Review: Crazy Stupid Love

I am so bored by romantic comedies and the ‘paint-by-numbers’ predictable plots that lame-stream Hollywood churns out. To its credit, Crazy Stupid Love tries its very best to be different. It starts by steering away from the formulaic cute-meet intro followed by boy and girl falling in love, followed by boy and girl fight, followed by boy/girl chase each other down at airport/bus terminal to be tearfully reunited while trendy pop song plays out. Instead, we are introduced to a couple at the other end of the spectrum. Steve Carell is Cal, a 50-something suburban dad who is horrified when his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) announces after 25 years of marriage that she wants a divorce. Apparently, she is bored and has been having an affair at work.

Cal falls apart and starts moping around in the same bar every evening where he indulges in bitter monologues and gets rejected by every woman he tries to hook up with. Eventually, local playboy Jacob (Ryan Gosling) takes pity on Cal and decides to improve his chances by changing his image and teaching him a few tricks of the trade. Cal starts sleeping around but soon realises the playboy lifestyle is not all it’s cracked up to be. Meanwhile, ex-wife Emily is trying to find fulfillment with her work fling David (Kevin Bacon) who is turning out to be just as boring as Cal. Their son, played by Jonah Bobo, is also struggling with love as he has fallen for his 17-year old babysitter (Analeigh Tipton), who herself has a crush on the older Cal. Then, the love story expands even further to include the playboy Jacob who falls in love when he meets Hannah (Emma Stone), the first woman not to fall for his smooth tricks.

Crazy Stupid Love is refreshing because it doesn’t tell the story of first-love, but rather embraces the bigger cycle of love. A once crazy-in-love couple have lapsed into taking each other for granted, and so need to rediscover what it means to care for a significant other. Any couple who has been with each other for any length of time knows how easily relationships stagnate without hard work. More than that, Crazy Stupid Love examines why lasting love is worth fighting for. Cal discovers the playboy lifestyle is unfulfilling and so develops the courage to fight for the one he truly loves. Jacob is influenced by Cal's great maturity without realising it and when he discovers his love for Hannah, he is ready to make changes and journey down a whole new avenue of life.

Crazy Stupid Love is not a perfect movie, it is clumsy in parts, and a little silly in others, but employs a far more realistic view of love than your average rom-com. Love is good, but has to be constantly and self-sacrificially worked at so that it can grow into something even better.

Three stars out of five for Crazy Stupid Love (PG13 for coarse humor, sexual content and strong language).

Review: Super 8

If you grew up in the ‘70‘s or ‘80‘s, then ‘Super 8’ will make you feel ten years old again. This is because it is soaked in nostalgia, a real coming-of-age fable that is reminiscent of movies like ‘E.T.,‘ ‘The Goonies‘ and ‘Stand By Me.‘ Writer/director J.J. Abrams has captured an almost perfect tribute to his mentor (and producer) Steven Spielberg who was at the helm of some of the most defining movies of that age.

Set in 1979, a group of small town kids are in the midst of making a D-grade zombie movie with their borrowed super 8 camera. Along with a few others there is Joe (Joel Courtney), the sensitive makeup artist and model-builder; Alice (Elle Fanning), the reluctant leading lady with a difficult home situation; and Charles (Riley Griffiths), the overweight writer/director. Their horror movie provides an introduction to a truly terrifying event - while they are filming late at night, a spectacular train crash occurs leading to the escape of the train’s dangerous cargo.

With so many of the plot details being hidden before the release of the movie, I won’t spoil the surprise and tell you exactly what does escape. Suffice to say that frightening events start to happen around town, with people and dogs going missing. Just as Spielberg has done previously, Abrams keeps his audience on edge by remembering there is still no special effect as powerful as your imagination. Instead, suspense is built up through subtle plot twists, music and what you don’t see. There are some truly scary moments in this film, and honestly the PG-13 rating seems a little light in this regard.

Yet, Spielberg’s movies in that era became famous not just because of a supernatural-type mystery, but because there was a group of adolescents working together to solve it while simultaneously dealing with their own emotional struggles and family conflicts. Spielberg was always so emotionally earnest and he made you care deeply about the central characters. Abrams follows in the footsteps of his mentor here as well. Joe is having difficulties relating to his father, Jack (Kyle Chandler), a deputy sheriff in the small town. Alice’s home life is even darker as her father is a drunk. Both of them ‘find themselves’ as they grow up during the course of events, and you cannot help but root for them wholeheartedly. The film’s major weakness, which is encapsulated in its spotty ending, is that some of the family dramas are worked out a little too neatly and easily to be realistic. Still, seeing the emotional awakening happening in both children and adults is always rewarding, as is the affirmation of values like love, courage and sacrifice.

‘Super 8’ is a movie filled with thrills, spills and more than a little nostalgia. It is reminiscent of the kind of movie that made an entire generation fall in love with movies. The kind of movie that moved you while also ‘wowing’ you. To be honest, this nostalgia probably gifts ‘Super 8’ with a little more leeway than otherwise would be given, because it certainly does have its weaknesses. Happily these are not enough to detract from a very enjoyable story. Three and a half stars out of five.

Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Someone hand me the banana-flavoured popcorn!

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES specialises in super-smart apes, and not one of them is a human. The best actors are all chimpanzees. The script has dialogue so lame it could have been written by a thousand typing monkeys battering away at a keyboard. This is not to say ‘Rise’ is not a fun movie, because it is! It is just not, shall we say, highly evolved.

No, ‘Rise’ is mostly about special effects and action and these are good enough to keep you entertained. James Franco plays a scientist named Will who develops a cure for Alzheimer’s. When tested upon chimpanzees, it makes them highly smart. Franco’s test subject is a chimpanzee named ‘Bright Eyes’ who one day goes berserk and attacks her keepers. The drug is blamed and she is put down, but subsequently Will finds out she was actually protecting her baby. He adopts the chimp, names him Caesar and finds the little guy has inherited his mum’s smarts. In the meantime, Will secretly gives the drug to his dad (a wonderful John Lithgow), who not only recovers from Alzheimer's but actually grows smarter himself.

A misunderstanding with an angry neighbour leads to Caesar being forcibly placed into a zoo, where he is routinely abused by Draco Malfoy of all people (I kid you not). Caesar escapes and returns to Will’s place to steal the drug and begins handing it out like peanuts to his fellow apes. He leads a revolt of super-smart simians against the human overlords resulting in several scenes with the potential to become iconic. The one of leaves falling on a sunny suburban street as the ape army marches through the foliage above is chillingly evocative.

‘Rise’ is one of those movies that seems equally divided by good and bad. Monkeys good. People bad. The finest acting performance is put in by Caesar, who is played by the CGI motion capture specialist Andy Serkis (you know him as Gollum). Franco, in contrast, is used to woodenly explain things that are really obvious. He is lucky compared to Freida Pinto, who is given the thankless task of playing Will’s obligatory cardboard-cut out girlfriend, Caroline. The other notable humans are marked by being unpleasant to an unlikely degree (neighbour, zoo keeper and corporate executive). When threatened by a mutiny of chimps and gorillas, the stupid humans run for their guns, and not for the drug that could make them smarter than super-smart so they could figure a way out of this mess. Frankly, the monkeys give them the whupping they deserve.

The final climatic scene sums up the movie perfectly. It is full of vim, vigour and spectacular CGI-enhanced action. But instead of simultaneously delivering a powerful human message like the Charlton Heston original did, it settles for shamelessly setting up a sequel. This may all seem a little harsh, because you certainly won’t feel like you have wasted the cost of your ticket-price with ‘Rise’, but at the end of the day it doesn’t want to be taken too seriously - it just wants to have fun. And that it does.

Three stars out of five. Rated PG-13 (for violence, terror, some sexuality and brief strong language).

Movie Review: Soul Surfer

‘Soul Surfer’ would have been completely unbelievable if it were not true. The speed that 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton recovers, both mentally and physically from a Tiger Shark attack that results in the loss of her left arm is difficult to comprehend. A mere month later and she is back in the water! It took me six months to get back in the sea after watching Jaws. Her faith and family support are just incredible - again, it would be difficult to believe if this was not a true story.

Bethany’s inspirational true story has captured the imagination of thousands of people across the globe. Not only did she learn to paddle and balance in big surf again with one arm, but she manages to do so at a level where she competes professionally. Bethany has won more than one major surfing competition and is today rated as one of the best up and coming young women surfers on the professional circuit.

‘Soul Surfer’ tells her story, and young actress AnnaSophia Robb does an admirable job in the main role, backed up by best buddy Alana Blanchard (Lorraine Nicholson - Jack Nicholson’s daughter). Bethany Hamilton’s parents Tom and Cheri are played by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt, who lend solidity and strength to proceedings. Hamilton has never been shy to credit both her family and her Christian faith with playing indispensable roles in her startling recovery. Interestingly, and perhaps buoyed by the reception The Blind Side received from Christian audiences, this Hollywood outing does not try to hide the faith behind Bethany's story either. Bethany is shown attending church with her family, while a significant part of her recovery from the attack was found in attending a church mission to Thailand post-Tsunami. Hamilton gains perspective here and this helps her work through the grief she feels after the attack.

‘Soul Surfer’ enjoys competent acting (except for singer Carrie Underwood who bombs as Bethany’s youth minister), and sumptuous cinematography (how badly did I want to go to Hawaii after that!). Unfortunately, it does suffer from a wooden script that detracts from the overall sense of inspiration. There is no doubt Bethany is a remarkable young woman, but, sadly, the stilted script and perfunctory recovery scenes means this movie lacks ... soul. I found it more wholesome than inspiring.

Two (and a half) stars out of five.

'Super 8' is a thrilling trip down nostalgia lane

If you grew up in the ‘70‘s or ‘80‘s, then ‘Super 8’ will make you feel ten years old again. This is because it is soaked in nostalgia, a real coming-of-age fable that reminds you of movies like ‘E.T.,‘ ‘The Goonies‘ and ‘Stand By Me.‘ Writer/director J.J. Abrams has captured an almost perfect tribute to his mentor (and producer) Steven Spielberg who was at the helm of some of the most defining movies of that age.

Set in 1979, a group of small town kids are in the midst of making a D-grade zombie movie with their borrowed super 8 camera. Along with a few others there is Joe (Joel Courtney), the sensitive makeup artist and model-builder; Alice (Elle Fanning), the reluctant leading lady with a difficult home situation; and Charles (Riley Griffiths), the overweight writer/director. Their horror movie provides an introduction to a truly terrifying event - while they are filming late at night, a spectacular train crash occurs leading to the escape of the train’s dangerous cargo.

With so many of the plot details being hidden before the release of the movie, I won’t spoil the surprise and tell you exactly what does escape. Suffice to say that frightening events start to happen around town, with people and dogs going missing. Just as Spielberg has done previously, Abrams keeps his audience on edge by remembering there is still no special effect as powerful as your imagination. Instead, suspense is built up through subtle plot twists, music and what you don’t see. There are some truly scary moments in this film, and honestly the PG-13 rating seems a little light in this regard.

Yet, Spielberg’s movies in that era became famous not just because of a supernatural-type mystery, but because there was a group of adolescents working together to solve it while simultaneously dealing with their own emotional struggles and family conflicts. Spielberg was always so emotionally earnest and he made you care deeply about the central characters. Abrams follows in the footsteps of his mentor here as well. Joe is having difficulties relating to his father, Jack (Kyle Chandler), a deputy sheriff in the small town. Alice’s home life is even darker as her father is a drunk. Both of them ‘find themselves’ as they grow up during the course of events, and you cannot help but root for them wholeheartedly. The film’s major weakness, which is encapsulated in its spotty ending, is that some of the family dramas are worked out a little too neatly and easily to be realistic. Still, seeing the emotional awakening happening in both children and adults is always rewarding, as is the affirmation of values like love, courage and sacrifice.

‘Super 8’ is a movie filled with thrills, spills and more than a little nostalgia. It is reminiscent of the kind of movie that made an entire generation fall in love with movies. The kind of movie that moved you while also ‘wowing’ you. To be honest, this nostalgia probably gifts ‘Super 8’ with a little more leeway than otherwise would be given, because it certainly does have its weaknesses. Happily these are not enough to detract from a very enjoyable story. Three and a half stars out of five.

Review: Horrible Bosses

“Horrible Bosses” is another of Hollywood’s factory production line of comedies that seek to shock. It faithfully follows the formula of films like ‘The Hangover’ and ‘Bridesmaids’ with lots of gross-out, non-pc humour, but adds its own special twist of dark.

Three long-time ‘boy-men’ type buddies (are there any other sort in comedies these days?) played by Jason Batemen (Nick), Charlie Day (Dale) and Jason Sudeikis (Kurt) all suffer daily under the world’s worst bosses. Nick is an office drone constantly taunted by his sadist boss (Kevin Spacey), a tyrant who delights in dangling opportunities under his eyes only to whip them away. Spacey is so effective in this psychopathic role that frankly I would lock my door at night if I lived in his street. Dale is a dental assistant who is sexually harassed by his boss, Jennifer Aniston. Aniston does and says things in this role that would have had Rachel Green running for the hills. And finally, Kurt works for a coked-up, degenerate Colin Farrell who appears in this role complete with a pot belly and combover.

The long-suffering trio are pushed to the limit and beyond by their horrible bosses, and eventually decide to kill them. What makes this unlikely premise somewhat believable is the absurdity of the characters. The bosses are such complete maniacs, and the three men are so bumbly and downtrodden, that their disconnection from reality make the plot a little more plausible. The ending was unsettling because it was such a sudden shift from dark humour to standard Hollywood it-all-works-out. If you are going to use black humour, then at least have the courage of your convictions.

The acting is pretty good, asides from a few over-the-top moments and director Seth Gordon provides cheerful energy but the dark premise - essentially, we are invited to find murder, sadism and sexual harassment funny - means the film cannot help but delve too often into bottom-of-the-barrel slapstick. Here we see the ghosts of gross-out past as many of the jokes have been done in some form before. There were a few laugh-out-loud scenes, but strangely enough, they were the cleaner moments such as an amusing car park mix up.

If you are looking for something new then don’t bother with 'Horrible Bosses', but if you loved ‘Hangover 2’ then this will be right up your (dodgy) alley. It is R-rated for a reason, containing plenty of crude, sexual content and bad language.

There are one or two clever moments, but not enough to save it from the stink of unoriginality. Two stars out of five.

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

It all ends here.

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2,’ is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series and is far and away the best of the lot. The final book was split into two movies because of its length, leaving this epic finale to concentrate on the last battle between the good and evil forces of the wizard world, and of course the climatic showdown between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. And what a showdown it is.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 begins where the first part ended, with Voldemort claiming the Elder Wand after desecrating Dumbledore’s grave. Harry, Hermione and Ron have to put all their personal issues aside to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes - and no, if the movie doesn’t explain it to you, then I won’t either. Tracking down these Horcruxes is no easy task with the intrepid trio having to break into the imposing Gringotts bank (which includes a wonderful scene stealing performance from Helena Bonham Carter), and then make their escape on back of a dragon. The heroes also have to hunt down a basilisk fang, and argue with a ghost to find a tiara. Each quest pits selfishness against self-sacrifice, which is one of the strongest themes running through the entire series. But it is the back story of the much derided Professor Severus Snape that really got to me. Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Snape is elegant and sincere, as he brings out a tender side behind the quintessential dark and angry 'Snape-ness' that proves hard not to be touched by.

Yet, this HP outing is all about the long-awaited showdown, forming a final half hour that lifts this movie above all the others. In the space of 30 minutes we are maturely moved through a seriously mixed bag of emotions, with tension, fear and grief all mixed in with hope, loyalty and courage and more than a dash of outstanding action. Each of the more beloved characters are given a moment to shine as a sort of farewell, with some of these scenes apt to bring out a mental air punch from viewers, while others might result in a few tears.

The three main actors in Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint all display how they have grown as actors through the previous seven movies, while Ralph Fiennes lends his Lord Voldemort enough depth to steer him away from being nothing more than a stereotypical bad guy. The ending is filled with religious symbolism, such as Potter being asked to make the ultimate sacrifice and lay down his life for the greater good of all, but best of all it celebrates friendship and love as the unbreakable bond that will defeat self-interest and protect against even the worst evil.

Four stars out of five for an epic end to a series that has caught the imagination of people right around the globe.