men: More hot men! Both this and Hunk du Jour are targeted for gay men, but I see no reason a straight woman can't enjoy it.
15. Indexed: Clever messages on index cards.
16. PostSecret: Sometimes funny. Sometimes tragic. I've been following this blog for almost six years and have gone to a few signing events.
17. FMyLife: As most this list proves, life's fails are entertaining.
On My YouTube Account
1. CommunityChannel: Apparently spunky Asian-Australian girls make big youtube sensations. Usually posts every 3-7 days with easily to relate to self-deprecating humor.
2. CollegeHumor: I'm pretty sure MTV owns this. They post pretty frequently with a variety of ongoing shows and series. Really funny and some of the stuff is very well done.
Blog Awards
Tracy was really awesome and tagged me (quite awhile ago) for the Sugar Doll Award. I'm supposed to list 10 things about myself and pass it on. To be honest, I'm horrible about tagging other people so I'm just going to encourage anyone who wants to do this to post it on their blog.
My ten things: 1. I'm obsessed with the Iditarod. For those poor souls who do not know what the Iditarod is, it's the dog sled race up in Alaska. (Anyone seen Balto?) I've been known to get pretty big crushes on some of the younger mushers, my two favorites being Rohn Buser and Dallas Seavey. Rohn isn't in the race this year, but Dallas is and I'm definitely cheering him on. The race is still going on now, so check it out! 2. I want to become a flight attendant. Most people look at me funny for this. Would I really want to deal with the insane hours and crabby passengers. Well yea, I do. I'd be awesome at it (I have amazing customer service skills) and the benefits would be sweet. 3. I love the movie Repo! The Genetic Opera. It's hard to describe, except that it's as campy as Rocky Horror and you get to see Paris Hilton's face fall off. 4. I'm terrified of relationships. I love reading romances, but there's a big difference between enjoying the story and actually being ready for a relationship. 5. Cary Grant is my hero. I have a nice little collection of his comedies, my favorite being The Philadelphia Story. 6. I'm focusing on school right now, but one day I want to write romance. Probably contemporary romance. I already have a few ideas bouncing around my head. 7. Red and black are my favorite colors. 8. I have three stars tattooed on my body. 9. I have two cats, Jesse (James) and Aby (which is short for Abyssinia, the source of the Nile), and a betta fish named Napoleon. 10. I am not a morning person, whatsoever. When left to my own devices I become completely nocturnal. This happened to me for a few weeks during my freshman year at college. It was very inconvenient.
Just Friggin' Awesome
A couple weeks ago over at Smart Bitches there was a contest to promote The Marriage Ring. The winner got a $1,500 gift certificate to Fragments jewelry. My friend won! I was in a state of shock for the first few minutes after she told me. I'm so happy for her!
Twilight
Whether you love it, whether you hate it, most of us can't take our eyes off it.
Yea, I'll be there.
Hot Men
Would any make-you-feel-better blog post really be complete without them?
Last night I was in the mood for seeing a movie on the big screen. My first choice would have been Avatar, but since no one else wanted to see that with me, I went with my second choice: The Young Victoria.
I've been interested in seeing it for two reasons. First, I absolutely love Emily Blunt. I think she is incredibly talented and can't wait to see what she does in the future. The second reason was that Sarah Ferguson was one of the producers. The New York Times had an article a few weeks back about Fergie and her role in making this film.
I was not disappointed in the film at all. Emily Blunt's performance was wonderful. She just seems to absorb her characters, completely becoming them. Her portrayal of Queen Victoria wasn't what I expected. While Victoria can be considered the "heroine" here, especially since the film heavily focuses on her romance with Albert, Blunt captures the nuancies of her character. She portrayed both her strength as well as her insecurities and childishness. Rupert Friend (Prince Albert) was equally memorable. He was a man torn between giddy young love and lost without a role in his wife's court. I fell in love with his character. The rest of the cast was equally memorable, including Miranda Richardson as Victoria's weak-minded but power hungry mother, and Paul Bettany as the slightly sinister Lord Melbourne.
Unfortunatley The Young Victoria finds itself torn between being a dramaticized documentary and a romantic drama. There is no one story line to follow. Half the film seems devoted to chronicling Victoria's seccession to the throne and its perils and the other half to portraying her romance with Albert. For this reason the film lacks a conclusive ending. Victoria is still young and fairly niave, and we never see her master her role as Queen, make decisions based on her own beliefs, or find satisfying independence, which was her goal. Despite their love Albert and Victoria still have many trials ahead of them, mainly balancing Victoria's role as queen with the dinamics of their husband/wife relationship.
The stylistic filming was distracting at points. While I liked the use of shadows, the camera frequently went out of focus and I was unsure why that technique was used. It didn't seem to enhance any moments or convey a particular feeling.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves period dramas or romances. The costumes and settings were gorgeous, the love story was captivating, and the acting was superb. I would give it four out of five stars.
