Fabrice Grinda

This is one title I never expected to write. I rarely expect 4s of anything to be any good. Moreover, the series has been a bit hit or miss. The first one was ok, the second movie was disappointing (especially since The Matrix came out just before), the third movie was very good (thanks J.J. Abrams!) and this fourth installment is fantastic.

I have not been as thrilled by an action movie since the Bourne trilogy. The plot is interesting, the pace relentless, the support cast is fascinating and the action sequences are extraordinary. We’ve become so used to supposedly adrenaline and vertigo inducing action sequences that, in a way, we have become jaded by them. Yet somehow, I was not ready for the astonishing scene where Tom Cruise makes his way across the surface of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai — the world’s tallest skyscraper — while clinging to the building’s glass panels with a pair of electrified adhesive gloves.

Watching the scene on an IMAX screen was exhilarating. I actually felt I was there and really feared falling! More impressively, this was only one of the many adrenaline inducing moments in the movie.

You owe it to yourself to check out this movie in IMAX!

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Despite the 93% on rottentomatoes, I should have seen the telltale sign. Whenever an audience likes a movie less than the critics do it’s typically the sign that a movie is stylistically interesting but not necessarily entertaining.

I did not like the silent Steve McQueen-type character played by Ryan Gosling. His silence just made the movie unbearably slow and boring. Moreover, for a hyper violent thriller, it was lacking in thrills. I also felt the movie was trying to do too much and lacked courage, best illustrated by its underwhelming ending.

I should have watched Moneyball instead!

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Contagion makes great points about how civil order would fall apart in supposedly “civilized” societies like our own should a virulent deadly disease spread. The movie makes a compelling case that its depiction of both the public and government reactions is realistic. However, as this is a Hollywood movie with a stellar cast, I was expecting much more. There are so many undeveloped characters that you don’t really care about any of them when they die. Moreover, the movie lacks entertainment value. In other words, it’s interesting but that’s about it…

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Crazy, Stupid, Love is a fun, romantic comedy for adults. It’s unabashedly sweet, yet effectively deals with matters of the heart: from lost passion and romance for a married couple (Steve Carell & Julianne Moore), to unrequited love by Steve’s son, and to the games and antics of modern day dating, personified by a womanizer played by Ryan Gosling.

Interestingly enough, the whole movie is really about honesty and integrity. I loved the dedication of both Steve Carell and his son to getting their soul-mates and the patience both are willing to have if it is not what the women want. Marisa Tomei’s being so turned on by a man’s honesty was a sad yet true comment on today’s dating world where people need to cut through all the games and false portrayals used to get people into bed. In a way it’s not a surprise that Ryan Gosling, the “player,” falls in love when a girl is finally honest with him and vice versa. (She (Emma Stone) is also the only girl the audience sees who originally rejects his advances.)

As a slight non sequitur, Steve’s son played by Jonah Bobo is both incredibly cute and profound as an 8th grader in love with his babysitter (who of course is, in turn, in love with Steve Carell).

This movie does not quite soar to the heights of a movie like As Good as it Gets: it’s a bit disjointed, has too many side plots and the Emma Stone / Ryan Gosling relationship is not developed enough, but it’s a whimsical, touching and highly enjoyable romantic comedy.

Go see it!

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I recently had the opportunity to see Woody Allen’s latest movie, Midnight in Paris, and very much enjoyed it. The underlying concept of longing for the better days of a foregone era was very well portrayed. I really looked forward to seeing which new amazing characters Gil (Owen Wilson) was going to meet every night. I particularly loved the representations of Zelda Fitzgerald (Alison Pill), Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody) and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) who were exactly as I imagined they would be!

My only criticism concerns the casting of Owen Wilson as Gil. I just can’t see him as a thoughtful writer. Moreover, he copied (probably deliberately) Woody Allen’s mannerism which I also found grating (though I know several older people who loved his “younger Woody Allen” acting). I also found it funny, that the most unbelievable thing in the movie is the relationship between Inez (Rachel McAdams) and Gil. They are clearly so incompatible that it’s inconceivable they would be engaged – and makes time traveling at midnight back to 1920s Paris very realistic by comparison.

You won’t be disappointed if you are in the mood for a charming, sweet and sentimental movie!

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Granted, I am partial to the genre, especially smart rom coms like As Good as it Gets, Something’s Gotta Give, Serendipity, Easy A and How to lose a guy in 10 days. While it does not soar to the heights of those movies, Friends with Benefits is a worthy addition to the pantheon.

The first two thirds of the movie are fantastic as Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis poke fun at the clichés of traditional rom coms with very sharp and quick witty dialogue. Unfortunately, the movie ends up falling prey to those very clichés, but it’s still very enjoyable and cute.

Next on the list: Midnight in Paris and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

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This might yet again be an illustration of the power of low expectations. I was not impressed by the prior movies in the series, but was looking forward to a fun mindless evening and ended up with more than I bargained for.

Many sequels which extend and mix the cast of characters from prior movies end up not developing any of them enough and feel like they lack depth and are all over the place (e.g.; Spiderman 3 & Shrek 3). In some movies the ensemble comes together in support of a single coherent storyline as it did with Ocean’s Eleven.

Fast Five brings together all the main actors of the past movies and manages to utilize them effectively and coherently by focusing them on a heist whilst being chased by The Rock and his team. In many ways, the movie is more Ocean’s Fourteen than The Fast and the Furious and is all the better for it.

The movie is a much more violent and action packed Ocean’s Eleven. It’s a bit less slick than that movie, yet manages to mix extreme brutality with humor in a way that makes it highly enjoyable. It goes without saying that the car chases and action scenes were fantastic (the best in the series yet) and a ton of fun to watch.

Turn off your brain and go along for the ride, you won’t regret it!

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This year’s slate of animated movies has been great with How to Train your Dragon and Toy Story 3. Megamind is a worthy addition to the genre. As far as superhero movie goes, it does not reach the soaring heights of The Incredibles but holds its own with its fun twist on the superhero genre by being written from the villain’s perspective.

It’s one of the few movies alongside How to Train your Dragon where I felt that the 3D really worked. I really had tons of fun. Will Ferrell, whom I am traditionally not very fond of, has a winning vocal performance and I hope he plays in many more animated movies in the future. I also loved Brad Pitt’s MetroMan going all “Joaquin Phoenix”. Even his beard reminded me of Joaquin Phoenix’s “rapper phase”. Overall, the movie is tons of fun, witty, smart and touching, all at the same time!

I have to admit, I have not seen Despicable Me yet which also seems to be written from the villain’s perspective. My review might not have been as glowing if I had seen that movie first as I might have felt that Megamind was a rehash. Then again, the stories are probably very different and knowing me, I am sure I will love both movies! I will definitely check out Despicable Me the second it comes out on DVD.

In the meantime, go see Megamind (preferably in 3D)!

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Let me in is the best vampire movie I ever saw alongside Interview with a Vampire. There is no sexy, brooding vampire in this movie. The movie is very dark and sad for all the characters – from Abby’s constant need for blood, to Owen’s harassment by cruel bullies, to his mother’s ignorance and alcoholism, to the fate of Abby’s caretaker, there is seemingly no hope in the movie, especially as it sees itself as a fantastic modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

Despite (or maybe because of the tragic element), the movie is fantastic. It is truly anchored by the relationship between Abby and Owen which is completely believable. The movie works on all levels – a love story, a vampire horror movie, a coming of age story and a suspenseful drama. Chloe Moretz’s performance as Abby is amazing and she ends up living up to the high expectations she set for herself after playing Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass.

See it!

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After Ben Affleck’s fantastic directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone, I was looking forward to his next movie. The Town did not disappoint! In many ways I was reminded of Heat, but on a smaller scale in a style more reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s directing.

Overall the movie was tense, gritty and well-acted. Along with Hollywoodland, this movie shows Ben Affleck can not only act, but act very well!

Go see it!

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