BuzzSugar

Valentine's Day: Plenty of Stars, Not Enough Heart

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:30:00 -0800

You've heard all the cliches before: that Valentine's Day is more about commercialism than love, that it was created by Hallmark and Hershey's, and so on. With that in mind, I can't say I was surprised to see that Hollywood finally decided to capitalize on the holiday hubbub with a romantic comedy that's brimming with stars - but unfortunately the film provides even more proof for the argument that the holiday is for suckers.

Valentine's Day has star power at every turn, chronicling the lives of a slew of people as they navigate through the "most romantic day of the year." Jennifer Garner and Ashton Kutcher are at the epicenter as best friends Julia and Reed, and their tangled web of social contacts and random people they bump into extends (but isn't limited to) Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway, Patrick Dempsey, Eric Dane, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Taylor Lautner, Julia Roberts and Jessica Alba. There are more celebrities in the film than you can remember, and the sad part is that most of their onscreen counterparts are forgettable.

To see why, just read more.

The movie has more stars than the script knows what to do with - literally. There are so many characters and simultaneous plot lines that none of the love stories (or anti-love stories, as the case may be) are developed to a satisfying level. It's obvious that Garry Marshall was more concerned with marketing than with the script, and in the end we're left with two hours crammed with pretty faces and not much else.

What makes an ensemble rom-com like Love Actually take flight is that it pulls on your heartstrings by going a bit deeper than the stars you see on the surface. Instead, we get a lineup of all the people we've seen before: there's the lovestruck kid, the best friends who don't realize they're in love (even though everyone else does), the girl who hates Valentine's Day, the high school virgins. There's nothing for the audience to sink their teeth into - and not nearly enough laughs to make up for that.

Valentine's Day is all about what's on the surface, so I'd only recommend it if you're looking to skip the real treats and indulge in some empty eye candy with your girlfriends instead.

Valentine's Day Sneak Peek!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:30:59 -0800

It's romantic comedy season, and Valentine's Day is going to be its peak. Whether you love ensemble romantic comedies or hate them, Valentine's Day is swaggering in with some major star power, including Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Anne Hathaway, Topher Grace, Taylor Swift, and Bradley Cooper . . . to name a few. Watch the trailer here, and in the meantime, I have a ton of new photos from the movie, which comes out Feb. 12. Click through to see which celebrities are paired up, plus some story hints (and don't forget to enter to win your own private screening of the movie)!
Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

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The Invention of Lying: Sweet, but Unsteady

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:45:37 -0700

In his Hollywood directorial debut, Ricky Gervais takes us to an alternate universe where honesty makes the world go round. It's not just that lie-telling is an impossibility; everyone can't help but speak their minds at all times, no matter how personal, embarrassing, or brutal their innermost thoughts may be. The premise of The Invention of Lying is rife for comedy, but the film is also a commentary on religion and has its sad moments as well.

The film tells the story of Mark Bellison, an average joe who just can't seem to get ahead in a world where his mediocrity is ridiculed day after day. His co-workers can't stand him and women reject him based on his looks alone. When he loses his job as a screenwriter, Mark is ready to give up - until he mysteriously becomes the world's first liar.

To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Ricky Gervais stars as Mark, living in a world that's mostly free of flair, frills, and aesthetics. Mark's house and office are plain and boring, complementing his every-day appearance. Those who stand out are the people who are naturally attractive, like the object of Mark's affections, Anna (Jennifer Garner) and his snarky co-worker Brad (Rob Lowe). Anna can't help but show her shallow side on her first date with Mark. She immediately rejects him on the basis that she doesn't want to have "fat, snub-nosed" children someday and must find a "better genetic match." Once Mark starts to stretch his newfound talent though, he decides he can have whatever he wants - and begins a quest to win Anna's affections.

Gervais surprised me with his performance because he finally takes a break from his typical British dry humor. As affable, down-on-his-luck Mark, Gervais proves that he doesn't need his signature sarcasm to be witty. The most important scene of the movie requires a lot of raw emotion from Gervais, and he absolutely nails it, showcasing a sweet side that we rarely see from the actor.

There are two major aspects of the movie that wore me down: the cameos and the product placement. I love a good celebrity appearance, but after Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ed Norton, and Jason Bateman pop in, it starts to feel like Gervais is trying to use his comical buddies to keep the storyline afloat when it starts to lose focus. Seeing a familiar face is always fun, but this isn't a Judd Apatow movie.

The product placement is funny and fitting at first; there's not much room for advertising in a world of stark truth. With only a reputation to rely on, Coke and Pepsi are left with the slogans "It's very famous" and "When they don't have Coke," respectively. The film goes way overboard from there though, and suddenly Mark is surrounded by Budweiser bottles at all times and at the film's climax he's standing in front of a group clutching a pair of cardboard Pizza Hut boxes.

The movie's biggest problem is that it tries to appeal to too many genres. It's packaged as a comedy, but Mark becomes a god-like character once the world gets wind of his lies. His peers literally take everything he says as gospel, and Mark becomes a blatant modern-day Moses (complete with long hair and beard). Just as the audience begins to wonder where it's all going, the movie quickly ditches the religious aspect and finishes up as a love story. The ending is satisfactory, but what's the point of satirizing religion when it doesn't hold much water for the overall message of the movie?

Like I said, the premise is rife for comedy and starts us down a path that's packed with laughs - I just wish Invention of Lying didn't wander off before finding its way back home.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Kellan Flexes at LAX, Cam Gets Steamy With Xtina, and Garner Scrubs Toilets!

Molly — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Kellan Lutz jokes around with the paparazzi on his way back to Vancouver to film Eclipse, plus the latest role for Twilight star Cam Gigandet and some updates from New Moon. Late night included Jennifer Garner talking about her preschool duties and President Obama on Letterman. All that and more so watch PopSugar Rush now!

Movie Preview: Valentine's Day Starring Everyone

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:52:36 -0700

By now you've probably seen the myriad on-set shots for the upcoming ensemble romantic comedy Valentine's Day. Oh and by "ensemble", I mean the most star-studded cast to hit Hollywood in years.

This movie has (take a deep breath with me) Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Emma Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Topher Grace, Shirley Maclaine, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Lautner, and Taylor Swift. Did I miss anyone? Probably.

Put all these beautiful stars in a rom-com, set the trailer to a booming pop song, and you've got me excited. The preview doesn't give a ton of the plot away (though I can make some educated guesses based on the title), or but I'm already analyzing the couplings we see in the clip. Anne Hathaway and Topher Grace? Brilliant. Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts? I'm not sure about their chemistry, but I guess he does like older women. Zing!

The only question is, with these components, are we looking at He's Just Not That Into You 2.0 or Love Actually 2.0? Or neither? Watch the new trailer and let me know what you think when you read more.

Jennifer Garner Heads Back to Work on the Small Screen

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:00:35 -0700

Jennifer Garner has much to smile about these days as she embarks on a new chapter in her professional life: producing TV shows at ABC Studios. Garner starred in ABC's Alias for five seasons (and she'll probably always be Sydney Bristow to me), and now she's reuniting with the network for a first-look production deal.

As producers, Garner and her partner Juliana Janes aim to develop female-driven material like Grey's Anatomy. Garner says she and Steve McPherson, the president of ABC Entertainment, "have a great relationship and have been talking about doing something together for some time now. It's been over three years since the finale of Alias." Garner also noted that she's excited to "get back into television wearing my producer hat."

It remains to be seen whether or not Garner will be in front of the camera as well as behind it, but I hope she does some acting. I miss Alias and I enjoyed Garner more in the small-screen role of Sydney Bristow than in any of her movie roles.

Do you think Garner should stick to TV projects instead of movies?

Movie Preview: Gervais, Garner, Fey in The Invention of Lying

BuzzSugar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:30:49 -0700

According to Ricky Gervais's blog, J.J. Abrams has seen Gervais's movie The Invention of Lying and is raving about it. Whether Gervais is joking or not remains to be seen, but he writes:

J.J. Abrams (Star Trek director) watched The Invention of Lying and said it was one of his favourite films. I know I shouldn't care what people think - some people will like it, some will hate it, and some won't care either way. But the reason I'm so excited in this instance is that I think J.J. is one of the most exciting directors out there at the moment.

Well, that's a nice endorsement. The movie (previously titled This Side of the Truth) certainly does look interesting, and it's chock-full of fun people like Tina Fey, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Rob Lowe, and more. Of course, Gervais himself is also in the movie, as the central character who lives in a world in which everyone only ever tells the truth - always. The movie shows what happens when lies are introduced to such a world. Naturally, Gervais's character is the inventor of lying.

The movie opens Sept. 25. To check out the trailer, read more.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: Formulaic and Forgettable

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:30:25 -0700

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past might as well be titled Wedding Planner's Failure to Lose a Guy in Fools Gold of Girlfriends Past, because it's nothing we haven't seen before from Matthew McConaughey.

The actor is a global star with actual talent and loads of charm (he's fun in Dazed and Confused and dreamily charismatic in A Time to Kill). Yet, for some reason, he has spent the past decade or so skating by in major-studio films that all pretty much resemble each other. Typically, the only thing that varies from one reductive and formulaic McConaughey rom-com to another is his leading lady. Every so often, another actress steps in for stalwart Kate Hudson to portray the generic straight woman to his man-child cad.

It's been disappointing to see a guy who possesses the very elusive "it" factor squander it, but now he's actually getting on my nerves. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past indicates that whatever it was that made his smarmy characters a little lovable is now completely tapped out. To see what I mean, read more.

McConaughey seems so icky and lecherous in this movie that you forget how good looking he is. Even his Texas accent, once so adorable to me, can't save him . . . because his character is supposed to be from the East Coast! That's just lazy. But maybe this will be a wake-up call that the time has come for McConaughey to shake it up a bit and do something unexpected (that doesn't involve surfers). Or not.

Anyway, the movie's concept has some potential: I kind of like the idea of using supernatural intervention, a la Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, to reform a toxic bachelor. In fact, with a different script, this could have resulted in a witty romp, especially if it had a charming, Clooney-esque type at its center. Instead, we meet Connor Mead, a high-flying fashion photographer who in the span of about 15 minutes breaks up with three women simultaneously via video chat and sexually humiliates a character played by Christina Milian, who naturally digs that kind of thing and proceeds to hop onto his lap in her underwear. Romantic, huh?

The only evidence that Connor has a heart is his affection and commitment to his brother, whose wedding he attends despite his distaste for marriage. Once there, he wreaks havoc in a most unfunny way and is downright mean teasing his ex-girlfriend - I mean, one true love - Jenny, played by Jennifer Garner (who looks both adorable and embarrassed to be in this movie). Eventually, Connor gets a visit from the best part of this movie: his sexist and dead Uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas). Yes, Uncle Wayne has come to warn Connor that being a d-bag and not finding love results in an empty funeral. Douglas is a treat to have on screen and could teach McConaughey some things about how to play a slimy misogynist with verve.

Garner's Jenny is good with the psychoanalyzing one-liners, and the actress has good timing. Jenny's supposed to be the kind of sharp, down-to-earth, quick-witted woman who's happy to call Connor and Uncle Wayne on their crap. In another, much-better movie, it would feel good watching this lady level the spray-tanned himbos of the world with cutting rhetoric. However, this time around, I kept thinking, "Lady, don't waste your brain power on this jerk." By the end, when their inevitable kiss comes, all I could think was, "Lady, don't waste your kisses and heart and future and life on this jerk!"

McConaughey succeeds at making his character deplorable but fails at infusing his performance with anything redeeming or sympathetic. If he doesn't change, he undermines the movie's entire premise - predictable as it may be - which asks: can this d-bag change and get the girl? And that echoes another question: can McConaughey ever recapture what once made him so special? Sadly, I think the answer to both at this point is: who cares?

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Jennifer Garner to Star in Butter-Carving Comedy

BuzzSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Words I don't see every day: butter carving. And yet, there's a whole comedy about butter carving (or butter sculpting) coming to theaters near us. Jennifer Garner is attached to star in the movie which is apparently a "political satire":

Butter follows a young orphan who, after being adopted by a Midwestern family, discovers she has an uncanny talent for butter-carving. She eventually finds herself up against the ambitious wife of the retired reigning champion in a town's annual butter-sculpting contest.

"I wanted to do a political satire," [screenwriter Jason] Micallef said, "and I was looking for some venue that people take very seriously but is also ridiculous - like politics - but at the same time is really visual."

Politics! Competition! Butter! The movie certainly has the fixin's for a successful comedy. And to be honest, butter sculpture looks like it could be a pretty interesting art form. I seriously can't wait to see how this movie turns out.

Source and Source

Movie Preview: McConaughey, Garner in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:30:13 -0800

I wonder how many times we'll have to see a womanizing d-bag figure out what love is really about before the whole storyline is retired. In Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, obviously a spoof (or something) on A Christmas Carol, Matthew McConaughey plays a seemingly heinous human being who has been with what appears to be a thousand women. A ghost played by Emma Stone talks to him about his past girlfriends and, along with two other ghosts, ultimately points him in the direction of the one he let get away (or, more accurately, the one he could not run away from quickly enough), played by Jennifer Garner. Lemme guess: She takes back the d-bag even though she still knows he's a d-bag. But as a kid he said he'd keep her picture forever, so it all makes sense.

Except that it doesn't. Michael Douglas also stars as a phantom trying to help this dude find love. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past opens May 1. To please share in my experience of watching this trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.