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New York, I Love You: A Jigsaw Puzzle That Doesn't Quite Fit

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

As a city with so much personality and penchant for possibility, it's no surprise that the follow-up to Paris, Je t'aime heads to New York. New York, I Love You is a tale of the connections and personal missteps that occur every single day in the city that never sleeps. It plays out like a movie version of a song mash-up: some story lines are linear and independent of the rest while other characters wander in and out of each other's lives. Throw an all-star cast in there, and you could possibly have a recipe for perfection.

Unfortunately, the ingredients don't blend together as well as I had hoped, and instead we're left with an engaging but bland look at a handful of trials and tribulations in relationships. To see what I mean, just read more.

Made up of a series of short films, New York, I Love You is an homage to the city as well as the residents who hold it near and dear to their hearts. The "anything can happen" theme is alive and well, as strangers become acquaintances and friends, putting so much emphasis on each and every interaction that we take part in on a regular basis.

You meet a few characters that represent New York well enough; Bradley Cooper is the guy who's constantly jumping into a cab the same time as someone else, Orlando Bloom is the struggling musician who turns to Central Park for inspiration, Hayden Christensen is the pick-pocket who's as sexy as he is dangerous. But sometimes it feels just a little too forced; like the film is primarily concerned with proving that New York is a melting pot. Rather than seeing a few love stories shine through stereotypes, I was more distracted by the fake accents.

As with Paris Je t'aime, some of the stories shine brighter than others. Natalie Portman directs a sweet piece about a relationship between a father and daughter; Olivia Thirlby and Anton Yelchin are refreshing as a younger pair who makes the prom a night to remember. The lighter films are breaths of fresh air amongst others that are trying too hard to be hip and stylized.

The ensemble cast certainly gives the movie a boost; even when it's not provoking the deepest of emotions, the film always had my attention. There are solid performances all-around, particularly from Chloris Leachman and Eli Wallach as an aging couple who are still bickering when they aren't helping each other cross the street. It is the most hopeful of the scenarios, and by far the sweetest and most touching.

The film provides plenty of the standard money shots of Manhattan: a typical day in Grand Central Station in fast forward, subway rides, hours of people watching in a coffee shop. The encounters feel authentic and realistic, but the failure lies in the inability to make us feel something on a deeper level. Sometimes you can relate to the characters, and sometimes you feel sorry for them, but it doesn't squeeze your heart nearly enough - and with a title like New York, I Love You, this a disappointment.

Buzz News Roundup, 8/13

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:31:17 -0700

The soundtrack to the movie Mamma Mia! is now No. 1 on the Billboard 200. - Billboard
George Clooney has bought the rights to Jonathan Mahler's legal thriller The Challenge. - Variety
Seth Green and Breckin Meyer are in talks to guest-star on Heroes. - Entertainment Weekly
ABC is developing a TV version of The Witches of Eastwick. - TV Guide
Orlando Bloom will star in a movie about life in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo during the 1992-95 siege. - Reuters
J.J. Abrams will produce a disaster film about an earthquake. - ComingSoon
NBC is developing a half-hour comedy about 20-something female tycoons, called Mogulettes. - Variety
Jeremy Sumpter, who played the lead role in 2003's Peter Pan, has been cast as the new quarterback challenger on Friday Night Lights. - Entertainment Weekly

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Top 10 Boys of Summer

BuzzSugar — Thu, 24 May 2007 23:55:09 -0700

With this nice new crop of summer movies coming out, we have plenty of opportunities to enjoy our favorite men. I've rounded up my personal "top 10 list," giving props to the men I'm most excited to watch this summer. Who would be on your list?

No. 10: Paul Rudd
Often the bit part player, Rudd adds a little something special to every movie he's in, and while I know he's not a mainstream heartthrob, I totally adore this guy. I mean, is there any girl out there who didn't have a little thing for him, even sporadically, since he was so unconventionally dreamy in Clueless? This summer's super-hyped Knocked Up will be the perfect chance to see him on the big screen again (and again and again -- I have a feeling this may be one of those I see more than once).

To see the others, read more

No. 9: Josh Duhamel
I already mentioned how the Transformers movie is bringing out my inner 8-year-old boy, but I have to say a large part of the appeal is seeing Josh Duhamel heat up the screen. The "Las Vegas" TV star showed how endearing and sexy he was in guilty pleasure Win A Date with Tad Hamilton so I can't wait to see the action hero version of Josh. Hey, the requisite dramatic shirtless scene won't hurt either!

No. 8: Aaron Eckhart
Aaron Eckhart has the uncanny ability to be amazingly charming or a total sleazeball, and looks gorgeous all the while. I'm not sure how No Reservations will be as a movie, but I will have no problem watching Eckhart and his utterly charismatic smile in it.

No. 7: Steve Carell
True, I never thought I had a hankering to see Steve Carell without a shirt, but something about the way he screamed Kelly Clarkson as his chest hair was unceremoniously removed, well, it just won me over. Ha. I've got a weakness for the geeky guys with goofy smiles that can win your heart with a joke, and Carell's among the best of them. His presence might even get me to see Evan Almighty - and that's no small feat.

No. 6: Orlando Bloom
Whether he's sporting elfin ears and slinging arrows or all dirty on a pirate ship, Orlando Bloom is one beautiful man. Sometimes he's a little too pretty for my tastes, but other times - such as right here in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - he is just right. Plus, when you're standing next to Johnny and still able to steal a scene, even just a little, you know you're doing something right.

No. 5: Matt Damon
I know Pop has a major thing for Matt Damon, and I must admit, there's something adorable and compelling about him. Lucky audiences this summer can catch him in both Ocean's Thirteen and The Bourne Ultimatum.

No. 4: Chiwetel Ejiofor
I have loved Chiwetel Ejiofor ever since I saw him in Kinky Boots, and his performance in Children of Men just endeared him to me more. I think he's an amazing actor, but I also just think he's hot. I can't wait to see him in Talk to Me, in which he stars opposite Don Cheadle.

No. 3: Daniel Craig
Of course Daniel Craig is on this list. Even if he were not in The Invasion this summer (opening August 17), my massive love for him would require I find a way to sneak him in.

No. 2: The Entire Ocean's Thirteen Cast
Perhaps this is a cop-out (and yes, this is sneaking Matt Damon onto the list twice), but there are just way too many attractive men in this movie to list individually. I mean, just look at them all lined up at Cannes. If I were forced to separate, they would dominate the list. So, gentlemen of Ocean's Thirteen, I salute you.

No. 1: Johnny Depp
Frankly, Johnny Depp is the Number One man of every season. He's 21 Jump Street. He's Edward Scissorhands. He's Finding Neverland. He was once glamorous and dangerous with Kate Moss and these days a wonderful father and companion with Vanessa. Depp has no season, but lucky for all of us, he's the man of the summer in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, reprising his role as the sexy Captain Jack Sparrow. To be fair, there's no promise he won't win any and every season he gets to compete in. I mean come on, he's Johnny Depp.

And Now, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" Trailer

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:52:43 -0700

When I went to see 300 this weekend, I was shocked to find crowds of fans dressed as pirates lined up to see the trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. I know these movies make a lot of money, but I had no idea the franchise had such a rabid following as to inspired costumed pilgrimages on a Sunday afternoon.

The final installment of Disney's trilogy hits theaters May 25, and unlike last year's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, this movie appears to have a plot. Will (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) team up with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) to liberate our beloved Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and travel to Singapore to confront a scary Chinese pirate played by Chow Yun-Fat.

Judging from the trailer, this movie looks to be at least as good as the first Pirates, if not better. I know you guys are psyched about it too. To watch, read more

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