Pride and Glory: An Ordinary Story About Dirty Cops

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:30:29 -0700

We've all seen plenty of movies about police corruption and while it's not necessary to avoid this storyline altogether, it should be avoided if there's absolutely nothing new or interesting brought to the table. Today we even have another new movie that deals with a similar issue (dirty cops) - but in a compelling way. I really enjoy Edward Norton's work, and I wanted to give Pride and Glory a chance for his sake. But while he does a fine job in the film, he can't save it from being a rote, disappointing knockoff of many movies to have come before it.

Norton plays Ray Tierney, whose whole family - including his father Francis Sr. (Jon Voight), his brother Francis Jr. (Noah Emmerich), and his brother-in-law Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell) - is involved in the NYPD. Ray begins the investigation of a case involving slain cops and as he digs deeper, signs begin pointing him toward his own fellow officers and worse - his own brother and brother-in-law. Soon the family is torn over whether to go public with the truth about the case which would destroy careers (including Francis Jr.'s, while his wife is battling cancer), and the overall reputation of the NYPD. For some of my thoughts on all this, read more.

Edward Norton puts in a good-faith effort here and he's always a relief to see on the screen instead of most of the others (though Colin Farrell does well as a fairly one-note thug type). Jon Voight is well-cast as the aging, alcoholic family man at the head of this cop family, but Noah Emmerich appears to be incapable of keeping up in the heavy, dramatic scenes he's given.

There's one horrifying scene that really does seem to be shockingly violent just for the sake of being shocking and violent, and most of the time I had to roll my eyes at what seems to be a movie about little boys trying to act tough. One of the most intense conflicts of the movie is settled by, literally, a fistfight. By that point, the movie is nearing its end and the audience is hoping for more than this. Soon after the fistfight, everything wraps up rather neatly for this family of cops caught up in a dangerous mess, so while they must be relieved, we're left wondering why we went through the whole rigmarole in the first place.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

What Happens in Vegas: Sometimes the Formula Works

BuzzSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:30:06 -0700

Perhaps it's because last week's Made of Honor left me with sub-zero expectations for this genre but whatever the reason, I really liked What Happens in Vegas. Sure, it's cheesy, there's a ton of overacting and absurd coincidences, but there's also a strange charm to this movie. And while I never thought there might be real chemistry between Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz, two actors who I think have become like robots trying way too hard to impersonate human beings with their exaggerated goggle-eyes and faux indignation, there is, actually, something there between them.

These two leads are also seriously aided by an engaging, well-paced (if a little silly) plot that rarely drags, and supporting actors like Lake Bell (whose droll humor is great in small doses here, as opposed to the leading lady roles like the one she had in Over Her Dead Body) and The Daily Show's solid comedian Rob Corddry, both of whom help anchor the ridiculous moments with dashes of sarcasm and superb comic timing. It's one of those times when I just want to give the casting director a kiss for taking this project from so-so to a pretty good time. For more of my take on What Happens in Vegas, read more.

Jack Fuller (Kutcher) and Joy McNally (Diaz) both live in New York City, but they're worlds apart. Joy is a high-strung trader on Wall Street while Jack is a lazy schlub who "works" for his dad's company. When Joy is dumped by her fiance and Jack gets fired by his dad for the last time, the two set off for Las Vegas to unwind with their respective best friends (Bell and Corddry). In a classic opposites-attract situation, they spend a wild night together, ending in drunken nuptials. Hungover the next day, they sheepishly decide to annul the marriage, but when Jack uses Joy's quarter in a slot machine and wins three million dollars, they enter into a legal battle over who should get the money.

Back in New York, the two are faced with a bitter judge who decides to grant the divorce only after they've lived together for six months and tried to make the marriage work. If they prove that they've tried, after the six months they will be able to get divorced and each will get half of the Vegas winnings. If either one slips up, however, the other one will receive the full amount of money. Of course, the unlikely lovebirds fight tooth and nail to one-up each other in their shared apartment and then attempt to sabotage each other's chances for receiving the entire amount, all the while growing fond of each other.

Though the initial big action takes place in Las Vegas, the majority of the story is set in New York, and the pacing of the film benefits greatly from these two giant, fast-paced cities where there's never really any time to get bogged down in lame attempts at sentimentality. In some romcoms, it's these long, drawn-out cheesy moments that choke the life out of something that might have just been lighthearted and sweet. It's hard to feel satisfied after those movies because it's like they strained to achieve something and didn't quite make it. After this movie, though, I felt satisfied and better yet - I felt uplifted.

To see the trailer and more videos from What Happens in Vegas check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox