Movie Schizo

random movie musings

Archive for category Romantic

At ease, dear John.

Mar 9

Posted by Helmut in Drama, Romantic | No Comments

Dear John PosterWell, it’s been a while since the last tear-jerker, so today we’ll take a look at Dear John. Dear reader, do you like romtantic dramas? If you do, please read on. Special Forces Army Sergeant John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is on leave when he meets Savannah (Amanda Seyfried). Immediately he falls head over heels in love with her. During his two-week break he gets to know Savannah much better and when he has to leave for his next tour, they promise each other to write until John gets back one year later. But when he re-enlists after the 9/11 attacks, their love for each other is put to the test.

This is a very emotional movie. It asks the question of whether long-distance relationships can be made to work. It explores the ups and downs and how distance can affect how people feel about each other. Tatum and Seyfried both performed well. I identified most with Tatum’s character, though. John Tyree is not the usual type of character Tatum has been known for lately. And I liked this break from the mould. John Tyree is initially a bit of a question mark, but throughout the movie you learn more and more about him. The conclusion was slightly different than I expected, but it forced me to look at the situation in another light.

And I guess that’s all I ask of a movie – to make me think about something differently.

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Valentine’s Day: She loves me, she loves me not

Feb 14

Posted by Helmut in Comedy, Romantic | No Comments

Valentine's Day PosterThe cast in Valentine’s Day is phenomenal. Included are Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Fox, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, and Taylor Swift. I don’t know how they got so many well-known actors and actresses to sign up for this, but it did pay off. It was the first thing that made me curious about this movie. And then, after seeing the trailer, I knew I was going to watch it.

Valentine’s Day takes the proven “multiple storylines” formula, makes us identify with at least one of the stories, and then interweaves all the lines in very intriguing ways. At its heart this is a movie about love. Not necessarily just about the “butterflies in my stomach” kind of love, but about most of the aspects of relationships that you go through at some point or another (good and bad). I’m not going to go into the story at all, since there are so many parts to cover – it would take too long, and reveal too much.

What I liked about this movie is that it portrayed relationships more realistic than most other movies would. With some of the characters there’s a happy end, for others there’s not. And in a few instances some very good relationship values, that other movies shy away from, come through. This movie provides quite a lot of laughs too, so it’s quite a good entertainment package. Do yourself a favour on Valentine’s Day, and go watch Valentine’s Day.

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Did you hear about the Morgans? No? Well, let me tell you.

Jan 25

Posted by Helmut in Comedy, Romantic | No Comments

I’m coming to trust Marc Lawrence to write witty comedies time and time again. And each time it will star Hugh Grant. Did you hear about the Morgans (2009) was no exception. Hugh Grant plays a lawyer who’s separated from his wife (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) because he’s cheated on her. But he deeply regrets this mistake and wants to make it up to his wife. It’s at this point that they both witness a murder, are spotted by the murderer, and are subsequently taken into protective custody by the police. During this time their relationship is put to the test, while the murderer plots to find them at their secret location. For the rest you’ll have to watch the movie.

What struck me immediately was how Hugh Grant’s character had the exact same personality of the characters he played in Two Weeks Notice and Music and Lyrics. Incidentally both of those were also written by Marc Lawrence. Seems to me this guy is writing his movies specifically with Hugh Grant in mind. Not that that’s a criticism. I love this type of character if he’s played by Hugh Grant. He does such a good job of it.

One thing that might be considered a criticism is that it’s rather slow-paced. There’s no real action until the very end. But I guess that’s just a matter of taste. Personally this didn’t bother me. The movie is more about the relationship between the two characters anyway. It’s about how they deal with their issues.

Marc Lawrence’s humour is always something I enjoy. It’s mostly a few levels (intellectually) above the humour in your usual comedies nowadays. I just love it when someone makes the effort to think of a clever joke instead of resorting to material of “below-the-belt” nature. For that I applaud Marc Lawrence.

If you liked Two Weeks Notice and Music and Lyrics, this one will not disappoint. It’s not necessarily better than the two aforementioned movies, but it’s definitely a good watch.

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The Rebound (2009): Much ado about nothing

Jan 6

Posted by Helmut in Comedy, Romantic | No Comments

The ReboundI haven’t been that impressed with Catherine Zeta-Jones lately. In No Reservations I thought her performance wasn’t that great, and now she’s gone and done it again. In The Rebound she plays Sandy, who is a single mom who’s just moved to New York after separating from her husband. While looking for an apartment, she meets Aram, played by Justin Bartha. Aram doesn’t really do much with his life, and thus agrees to babysit for Sandy. Feelings develop, of course, and the two “fall in love”. There’s really not much to the movie, and up to a point there’s no character depth. Then suddenly it takes a turn, and we see something substantial happen. But sadly, the end nullifies this again. If you haven’t seen The Rebound, and still plan to see it, don’t read on. I have some spoilers coming up.

At the point where Aram realizes that he can do more with his life, the movie improved a whole lot for me. We see some character development as Aram travels the world and discovers his passions in life. Sandy’s character, on the other hand, doesn’t develop much. She gets promoted at work and achieves a lot career-wise, but it doesn’t feel like she’s made much progress as a person. When Sandy and Aram then meet again, by chance, each being happy with their life, I thought the movie had redeemed itself by leaving things there. That would certainly have been the more realistic ending. Just like in The Breakup – relationships don’t always work out. But then, for no reason at all, Sandy and Aram are back together again. Without even a word, everything comes crashing down again.

So in that regard the movie was a disappointment for me. The Rebound isn’t a movie I’d watch again in a hurry.

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Starting autumn with (500) Days of Summer

Sep 19

Posted by Helmut in Comedy, Drama, Romantic | No Comments

500 Days of SummerEverybody loves Summer. And it’s no different for Tom Hansen. When Summer is employed in the office where Tom works, he finds love at first sight. But Summer is no ordinary girl. There’s something about her, and Tom can’t put his finger on it. It’s no surprise, then, that she’s all he can think about. I should state, though, that this is not a love story. This is made clear right at the beginning of the movie.

500 Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, takes a very fresh approach to romantic comedy. In a way it’s not really a romantic comedy, though. The movie takes us on a journey through Tom’s experiences that involve Summer in one way or another. Over the 500 days that he’s known her, we see some of the highs and lows Tom goes through. Summer seems to be very unsure about what she wants, and subsequently puts Tom through some tough times. But will they end up together? You’ll have to watch the movie yourself. It’s well worth it!

On a deeper note, the movie has something to say about following your dreams. Tom designs cards for a greeting card company, but is really an architect at heart. He’s not doing much to follow that dream, though. And so the  500 day journey of joy, sadness, and depression, teaches Tom something new about reaching for a star. It’s quite inspiring.

I thoroughly enjoyed 500 Days of Summer and would recommend that you watch it when you get a chance.

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The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

Sep 1

Posted by Helmut in Drama, Romantic | No Comments

The Time Travelers WifeTime travel features in yet another movie, The Time Traveler’s Wife, starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams. It’s the first time, though, that I’ve seen it being used at the center of a romance (or as far as I can remember at the moment). This certainly makes for an interesting perspective into how time travel might affect a romantic relationship.

Henry is a time traveler who can’t control his gift. He’s whisked away to another time at a moment’s notice by an unknown force, leaving only his clothes behind. Having arrived at his destination he needs to find some new clothes before exploring where and when he is. In most cases he doesn’t seem to stay for long, but one thing becomes clear – time travel always draws him to specific times and places. In particular, times and places where Clare is present. Henry experiences many times in her life, from when she is six to when she lives life as an adult. And on her part a fascination builds for this mysterious man who appears and disappears after a brief stay, leaving her wanting more. When this strange relationship finally develops into a romance, Clare falls head over heels in love (not that she wasn’t in love before). It’s at this point that the problems associated with “involuntary” time travel start becoming apparent.

What I found interesting was the idea of time travel just happening to someone. All elements of control are removed, and instead it’s a mysterious event that cannot be explained, but which happens nonetheless and is accepted as such. This also helps to explain many contradictions that might have otherwise been problematic. If you find out that you will travel through time later in your life, the fact that you know this will most definitely affect your future and that particular future event. Unless you have no control over your time travel, as it is in this case. I had to constantly remind myself of this throughout the movie, but that didn’t detract from the impact it made. One thing was made very clear, though. Time travel would probably not be nearly as fun and glamorous as it’s made out to be in most other movies.

If you don’t object to romantic dramas with some humour, watch this one. It’s well made and will get you thinking about something real. In a way. ;)

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The truth about The Ugly Truth (2009)

Aug 19

Posted by Helmut in Comedy, Romantic | 2 Comments

The Ugly TruthThe ugly truth about The Ugly Truth (starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler) is that it’s not particularly pretty. At first I wasn’t going to see this movie (after having seen the trailer), but when there were no other decent movies to see that weekend (that I hadn’t already seen), I changed my mind.

The Ugly Truth tells the story of two people at the opposite end of the scale when it comes to where their heart is. Abby thinks the perfect guy for her is out there: a caring, sensitive, thoughtful, and considerate man. She just hasn’t found him yet. Mike, on the other hand, thinks all men are the same: NOT caring, sensitive, thoughtful, or considerate. They all want just one thing. Sex.

So they each set out to prove the other wrong, with Abby trying to find her perfect guy, and Mike trying to prove that there’s no such thing. And in the process they discover that they have feelings for each other. So what should they do? Can they overcome their vast differences? I’m not going to spoil the end, so you’ll have to watch it yourself. It is quite obvious, though, how the ending turns out.

The movie has some inconsistencies in the plot that could have used a bit more attention by the scriptwriters. Until Mike and Abby realize they have feelings for each other, there are no indicators that this is coming. It’s like a switch was suddenly flipped – it doesn’t make sense. Then we have the problem of over-used sex references. It feels like the writers tried too hard to add dialogue that would be “contraversial”. It’s all just about that one thing, and hardly anything else. It kind of takes away any potential for plot or character depth.

At the end of the movie there is no real conclusion about the main topic of the movie. So are all men alike? Do they all just want the same thing, or is there any glimmer of hope that men do have a bit more depth than that. Nothing is said about it, so, really, it just leaves the initial statement standing as it is. And that’s really an insult to men.

Apart from the issues above the movie does have a little entertainment value, but this doesn’t manage to drag it out of the gutter. If you’re going to the cinema anyway, and there’s nothing else worth watching, you could give this a try, but don’t expect anything extraordinary.

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The Proposal: short review

Jul 27

Posted by Helmut in Comedy, Romantic | No Comments

The Proposal

The Proposal

Whenever Sandra Bullock stars in a new movie, I’m eager to watch it. Lately this has become the same with Ryan Reynolds, since he starred in Definitely, Maybe. Thus The Proposal drew a fair bit of my attention. The trailer looked very funny and made me want to watch the movie even more.

The story was not ever going to be something new. There have been tons of romantic comedys with this kind of plot:

  1. Man and woman, who may not like each other, are forced to spend lots of time together.
  2. Feelings between them start to grow (maybe one-sided at first), but neither of the two realize or want to admit it.
  3. A problem comes up that forces them apart.
  4. One of the two parties confesses their love for the other, and all is resolved.
  5. They live happily ever after or one of them gets killed in a natural disaster.

Almost every romantic comedy uses a variation of this plot line. For me it becomes particularly enjoyable when the humour is very witty and less reliant on slap stick. Sadly I have to say that The Proposal somewhat failed me here. It was entertaining, but there was hardly any wit.

Emotionally there was also not as much as I had hoped for. For example, the step where feelings grow was not apparent at all, so the confession at the end was not really founded on anything and seemed less genuine.

Having said that, both Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds still did a good job of their roles.

If you like these two actors, watch the movie. It will provide some light entertainment. If you prefer something more witty, though, give While You Were Sleeping, Music and Lyrics, or Two Weeks Notice a try. Those are my top three romantic comedies, and I would highly recommend them.

Have you seen The Proposal yet? Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below!

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