There are so many movies to watch in so little time these
days that I bring to you another edition of my mini-reviews. I love to write reviews at length and detail
with splendid screen shots but that eats time fast. I’ve resorted to at least giving some
thoughts about movies I’d most likely never want to give my precious time to in
a more detailed review. Without further
delay let’s begin.
My mini-reviews
are as follows:
Valentine’s Day (2010)
When I
saw the DVD cover for this movie I wanted to see it 100% because of all the
familiar faces on it. I mean isn’t it
like 20 or so of them? Anyway it’s a
decent love angle where all the characters intertwine with one another in
interesting ways. There are people you
like along with those you despise depending on your view of what love is
supposed to be. Ashton Kutcher is the
lead role for the most part and doesn’t annoy me like in so many other parts he’s
played. I’m going to pick one of the
stories from one character in particular that really got me in the heart and I didn’t
even see it coming. Julia Roberts plays
a soldier flying back home and she sits with Bradley Cooper for nearly the
entire movie. They talk back and forth
and entertain you as much as the other little stories but you learn Roberts is
coming home to visit someone special. I
immediately think a husband or at least boyfriend but at the end I was moved by
even more than that. She comes home to
see her little boy and embraces him after not seeing him for almost a
year. The boy had his own story that
gave no indicator of Roberts being the mother or the elderly couple who were
Roberts’ parents apparently. It’s a
funny movie with that love deal as well but it’s worth a watch. I know I ruined the best story for you but it’s
possible you can still feel the love in that scene in the right mood.
Rating: 6.5 of 10
What Lies Beneath (2000)
I was
never into movies like this at the time it came out and I’m still not but that’s
why we have wives so we can become aware of these anyway. I like the two leading people Harrison and
Pfeifer, well what guy doesn’t like her right?
The movie starts off a bit silly and I found myself laughing while
trying to focus on how the story is trying to be serious. The typical unraveling process of a movie
like this isn’t anything special but the acting performances really lift
it. Harrison Ford is a busy as can be
man at work while Michelle Pfeifer is a stay at home woman who recently had her
only daughter jettison for college.
Pfeifer begins to see a ghost and even suspects her neighbor of murder
as she is the one who seems to be losing her marbles. In a movie like this you always know
something is going to have to twist at some point but you get the idea it must
be Ford because of the lack of any other characters. Toward the end it all pieces together that he’s
the bad guy who had some love obsessed college girl after him until it resulted
in her untimely death. The depth of Ford
and Pfeifer’s characters is acceptable and you understand why Ford did what he
did. It’s not some hogwash story filled
with drivel that falls along the lines of a cheap thriller that pops up around
October every year. I’d recommend it
since its not gory and nasty but more suspenseful if anything.
Rating: 7 of 10
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
In watching this now it’s neat to remember how
the beginning of this internet era we live in today all began. Do you remember that annoying AOL dial
up? When I saw it in the movie it took
me right back to those days and I was forever happy dial up died. Meg Ryan is a silly funny character
especially in the movements she makes throughout the movie. She has a small time book store that prides
itself on service and high prices! Tom
Hanks is the corporate monster everybody hates but reluctantly goes to because
the prices are so low. The two of them
meet and become enemies to a degree as they learn about each other while
maintaining this e-mail connection in which neither of them knows who the other
is. It plays out pretty funny and clever
but does drag on for my liking. I’d
imagine females would melt over the romantic way Hanks eventually snags Ryan. It’s neat to watch Hanks be the corporate
raider looking to destroy any bookstore in his path. It’s possibly as bad as Hanks could ever be anyway;
he seems like such a nice guy. He slowly
transforms into a man who grows a heart and longs for more than what his
pitiful father is. He wants that true
love with someone who will share it for the long haul. I especially like how a boy about 5 years old
is Hanks brother while a little girl around 10 is his aunt. No, I’m not making this up it’s actually in
the movie! Watch it and you’ll see, it’s
worth it even to a science fiction nut like me where there is 0% of aliens or
anything remotely strange and creepy going on.
Rating:
7 of 10I hope you enjoyed these brief summaries. Here is a link to my other mini-reviews check them out!
Dark Shadows & Thor
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I enjoyed your mini-reviews Scott and it certainly helped that you featured films starring four of my favourite stars of the 90's Harrison Ford, Tom Hanks, Michelle Pfeiffer and Meg Ryan.
ReplyDeleteWhat Lies Beneath isn't Pfeiffer or Ford's best work but as you point out it's a decent, suspenseful thriller, and Michelle is always incredibly alluring.
As for You've Got Mail, I know guys aren't supposed to admit to liking rom-coms but I'd have happily given up everything for the 1998 vintage Meg Ryan.
For me Michelle and Meg were the pre-eminent actresses of that era and although Pfeiffer may have been the better actress and was undoubtedly more beautiful, Meg was always more appealing, at least in my eyes.
I can't offer any insight into Valentine's Day because I haven't seen it, I was never that big a fan of Julia.
I'll check out your Dark Shadows and Thor post.
I agree with your Meg Ryan & Michelle Pfeifer comparison. I never thought of it in that way exactly but it makes great sense, well done.
DeleteI'm not a Julia Roberts fan either but its rather the moment created between the mother and the son that really stirs up emotion for me. It's really the only part in the "love" movie where you do get roused up which in turn is a bit of a downer.
Anyway I'm glad you liked the post and thanks for the insight-fullness you brought with the words above.