Friends with Benefits (2011)

Director Will Gluck, who brought us Easy A, last year. Brings us a movie that at one point was going to be called "Fuck Buddies." Good luck marketing that. It was actually in production around the same time as No Strings Attached which features Natalie Portman who was paired up with Mila Kunis in Black Swan. Just a little interesting that co-stars of a film with 5 Oscar nominations was in the process of an ad campaign for a film where the stars were working on two separate and similar films.

So the film is about a young hot shot website designer [Justin Timberlake] who is contacted by a headhunter [Mila Kunis] to take a job in New York. Dylan seems happy in LA, but with some convincing from Jamie he takes the job. He works for GQ where Woody Harrelson plays a pretty funny sports writer that questions Dylan's sexual preference. Jamie is Dylan's only friend in the city and their "work" relationship turns into a friendship with "benefits." Trying to avoid a romantic relationship their emotions start to play a factor and we learn that Dylan has commitment issues.

Pretty typical to have a guy with commitment issues, which is why I liked No Strings Attached a little more. In retrospect I'm not exactly sure when No Strings didn't get an 8/10. Either way, the flash mob scenes are pretty cute, there are some good running jokes, and Timberlake proves once again he can handle the shift from singer to actor. Probably worth your time if you like Rom-Com's.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1632708/

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Something Borrowed (2011)

Directed by Luke Greenfield, who has been making tv movies and is responsible for The Animal. Starring Ginnifer Goodwin & Kate Hudson then Colin Egglesfield & John Krasinski as the boyfriend/friend relationships.

Rachel [Goodwin] is the main character of the film, her best friend Darcy [Hudson] is engaged to Dex [Egglesfield]. We learn that Rachel and Dex were student partners in med school and both never acted on these feelings, meanwhile Darcy is introduced and doesn't hesitate to act. Ethan [Krasinski] plays Rachel's childhood friend who supports her in winning Dex back who clearly only cares for Rachel.

The problem with the film is actually not Hudson, surprising enough because most of the films she is in... she is the bad part. The problem is the horrible script, Krasinski's lines are just awful in the first 45 minutes... he gets better at the end. It is clear that this is written, directed, and produced by a team used to doing sitcoms and the issues play out like a couple episodes strung together. I can't fathom how this is adapted from a book and what that book must be like. The last time I can remember Goodwin in a lead was for Mona Lisa Smile 8 years ago, and this doesn't come close.

It wasn't unwatchable, but it wasn't very good either.

Vote: 3/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491152/

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Run, Fat Boy, Run (2007)

Simon Pegg has now been in a number of films, and impressively a number of these have gained enough popularity in England to create a buzz in the US. A co-worker suggested this film to me when they learned that I had run several marathons so I thought it was worth a shot. It is actually directed by David Schwimmer [Ross from Friends], who has directed 4 tv movies, 10 episodes of Friends, and a couple episodes of the spin-off Joey. However, this was his first feature film.

Simon Pegg plays Dennis, who runs away from his pregnant fiancee, Libby [Thandie Newton], on their wedding day. Five years later he is a loser who still has feelings for Libby but can't seem to even take care of himself. When Libby gets a new boyfriend Whit [Hank Azaria, known for his many, many, many voices on The Simpsons], who is successful and runs marathons, he decides to prove his love by running a marathon also.

The film is mainly a comedy, but could be called a romantic comedy. There are many elements that felt like a tv sitcom to me, which makes sense to me because this has been the director's background. So if you know what you are getting yourself into, you might like it. There are better Pegg films, and coming from a running I didn't find the marathon portion to be anything special like I was hoping.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425413/

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Just Go With It (2011)

Another Happy Madison film, maybe it is the nostalgia of Adam Sandler films of the 90's that keep bringing me back. Honestly I don't know why I bother with films I know will be bad, sometimes to just have to see for yourself.

Adam Sandler plays a plastic surgeon who is scarred by a fiance early in life and who uses his wedding ring as a tool to get women. When he meets the girl of his dreams Palmer [Brooklyn Decker, beautiful and talentless], but she finds a wedding ring in his pocket he, he then has to create an elaborate scheme to convince her that he is about to get a divorce. He convinces his secretary Katherine [Jennifer Aniston] to go along with the plan as the lie gets more complicated at every step.

If anything, this is Sandler's first Romantic Comedy since Spanglish in 2004. Since then it has been potty jokes and gay jokes, so I will give him that he did something a little different and more mature. It is sad to me the last Sandler film I REALLY liked was Reign Over Me and he won't do that again because it didn't make any money. Would you make crap like this if you could gross $103million without really trying?

Vote: 3/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1564367/

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No Strings Attached (2011)

Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher star as Emma and Adam in this romantic comedy that doesn't try and dance around the topic of sex. They meet at summer camp as middle school age kids then again in college and just after. Emma fresh out of medical school working on her residency, while Adam works as an assistant on the set of the tv show.

The premise of the romantic comedy is that the two try and have a strictly physical relationship, as you expect there are problems with this and you can guess where it heads. An overall typical romantic comedy, save for the blunt sex discussion and father's drug usage. I would guess they were pushing the limits of their R rating.

Lake Bell was a little annoying as Lucy, I'm not sure why they had to make this character so annoying, it could have added depth to the story if she would have been a viable option for Adam. The same goes for Cary Elwes's character, the Doctor that tells Adam he will get her in the end. Why couldn't they make these two relationship a little more possible to actually make us question their decision? Kevin Kline was pretty good as the father, but I wasn't thrilled with the performances of Emma's roommates.

All in all not a bad romantic comedy, not one I'll be adding to my amazon wishlist though.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1411238/

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The Switch (2010)

Everything you need to know about this movie you can learn from the movie poster: Jennifer Aniston is shocked that Jason Bateman decided to "use his seed" becoming her sperm donor. The movie is pretty one dimensional so you can pretty much just fill in the plot yourself. They are just friends, he makes the switch, she gets upset, they make up.

Did I really just spoil the film? You watch a romantic comedy like this not for the surprise of the plot but because you want to see chemistry between the leading characters. You want to see them fall in love and you want to be amused at the same time right? Well I did find Bateman funny a few times, but I found the boy even funnier. Aniston wasn't better than any random Friends episode.


I see why this one was a flop, there are better predictable romantic comedies to watch.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889573/

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Trouble in Paradise (1932)

This is going to be a really bad review, and I'm sorry for that. I have to say this film never really had my interest. I found it dull and slow, but nevertheless made it through pretty quickly. In retrospect I can't say I remember much about it... already. Maybe that is strange, but you can't tell me you haven't watched a movie so boring that you almost instantly forget it.

The movie is a romantic comedy starring Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins, the two meet while trying to con each other, they have a moment when they both figure each other out as fakes, and instantly fall in love. The premise of the film is that they work as a team pulling big con jobs all across Europe. They both join a perfume company and target the beautiful owner. Marshall makes his way up the food chain at the company to get in close contact before even eventually being in charge of financial decisions. Saying more would spoil the film, what there is of one that is.

I just couldn't get into this film, I didn't find much of anything to be funny. As a drama it was weak, and it was weak as a romance. Maybe it was more interesting 80 years ago.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023622/

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Life As We Know It (2010)

I feel a little bad always giving Katherine Heigl film bad ratings. Honestly she isn't that bad, I just feel like she doesn't try very hard. Maybe because she can't do better and the director doesn't push her, I'm really not sure.

The problem with this movie is actually not Heigl at all, its Josh Duhamel. He sucked, sorry but he did. I didn't want him to win the girl in the end and I liked Sam the doctor [Josh Lucas] much better. Oops did I spoil the movie... well you can't spoil a predictable movie like this. In the first 10 minutes they go on a blind date and hate each other, from that point on you know they will get together in the end.

So what is this movie about? Well Holly and Eric (Heigl and Duhamel) get set up on a blind date by their respective best friends, who then get married. When their friends die in a car wreck Holly and Eric are named the godparents in their friends will. Honestly the script writer and director did a good job making this extreme circumstance seem plausible, and I commend them for that. I hated how this film turned out, and the cookie cutter romantic comedy with one unique twist is a typical Heigl film. It was an easy watch, and kinda fun, with a few sad parts and I don't regret seeing it, I just can't really suggest something this bad. If you see it on tv you might check it out.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1055292/

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Love and Other Drugs (2010)

This was not the film I expected at all. For some reason I expected Anne Hathaway's character to be a crazy obsessive girlfriend, but I was quite off base here. The film was nominated for two Golden Globes: Jake Gyllenhaal for actor in a comedy, Anne Hathaway for actress in a comedy. Not Oscar worthy, but it was an entertaining movie, and the Globes are about entertainment, so I liked the nominations.

The film is actually about a pharmaceutical salesman and a girl with Parkinsons disease. Maybe an oversimplification, but when Jamie [Jake Gyllenhaal] starts working for Pfizer he shadows a doctor while trying to make the doctor his client. The doctor played by none other than Hank Azaria, the many voices of Springfield ["The Simpsons"]. Jamie is a womanizer and he falls in love with Maggie [Anne Hathaway], a woman not interested in a relationship given her medical condition.


I was surprised at the amount of nudity in this film, Hathaway and Gyllenhall show us a lot, and the movie poster is just a hint. Jake has been here before showing us a lot in Brokeback Mountain.This is, however, new territory for Hathaway, who had a minor role in Brokeback Mountain, but not like this. I thought the acting was pretty good, and I really liked the story. Some of the supporting cast was a little over the top, but overall it was a pretty good [racy] romantic comedy.


Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758752/

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Woman of the Year (1942)

The first pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, and her follow-up film to The Philadelphia Story. This is the film that spawned a relationship off screen between the two and lead to another 8 films between the two. Winner of an Oscar for writing and nominated for Best Actress for Hepburn, this film on paper sounds pretty good. Watched as part of the AFI 100 Laughs I expected this to compare to one of the couple later pairings, Adam's Rib.

Sadly the film is painfully boring. It started well when the Tracy courts Hepburn, at this point the film is more of a romance. After marriage it was boring, in the romantic comedy phase of the movie, and eventually ends with slapstick comedy that actually put me to sleep.

I can fully see why Hepburn was given the label "box-office poison." Even her acclaimed films I have strongly disliked. 70+ years later awards groups are still trying to find merits in her flops. I don't understand this, and greatly disagree.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035567/

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Killers (2010)

Killers, not a horror movie, even though I watched it in horror month. I needed a change, and this was a good lighthearted get away. Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl star in a film that has been referred to a play on Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Kutcher is a hitman who wants out of the business, Heigl is insecure after a recent breakup. They meet on vacation in Europe and start a normal life. When Kutcher's old boss tries to contact him everyone they know starts coming after trying to kill them.

A lot about this movie doesn't make any sense. Heigl isn't the best actress, yet Kutcher proves that even if he is a jackass in real life he can act. Catherine O'Hara has really let herself go and Tom Selleck is just average in a minor role.

Overall it is a typical romantic [dark] comedy. For this genre 6/10 really isn't that bad, and if you are in the movie for a movie you want to put little to no thought into this is a good choice.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103153/

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Ball of Fire (1941)

Gary Cooper plays a historian with the job of creating a complete encyclopedia. With the help of 6 little old men they work day and night in the study/library of the mansion of the publisher. When Cooper can't communicate with the milkman because he doesn't know slang he begins the task of cataloging all dialects of English slang.

He goes to a night club and meets Barbara Stanwyck's character. He invites her to a round table discussion at the mansion, which she initially refuses. After the mob tries to hide her she buddies up with Cooper and the 6 old men.

The slang is painfully annoying to me at times, and the general plot is slow and boring for the first 1/2. The end of the movie picks up and has a good ending. But it didn't recover from boring me to death to suggest it to anyone. Another dud on the AFI 100 Laughs, can't say I'm really surprised.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033373/

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Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

This is the first Abbott & Costello film I've seen. I confuse them easily with Laurel & Hardy... a far superior duo. I hate to bash on them, but Bud Abbott seems dumb, and Lou Costello is incredibly annoying. His piercing voice makes it hard to watch.

This is probably considered to be their best film. Bela Lugosi plays a fantastic Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. was enjoyable as The Wolf Man. The plot moved along pretty well considering its simplicity. And at just over an hour it was pretty easy to get through.

I just can't say I'm a big fan. They needed to have an inclusion on the AFI 100 Laughs, and this seemed to be the best fit. But then again if we are going to pick a movie that doesn't necessarily deserve to be in the top 100 just to get actors on the list then where are the Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey films? I'll diverge...

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040068/

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The Palm Beach Story (1942)

I film originally titled "Is Marriage Necessary?" but deemed inappropriate by the Production Code. Ironic that now we have movies with such titles as Why Did I Get Married?

Claudette Colbert plays a housewife of an inventor. This inventor has been down on his luck and they are about to be evicted. An old oil tycoon gifts here the rent because he doesn't like to see such a pretty girl get kicked out. She then gets the bright idea of divorcing her husband so she can marry someone rich and give him the money he needs for his invention.

Overall this movie was boring. There was no excitement other than the train ride and everything works out perfectly in classic Hollywood fashion. There was no drama and I didn't laugh. Just average is a generous rating, this should not have been in the AFI 100 Laughs...

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035169/

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Roxanne (1987)

This is one of those movies that I caught a piece of on tv a long time ago. I've always felt like I've seen it, but I couldn't have told you anything about it other than Steve Martin has a big nose.

I can't even remember what movie list this was on, maybe the 501 Must-See movies. It doesn't really matter because I thought it would be a fun, quick, and easy watch. And it was.

Martin plays a Fire Dept. Chief, Daryl Hannah plays Roxanne, and Rick Rossovich plays the new fireman in town. The movie is funny, Martin and Hannah have some good scenes and Rossovich plays a good idiot. Hannah doesn't talk much, she is more eye candy and the lust attraction of the movie, the movie is all Martin. And he is very funny. My favorite part is when he rants off a list of big nose jokes at the bar.

Not that old of a film yet, and for me teeters between a PG and PG-13 rating. Not bad for a modern comedy.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093886/

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Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (1936)

A film remade by Adam Sandler in 2002 Mr. Deeds, co-starring
Winona Ryder. This film is the original and much better than the remake. Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur star as the small town man who hits it rich and the big city reporter than dupes him.

The problem with the remake is they screwed up a few things that made this film so good. The remake takes the focus off the romance, I would just call it a comedy. This one has the focus in the right place and is rightly a romantic comedy. Cooper is level headed, not slapstick funny, and seems to have a good sense about how to spend money. Sandler blows the money on sports cars at the end...

Part of the AFI 100 Laughs, and a movie I've always said I would watch some day. This was a fun and easy watch. The remake ruined the story line for me, but the court room scenes are excellent and Cooper's self defense was classic.

If you aren't into classics this would be a good one to get your feet wet on. It is fast paced, easy story line, happy ending, and a fun watch. Worthy of the AFI 100 Laughs.

Vote: 8/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027996/

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The Back-Up Plan (2010)

I subject my wife to a considerable amount of bad horror and action movies. So to be fair we also check out the romantic comedies expect to be bad just to mix it up.

This one was pretty bad, but maybe not for the reasons you would expect. I have no qualms with Jennifer Lopez's performance, she was fine, and her character wasn't that bad. I lay most of the blame on the script and her co-star. Alex O'Loughlin was a horrible guy. She fell for some cheese maker who didn't have the decency to share his cab with a pretty lady. His pettiness and lack of chivalry was questionable at best.

The plot is that a lady decides to go through artificial insemination to have a baby. Meanwhile she meets a guy and they have to deal with the issues of having a baby that isn't really his... something that might be as unrealistic as this movie would have you believe.

Aside from the main actor doing a bad job, was the group therapy class they were a part of. These performances, scenes, and existance in the film made it unbearable to watch at times.

So unrealistic dialog, bad acting by O'Loughlin, and the therapy class made this easily a one. If you are going to watch it, the one enjoyable part was Anthony Anderson. He brought a couple minutes of good comic relief when O'Loughlin was at the playground.

Vote: 1/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212436/

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Ninotchka (1939)

Starring the 4 time Oscar nominated Greta Garbo. An actress known for her serious roles in films such as Anna Karenina, Camille, and Grand Hotel. This is her comedy making fun of the Russians.

The plot is that 3 Russians go to France trying to sell some jewels because the country is in need of money. When the exiled duchess finds out her jewels are in Paris she files legal action against the Russian state for selling, what she believes is her property. The Russians bring in a specialist, Garbo, a stern Russian woman who only thinks about her country and not herself. She runs into Melvyn Douglas the attorney on the jewel case she will be up against. In the romantic comedy scenario they do not know who each other are and fall in love.

It is kind of a fun story. The jokes are dated though and it really doesn't offer anything more than what you would get from any other modern romantic comedy. I can't see suggesting such a old film with such a simple plot. Ok for the AFI 100 Laughs, but not one I'd recommend.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031725/

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The Awful Truth (1937)

The romantic comedy that made Cary Grant a star. Nominated for 5 Oscars, winner of best Director, part of the National Film Registry, in the top 50 of the AFI 100 Laughs, and also on the AFI 100 Passions [e.g. love stories].

Irene Dunne is billed at the headline here but it is considered by some to be Grant's breakthrough performance. Coming in an age where you could only allude to mistresses and cheating on wives, the premise is that a married couple, Dunne and Grant, decide to get divorced when they catch each other lying. Alluding to both of them cheating. The antics begin when they are forced to interact in the period before the divorce becomes legal. Both are courting others, Dunne a man from Oklahoma, and Grant a rich heiress. They foil each others chances, and soon fall in love all over again.

Sorry to ruin the story for you, but having seen so many romantic comedies, this one really defined a new genre and is so very popular today. Having seen so many similar it does take away from the original. I probably would have liked it more if I hadn't seen it remade or reinvented so many times over. All in all it was a really good Cary Grant film.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028597/

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The Bounty Hunter (2010)

Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston in the film Entertainment Weekly is dubbing Butler's Razzie contender. Although I agree that Butler is on track to win the award for worse performance of the year, I don't understand the hate for this film.

If you want to compare this is a Best picture nominee, then yes, it was awful. If you want to compare it with other films from its genre this year [e.g. Leap Year] it was not bad at all.

A ridiculous yet unique plot about a bounty hunter who's contract is to catch his ex-wife. Meanwhile a dirty cop is trying to catch Aniston because she is about to uncover him.

Not full of plot holes, not slapstick stupid, I don't see why people strongly dislike this one. If you like Aniston, you will probably like this one.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038919/

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