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Movie Preview: Pfeiffer and Friend in Chéri

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:30:37 -0700

Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend make a lovely, beautifully costumed duo in Chéri, a romantic drama set in the 1920s. From the trailer it doesn't look so much like a drama as it does a sweet, funny little period piece, but apparently the story takes place in Paris "where the son of a courtesan retreats into a fantasy world after being forced to end his relationship with the older woman who educated him in the ways of love." It looks like a nice enough movie, but so far I'm mostly mesmerized by the silks and lace, pearls and hats on display in the trailer.

Chéri opens June 26. To check out the pretty trailer, read more.

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A Chat With My Boyfriend About the Day the Earth Stood Still

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:55:07 -0800

The last time I chatted with my boyfriend about movies here we discussed Brendan Fraser, mummies, and Yetis and it was a lot of fun. So, I recruited him again for The Day the Earth Stood Still, a remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic of the same name.

I had a feeling that despite a pretty neat-looking cast (Jennifer Connelly, Keanu Reeves, Kathy Bates, Will Smith's kid Jaden, Mad Men's Jon Hamm, and John Cleese - John Cleese!) this movie might not turn out to be all that great. My male companion was skeptical as well but we both agreed to keep an open mind going in. Now I'm here to report that we immediately came to the same conclusion upon exiting the theater: Lame.

To see our thoughts on the film, including a debate about seeing Brendan Fraser movies for the rest of your life versus Keanu Reeves movies, just read more.

Keanu Reeves plays the alien who comes to earth to warn humans to get it together or he'll blow them all up. He is cold and unfeeling. In other words, he is once again well cast. We talk about Reeves and more below, with the bold parts indicating my words and the regular type being his.

You've seen the original and liked it. Are you mad at the people who remade this movie?
Yeah, well the original was fresh and new at the time but this version is like beating a dead horse . . . just tired. It could have been great, but everything about it seems like a ripoff of other movies like Transformers, Matrix, etc. . . not to mention all the product placement. The save-the-planet message is kind of lost with all those corporate labels splashed around.

Does the original have such a hammy environmental message? Do people run around saying, "We can change! We're at the precipice!"
The original is all about the aliens being concerned about the destructive nuclear nature of mankind. It doesn't have any environmental message, just "stop blowing stuff up or we'll blow you up!" The current version seems more like Al Gore and Leo Dicaprio wrote the script.

OK, if you had to choose between only watching Keanu Reeves movies or only Brendan Fraser movies for the rest of your life, which would you pick?
Neither. I'd kill myself. Wait, if it was Point Break or School Ties over and over again, then maybe. Well, actually . . . no, I'd kill myself.

I'm tempted to lump this flick in with the likes of say, Independence Day, to give folks an idea of what they're in for, but honestly I don't think this movie is nearly as fun.
It is similar to Independence Day in that the supporting cast is pretty awesome, like Jon Hamm, James Fong, and John Cleese. But Independence Day is so much better because the main characters actually communicate with the audience, whereas Keanu is like Neo 2.0.

In the first one, is the main scientist a hot lady like Jennifer Connelly and does she have a little kid?
She lives in a boarding house and is a secretary or something, so it's an update to make her a scientist. And she's hot in the '50s pointy-boob way. Yes, she has a kid, and in that one, he blows it by telling the secretary's boyfriend (some government stooge) that he saw the alien go in the spaceship. In both the older version and this one, though, there's still that "my buddy, the alien" vibe.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Movie Preview: The Family That Preys

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:30:47 -0700

The first thing that struck me about this trailer for Tyler Perry's new movie The Family That Preys was the stellar cast. First off, Academy darlings Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard on the same screen together is awesome. Plus, after watching Something New, I'm really excited to see more of Sanaa Lathan. Add to that Cole Hauser, Rockmond Dunbar, and Robin Givens, and you've got a darn compelling cast.

The movie looks like an emotionally complicated tale of two families navigating issues of love, marriage, class, race, and history. There's a lot going on and a lot of characters, but I'm interested to see how Perry explores these themes. The plot is described by IMDB thusly:

Wealthy socialite Charlotte Cartwright (Bates) and her dear friend Alice Pratt (Woodard), a working class woman of high ideals, have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout many years. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children's extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved.

Intrigued? The movie opens Sept. 12 and you can check out the trailer, just read more.

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Fred Claus: Holiday Classic?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:00:00 -0800

The recipe for the perfect holiday movie requires a pinch of star power, a dash of humor, and a heaping handful of good old-fashioned family feuds. There are a slew of films that have mastered this combination, namely National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, and, more recently, Elf. Not only have these films perfected the holiday formula, they have since become modern-day classics. What Thanksgiving or Christmas is complete without at least one viewing of the aforementioned movies? And while Fred Claus seems to have all of the ingredients to add it to the list of Christmas classics, it falls short. Or should I say it's a little bland?

One thing Fred Claus certainly is not lacking is that pinch of star power. Vince Vaughn plays Fred, the brother to Paul Giamatti's Nick Claus (AKA Santa). The film focuses on the relationship between these brothers spanning the course of many centuries. At the very beginning we see the brothers quarreling as little boys do. The difference is that the boys aren't fighting over who gets what toy, they're fighting over who Nick gives the toy to. You see, Nick is a do-gooder from birth and as such is the prize possession of the boys' mother, played by Kathy Bates. From there the boys grow older and Nick becomes sainted and as a result he and his family become eternal. Fast forward to present day and the two boys are estranged, Nick lives in the North Pole (naturally) and Fred resides in Chicago. And though they may be separated by location, they're both in predicaments that require the other. To find out why read more

Fred is a repo man who's unlucky in love with his girlfriend (a badly miscasted Rachel Weisz) and out of money. Nick agrees to lend a heaping handful (sick of the food puns yet?) on the condition that Fred agrees to come work at the North Pole during the busy holiday season. Fred reluctantly agrees. But when he arrives, he finds out that Nick has problems of his own, namely an efficiency expert (Kevin Spacey) who feels that the Santa isn't as speedy as he could be with the growing demands of children across the world. Unsurprisingly, Fred runs amok and ruins Nick's chance of impressing the efficiency expert. Shocker!

The lack of true surprises is the ultimate downfall of the movie. It's all been done before, and better. The only true gem of the movie comes in the form of a siblings anonymous meeting (similar to alcoholics anonymous) where non-famous brothers complain about their famous siblings. It's almost worth the price of admission, but not enough to add this to my short list of holiday classics.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Revolutionary Road: Too Good a Book to Be a Movie

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:33:39 -0700

Recently there has been a surge of books being turned into movies. While that's not a new concept, it's becoming a frustrating trend, mostly because the film versions so rarely live up to the experience of reading the book.

I am squeamish about The Time Traveler's Wife (despite some good casting choices) as well as the adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love. I can just envision the most powerful moments in those books being reduced to neat little scenes that can't possibly deliver as strong a punch. Just this week, too, there was the news that The Bell Jar is being made into a film, and I'm still not comfortable with that idea. Simply put, some things should not be adapted for the big screen, and The Bell Jar is one of those things.

Joining this parade now is Richard Yates' 1961 novel Revolutionary Road. As TIME Magazine puts it, Yates' "great novel is a bitterly funny and bitterly unfunny account of lethal disappointment in the Connecticut suburbs in 1955." Having just finished reading it, not only can I not imagine it on screen, I definitely cannot see the casting choices in the two main roles: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. While I think they're both exceptional actors (or rather, Winslet is and DiCaprio can be), I just don't want to see this book adapted for film. For more on why, read more

It's an astounding work of fiction, touching on issues and complexities from the time period in a way I've never before encountered. It's a very dark tale but not without humor, and the way in which Yates presents this couple's experiences - along with comments on the society at the time - feels like a three-dimensional experience. To force it into two dimensions will be to dramatically detract from the story.

Director Sam Mendes is on board for Revolutionary Road, which makes sense in some ways since he was responsible for another stark tale of American suburbia, American Beauty. Thus, I'm not utterly without hope. At the same time, I feel the need to encourage everyone to read Revolutionary Road before it loses its shine on the big screen.

What books do you wish were not made - or were not being made - into films?

The Blind Side: An Unexpected Delight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:42 -0800

It's not that the trailer for The Blind Side isn't compelling; the problem is that it combines Sandra Bullock's twangiest, most-over-the top lines with a heartrending song, which makes it seem schlocky. That's exactly what I expected from the movie, but I have to admit that I was wrong - to my surprise, I found it to be a sentimental gem that's actually quite restrained.

The Blind Side is the true story (based on Michael Lewis's book) of NFL player Michael Oher, who grew up in Memphis's projects with his drug-addicted mother and landed in and out of foster homes. He ended up in a fancy private school and in the home of a wealthy family, the Touhys, led by tough-talking Leigh Anne (Bullock). The weaving of Michael's newfound life in the movie is effective, with sweet bits of humor and just enough emotion.

To see what I liked about the film, just read more.

The movie is full of many surprises: first, it looks like it's going to be mainly about football, but it's not all sports. There is proper attention given to Michael's life before he's taken in and the development of the relationships between the Touhy family members and Michael.

Another nice thing is how smoothly Bullock slides into her role. It's not just her wardrobe and hair that transforms her into the high-maintenance Southern matriarch; her manner as the tough mom who's not completely comfortable showing emotion is very natural - not what I'd expect from the laid-back actress.

Quinton Aaron is also impressive as a sad-eyed orphan turned well-adjusted student and son over the course of the movie. It's not an incredibly complex performance, but his teddy bear presence is irresistible. The supporting players are equally as enjoyable: Tim McGraw, whom I didn't expect much from, is charming, while the Touhy children win you over with their affection for their new brother. The late addition of Kathy Bates (whose role is basically an extended cameo) is hardly needed to bolster the movie, but she adds a nice touch as well.

At two hours and six minutes, the movie is a little too long; director John Lee Hancock seemed intent on fitting in nearly every detail of Michael's journey. Then again, at the end you're rewarded with the payoff: footage and photos of the real-life Touhys and Michael. It's an emotionally satisfying ending to a movie that makes no apologies for being so uplifting.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.