Last Christmas

From the trailers “Last Christmas” looked like it would be a fun movie, so I decided to give it a look.

Kate (Emilia Clarke) is a walking accident in London waiting to happen. She meanders endlessly through her days without much direction. Then along comes Tom (Henry Golding) who seems too good to be true. After many semi dates with Tom, Kate let’s her hair down and wants to get close, but Tom can’t let that happen. Kate thinks Tom is rejecting her but that is not the case. The story unfolds from there…

“Last Christmas” ends up having a very interesting twist. You have to weed through most of the movie to get to the real meaning. The story starts off a bit disjointed. There is a sort of comic relief to some of the events that occur. While the movie is fairly decent, its not a memorable Holiday movie that will have a lasting effect. While watching “Last Christmas” I felt there were undertones to “Bridge Jones Diary”. There were scenes that kept reminding me of that movie.

Check out “Last Christmas” if you dare. Although it is worthy of waiting for it on cable.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

Second Act

“Second Act” is “Working Girl” meets “Maid in Manhattan”. Maya (Jennifer Lopez) works in a Mass Merchandise type of store. She has big marketing ideas that she shares with the stores Executive. The Executives love Maya’s ideas, but because Maya does not have a college education she is not taken seriously.
Unbeknownst to Maya a professional profile is created for her that is befitting of her marketing ideas. A big Manhattan Marketing firm comes calling. The story unfolds from there…

“Second Act” is entertaining and light-hearted. The story is a bit sketchy, disjointed and underdeveloped. There are several BIG surprises that occur and you have to wonder why the stage was not set appropriately. This is what keeps “Second Act” from being a 4 or 5 Star movie. Jennifer Lopez works with what she was given. I loved the business wardrobe she wore in the movie. Additionally the sound track is very good.

Alas…”Second Act” is best viewed on Cable.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!!

The Big Sick

“The Big Sick” is a fine display of a well-executed Romantic Comedy!

“The Big Sick” is based on the real-life courtship of Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon. Kumail is a stand-up comedian in Chicago trying to catch a break. He also moonlights as an UBER driver. During one of his stand-up comedy gigs he meets Emily Gordon. Kumail and Emily hit it off. They start spending a lot of time together.
Kumail’s family is trying to arrange a marriage for him with a Pakistani Woman. When Kumail goes to visit his family a Pakistani Woman always arrives to meet him. After every visit Kumail places the picture he has received from the prospective bride in a cigar box in his bedroom. The cigar box is full of pictures of women that Kumail’s family has tried to set him up with.

One day Emily happens to take a look in the cigar box when Kumail isn’t around. What she sees upsets her. Kumail and Emily argue and she leaves. A few weeks later Kumail gets a call from a local hospital that Emily has been admitted. Kumail drops everything to go to her. The story unfolds from there…

“The Big Sick” is engaging, funny, heart-warming, entertaining and well executed. It’s an excellent story and reminds us about prejudice in today’s society. This movie is a reminder that “Love has no Color”.

“The Big Sick” is definitely worth all of the hype it has been receiving.

Currently the “The Big Sick” is open in limited-release. It open wide on Friday July 14th.

Check it out!

This is a 5 Star Movie!

Bridget Jones’s Baby

Renee Zellweger is back as the delightfully funny and awkward Bridget Jones that we all came to love in the 2001 Franchise installment.

In this third installment Bridget Jones soon finds herself in an unexpected situation. She is pregnant and is not sure who the father is. However there are only two choices, the baby’s father is either Jack (Patrick Dempsey) or Bridget’s long time crush Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).

Bridget needs DNA samples from both men. This ensues a number of crazy and hilarious situations that unfold at Bridget’s place of employment. Soon both men find out that they could be the father of Bridget’s Baby. The story unfolds from there…

This third installment is so much better than the second installment, but not quite as good as the 2001 Franchise installment. The movie is funny, zany and very entertaining.

Although Hugh Grant is missing from this installment, the continuation with Colin Firth was very well done.

I found “Bridget Jones’s Baby” to be delightfully hilarious! I am glad to see Renee Zellweger reprise the role. The door was left open for a fourth installment.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!

The Perfect Match

“The Perfect Match” is a Romantic Comedy about a well-worn story that we have all seen and heard before…

Charlie (Terrence Jenkins) doesn’t believe in love. He believes in one-night-stands. His friends are all happily married or are about to get married. They bet Charlie that he can’t stay with one woman for a month. Charlie takes the bet. He meets this gorgeous, mysterious woman named “Eva” (Cassie Ventura). Charlie lures Eva into what he thinks is a casual affair. As time moves on Charlie starts to have feelings for Eva, but Eva turns the tables on Charlie, leaving Charlie flabbergasted. The story unfolds from there…

“The Perfect Match” is a typical relationship movie with a formula that has been seen time and time again. The problem isn’t just the story, but the acting is just not that great. There are some funny parts and the movie contains a lot of very beautiful people, but that’s about all.

“The Perfect Match” will make a great Cable Movie in a couple of months.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

And So It Goes

Michael Douglas plays “Oren Little” a Realtor who wants nothing more than to sell his house and move on with his life. A nine year old granddaughter (Sterling Jerins) he didn’t know he had is suddenly thrust into his life by his estranged son.

Oren is so mean and hateful that he doesn’t know how to love and care for his granddaughter so he pawns her off on his neighbor Leah (Diane Keaton). Leah has troubles of her own, but takes the child in. The story unfolds from there…

“And So It Goes” is a Rob Reiner production. It’s definitely NOT one of his best.

The movie starts off slow and without meaning. Most of the movie is boring. It shows a bright light and is even funny about 50 minutes into the movie, but that’s not saying much since the movie is only 1 hour and 34 minutes long.
I am guessing Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton just needed something to do because this is not either’s best work.

I would wait for “And So it Goes” on DVD or Blue Ray.

This is a 1 star movie

Begin Again

“Begin Again” is another one of those “Sleeper” movies, what I mean by that is; it’s a really good movie with very little advertisement. It’s open in limited release across the country.

Two ambitious young song writers, Gretta & Dave (Keira Knightley and Adam Levine) move to New York in search of stardom. Dave gets signed by a major record company. As his star starts to rise, the temptations that go with being a music sensation get the best of Dave. Devastated and disappointed Gretta breaks up with Dave and moves on.

Gretta struggles to put her life back together. She performs one night in the East Village and is heard by a once well respected music producer Dan (Mark Ruffalo) who has since fallen on hard times. After hearing Gretta sing Dan is very interested in trying to get Gretta signed to his record label. The story unfolds from there…

The music in this movie is great. I love the sound track. I was tapping my foot and popping my fingers. You hear songs by Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra just to name a couple. The movie starts off slow, but once you get past the first 10-12 minutes it’s great.

“Begin Again” is definitely worth a look. It’s also not for anyone under the age of 16. There is no nudity, but the tone and theme are very adult.

This is a 4 Star Movie

Think Like A Man Too

This was the highly anticipated sequel to the 2012 hit “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man”. Well as often goes a sequel is usually not as good as its predecessor. “Think Like A Man Too” is such a sequel.

Picking up where they left off from two years ago the couples head to Las Vegas for a wedding celebration. Their plans go awry when their various misadventures turn into trouble and they all land in jail. The story unfolds from there…

Instead of being funny, Kevin Hart is annoying and irritating in the movie. I was hoping that someone in the movie would slap him. There is being funny and then there is being raunchy. Kevin was just plain raunchy.
The story is somewhat predictable, but there are a few unexpected surprises. The movie is silly and just plain stupid. The first installment was very good.

“Think Like A Man Too” is disappointing… I would only spend money seeing this movie if you have absolutely nothing to do this weekend.
Otherwise wait for DVD, Blueray or Cable

This movie is worth 1 1/2 stars

About Last Night

“About Last Night” is a “Must See” Hilarious Relationship Comedy!

This is a re-make of the 1986 “About Last Night” that starred Demi Moore and Rob Lowe. This up-to-date version has move comedy and raunchiness to it thanks to Kevin Hart.

This new installment closely follows the ups and downs of two couples as they try to figure out what they each want out of a relationship that starts in a bar and moves quickly to the bedroom. One couple has HUGH sexual chemistry right out the gate while the other couple takes things a bit slower deciding to test their relationship by moving in together. The story unfolds from there…

The movie is funny, hilarious, raunchy and entertaining. Kevin Hart is an absolute nut! There is plenty of male and female eye candy throughout the movie. I love the sound track, it includes James Brown at the beginning.

The one small down side is I feel that Paula Patton cannot “Act”. Every time I see her in a movie outside of Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, I feel ill. She gets these parts to portray a “Sex Pot” and she’s not very convincing. I feel she is trying too hard and it comes across on-screen. Thank heaven she was only in a few scenes.

I would like to point out that this movie is rated “R” and should be. There is sexual content and sexual profanity throughout the movie. “About Last Night” is not suitable for anyone under 17.

“About Last Night” is definitely a “Date Night” movie. Go see it!

The Best Man Holiday

It’s been 15 years since the 1999 “The Best Man” opened. So in 2013 the old college friends attempt to reunite for the Holidays.

Old forgotten rivalries flare and old romances rekindle in this second installation. It seems time does not heel old wounds.

“The Best Man Holiday” has something for everyone, Love, Sex, Romance, Rivalry, Family, Loyalty, Success and Dishonesty. The story does a good job of picking up where the 1999 installment ended.

What makes “The Best Man Holiday” work is the strong cast. Everyone who was in the 1999 movie is back in 2013, plus a few new welcome additions. If you didn’t see the 1999 installment, that’s ok. The gaps get filled in.

Although the movie is entertaining, the mixture/combination of Christian Faith, Comedy and Raunchy Sex don’t fly.