The Sequel isn’t as good as the original!

That’s Elisabeth Shue playing the role of Elisabeth Shue.


This movie sounds like it will have what you want in an indie comedy. From the Sundance buzz to the producers having a track record that includes “Little Miss Sunshine”. This is the quirky story of a bad actor writing a bad play and having a group lacking talent to perform the musical that reaches too far. The opportunity to revisit “Waiting for Guffman” territory excited me. As a former drama nerd, I get excited about this story as it reminds me of my days of yore. But unlike “Waiting for Guffman”, this didn’t have me laughing the whole way through, in fact my laughter was sporadic and just based on the quirky moments.

The characters weren’t memorable, to the point where a week after seeing the films, I can barely remember the arch types let alone the funny moments. Hamlet 2 kept building to a final scene when the musical is finally performed. With the first 80 minutes being filled with boredom, the play wasn’t able to carry the rest of the film. This one is skip-able in the theaters and not necessarily worth the spot in your queue. If you can’t resist, it won’t be a complete waste of time, but it will leave you unsatisfied. Of course I could be wrong, you may love it and therefore have no taste. The way I see it these are the only two options.

A powerful performance, worth having someone drink your milkshake.

Two great actors fill the screen and make this film enjoyable for all three hours.



I wasn’t sure why I had such respect for Daniel Day Lewis. I couldn’t get into My Left Foot a few years ago. I really didn’t like Gangs of New York when I rented it. But I knew that this Oscar winning actor had some acting chops. This last weekend my opinion was given solid evidence as I enjoyed There Will Be Blood for a second time. Lewis’ performance fills an empty landscape and entertains every minute of this lengthy film. I found his portrayal of Daniel Plainview to be so enjoyable. I could see him process his circumstances and experience pain.

This movie by Paul Thomas Anderson felt like Stanley Kubrick could have directed it. The first 15 minutes are without dialogue and it has the camera just sitting on situations. It was great to see a period piece from Anderson that is not based on the San Fernando Valley. He really let the actors do their job and didn’t rely on words to communicate the message. Paul Dano plays two roles, primarily that of Eli Sunday, the disingenuous preacher. This is the older brother from Little Miss Sunshine, and in this film he shows his range and charisma.

Multiple people have asked me if the statements made about religion offended me. It is such an easy response, not at all. I don’t think the film slams religion; I think it shows the emptiness of greed. It shows the greed of two men, and how one uses oil and the other uses God to gain power and money. I loved to see greed come to fruition. I also loved the soundtrack of this film, it really drives the intensity and really made me feel the competition that consumes Plainview.

So, if you are at Blockbuster and want a light movie to enjoy on a weekend, and have this DVD in one hand and Click in the other, just watch Click. This is not your movie tonight. (By the way, Click, really?!?) But if you want to be wrapped up in an epic then grab There Will Be Blood. In my opinion it doesn’t disappoint and is a masters workshop in acting and cinematography.

More Maybe than Definitely.

I would work a campaign if I knew there were unpretentious hotties making copies.



When I first saw the previews for the romantic comedy, “Definitely, Maybe” I found myself annoyed. Annoyed at another lame romantic comedy or “Rom-Com” as I learned people in the movie industry call this genre. Annoyed that it appeared Abigail Breslin from “Little Miss Sunshine” had lost the charm she once had. I was just annoyed at what seemed like a movie that relied completely on formula, not story.

This trailer seemed to be played before every movie I saw for 3 months and it was wearing on me. One night, hanging with a few friends we decided that an evening at the cinema sounded like the best choice for all of us. This is how I end up seeing movies that I am sure I won’t like. I am with a group of friends, we decide we want to see a movie but with no specific film in mind. As this movie is the only film that fits our time slot, I insist that we should not see this movie. One friend who has similar movie tastes steps up and says, “I agree, the previews look lame but it’s from the writer/director of Notting Hill and Love Actually.” At that revelation, I concede and we end up seeing the film.

Well, the movie was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I found myself not horribly annoyed by Abigail Breslin. Ryan Reynolds who I just can’t believe was only a minor distraction. The redeeming factor that allowed me to make it past all this accumulating annoyance was that I found myself drawn in by the “find out who my mom is” mystery. I actually couldn’t figure it out and really wanted to discover who was mommy. This is rare. I am not claiming to be a brilliant guy, but I can usually figure twists out before they’re revealed. (i.e. “The Prestige”, figured that out 30 minutes in.) So, in that way I was entertained. But as the movie went on I realized that this film was nothing like “Notting Hill”, “Love Actually” or “4 Weddings and a Funeral”.

As the credits began to role, I pulled out my phone and logged on to IMDB.com. This movie was in no way connected with any of my British favorites. My friend had completely misspoken. I had a big hint when there were no British characters and felt nothing like the other movies. So the moral of the story is three fold.

1- Definitely wait for Netflix, this movie is cute enough to watch on the couch with a date but not worth seeing in the theatre.

2- Trust your gut, if a movie looks cheesy in a preview chances are it won’t be good.

3- Confirm claims that change your stance via IMDB.