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degele
Reviews
The Accidental Husband (2008)
Could have been so much better
This film could have been so much better; I found it did not live up to its potential. I really wanted to like this film, I am a big fan of Uma Thurman, and consider her a serious actress. I enjoyed her scenes as a radio talkshow host, and thought they were the best in the film. I also thought most of the advice she gave to her women listeners was honest, and forthright.
The initial impression I got of her relationship with her fiancé Richard was that this was a loving, supportive relationship. I even found the humour in the way that she was accidentally married to Patrick. I just didn't like anything else about the film at all.
I don't think that Uma is a great comic actress, and Colin Firth was wasted in this role. The actor who played Patrick was likable enough, but for me the film just wasn't funny enough, and the romance was not believable. For someone who recommended love and not infatuation or a passionate affair that would soon burn itself out, she didn't evaluate her own life properly when her beliefs were challenged, and she started questioning all that she had been telling her listeners.
I would have liked her to have broadened her horizons, and developed relationships with her father, her colleagues and new friends, and become a more well-rounded person. Apart from that, there was nothing new in this film, and I would avoid it as a lighthearted romcom, because there's not much rom, and precious little com. I would recommend watching Uma in The Truth About Cats and Dogs instead.
The rest of this review contains spoilers about this film, so please stop reading here if you wish to avoid any spoilers.
SPOILER ALERT: (the rest of this review)
I really didn't like the ending. Patrick obviously loved Sophia, and she had loved him and was not settling, so this storyline could have been handled differently. Emma's interaction with Patrick could have served to bring her down to earth from her ivory tower in the radio broadcasting studio, to realise that she had made a snap judgement on someone and a couple that she did not know at all. She could have had a few moments, a kiss with Patrick only to realise that he was a good man, and should go back to Sophia.
For someone who claimed to love Sophia, Patrick certainly found new love rather quickly, and never really did anything to show why Emma should love him, other than that he was a hunky fireman, who was there to rescue her, and carry her off into the sunset. This bothered me. I could see how Richard might be a safe option, and Emma's attempts at controlling him, and mothering him were a sign that this was not a healthy relationship, but I could not see any reason for her to love Patrick.
Here, I would have had her relax and let her hair down a little, as she did in the film, by becoming more involved in Patrick's community, and becoming more open and spontaneous. I would have had her bring Patrick and Sophia back together, to be a little bit more understanding of human frailties, and to kiss a few frogs, and make a few mistakes with men.
I would have liked her to have walked off into the sunset on her own, independent, and still single, knowing that she would find the right man eventually. I might even have had her glimpse this man at Patrick and Sophia's wedding, with an introduction that showed the potential of a possible loving relationship, but leaving the ending open. That way, we would still have had the obligatory Hollywood happy ending, with Patrick and Sophia, but Emma would have learned new insight into love and relationships have stayed true to herself.
Jumper (2008)
What do you mean it was only 88 minutes long?
I can't believe Jumper was only 88 minutes long - it felt at least as long as Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - and I slept for half an hour to escape that, as you can't walk out of a cinema when you are with friends - if said friends don't share your opinion! Had I been watching Jumper on DVD, I would have switched off after about 25 minutes... Can I have those 88 minutes back, please? It was awful! It was glossy and empty, and the only saving grace was Jamie Bell's presence in it. I could only muster any interest in the "film" when he was on screen. Hayden Christensen was bad, and so was the girlfriend... Even Samuel Jackson wasn't any good in this - and what was with the white hair??? I am quite happy to watch a film and switch my brain off and be entertained, but when the acting is *this* bad, I can't let it go. Bad dialogue, bad acting, overuse of CGI to cover the holes (that you could literally drive a bus through)! I give it 3 out of 10 - the extra star is for allowing me a peak into the Colloseum that you can't do in real life. Absolute waste of time, and money.
28 Days (2000)
This is not a comedy. View it as a drama and you'll enjoy it more.
I didn't hate this movie. I was expecting to. I wouldn't watch it again, and it hasn't changed my life in any dramatic way, but it was watchable. It was nice to see Sandra Bullock in a different role (and I am not a fan of her work). I think they could have made the movie grittier, and shown us more of the main character's life before going into rehab, but overall I enjoyed watching a movie that had a moral without being preachy.
I would have liked to have seen more of Gwen's life after she left rehab, and the difficulties she would have faced, considering the tag line was "The life and soul of the party... until she got a life" - what was that life like? How would she have had to change her friends, her behaviour, and what would she have done with her life after wards?
The film doesn't answer these questions, but it doesn't end with a conventional happy ending, either, and perhaps it is up to the viewer to decide what happens next.
Hitch (2005)
Why didn't I just switch it off?
I cannot believe I actually sat through the whole of this movie! It was absolutely awful, and totally cringe-worthy, and yet I sat through it thinking it had to get better. It didn't, and I have wasted 2 hours of my life. Will Smith is much better in action movies - I loved him in I, Robot, Enemy of the State and Independence Day - and I don't think he can really be expected to carry off an entire movie as the romantic lead in the way that Cary Grant could. Then again, the script was unbearably awful, and the dialogue was so cheesy.
I disliked everyone except for Albert's character, and even that I found was done with a heavy hand. If you want to watch a modern feel-good romantic comedy, watch something like How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, or When Harry Met Sally. The 40 Year Old Virgin left me with a smile on my face. I even preferred Music and Lyrics above this - and yes, I know it's cheesy, but at least it didn't take itself seriously, and was sweet. I also disliked the main female lead - and wasn't convinced of the chemistry between her and Will Smith's character.
In all, I think there were two scenes that I liked (and definitely not the ending, which was nauseating and unconvincing!) - Hitch calling Sarah when she hadn't given him her number was quite sweet, and - no, sorry, that's the only thing I liked about the entire film. Don't waste your time.
Evolution (2001)
I only chuckled (at Mulder)
I love the X-Files, so I thought that this would be like one of their more humorous episodes. I was so wrong. The movie itself was pathetic.
POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD!
A comedy is supposed to leave you with a smile on your face. The ending of this movie was beyond gross. I should have seen it coming, but kept hoping it would improve. I know, I'm naive.
END OF SPOILER
The only time when I really laughed, was when Duchovny made any references to "the government, the FBI or the Men in Black." I appreciated the irony of "Mulder" being on the other side, so to speak. A *total* waste of time, unless your definition of comedy is restricted to slapstick and lavatory humour. I wish I'd stayed home and watched an episode of X-Files instead.
Someone Like You... (2001)
And I had such high hopes
Ever since I heard about this film, I'd been looking forward to it. It must have been 6 months of anticipation, and it wasn't worth it. I am absolutely crazy about Hugh Jackman, but I don't think I would watch this movie again, not even because he's in it. I know romantic comedies are predictable; we know there's going to be a happy ending, but that's not what makes them so enjoyable. It's the meeting, the interaction between the characters (and credible dialogue is an important part of that) which persuades you that these two are meant for each other. The happy ending is just the confirmation, the more romantic the better (Dirty Dancing, 10 things I hate about you, etc). This one felt rushed and I actually thought that Jane was going to have to win back Eddie's affections after what she'd done, when suddenly the movie was over. I felt cheated.
Apart from that, I thought they spent too much time on the relationship with Greg Kinnear's character. A whole half an hour? Hugh Jackman was supposed to be the star of the movie, and even if he wasn't on-screen with Ashley Judd, then he should be on-screen doing his own scenes. I was thoroughly bored with the beginning. I would have done it in flashback; have Jane start the movie having been dumped, and do the flashback in 5 minutes, or even better, gloss over it in 5 minutes, with a voice-over or something.
This was a very average movie, and I was evenly thoroughly bored with the cheerleading scene. It was stupid; was that the best they could come up with?
I'm disappointed in this movie (the change of title should actually have been a warning - "Animal Husbandry" would have been far better). I only hope that Swordfish and Paperback Hero are better films for Hugh Jackman, because this is one to be written off.
They don't make romantic comedies like they used to.
The Time Shifters (1999)
Don't dismiss it because of the actors
I was not expecting much of this movie, because it was obviously made for TV. The summary in the TV guide made it sound interesting, although it was not exactly clear what the movie was about. I'm glad I didn't give it a miss, because it really was worth watching. I think it took me about 20 minutes to understand exactly what was going on, and that Caspar Van Dien's character was not going to be the one doing the time travelling, but once I realised that, I really began to enjoy the movie. It's not often nowadays that I sit through an entire movie, and am glued to the screen, but I was with this one and it wasn't entirely predictable either. I like a movie that makes you think about the situations it portrays, and time travel is a fascinating topic. The acting probably wasn't perfect, but I've seen much worse, and I put this movie on the same level as "Deep Impact" - it has substance.
Head Over Heels (2001)
Oh for some intellectual humour!
I was not impressed with this movie. Monica Potter is okay, but I was *not* bowled over by Freddie Prinze Jr. I don't think he's much older than me, but I couldn't get over his teen image. Personally I don't think he can act, and that this movie would have been a lot better had they chosen a male lead who has more charisma.
I'd been looking forward to this movie for ages, but from the point where Monica Potter's character gets humped by the Great Dane, I started losing interest, but I have never yet walked out of a movie, so I didn't. I really cringed at the things Amanda said when she got all tongue-tied, and that scene where the models were hiding in Jim's bathroom. Does all humour have to be so crude to get laughs now? I was shocked to see that parents had brought their 5 year-old children to see the movie, when it was anything but a family movie.
I'll admit that I like watching romantic comedies. What's wrong with that? Although Coyote Ugly wasn't going to win any awards, I enjoyed it, whereas Head over Heels was a real waste of time. I'd really like to find a comedy based on genuinely funny dialogue and situations, and not toilet humour. I'll have to wait a few more months, but I'm hoping for a lot more from Someone Like You...
Halifax f.p.: Afraid of the Dark (1997)
Not a typical episode
I've seen a couple of episodes of "Halifax, F.P." and this one was totally different from the others. It was a very intense episode, and *completely* unpredictable; in the end I gave up trying to guess what would happen! Reading other comments, I see that I'm not the only one to recognise Hugh Jackman, although I racked my brains throughout the first half of the story, to work out who he was, and only recognised his name at the end. He definitely kept me watching this episode - he's gorgeous, and I can't wait for "X-Men II," or "Someone like you" to reach the cinemas here!
Dalziel and Pascoe: Bones and Silence (1998)
Reginald Hill won an award for this one
I read the book after I saw this episode. In general I watch every crime series, especially the British police dramas. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the first few "Dalziel and Pascoe" episodes. I think this has to be my favourite, though. Dalziel and Pascoe are investigating a murder that Dalziel was a witness to, in a way, and at the same time, trying to work out who is sending Dalziel letters about an intended suicide. This is a very clever episode, and had me guessing right up to the end, and even that was totally unpredictable. That's what I love about the series. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in murder mysteries, especially if you enjoyed "Murder Call."
Noises Off... (1992)
This has to be one of my favourite movies
I *love* this movie! It has something to appeal to everyone: verbal humour in the tech (dress) rehearsal, and slapstick humour in the scenes backstage. I don't know how anyone can find this film boring. I have seen it about 5 times now. I would have watched it more often, but I can't get the video here, and my own recorded copy is on an old tape. Every one of the characters is excellent, and the actors are too. Who would have thought that Christopher Reeves could be such a good comedian? I love his role, especially. Best of all, it doesn't pander to toilet humour the way films such as "Something about Mary" and "Austin Powers II" do. It's a funny film that doesn't offend anyone, and still has me laughing until I cry.
Outback Bound (1988)
Quite entertaining really
I must admit that I actually enjoyed this movie. I enjoy romance stories, but they can be melodramatic at times. This one had enough "adventure and action" to keep it from being a total chick flick. I see that the film recommendation for this is "Crocodile Dundee II," and I can agree with that. Also, the pet kangaroo helped sell it to me :)