Monday, February 14, 2011
Just Go With It
Film: Just Go With It
Starring: Adam Sandler (Reign Over Me and Click) and Jennifer Aniston (The Break-Up and Office Space)
Director: Dennis Dugan (Grown Ups and Saving Silverman)
U.S. Release: 2011 (Rated PG-13)
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Dennis Dugan has a man crush on Adam Sandler. There, I said it. Now that the cat's out of the bag, maybe we can all start to put things into perspective. Since it seems as though the director is somehow attached to every Adam Sandler film nowadays, people are beginning to wonder if Dugan will ever branch out on his own again. If not, perhaps his son's baseball career (Kelly Dugan plays for a Philadelphia Phillies minor league affiliate) can pay the bills after his string of flops. Or did I speak too soon? Just Go With It, Sandler and Dugan's latest release, raked in over $30 million last weekend to claim the top spot for ticket sales. Much to the dismay of critics (most of whom have ripped the romantic comedy), it seems as though Sandler is still a strong box office draw.
Just Go With It follows a once heartbroken plastic surgeon named Danny (played by Sandler) who discovers a strange way to pick up women. Danny makes up stories about having an unfit wife at home and he uses the lies to lore women into sleeping with him. Everything seems to be going great until he finally meets Palmer (played by Brooklyn Decker), a woman he thinks could be "the one". Just when nothing could go wrong, Palmer finds Danny's psuedo wedding band and confronts him about it. Desperate not to blow his own cover, Danny tells Palmer that he's getting divorced. With the aid of his assistant Katherine (played by Aniston), the pair work together to fool Palmer into believing their lie. But as we all know, a simple lie always leads to another, and then the avalanche begins. There's no telling how far Danny will go in order to keep his secret and find true love.
There's nothing groundbreaking with the romantic comedy Just Go With It. The film is highly predictable and overdone. However, Adam Sandler is still one of the best comedy actors alive and he does his part to keep the film entertaining. With a noteworthy supporting role from the always funny Nick Swardson (he's unforgettable in the cult classic Grandma's Boy), Just Go With It certainly has its fair share of laugh out loud moments. Musician Dave Matthews gives a solid performance as well as his on screen beau Nicole Kidman in their respective side roles. However, despite the large star studded cast, Just Go With It ultimately falls short in the end.
Most of the problems with the film come at the helm of its director Dennis Dugan. It's hard to turn an overdone story into a compelling film, but there was a glimmer of hope here that faded as the minutes rolled. There's an ancient proverb that says, "Two hour comedies rarely ever succeed", or did I make that up? Anyway, truth be told Just Go With It spends so much time piling lie on top of lie that the audience finds itself fed up with the nonsense. Instead of getting to the cliche resolve in a timely fashion, Dugan lets the story recycle itself beyond necessity. By the time the closing credits roll, it's evident that the audience has given up on the story.
Since it's Valentine's Day and all, I'm sure plenty of people will trek to the theatres for dinner and a movie. There isn't much else to choose from, so Sandler and Aniston will undoubtedly draw a crowd (and maybe even you). When they do end up sucking you in, notice that Just Go With It is tolerable, but overdone.
Stars: 2 out of 4.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Cedar Rapids Review
Film: Cedar Rapids
Starring: Ed Helms (The Hangover), John C. Reilly (Talladega Nights and Cyrus), and Anne Heche (John Q)
Director: Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt)
U.S. Release: 2011 (Rated R)
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 86 minutes
At the beginning of every year The Sundance Film Festival welcomes a wide variety of independent films to the stage. Playing host to countless studio executives, if all goes well, a movie will find itself getting picked up and distributed. Miguel Arteta, director of the new indie comedy Cedar Rapids, was surely relieved to have the backing of Fox Searchlight Pictures before he premiered his latest comedic tale at Sundance this year. However, after having a chance to view the film at an advanced screening, I think Fox Searchlight will have the last laugh here.
Set initially in the small town of Brown Valley, Wisconsin, Cedar Rapids follows a likable insurance salesman name Tim Lippe (played by Ed Helms) as he embarks on an adventure to Iowa's second largest city. After a tragic accident, Tim is selected by his boss to represent their company at the annual ASMI convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The convention gives out an award every year to the insurance company that best serves its community (and god) called the Two Diamond Award. Having won the honor 3 years running, Tim feels the pressure from his boss to succeed. While away at the convention, Tim befriends a wild bunch, namely Dean Ziegler (Reilly), Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Heche) and Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr). This fun-filled group helps break Tim out of his small town shell, however, they simultaneously start to ruin his chances at winning the award he so desperately needs.
With an all-star cast and a script that keeps the laughs flowing, Cedar Rapids is a comedic joy. Although it's hilarious from start to finish, the film is more than just a collection of funny scenes. There's a real strong plot here. The purpose of the film makes sense and is realistic. All together making Cedar Rapids that much better of a movie. It truly is the total package.
Director Miguel Arteta once again delivers us an awkwardly brilliant main character (much like his last film Youth in Revolt). Only this time, the supporting cast perfectly helps bring the character Tim Lippe to life. Most notable is John C. Reilly's contribution to the film. He's real yet absurd all at the same time. You love him for his sincerity, and laugh at him for his carelessness. Perfectly casted, Reilly truly makes Cedar Rapids work. In his leading role, Ed Helms is everything you can ask for. Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the announcement of The Hangover 2 has inevitably overshadowed the film. However, the people who take the time to see this low budget treat will end up loving Cedar Rapids.
By no means can you catch Cedar Rapids in theatres everywhere. Yet, this fine tuned 86 minutes of laugh out loud comedy is worth the search. So scout it out and make an effort to see the first successful comedy of 2011.
Stars: 3 stars out of 4
Grade: B
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Company Men
Film: The Company Men
Starring: Ben Affleck (The Town and Good Will Hunting), Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive and No Country For Old Men), and Chris Cooper (American Beauty and The Bourne Identity)
Director: John Wells
U.S. Release: 2010 (Sundance Film Festival) and 2011 (nationwide release) - Rated R
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 113 minutes
I'm not one to get all "political", but people are still feeling the effects of the economic crisis that hit the United States in 2008. Despite their notable efforts, I know hand fulls of young, college educated adults who are still unemployed. Therefore, when I first saw the trailer for director John Wells' The Company Men, I was very intrigued. With an all-star cast including Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, and a local product Maria Bello (from Norristown, PA), how could I not be eager for its release?
Set in the years 2008 and 2009, The Company Men follows the lives of three highly regarded employees at a major American company. Having giving over a decade of service to their employer, Bobby Walker (Affleck), Phil Woodward (Cooper), and an executive Gene McClary (Jones) find themselves caught in the middle of corporate downsizing during the economic recession. The Company Men shows these individuals and their families coping with the heartache and sacrifice needed to stay afloat during these trying times. And ultimately, the film depicts the lack of reciprocation that goes with the dedication these men have to their profession. As the tagline goes, "in America, we give our lives to our jobs ..." and at the end of the day, most workers in the business industry are just a name on a payroll sheet.
The film's director, John Wells, takes his first shot at a feature length film with The Company Men. As it turns out, the result is just a hair under two hours of constantly watching these characters experience rejection time and time again. The first major flaw in the film comes from the situation created by Wells (who also write the script). It's difficult watching these wealthy men (annual salaries well north of $100,ooo/year) lose their jobs and acting irresponsibly. Seeing their arrogance and sense of entitlement first hand, the audience inevitably struggles to sympathize with the characters. For example, Affleck's character (Bobby Walker) is granted 12 weeks full pay and benefits as part of his severance package. However, the Porsche owner refuses cutting back spending and even selling his car, all while trying to support a wife and two children. It's instances like this that make it difficult to empathize with the main characters, even though they're left devastated by such a negative experience. When you're telling a story about such a depressing topic, it's only logical to create characters with whom the audience can connect. John Wells certainly fails at doing so.
Despite the lack of likability with some of The Company Men's leading actors, the film adequately portrays the struggles that many unemployed americans are dealing with on a daily basis. Topics like relocation, decreased salary, and resorting to blue collar work are addressed. It was nice to see the movie touch base with the harsh realities of job loss and the various extremes they need to face, in order to support their loved ones. In addition to the film's admirable attempt at tackling the issue of losing a job, the acting was also worthy of mention. All of the leads give stellar performances, Affleck included.
Even though the film is obviously flawed, there are still plenty of moral lessons to take from the movie. The Company Men certainly won't dazzle you, but if you're a member of the business community or have been effected by a job loss, it might be a suitable watch. Either way, I suggest waiting for DVD.
Stars: 2 out of 4.
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