New Year's Eve (2011)

Stars: Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Ludacris, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Héctor Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Hilary Swank, Sofía Vergara

Director: Gary Marshall
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: C-

When you get an ensemble cast like the one in New Year's Eve you should be able to expect something good.  There are a lot of big names in this film and so despite it being a romantic comedy you should be able to expect it to be something great - you look at a movie like Love Actually and expect something great.  New Year's Eve is a failure in that sense; despite having a stellar cast, it's really not that good of a movie.  In fact, I doubt the word 'good' should be used at all when discussing this film.

New Year's Eve is a series of vignettes set on, surprise-surprise, December 31st, in New York.  Swank plays the Vice-President of the Times Square Alliance and is in charge of the ball dropping on time - the biggest event of the year for Times Square.  Despite the importance of her job, however, there's a meeting at midnight that she's debating going to, as is encouraged by her friend Ludacris. Berry is a nurse caring for terminal patient De Niro, who speaks fondly of memories of seeing the ball drop and only wants to see it happen once more before he dies.  Elsewhere in the hospital, parents-to-be Biel and Meyers are anxious for their baby to be born, even more so when fellow expecting parent Schweiger lets slip that the hospital gives a huge bonus to the first baby born in the hospital in the new year.  Pfeiffer is a wallflower of a woman who has quit her job and hired Efron in order to help her make a list of New Year's resolutions come true.  Meanwhile, Bon Jovi is attempting to rekindle his romance with ex-girlfriend Heigl.  Upstate, Duhamel is stranded after a friend's wedding; he must get back into the city in time to give a speech at a ball, but there's the memory of a girl he met on New Year's Eve the year before, and a promise to meet her again that's hanging over him.  Parker is a somewhat highly strung single mother who is planning to do nothing on New Year's Eve but watch the ball drop on television with her daughter, much to daughter Breslin's disappointment - she was hoping to go to Times Square, without her mother, and experience her first kiss.  Oh, and Kutcher and Michele get stuck in the elevator to their building.

There are two major signs in that this movie isn't good; first of all, I skimmed a lot and yet I still had to write 300 words to summarize the film, and second of all, without going onto Wikipedia, IMDb, or another website, I am unable to tell you the name of a single character in the film (other than Jon Bon Jovi's Jensen, whose name is said a lot).  There are so many characters and different plots in this movie that it's hard to summarize it with less.  There's a lot going on, and as a result you really don't get the chance to know and love nay of the characters.  The only character who I really felt like I understood and had a feel for were De Niro and Berry; I was really moved by his struggles and desires and the way that he hopes to make it to midnight.  Beyond that, though, none of the characters were particularly moving.  Sure, some of the stories had potential and could have been great if they were developed more... but in the span of a single movie there was just way too much going on.  You didn't get the chance to care about the characters - you didn't get the chance to learn their names.

The only way that this film is able to really be coherent despite the lack of development is the fact that New Year's Eve borrows heavily from plots of other movies.  The guy who proposes to his girlfriend, gets cold feet and runs, then tries to make things up?  I've seen it.  The couple who's competing with another couple over something ridiculous? Seen it.  The guy who's in love with the woman that he's met once years ago? Seen it. Dying guy wants to make things right with his family?  Wallflower who finally works up the nerve to pursue her life long dreams? Person who has a major deadline for work and has to deal with things going wrong?  Mother has to figure out how to deal with her teenager? Seen it, seen it, seen it, seen it.  Oh, and pair who've never met before get stuck somewhere and have to deal (and of course fall in love)?  Yeah, seen that one too. My suggestion for anyone debating seeing New Year's Eve is to watch Love Actually if you're looking for a touching holiday-themed movie filled with love and vignettes or see one of the many other romantic comedies out there that focus on at most a couple plots and actually develop them.

Recommendations: June 29

Magic Mike - I'm going to quote the Cineplex Magazine's description of this movie: "Based on Channing Tatum's real-life experience working as a stripper".  This is a movie about male strippers.  I'm going to say that again: it's a movie about male strippers.  Based on Channing Tatum's real life.  This could be absolutely horrible, and it'd still be worth seeing.

Ted - Seth MacFarlane's transition into the big screen, Ted is about a kid who wishes for his teddy bear to be real, then grows up.  I'm not really sure what to expect from this movie; I think it could be really good or really bad.  We'll definitely have to wait and see.

People Like Us - Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Elizabeth Banks, People Like Us is about a man who finds out that his father had another family and that he has to give his previously unknown, half-sister $150,000.  I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie and have been since I saw the first trailers for it.  I'm interested in seeing the journey that these characters go on, from Pine's struggling businessman, to Banks' alcoholic, to Pfeiffer's grieving widow.

Take This Waltz - The second film from Canadian Sarah Polley, Take this Waltz is about a woman, Margot (Michelle Williams), who is in love with her husband (Seth Rogen), while attracted to her neighbour (Luke Kirby).  As Michelle Williams appears to be on a kick as of late, I'm certain this'll be a great movie, although I am a bit nervous about Rogen's part in it.  I usually enjoy his movies, but I don't think I've ever actually seen him in a drama.

21 Jump Street - An amazing combination between comedy and action, 21 Jump Street is about two rather failed cops who are sent to a high school to pose as students and uncover a drug ring.  I really enjoyed this movie, and recommend it to others.

The Artist - The 21st century's take on a silent film, The Artist is about a silent movie star who bemoans the coming era of talkies.  While I haven't actually seen this movie yet it was a huge success last year, winning 107 awards during the award season, making it the most awarded French film in history.  Definitely an artsy movie, this film is a must-see.

Mirror Mirror - The year's first Snow White movie, Mirror Mirror was ridiculously overly sugary, but in a good way.  Something to check out when you're in the mood for some easy entertainment.

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle tells the story of Walls' childhood and family, both which could be described only as unconventional.  There's something about this book that just kept me reading, while also gave me the firm desire to yell at Walls' parents.

Let's Pretend this Never Happened - I haven't actually read this book yet, but Let's Pretend this Never Happened is getting a good reception and debuted at number two on the New York best seller list.  This is a memoir by blogger Jenny Lawson about the things that people like to pretend never happened.

Water for Elephants - This is one of the best books I've ever read.  By Sara Gruen Water for Elephants tells the story of Jacob Jankowski though two periods in his life; one as an old man, in a nursing home, reflecting on how his life has turned out, and one where he's a young man beginning to live said life.  At the start of the Depression, Jacob jumped onto a train that would change his life and, inadvertently, joined the circus.  If you have the time, check out this book.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Starring: Steve Carrell, Keira Knightley
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: A-

"I promise not to steal anything if you promise not to rape me." "Agreed."

I was pleasantly surprised by this film.  I wasn't expecting to dislike it, but I also wasn't expecting to be overly wowed by it -  to be honest, I figured it would be a rather mindless, summer romantic comedy that I would forget almost as quickly as I watched it.  Having now seen it I can't say for sure how much of my enjoyment was because of my low expectations and how much of it was because of the movie itself, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised and even somewhat wowed.  Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a surprisingly touching story, nicely balancing the comedic, dramatic, and romantic elements, without going too far in any one direction or descending into the cheese factor so typically associated with the summer romance.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World picks up with the announcement that the asteroid Matilda is about to crush into the world, and Dodge (Carrell)'s reacts by climbing out of the car and running away, never to be seen again. Dodge himself takes a lot more time to react to the impending end of the world, for a time even continuing to go about his life.  Then he meets his neighbour, Penny (Knightley), who gives him all the mail that she has collected for him over the three years that they had been neighbours, including a letter from his high school girlfriend, Olivia, who professes her love for him.  Dodge and Penny reconnect in the middle of a riot, when he saves her, her ex-boyfriend Owen (Adam Brody), and Dodge's dog Sorry.  In a moment of desparation, Dodge tells Penny that he knows someone who had a plane and might be able to get her to England, so she can say goodbye to her family before the apocalypse - if she'll help him find Olivia.

I was really surprised by how much I liked both Dodge and Penny.  Neither is a particularly successful person, with Dodge being very much the typical Steve Carrell character that seems to have failed to have achieved anything in his life, and Penny being this almost gypsy like character; a hopeless romantic and serial monogamist, who really looks like she would fit well in a rendition of Rent.  Despite the fact that neither is exactly successful, nor really strong individuals, they're both strong characters.  You really get a strong feel for who both Dodge and Penny are, they both have such strong voices and more to their character.  It's very clear that when Scafaria was writing the script she had a strong idea who these people were, what they were motivated by, and why they were the way they are.  What's more is that by the end of the film, the viewer has a good idea of this as well.

While the story itself was really strong, I did find that the comedy was a bit hit-or-miss.  I really didn't care for Dodge's friends, and found in general when the comedy depended on large groups of people it threatened to cross the line a bit.  Some of the jokes ran just a little too long, others could have been avoided entirely - weirdly enough, some of these moments are the ones that made it into the trailer, which in my opinion suggested that the film is rather different from what it actually is.  The film can be divided into two parts; pre- and post-riot.  The pre-period is the weaker part of the film, with too many additional characters who don't have the strength of the leads, and jokes that just aren't necessary.  The post-period is the strength of the film, as the two mains grow.  I also really liked how some of the things that I wanted to happen after seeing the trailer happened, although I was rather surprised by the ending.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, Marton Csokas
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Horror
Rating: D

I think my favourite part about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was the fact that I was lucky enough to be able to see it for free. Actually, I think the only part of this movie that I enjoyed was the fact that I was lucky enough to be able to see it for free.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter follows the life of the 16th president of the United States, from the time of his mother's death to the night of his own assassination, nearly fifty years later.  Following his mother's murder Abe (Walker) takes it upon himself to avenger her; little does he realize that her murderer, Jack Barts (Csokas), was a vampire.  Once this news became apparent to him Lincoln is recruited to hunt vampires by Henry Sturgees (Cooper), a man who knows a lot about vampires and the rules for hunting them.  In the course of his vampire slaying, Abe realizes that Henry's way of hunting vampires isn't enough; he would be far better off taking the office of the President of the United States, where he can fight against the hordes of slave-owning, southern vampires that threaten the nation.

I don't know where to begin with this movie.  The special effects were over done.  I understand that the use of CGI and the like is deemed to be necessary in movies like this, and can add a lot to fantasy and science fiction based movies, but in Abraham Lincoln it was just too over the top.  The viewer shouldn't feel like something as simple as a man twirling an axe had to be CGI-ed.  He's just doing a variation of staff twirling, it's not that complicated.  The CGI in the fight scenes is also over the top; while I understand why it was necessary in some points, its over use gave the movie this really weird feel to it - almost like it was trying to be like a steam-punk, vampire based version of The Matrix - except, not as cool.  There were a few moments when the fights were awesome, but a lot of it was just... once again, it was too fake and fluffy.  Many of the action sequences could have been done without, in favour of actually explaining some of the story.

A major plot point to the film is the fact that the vampires, lead by leader Adam (Sewell), are taking over the south of the United States, making the American Civil War a fight for humanity as much as a fight against slavery.  In my opinion, this whole aspect of the plot was left largely undeveloped; instead the filmmakers decided to spend a lot of time having Abe fight CGI-ed vampires in the start of the film, do a quick montage to go 'oh, hey, here's a viable plot - and then have him fight some more CGI-ed vampires.  As such, the film really isn't evenly balanced and the villain isn't given his proper due - or any real explanation.  The acting itself isn't bad, and I especially liked Dominic Cooper, but the actors themselves aren't really supported by anything.  Possibly the worst part is the fact that some of the plot twists are made blatantly obvious in the start of the film, so that when they're revealed later on the viewer has to question just how slow Abe has to be in order to not have figured them out.  Oh, also, back on the CGI note, the eyes of the vampires are really disturbing; in my opinion, Sewell's eyes were possibly the freakiest part of the entire film.  This is definitely a movie that I would recommend avoiding; having now seen it, I'm even considering flat out avoiding the book as well.  In conclusion, I do have to say that I'm sorry for having recommended this movie on Friday.  Now I'm saying skip this movie.

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Stars: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, Sam Spruell, Sam Claflin
Director: Rupert Sanders
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Drama
Rating: B+

In my review of Mirror Mirror I predicted that, despite the fact that the film was predictable it was still probably going to be the best Snow White film of the year.  Having now seen Snow White and the Huntsman I must now do something that I don’t do very often and admit that I was wrong.  Snow White is surprisingly awesome.  Sure, there are points when the plot is a bit over the top and the acting isn't exactly the greatest, but this film is intense and, in my opinion, well put together.

The film starts with the usual Snow White set up: the wicked witch Ravenna (Theron) manipulates her way into the heart of the king of the land and, on the night of their marriage kills him during sex.  She then opens the gates to the castle and lets her army in, successfully taking over the kingdom.  The one loose string that she leaves is the king's daughter, Snow White (Stewart), who she keeps alive but locked up in a tower.  Ravenna manages to keep her power and beauty through the use of dark magic, but on the day of Snow White's eighteenth birthday her powers begin to wane; no longer the (legal age) fairest of them all, Ravenna must kill Snow and consume her heart in order to regain her supremacy and ensure that she will be powerful and beautiful for all eternity.  Her plan, however, goes to shit from there, as Snow manages to escape from her prison and flees to the Dark Woods.  Ravenna sends the Huntsman (Hemsworth), a drunk widower, and her brother(Spruell) into the woods to retrieve Snow White.

Snow White and the Huntsman is a lot darker than most Snow White films and as such has more of a connection with the original Brothers Grimm story.  People don't seem to realize that classic fairy tales were not about people finding love and defeating evil and living happily ever after.  I've been a fan of the darker, grittier stories for awhile now, so that whole aspect of this film is really what drew me to it.  I like that Snow White is able to kick butt, but I also like that even while kicking butt she still falls into some of the more traditional aspects of the story.  There's still the apple, there's still the kiss, it's just not exactly how you expect it.  I think my favourite part of this film was the way that it merges themes of Medieval England, other traditional cultures, and folklore.  There's fairies and dwaves (of the "heigh-ho" variety, not the little person variety) and a magical white elk-like creature, as well as folk-type songs and shield walls and European style castles.  There's even this whole part that takes place in what feels like a Chinese fishing village.  The attention that Sanders paid to the details of this film and the creation of this world is amazing.

There are a few moments in the plot that I didn't really like, such as when the Huntsman tells Snow to aim for the heart when trying to stab someone.   I wasn't overly happy with the dwarfs either; I liked the way that they were created and the fact that they're a separate race, but I thought it was a bit ridiculous that rather than hiring actual little people as the dwarfs regular sized actors had their faces digitally transmuted onto small bodies.  Doing that is an unnecessary extra expense and an outright insult to actual little actors.  I really liked Theron's evil queen, and I love the detail that they put into making her look old.  Her costumes in general walked a very fine line between being awesome and being over the top, and there were a couple that made me think the costume designer was a little too inspired by Lady Gaga.  The character in general, though, was totally one that you love to hate, as was Spruell's character.  There's something about him (or at least the way he was dressed in the film) that just screams creepy pervert, which given as that's what he was playing is a compliment.  Hemsworth, as usual, was highly enjoyable, both to watch and to listen to, and he portrayed a very convincing person.  I wasn't always sure what his motives were, but he won my heart in this film.  As for Stewart... what can be said about her?  So often she's criticized for being wooden and emotionless, and there is a lot to her Snow White that is wooden and a bit on the emotionless side.  We do see a lot of her trade mark dead pan, mouth slightly open look, but you also get to see her smile and at points even laugh.  I'm not sure how much of a range she has, but I think in Snow White she does broaden it more than she's done in some of her other, more recent works.  She's not the best actress, but in a work where she's given actual direction and has a good script, I'm of the opinion that she can be enjoyable.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Author: Tony DiTerizzi and Holly Black

Genre: Fantasy, Children's Lit

Rating: C

Rather than review each of the books individually, I’m going to respond to them as a series, in part because I read the series as one book in an anthology, and in part because I think that’s how the story works best, as one longer-story, rather than as a series of shorter ones.

The story, if you’re not familiar with it is such: Following the failure of her marriage Helen Grace brings her three children, daughter Mallory and twin sons Simon and Jared, to live on her old family estate, the Spiderwick Estate, which had been in the possession of her Aunt Lucinda until the older woman was institutionalized.  The house is completely rundown and soon after they move in the family begins to notice strange things happening, which they attribute to the misbehaviour of the primary protagonist Jared.  That is, until Jared finds a hidden room in the home’s attic and a field guide written by Lucinda’s father, Arthur Spiderwick.  This guide details the magical world that exists alongside ours, hidden from human site. Jared begins to study the book and discovers that the family has disrupted the estate’s resident house brownie, Thimbletack, turning him into an angry boggart.  Calming Thimbletack is only the start of the Graces’ problems, however, as the discovery of the book leads to the emergence of a goblin army and the threat of the ogre Mulgarath, who desires to take over the magical world.

There are two major problems with this series.  The first is that the individual components of the series do not belong on their own.  A good book should be able to stand relatively on its own; even if it’s part of a series, each book should have its own climax.  The payoff at the end of the series might be greater, but the payoff at the end of each book should be worth having read the book itself.  This doesn’t really happen in the books of The Spiderwick Chronicles.  Instead it almost feels like each book is an attempt to find one or two pieces to a puzzle, with all the rest of the pieces appearing at the end.  I don’t mind being given some of the pieces to a greater puzzle in each book, but I expect a book itself to be a puzzle on its own, like one of those collages that when placed together properly forms a picture of Mickey Mouse.  The other problem is that there is very little character development.  None of the characters is particularly well rounded, not even Jared who tells the story.  When you combine these two problems it almost feels as though DiTerlizzi and Black didn’t really think that young readers were capable of following something with any real depth to it.

There are good elements, however.  I really like the world that they've crafted and the amount of details that have been put into it - while the actual characters were lacking, the creatures were well developed.  I got to know what a goblin, ogre, brownie, and so on are in this world.  I think that DiTerizza and Black could have created a huge, Harry Potter-esque series, had they not underestimated the abilities of their readers and taken some of the beings that they were creating and added more depth to everything.  In the end, I was disappointed by this series not because of what it was, but because of what it could have been.

The Warrior Heir

Author: Cinda Williams Chima

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Rating: C+

This book actually took me two tries to get through; the first time I sat down to read it I didn’t get to the second chapter before giving up.  Now having actually read through the whole thing (a number of years later), I’m not entirely sure if my first impression was right or not.  The world that Chima creates is an interesting one, but I couldn’t help but feel as though she was withholding information the entire time.  Granted, authors are always withholding information, but in The Warrior Heir it’s done in a way that’s more annoying than intriguing.

The Warrior Heir follows fifteen-year-old Jack Swift, who for much of his life appeared to be an unremarkable boy.  Then one day he forgets to take his medicine and his life drastically changes; while at soccer tryouts he unleashes a power that he never knew he had, then his aunt shows up and takes him on a trip to retrieve some magic sword…. From there Jack learns that he’s a part of an underground society of magical people, the Weirland.  He is a warrior, a pawn in the battle between wizards, and is expected to compete in a fight to the death with another warrior; the house to whom the warrior belongs to gets to have control over all the Weirland.

In general, I enjoyed this story.  There were a lot of elements to it that I found to be really intriguing and I did really get into the characters.  At the same time, I disliked the way that information was presented, and the fact that so much of it was provided in a taunting manner.  I like reading works set in vastly detailed worlds, but in The Warrior Heir I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that Chima had half assed the creation of a detailed world.  A lot of terminology is thrown at the readers, and it’s stated that there’s a lot of history behind the Wierland, but I found that the attempts to develop it just left me confused.  This is just another one of those books that left me wanting more from it instead of more of it.

Franklin & Bash (Season 1)

Starring: Breckin Meyer, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dana Davis, Garcelle Beauvais, Kumail Nanjani, Malcolm McDowell, Reed Diamond

Creator: Kevin Falls and Bill Chais

Genre: Comedy, Legal Drama

Rating: A-

I was pleasantly surprised by the first season of TNT's Franklin & Dash. The series thus far totally has the feel of being a feel good, buddy cop type show, just with lawyers instead of cops.  It follows Jared Franklin (Meyer) and Peter Bash (Gosselaar) as they transition from being two small-time, streat-wise plaintiff's lawyers into.. well, pretty much the same lawyers, just working for a prestigious firm.

The duo are both self confident, immature playboys with unusual trial methods.  Franklin is the more immature of the pair; the son of a famous trial lawyer, he's basically trying to be everything that his father wasn't, while also being a lawyer.  Prior to the start of the film he swore that he would never work for a big firm - something that gets pointed out to him several times after he joins Infeld Daniels.  Bash is the more mature, and more successful of the pair.  He's somewhat more serious and more likely to know where to draw the line.  Unlike Franklin, Bash has previously worked at a big firm - although he got fired after getting caught having sex with a senior partner's daughter.  Joining this duo at the firm of Infield Daniels is Stanton Infield (McDowell), the eccentric senior partner who hires them; Carmen Phillips (Davis) and Pindar Singh (Nanjiani), an ex-convict and agoraphobic sci-fi nerd who work for Franklin and Bash; and Damien Karp (Diamond) and Hanna Linden (Beauvais), two more serious lawyers and ex-lovers, working for the firm.  Karp, who is also Infield's nephew, is particularly serious and takes on the role of the show's straight-man and at times the villain, as he questions whether hiring Franklin and Bash was a wise decision.

This show really has a feel of being like Ally McBeal, but with more testosterone.  The thing that I really like about it is that while it captures the quirky tone of a show like Ally McBeal it does so without descending to the level of making the characters have questionable sanity - something that McBeal did not succeed in.  Franklin and Bash are both really likeable characters, even if their actions aren't always reasonable.  Their antics do get a bit annoying at times, but it's nice to see that those around them aren't always swayed by them either.  The judges in this show are reoccurring and often call the duo on their more inappropriate actions.  What I disliked about this show (asides from the more episodic feel to it) was the boys' interactions with women.  Half the time Franklin appears to be completely smitten with Hanna, the other half he's trying to get with whatever random hot chick happens to be their client of the week.  The same goes for Bash, although with his ex-girlfriend and Assistant District Attorney Janie Ross (Claire Coffee).  I'm fine with them being man-whores or guys who are trying to get the girl, or being man-whores who are trying to redeem themselves and get the girl...I just get bored when each episode they seem to flip back and forth between the three.  That having been said, though, I think I'm going to stick with this show.

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures (2008)

Stars: Chris Waitt
Director: Chris Waitt
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Rating: A-

This movie was recommended to me by a good friend and his girlfriend, I doubt it is something I would have ever watched, or even heard of, otherwise.  For that I appreciate them; while A Complete History of My Sexual Failure is not something I would have picked to watch on my own, it’s actually a really enjoyable and interesting documentary – even if there are points during it when you really want to yell at filmmaker and protagonist Chris Waitt for his life choices.

A Complete History follows Waitt’s journey of self-discovery.  At the start of the project he is attempting to come into contact with all of his ex-girlfriends in order to determine just where he went wrong, but as the film progresses – and the vast majority of his exes refuse to have anything to do with him – so does his search.  While it might not take the viewer long to determine just where Waitt’s gone wrong in his past relationships it does take him a quite bit to figure it out, and he succeeds in throwing a few curve balls at the audience.  It should be noted that this film is most definitely not safe for work and features a shocking amount of male nudity.

I really didn’t expect to like Waitt, especially as the film progresses and he essentially characterizes himself as your typical loser ex-boyfriend who really doesn’t seem to get it.  From his Kurt Cobain style haircut to the fact that he seems to wear the same outfit throughout the film – which also looks like it’s inspired by Cobain – he really just screams ‘don’t date me’.  As it becomes clearer and clearer why he’s failed to have successful relationships it becomes even harder to like him… but somehow he just finds his way into your heart and makes you root for him.  By the end of the documentary I was hoping that he’d get it together and get the girl.  The humour to the film is actually really shocking.  The film really presents itself as serious, but has this degree of dead pan, rather ironic humour to it.  There are some points when he takes things a bit over the top, but for the most part it’s really rather ingenious.  My one big problem with this documentary is that at times it does seem a bit fake, like it’s more of a mockumentary than an actual documentary.  There are things that suggest that it’s not entirely real and at least partially scripted, but other elements that are just so real it’s hard to believe that this film isn’t legit.  Either or, doc- or mockumentary, this is definitely worth watching.

Recommendations: June 22

Brave - A new type of Disney princess for a new era; Brave is the story of Scottish Princess Merida who plunges her kingdom into chaos when she defies an age old custom and tries to choose her own destiny.  This film stars Kelly MacDonald as Merida, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson as her parents, and Julie Walters as the witch.  This movie should be great because 1. it's Disney Pixar, 2. it's set in Scotland, 3. Julie Walters and 4. Emma Thompson.  Have I mentioned that I love Julie Walters and Emma Thompson?

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Based on the book of the same name this film tells the story of Abraham Lincoln and his vampire hunting ways.  After the death of his mother he discovers that vampires are plotting to take over the United States and takes it upon himself to stop it.  What really interests me in this film is the attention to detail that they've claimed to pay and the fact that they're trying to get the history right (in so far as they can given as it's not exactly a historically right story). 

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World - I'm still undecided if I want to see this movie or not.  It looks kind of like it's a romantic comedy update of movies like Armageddon or Deep Impact, with the focus being on the people on the planet facing their death instead of those in space trying to prevent the asteroid from hitting the planet.  I usually like Keira Knightley's films but I'm a bit hit-or-miss with Steve Carrell.  I'm sure I'll check this out, but I'm not going in with high expectations.

Your Sister's Sister - Staring a group of people who, for the most part I don't know, the reason why this film caught my attention is because of the presence of Emily Blunt.  I've been a fan of hers since I first watched The Devil Wears Prada, so I'm sure I'll enjoy this latest venture of hers.  Basically, this movie seems to be about a guy who's in mourning so he goes to a friend's cabin, has sex with said friend's sister, and must deal with the ensuing chaos.  Your Sister's Sister has a limited release, so it might just be easier to catch this when it comes out on DVD.

Project X - I really don't know why I want to see this movie.  It's about a group of high school students who try to throw the party to end all parties.  Once again this movie is playing up The Hangover connection, and while it's gotten mixed reviews (and doesn't really look good), it's caught my attention and seems like it might be fun.

Big Miracle - All I know about Big Miracle is that it's set up North and has to do with people trying to save a whale caught in the ice.  Staring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski this looks like it's one of those heart warming, sappy, tear jerkers - and I'm of the opinion that some of the best movies are tear jerkers.

Newsies - Before he was Batman Christian Bale was Jack Kelly, a young newsboy in 1899 who sold newspapers, fought for newsy rights, and sung and dance.  While this film isn't really good it's also totally awesome.  And it's the 20th anniversary of the movie, so it's being re-released on DVD.

Sister Act - Another 20th anniversary and another musically inclined film.  Sister Act stars Whoopi Goldberg as a singer who witnesses a mob hit and is hidden in a convent by the police.  There is nothing about this movie that isn't over the top, but you can't help but love Whoopi Goldberg pretending to be a nun.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Set immediately after the Second World War The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society follows writer Juliet as she embarks upon a series of correspondents the members of a literary society in Guernsey, forcing her to learn about the life of those living on the island of Guernsey and the way that the recent German occupation impacted their lives.  This book is charming, funny, and insightful, and should be on everyone's to-read list.

The Book of Negroes - Another period piece, The Book of Negroes is set during the 18th century and follows the life of Aminata Diallo from when she was taken from her village in West Africa at the age of eleven through her life as a slave in the United States, her eventual freedom, and her quest to abolish the slave trade.  This book is absolutely amazing and really makes you look at the life of a slave and the history that comes with it.  In some parts of the world, The Book of Negroes was published as Someone Knows My Name.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Breckin Meyer, Lacy Chabert, Emma Stone, Michael Douglas
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Rating: C+

For what it is, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is not a bad movie.  It definitely isn't a good movie, but nor is it bad.  It's rather lame and completely ridiculous, while also being fun, entertaining, and enjoyable.  If you don't like chick flicks, I would strongly advise avoiding Ghosts, but if you do, you won't regret seeing this movie.

Ghosts tells the story of Connor Mead (McConaughey) as he comes to realize just how little he has in his life.  Orphaned at a young age Connor and his younger brother, Paul (Meyer), are brought up by their womanizing, partying Uncle Wayne (Douglas).  While Paul turned out to be a pretty good guy Connor largely followed in his uncle's footsteps, becoming both a womanizer and a famed photographer.  All that changes, possibly, on the eve of Paul's wedding, when Connor is visited by a number of ghosts in an A Christmas Carol update.  Can Connor redeem himself, or is it too late?

The acting in this is not stellar, and to be honest few of the actors in it are really known for being amazing actors.  I was a bit disappointed by Douglas for accepting the role in the first place, although his film selection has been questionable, at best, in the last decade.  McConaughey and Garner both played their roles well, although I've never been a huge fan of either.  I do have to say that Garner is better suited for this type of film or a TV role than some of her other ventures.  I did enjoy Mecker and Chabert - Chabert's performance as a bridezilla was enough to make me never want to see her as an actual bride.  The show was stolen by Stone, in my opinion, who played Allison Vandermeersh, the titular Ghost of Girlfriend Past.  Of all the characters in this movie, I enjoyed Allison the most, despite the fact that the character was completely ridiculous.  Even though I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes when she was speaking I enjoyed watching her.  As for the story... it's a romance themed version of A Christmas Carol.  It is very much typical of both the story itself, which has been remade in one form or another about as often as Romeo and Juliet, and of romantic comedies.  Clearly not original, but since when did a lack of originality mean a lack of fun?  After all, there are only seven basic plots, so when it comes down to it nothing is entirely original.

Rock of Ages (2012)

Stars: Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Malin Åkerman, Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise, Bryan Cranston
Director: Adam Shankman
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical
Rating: A

If you dislike musicals, cheesy romances, or 80s metal pop then Rock of Ages is not your cup of tea.  With that warning out, I have to say that Rock of Ages was absolutely awesome.  From the moment that Hough and a bus full of extras began singing “Sister Christian” I was hooked.  The music in this film is awesome – albeit a bit too dependent on “Don’t Stop Believing” for the post-Glee era – and will get you tapping your feet, nodding your head, and maybe even sing along as the film progresses.  The acting is also amazing, from the big names who are known for their acting to those who really aren’t – I suspect this is the only time I’ll ever be saying that a Russell Brand movie was epic and awesome.

Rock of Ages is a multidimensional movie; it presents itself first as being about a girl from Oklahoma, Sherrie Christian (Hough), trying to make it big and find love in Los Angeles.  On her first day in the city she meets barback and fellow singer Drew Boley (Boneta) and lands a job working with him at The Bourbon Room – a nightclub on the Sunset Strip known for being where some amazing albums were recorded.  There’s more to the film than just that though; Bourbon Room owner Dennis Dupree (Baldwin) owes taxes and is being threatened with the closure of his club, with a protest against it and the Strip in general being helmed by a group of religious, conservative mothers lead by Patricia Whitmore (Zeta-Jones), wife of Mayor Mike Whitman (Cranston).  Wrapping it all up is Stacee Jaxx (Cruise), rock legend and lead singer of the band Arsenal.  At the start of the film Arsenal is about to play their last gig ever, as Stacee is about to embark on a solo act – as encouraged by his manager Paul Gill (Giamatti) and questioned by Rolling Stones reporter Constance Sack (Åkerman).

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: the music in Rock of Ages is awesome.  For the most part the cast are all good singers, or at least had parts that related well to their vocal ranges.  When it comes to the songs of Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake Tom Cruise really can sing.  Alec Baldwin can’t, and neither can Paul Giamatti, but their singing parts were considerably less than the other members of the cast, and as already mentioned what they had to sing really did fit their voices and roles.  My one problem with the music overall was the fact that I felt that the songs didn’t go on long enough.  A lot of them were felt like very, very shortened versions of the songs that we know and love, which was a bit of a disappointment.  To really make up for this a few of the songs are also done as medleys, which I think really worked.  These songs complement each other, and by doing them as medleys the film is able to interconnect and juxtapose the different plots.  You also have to say something about the way the music is done in general.  I made a comment in my review for High School Musical 2 about how they’re singing and dancing about how singing and dancing is lame.  In Rock of Ages they sing rock songs to protest against rock music – while doing choreography that involves pelvic thrusts and gyrating hips, in a church.  While it's rather lame in High School Musical 2 it's awesome in Rock of Ages.

The story is awesome as well; a lot of it is pretty tried and tested, from the young lovers, to the old, down-on-his-luck club owner, to the religious fanatic with a past.  If you can’t identify at least five other movies that tell the basically the same stories that Rock of Ages has you’re not really trying.  The way that the film puts these stories together, however, is fun and in parts original and a bit shocking.  This movie is also funny, with my favourite character being Stacee Jaxx’s alcohol serving, violence prone baboon, Hey Man.  That’s right, there’s an alcohol serving, violence prone baboon.  What more can you ask for in a movie?

High School Musical 2 (2007)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C

High School Musical 2 picks up a bit after where its predecessor left off, at the end of the school year, as our favourite geeks and jocks begin to worry about summer jobs – and our ever villainous theatrical types prepare for their summer of leisure at the country club their parents own.  Sharpay Evans (Tisdale) now has her sights on Troy Bolton (Efron), and decides that in order to get him she should have him hired to work at her club.  Somehow, this transpires into all of the Wildcats being hired at the club, because evidently when you’re in a Disney high school you have to work with all of your friends.  Life’s just like that.  Because of Sharpay’s influence Troy is able to rise in the club and gain the attention of the University of Albuquerque’s basketball team, while his friends are forced to wait tables.  Oh, and Sharpay is also manipulating the scene so that Troy will sing at the club’s annual talent show with her and not girlfriend  Gabriella Montez (Hudgens).

Where to start…. The high point of this film would be in its music, which is for the most part a lot better than the music in High School Musical.  The singing itself is good in both, but in this one the lyrics aren’t nearly as cheesy.  Some of the dancing is, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.  I should note, that the comment on the music being better does not descend to anything sung by Ryan (Grabeel) and Sharpay, which was just all kinds of bad.  The story, is a completely different issue.  As clichéd as the plot was in High School Musical it was at least good.  In fact, it was very Shakespearian, clearly having been inspired in part by Romeo and Juliet.  This story is not as good.  Following the character development in the original movie, Sharpay does a complete heel turn and digresses back to her original character.  The same can be said of Troy’s basketball friends, who are right back at hating singing and dancing like they were in the original movie – they even sing a song about it.  Troy too is back to not wanting to sing and dance, despite having enjoyed doing so previously.  It kind of makes me wonder just what the purpose of High School Musical was – beyond setting up the cannon couple.  My one favourite part of this movie, however, was Ryan’s character development, as he goes from being his sister’s lacky to a genuinely nice guy.  Somehow, I suspect the change won’t stick for High School Musical 3.

The Hedge Knight

Author: George R.R. Martin
Genre: Novella, Fantasy
Rating: A

Set in the same world as George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, “The Hedge Knight” is the first in a series of short stores (and graphic novels) about Ser Duncan the Tall, or Dunk, and his squire Egg. “The Hedge Knight,” and the other stories in the Tales of Dunk and Egg are set about a hundred years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire.

As mentioned, “The Hedge Knight” is the first in this series and follows Dunk as he enters the Tourney of Ashford, following the death of his old master, Ser Arlan of Pennytree.  Dunk was an orphan from Flea Bottom who entered into Arlan’s service as a boy, and was knighted by Arlan shortly before his death.  While on his way to Ashford Dunk encounters a boy, Egg, at a tavern, who sneaks away in order to enter into Dunk’s service and act as his squire.  Not all is as seems with Egg, however, and his true identity is one that alters the course of Dunk’s life.

I really liked this story.  The complexity of it is nothing like that of the books from which it is conceived, and within the story Martin reveals a lot more of the world in which it’s based.  It’s rather nice reading something and not finding yourself constantly questioning just what’s going on and who’s plotting what and who’s going to die next.  Actually, that point alone is really nice – the mantra for A Song of Ice and Fire fans is to not get attached to any of the characters because you don’t know when they’re going to die, but with Dunk and Egg this isn’t the fact.  The story just follows the point of view of Dunk and, if you’ve read Martin’s novels you already know how he dies, and it certainly isn’t at Ashford.  This certainty doesn’t make “The Hedge Knight” any less exciting, it’s just more of a comfortable journey.  You get to know the characters and you get to get attached to them, without that little voice inside your head screaming at you saying ‘this is going to end badly.’  Really, when it comes down to it, “The Hedge Knight” is something that I didn’t know I could expect from Martin.

Lord John and the Private Matter

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Genre: Historical, Mystery

Rating: A-

While I wasn’t particularly a fan of Diana Gabaldon’s first foray into the Lord John series, I was pleasantly surprised by its successor.  In Lord John and the Private Matter everyone’s favourite gay, nineteenth century English lord is back to solve another mystery.  This time, Grey is charged with investigating the death of one Tim O’Connell, a sergeant in their regiment and a suspected spy.  O’Connell had been under watch since the regiments return to England but died before the papers he had stolen could be recovered – and the man watching him disappeared the same night that O’Connell died.  While going about this, Grey is also investigating into the affairs of his young cousin’s fiancé, whom Grey believes has syphilis and wishes to find a way to end the engagement without creating a scandal that will shame his family.

I really liked the way in which Gabaldon tied the various plots of the story together.  It’s not something I really expect in a Gabaldon novel; the Outlander books really aren’t known for their closure (although one hopes that by the end of the series things are all nicely wrapped up, with a bow on top), but Private Matter has plenty of closure.  The immediate issues O’Connell’s death, espionage, and syphilis are all brought together and resolved in a manner that one probably wouldn’t have expected – in a manner that I really didn’t expect myself.  Lord John isn’t my favourite of Gabaldon’s characters, I’ve always found him to be a bit stale and somewhat flat, and I usually can’t help but feel that his sexuality is just a new way for Gabaldon to introduce more sex, and with a variety of partners (I’m rather certain that of Gabaldon’s protagonists, John Grey has the largest number of sexual partners).  I have no problem with gay characters, I just kind of roll my eyes when it seems apparent that the character was created so that he can have sex with this guy, and this guy, and this guy.  In previous stories, Grey has always appeared to be one such creation, but in Private Matter he becomes more than just a slightly promiscuous gay English lord.  His sexuality is actually a part of the plot, and for the first time Gabaldon divulges into the sexual underworld of London.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The one thing that I did dislike about Private Matter, and really the one thing that I dislike about most of Gabaldon’s books, is the historical note.  II love historical fiction and the thing that I’ve always enjoyed about books by authors like Bernard Cornwell is the way that, in the end, there is a historical note telling you about the real things relating to what you’ve just read: Cornwell’s can be a good twenty pages long, telling you what characters were made up and what are historical figures, as well as where he embellished, made changes, and made assumptions, and where he didn’t, making little notes of details of the plot.  In Gabaldon’s novels (and her novellas) the historical notes are always lacking.  For someone who puts so much detail into her writing, she is lacking in detail in her historical note and, while it doesn’t take away from the overall story, to me it’s a bit of a disappointment.

Lord John and the Hellfire Club

Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Novella, Historical, Mystery
Rating: C

In "Lord John and the Hellfire Club" Lord John Grey (of the famed Outlander series) witnesses the murder of one Robert Gerald, the cousin of Grey’s friend and colleague, Harry Quarry.  Even before rumours begin to circulate about Gerald’s sexuality Grey had vowed to find the murderer, a search which brings Grey to the Hellfire Club, where the story becomes more about the danger that threatens Grey’s life than discovering who murdered Gerald.

I was actually rather disappointed by this story.  Going into it I understood that it was a novella and that Diana Gabaldon had never written a novella before, but this still really didn’t meet my expectations.  The detail that you can expect in one of her books is still there, but because of the brevity of the story itself this actually takes away from things.  When writing a novella there is a word count, and unlike in books when you can simply add pages (or divide books into two parts, à la George R.R. Martin) if you surpass that count your work is going to be cut.  Thus, in order to add details Gabaldon has to take away from other elements – in this case, she deprives the plot.  Everything happens too quickly and too easily, and without any real depth to it.   Furthermore, the suspense of the story is somewhat diminished by the fact that this novella is a prequel of sorts; any fan of the Outlander series knows that Grey appears in books set after this novella, thus when his life is endangered there’s a large “meh” element to it.  I’m not worried about whether or not Grey survives, because I know he has to.  I’m not even worried about him being grievously harmed or disfigured, or even if his reputation is tarnished and his secret exposed – I know it doesn’t happen.  Which is why all of that seems to be a large part of the suspense of the novella; Gabaldon wants readers to be asking what’s going to happen and if Grey is going to emerge from this story alive.  She seems to almost forget that we already know the answer.

The Hunger Games (2012)

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley
Director: Gary Ross
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rating: A-

The film adaptation of the bestselling book, The Hunger Games brings us to a dystopian world where every year two tributes, one male and one female, are selected from each of the twelve districts of Panem to participate in the Hunger Games, essentially a televised fight to the death.  Think “The Lottery” meets Gladiator, with an element of Big Brother.  The film is set around the 74^th Hunger Games and follows District 12’s female tribute, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) as she struggles to overcome the odds and survive.  In order to be able to return home, she must be the only surviving tribute at the end of the games, including District 12’s male tribute, Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson).

The film does lose some of the novel’s story and doesn’t go into as much detail in regards to the political background of Panem.  I don’t actually feel that further detail is needed, though.  There was a war, it ended badly, and as a consequence the winners imposed a hugely cruel consequence – the Hunger Games.  What further background information is really needed?  The actual games aren’t as action packed as one might have expected – but the book itself isn’t that action filled either.  I really liked the way that they handled the action that they did show.  I also really like the way that they show the backstory and what’s going on outside of the Games; the book is very cerebral and only follows Katniss. The movie, however, avoids utilizing narration and instead shows you the things that book-Katniss only thinks about.  My one problem with the film is that I felt it cut too much of the relationship between Katniss and Peeta.  Some of my favourite parts of the book were the moments between the two of them, so I was disappointed to have that aspect of the film marginalized.  I did really like the film’s ending.  I really felt that it ended things on a happier note than in the book.

Recommendations: June 15

Rock of Ages – From director Adam Shankman Rock of Ages is a movie adaptation of a hit Broadway musical, about two young would-be singers trying to make it big.  Set in an LA nightclub in the late 80s, featuring 80s pop metal music, and composed of an ensemble cast, this musical looks awesome.  Really, even if the story didn’t hold up, or the acting was bad you could still expect to have fun watching Rock of Ages because of the music alone.  But given as it’s already a success on Broadway, the story is already known to be good, and the cast is well tested.  I’ve been excited about seeing this movie since I first saw a trailer for it, a few months ago.

That’s My Boy – In Adam Sandler’s latest comedy he plays a goofball father who resurfaces in time for his son’s wedding.  While I appreciate the fact that Sandler appears to be acting to his age instead of as a goofball guy pursuing a much younger woman, I’m rather bored by his movies.  I think I’ll be passing on this one.

Chicago­ – It’s being predicted that Rock of Ages will kick off a musical renaissance that will surpass the musical renaissance experienced early in the millennium.  While it’s far too early to tell if that prediction is true, I think it’s fitting to recommend that you watch Chicago, the movie credited with having kicked off the last musical renaissance – pay no attention to the fact that Moulin Rouge came out a year earlier...

Moulin Rouge – Actually, let’s not ignore this earlier musical.  While it may not have won as many awards as Chicago did, Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge is just as great of a movie (some might even say better).  This is one of my favourite movies of all time.

Reign Over Me – In honour of Adam Sandler’s new movie, I’m going to recommend that you see one of Sandler’s best movies to date – although, I should warn you, it’s not a comedy.  In Reign Over Me Sandler is Charlie Fineman, a man who lost his entire family on September 11^th.  Since then he’s been struggling with a very crippling depression; this movie is about the way in which his former college roommate (Don Cheadle) tries to help him come to terms with his loss.

I recently came across my copy of William Goldman's The Princess Bride, which I think is a total must-read book (as is the film).  I’ve also stumbled across JR.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.  As TheHobbit: An Unexpected Journey is set to come out this December, I recommend reading the book that it’s based on.  If you start now, you might just finish it in time for the movie’s release.  On a not-made-into-a-movie(-yet) note, there’s also the clever, insightful, and humourous Hokkaido Highway Blues (also known as Hitching a Ride with Buddah) by Will Ferguson, describing the time that he decided to hitchhike across Japan following the Cherry Blossom Front.  It’s a really interesting read.

High School Musical (2006)

Stars: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Olesya Rulin
Genre: Musical, Romance, Family
Rating: C+
 

This is a bad movie.  It is cheesy, over the top, juvenile, and really kind of lame.  The singing is good, but the actual music is rather ridiculous.  If you don’t enjoy lame, cheesy musicals, don’t see High School Musical.  That having been said, while High School Musical is lame and cheesy and overall bad, it’s also fun.  And good, but in a “why am I enjoying this” kind of way.  If you enjoy cheesy Disney musicals, then this is the movie for you.

Troy Bolton (Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Hudgens) have chemistry from the first moment that they sing together, at a New Years Eve party they both attend while on a vacation.  As circumstance would happen, Gabriella transfers to Troy’s school in the new year, and pretty quickly the pair begins to stir up trouble.  Troy is the captain of the school basketball team and as their biggest game of the season is coming up his team is counting on them to lead them to victory.  Gabriella is pretty much a genius, and the school’s scholastic decathlon team really hopes that she’ll join and lead them to victory.  Meanwhile, auditions for the school musical are occurring, and both Troy and Gabriella are interested in joining.  Attempts to thwart this desire come from all sides: the basketball team, lead by Chad Danforth (Bleu); the scholastic decathlon team, lead by Taylor McKessie (Coleman); and regular musical stars, Sharpay (Tisdale) and Ryan Evans (Grabeel).  The only person who seems to actually be on their side is pianist and show writer Kelsi Nielsen (Rulin).

Once again, this movie is silly and juvenile.  The singing is what I would expect from a Disney production, but the actual music is not – although, I do have to say, the songs are catchy, and after watching it I found myself singing the closing song, “We’re All in this Together.”  The plot is somewhat completely ludicrous, and utilizes the age-old trope of various cliques within a high school being set against each other.  The way that they all come together in the end, however, is rather heartwarming.  This isn’t a movie that you should really expect much from, or think too much about, but rather watch when you just want to be entertained.