Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933)

**EDIT 12-6-11** Overall, I'll say that Criterion did a great job on the restoration and transfer of this 1933 classic. I would describe the picture quality as very good, not perfect, but very good. Signs of aging are still evident throughout the film (mainly vertically running scratches), but not to the extent of distracting or taking away from the viewing experience. Quality-wise, this is the clearest, most crisp version of this film that I have viewed.

Based on the Broadway hit by legendary playwright Noël Coward, Design for Living is an excellent Pre-Code comedy from the always daring Paramount Pictures. Directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch, the film provides us with a refreshing look at the way American films were made before being heavily censored by the enforcement of the Hays Code in 1934. With the help of a risqué script from Hollywood veteran Ben Hecht, the director adds his famous "Lubitsch touch" to give us a very witty and fluid movie starring three of the biggest stars of the period. Gary Cooper, Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins have great chemistry together and really help to convey the message of the filmmakers you only live once so do what makes you happy, regardless of how others view you.

In its day, Design for Living was very controversial for two reasons. The first and most obvious reason being the very risqué plot involving a ménage-à-trois relationship between three young Americans living in Paris. This film really took a jab at the morals and virtues that certain groups, namely the Legion of Decency, were trying to infuse back into American cinema. The second reason is that many people, including Noël Coward, were upset that screenwriter Ben Hecht retained only one line from the original play. Whether true or false, it's believed he did this in part to remove the homosexual context present in Coward's play, fearing that this even more controversial subject of the day would inevitably lead to the film being heavily censored, if it was ever played at all.

As always, I will provide only a brief description of the plot itself, as I don't want to ruin the movie for someone who hasn't seen it. The film opens as two friends, playwright Tom (March) and artist George (Cooper), are traveling by train to Paris. While sleeping, they are joined in their compartment by a beautiful young stranger, Gilda (Hopkins). Gilda, who is an artist herself, commences to draw a humorously accurate caricature of the sleeping pair, both of whom are snoring with their mouths wide open and feet propped up. The drawing ends up being the icebreaker for the trio, and after some initial criticisms, they quickly become friends. From here two major problems arise. First, Gilda has a wealthy suitor named Max (played by the wonderful Edward Everett Horton) who has been courting her for five years. Secondly, both Tom and George fall in love with Gilda while being totally unaware of each other's feelings for her. One fateful day, immediately after the friends find out they're in love with the same woman, Gilda phones to say she's coming over. After her arrival, Gilda confesses that she loves both men equally, therefore she can't decide between them. Being the crafty woman she is, Gilda proposes an arrangement to the two unsuspecting men a "gentleman's" agreement allowing her to be with both of them. After a discussion, the newly formed group decides on one major clause in the agreement, no sex. Obviously this arrangement has the potential for causing some major problems, and well... it does. Everything I just revealed to you happens very early in the movie so there are many things left unspoiled. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

As I stated earlier, Design for Living did not sit very well with many people upon its initial release. On this note, I feel like I should clarify something. Just because something was controversial 80 years ago does not mean it will shock audiences today. This movie is fairly tame by today's standards, but in 1933 Hollywood its subject matter was eye-opening, very much so to film censorship advocates. Design for Living, along with Barbara Stanwyck's Baby Face, were two of the final straws that led to the Hays Code being actively enforced in 1934, severely limiting the content of American films until the late 1960's. After the code was enforced, Design for Living was banned by the Legion of Decency and denied a Production Code Administration certification, leading to the film being shelved and almost forgotten for several decades.

**Special Features and Technical Aspects As Listed by Criterion**

-New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition)

-"The Clerk," starring Charles Laughton, director Ernst Lubitsch's segment of the 1932 omnibus film If I Had a Million

-Selected-scene commentary by film scholar William Paul

-British television production of the play Design for Living from 1964, introduced on camera by playwright Noël Coward

-New interview with film scholar and screenwriter Joseph McBride on Lubitsch and screenwriter Ben Hecht's adaptation of the Coward play

-PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Kim Morgan

United States

1933

91 minutes

Black and White

1.33:1

English

A disgruntled screenwriter stormed into director Ernst Lubitsch's office, threw 120 blank pieces of paper down onto his desk and said "Here! Give this the Lubitsch touch!"

Obviously, that's a writer's story...but the truth is that when Lubitsch did have a good script...or even a fair one, he was, indeed, able to bring that extra special "touch" to the material, thereby creating a series of risque' sophisticated comedies in the 1930s and 40s that have yet to be equaled. He was never vulgar in his "touches," but employed often hilarious visual suggestions, thus making it quite clear as to what was really going on behind those closed bedroom doors.

DESIGN FOR LIVING (1933) was adapted to the screen by Ben Hecht from Noel Coward's play. Miriam Hopkins stars as a commercial artist, who becomes smitten with both Gary Cooper, a struggling painter, and starving playwright Fredric March. The trio decides to live together...platonically...but you can imagine how long that aspect of the relationship lasts...and the problems that it causes. Edward Everett Horton co-stars in this witty, well-played comedy.

The Criterion Collection has released a marvelous 2-disc edition of DESIGN FOR LIVING that, aside from a new high-definition digital restoration with uncompressed monaural sound, also includes selected scene commentary by film professor William Paul, an interview with Joseph McBride on Lubitsch, plus a 1964 British television version of the play introduced by Coward and, best of all, the short sequence that Lubitsch directed for IF I HAD A MILLION (1932) featuring Charles Laughton. It was the funniest bit in that picture.

Finally, there is a booklet containing an essay by film critic Kim Morgan.

© Michael B. Druxman

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Amazing Pre-Code film that I'm ecstatic to see has been selected by Criterion for this DVD release. I've been a fan of this particular genre for over a decade and when asked by friends to pick a movie that would help introduce them to the best of the Pre-Code releases in existence and release, I almost always pick "Design for Living".

Everything is just spot on excellent performances, witty banter and a most unusual (yet completely plausible) exploration of the very nature of love and commitment. While missing some of the more naughty innuendo of the original Coward production, it still contained enough sex, sophistication and above all and at the heart of the film, a loving trio, to become one of the pinnacle films to sound the death knell on the pre-Hays freedom days and put into action the Production Code.

The bare bones of the story goes like this girl (Gilda) meets boys (Tom & George) on a train. The three start off as friends and I'll leave it at that. Any more would completely ruin the plot and though you can probably guess what happens next, this is a movie that should be seen, savored and enjoyed piece by piece and scene by scene. I must say though, if put in Gilda's situation and forced to choose between Frederic March and Gary Cooper at the height of their talents, handsomeness and charm, why not establish 'a gentleman's agreement', particularly when one of the trio is most notably not a gentleman?

Directed masterfully by Ernst Lubitsch from Ben Hecht's adaptation of Noel Coward's play, this is definitely more than a light, screwball comedy. It's one of the best, most sophisticated and unconventional romances you'll ever see on screen. Even for a modern audience, the theme is not outdated, which just goes to show how ahead of the curve many Pre-Code films were even when seen through our 21st century eyes. One has to wonder just how many more gems such as this we might have gotten, had the Code not crashed the party.

Read Best Reviews of Design for Living (The Criterion Collection) (1933) Here

Noel Coward, at least in the New York theater scene, is having something of another revival which prompted me to take a second, or maybe third look, at his work. No question he had a serious sense of plot and language when it came to writing "manner" plays addressing "high society (or what passed for high society in his day)," a look at that society from one who came to appreciate its frills and follies from a personal past of barely rubbing two nickels together. That is the case here with the film adaptation of the somewhat autobiographical sketch play, Design for Living (along some material help from his coming up from obscurity friends, the actors Lunt and Fontaine).

As with many adaptations from books or plays the relationship to the original source can be, well, attenuated as it is here, at least according to Mr. Coward, on the use of dialogue. But the general plot outline is similartwo guys, two artsy guys (one Gary Cooper who passes for the Midwestern All-American boy complete with ah shuck) and a world-weary gal get all balled up in a threesome, a love triangle, comedic or not, and for a while nobody could win. It all gets sorted out by the end but not before what passed for 1930s humor, including deadpan and slapstick humor, got a workout. This one is probably too tame for today's audiences having seen every kind of social possibility on the screen by now but in the 1930s this was, and rightly so I think, regarded as sophisticated comedy, and certainly the subject matter raised eyebrows. Not the best Coward (or Cooper and March) but interesting.

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There's no doubt about what's going on in Design for Living, a delightful high comedy about a ménage a trois, written by Noel Coward as rewritten by Ben Hecht and directed by Ernst Lubitsch...and it's not hanky panky. No, it's just joyous, straightforward sex.

Please note, before any fastidious persons who fancy themselves "reviewers" nail me to a tree. I have watched this movie more than once when it was released as part of The Gary Cooper Collection. It looked good then, and I plead guilty to not having watched it yet in the newly released Criterion edition I expect Criterion has done it proud. I plan to buy it. I have no idea what the extras may be like, but then I seldom watch the extras or listen to any film's commentary.

When two artists, the painter George Curtis (Gary Cooper) and the playwright Tom Chambers (Fredric March), encounter Gilda Farrell (Miriam Hopkins) on the train to Paris, their 11-year friendship is going to be intriguingly tested. Gilda (with a soft "g") captures them both, and she reciprocates but can't choose. And why should she? She moves in with them. There's only one solution, however, to the inevitable problem. "Boys," she tells them "it's the only thing we can do. Let's forget sex." And with that, of course, neither they nor we can. Says Gilda to George and Tom later, "It's true we had a gentleman's agreement, but unfortunately, I am no gentleman." And says Tom to Gilda later, "George betrayed me for you. Without wishing to flatter you, I understood that. I can still understand it. But you betrayed me for George. An incredible choice!"

Ben Hecht often bragged that only one line of Coward's survived in his screenplay. All I know is that Hecht's words are some of the finest and funniest, as well as the most amusingly realistic, you're likely to find in a high-gloss Hollywood comedy. The movie just barely got in under the wire before the Production Code began to enforce the prude's code of morality on America. Lubitsch and Hecht create a sophisticated world in which going to bed with someone you like is as natural as...well, going to bed with someone you like. There's no leering or innuendo in the movie, just a reliance on the sophistication of the audience. For instance, Gilda explains to Tom and George the differences between how men and women sort things out. "You see," she tells them, "a man can meet two, three or four women and fall in love with all of them, and then, by a process of interesting elimination, he is able to decide which he prefers. But a woman must decide purely on instinct, guesswork, if she wants to be considered nice." The point we're aware of with a smile is that Gilda not only is nice, but smart, and that she's already tested the waters with each of them.

We start the movie with an ménage a trois, but one that turns into a duet with George and then a duet with Tom. After some encounters with business versus art, we all come to our senses and enjoy the sight of Gilda, George and Tom reunited in New York with a plan in mind. "Now we'll have some fun," Gilda says happily. "Back to Paris!" I have a feeling that forgetting sex won't be part of the plan for long.

The frisson of a bi-sexual ménage a trois is substantially toned down by Lubitsch and Hecht. While it wasn't explicit in Coward's stage play, one would have to be deaf and blind not to get the subtext, especially with Coward and Alfred Lunt as the two male leads when the play opened. In the movie, however, this just becomes inconsequential speculation, especially with Gary Cooper and Fredric March in the roles. Cooper manages not to embarrass himself in this highly polished comedy of sex and style, but it's clear that what works in Cooper's favor are his looks, not his line delivery or body language. March and Hopkins, however, are completely at ease and are a joy to watch.

Hollywood wouldn't make movies this adult and amusing until the Fifties, and even then the level of sophistication and respect for the audience, in my opinion, never fully recovered. Every now and then it's possible to come across in pre-Code Hollywood films of such mature pleasure you hope others will like them, too. Says one character in Design for Living, "Immorality may be fun, but it isn't fun enough to take the place of 100 per cent virtue and three square meals a day." How wrong he was...and is.

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Funny People (Two-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition) (2009)

This film was really a drama, so, if you go in with the mindset that you are watching a drama, this film will blow you away.

However, if you go into this film thinking it will be like 40-yr old Virgin or Hangover, then you will be disappointed (which is where all the low rated reviews come from).

This film does a great job of showing us the life of a Comedian/Actor who is dying from an illness.

The film has a whole lot of levels going on which is over the head of most of the people who rated the film low.

It is a comedic form of the movie Inception. You have actors playing comedians who have dual lives where they alternate from being "on" and "off"....

The problem is most people have a misconception of how comedians live their real lives.

Anyways, great movie. Go in with the mindset that you are watching a drama and this movie will blow you away.

enjoy

amnightus

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The psyche of the stand-up comedian is the subject of Judd Apatow's third and most ambitious directorial effort, but the elliptical, rather skewed characters that inhabit this serious-minded 2009 comedy obscure the personal revelations that he ironically attempts to mine. In certain ways, it's a dramatically audacious film, yet in others, Apatow comes back to the comfortably off-kilter humor of his previous ensemble efforts, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Sometimes the balance feels very off here, primarily because the protagonist is so hard to read from the outside. It was inevitable that the director cast his former roommate Adam Sandler as George Simmons, a comic who has become a major movie star based on the type of juvenilia he constantly ridicules. Sandler accurately captures both the demented comedy mind and the innate cruelty that keeps everyone at arm's length. It's a tricky part that has quite a few autobiographical elements for both director and star, but he plays it with melancholic deftness.

The meandering plot begins with George receiving bad news. He finds out he's dying of a rare blood disease and recognizes a need to reassess his priorities. George spots a struggling young comic, Ira Wright, at a local comedy club and hires him to write material and become his gopher. They bond quickly, and Ira becomes George's confidant, the only one who knows of his fatal diagnosis. Ira also has two roommates, another stand-up comic and an actor who has already caught his break starring as a teacher in a high school-set sitcom. Both become envious of Ira's budding relationship with George. Meanwhile, an old flame reenters George's life, Laura, a former actress who has turned into a suburbanite married to an Aussie exporter and raising two daughters in Marin County. Sparks are rekindled, and relationships start to get messy all around. As both writer and director, Apatow handles the situations dexterously but excessively. The film runs on far too long at a marathon 153 minutes and then simply trails off.

Newly trimmed down, Apatow protégé Seth Rogen plays his familiar dweebish persona as Ira, although he brings more depth to his submissive character with each humiliating act. Leslie Mann, Apatow's wife, has been promoted to leading lady this time as Laura, and she excels with her endearingly brittle style. In another justified act of nepotism, the director recruited their children to play the two precocious daughters. Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman play the roommates with their usual deadpan aplomb. The film's biggest surprise is the usually dour Eric Bana (Munich) lightening up quite a bit as Laura's suspicious husband. Cameos from well-known comics (Ray Romano, Andy Dick, Paul Reiser, Sarah Silverman, etc.) and even comic turns from the likes of Eminem and James Taylor are sprinkled throughout to give the film an air of Hollywood-style realism. The esteemed cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List) provides the film a bright, sharp look throughout.

The two-disc 2009 DVD set smacks of overkill, but there are highlights to consider, chief among them the amusing commentary from Apatow, Sandler, and Rogen, in which they hilariously separate fact from fiction. The first disc also contains a four-minute gag reel. Disc Two contains 21 minutes of deleted scenes; six extended and alternate scenes; another gag reel; and a line-o-rama, a standard extra on Apatow's DVDs where the actors riff on the same lines for maximum comic effect. A lengthy, one-hour-plus video diary from the director is the centerpiece of Disc Two. Other featurettes center on Aziz Ansari's obnoxious stand-up comic; archival footage of Sandler and a thirteen-year-old Rogen; and a faux-documentary on George Simmons' film career. There are also music clips from Taylor, as well as Sandler performing with musician Jon Brion.

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Judd Apatow's Funny People is going to divide audiences (it certainly has divided critics). Those going in expecting a comedy along the lines of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up or any other of the films in the Apatow-verse will enjoy it but not love it. But that reaction may be more a product of the misdirection in the marketing of the film than anything else. Funny People is going for something more emotionally complex, and it succeeds on that count.

Without dwelling on plot, the film focuses, by and large, on the professional and personal lives of a group of comics and comic actors at various rungs of the show business ladder, from Adam Sandler's George Simmons, a hugely successful film comedy star who came out of the stand-up comedy world, to Seth Rogan's Ira Wright, a novice comic who is drawn into George's world, to Ira's friends, who are his roommates, who are his competitors.

The common thread running through these characters is anger and aggression, both explicit and sublimated. They steal jokes, jobs and women from each other (listed here in order of importance to the comics). The relationship between the performers and their audiences is similarly complicated (it's become a cliched observation that comics talk about "killing" the crowd).

Interestingly, although all the comedians share this anger and aggression, it's only those who ride those dark emotions into similarly dark comedy that have preserved their spark. The farther the comics stray from their anger, the worse their comedy as evidenced by Sandler's character, who churns out family-friendly claptrap and co-star Jason Schwartzman's Yo, Teach!, a self-important sitcom (both brilliantly captured in clips woven into Funny People).

In Funny People, comedy is the universal language by which these emotionally-constricted characters communicate. There are awkward hugs and half-hearted attempts at compassion, but the most tender moment, coming late in the film, involves one character expressing love by writing jokes for another.

All this aside, I don't want to lose sight of the fact that this is a funny, entertaining, emotionally-involving film. But that said, in an odd way, Funny People echoes Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. Both films are about angry and aggressive people who channel those drives in socially acceptable ways. (Even more oddly, Billy Crystal's horrific and mawkish Mr. Saturday Night attempted more overtly to be the Raging Bull of comedy, and the less said about that effort the better.)

It wasn't until the ride home from the movie that it occurred to me that the "funny" in the title Funny People could have two meanings; there's funny ha-ha, and funny-odd. Here, the people are intentionally, compellingly both.

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The movie Funny People has baffled many of Sandler and Apatow's fans because it's very different from each man's respective work. But that doesn't mean that the film is weaker by any means. Yes, the film is flawed, it's too long, and draggy in parts. The last 45 to 60 minutes seem disjointed, compared to the first half of the film that focuses on Sandler's relationship with Ira, Seth Rogen's character.

But it's also a very clever blend of comedy and drama, which is very difficult to put together in most contemporary films. I really believe this is Sandler's best role, a mature man filled with loneliness and regret. It's an honest examination of how far a man will go to correct all of the mistakes he's made in his life.

Sandler is the star of the show, and anyone expecting the caricature that Dennis Dugan has created of Sandler should walk away. Sandler isn't doing Billy Madison, or Little Nicky here. This is Sandler playing a comedian with more depth.

The relationship between Sandler and Rogen is explored really well. Of course, I would rather see Apatow focus the whole movie on their relationship, rather than his relationship with Leslie Mann, but at least you can't fault Apatow for his ambitious vision.

The film bites off more than it can chew, but I really do believe it's one of the best comedies of the decade, and the highlight of Sandler's career.

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... and perhaps that's what made it unpalatable to many of his fans. Characters are extremely well-developed (AND portrayed), there is more heart underneath the expected "potty humor..." if Mr. Apatow continues to grow as a writer, I'll continue to watch his movies.

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Role Models (2008)

Role Models is not a particularly deep or innovative comedy, in fact it's plotline will be familiar to anyone who has ever watched a movie, period. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't provide lots of laughs and much needed escapism for it's 90 plus minutes.

Paul Rudd And Sean William Scott star as two slackers who find themselves sentenced to 30 days of community service following a work related blow up by Rudd's characther that comes on the heels of being dumped by his longtime girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks). The two are ordered to do their hours of community service at a Big Brothers and Sisters type of organization where each of them are paired up with a "troubled" kid.

Can you guess where this is going? The two men will learn to look past their own self indulgence and care for the kids. A valuable lesson is learned by all. This plot really doesn't matter. What does matter are the performances. Rudd and Scott are hilarious as the overgrown man-children and they share an effortless chemistry. Rudd especially is in top form, spewing sarcasm and self loathing with every line and garnering laughs from his facial expressions alone. Rudd is clearly in his element here.

When Rudd turns into an unselfish nice guy at the end, it's a bit of a stretch for the audience to accept that he made such a quick transition. Rudd's performance may be hilarious, but his character is not that well developed for his transformation to be believable. But hey, this ain't art. It's a largely entertaining buddy comedy with lots of smart and raunchy humor that should be viewed as exactly that.

Like its two lead characters, ROLE MODELS is a movie that doesn't seem to be expecting too much of itself as it lures us into familiar man-child territory.

Seann William Scott and (co-writer) Paul Rudd are Wheeler and Danny, two low-achieving coworkers paid to travel to schools with an act that preaches against drugs while pushing powerful energy-drinks as the safe alternative. The difference between them? Wheeler loves his work and thinks of Danny as his friend. Danny hates his job, the fact that he should have done more with his life and can't commit to being more than a colleague to Wheeler. Danny's mean, sarcastic and rude to coffee shop baristas. Clearly he doesn't deserve a girlfriend like Beth (Elizabeth Banks), who rejects his spontaneous marriage proposal and dumps him instead. Danny's dejection leads to a tangle with the law and soon he and Wheeler are sent to perform 150 hours of community service at the local mentoring program, Sturdy Wings.

This is where the movie grows some wings of its own and really takes off. The flight path may be familiar, and there are no surprises when it comes to a predictably happy landing. But the journey becomes a lot of fun when Wheeler and Danny become "Bigs" to two very different "Littles," Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) and Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

It's clear that on paper at least, our two ROLE MODELS lack all the traditional skills required to teach anything to the kids. Fast-talking, foul-mouthed Ronnie is the product of broken home in need of a father figure, not a "booby" obsessed party lover like Wheeler. The costume-sewing fantasy game participant Augie shouldn't expect much sympathy from the snide Danny. Bad mentoring leads to chaos, confusion and near-tragedy. But somehow, everyone develops the sturdiness of wing to make it to the end having taught something to someone else--and discovered something essential about themselves.

Supporting characters add to the fun throughout, especially Jane Lynch as the ex-coke-addict who founded the Sturdy Wings program and the various costumed characters who take the game of "Laire" very seriously indeed.

ROLE MODELS is a movie that won't teach you much. But it will definitely make you laugh.

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Right off the bat I have to say that Vesta and I almost hit the reject button on the DVD player. This movie started out stupid and dumb and we were pretty sure it had nowhere to go. Time to get up and watch something on Hulu.

"You wanna do it?" She said.

"No, I got the cat." Scruffy, our mangy tom was sitting in my lap and I was comfortable in my recliner.

"Somebody has to get up and get that bloody movie out of that player." She was comfortable in her recliner too. That's the problem with these things, get a glass of wine in your hand, recline and you just don't wanna get up.

So we let the movie play a bit longer and son of a gun if I didn't start laughing on occasion. Vesta too. Then more laughter, then I was into this silly story and it was silly, but somehow, I don't know how, we wound up being entertained and that's what movies are supposed to be about. They're supposed to take you out of you're life for an hour or two and this one did.

Maybe this movie was made for younger people. Vesta thought it was made for guys who like to get together with a few beers and laughs. But whoever the intended audience, we wanna sign up with `em, because though this movie started out stupid and dumb, it wound up being campy and fun. Yes, it was lewd and crude, but heck, it was sort of a romantic comedy too. Sort of a coming of age story as well. All in all, I gotta say, this is an unexpectedly good movie.

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I saw this movie once, laughed a little and was well on my way. Then i rented it again when a few buddies were over and laughed like crazy. There are little pieces in the movie, where it was slow, paul rudd and SWS did a good job in this film. If your in the 18-25yr range this is a must have!!!

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I've seen "Role Models" numerous times in its edited form on FX. I enjoyed it immensely so I purchased the Unrated version. Its still a funny movie with a glaring exception-the foul mouthed adolescent who is Seann William Scott's charge. I'm far from a prude and like inspired crude humor as well as the next guy. I have nothing against movies trying to push the envelope. That said, I found nothing funny about an eight or nine year old spouting profanity some of it of an extremely scatalogical nature. The adults in the film don't seem offended but respond to the kid in kind. This to me smacks of exploitation and I don't think its as cute as the makers of the film seem to think it is. Where's trying to maintain a child's innocence for as long as possible? When I was a kid I heard profanity. I learned not to repeat it in front of my parents after getting my mouth washed out with soap which I'm still tasting some forty years later. This is for the most part a very funny movie that didn't need to appeal to the lowest common denominator to succeed.

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Footloose (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011)

They remade Footloose? I groaned when I even thought about how bad this was going to be. I liked the original, and didn't even consider seeing this when it came out at the theatre. Flash forward to a cold and rainy night, and my teenage kids decide to rent this on pay per view. I groan again, thinking how awful this is going to be. I couldn't even watch it, so I puttered around the house doing everything else but sit there and watch a somewhat iconic movie be destroyed. Two hours later, and my kids could not stop talking about it. They loved it. Curious, I plopped down and watched it. They wanted to see it again. I was shocked. The first thing that grabs your attention is how my kids kept thinking the clothes and hair were cool. I told them that in the ancient 80's, we used to flip our collars up, have our pants cinched at the ankles, and wear our hair short on the sides and long on top. I also told them we used to dance. It was a blast from the past, but a bridge to the present. The story seemed fresh to the teenagers, and was even fresh to me. The dancing is great. The acting is decent, and this movie is fun. There are a few scenes that are not appropriate for younger kids (a girl having sex for the first time, drug references, underage drinking, a girl getting slapped by her boyfriend, some swearing), but very tame stuff when compared to the groundbreaking stuff John Hughes did in the 80's. It was a way to connect with the kids. The movie is certainly way better than expected. Way better than the garbage some remakes are. Well done. Well done indeed.

From Tom Cruise getting down in his tighty whiteys in "Risky Business" to Jennifer Grey having the time of her life in "Dirty Dancing", eighties movies were filled with great moments involving dancing. They were one of a kind, and can't be recreated with the same impact. If you asked me before I saw the reviews, I would have said that the cinematic world did not need a remake of "Footloose." Mainly, because I can't think of a remake of an eighties' film that bettered the original. In this case, I've only seen bits of the original, so I thought this was pretty good.

The plot is the same as the `84 version. When a group of teens are killed in a drunk driving accident, the minister (Dennis Quaid) whose son has also died, and the town officials ban virtually everything teens do for recreation, including dancing. (Drag racing busses aflame, does get a pass.) Three years later, Bobby's younger sister, Ariel, played by Julianne Hough, is busy doing everything that's been banned and not caring if she's caught. She also has the requisite bad boy older boyfriend, who doesn't respect her. Naturally, she's a perfect match for new kid in town Ren (Kenny Wormald reprising the Kevin Bacon role), who's moved in with his uncle's family, following the death of his mom from cancer. Ren is a good kid, but after a series of run-ins with the local authorities, he decides to cut loose, kick off his Sunday shoes and with his new friends, get the ban on dancing revoked.

The lead does a good job, but if you ask me, Miles Teller, playing Ren's pal who must overcome his fears of being a "dancing dork" stole the show. Also excellent is Andie McDowell, in the role of the preacher's wife, who has stood by her man for too long and is about to tell him some uncomfortable truths. Oh yes, and the dancing is totally awesome.

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I loved the remake of Footloose. I was a fan of the original, and think this movie stayed true to the first, and added so much to it.

Kenny Wormald does a fantastic job as Renboy can act, move, is hot,and has chemistry with the whole cast. Julianne Hough does a great job as Ariel.

She has really impressed me with her acting, and can dance so well. Miles Teller as Willard.. WOW. I'd never seen him in anything before, but

he's so funny. As good as Kenny, and Julianne are in this (and they are good), Miles has some great scene stealing moments. His girlfriend, Rusty, is

also fantastic. I'm not sure of the actress, but she's beautiful, and can dance. Andie McDowell is fantastic as Ariel's mom, Vi. She has a understated

strength. Dennis Quaid does a good job as the concerned father of Ariel, and the town reverend. There are several fantastic scenes where Ren and the Reverend

talkmy favorite being towards the end when he asks for permission to take Ariel to the dance. And of course Ren's speech at the town council is excellent.

And watching Willard learn to dance was HILARIOUS. And the little girls (Ren's cousins) are pure cute. Fantastic supporting cast. Amazing stars.

Highly recommend this movie.

Read Best Reviews of Footloose (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011) Here

I dragged two friends to see Footloose with Kevin Bacon when it premiered in Seattle. They didn't care very much for the film. I, on the other hand, loved it. I had never heard of Kevin Bacon, but I became and instant fan. I have watched everything he has done, right down to the episodes of The Closer that he directed.

I own 6 DVDs of Hamlet. Should I say that since Laurence Olivier filmed Hamlet there is now no room for anyone else to do so? Are David Tennant, Derek Jacobi and Christopher Plummer to be seen as "upstart crows" who have nothing new to add? I mean, Olivier! How do you top that? Or could we see Tennant and Jacobi and Plummer as actors with a different interpretation?

And, could we not look at the remake of Footloose as a different interpretation rather than seeing it as a replacement? I loved Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer. But, I was a Kenny Warmold fan from the moment I saw him in Center Stage: Step It Up. As Ren MacCormack he shines, for me, as innocence and determination combined. And Julianne Hough -what a revelation !! I mean, we knew she could dance. But, as an actress, she blew me away !!! And what a find in Miles Teller. He was hip, cool, and funny all at the same time.

I don't see this rendition of Footloose as a would-be replacement of the original. I see it as a new interpretation of a story that will never grow old. And, as such, I welcome it, I embrace it, and I commend it.

Two great versions of the same story!! Who could ask for anything more?

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At first when I read about Footloose being remade, I wasn't very happy about it because I grew up watching Kevin Bacon in the original one. I thought he did a very good job. I looked into it more and more on the internet and found out about it more. I found out that it was going to be country and not rock like the first one. it was going to be a little different but still have the same characters and the same plot. I saw previews and thought, why not give it a try since the main star, Kenny Wormald, looked pretty good in it. I took my eight year old son to it when it first came out to theaters and had a blast watching it. A couple weeks later, I took the whole family to it because I liked it so much. There are some remakes that they shouldn't touch but this one, was a good one because you cant really say remake to this...its just a country version of it. Some people dont like rock so if you are one of those country types, a Kenny Wormald fan(like me) or just a movie lover, this movie is for you.

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Motherhood (2009)

Greenwhich Village, NY (specifically the west village) provides the backdrop for this totally fun romantic comedy about a mom who has to plan out one crazy, yet typical mom-day that in this instance includes tonight's 6 year b-day party, but also includes protecting her car, saving her bike, getting the right goodie-bags, befriending her friend (Minnie Driver)and of course writing her blog about being a mom. Whew....

Uma Thurman, in a role so entirely different than anything she's done before, plays 'mom' and is fantastic! Her relationship with her husband (Anthony Edwards) seem quite real-life in that he wants to be of help but hey... he is a man, right? There IS a bit of magic between them indeed and while it might not be on the scale of "Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan" (yet), it peeks through nonetheless and proves itself by the end of the film in a scene sure to win you over entirely. I could envision the two together in more films going forward...

Minnie Driver plays the perfect supporting role as 'insightful best friend' and while the movie runs along a somewhat predictable course at times, it also provides some very nice surprises and follows that formula that always wins while laying in some interesting insights into what it's like to be a mom. I can see the mommy-blogs launching new discussions for sure and a plethora of subjects. OK OK... I realize that I am not a mom, but I am married to one...

If you enjoy films like Moonstruck, Sleepless in Seattle, Mask, You've Got Mail and so on, Motherhood is a likely winner for you.

I loved this movie. The Norman Rockwell/"Leave it to Beaver" view of motherhood never worked for me. Life is a wonderful, funny, heartbreaking juggling act...and I think this film "gets it." As I've raised my brood in a rural community, I was amused and fascinated by the film's take on raising kids in the city. Overall...the film fascinated me...amused me...touched me. It was one of the better films I've seen recently. It's smart, and the humor comes out of irony.

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This is probably a really good movie that lots of people will truly enjoy. I can say that this little story about a day in the life of this family, and especially the mother, does have a certain charm to it. And the acting is very well done.

But here is the thing that really turned me off: This day is very hectic. My, my. All the things the mother has to do in this day. What a busy, almost intolerable day. My. my. Of course, most of us have to do all that stuff, and still go to work. We get up at 4:30 every morning, do EVERYTHING this mother has to do, put in 8 serious hours, commute, trust our children to daycare, come home, clean, cook, shop, be cheerful....

Some people think that is a choice. But for most of us, it isn't. It is just the reality of needing a paycheck. So, this movie just didn't click with me. I felt like I was watching Marie Antoinette say, "Let them eat cake."

I don't think I've ever been so sarcastic in a review, but this movie was just very, very, very shallow.

Read Best Reviews of Motherhood (2009) Here

This was a very funny movie and well worth the hour and a half or so spent watching it... A lot of reviewers seem to want perfection as they see it in a movie about a mom making her way through a busy day, but this movie just offers some hilarious fun and good-natured escape. I'd recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor!

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I by passed this at the rental store but I wish now that I had not. Uma Thurman really did an awesome job in this film and every mother could totally relate to this film and if your a blogger mom you'll love it! I know the critics really got down on this film but they made a mistake it's a gem!

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Jackie Chan: Police Story / Police Story II

Continuing with their Jackie Chan Double Feature collection, "Police Story" and "Police Story 2" are now together on one disc thanks to Shout! Factory. Being a huge Jackie Chan fan, these were two films that were already well established in this household. However, Shout! Factory did such a superb job with the last Jackie Chan Double Feature that bundled "Crime Story" and "The Protector" together that this suddenly became a necessity.

After revisiting "Police Story," there definitely doesn't seem to be much of any new material in the cut of the feature film. However, there are quite a few bonus features that may whet your appetite. There are a little over two minutes of Deleted Scenes that are mostly just an extra few frames here and there, an Alternate Ending that is mostly an extra 30-45 seconds compared to the original ending with some outtakes attached, an Extended Opening that revolves around Chan Ka Kui arriving to the police station from training and Kim's birthday, and the US and Hong Kong trailers. "Police Story 2" is much lighter on special features with two minutes of Outtakes, an International Trailer, the Original Hong Kong Trailer, and three minutes of Alternate Outtakes.

You're probably wondering about how the film looks. In comparison to the DVDs, "Police Story" is a noticeable improvement and yet isn't quite as high-definition as you might expect. The picture is certainly brighter and clearer, but still looks slightly grainy and saturated. Yet it's still the best this film has ever looked. The sound is superb though. Even without surround sound, you can hear the score of the film clear across the room. "Police Story 2" is the same cut as the DVD as well, but the restoration is much more noticeable since the picture is so crisp and clear and the sound is just as impressive as it is in "Police Story" on this disc.

"Police Story" itself is one of Jackie Chan's best. The pole slide sequence at the very end is what always makes highlight reels, but the entire mall fight is really impressive. There's a good chunk in the middle of "Police Story" that is overly goofy with lame innuendos, misunderstandings, getting caught in lies, and May jumping to conclusions by usually getting upset for all the wrong reasons. The last 30 minutes or so are outstanding as is the opening squatter hut sequence and the parking lot fight. "Police Story 2" is a bit more serious and much more explosive. There are three of the greatest explosions put to film in "Police Story 2." The cafe fight, scuffle in the park, and battle at the fireworks factory should make this sequel worth adding to your collection if it hasn't been added to it already.

Both films are available in English 5.1, Cantonese 5.1, and Cantonese Mono DTS-HD Master Audio sound. You typically have the option of multi-channel or two-channel sound in each language (two settings for each language, so four total). The only subtitles that are available are in English. The films are also presented in widescreen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

There isn't much of anything new to this combo pack of "Police Story" and "Police Story 2," but the fairly affordable price, getting two of Jackie Chan's most entertaining films on one disc, and being able to own both these films in high-definition should at least make you consider double dipping for this great collection.

Don McGregor

April 8, 2013

RIDING SHOTGUN

Over the years I have met various film directors who claim they'd studied the film-making of Buster Keaton and had been influenced by Keaton's 1920s cinema-language defining work and mind-warping, eye-boggling stunts.

Keaton's superb timing and physical form leapt from the screen as if he defied gravity and mortal injury, with grace to spare.

Jackie Chan has been quoted that Buster Keaton was a major influence to him in many of his films.

SHOUT Factory has just released two of Jackie's Police Story movies on one Blu-Ray!

In Police Story, alone, if you are familiar with Keaton's work, you can see that in Jackie's case he wasn't just talking words.

I can find moments in Police Story and Police Story 2 where Jackie displays not only his incredible, balletic actions, but shows the influence of not just Buster Keaton, but also Douglas Fairbanks and Harold Lloyd's films from the 1920s.

To take nothing away from Lloyd, because he did do many of his own stunts, with fingers missing from one hand, blown off by a prop for a still photo shoot, but Harvey Parry did double Harold in the more dangerous stunts.

Jackie and Buster and Fairbanks did their own stunts.

And Fairbank's modus operandi was to make the most difficult stunt look easy.

You will see Jackie Chan do this again and again in Police Story 1 and 2.

This is the first time either of the Police Story films have been released on Blu Ray, a double-feature from Jackie's prime as a director and star. Shout has released them on DVD, also. You can't beat the price, even the Blu-Ray can be found for less than $20.00. The prints are the best I personally have ever seen, and although I am far from an expert on the films, they certainly appear to be uncut. It's hard to tell with many of Jackie's films because there have been so many versions of different lengths released over the years.

If you don't have any Jackie Chan on DVD, then this is an inexpensive way to own two of Jackie's most popular movies during the 1980s.

Police Story opens with one of Jackie's biggest-scale openings ever, a drug raid taking place in a hillside Shanty Town, with tiers of buildings scattered haphazardly down the long, steep mountainside. When the raid goes terribly awry within the first 5 minutes, Jackie is immediately in action. The chase for the drug-lord and his cohorts smashes by cars down the mountain-side, through the ramshackle buildings and bright red and yellow clotheslines and paraphernalia from store goods to furniture.

You can read the complete review at Comics Bulletin in my Riding Shotgun column, with photos.

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These two movies are some of the great production from Hong Kong during it's hey days. Jacky Chan does almost all the stunts as during the 1980, every action stunts are for real. For those who have not watch it or own it on Blue Ray. This is a good chance to own it as it a good value buy.

Read Best Reviews of Jackie Chan: Police Story / Police Story II Here

So this is the third time this movie has been released and once again it does not have the original English Dubbing. Watched for 5 mins and turned off and put in my VHS burned to DVD copy. Now this may not matter to some people but to me it does. The original dubbing was done much better and some of the humor has been lost with this version again just like the DVD release from a few years ago. Unless they do the right dub soundtrack next time this will be the last time I purchase.

The language tracks are 5.1 and 2.0 in Cantonese and English, but for some reason when I switch to 2.0 in both language's there is no sound and on my receiver the Dts blinks on and off, this is the first Blu-ray I own that has done this.

The movie is a 5 star movie no doubt but they should have released the original dub and this version together instead of this horrible new dub yet again.

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Love Jackie and he never fails to deliver. He's a true humanitarian and an inspiration and it shows in his films

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Bringing Down the House: 10th Anniversary Edition (2003)

Steve Martin and Queen Latifah lead a wonderful cast in this surprisingly shocking, always enjoyable, laugh-out-loud comedy.

Peter Sanderson (Martin) is a divorcee who spends some of his personal time in a legal chat room, flirting with a woman he hasn't seen. His interest in her grows into a small infatuation after she sends a picture of herself via email. But when the two meet, he gets a big surprise. She's not the woman in the picture; at least not the woman seen up close in the picture. It turns out that she is an African American woman named Charlene Morton (Latifah), a criminal on parole who is seen getting arrested in the background of the picture she has sent. Slowly, Charlene begins to take over Peter's life, but perhaps that's a good thing. Despite his divorce, he and his ex-wife Kate (Jean Smart), still have feelings for each other. Having divorced because of his excessive work habits, Charlene tries to teach Peter the joys of life and how to appreciate the importance of his neglected family.

Veteran actresses Betty White and Joan Plowright are downright hilarious in their small roles, and Eugene Levy has an amusing role as Martin's best friend, who begins to fall head over heels for Charlene, further complicating matters.

Betty White is painfully funny and shocking as Martin's elderly neighbor. She is as racist as they come, jabbering cruel lines of racist dialogue (a less racy but more offensive send-up of her "Lake Placid" role). Don't take her comments to heart, though. The film is just trying to show how biggoted some people can be. (It's a shame how people like her actually exist.) Joan Plowright portrays a heiress client of Martin. She proves to be a great comedic actress, especially in the hilarious climactic nightclub scene.

Missi Pyle is fantastic as Kate's sister, a sort of Anna Nicole Smith type who takes pleasure out of dating older men. I could never have imagined Pyle in such a role, but she's great! Even Jean Smart is perfect for her role as the ex. Her Southern accent really gives her added sex appeal.

This is a predictable film, but it is also one of the funniest films to come out in the past year. It is a simple, smart, and fun comedy that's a pure joy to watch. Clever dialogue, touching moments, and a great cast are a plus. Martin and Latifah (so brilliant in Chicago) show off their wonderful comedic talents and have amazing chemistry together. The film is a bit raunchy at times, but oh so funny...recommended for a good hearty laugh!!!!

I love going to a movie where the audience laughs during the entire movie (intentionally, that is). I wasn't expected to have so much fun during this movie but it proved to be a laugh riot. Steve Martin and Queen Latifah make a great comedy team . The supporting actors only add to the fun. Betty White as Martin's racists/homophobic neighgbor, Joan Plowright as a rigid heiress that Martin needs to bring as a client to his law firm, and Eugene Levy is hilarious as Steve Martin's best friend at the law firm, who makes no qualms about his feelings for Latifah's Charlene. The fight scene between Latifah and actress Missi Pyle is worth the admission alone. I recommended this film to a friend at work who later told me that she and her husband thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm betting you will too. Its a great film to take a group of friends to and just laugh and be silly.

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Check this out to see the laugh-out-loud Steve Martin we all love.

Peter Sanderson (Martin) is a straitlaced tax attorney and divorced father of two. In search of romance, he arranges a rendezvous with an alleged Ivy League female attorney he met in a legal chat room online. His dream-date turns out to be none other than Charlene Morton played by Queen Latifah (who also shined in Chicago). Charlene has a criminal record and claims she's being framed for armed robbery. She disrupts Peter's life until he agrees to help her clear her name. While he helps Charlene, she ends up helping Peter get to know his children better and just loosen up already!

The always hysterical Eugene Levy plays Peter's friend/colleague Howie Rosenthal. Jean Smart, who I always like, plays Peter's ex-wife Kate. But the two unexpected scene-stealers were veteran actresses Joan Plowright and Betty White. Plowright plays Mrs. Arnes, a stuffy heiress that Peter is trying to land as a client. The always-proper lady loosens up herself at the end. Betty White plays Peter's nosey neighbor who's also the sister of one of his colleagues at the firm. Naturally, he wants to keep his nose clean around her. White throws out a few shockingly funny lines that sends the entire audience into hysterics.

Overall, this is just a fun film. The chemistry between the new team of Martin and Latifah was great. You WILL laugh out loud, trust me.

Read Best Reviews of Bringing Down the House: 10th Anniversary Edition (2003) Here

Good comedy is hard to find at the movies. I'm talking about a funny film full of punch lines, perfectly timed physical comedy, and most important, a naturally humorous plot line with characters we actually care about. If you think for a minute or two, it is tough to recall the last comedy you saw that had all these components.

The run off the mill romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days opened at the start of February. If you want to know how to lose a guy in ten days, you can easily lose him after 10 minutes of making him watch this. Two weeks later, the slapstick comedy Old School opened. Too bad it seems that the writer forgot to add a plot to all the overdone, and unoriginal gags. And now, another two weeks later on March 7th, Bringing Down the House will debut at theaters. I was lucky enough to catch this at a sneek showing that played last Saturday, 2 weeks before the movie actually opens!

Steve Martin and Queen Latifa star in what is the first, truly hilarious movie of 2003. This is definitely Martin's best since Father of the Bride, and the Queen continues her impressive film career adding this on to her resume, right under the ever-popular Chicago. Both have excellent skill in a film like this, and they work well with each other creating enough comic chemistry to blow the theater doors open.

The movies plot centers around Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin). He's a fast track lawyer with an ex-wife and two children that he never seems to have time for. While chatting online, he meets Charlene, and sets up a blind date to meet her. He's expecting a slim, blonde in her thirties, and is shocked when the hip, grooving Charlene Morton (Queen Latifa) shows up at his door.

The plot takes off from there as the odd pair starts a friendship, and while Charlene persuades him to take her criminal case ("I did the time, but I didn't do the crime baby"), she ends up teaching him more about life, relationships, and his family, than he has learned in a long time.

Though Steve Martin and Queen Latifa are the stars, an excellent, first-rate supporting cast surrounds them. First off, Eugene Levy, whom many of us know as Jim's dad from the American Pie franchise, plays Steve Martin's best friend and legal partner who becomes infatuated with Charlene's sex appeal. Other recognizable faces are a racist neighbor played by Betty White from the Golden Girls, and Joan Plowright, who co-starred as Mrs. Wilson in Dennis the Menace, as a prim and proper client of Peter Sanderson.

Martin hasn't seen a role this good in a while. It gives him the opportunity to show off his talents for humorous facial expressions, and physical comedy. Also, Queen Latifa has the spotlight on her in her best starring role to date. Though the plot might not seem completely original from what is described above, there are many twists and turns that keep the film pumping full of laughs all the way through, keeping it always fresh and new.

Overall, there isn't much more to include because I don't want to spoil any of the surprises the film springs on you. All I can say is I didn't stop laughing from the first five minutes until the closing credits. The Queen is currently working on the film Cheaper By the Dozen, co-starring Steve Martin. We could possibly be looking at a new comedy dream team. Whether we are or not, what they do in Bringing Down the House works. And it brings the audience to their knees with laughter!

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There are two really good reasons to see this film--Eugene Levy and Queen Latifah. Latifah has shown herself to be a major screen presence since her role in Living Out Loud back in 1998 when she showed not only that she could really, really sing (like a dream) but that the camera loves her. She is truly larger than life and twice as grand and when she's the focus of any scene, that scene is hers regardless of whoever else is in it ... except for the wonderfully nutty interplay between her and Eugene Levy who nails this one beautifully. It may be the unlikeliest pairing ever, but it works. Steve Martin is just, well, Steve Martin and doesn't bring a whole lot to the film. Poor Jean Smart (one of the better actresses around) is just wasted in this movie. While everything is predictable, it's fun none the less to see how things evolve. Kimberly J. Brown as Smart's younger sister turns in a nice performance and one of the funniest scenes in the film is a knock-down drag-out between Brown and Latifah that, alone, is worth the price of admission. Joan Plowright is, as ever, a treat. When Betty White appeared onscreen, the friend I was with exclaimed, "Isn't she dead?" Well, evidently not. There's a lot of blatantly racist action but it's so silly that it's not possible to take offence, particularly with Latifah up there doing her thing. For a couple of hours' worth of pleasant distraction, see this movie.

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Why Stop Now (2012)

I love all three of these actors but didn't know what to expect from the three of them together. I was pleasantly surprised with the result. Tracy Morgan is hilarious as always, but he also gives a surprisingly heartfelt performance that goes great with Eisenberg and Leo.

Just stumbled on "Why Stop Now" and thought it was great. Totally quirky comedy which never gets pedantic and seldom loses its sense of humor. Eisenberg is perfect for the part of Eli, and even brings a new sort of boldness to the table in this role that I don't recall seeing in his previous characters. The drug dealers (Tracy Morgan and Isiah Whitlock Jr.) were hilarious. For me the comedy really came through in the banter between these two who took over many of the scenes they were in. I didn't know what to expect of this one, but really enjoyed it!

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Social outcast and bad drinker Eli( Jesse Eisenberg) works as a stock boy but aspires to go to a prestigious arts college. His former teacher Dave (Neal Huff) has managed to arrange an audition for him. On the morning of the audition, Eli attempts to quickly straighten out a home life that has always teetered on disaster. His sister Nicole (Emma Rayne Lyle) talks to people through a foul mouthed sock puppet that needs to be laundered. His waitress mother (Melissa Leo) needs to go to rehab. However things don't go as planned.

Rehab won't accept Eli's mother Penny because her urine is currently clean and she doesn't have insurance. They suggest she do drugs to dirty up her urine. Eli aids and abets his mother on her quest. He runs into the likes of drug dealer "Sprinkles" (Tracy Morgan). At this point the comedy kicks into gear. Eli ends up as a translator between Sprinkles and his Spanish speaking connection.

The film has some comedy scenes, most notable when Tracy Morgan is involved, but for the most part it is a drama that involves people with some type of problem which can be argued that they center around Penny's addiction. It is not a dark comedy per se, the comedy is not about dark material.

Eli's attraction for Chloe (Sarah Ramos) didn't seem to be well developed. Tracy Morgan as a drug dealer and his sidekick Black (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) lacked credibility in those roles as they were comically written while the other characters were more serious. It is a feel good movie, but not one that will make you hold your side with laughter.

Parental Guide: F-bombs, no sex, no nudity.

Read Best Reviews of Why Stop Now (2012) Here

Hey guys, if you are looking for a very funny film that deals with interesting issues and has a great cast, this is it! Highly suggested...

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Tracy Morgan gives an incredible performance. It was a nice surprise to see that the funny man can actually act and not just do his crazy Tracy Jordan routine. Jessie Eisenberg and Melissa Leo also give strong performances as usual.

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Lost in Translation (2003)

Bill Murray is Bob Harris, a once popular American actor who now, in his middle-age, has found more acceptance and money from the people of Japan than from his own country. He arrives at a prestigious hotel in Tokyo and is given a royal treatment by his greeters and hosts. He is by himself in the land of the rising sun, his wife and kids having stayed behing in the US while he travels across the globe to do some liquor commercials. This Tokyo excursion will take about a week, and the monetary reward will be quite handsome. Contrast this with Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), who is at the same hotel tagging along with her photographer husband, John (Giovanni Ribisi), as he does a multiple-day photo shoot. John is at work most of the time, and so Charlotte is by herself at the hotel, her attempts to keep from being bored proving fruitless. Both Bob and Charlotte are married people, but they are also very lonely people, and that is what "Lost In Translation" is all about.

Bob and Charlotte catch glimpses of one another at different places in the hotel, and finally decide to converse in earnest at the hotel bar. The entire plot of the film is about these two people getting to know each other. The story revolves around them. In fact, the story *is* them. Bob, in his early-fifties, is old enough to be Charlotte's dad, but that doesn't matter here. It's not about age. It's about the place, and the points that each of these people are at in their lives. Bob loves his children very much, but we do not sense he feels the same for his wife. We hear her on the phone when she calls him, and the same weary sentiment seems to flow from her voice. They are becoming a couple in name only. Then there's Charlotte & John. Both are young, and both are self-possessed. John is into his photography to the point of neglecting Charlotte. But we get the idea that even if gave her more attention, Charlotte might not really warm up to him. She has issues of her own. If Bob is going through a mid-life crisis, then Charlotte seems to be going through a young-life crisis.

"Lost In Translation" is about being alone. Loneliness doesn't always mean that someone is physically separated from loved ones or from people in general. One can be alone in the middle of a crowded room. Such is the case with Bob & Charlotte. They're in Japan for a week. They don't really speak the language. Bob's wife is in the US, and Charlotte's husband is always at a photo shoot. The two lost souls find each other at the hotel, spend time with one another, and even sleep in the same bed together. But we know that while this is providing a small comfort for the time being, it is not a lasting solution to their problems. And we also understand that both Bob and Charlotte -even if Bob's wife were in Tokyo with him, and John was by Charlotte's side all the time -would still be lonely. Their life struggles lie deeper than what one person can provide, especially the persons they have chosen to settle down with.

This is probably Bill Murray's most understated performance, and it works brilliantly. He lets you in on Bob's emotions without betraying too much sentimentality. He conveys so much with just a smile, a frown, his body language, or simply the look in his eyes. He should get an Oscar nomination for this. Scarlett Johansson, who left me unimpressed in the movie "Ghost World" a few years ago, is excellent in her role here. She portrays Charlotte as a deep, troubled, yet intelligent young woman and, like her co-star, does it without overstating it. She spends much of her screen time walking around a hotel room in her pink panties, and does it so simply and matter-of-factly that it becomes both vulnerable and sexy at the same time. Johansson is definitely an actress to watch for in the coming years.

Sofia Coppola has succeeded in creating a sliver of time & place with "Lost In Translation". It creates two of the most realistic characters to ever grace the cinema. You forget this is a movie, and start to really care for these people as though they really exist. And you get the feeling that this is a single, solitary moment that will be over with and then fondly remembered by the characters for a long time to come. This sweeps over you before the film is even over, much like when you are in the middle of a special occurence or event in your own life, and you stop and think about the fact that at one point very soon it will cease to be the present, and will instead become only a nostalgic memory.

And there you have "Lost In Translation"

This movie is slow paced. However I didn't find it boring at all. I loved the scenery and the small glimpses into everyday Japanese life, all meshed together with this love story of two people brought together by loneliness and uncertainty, with a musical soundtrack that brings out the best in all of it.

After watching this film, the first thing that sprang to my mind was that I'm so glad I don't rely on Amazon reviewers to make a decision about whether I am going to see a film or not. That's almost as dumb as asking a fifteen year old to sit through it and not go crazy or pass out. This film is too mature, dealing with grown-up questions, situations and problems that the kiddies here have yet to grasp.

Bill Murray's character is going through a midlife crisis; Scarlet Johansen's is tormented that she cannot seem to discover her purpose in life. Both are trapped in a place where they know no one, and understand nothing. They gravitate to one another and fall into a kind of love that is very unique, but also not at all uncommon under the circumstances. They don't pursue it physically, because they live in a real world with real consequences and have to respect the promises they made to people they both still love.

No kid fresh out of tenth grade will ever be able to comprehend these emotions... no wonder most of these reviews are from people who were bored stiff. "No sex? No violence? This movie SUCKS", seems to be the way it works with these Amazon reviews.

Too bad. Maybe when they all grow up they'll get it. I recommend this movie to grown ups who like minimalist dramas and romantic comedies. If you're expecting a samurai to jump out with a sword, pass this movie up. This film is about human emotions.

Buy Lost in Translation (2003) Now

I saw Translation for the first time and liked it, but didn't really know what they saw in the movie that was so beyond-belief spectacular. But alas, I believe that every movie deserves a second chance, so recently I sat down and experienced director Sophia Coppola's Lost In Translation again.

Lost in Translation tells the story of Bob Harris (Bill Murray in a role tailor-made, if not even Heaven-sent for him), an American movie star that comes to Tokyo to film a whiskey commerical for which he will be paid 2 million bucks. Staying in the same Tokyo hotel is Charlotte (Scarlett Johanssen, radiant and mature at only 18), a newlywed tagging along with her rock photographer husband, John (a typically awkward Giovanni Ribisi). Along the way, Charlotte and Bob run into each other and begin a 'brief encounter' that profoundly affects them both.

When the movie hits you right, it's a pure pleasure from its unassuming start (a beautifully lit shot up Johanssen's underwear-clothed behind) to its ambiguous but meaningful ending. It begins as a comedy of culture clash, Harris sarcastic and confused at the Japanese when entering his hotel, and even more befuddled in a hilarious scene where he shoots the whiskey commercial. Coppola delivers Bob into her movie with the impression that it'll be all about him, but Charlotte enters the story, and we're never quite the same. Scarlett Johanssen plays Charlotte with just the right amount of emotion that her initially morose and soul-searching character doesn't seem silly. At one point, she tearfully admits over the phone, "I don't know who I married." Bob, on the other hand, seems to have it made, but Murray lets a current of loneliness run across that memorable face. He gets comical faxes from his wife about bookshelves and carpet samples, but he gives off the impression that he's come to the point where he doesn't even care anymore. Bob is certainly alone for a time in Tokyo, but Murray alludes that things at home aren't too hot either.

For the first third of the movie, director Coppola displays her first brave choice in filmmaking by keeping Bob and Charlotte apart. Upon my first viewing of Translation, I wasn't convinced of Coppola's choice to keep the movie so predominantly low-key, but I've realized that there's a reason for it. The movie sustains this amazing vibe that doesn't stunt its progress, but propels it with a driving fluidity. A few times, though, Bob and Charlotte do see each other without officially meeting. One time in particular occurs in a crowded elevator the two glance at each other, faintly smile, and possibility is born. The first section of the film doesn't just serve to show its two characters completely apart it makes you think of how many life-changing connections you've missed in the past by just being passive and solitary.

The two meet and begin voyages out into the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, and the film takes on a perspective that differs from its earlier view. Before, we saw Bob Harris and Charlotte, respectively, at their most private and vulnerable. While out on the town, the film seems to sit back and just let them have fun. Thank God, for Bill Murray's rousing rendition of Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a blast. During this time, it seems that Bob and Charlotte have forgotten their insomnia and loneliness, but it's not gone forever. Even during their night on the town, we see moments where they sit silently, pensive and confused. The movie is a comedy in some sense, but it escalates into a pervading tragic feel. At one point, Charlotte says to Bob: "Let's never come back here again, because it will never be as much fun." They had fun, but only in the sense of putting off more loneliness.

It takes a while, but the motivations of each character become fully-realized in a marvelous scene where Bob and Charlottelay fully-clothed in bed together. Here, they handle the 'big' questions in life, and not "Where did you go to college?" or "What did you want to be when you were little?" but "What is my purpose?" and "Does marraige get easier?" I was amazed at the honesty of the character's responses. Bob relates to Charlotte the experience of having children and the ongoing struggles of marraige, but a tinge of fear and apprehension runs through his speech. Charlotte hasn't really figured things out for herself yet she says she's tried just about everything but hasn't found that niche. Coppola's screenplay makes the statement that both are in the same exact emotional limbo. Charlotte is confused and worried, but Bob is regretful and washed-up. In a way, these two are some form of deeply odd soul-mates. That is the heart and soul of Coppola's amazing work.

Translation has great comedic flair with Murray's wonderful work, but it's also perhaps one of the saddest and most moving films I've seen in a long time. It's some form of a romance, too, but it's not about when they'll kiss or when they'll hit the sheets. It also has that Affair to Remember vibe too, where the journey of two souls that find comfort will eventually have to come to an end. Its end, though, defies classification, as does the rest of the film. Coppola simply lets her two amazing leads do the work. When the film does arrive at its final, ambiguous moment, it all just seems perfect. The catchy Japan-pop soundtrack that runs brilliantly throughout the film begins to play, and I find myself with a huge regret: that I won't be able to savor the subtle chemistry of Bob and Charlotte, and that a flat-out masterpiece in American film is at its end.

Read Best Reviews of Lost in Translation (2003) Here

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One of the most interesting aspects of LIT is the market's reaction to it: most of those who caught it in a theater loved it, and a great many who've seen it first on DVD are angry with it.

Why?

1) Well, the grouches are quite right--it's not much of a comedy, there's very little story, and the characters aren't going through giant transformations across the course of the film. If you're sitting at home with your significant other or a bunch of friends, if you're talking, if the sound of crunching snacks in your head is louder than the soundtrack, if the lights are on or the phone rings, forget it, you're done--it's like visiting a zen rock garden with a GameBoy, and your only shot at liking this film is personally relating to what the characters have experienced, or if you've been to Tokyo.

2) The rabid fans are quite right too--LIT is an "experience" film that is mismarketed as a Bill Murray comedy; it's all about sights and sounds, not story. It lets you know this from the very first shot, a long, wordless look at, um, Scarlett Johansson, with a quietly rising and subsiding sound clip from Kevin Shields, the songwriter of the greatest lost band of last twenty years, My Bloody Valentine (if you don't know, YOU BETTER ASK SOMEBODY). There's every chance this bombs at home, but in a theater, in the dark, with great sound and everybody shutting up, it works.

That first shot sets the tone for LIT. There's not a single jump cut or sudden burst of sound in the entire film--it's supposed to be a slow, alluring, engulfing experience; again, this is terrific in a theater, but it's a fragile spell, and it's easy to see why it might not work at home.

3) The grouches are also right when they criticize the dialogue. In literal terms, not a lot is being said. If you don't attach to the characters at all, it isn't hard to start hating a young, pretty, apathetic whiner and a rich middle-aged whiner, both given the luxury of fretting full-time over existential problems, which, if you don't like the leads, seem pretty trivial. It's not hard to see why that doesn't make for a fun movie night.

4) The rabid fans can argue this one--LIT is very much about what's NOT said.

Think about the most verbal characters in the film: they're babbling. The sweetly inattentive husband is wildly inarticulate--he's perpetually distracted, and constantly interrupting his own train of thought. The starlet (a snarky sendup of Cameron Diaz) grows more vapid by the sentence. Bill Murray's wife is nothing but a telephone voice, transfixed by carpet swatches and bored by everything else. And from the dead-serious commercial director to the ebulliently idiotic talk show host, there's no clear translation of the spoken Japanese. For God's sake, when she over-emotes her way through Scarborough Fair, the lounge singer is a self-parody, unintentionally echoing Bill Murray's famous SNL parody of a lounge singer pouring out Scarborough Fair. Every one of them is lost in translation.

In a different way, so are Bob and Charlotte. The reason LIT doesn't have a story is that the entire film is an interlude--two people who suddenly find themselves together, sharing a break from their lives.

And they both seem to really need it--they're sick of the meaningless conversations and logistics that drive their worlds. It's a classic use of the medium, to show the huge gap between what's said and what's seen. Bob and Charlotte are wonderfully quiet and accepting of each other from the get go--they don't have talk much to connect. If you watch for it, there's a silent shift in the film: before she meets Bob, Charlotte is rattled by how numb she feels when she visits a temple and retreats to her hotel room, surrounding herself with junk media. Before Bob meets Charlotte, he sleepwalks through his workday, producing junk media. After they meet, when they spend time on their own, they wander wordlessly and beautifully alone: Bob golfs by himself with Mt. Fuji in the distance, and Mt. Fuji floats by Charlotte on a Kyoto bullet train, as she heads off to visit another temple. They're discovering a less bewildering, more personal Japan, and retrieving themselves as they do it. And all this is shown, not spoken.

5) The grouches have a point: nothing freaking happens in LIT.

6) The fans answer: yeah, exactly. The key to the film is what doesn't happen between the characters. It's no accident that LIT takes place in bustling, frenetic Tokyo, or that the main characters are hopelessly jetlagged and out of sync with everything except each other. If that doesn't sink in early, then you'll miss the many charms of LIT, from the long, lovely shots, the sweet, spare exchanges between Bob and Charlotte, the gorgeously slow shoegazer/trip-hop/dream pop soundtrack (the best since Trainspotting, High Art,and Ms. Coppola's last film, the Virgin Suicides), and the electrifyingly silent ending.

So, sorry if you hated this film. Have a drink, maybe two, turn the off lights, don't talk, watch it again, and you might change your mind.

(Oh, and if you take into account EVERY image of Japanese people in this film--the businesspmen and women, the artists, the florists, the crowds in the street, the surfers, the strippers, the monks, the bride and groom, the elderly patient, the doctor, etc.--it's harder to argue that LIT is an anti-Japanese film, and easier to see it for what it is: an outsider's POV of a few silly and sublime experiences in an unfamiliar culture).

Want Lost in Translation (2003) Discount?

I'm reviewing the disc itself here, not the movie. If you're unfamiliar with the movie, you can take your pick from hundreds of reviews online.

This disc is terrible:

1. Universal's decision to bundle ten minutes of ads at the beginning, which cannot be skipped, is classless and grubbing.

2. The mastering is poor -compression artifacts are evident in dark scenes, and the overall image feels slightly blurred.

3. The audio is poorly mastered, too, abruptly changing levels several times. Did anyone even supervise this transfer?

4. An insert of some kind would have been nice, even just a photo card. Opening the sleeve to just the disc is a mild letdown, and left me wondering if only my copy is like this.

It's a shame a movie this enjoyable was pushed through such a shoddy production process. Let's hope another distributor gets their hands on this soon and does it right.

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