Currently browsing the "Romance" category.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

Yes, I was indeed among the masses who helped Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part One reap nearly $140 Million at the box office in its opening weekend. And I make no apologies. I read the books and liked them (for the most part). I saw the first three movies in the series. The first one was quite bad; the second one was better; the third one was quite good. And now, the fourth – well, it’s definitely weak. But it doesn’t really matter. Once you’re sucked into the franchise, you have no choice but to see it through (thus the boffo box office numbers for this penultimate installment of the franchise). My only hope is that Part Two somehow manages to provide a more satisfying conclusion than the book itself, which was my least favorite of the bunch.

What’s Your Number?

What’s Your Number? is so bad that I’m reluctant to waste my time writing much of a “review”. If you choose to see it anyway, it’s all on you – but feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below!

Restless

I got restless watching Restless. In other words, I was bored.

One Day

Let’s face it. There haven’t been many (any?) good romantic dramas to weep through this summer. One Day attempts to fill the void. But alas, it misses the mark.

Friends with Benefits

Friends with Benefits is basically a beach-read romance novel come to life on the big screen. Not that there’s anything wrong with a little summer heat. If the premise sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because it is. Just seven months ago, Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher brought us No Strings Attached– a movie about a couple of old friends who agree to engage in a purely physical relationship. Friends with Benefits stars Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake as two new friends who try to convince each other that their physical relationship is merely a fleeting bonus to their comfortable, otherwise platonic friendship. See the difference?

Larry Crowne

Even if you really like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, you’re still going to have a hard time liking this movie. It just falls flat – as does the chemistry between these two powerhouse actors. What a disappointment.

Midnight in Paris

I’m not (book) smart enough to fully appreciate Midnight in Paris, but I would certainly encourage fans of the literary and art world of the 1920s to check it out. The movie presents an interesting, somewhat whimsical Woody Allen-ified twist on the time travel genre.

Jane Eyre

A quick check of IMDB reveals that Jane Eyre has been made no less than 22 times since the advent of film; the earliest was in 1910. Charlotte Brontë wrote the classic from which it has been adapted in 1847 and it has been a must read ever since. But does it really need one more interpretation? The last time it was remade was in 1996 and starred William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg. I saw that one, too, but I’d say the new one is much better, which leads me to say, yes, we do need a new one every few years for the people who don’t know this story.

Something Borrowed

I opted to attend a screening of Something Borrowed as opposed to the surefire hit Thor because I was in the mood for a romantic dramedy and figured I paid my blockbuster dues last week with Fast Five. Sure enough, I got exactly what I expected – a decent, if somewhat formulaic and predicable, chick flick. No special effects, no crazy stunts, no superheroes. Just lots of pretty people getting mixed up in that crazy little thing called love.

Certified Copy

There are some movies that are nearly impossible to review because to tell the story is to give away (ruin) the experience of watching it. Certified Copy is one of those films. Directed by Abbas Kiarostami (Taste of Cherry) and starring the luminous Juliette Binoche who won the Best Actress Award at Cannes for her role in this film, it is about the most confusing 106 minutes I have spent in a long time. Not a bad confusion, but a well planned, edge of your seat waiting and wondering when it is all going to make sense confusion. The central question, which pops up about 20 minutes in, has you questioning what is true and what isn’t right up until the end. And in addition to the twisting plot, the film alternates between English, French and Italian.