Cute movie - except for the fact that Cameron Diaz sleeps with Jude Law five minutes after she meets him.
Diaz plays Amanda Woods, the owner of a movie trailer company (trailers, in this case, meaning previews of movies). She's a high stress, successful kind of girl. After breaking up with her boyfriend (Edward Burns), she decides she's gotta get away. On the other side of the globe is Iris Simpkins, played by Kate Winslet, who has recently found out that the man she is in love with, is engaged to be married. Iris decides she's gotta get away. So she puts her London home up for rent as a vacation home, and Amanda answers the ad. They talk, and decide to swap homes. The night Amanda arrives in London, Iris's brother, Graham, (Jude Law) drops by, totally unaware that Iris has rented the place out. Graham and Amanda immediately feel chemistry. When he kisses her, she throws caution to the wind and asks him to stay the night. The next morning is awkward. He explains that he's kinda "complicated" (he keeps getting calls from females). She tells him not to worry because she "will not fall in love" with him. But you can see they both want to be together. One evening, Amanda decides to stop by his place...and gets a surprise. (don't worry - the surprise makes you fall in love with the guy!)
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Iris is loving Amanda's fancy big house. She ends up meeting Miles, (Jack Black) a film composer that works with Amanda. They become good friends and spend a lot of time together. He is seeing someone, but soon finds heartbreak in that relationship. Together they help each other work through their pain.
It was a cute movie that wove the lives of all these characters in a funny, touching way. One of the funniest parts is when Iris is on the phone with her brother and he tells her that he "met" Amanda. Amanda calls Iris on the other line and Iris goes back and forth between the two calls. As she begins to "reprimand" Graham about hitting on her "renter", Amanda says, "Um...Its still me".
THE HOLIDAY definitely had an all-star cast. I love Jack Black in everything I've seen him in, even though he usually seems to play himself. So maybe it's because I'm too used to his usual characters (School of Rock, Nacho Libre, Saving Silverman, etc.), but in this movie he seemed a tiny bit out of place playing the suave sophisticated music composer. It came across as if he was trying hard to be on his best behavior. This seems to be the first romantic comedy roles for Kate Winslet and Jude Law - but they were well cast in this.
Maybe it was the cast that carried it, but I thought this movie was fun! A feel-good romantic comedy with a happily ever after ending!
Showing posts with label Edward Burns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edward Burns. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
27 DRESSES
Did another Thursday morning movie with "Macy" - we went to see 27 DRESSES. Everyone said, "That looks likes such a cute movie!" And it certainly was a cute idea for a storyline! But Macy and I both agreed that it didn't reach its full potential.
When you see the previews to a movie like this, you already know how it's gonna go - boy meets girl, they endure a bit of conflict, but by the end of the movie, you know you're gonna walk away smiling! And so it was for this movie. But still, even for a romantic comedy, it was lacking a bit in substance.
One of the biggest flaws was that there was NO chemistry between the two main characters, played by Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. They are both adorable - but nope, didn't feel it with them. I never felt "caught up" in their relationship - throughout the film, I felt fully aware that they were two actors acting.
Heigl plays a woman who LOVES weddings. She plans all her friends' weddings, engagement parties, etc. She also works as an assistant to the man she is in love with, played by Edward Burns. Marsden's character writes the wedding column for the New York City Journal. He writes under a pseudonym, of course, so when he and Heigl meet, she doesn't realize that he is her favorite columnist. Instead, he comes across as a guy who is cynical about the institution of marriage. Which of course, really annoys her! They meet at a wedding one night, share a cab, she drops her planner in the cab, he sees that her social life consists of nothing but weddings every weekend, and he gets an idea for an article for his column! Since he thinks she's kinda cute, he proceeds to pursue her. But she despises him! In the meantime, her sister (who's a model) waltzes into town and falls in love with the boss - the one that Heigl is secretly in love with - who also falls for her, and they get engaged. The story then continues with all the complications of those circumstances.
But it seemed that there was so many details to this story that much of the plot was diluted . Her relationship with her sister, for example. Their childhood and how they felt about each other as adults - all that history was explained too briefly - and the information always seemed "rushed" - as if had to be included - it didn't flow naturally. And her sister wasn't too likable, nor too hate-able - so you just don't know how to feel when she gets what's coming to her, or when they reconcile. Might have been better to have Burns fall in love with a stranger so that the complicated history of the sister relationship didn't have to be written in.
In addition, Heigl's disdain for Marsden felt "forced" - like it was necessary to have some sort of conflict leading up to the happy conclusion. Moments that could have really been dramatic - like when she realizes that this man she hates is really the writer she loves - seemed glossed over quickly and not very climactic. Another such moment was when he admits that the reason he is so bitter about marriage is because of his own experience. That could have been an emotionally charged moment - but the moment arrived, and then it left, with no lasting impact.
This is not to say that 27 DRESSES was terrible - It had its cute moments! Judy Greer plays a good character as Heigl's friend who "tells it like it is" (she plays a similar character in 13 GOING ON 30!). I did laugh a few times! The scene where Heigl tries on the 27 dresses is pretty cute. And the bar scene where they sing "Bennie and the Jets" is pretty funny! I wouldn't avoid 27 DRESSES, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it!
When you see the previews to a movie like this, you already know how it's gonna go - boy meets girl, they endure a bit of conflict, but by the end of the movie, you know you're gonna walk away smiling! And so it was for this movie. But still, even for a romantic comedy, it was lacking a bit in substance.
One of the biggest flaws was that there was NO chemistry between the two main characters, played by Katherine Heigl and James Marsden. They are both adorable - but nope, didn't feel it with them. I never felt "caught up" in their relationship - throughout the film, I felt fully aware that they were two actors acting.
Heigl plays a woman who LOVES weddings. She plans all her friends' weddings, engagement parties, etc. She also works as an assistant to the man she is in love with, played by Edward Burns. Marsden's character writes the wedding column for the New York City Journal. He writes under a pseudonym, of course, so when he and Heigl meet, she doesn't realize that he is her favorite columnist. Instead, he comes across as a guy who is cynical about the institution of marriage. Which of course, really annoys her! They meet at a wedding one night, share a cab, she drops her planner in the cab, he sees that her social life consists of nothing but weddings every weekend, and he gets an idea for an article for his column! Since he thinks she's kinda cute, he proceeds to pursue her. But she despises him! In the meantime, her sister (who's a model) waltzes into town and falls in love with the boss - the one that Heigl is secretly in love with - who also falls for her, and they get engaged. The story then continues with all the complications of those circumstances.
But it seemed that there was so many details to this story that much of the plot was diluted . Her relationship with her sister, for example. Their childhood and how they felt about each other as adults - all that history was explained too briefly - and the information always seemed "rushed" - as if had to be included - it didn't flow naturally. And her sister wasn't too likable, nor too hate-able - so you just don't know how to feel when she gets what's coming to her, or when they reconcile. Might have been better to have Burns fall in love with a stranger so that the complicated history of the sister relationship didn't have to be written in.
In addition, Heigl's disdain for Marsden felt "forced" - like it was necessary to have some sort of conflict leading up to the happy conclusion. Moments that could have really been dramatic - like when she realizes that this man she hates is really the writer she loves - seemed glossed over quickly and not very climactic. Another such moment was when he admits that the reason he is so bitter about marriage is because of his own experience. That could have been an emotionally charged moment - but the moment arrived, and then it left, with no lasting impact.
This is not to say that 27 DRESSES was terrible - It had its cute moments! Judy Greer plays a good character as Heigl's friend who "tells it like it is" (she plays a similar character in 13 GOING ON 30!). I did laugh a few times! The scene where Heigl tries on the 27 dresses is pretty cute. And the bar scene where they sing "Bennie and the Jets" is pretty funny! I wouldn't avoid 27 DRESSES, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it!
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