BuzzSugar

Two Straight-to-DVD Romances, One Long Night

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:30:43 -0800

Sometimes movies go straight to DVD and you can kind of guess why (sidenote: thank you, Molly, for watching Blonde Ambition so I don't have to!). But then there are those sweet-looking films with some big names - Alec Baldwin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Rudd, Sarah Michelle Prinze - that pique my curiosity. What could be so bad about movies like Suburban Girl and I Could Never Be Your Woman that they went straight to DVD? Well, in honor of Valentine's Day, I popped in these straight-to-DVD romances to find out just that.

The Description:
"Neophyte editor Brett Eisenberg (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is paying her dues in New York's publishing world when she attracts Archie Knox (Alec Baldwin), an aging industry luminary. Soon, their romance is complicated by real-life pressures, including Archie's alcoholism and Brett's dying father."
The Good:
Some of you may recall The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, a collection of short stories by Melissa Bank that became a huge hit in 1999, and Suburban Girl is based on two of the stories in that book. They did well to maintain most of the protagonist's character (now named Brett): her wise-beyond-her-years maturity, her immense (and proud) knowledge of literature. If nothing else, it's refreshing to see a main female character in a romantic comedy (I guess this is a comedy?) who is not a bumbling fool. She's like a heroine for any bookish girl who loves Dante and leather pants all at the same time. She's not altogether humorless, either - my writer's heart melted upon hearing Brett gush, "Don't you just love alliteration?"

To find out "The Bad" and my take on the other romantic DVD, read more
The Bad:
With the exception of endearing quips like those, the dialogue is shockingly bad. For this alone, I can see why Suburban Girl was not theatrically released. Some people have also criticized the relationship between Brett and Archie, claiming Sarah Michele Gellar and Alec Baldwin have zero chemistry, though I don't share this opinion. Their relationship is supposed to feel awkward at times, seeing as Archie is nearly the same age as Brett's dad. Sure, there are moments when their interactions feel forced, and they beat the whole "stop treating me like your daughter!" thing over our heads ad nauseum. But I was more or less okay with it.
Bottom line:
I completely understand why this film went straight to DVD but it's not without its charms, and I fervently hope to see characters like Brett on the big screen someday. Also, the movie's soundtrack could make those of similarly billed "chick flicks" weep with shame. It's cute enough if you're a huge fan of these actors.

I Could Never Be Your Woman
The Description:
"Just as Rosie (Pfeiffer) strikes up a romance with a handsome younger man (Paul Rudd), her daughter Izzie (Saorise Ronan) falls in love for the first time - and Mother Nature (Tracey Ullman) can't resist the temptation to meddle."
The Good:
Pfeiffer and Rudd are surprisingly cute together - to the point where I deeply wished the movie were solely about their relationship. Instead, there are a dozen different things smushed into this one film, and it all gets muddled and (especially in the scenes featuring an ethereal-looking Tracey Ullman as "Mother Nature") super weird. There are vague strains of female empowerment and some commentary on the culture of plastic surgery and degradation of women's bodies in Hollywood, but it all gets diluted amidst the rest of the storylines. Still, on some level, I appreciate the attempt to shed light on a culture in which little girls make their Barbies ridicule each others' bodies.
The Bad:
There's a romantic story involving Pfeiffer's character as The Hot Older Woman (at 40) and Rudd's character as The Funny Younger Man (at 29). But then there's the daughter's coming-of-age stuff and her own shrieky problems with boys at school. And there's Rosie's career troubles and her struggles with self-image within Hollywood. Finally, topping off this messy pile is the smart-mouthed Mother Nature who comes around to criticize Rosie's every move. It's just perplexing, and while there are some funny lines - and Rudd is as adorable as you've ever seen him - it's not actually a fun movie.
Bottom line:
The actors are great, but they can't save this overloaded, bizarre and not especially pleasurable story.

Fall Movie Preview: Sweet Romance

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 06:00:00 -0700

We may not be getting the crisp fall weather just yet, but we are getting previews for tons of movies opening in the fall. In preparation for this autumn and winter at the theaters, I've broken up the lengthy list of upcoming movies into many small themes for my Fall Movie Preview series. This way, you'll be in the know when the chillier months roll around, bringing a whole new crop of new films. In today's preview, all you need is love - in all its funny and heartbreaking variations.

I Could Never Be Your Woman
I really hope this movie is great, but I have admittedly little faith in it. It stars the gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer and adorable Paul Rudd, but was supposed to come out around Valentine's Day (over six months ago!) and now it's slated to open November 9. Not a good sign. Pfeiffer plays a 40-year-old divorcee facing the challenges and insecurities associated with getting older and raising a pre-teen daughter (played by Saoirse Ronan, the actress recently cast to play Susie in The Lovely Bones). She meets Adam (Rudd), a 29-year-old spirited guy who apparently teaches her how to loosen up and be a kid again. It looks like it's maybe a step up from The Perfect Man. Maybe. Check out the fairly lame trailer and tell me what you think.

More romantic adventures scheduled for the fall if you read more

Feast of Love
This romantic drama, opening September 28, randomly takes place in Oregon. The impressive ensemble cast includes Morgan Freeman, Selma Blair and Greg Kinnear, among others. Various relationships are at the heart of this story, mostly focusing on Bradley (Kinnear) and his terrible luck with women. He learns valuable lessons about love from the other folks in his life. The trailer looks like a cheese pie with a dash of trite ("Do you think love is a trick, or do you think that it's the only meaning there is to this crazy dream?"), but it could end up being sweet, too.

Dan in Real Life
I just posted the very cute trailer for this movie, opening October 19, that has Steve Carell playing the charmingly overprotective widower raising three daughters. He's delighted when he meets a wonderful woman (played by Juliette Binoche, awesomely) - only to find out she's his brother's girlfriend. This is one I can't wait to catch on the big screen.

Lars and the Real Girl
A refreshingly quirky spin on the tired old romantic stories, Lars and the Real Girl finds Ryan Gosling playing Lars, a man who falls in love with a life-sized doll. Lars insists that everyone in his life act as though "Bianca" is a real person who he's dating. Yet in doing this, he may be missing out on a relationship with a human woman. Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson also star, happily. Check out the sweet-looking trailer here.

I Could Never Be Your Woman and Lars images source
Feast of Love and Dan images source

FlashForward Breakdown, "White to Play"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:29 -0700

FlashForward's sophomore episode packs as much punch as its pilot: more action, questions raised, and lives on the line. As the FBI continues to investigate what caused the blackout, the world's residents find themselves united in their shared experience. They may never be able to look at life the same way again, but as Aaron says, "We're all prophets now."

Last week I broke down the episode by character, but this time around I'm focusing on the biggest questions of the night and even sharing a few of my own predictions. To get down to the nitty-gritty (spoilers ahead, of course), just read more.

Who is D. Gibbons?
Knowing that one of Mark's vision cards says "D. Gibbons," Mark and Demetri start to discuss the person in question when a woman with a box of cupcakes shows up, and - you guessed it! - her name is Deedee Gibbons! Seems simple enough, but as it turns out, there's another D. Gibbons. Mark and Demetri track him to his creeptastic doll factory in Utah, where he tries to administer death by explosion. Later we learn that D. Gibbons is in contact with "Agent Zero" (aka the Detriot stadium walker) during the two-minute blackout.

Can Demetri avoid his fate?
Demetri continues to wrestle with his vision (or lack thereof), and is seemingly comforted to find a policewoman with the same experience. That is, until she's dead five minutes later. Mark tries to convince him that he may be asleep in the future, but Demetri gets an anonymous call at the end of the episode bearing the worst news: On March 15, 2010, he will be murdered.

Will Mark's actions throw his vision off course?
I have to admit that throughout the episode, I was kind of mad at Mark for a lot of reasons. First of all, he acts cold towards Olivia because of her adulterous flash-forward when he's not being truthful about his own. She took a big risk by revealing her vision to her husband; the least he can do is lay off of her a little. My other major gripe is that Mark seems to be actively fulfilling his vision. He arranges the cards in his office exactly how they were in the flash-forward, and heads to the dollhouse factory because it appears in his vision. If Mark is trying to avoid his prophecy, couldn't he be more active about moving in a new direction? (Demetri agrees with me, mostly because he doesn't want to believe his own fate). By the end of the episode, Mark finally tries to break the pattern by tossing his friendship bracelet into the fireplace. But will a butterfly effect take place?

What did Charlie see in her vision?
The episode opens to a very creepy rendition of children singing "Ring Around the Rosie" as we see Charlie's playmates re-enacting the blackout on the playground (later we get a reprise of the haunting tune). Charlie is the only kid in school who doesn't want to talk about her vision, prompting her teacher to worry about Charlie's psychological well-being. Later we find out that she had a "bad vision" and that Lloyd Simcoe's son Dylan is a part of it. The episode ends on a chilling note as she tells Mark, "D. Gibbons is a bad man."
My prediction: D. Gibbons kidnaps Dylan and Charlie at some point, which causes Mark's and Olivia's relationship to unravel. Charlie gets a glimpse of her imprisonment in her vision.

Other major points

"He who foresees calamities, suffers them twice over" - D. Gibbons mutters this line shortly before blowing up the factory.
Olivia recognizes Lloyd from her vision, but not vice-versa.
Is Bryce sketching Olivia in the hospital?
Am I the only one who noticed a little bit of sexual tension between Demetri and Janis? Could Demetri be the father of her child?

I've given you my two cents, now I want to hear yours! Sound off the comments below!