I had never heard of the 2009 indie movie called All's Faire in Love, but it must have come out on DVD only this year because it's still in the new releases section of the rental store. I happened to see the cover and thought, "It takes place at a Renaissance Faire, and it's a romantic comedy. I like Renaissance Faires (though I've been to only one). That just might be cool." I wasn't expecting much, and I knew it couldn't be much worse than some of the B-movies I've picked up. Perhaps it was because I wasn't expecting a lot that I enjoyed this movie. It certainly surprised me in some great ways.
The starting point of the movie is this: in order to pass a class he's not taking seriously and continue to play football, college football star Will must spend the summer working at a Renaissance Faire, per his professor's orders. Kate, fresh out of business school, really wants to be an actress, and instead of getting a big job with a corporation, she "runs away" to the Renaissance Faire to join a friend who works there. Will and Kate are newbies, so both get the lowliest jobs of fetch-boy and fetch-girl. I couldn't care less about their background stories. The fun begins when they get to the faire and have to deal with their eccentric coworkers, who perhaps take their roles a little too seriously.
This movie is so quirky, and I really had fun watching it. Sure, it's cheesy at times, particularly the music. The music is so very not original. They try to use a Christian song as a romantic song, and I just had to laugh. Of course, Christians have done the opposite. (Have you ever heard The Lion King lyrics sung as if they were about God? "He lives in you. He lives in me...")
I think this movie could very well have been too cheesy for me if not for the right actors. Christina Ricci and Owen Benjamin star as Kate and Will and, forgive me for gushing a little, they are so cute together. Though Ricci's name is vaguely familiar to me, I really don't know these actors from Adam, so I had no preconceptions. I took their acting at face value, and for these roles, they work beautifully. Their co-actors are fun to watch as well in all their loveable or ridiculous parts.
Again, I wasn't expecting much, so when the football player suddenly revealed what a superb piano player he was, I didn't shout "foul." I just took it in stride as part of this silly but absolutely fun and funny movie.
It isn't even as dirty as it could have been. When I visited a Renaissance Faire, I was introduced to how bawdy it can be. Innuendo and cleavage everywhere. This movie doesn't omit that, but it also doesn't go too over-the-top. (A curse on someone's balls and a chastity belt do come into play, however.) It's rated PG-13.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all for me was that I almost immediately recognized the location of the set. Yes, indeed, of all the Renaissance Faires to choose from, the one they chose for their set was the one I've been to in Michigan. Icing on the cake.
Three stars for a fun romp. If you've ever enjoyed a Renaissance Faire, this will take you back, costumes, turkey legs, and all.
Showing posts with label romantic comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romantic comedy. Show all posts
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
New Year's Eve on DVD
I never thought New Year's Eve would be good. For one, it's a movie that immediately dates itself by taking place on the eve of 2012. Who's going to want to ever watch it again? Two, another movie, Valentine's Day, was supposedly similar with its large cast of characters but rather inappropriate, from what I heard. I never saw it and didn't want to. I was afraid New Year's Eve would be on the inappropriate side, being a romantic comedy, and I probably wouldn't ever have watched it had it not been for my curiosity in its cast, a huge ensemble of people I'm vaguely familiar with including in no particular order Zac Efron, Cary Elwes, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Hilary Swank, and Lea Michele, just to name a few. Finally, did you ever hear anything about New Year's Eve after it came out? I think, if anything, I heard it was a flop.
I'm afraid all that most movies like this have going for them are their casts. The movie is often a one-deal show that draws an opening weekend crowd just because of the names in it but doesn't have enough substance to stand on its own two feet. It makes sense. You get all these big names, all far too famous to get anything but the major roles in a story. So, instead of creating a single story with a lot of characters, you have to create a mishmash of interconnected stories, each with its own two or three stars.
And to an extent, that's exactly what New Year's Eve is: a mishmash. But it's a surprisingly clean one with some unexpectedly heartfelt, tear-jerker stories: real-life snapshots of lives on the cusp of starting anew. It starts out a little disjointed, and not all the stories intersect, which might have been better. But for about ten different plots going on at once, it works thematically and emotionally. As a storyteller myself, I actually kind of liked it. Because each story's normal two-hour movie slot is drastically shortened to fit alongside everyone else's, the stories have to stay focused and emotionally engaging. That's what works for the movie.
I may never see it again and it will likely disappear off the grid, but it wasn't a waste of time or even a bore. When the movie season is slow (like October's scare fest), remember this one. Three stars.
I'm afraid all that most movies like this have going for them are their casts. The movie is often a one-deal show that draws an opening weekend crowd just because of the names in it but doesn't have enough substance to stand on its own two feet. It makes sense. You get all these big names, all far too famous to get anything but the major roles in a story. So, instead of creating a single story with a lot of characters, you have to create a mishmash of interconnected stories, each with its own two or three stars.
And to an extent, that's exactly what New Year's Eve is: a mishmash. But it's a surprisingly clean one with some unexpectedly heartfelt, tear-jerker stories: real-life snapshots of lives on the cusp of starting anew. It starts out a little disjointed, and not all the stories intersect, which might have been better. But for about ten different plots going on at once, it works thematically and emotionally. As a storyteller myself, I actually kind of liked it. Because each story's normal two-hour movie slot is drastically shortened to fit alongside everyone else's, the stories have to stay focused and emotionally engaging. That's what works for the movie.
I may never see it again and it will likely disappear off the grid, but it wasn't a waste of time or even a bore. When the movie season is slow (like October's scare fest), remember this one. Three stars.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Crazy, Stupid, Love. in Theaters
In this movie-drought time of the year, if you've gone to the theater, chances are you've seen this one already. But it's not out of theaters yet, so if you haven't seen it, hopefully this will help you decide whether to take the plunge or wait for the good ones coming out soon.
Crazy, Stupid, Love. stars Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and some pretty good child/teen actors. It's a bit of a mix of genres, but mainly Romantic Comedy rated mostly appropriately at PG-13. Having said that, though, I do have to mention that there are some wildly inappropriate parts. Ryan Gosling plays a hunky ladies' man (Jacob) who stalks the bar and takes home women just for sex. Although no sex is seen, the innuendo is all there. Also, the F-word is used.
But the story has a message, which in many ways balances out the negative aspects. Steve Carell plays Cal Weaver, a husband and father who's grown so used to life that he takes his wife for granted and doesn't love her with any sort of fire anymore. His wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), in turn, cheats on him and asks for a divorce, which he gives her like an old dog rolling over to die, passionless. But he misses her so badly he can't stop talking about her at the bar, which gets the attention of ladies' man Jacob. Here, the story gets really muddy morally. Cal, who's never had sex with any woman but his wife (which I wholeheartedly applaud), proceeds to follow Jacob's advice to his detriment. This whole part of the movie is mixed with a lot of humor, making it less unpleasant to watch, but it's still wrong. In time, however, Cal looks better, has learned how to get the spark back, and realizes he has only one soul mate.
But there's a whole lot more to the end that I don't want to spoil. Suffice it to say, it's laugh-out-loud funny with great, quotable lines. And the outcome is happily satisfactory. There's more than one romance (some of it inappropriate), but it all connects in the end. You are probably wondering what role Emma Stone gets to play, but I'll leave that as a surprise. It's hard to explain without explaining too much.
The messages I don't like about the movie are these: you need to experience more than one woman to be good at sex, sex is part of a premarital relationship but means more if you just don't do it the first night, masturbation is okay if the person you are thinking about gives you permission. Those are the big ones, and let me just emphasize again: I DON'T agree with the above.
Now, the messages I really appreciate about the movie: you can love just one person all your life; you can get back together after divorce; you can still love your spouse even when you think you hate him or her; marriage takes effort, but the effort is worth it.
So, you weigh the negative against the positive to decide whether or not this is a movie worth watching. I can't exactly recommend it, but at the same time, I can say that it didn't leave me feeling dirty, for all that it could have. Knowing what it contained, I might not have chosen to watch it, but having watched it, I can't say I regret it.
Three stars.
Crazy, Stupid, Love. stars Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and some pretty good child/teen actors. It's a bit of a mix of genres, but mainly Romantic Comedy rated mostly appropriately at PG-13. Having said that, though, I do have to mention that there are some wildly inappropriate parts. Ryan Gosling plays a hunky ladies' man (Jacob) who stalks the bar and takes home women just for sex. Although no sex is seen, the innuendo is all there. Also, the F-word is used.
But the story has a message, which in many ways balances out the negative aspects. Steve Carell plays Cal Weaver, a husband and father who's grown so used to life that he takes his wife for granted and doesn't love her with any sort of fire anymore. His wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), in turn, cheats on him and asks for a divorce, which he gives her like an old dog rolling over to die, passionless. But he misses her so badly he can't stop talking about her at the bar, which gets the attention of ladies' man Jacob. Here, the story gets really muddy morally. Cal, who's never had sex with any woman but his wife (which I wholeheartedly applaud), proceeds to follow Jacob's advice to his detriment. This whole part of the movie is mixed with a lot of humor, making it less unpleasant to watch, but it's still wrong. In time, however, Cal looks better, has learned how to get the spark back, and realizes he has only one soul mate.
But there's a whole lot more to the end that I don't want to spoil. Suffice it to say, it's laugh-out-loud funny with great, quotable lines. And the outcome is happily satisfactory. There's more than one romance (some of it inappropriate), but it all connects in the end. You are probably wondering what role Emma Stone gets to play, but I'll leave that as a surprise. It's hard to explain without explaining too much.
The messages I don't like about the movie are these: you need to experience more than one woman to be good at sex, sex is part of a premarital relationship but means more if you just don't do it the first night, masturbation is okay if the person you are thinking about gives you permission. Those are the big ones, and let me just emphasize again: I DON'T agree with the above.
Now, the messages I really appreciate about the movie: you can love just one person all your life; you can get back together after divorce; you can still love your spouse even when you think you hate him or her; marriage takes effort, but the effort is worth it.
So, you weigh the negative against the positive to decide whether or not this is a movie worth watching. I can't exactly recommend it, but at the same time, I can say that it didn't leave me feeling dirty, for all that it could have. Knowing what it contained, I might not have chosen to watch it, but having watched it, I can't say I regret it.
Three stars.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Tourist
I loved this movie! I really like Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, but they do a wide range of movies. You never know quite what you are going to get, except for good acting. But in this case, it was good acting with almost nothing objectionable, and I simply loved it.
In The Tourist, Angelina Jolie is Elise Ward, the lover of criminal mastermind Alexander Pierce. He sends her a letter, telling her to pick a guy at random from a certain train and make everyone watching believe it is him. Meanwhile, British Interpol agents and another crime lord are looking everywhere for Pierce and following Elise, in the hope of tracking him down. Elise chooses a tourist (Johnny Depp), an American math teacher who is awkward and shy but obviously charmed by Elise. But when Frank, the tourist, begins to fall in love with her and is drawn deeper into danger, she must maneuver to find her lost love Alexander while saving the life of the man she is beginning to care for.
This movie had me laughing out loud. Angelina Jolie is beautiful and captivating as always, but Johnny Depp is really good. He plays a character completely foreign to his various roles. I was amazed that he could act so...well, normal. And it was hilarious, to boot. Frank is always trying to speak in Spanish to the locals of Venice, where most of the movie takes place. He's always getting himself into scrapes that are way over his head, and he's falling in love with a woman who is far out of his reach. But it's not embarrassing. It's adorable.
Despite expecting a good movie, I was thoroughly surprised and delighted by this one. If you are picky morally, and I usually am, this movie is rated PG-13. Jolie does remove some of her clothes, only for the purpose of getting changed. There's no sex, and Jolie is still modestly attired, even in her underwear. I believe I told my husband it looked like granny lingerie. I don't mean to be offensive to grannies out there, but you know what I mean. There's also smoking, and some people end up dead in the end. For once, I'm entirely okay with the PG-13 rating. Usually, I think movies should be rated higher than they are, like R for sex.
Having given the moral spiel, I can now return to gushing about what a beautiful, romantic, funny, suspenseful semi-action flick this is. I give it five stars, and trust me, I usually don't go above four. Definitely one to see, maybe even own.
In The Tourist, Angelina Jolie is Elise Ward, the lover of criminal mastermind Alexander Pierce. He sends her a letter, telling her to pick a guy at random from a certain train and make everyone watching believe it is him. Meanwhile, British Interpol agents and another crime lord are looking everywhere for Pierce and following Elise, in the hope of tracking him down. Elise chooses a tourist (Johnny Depp), an American math teacher who is awkward and shy but obviously charmed by Elise. But when Frank, the tourist, begins to fall in love with her and is drawn deeper into danger, she must maneuver to find her lost love Alexander while saving the life of the man she is beginning to care for.
This movie had me laughing out loud. Angelina Jolie is beautiful and captivating as always, but Johnny Depp is really good. He plays a character completely foreign to his various roles. I was amazed that he could act so...well, normal. And it was hilarious, to boot. Frank is always trying to speak in Spanish to the locals of Venice, where most of the movie takes place. He's always getting himself into scrapes that are way over his head, and he's falling in love with a woman who is far out of his reach. But it's not embarrassing. It's adorable.
Despite expecting a good movie, I was thoroughly surprised and delighted by this one. If you are picky morally, and I usually am, this movie is rated PG-13. Jolie does remove some of her clothes, only for the purpose of getting changed. There's no sex, and Jolie is still modestly attired, even in her underwear. I believe I told my husband it looked like granny lingerie. I don't mean to be offensive to grannies out there, but you know what I mean. There's also smoking, and some people end up dead in the end. For once, I'm entirely okay with the PG-13 rating. Usually, I think movies should be rated higher than they are, like R for sex.
Having given the moral spiel, I can now return to gushing about what a beautiful, romantic, funny, suspenseful semi-action flick this is. I give it five stars, and trust me, I usually don't go above four. Definitely one to see, maybe even own.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Letters to Juliet on DVD
I want to love Letters to Juliet, and I did enjoy it. It's imperfectly done, but with likeable characters full of heart and soul. Perhaps the plot is unbelievable and too good to be true. I don't know if there really is a wall where people write letters to Juliet asking for advice. The movie, at least, makes it seem possible, and for that reason among others, the story works, contrived as the romances of it may be.
Sophie is played by the lovely, doe-eyed Amanda Seyfried of Mama Mia. She finds and responds to a 50-year-old letter from Claire, beautifully and heartfully played by Vanessa Redgrave. Claire's grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan; you might know him as the brother of Eragon), doesn't like Sophie leading his grandmother on a possible wild goose chase, and so the sparks begin to fly. My favorite parts are the scenes of antagonistic banter between Sophie and Charlie, and Claire pulled my heartstrings; I couldn't help but love her.
Despite the sometimes awkwardness of the plot, I could have loved the movie more fully had not it been yet another tale of a woman switching guys. At least it made sense for her to leave the one, although she should have done it far sooner. What didn't make any sense remotely was why she was with him to begin with. He wasn't necessarily a jerk...well, he was more wrapped up in food and starting a restaurant than he was in anything that interested his girlfriend at all, but she wasn't all that interested in his restaurant, so that goes both ways. This movie is clean, but I hate the implication that always comes with these types of plots nowadays that the heroine is living and sleeping with the one guy she's going to dump in the end. (In this case, she's on a pre-wedding "honeymoon"!) I mean, I'd really prefer she didn't sleep with anyone until she was married, but that she does with the "wrong" guy, even if only implied, just adds insult to injury. It makes me value the main characters less.
But Character is ultimately what carries this movie, and a beautiful setting in Italy doesn't hurt. This is, in the end, a cute story with a semi-cheesy but utterly happy ending which makes the watching worthwhile.
✭✭✭
Sophie is played by the lovely, doe-eyed Amanda Seyfried of Mama Mia. She finds and responds to a 50-year-old letter from Claire, beautifully and heartfully played by Vanessa Redgrave. Claire's grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan; you might know him as the brother of Eragon), doesn't like Sophie leading his grandmother on a possible wild goose chase, and so the sparks begin to fly. My favorite parts are the scenes of antagonistic banter between Sophie and Charlie, and Claire pulled my heartstrings; I couldn't help but love her.
Despite the sometimes awkwardness of the plot, I could have loved the movie more fully had not it been yet another tale of a woman switching guys. At least it made sense for her to leave the one, although she should have done it far sooner. What didn't make any sense remotely was why she was with him to begin with. He wasn't necessarily a jerk...well, he was more wrapped up in food and starting a restaurant than he was in anything that interested his girlfriend at all, but she wasn't all that interested in his restaurant, so that goes both ways. This movie is clean, but I hate the implication that always comes with these types of plots nowadays that the heroine is living and sleeping with the one guy she's going to dump in the end. (In this case, she's on a pre-wedding "honeymoon"!) I mean, I'd really prefer she didn't sleep with anyone until she was married, but that she does with the "wrong" guy, even if only implied, just adds insult to injury. It makes me value the main characters less.
But Character is ultimately what carries this movie, and a beautiful setting in Italy doesn't hurt. This is, in the end, a cute story with a semi-cheesy but utterly happy ending which makes the watching worthwhile.
✭✭✭
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