Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is not a typical type of film I watch but it ended up being not what I expected. It was marketed as sort of a woman's answer to The Hangover (full disclosure: I have not seen The Hangover) but it didn't seem as raunchy as I was expecting. It was quite tame and dealt more with relationships and emotions.  The film was trying to be groundbreaking for woman's comedy but was still tethered to the idea of what women can and cannot do on film. They didn't push the envelop enough. It started out really really slow and dry and I was left wondering why it was such a big hit and the scene at the bridal shop happened. Finally I got some real laugh out loud funny moments.

Everything was going wrong for Kristen Wiig's character and at times it was a little hard to watch but I could identify with some of it. This was clearly the female version of loser male character we've been seeing recently in comedy and especially in Judd Apatow films. She wasn't perfect and I loved the juxtaposition of her against Helen. The focus on the loss of the childhood friend was core to the film but at times caused the film to feel more like a drama than a comedy. Her loss of job, her own place away from her mother and boyfriend all helped to create a character easy to relate to. There were too many times that the film relied on conventions of the romantic comedy to make a statement for something new. Not that I didn't like it but I guess I was hoping for a little more.

Although I'm not familiar with Kristen Wiig's work and familiar with just a little bit of Maya Rudolph's work it was a pleasure to see two British comedians I am familiar with. Matt Lucas I'm not a huge fan of and I found his scenes with Rebel Wilson were kind of tacked on. They could have found a better way to incorporate them or a better way to show Wiig's fall from disgrace. Chris O'Dowd on the other hand was amazing and it was so good to see him out of the IT Department. I can see him as a leading man and I hope he continues to pop up in other films.

The Help

The Help was a pretty good film. It had some really good laughs and Bryce Dallas Howard stole the show. Emma Stone was good but was swallowed up by her blonde hair and southern accent. She acted more as the vehicle of the maids than anything else which worked for the film but didn't add anything to her own character. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were marvelous. They seemed the most real of all the characters and you felt for them which was the film was trying to do.

What I liked about it was that it was a film about civil rights which showed both sides. The extreme racism of the white characters, especially Howard, made them seem almost like parodies but there were people like that. However, not all white characters were portrayed like that and you see the struggle of being an upstanding racist white citizen. When Alison Janney recounts how she dismissed her maid you see that struggle which is more powerful than the racism of Howard. You can laugh at Howard's character for her extreme take but Janney's character makes you feel the deep rooted racism that's hard to escape and it becomes more real for the audience. "I'm not racist, but..." is what I see in Janney's character which translates well for a modern audience.

The maid's predicament is well played out by not overdoing it and making them seem real. A modern audience would react in the same way which is the strength of this film dealing with this period of time. The pie section is perhaps a little extreme but something you would want to do and maybe talk about doing.  And Davis and Spencer give great performances. Their emotions control you as you watch and you feel what they feel. Octavia Spencer definitely deserved the Academy Award.

Not Going Out Series 6

There was definitely something missing from Not Going Out this time around and that something is named Tim Vine. As much as I love Lee Mack and Katy Wix they couldn't make up for the loss of Vine and the comedy was forced. Sally Bretton doesn't have the comedic timing that the other two have and Wix's wacky Daisy isn't as effective without Tim. Without Tim, Lee has to result to talking to Daisy at the pub which just further calls attention to the fact that Lee is now in a female dominated world and it isn't working for him. This series played on the will-they-won't-they relationship between Lee and Lucy but because you know it's never going to work it's played out. I was tired of the constant push and pull I felt as an audience member watching their relationship. They would raise my hopes and then dash them just as quickly. I found myself wanting the American Kate from the first series back who had better comedic timing and was a better match for Lee.

What was really funny was the short they did for Children in Need.

United

It was great to see David Tennant in a good film. As much as I love him as The Doctor it's been harder following his film work but United was worth watching. It made me cry which is always the sign of a good film in my book to elicit an emotional response like that. United follows the before and after events of the 1958 crash in Munich which killed eight Manchester United players. The story, based on true events, was done beautifully although I know the film has been criticized for its accuracy by surviving family members. It was a bit slow in the beginning, a common occurrence of British film, but had some beautiful shots and when the news came down that the crash had happened it allows the actors to act rather then relying on special effects or fancy editing. What happens instead is that the actor is framed on one side of the frame with just empty space filling most of the frame. It sets a tone.

The shot of David Tennant, playing team manager Jimmy Murphy, crying in the stairwell packs a punch. The camera view from the back shows the crumpled form of Tennant and tells you all you need to know. The plane crash is done in a tasteful way but makes the audience wonder why they ever got back on the plane. The anxiety of the players is potent as they get on the plane for the last time. Laughter is replaced with grim expressions and players move to the back of the plane in fear. The film stops short of showing the actual crash and skips to the aftermath. This left me a little confused as to how the plane actually crashed and left so many people dead after failing to take off. The film opens with the aftermath panning along the snow covered ground littered with debris, stopping at the sight of Jack O'Connell, playing new footballer Bobby Charlton, strapped into his detached chair. It works to prepare you for when the scene eventually comes.The room full of coffins is another scene that grabs you.

I found I had a hard time remembering each of the players so when Charlton was grieving over Duncan I didn't know who Duncan was besides a ManU player. I wasn't able to connect with him before the crash so I lost some of the emotional payoff, however, O'Connell did an excellent job and a long way from Skins. Thomas Howes, who played Mark Strong another fallen player was memorable for his pipe smoking but also because I found it a bit ironic that the actor gets roles where he dies tragically (He played William in Downton Abbey). Dougray Scott did what I thought was a good job as Matt Busby, his surviving family members would think otherwise, but you kinda found yourself loving to hate him. Why did he push the team so far? I suppose the worse punishment is surviving and the film made the argument that he was responsible. In the film the character even wants to claim responsibility by Murphy won't let him. It's an odd moment because Busby was portrayed in the beginning of the film as a hard gangster type who's going to do what he likes and not worry about what the football league says. Pushing his agenda means his players die and as an audience member you want to blame him but he then becomes so remorseful that you can't. David Tennant was the joy to see for me with his Welsh accent. He was the center of the film and he set the pace beautifully. His emotional scenes were played well. Dean Andrews also needs a mention here. It was nice to see him in something else, besides Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes.

Overall it was a great film that made me cry and want to root for Manchester United.

Red lights

I am falling in love with Cillian Murphy.

I suppose it was bound to happen, a skinny dark hair guy with beautiful cheekbones and eyes, not to mention phenomenal performances. After I had finished In Time I really wanted to see more of him because that role really brought the attention to him for me. Obviously I've seen his work before but I was paying attention to him per se. I find it's always nice when I go back to view an actor's work after I've fallen in love, and Red Lights gave the opportunity for more than just Cillian Murphy.

Burn Gorman and Craig Roberts from Torchwood and Being Human respectfully made for a great showing of British television and Toby Jones rounded out the British cast. Strange perhaps for a Spanish directed film but it made a joy to watch. Gorman especially because he played an American and it took me a while to recognize him. When they make you work for it like that it brings so much more of a reward once you recognize them - or at least it does for me. Roberts, likewise did an excellent job and was able to seem older in his role than he looks. Rounding out the cast are American powerhouses Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro. Now I'm not a huge fan of either of them, I like them alright but their not the draw for me, espeically De Niro however in this film De Niro was amazing. The skill he has on giving the performance he did without the use of his eyes as they were covered up with dark glasses made me speechless. In particular once scene when he's meeting Murphy's character during the scientific testing. He's all smiles when he's meeting Murphy but with Murphy's cold demeanor his face falls flat. It's a brilliant moment. Just by watching his mouth you can feel all of his emotions. Finally you have Elizabeth Olsen who I think did a good job more so towards the end when she's looking at the tape because she's directly in the action. I feel like they could have done more with her character, given her more because I feel she could have handle it.

The story itself is interesting with scientist debunking psychics only to come up against the most celebrated psychic of them all. The film starts out slow and some of the scenes are a bit awkward but even in their awkwardness they still work. I'm talking specifically about the scenes where Murphy asks Weaver about Olsen and then Weaver asks Olsen about Murphy. It's a fun way to set up their relationship even if it never gets fully developed. They could have done more with that but then again it would have taken away from the hunt for silver.

The film is all about finding paranormal happenings out as frauds and we see several cases of Weaver and Murphy going around investigating before we're brought into their classroom. It's interesting that the debunkers get less funding then the paranormal seekers. Again here is another one of my favorite scenes, maybe because Murphy is so effortless at it or because the focus is on his hands which are so graceful but while Weaver is talking about the ways in which the frauds work Murphy demonstrates. You get a little bit of flirting between Murphy and Olsen. The film moves on with competition from Toby Jones' paranormal department at the university and Simon Silver (De Niro) coming out of retirement and Murphy's one track mind to debunk him. I won't ruin the ending here because it is just so great that if you haven't seen it I want you to get the full effect of it.

This film has kept me thinking since I finished it. It may be slow at times but it keeps you engaged throughout the film - even through it's awkward bits. Cillian Murphy is amazing as is the rest of the cast. Red Lights is definitely worth the look.

In Time

The concept behind In Time I think really works well in the world we live in today. Time is money. I thought the premise was original and was explained well in the beginning of the film without being to talkative. The back story was conveyed through the story itself. It might have been a little talkative in the beginning of how the world worked but they pulled back from that as the film progressed and just let the action and story speak for itself.

I enjoyed Justin Timberlake and I'm a fan of his acting even thought I was squarely on the Backstreet Boys side of boy bands. In this film Timberlake was perhaps a little too ghetto. He made you aware of his acting. It didn't come natural and was a bit stilted. Amanda Seyfried was an interesting choice for the role and she seemed way too young. I don't know if was the baby doll dresses and hair but she looked like a teenager and I didn't see any real chemistry between her and Timberlake. It was a bit disappointing. Olivia Wilde did a great job for the small amount of time she was in the film. Her death was so sad (even though I kept thinking of Doctor Who when The Doctor sees Rose in the fourth series). Wilde brought true emotion to the role. She seemed to have more chemistry with Timberlake though so it was weird when he referred to her as his mom but it was believable when she said it was her 50th birthday.

Timberlake's best scene was when he's arm wrestling with the goon, something which you knew was going to happen after he explained it to Seyfried earlier in the film. It wasn't so much the arm wrestle going down the exact way he said it would but him taking the fun and shooting the others. It was a nice pop of excitement on a predictable scene. 

The standout performance for me is that of Cillian Murphy as the timekeeper. I just wanted to watch him and I'm not really a huge fan of his but this was the best role I've seen him in and he looked the most masculine. I could have watched him run in that black coat for 2 hours. I wanted him to be redeemed so bad, especially after Timberlake gave him some time and I think he was redeemed a little bit at the end. The revelation about his character coming from Dayton made sense and made you want him to succeed even more. If he wouldn't just taken the time from the car he would have been okay but no, he has to run out of time. The most anticlimactic moment of the film.

The ending of the film mirror the beginning scene between Timberlake and Wilde and even though I didn't feel the chemistry between Timberlake and Seyfried I was still on the edge of my seat wondering if he could save her when he couldn't save his mother. It almost makes up from Murphy's death, almost.

Hart of Dixie

Hart of Dixie was a show I was aware of because I love the CW network so I had seen commercials for it and I loved Rachel Bilson in The O.C. but I hadn't gotten around to watching it. Until I started talking to one of my co-workers about guilty pleasures and this show was hers. Luckily the first season was on netflix and I blew through it. I loved the concept, loved the characters and loved the setting.

The CW seems to like shows set in the south (Hellcats was in Memphis, Vampire Diaries is in Virginia, The Originals is in New Orleans and Hart of Dixie is in Alabama). There's more you can do with the history of the town and the rituals of the south, not to say that they don't have them elsewhere but I don't see founder's day in Portland. Really its about community which is understandable given the network - formerly WB and UPN.

The cast was great with a majority of unknowns, another common occurrence on the CW, but it was nice to see Tim Matheson in another role (I know him from The West Wing). As an audience you really get to know and love these characters and I think that's what makes the show so enjoyable. The show is really an ensemble and all the major characters work well together.

The major premise behind the show is the love triangle of first Zoe - George - Lemon which quickly dissolves into George - Zoe - Wade and I have to say I much prefer Wade over George. George is just so boring! I was really glad to see Zoe and Wade make a go of it. Wade's one of those characters who puts on an air of "I-don't-care" but he really does and although he makes mistakes he can be really sensitive. The last episode of the first season had so much drama with Zoe ending up with Wade and George breaking things off with Lemon to be with Zoe.

In the second season Zoe and Wade progressed their relationship but of course no one can be happy on television and Wade does something stupid. The show lost me a bit at the end because they repeated what had happened in the first season. Wade and Zoe break up, she goes after George who is in a relationship, who then breaks up with his girlfriend and goes to Zoe only to find her in bed with Wade. It was like they couldn't figure out what they wanted to do so just recycled an old storyline. It made it a but soap opera-y.

Having said that I am looking forward to the third season. I really think Zoe and Wade having something going even though he cheated on her and denied it. I loved his romantic gesture at the end of the last episode. Thankfully they have brought in someone new, Jonah the doctor to tempt Zoe while she's in New York. Now I say thankfully only because they needed new blood because the George-Zoe-Wade triangle has gotten old and frankly I'm not a huge fan of George.

The other stand out character for me is Annabeth who I adore (although Bert Reynolds is pretty good). She's so cute and peppy but still a little sassy. She gets a little crazy when she's with Lemon but I was happy things worked out between her and the mayor even though it would have been nice to see the mayor with Lemon. It'll be interesting next season to see what happens with Lemon who is now a co-owner of the Rammer Jammer with Wade. Will there be romantic feelings there? I really hope not but it is a possibility.

I think the CW hit on a good show with this one that really makes you enjoy your 45 minutes with them. It feels like family.