Movie Review: Pitch Perfect (2012)

Like "Glee?"  Then this might be the movie for you!  "Pitch Perfect" is a bit like "Glee" but it's the college competitive a cappella scene rather than high school.  The film centers on freshman Becca (Anna Kendrick), who joins an all-female a cappella group on campus in order to show her father she has tried to engage in college.  The group, the Bellas, is ruled by seniors Aubrey (Anna Camp) and Chloe (Brittany Snow) but the new girls, like Becca, want to shake things up with more unconventional songs/choreography like the all male group, the Treble Makers, and win a national championship. 

Though it's a bit predictable, there's laughs and heart to this film not to mention some good music.  Rebel Wilson really stands out as "Fat Amy," an Australian student who also joins the Bellas.  Wilson is one to watch as she has natural comedic timing.  I like Anna Kendrick in this one but not as much as I did in "Up in the Air."  Brittany Snow is enjoyable.  Some of the writing is a bit awkward (like why do Chloe and Becca have to have a long conversation about Becca joining the Bellas in the shower?) but I think overall this movie's parts overcome the problems with the whole.

It's a C+ for me because the music is enjoyable and there's some good laughs (mostly thanks to Wilson).

Movie Review: Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" stars Steve Carell as "Dodge," who the film follows during the final 3 weeks before an asteroid will collide with earth.  Dodge is dealing with the sudden departure of his wife while all around him people are going crazy with drugs, sex, and in some cases suicide.  A chance encounter with neighbor Penny (Keira Knightley) leads to Dodge finding out that his wife was cheating on him and that his long-lost high school love Olivia felt he was the love of her life.  A riot breaks out and Dodge ends up fleeing town with Penny.  Penny agrees to drive Dodge to see Olivia if he takes her to a pilot he thinks will fly Penny to be with her family in England.  An interesting rode trip ensues that is complicated by the pending doom of the asteroid but also the unlikely pairing of Dodge and Penny.

This film got really mixed reviews and I think it's because fans of Carell's more typical fare will be disappointed that this film is more dark.  There danger the characters are facing, the end of the world, is real and creates tension as if there's this huge clock counting down the minutes left that the characters have till it's over.  There's only so long to make things right and be with those who matter but perhaps a new friend can make those final moments worthwhile.  At first I liked this movie but thought that Carell and Knightley just didn't make sense as a couple - maybe as friends but not as a couple.  Perhaps the end of the world makes the impossible seem much more likely in terms of couples?  I did like the casting in this film other than Carell/Knightley as a romantic pair.  Connie Britton shines in a small supporting role. 

The bottom line is that this is a great fatalistic romance/drama about people coming together in light of impending doom.  It's not typical Carell-fare and probably should be avoided by many of his fans.  Solid B for me and great flick for those days when you're worried about Mayan calendars.

Movie Review: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

"Moonrise Kingdom" is director Wes Anderson's latest film (he also co-wrote it).  Set in 1965 on an island in New England, the film follows 12 year-old orphan Sam (Jared Gilman) and his pen pal/love interest Suzy (Kara Hayward), who decide to run away together.  Sam runs away from "Khaki Scout" camp as well as his latest foster situation while Suzy runs away from her attorney parents and trio of younger brothers.  The pair make their getaway and the island's adults struggle to make sense of the situation and to find them.

I really liked this film, but then again I'm a Wes Anderson fan.  I like his style of screenplay and direction and was not disappointed with this film.  I'd say if you like his previous work, then be sure to rent this one.  "Moonrise" is more of a romance than previous Wes Anderson films so it's a sweet addition to his previous works.  There's just something about the innocent "romance" between kindred spirits Sam and Suzy and their plan to run away together. 

Lots of stars in this one including Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Harvey Keitel.

Wes Anderson fans be sure to grab this one!  B+

Movie Review: The Campaign (2012)

"The Campaign" stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifanakis as opponents for a House of Representatives seat in North Carolina.  Ferrell is the long-time Congressman Cam Brady, who has run unopposed for four terms but after a public blunder (he leaves a sexually explicit message meant for his mistress on a family's answering machine by mistake) corrupt business men named the Moch brothers (played by John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) see an opportunity to beat Cam.  Enter political newcomer Marty Huggins (Galifanakis).  Cam's dirty tactics overwhelm the more innocent Marty at first but the Moch brothers send in a seedy campaign manager (Dylan McDermont) to help him more effectively compete in what becomes an ugly race.

There is some good supporting work here by Sarah Baker and Katherine LaNasa as the wives of the candidates and expect some cameos from famous political talkers like Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough, and Mika Brzezinski.  However, I wanted to like this movie, but unfortunately I couldn't.  There were a few laughs, though many were in the promos for the film, but overall I just thought the requisite raunchy jokes and adult language were too much.  What I really wanted was more of the biting commentary/parody of American politics, though there was some of that.  I think fans of Ferrell and Galifanakis, as well as Jason Sudeikis, in terms of their typical work will like this film, while those looking for more than the typical R-rated comedy (like me) will probably be better off passing on this one.  D+

Movie Review: The Five Year Engagement (2012)

"The Five Year Engagement" is a romantic comedy following Tom (Jason Segal) and Violet (Emily Blunt) who become engaged a year after they started dating.  As they begin to plan their wedding, the couple face set backs that keep them extending the engagement and putting off the wedding.  One major obstacle is that Violet's academic career has the couple move from San Francisco to Ann Arbor, Michigan.  The move puts considerable strain on their relationship when Violet flourishes in her post-doctoral position and grows close to her boss (Rhys Ifans) while Tom is unhappy with his lack of career opportunities in Michigan. 

As far as "romantic comedies" and "R-rated comedies" go, I have to give this film some credit.  I thought Segal and Blunt had believable chemistry and did a good job with the material.  There's clearly some unintentional awkward spots in the movie and what seems to be the expected raunchy material and adult language though it's minimal.  The film seems to run a bit too long, which makes me wonder how it would've played without some of the awkward places in the writing.  Overall though I liked that the film showed a couple going through normal problems and just as in real life these problems aren't solved easily.  There's also some real great supporting acting in this film from Ifans along with Alison Brie. 

While there's some uneven spots in the writing and it feels a little long, this movie is still pretty good especially for the "R-rated comedy" genre.  B-

Movie Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" is a British comedy/drama about a group of British seniors (Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Ronald Pickup, & Celia Imrie) who decide to move to India in order to stretch their retirement savings.   The problem is that the Marigold Hotel, where they move, is not exactly in the shape they thought it would be - the hotel is a work in progress under the direction of Sonny (Dev Patel) the ambitious young hotel manager.  The film becomes a fish-out-of-water story as members of the group of seniors attempt to deal with living in the hotel and living in India.  Some members readily adapt to their new surroundings while others not so much. 

This film is really a treat especially in terms of the casting and acting.  It's hard to imagine a better cast for the film and I thought they had good chemistry as a cast.  It's a good story with excellent character development.  I like that even when the characters are behaving badly, such as racist behavior, it's not glossed over but fully developed.  This is really a well-done mature film with beautiful scenery and a good message.  It's never too late to step out of one's comfort zone and what's really nice is the film demonstrates this theme through the older characters as well as the younger.  It's not about age but rather attitude.

I think that overall this is a well-crafted film in terms of casting, acting, writing, and production.  It's not a typical comedy but more of a drama.  B+

Movie Review: Magic Mike (2012)

"Magic Mike" really can be described as two movies in one: first there's the male strip-show that you expect from the previews with hot guys (Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Kevin Nash) dancing and second is the in-depth investigation of the life of male strippers that covers the typical "empty" life of partying, sex, drinking, drugs, and excess.  The film focuses on the star of a male revue named Mike (Tatum) called "Magic Mike" onstage.  Mike meets and begins to mentor Adam (Pettyfer) in the ways of male stripping, which doesn't set well with Adam's sister Brooke (Cody Horn).  Though Mike is casually seeing Joanna (Olivia Munn), he is attracted to Brooke and promises to keep her brother safe.  However, Adam (also called "The Kid") becomes immersed in the whole scene and soon makes a deal with the show's DJ to sell drugs on the side. Mike begins to see through Adam's immersion and his interactions with Brooke that he wants something more for himself. 

I described this film as having two-faces since I feel like a lot of the advertising promotes the film as this fun, party-type movie about male strippers.  There is that element but the storyline is really focused on Mike mentoring Adam and Mike discovering that he wants something more for himself by seeing his lifestyle through Brooke's eyes.  It's the typical "empty" life of a stripper theme but it works here as the audience clearly sees through Adam's transformation from wide-eyed boy to the next headliner.  I'm just not sure there's really any new ground here except that this movie is about male strippers rather than female. 

The acting in this film is all over the place.  I felt Tatum was pretty on the money in his role but Pettyfer and Horn really were dull.  There just wasn't anything about Horn's portrayal that made me believe that Mike would be interested in Brooke.  Pettyfer just seemed a bit too aloof.  The scene-stealer of the film is Matthew McConaughey as the owner of the male revue and former stripper himself.  McConaughey is slick and entertaining in all his scenes. 

My advice is to only rent this one if you want to see not only the fun, dancing scenes but also follow the storyline as well (the mentor/mentee story where the teacher becomes the student).  C-