Ryan Gosling is so handsome that he’s even captured the fancy of another Hollywood hunk.
Writing about Gosling’s latest film “The Place Beyond the Pines” for The Huffington Post entitled “Burning for Gosling”, James Franco’s piece sounds more like a love letter to the Canadian actor than an actual review.
Here are just some sensual quotes from Franco’s review:
1. ”I loved the whole film and was engaged every moment of the way. But what I want to talk about is the first section, the Gosling section; I want to make love to this section.”
2. ”…the smoking, brooding carnival king who will ride his motorcycle like no other into the burning twilight of legend…”
3. ”Look at the writing on the bike before he paints it black; Gosling touches, all, I’m sure of it.”
4. ”Look at how he smokes; look at the other t-shirts he wears inside out; look at the holes!”
Franco deserves some serious points for not being afraid to express his man crush on Gosling.
There ain’t nothing wrong with some man-on-man appreciation, so I can’t even blame Franco for honouring the Canadian actor for his talents and his looks.
Gosling, in my books, is probably the most beautiful man in the world. Franco has fantastic taste.
Here’s the trailer for “The Place Beyond the Pines”:
Nike Fuel Band is a wristband with an electronic core and silicone type of surface that can be coordinated to sync with one’s computer and mobile phone in order to provide a measurement of one’s daily physical activities in the form of what is called ‘Nike Fuel Points’. With Nike Fuel Points as the numerical quantification of all the activities of your athletic life, running, walking and so forth, the Nike Fuel band and accompanying free software, displays information in a variety of numeric and graphical ways to provide some very useful feedback. Since Nike Fuel is calculated the same way for everyone, it is feasible to compare and compete with virtually anyone else on the planet using the Nike Fuel band.
The ultimate value of the Nike Fuel Band to the consumer, is to be motivated to get in shape and maintain a reasonable level of ongoing physical activity.
Setting fitness goals & staying with it
How can the Nike Fuel Band help us maintain a regular exercise routine particularly during the long cold Canadian winter? Using the Nike Fuel Band and related software to set daily activity goals, track one’s progress, and then comparing one’s advancement with others who are using Nike Fuel Band through the social networking apps such as Facebook and Twitter holds the prospect of turning an exercise routine into both a competitive and fun activity. With the ability to view one’s activity information at a glance in the form of useful data and simple graphs, connecting with other Fuel Band users, a person can be motivated towards reaching daily activity goals. Warm summer weather might be an invitation to get outside for a walk or run but cold Canadian winters with shorter daylight hours might require a little more motivation to stay active.
To me, the Nike Fuel Band is kind of like someone looking over my shoulder reminding me to keep moving. Since putting on a Nike Fuel Band, I have actually found myself thinking about reaching my daily goals and taking action, even on some of the colder winter evenings.
The Nike Fuel Band, available in Ice Black or Ice White, is more than a very cool looking watch. With a touch of a button, the LED display will cycle, to show the Fuel Points earned, calories burned and the footsteps taken. I set my daily activity goals to 3000 Units of Nike Fuel Points, then found myself keeping my body in motion towards reaching this goal. My daily results are monitored by the Nike Fuel Band and my progress is then displayed in various forms, such as digital readouts on my wrist band itself, and as graphs on my computer or my iPhone through use of the free mobile ‘app’ software program downloaded from the Nike website. I have yet to start comparing my progress with others on Facebook and Twitter, but this would most likely be my next endeavor.
I took some time to view the online videos provided by Nike and was soon able to make practical use of the Nike Fuel Band once the internal battery reached full charge. Keep the Nike Fuel Band up to date with the occasional software updates and it’s all good to go! Setting up the Nike Fuel Band is relatively simple, however, reviewing these initial steps below might further help clarify the process:
1. Purchase the correct Nike Fuel Band Size (a 7 inch male wrist – size M/L)
2. Unbox your Nike Fuel Band – additional wrist band links are included to tweak size adjustments
3. Plug the Nike Fuel Band into the USB port of your computer using the included adaptor
4. REGISTER your Nike Fuel Band on the Nike website
5. Let the Nike Fuel Band internal battery charge up and perform any recommended firmware updates to the device
6. Download and set up the Software App on your computer and your mobile phone
The Power of Combining the Tools
Pairing an iPhone with a Nike Fuel Band expands the power of each device and beautifully illustrates how much more value can be achieved in using these technologies together. Once the Nike Fuel Band is connected by way of ‘blue tooth’ to your mobile phone, syncing is usually automatic. It is even possible to manually commence a sync between your Nike Fuel Band and mobile phone by simply holding the button down on the Nike Nike Fuel Band for a second or two. As you move around with the Nike Fuel Band, one’s activities for the day, the week, the month and so forth is constantly being measured. The total distance you’ve gone estimates the calories burned and various metrics which are useful in monitoring your physical activities are graphed and charted. Ultimately the user will be able to view the amount of activity that has been done in the week, the month or the year and compare it over time to determine if one needs to make modifications to a workout program.
Life is a sport – Make it count
For swimmers, weight lifters and cyclists, the Nike Fuel Band may be limited to serving as a cool looking watch because it relies mostly upon upper body movement to track performance. For joggers, runners or walkers, the Nike Fuel Band can serve as a hi-tech informational tool that can be used to motivate one towards reaching their fitness goals. For somebody who is looking to make a difference in the activities in their life, Nike Fuel Band, in the form of a silicone wristband with a sophisticated electronic core, may be just what is needed to get the body moving and to stay on track.
Bringing a corpse back to life is often (if not always) extremely creepy. But in Tim Burton’s new film Frankenweenie, resurrection is just as cute and endearing when it involves a boy and his everlasting love for his dog.
Plot
Set in the fictional town of New Holland, Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) is a bright and curious boy who doesn’t have many friends. Spending much of his time cooped up in the attic doing science experiments, the only companion he has is his beloved dog Sparky.
Together, the two are inseparable. So much so, that Victor’s caring parents (voiced by Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara) convince him to make friends and try different things.
Everything changes when Sparky dies unexpectedly after an accident. Trying to deal with his grief in science class, Victor is suddenly inspired when his eccentric teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) shows how a dead frog’s limbs still work when electrocuted. Motivated, Victor rushes back home to devise a plan to bring his dog back to life.
When the plan works and Sparky lives, Victor tries to keep his resurrected pet a secret. But when Sparky gets out, havoc breaks and it’s up to Victor to save the day.
Things I loved:
The characters
It just wouldn’t be a Tim Burton film without some quirky characters, and with their bulging eyes and oversized heads, these ones are especially so. Some favourites that come to mind are Victor’s classmates, Edgar (Atticus Shaffer) and Weird Girl (also voiced by Catherine O’Hara), who try to tamper with his scientific discovery.
Winona Ryder on the other hand, seems to play the sanest character on the bill as Elsa Van Helsing. She holds the most sympathy for Victor during his loss, but is way too distracted dealing with her tyrant uncle, who just so happens to be the town mayor (also voiced by Martin Short).
But the most interesting character in the movie is none other than science teacher Mr. Rzykruski. Sounding like a European Dracula, he steals the show, applying strange and unsettling teaching methods to his class.
The Special Effects
I’m not a big fan of 3D because I find it hardly ever works. But coupled with the film’s beautiful set designs and art direction, Frankenweenie is worth seeing in another dimension.
Despite being in black and white to pay homage to Old Hollywood, this film never ceases to amaze me. While it’s a stop-motion animation, at times the scenes are so real you can almost feel the sweat dripping from the characters’ faces.
When I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower in Grade 9, I was a slightly awkward freshman just like Charlie, trying to make friends and get involved in school. Even though I didn’t deal with the same problems as the book’s protagonist, there were evidently times when I felt alone.
The book’s author, Stephen Chbosky, knows these feelings all to well. On hand to present Perks’ film adaptation at TIFF (which Chbosky also directed), he reminded everyone in the theatre they should never feel lonely. “I’m so proud to be sitting in a room with 1200 people. Whether you like this movie at the end of the day or you don’t, just know that no one in this room is alone.”
His book gathered a cult following when it was released in 1999 and still resonates with many young people who deal with the universal challenges of growing up.
Plot:
The film stars Logan Lerman as Charlie, a bright yet awkward teen about to enter his freshman year of high school. Having spent time at the hospital to deal with the recent suicide of his best friend Michael, Charlie decides to cope with his loneliness by writing anonymous letters.
Hopeful for the upcoming school year, Charlie’s reserved and introverted nature initially makes it difficult for him to make friends. But once he meets the eccentric Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his beautiful stepsister Sam (Emma Watson), he’s soon introduced to a new world featuring mix-tapes, parties, sex, drugs and alcohol.
As things begin to look up for Charlie, curveballs continue to be thrown his way. He fights his growing feelings for Sam and struggles to push away unresolved memories of the past, all while realizing his friends have problems of their own too.
Things I loved:
The cast
The chemistry between actors is crucial in a coming of age story that focus a great deal on love and friendship, and the film couldn’t have chosen better leads. While Watson may forever be known as “that girl from Harry Potter,” it’s nice to see her tackle a more challenging role like Sam, a troubled girl who sleeps with boys for validation. Although she experiences a few challenges with her American accent, Watson flawlessly depicts Sam’s insecurities about getting into university while trying hard not to be Charlie’s dream girl.
However, it’s Lerman and Miller who shine in the movie. While Miller steals scenes as the cynical and sarcastic Patrick, Lerman hits all the right notes by providing a heart-wrenching performance that’ll make you tear up. Also appearing, are Paul Rudd and Nina Dobrev as Charlie’s English teacher Bill and his sister Candace.
The Soundtrack
Featuring songs such as The Smiths’ “Asleep” to 80s hits such as Midnight Runners’ “Come on Eileen” and New Order’s “Temptation ‘87”, the songs in this film will either take you back to another decade or make you want to create your own mix-tapes.
How it stays true to the novel (includes photos from the premiere below!) Read more…
Selena Gomez provided my favourite insight during the Q&A portion of TIFF’s Spring Breakers premiere. She said: “It’s really hard to find a teen movie that tells the truth and shows what’s raw and real.”
I can’t say I personally know anyone my age that funds their hedonist exploits by robbing and threatening to blow the f*cking heads off customers at fast food joints with booze-filled water guns. But director Harmony Korine is painting a broader portrait of a selfish, Jersey Shore-loving generation that becomes young, wild and free completely disillusioned during their “break from reality.” And we sure as hell all know college kids like that.
Plot
Faith (Selena Gomez) is a Jesus-thumping undergrad who is disillusioned by the banality of her life. She eagerly follows her childhood friends, played by Hudgens, Pretty Little Liars’ Ashley Benson and Korines’ wife Rachel, on their illegally funded spring break vacation to Florida.
While Faith is encouraged by her “spiritual retreat” — even wishing to make her pause from reality infinite — her fun is over when the ladies land in jail and meet a cornrowed hustler named Alien (James Franco). Just as Faith’s spring break vacation ends, it just gets started for her thrill-seeking friends.
Three things I loved
The cast
The film isn’t for the faint of heart, nor is it necessarily for Gomez and Hudgens’ fans. The Disney stars smoke bongs and dance alongside breast-baring partiers during their violent and sexual retreat. Teen idol haters might be pleasantly surprised by all the actresses’ adaptability, particularly during some raunchy scenes with Benson, Hudgens and Franco, that couldn’t have been comfortable to shoot… for the girls anyway.
Direction (and see photos from the premiere below)
Our good friend Ian Lynch does a book report on Snooki’s latest masterpiece called Confessions Of A Guidette. Not only does this book warrant a childlike examination it was also written at an elementary reading level. Yet again, Nicole has impressed us with her insight and wit.
With 2011 – 2012 the NBA season looking more and more unlikely every day, I felt I needed to get my basketball fix somehow. If I can’t watch the best players in the world play, why not take control of them in a video game? The NBA 2K series has recently set the standard for National Basketball Association (NBA) video games. While EA dominates the hockey video game market, 2K is the absolute leader for basketball simulation. Last year’s NBA 2k11 was absolutely phenomenal. It brought Michael Jordan back into the equation, allowing players to use him in the game to bring back those dominant Bulls teams. The graphics, controls, and overall experience were heads above the competition. It was so good in fact, that EA didn’t even bother releasing their NBA Elite game. 2K keeps upping the ante with NBA 2K12. It takes everything that made 11 so good, and improves upon it.
The graphics in this game are beautiful. Each player clearly resembles their real life counterpart. The arenas are all gorgeous, from the glean off the buffed floors, to the logos on the court floors, it all looks and feels real. It looks so good, my dad walked in while I was playing the game and thought I was watching a real life basketball game. He obviously wasn’t aware of the looming lockout.
The sound and music are equally incredible. The announcing is some of the best I’ve heard in a video game. In some cities, depending on who they have on the microphones, it may actually be an improvement over their real life announcers. I liked the soundtrack a lot too, which is usually good in 2K games.
After the successful introduction of Michael Jordan last year, 2K has added a ton of other greats to the game this year. You can use vintage Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, and more. There are 15 total “Legends” whose terrific careers can be recreated within the game in great detail. Relive the Larry Bird – Magic Johnson rivalries and much more.
One of the most popular features in the 2K series is the ability to create your own player to see how they stack up in the big leagues. 2K sports has built upon this and made the “My Player” functionality that much better. You can now hear Commissioner David Stern call your name on draft night for your favorite team. Enter yourself into the rookie skills competition, earn huge endorsement deals, pad your stats, and ultimately get your name on a huge franchise player contract.
Most of the modes are back, my favorite being Association mode. Take your team from worst to first and watch the fans pack your arena to cheer you on. You can now even take your association mode online to play against your buddies and see how you stack up in the online community. The Playstation Network integration is seamless and a lot of fun.
Overall, this game is fantastic. It takes what made the old NBA 2K games and builds upon it in every way. The graphics, sound, presentation and game play are all the best around for basketball video games, and set the bar extremely high. If EA wants to reclaim the top spot in the basketball video game market, they certainly have their work cut out for them.
For more game reviews check out ubethecritic.com.
If you’re looking for another heartthrob-worthy performance from Ryan Gosling, you won’t be getting much of that in Drive.
But nevertheless, you won’t be able to keep your eyes off him.
In Drive, Gosling is mysterious and riveting and the only name available for his character is Driver.
A Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic by day, Driver serves as a wheelman for night time heists.
In early scenes of the movie, he’s helped by his boss and mentor Shannon (played by Malcolm in the Middle’s Bryan Cranston) who gives him a Chevy Impala to drive his clientele around to do their dirty deeds.
All goes well until he gets involved with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio. When her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison, Irene and Benicio’s safety is at risk.
Gosling’s ‘Driver’ tries to save the situation by helping Standard steal money from a pawn shop. But when the heist goes awry, it’s up to ‘Driver’ to take things in his own hands.
Fresh from Nicolas Winding Refn’s Best Director win at the Cannes Film Festival, Drive is an excellent action-drama thriller packed with violence and exciting car chases. Much like the style of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Pulp Fiction, the film is filled with blood and gore. Though the movie lacks dialogue, Refn somehow makes it work through the film’s characters’ actions and expressions.
While Gosling is supported by a talented cast that includes the likes of Christina Hendricks, Albert Brooks, Mulligan and Cranston, he holds his own playing the violent and badass Driver. And while there isn’t much that can be learned about the Driver, you’ll somehow still be swooning over him as he tries to save the day in order to protect the girl he’s fallen for.
Drive may not be for everyone due to its violence and gore, but it’s definitely a film worth watching. With a retro ’80s-inspired score and beautiful shots of the Los Angeles streets and skylines, it will keep the audience jumping in their seats from all the adrenaline and tension that arises from the film.
Careful what you wish for, because if it’s a fairy-tale you seek, then a fairy-tale you get. And although it might not seem it on the outside, this week’s sure-to-be box-office hit, Friends with Benefits, is just that.
Having just been selected by head-hunter Jamie (Mila Kunis) as the new Art Director for GQ Magazine, Dylan (Justin Timberlake) leaves his hometown of Los Angeles and relocates to the bright lights and loud noise that is New York City. A handful of witty banter, a trip to a Manhattan rooftop, and one sappy romance film later, Jamie and Dylan find themselves swearing over an iPad Bible App to take their friendship to the next level – the one with benefits and no emotions. And it works, until both start questioning whether they unknowingly let emotions slip into the relationship after all.
With just the right balance between innocent and seductive, Kunis and Timberlake are extremely endearing as the pair of leads. It’s clear that Writer-Director Will Gluck tried hard to keep the nudity down to a bare minimum, giving the movie a tasteful air which is enjoyable for a vast audience. Although the rom-com does have that fairy-tale ambience to it, the clever writing and engaging, although somewhat predictable, plot can appeal to a male audience as well while filling the void of every girl’s prince charming fantasy.
We respect the editorial opinion of Pitckfork.com, but we respectfully think they got it wrong. They hate them. Seriously? Anyways we spoke with Mikel Jollett about writing, recording, and the digital era of music.
I know what you’re thinking.
‘Oh great, here’s another one of those bridal movies where the main character falls for some unrealistic knight-in-shining-armour, while her best friend gets married provoking hilarious wedding planning conflicts and mild laughter.’
Well you’re wrong, deeply wrong. This is no cliched fairytale wedding movie, no no no. It’s much more than that.
Let’s get the plot out of the way. The film follows Annie, played by the hilarious Kristen Wiig, who is picked as her best friend’s maid of honour, played by the equally funny Maya Rudolph. Completely broke and unprepared, Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals of being a bridesmaid with an oddball group of other bridesmaids as well.
What saves this movie right off the bat from being a cliched comedy is the actors themselves. Each creating a unique, interesting character, all the bridesmaids and bride alike make the film interesting because of their line delivery or physical comedy. For example, a drunken Annie on the plane could be painfully unfunny, but Wiig’s dead-on physical comedy makes it that much more hysterical.
Another way the film saves itself from disaster is how it satires romantic comedy cliches instead of enforcing them. It touches on female competitiveness, dating, marriage and outlandish character types, but twists it so far that you know it’s really poking fun at itself. The bridal shower scene will literally have you peeing your pants – I did.
That’s what I loved about the film – it’s nature to never hold back. Think of it like the female version of ‘The Hangover,’ except not as risky and more subtle in its comedy. SNL veterans Rudolph and Wiig are perfect in achieving this, using their subtle comedy timing to make the film engaging throughout. But yes ladies, bring your guys, they will find it funny too – lots of farts and injuries to sustain them.
Now, I’m not saying the movie is perfect. Parts were dragged out a little too long, and cliches were still used (yes, sorry to break it to you, the main character does indeed find love in the end,) but they were all portrayed very realistically that it didn’t bother me.
So my final verdict is a 4 out of 5 stars. For what its worth, it’s a fun lighthearted comedy that shouldn’t be taken too seriously at all. With unique comedy and a packed, roaring audience, I’m pretty sure plenty will enjoy it as well.
When I think of the word ‘superhero’ Seth Rogen—the awkward fella that starred in Knocked Up or The 40-Year-Old Virgin—isn’t the first person to pop into my mind. If you compare him to other conventional fictional characters, he lacks many of the stereotypical superhero qualities. Just think of Hugh Jackman’s masculine physique in X-Men Origins: Wolverine or Christian Bale’s innate bad-boy Batman persona inThe Dark Knight and, well, you’ll know how Rogen doesn’t quite fit.
But director’s Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) The Green Hornet isn’t meant to be ordinary. Based on the 1936 radio series, the film details the life of Rogen’s character Britt Reid. Reid’s bachelor lifestyle of wild shenanigans and partying are rattled following the death of his father. As an heir to his father’s large company, by day Reid reigns over as a newspaper publisher and owner. At night, the masked vigilante fights crime with his father’s assistant Kato. Starring Jay Chou, Kato is best described as a “human Swiss Army Knife.” Chou’s fighting abilities are beyond impressive and outshine Rogen’s. Along with his writing partner Evan Goldberg, Rogen co-wrote the script to seamlessly match and adhere to his inability to convincingly play a typical and over-the-top superhero. And it works.
The twosome protect citizens by breaking the law in Los Angeles, the city where people think the duo are villains rather than heroes. With the help of Reid’s new secretary Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), the pair work toward hunting down the city’s surprisingly witty underworld leader Benjamin Chudnofsky, played by Christopher Waltz. While Waltz easily mesmerized audiences with his daunting portrayal of the Schutzstaffel in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 Inglourious Basterds, as a villain he fails—quite purposely—to entice a similar fear from his audience.
With its action-packed 3-D scenes, good humour and lightheartedness, The Green Hornet will take you on an enjoyable ride where—if you’re up to it—you can put that fly swatter you brought with you away.
Didn’t Jeff Bridges win the coveted Oscar for best male lead last year for playing a washed up alcoholic musician? Well, he essentially plays the same character, minus the dramatic love story with a woman 20 years his junior, in the Coen Brother’s newest film, True Grit. Bridges stars as Rooster Cogburn, stubborn US Marshall who sets out to help an overtly precocious 14 year-old-girl, Mattie (Hailee Steinfeld), find the man who murdered her father, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). The dynamic duo is also aided by another bounty hunter, LaBeouf (Matt Damon) who is after the same man.
The film is a remake of a 1969 John Wayne film of the same name. Wayne won his sole Oscar for his performance in the film. Although I have not seen it, it seems that Bridges does not do Wayne justice. The role of a drunken fool is too easily played by Bridges as he doesn’t add anything illuminating to the character. However, the audience can almost smell the whisky seeping from his breath even through the screen.
I had high hopes for this film because it is the Coen Brothers. I was expecting something more akin to No Country for Old Men but the film bares no resemblance. Instead, True Grit is a true western film in the classic Americana sense. Its an entertaining film from a passive standpoint. Lest the gore, it would be a holiday family film. I feel like I needed to get a glass of milk and some Oreos. It’s a predictable nostalgic ride to the simpler times of the 50s and 60s
Why did the Coen Brothers decide to regurgitate a hackneyed dated plot with stereotypical roles? It seems like an odd choice for the brothers who usually bring the quirkiest characters to the screen. It really doesn’t bare the mark of Coen. Altogether, the film is not bad, it is just disappointing if you are going into it expecting a Coen Brothers film.
Heartbeats, Xavier Dolan’s second feature film, is a realistic glance into the lives of wandering twenty-somethings. The twenty-one-year-old Quebec born actor turned filmmaker entered the scene in 2009 with the French language feature I killed My Mother. Heartbeats, also French language, falls short of his first film however, the technical aspects of his filmmaking have greatly improved.
Heartbeats chronicles the seemingly complex bisexual love triangle between three friends, Marie (Monia Chokri), Francis (Xavier Dolan), and Nicolas (Niels Schneider who looks almost exactly like French actor, Louis Garrel). While at a party, Marie and Frankie (Francis) notice Nicolas, a youthful traveler who is a dead ringer for a Greek Adonis. Marie and Frankie soon develop a suggestive relationship with Nicolas which threatens their own friendship as each of them become completely infatuated with him. The three of them share a bed together, but Marie and Frankie’s sexual desire for Nicolas is never satisfied. The film delves deeply into the notions of jealousy and centers on the cliche, “three is a crowd”.
The actors have a natural chemistry that reads well through the screen. Marie is beautiful and dresses akin to Anna Karina and other New Wave women (a possible homage to Godard). Frankie’s outward presentation is bold but he is shy and introverted. Nicolas is tan and beautiful. His demeanor is warm and yet he seems completely ignorant of the fact that he is the central object of desire for the other two characters. It is uncertain whether his coyness is intentional or simply a part of the dynamic of his friendship with Marie and Frankie. This leads to sexual ambiguity of his character which lies at the core of the narrative and if nothing else is its strength.
Ben Stiller has played nearly a hundred different characters throughout his career.
Anyone who’s seen one of his movies knows many of Stiller’s films are comedies featuring slapstick humour (just take a look at the first 10 minutes of “There’s Something About Mary”). There’s no such humour in “Greenberg.” In fact, it’s barely a comedy at all compared to Stiller’s previous projects.
The film tells the story of Roger Greenberg (played by Stiller), a 40-something musician-turned-carpenter who’s recovering from a serious breakdown. Roger has a talent few people possess: writing crafty letters of complaint about minor issues.
Some people go out of their way to do something. Roger goes out of his way to do nothing (or so he claims).
He returns to Los Angeles after spending 15 years in New York to take care of his brother’s lavish hillside house while he’s on vacation with his family. During his time in L.A., Roger starts working on a dog house for his brother’s pet, contacts some old friends and starts a romance with Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), his brother’s personal assistant who’s almost 20 years his senior.
There’s a reason why action movies are rarely paired up with romantic comedies. Could you imagine Jason Statham and Meg Ryan sharing the same silver screen? Probably not.
“The Bounty Hunter” tells the story of Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter who lands an ideal job that allows him to chase his bail-jumping ex-wife, Nicole (Jennifer Aniston). What Milo originally deems an easy way to make $5000 bucks ends up turning into one of his toughest hunts when Nicole, a daily news reporter, has something of her own to chase: a lead on a murder cover-up.
For those expecting a romantic comedy a la “The Ugly Truth,” you’re out of luck. While both films feature Bulter in all his rugged, spit-on-the-street glory, “The Bounty Hunter” fails to charm. It’s not exactly a romantic comedy (or a great action film for that matter).
Finally: a movie where Michael Cera doesn’t play Michael Cera. Well, sort of. In “Youth in Revolt,” he still plays his signature awkward-to-the-max character — only this time, a bad-ass is added to the mix. And that bad-ass just so happens to be played by Cera.
Based on the cult-classic novel by C.D. Payne, the film directed by Miguel Arteta (“The Good Girl,” “Chuck and Buck”) tells the story of Nick Twisp (a.k.a. Cera), a self-lamenting high schooler who sees everyone around him getting some action but fails to lose his virginity.
Nick isn’t your stereotypical teen. His playlist includes songs by Frank Sinatra and he enjoys classic prose. Nick meets the girl of his wet dreams, the beautiful Sheeni Saunders (played by Portia Doubleday), during a “family vacation” (it’s less glamorous than it sounds — you’ll understand once you see the movie).
However, Sheeni has a stuck-up poetry-writing prick of a boyfriend and in order to win her over, Nick has to get in touch with his dark side. You see, Sheeni likes her men bad and we’re not talking high school bully bad, we’re talking brash French playboy bad, and that’s exactly what Cera becomes. He adopts a mustache-baring, Euro-pant wearing, smoker alter-ego who goes by the name of François Dillinger.
Tom Ford brings style to his new movie and it’s not just in the wardrobe. The former creative director for Gucci who now fronts his own fashion line makes his directorial debut with “A Single Man”.
Loosely based on the famed novel by Christopher Isherwood, the film follows a single day in the single life of a gay English professor who teaches in L.A. during the ‘60s. After losing his longtime partner Jim (played by Matthew Goode), George Falconer (Colin Firth) plans his suicide in order to end his suffering. However, George has a few things to settle before taking his own life.
The great thing about this film is that audiences can feel the suffering regardless of whether they’ve lost a loved one or not. That’s partly due to Ford’s directing and also to Firth’s impeccable performance.
Whenever George reminisces about his life with Jim, Ford uses black and white, a strong contrast from the vivid, colourful scenes that take place in the present. These colours come to life whenever George meets with his fellow British friend Charley (Julianne Moore) or with Kenny (“About a Boy’s” Nicholas Hoult), a student whose interest in George is more than academic. It’s clear that Ford — who also co-wrote and produced the film — knows how to use light and texture to his advantage.
I am not the audience for this movie.
I did not see the original Twilight. I read the novel and was horrified; how many teenage girls truly believe that men like Edward Cullen exist? (Fewer, probably, than the number of boys men who expect to meet a gorgeous independent woman who caters to their every whim and is miraculously attracted to slovenly underachievers, but that’s a rant for another film.) In real life a man who stalks protects a woman the way Edward does will continue to do so whether her life’s in danger or not. Perhaps the majority of Twilight fans recognize this, and treat the stories as wish fulfillment, much as this reviewer does with good romantic comedies (though not, it must be said, The Ugly Truth, which peddled a similar adolescent fantasy).
On that level, New Moon delivers. It reproduces the central appeal of the books: a man who’s faster, stronger, more romantic, better at playing baseball and musical instruments alike and more beautiful than anyone you could possibly imagine falls for Bella Swan, an ordinary, unremarkable-looking girl, and continually professes not only that he loves her, but that he cannot live without her. So protective is he that when his otherworldly urges place her in danger he actually abandons her to protect her.
This is the basest sort of adolescent fantasy, the kind any writer who’s attended university could dream up, and yet it would be undone by a sense of manufactured cynicism if author Stephenie Meyer didn’t wholeheartedly believe in it. She does, and it would appear a wide cross-section of the western world does too.
Well folks, it looks like we’ve only got two years to live.With that in mind, are you sure you want to spend the last bit of your precious time watching your terrifying fate on the big screen? If your answer to that question is an enthusiastic and energetic YES, then 2012 is just the movie for you.
Directed by Roland Emmerich, 2012 is about the human race’s greatest fear: the end of the world. According to the Mayan calendar, the world is set to undergo a series of large-scale natural disasters on Dec. 12, 2012, that humans will not be able to survive. The film takes us on the two journeys. The first is with an intelligent but unpopular writer, played by John Cusack. He’s divorced, and has two kids who prefer their mom (Amanda Peet)’s new boyfriend to their real father. Pretty typical, right? Still, if anyone can wiggle back into a child’s heart, it’s Cusack.The second journey follows a geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who works for the White House. He helps the government prepare by giving estimated times for each disaster to hit.
