Definitely, Maybe (2008)

You know what makes a good movie GREAT? Besides a good concept, a solid story, and good actors, of course? Chemistry. Chemistry is the key to a successful movie. When an actor comes onscreen and manages to have chemistry with all the other actors he shares the image space with, you can't help but notice, and the way you notice is you really enjoy the movie.

Ryan Reynolds, the star of Definitely, Maybe refers to this comedy as a "romantic who-done-it." And besides the fact that he's the actor I just spoke of--the one who has chemistry with everyone he shares the screen with--he is also correct in calling this a a romantic who-done-it. If you haven't seen the movie, I'm not going to spoil you on specifics, so read on with no fear.

This is the story of Will (Reynolds) and Maya (Abigail Breslin), his 10 year old daughter. After a sex-ed lesson gone wrong at school, Maya starts pumping her dad for information on how she was conceived; specifically, she wants to know how he ended up with her mother, who he is now going through what seems to be an amicable divorce with. Besides the fact that the father/daughter dynamic is so delightful to watch, we get a story that spans about 15 years and tells us the romantic history of Will Hayes, a young aspiring politician who moves from Madison, Wisconsin to NYC to work on the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign.

Through a series of flashbacks we meet Emily (Elizabeth Banks), April (Isla Fisher), and Summer (Rachel Weisz), the three most important women in Will's life. Each are significantly different from the other, each manage to break his heart in different ways, and each seem to have the possibility of being Maya's mother. And each actress has chemistry with Reynolds, which makes it really hard to predict who he'll end up with, though I knew who I wanted him to be with pretty early in the film.

He also has great chemistry with Derek Luke who plays his good friend, Russell, and Kevin Kline who has an amusing role as Summer's lover. The subplot of Will's political aspirations, as well as going back to 1992 to see the beginnings of cell phones, the Internet, and the campaign for the evils of smoking, are quite humorous. Reynolds can always be counted on the deliver fine physical comedy, but the actresses are equal in their ability. Rachel Weisz, is after all, an Oscar winner, but Elizabeth Banks has a really funny scene in Central Park, and Isla Fisher is perfectly charming, though her American accent slips now and again (she's an Aussie). The emotional moments are poignant and fresh, as is this story in a untried sort of way. This approach to the romantic comedy kept me riveted, and my stomach was in knots as I awaited the revelations of who was who. It really is a romantic who-done-it. Who does Will belong with? Who is Maya's mother? Who, at the end of the movie, will make our beleagured hero happy?

Beyond these simple, standard rom-com questions are bigger questions about timing, what we choose, and the reality of divorce for a 10 year old. Several years ago, another film tried to deal with this topic (Mrs. Doubtfire), but I never quite bought it in that one. The idea that kids are better off when their parents realize they can't work out their problems, but instead choose to have a healthy divorce instead of a healthy marriage rubbed me, a child of divorce myself, the wrong way back then. Either Abigail Breslin's screen presence, or the writing of this particular film, delivers the crushing blow in a beautiful and real way, and if you've been paying attention as you watch, in the only way the story can go.

Will always had a destiny, and when he finally takes fate into his own hands, you realize he could only have done it with the help of his daughter. One poignant line, delivered by the Oscar-nominated youngster of this film, "Dad, I can't believe you smoked, and drank, and were such a slut. But I still love you," must ring true as the hope of every parent out there. Whatever mistakes are made, at the end of the day, if your kid still loves you, you must be doing something right.

Direction 5/5
Acting 5+/5
Pacing 5/5
Plot/Writing 5/5

Fireproof (2008)

A small, independent film that you've probably never heard of called Fireproof was recommended to me by a few different people. It's the story of a young married couple (Growing Pains's Kirk Cameron and a little known Christian actress Erin Bethea) who are on the brink of divorce, until they accept Jesus Christ into their lives.

This is the kind of movie that appeals to a certain audience, no doubt, and one doesn't just randomly pick up a movie with heavy Christian ideals unless of course you are a person with heavy Christian ideals. That's probably the misfortune of everyone out there without those ideals, because there are a lot of timely themes in this film that could help the human family.

There is a little cheesiness in some of the writing, and a lot of the acting leaves some to be desired, but when you learn that all the actors, producers, tech people, etc. all belong to the same church group and have come together in an effort to teach those willing to be taught, it's rather easy to forgive the cheese. Hunkering down with some crackers to go with the cheese would be wise because anyone who wants to be in a loving relationship has to learn what this film ultimately teaches. Whether you believe it happens to you through the manifestation of a loving God, or it's just something you find within yourself, the truth that marriage can never just be about romantic love--love that is transitory and so easily extinguished--will wrap itself around your heart.

Caleb (Cameron) is a firefighter with a lot of anger issues. These issues seem to originate from the fact that he feels his wife doesn't respect him. He does a lot of waving his arms in frustration and yelling about how he's a good person who deserves respect. As the film progesses, though, you find out Caleb has a much bigger problem than a disrespectful wife. His problem is undoubtedly viewed by a good portion of our society as not a problem at all, but as you observe his total disregard for the two main women in his life, it seems pretty apparent that for Caleb anyway, it's a real problem, and one he must eradicate if he is going to save his marriage.

Catherine (Bethea) is a hospital administrator with self-esteem issues brought on by what she perceives of her husband's online habit. She is also stressed out by the fact that her mother, who suffered a stroke sometime before the film starts, is virtually trapped within her own body and the family doesn't have the money to provide for her physical needs. She's also spending way too much time with a male co-worker to compensate for what is lacking in her marriage.

Caleb's father, in an effort to help his son ward off divorce, challenges him to participate in a 40-day love dare. The love dare consists of doing nice things for your spouse, regardless of their response to it. After agreeing grudgingly to do it, Caleb has an adventure of discovery. He comes to understand the help he needs is even bigger than he imagined as every overture he makes towards his wife is totally and utterly rejected.

So as not to spoil the emotional journey for the viewer, I simply encourage you, more so than I would with any other film right now (and I've seen Star Trek 5 times!), to get this film and watch it. I would be surprised if it doesn't touch your heart in some way, whether you are married or not, whether you believe in God or not. I think all of us, in our own way truly desire to find that sense of wholeness and peace that comes, in the end, for Caleb and Catherine. And if people everywhere, religious and irreligious, took marriage as seriously as it should be taken, I do believe the world would be filled with many more happy people.

Direction 4/5
Acting 3/5
Pacing 5/5
Plot/Writing 4/5

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

I've had a couple people ask me about this film, which I had no intention of watching, but got roped into going with my younger sister. She was nice enough to pay for me too, so I'm not out any money, but I urge you not to waste yours.

Transformers was a great popcorn flick a few summers back, but if you want to see a good Michael Bay film, watch Armageddon.

Again, don't waste your money on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. With the exception of a couple funny parts, it's exhaustingly long, has more plot holes than a daytime soap opera (please read this article for proof), and even as a Christian I couldn't get behind the Optimus Prime as a Christ-figure theme. I've got two words for you to conjure the ultimate in ridiculousness: Robot Heaven. Yeah, apparently Robot/Aliens have souls.

So that's the extent of my review. I decided not to let it waste anymore of my time! :-)

The Proposal (2009)

When I heard that Sandra Bullock, who starred in the quintessential romantic comedy of all time–While You Were Sleeping (my personal favorite), and Ryan Reynolds, who starred in one of the funniest rom-com’s of all time–Just Friends, were doing a rom-com together, I was in movie lover heaven. Two top-notch comedians taking on a genre that rarely surprises anyone anymore was bound to be magical.

Bullock says she hasn't done a rom-com since 2002's Two Weeks Notice (which is a great rom-com) because there was nothing new and exciting for her to do, so I expected to see something new and exciting.

Not so.

Besides the age-old "have to get married for some bizarre reason" schtick, there is an entire subplot involving a dogged INS agent who knows the lovebirds aren't sincere. The thing that saves this initial set-up is the give and take between Bullock and Reynolds. There are several reaction shots where Reynolds's expression alone causes laughter.

Margaret (Bullock) is Andrew's (Reynolds) monster of a boss, and she works him to death with little reward, so the first order of business when they strike a deal to wed to keep her from being deported (to Canada) is that Andrew wants to go home for the weekend because of his grandmother's 90th birthday. They head north, to Alaska, and Andrew's family turn out to be another saving grace of the film. His father (Craig T. Nelson--perfectly cast, I must say), his mother (Mary Steenburgen), and his grammy (Betty White) round out a loving, if somewhat dysfunctional, family that cements Andrew's character and likeability, and soon begins to crack the hardened inner core of Margaret, causing her not to just fall for her assistant, but his family as well.

There are a few particularly funny parts, a good deal of them supplied by The Office's Oscar Nunez, though even some of those (like a strip-club sequence) are equal parts uncomfortable as they are funny. In a throw-away role, Malin Ackerman (27 Dresses) plays Andrew's college sweetheart, but she really serves no purpose in the film as there is never any doubt that Andrew is falling for Margaret; though it's hard to tell if it's because of the small vulnerabilities she slowly unveils, or because in one too-long sequence where the family dog keeps her from grabbing a towel after a shower, he gets a up-close glimpse at her smokin' bod. (Which, at almost 44, Bullock does have a smokin' bod.)

In the end, though, what really ruined the viewing experience for me is the climax of the film, where in an effort to please his family, Andrew agrees to marry Margaret during their weekend visit. In a scene that took me back 15 years to While You Were Sleeping, Margaret calls the wedding off mid-ceremony, and makes a full confession for his family, friends, and of course, the INS agent who has followed them to Alaska from New York City. The fact that something about this script drew Bullock back into rom-com territory just so she could do a less-funny, less-poignant version of one of her own previously perfect performances is truly disappointing.

As with all rom-com's, there is no doubt of how it will end up, and with Andrew's entire family (and his ex-girlfriend) egging him on, it does of course end up just as you suspect. The thing is, people don't go to rom-com's because they are hoping the protagonists don't end up together–that’s the thing about the chick-flick genre, you can depend on it to give you that happy ending. But for me, when the middle is so mediocre, the ending loses any of its savoriness.

Direction 3/5
Acting 4/5
Pacing 3/5
Plot/Writing 2/5

Star Trek (2009)

When I first saw the trailer for Star Trek, I was surprised that I wanted to see it. I’m mostly indifferent when it comes to Star Trek—I don’t hate it, but I never loved it. (Star Wars was always more my thing.) But I did, instantly. With one trailer viewing, I hotly anticipated one of the most hyped summer films. Then I read an article where J.J. Abrams (the director) said they didn’t make a Star Trek film for Star Trek lovers, they made a Star Trek film for movie lovers, and I was pretty much sold.

Of course, then I saw photos of Zachary Quinto as Spock and the alarming similarity intrigued me further.

Let me start by saying that I watched enough of TOS (The Original Series) to have a basic familiarity with Star Trek. Meaning, I know the main characters well enough, and that’s about it—I don’t have a favorite episode, or even remember anything specific about any of them. Of the previous films, I watched a few of them, and only II (Wrath of Khan) and IV (the humpback whale one) more than once. But again, that was years ago.

So here’s me, in the theater on first viewing: I’m crying within the first 10 minutes, laughing out loud repeatedly, wooing at some of the amazing stunts, and then, of course, when Spock pulls out the Vulcan Death Grip, I cannot help myself. I cheer and clap.

So yeah, I really liked the film. J.J. Abrams has made some excellent television (LOST) that I happen to be a big fan of, so the direction of this film is something I’m particularly happy with. The sweeping views of space, the vast fields of Iowa, and of course, the actor’s faces up close and personal in all the dramatic scenes, makes the adventure feel real and the emotions readily accessible.

Speaking of the actor’s faces: while the uncanny resemblance between Quinto’s Spock and the original gives the viewer an absolute knowledge of where they are and what they’re engaged in, it is the performances of Karl Urban (Bones), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), John Cho (Sulu) and the gregarious Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, that make it all the more familiar. Each of these actors captures the essence of the characters they are playing, while none of them slip into parody or half-cocked imitations. If you’re unfamiliar with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, you are meeting a fantastic group for the first time. If you know them and remember them from before, you are happily reminded of all that they are. Not to be undermined by the physical resemblance, Quinto also delivers as Spock, making me love him in a questionably strange manner—I certainly didn’t go in expecting to find leading man material in the Vulcan.

Scotty’s (Simon Pegg) third act arrival is worth the wait, as is the grudging respect and friendship that eventually develop between Spock and Kirk, who in this re-imagining, are at alpha-male odds for a good portion of the story. And last, but most certainly not least, is the beautiful Lieutenant Uhura (Zoe Saldana), who not only speaks every language known to man, but serves up a love story that is both unexpected and captivating.

A plot that involves time travel, black holes, and alternate realities, reinforces the idea that one madman’s agenda can affect countless lives. In a time when the discernment of when to stand and fight is much appreciated, this film gives us a group of people to root for, as well as dream about until they return to our screens, because a sequel is the logical choice, though the ending is neither cliff-hangery nor are the credits laden with cameo appearances to clue us in to the fact that the next film looms on the horizon.

If I had to find one flaw in this film, which really, it’s a stretch, because as far as Summer Blockbusters go, I actually think it’s flawless, it’s the chase scene in the middle of the story when Kirk has been marooned on an ice-planet. Why is it a flaw? Well, it’s obviously a stolen element from The Empire Strikes Back. Why doesn’t it bother me? Firstly, because Kirk’s comedic running and screaming leads him into the arms of what will color his life forever; secondly, everyone knows Empire is the best of the Star Wars movies. If you’re going to steal, steal from the best. ;-)

Direction: 5/5
Acting: 5/5
Pacing 5/5
Plot/Writing 5/5

I won't blog about anything important, most likely.

However, a friend of mine mentioned that she'd love it if I'd have a movie review website, as I see a lot of films, and I generally have pretty strong opinions about them. So I think I will. More to come.