The Five-Year Engagement picks up where most rom-coms leave off — with the proposal. Tom (Jason Segel) pops the question to Violet (Emily Blunt) exactly a year after they meet at a New Year’s Eve party. But it doesn’t go exactly as planned. Tom plans to surprise her with a ring on the deck of the restaurant where he works. But Violet objects so much to making a stop on their way to a party that Tom pulls over the car and confesses the whole plan. And thus begins their long and winding trip to the altar. But is their story engaging enough to make it worth a trip to the theater?

Jason Segal and Emily Blunt are likeable and fun as the engaged couple and at first it seems like everything is going to go off without a hitch. But what fun would that be? Things get derailed at first when Violet gets an offer to work on her doctorate at the University of Michigan. The problem with that is they live in San Francisco and Tom is an up-and-comer in the city’s culinary scene. But Tom decides to put his career on hold and go to Ann Arbor with Violet. She thrives there but he never seems to find his way. Instead, he ends up working at Zingerman’s Deli and hanging out with another bored faculty spouse  (well-played by the talented Chris Parnell) who knits ill-fitting sweaters and teaches Tom to hunt.

As the months tick by, the pressure mounts for them to set a date as grandparents start dying and Violet’s sister (Alison Brie) ends up taking the expressway to married life after she gets knocked up by Tom’s loutish friend (Chris Pratt) at Tom and Violet’s engagement party. But as Tom grows unhappier and Violet grows closer to her faculty adviser, the couple seems like they are headed anywhere but marriage. Tom’s downward spiral makes for some good laughs and Violet’s co-workers at the University are an amusing bunch. But there comes a point when you want to say, “oh just break up already!” The movie could have used some judicious editing to tighten things up a little bit.

So yes it’s worth the trip to the theater if you’re in the mood for a rom-com or if you’re a big Jason Segel and/or Emily Blunt fan. It’s got some good laughs and some honest emotional moments. It’s definitely chick flick territory. But if you’re the impatient type you might find yourself looking at your watch wondering when the hell they’re just going to figure it out.

The Vow stars Channing Tatum (Dear John, Step Up 2) and Rachel McAdams (The Time Traveler’s Wife, Morning Glory) as Leo and Paige, a couple of newlyweds whose vows are put to the test when Paige emerges from a coma with severe memory loss. She does not remember her husband – at all. As Leo struggles to woo Paige all over again, Paige struggles to reconcile a past that she remembers, with a present that’s a total blank.

The ingredients are all there for a classic chick flick, but the batter is only half-baked. Tatum and McAdams are cute and endearing early on, but the chemistry between them fizzles as the storyline takes some turns that feel predictable, forced, or unconvincing.

The Vow is inspired by a true story, so that’s enough to amp up the sap factor and keep you rooting for the couple – in real life as well as on-screen. But don’t be too quick to drag your Valentine to this one. You’ll both have more fun at the shallow but more entertaining This Means War (a romantic action comedy with sneak previews on Valentine’s Day and opening nationwide on Friday).

Garry Marshall is brilliant. He made a mildly entertaining movie with an A-List cast and a name that virtually guarantees it a place in holiday rerun history. [New Year’s Eve] is like Crash-light. Really, really, really light. It follows a bunch of folks whose lives intersect in various ways as they [embrace, reject, and reflect on all that is New Year’s Eve as the ball is about to drop in New York City].

The cast is a virtual who’s who of stars from the big and small screen – including [Hillary Swank, Robert De Niro, Sarah Jessica Parker, Josh Duhamel, rocker Jon Bon Jovi, Halle Berry, Katherine Heigl, Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeifer], Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Hector Elizondo… Need I go on?

There’s no real way to review the storyline without giving too much away. All I can say is the movie is enjoyable enough, if not particularly deep. Director Garry Marshall knows how to deliver a solid mainstream chick flick. And as a fellow Northwestern alum, it’s always fun to spot his quick nod to our alma mater – in this case [if there was one, I somehow missed it!]. It’s also worth sticking around for the end credits. Among the outtakes – a fun, little salute to [Valentine’s Day].

Watching [New Year’s Eve] is like watching a special, star-studded edition of The Love Boat. If that floats your boat, then go and enjoy.

There ya have it. A re-purposed review that matches a re-purposed premise that – if it does well enough at the box office – will surely spark yet another entry into the star-studded holiday “franchise”. Place your bets now for Christmas Day, Hanukkah Nights, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Columbus Day…

Life As We Know

For the most part the movie is entertaining, though the initial premise is sad. It’s about two single people who don’t particularly like each other becoming joint guardians to a one-year-old when the child’s parents are killed in a (thankfully, off-screen) car accident. Apparently, the parents had failed to alert their respective best friends, Holly (Katherine Heigl) and “Messer” (Josh Duhamel) that they would inherit the kid, together, along with the couple’s fancy suburban Atlanta house. Read: instant dysfunctional family.

At first, Holly and Messer struggle to keep their individual lives on course. He is a technical director for pro hockey broadcasts and a swinging singles kind of guy. She runs a successful bakery and had just come across the potential man of her dreams (a cute doctor named Sam, played by Josh Lucas) when her life was turned on its head.

Of course, the kid is adorable and Holly and Messer start bonding over the joys and pitfalls of parenthood. And that leads to more, ahem, bonding. But their predictable hook-up comes at a cost. The ‘turn’ in their relationship feels a bit forced and is fueled by marijuana-laced brownies in a scene that ultimately comes off more irresponsible than funny.

There is, however, a fair amount of sweet and funny to be found in this movie, thanks in part to some great scene-stealing moments by the supporting cast of friends and neighbors, as well as a quirky caseworker from social services and a charming young babysitter affectionately known as “the baby whisperer.” The audience of both men and women had plenty of genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Personally, I think there may be a bit of Katherine Heigl fatigue in the chick flick genre (I’d still like my money back for The Ugly Truth) but I do really like both Josh Duhamel and Josh Lucas. In fact, it’s hard to know which guy to root for in the end.

Bottom line: Life As We Know It is a fine choice for a chick flick outing, date night, or solo escape. Sure, there are lots of dramatic, intense, awards-buzz movies in theaters now or coming down the pike. But every once in a while, ya just want to see a good ol’ fashioned romantic dramedy, flaws and all. And that’s Life.

The four babies are from Tokyo, San Francisco, Mongolia and Namibia and it’s fun to see how different, yet how similar the first years of their lives are. The American and Japanese baby seem to be constantly stimulated with play dates and classes, while the African and Chinese baby are often left alone to crawl around and discover things for themselves. At one point, the baby in Mongolia is surrounded by a herd of cattle while he plays outside and it all seems perfectly natural. All of the babies are well loved and cared for so they’re all very happy and content in the movie. In fact, you don’t see any unhappy moments at all – no puking, no wailing in the middle of the night, no temper tantrums, except for one minor meltdown when the little girl in Tokyo can’t figure out one of her toys.

It’s an hour and twenty minutes of pure adorableness, which is the perfect length – any longer and it might have been cuteness overload. This is the ultimate chick flick. When I saw it the audience was all women except for two men and I assure you they were not there voluntarily. It’s definitely a must see if you are in need of a mood lifter. It’s what I call an “aww inspiring” movie.

The cast is a virtual who’s who of stars from the big and small screen – including McSteamy and McDreamy, Kathy Bates, Jamie Foxx, Topher Grace, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, the two Taylors (Lautner and Swift), former Alias co-stars Jennifer Garner and Bradley Cooper, Julia and Emma Roberts, Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo… Need I go on?

There’s no real way to review the storyline without giving too much away. All I can say is the movie is enjoyable enough, if not particularly deep. Director Garry Marshall knows how to deliver a solid mainstream chick flick. And as a fellow Northwestern alum, it’s always fun to spot his quick nod to our alma mater – in this case on an extra’s sweatshirt. It’s also worth sticking around for the end credits. Among the outtakes – a fun, little salute to Marshall’s chick flick classic, Pretty Woman. Watching Valentine’s Day is like watching a special, star-studded edition of The Love Boat. If that floats your boat, then go and enjoy. If not today, then perhaps next Valentine’s Day.

New Moon is a guilty pleasure for fans of the Twilight series. It starts off a bit slow, but eventually sucks you in (yes, pun intended). I actually liked it better than the first installment, which managed to make over 300 million dollars despite being a pretty bad movie. So my guess is that the second (and third and fourth and god help us, possibly even fifth) will do pretty darn well no matter what the critics say. Watching this movie is like watching an extended episode of a soap opera or dramatic series that you’re embarrassed to admit you Tivo. There’s just something inexplicably satisfying about it. “Twihards” will understand. Others, won’t. So don’t waste too much energy trying to justify the seemingly unjustifiable.

The Twilight saga is basically a “Romeo and Juliet” story with a supernatural twist and a happy (albeit, bizarre) ending. Our star-crossed lovers, Bella and Edward are, respectively, a mortal and a vampire. In New Moon, Edward and his vampire clan decide to leave Bella “forever”, for her own safety of course (the girl tends to bleed a lot, and that’s never a good thing around vampires). Bella is devastated, but finds comfort in the increasingly-buff arms of her good friend Jacob, who happens to be a werewolf. It’s all ridiculously far-fetched. Yet it’s rooted in a reality that somehow manages to be relatable. And that’s why the books – and consequently the movies- are so successful. The main trio of actors – Kristen Stewart as Bella, Robert Pattinson as Edward, and Taylor Lautner as Jacob – continue to grow in their roles and popularity, much like the Harry Potter cast. Unlike Harry Potter however, the Twilight movies don’t really work if you haven’t read the books. So, you can either read the ‘chick lit’ series from Stephenie Meyer and get on the Twilight bandwagon, or skip it altogether. There’s very little middle ground. And don’t expect the Twilight madness to die down anytime soon. The next installment, Eclipse, is already in production and has a release date of June 30, 2010. Can you say “summer blockbuster”?

It’s 1961 England and young Jenny, played by Carey Mulligan, is feeling stuck in her adolescent world and dreams of her life to come while listening to French music in her suburban bedroom. She and her parents believe that for her, the path to adulthood leads directly through Oxford University and Jenny is well on her way, excelling at all of her studies, except for Latin. Then one rainy day while waiting for the bus she meets a man who will show her another path. David, played by Peter Sarsgaard, is 30-ish, urbane, and witty. In no time, he has charmed the schoolgirl and her parents and suddenly a whole new world is opened up for Jenny. David takes her to classical music concerts, art auctions, fancy restaurants and nightclubs. He even convinces Jenny’s parents to let her go away with him for a weekend in Oxford and then later to Paris. Jenny is intoxicated by the glamorous lifestyle David and his friends lead, so much so that she’s willing to overlook some of its more questionable aspects.

This is a whole other kind of education she’s getting with David and she loves it. Her school friends are thrilled by it; even her parents are impressed by it. The only ones not endorsing the relationship are her English teacher and the headmistress at her school. And yes, there is a slight creepiness factor in a 30-ish man wooing and bedding a high school girl. But there are no on-screen sex scenes – that would have been really creepy – because it’s not about sex for Jenny. It’s about adventure and excitement.

An Education is a coming of age story well told and finely acted. There is major buzz about Carey Mulligan and with good reason. She is brilliant as Jenny. Peter Sarsgaard is also wonderful, as is the supporting cast. I particularly enjoyed Emma Thompson as the headmistress and Rosamund Pike as Helen, the vacuous girlfriend of David’s friend. Overall, I’m giving it an A.

But just as the hotel is about to call the police and have Jean arrested, a rich older woman appears, takes him under her wing and Jean becomes a kept man. Of course, Irène returns to the hotel and once she sees that Jean is in the same boat as she is, she begins to give him tips on how to make it work to his advantage. They are two caged birds living in gilded adjacent penthouses working to keep their pampered heads above water, but inevitably they fall in love. And have to decide what matters most.

I cannot imagine this film about a gold digging woman and a gigolo being made in the US as a romantic comedy. There are no jokes about the older woman since older French women are considered sexy. There is no sense that Irène is trashy for doing what she is doing. Even Jean does not seem to have much problem falling into his role as boy toy. Audrey Tautou is wonderful as Irène and her ever-changing designer wardrobe is a visual treat. Gad Elmaleh as Jean makes a delightful suitor transforming from the sad bartender to the romantic lover that sweeps the jaded girl off her feet. This is a real chick flick. Perfect for a girls night in with a bottle or two of champagne or champagne cocktails if you can.

French Title Hors De Prix, released in 2006,

(Updated Note: I just found out to what extent the movie ending is different from the book ending, and I must say, I’m disappointed that the producers/directors/writers didn’t stay faithful to the book. It would have made for a much more powerful movie overall.  – Mainstream Chick)

I  was teary-eyed throughout most of this movie, which kind of bugs me because it’s not nearly as good as it could have been. It’s a satisfactory chick flick that doesn’t have to work too hard to push our buttons. I mean, who doesn’t cry at a movie about a kid with cancer?

In this case, the kid is 15-year-old Kate Fitzgerald (played amazingly well by Sofia Vassilieva of tv’s Medium). Kate was diagnosed with leukemia at age two and needed a bone marrow transplant to survive. Her parents and brother failed to be a match, so the couple had another child – Anna – who was essentially genetically engineered to be a guaranteed donor. Fast-forward eleven years and Anna is off to see a lawyer, seeking “medical emancipation” from her parents so she can decide for herself whether to give up a kidney to a progressively ailing Kate.

The performances are all excellent: Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as Anna, Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric as the parents, Alec Baldwin as Anna’s lawyer and Joan Cusack as the judge in the case. Evan Ellingson (who I’d never heard of) plays the older son, Jesse. I give him a shout-out because his performance was good even though his character was poorly developed. In fact, there are several characters given short shrift in this movie. Everyone (including the audience) would have been better served by more dialogue and stronger character development rather than the overuse of melodramatic music and inconsistent voice-overs to manipulate our emotions and shortcut the story.

I won’t divulge more about the plot, because frankly, it doesn’t matter. It’s a movie about joy and heartbreak, life and death, and family. It isn’t great, and it isn’t bad.

So should you see it? That depends. If you can’t get enough of movies like Beaches, Terms of Endearment or The Notebook, then go for it! Gather some gal pals and a box of tissues and catch a matinee. Or… wait for it to appear on Netflix, Pay per View, Lifetime Television, or an airplane – if you don’t mind arriving at your destination with tear-stained cheeks.