Bait and Switch

Last week.....

A good B movie is always fun, so I checked out Piranha. No, seriously. Clearly not a thinking man's piece, the only requirement of this film was to be kinda dumb and entertaining. And luckily for me, it succeeded. While I didn't enjoy that it was basically a Girls Gone Wild video, I did think the movie was over the top and funny enough to be a "winner." My only real complaint for a movie like this is that it wasn't quite campy enough. The filmmakers almost took their film too seriously, the humor could have been even broader and funnier.


I might be over hyping this a little, but I totally loved The Switch. I think it's one of Jennifer Aniston's best movies. Your best friend hijacking your planned insemination isn't really a storyline you see a lot - or ever - so I was really won over by the unique plot. The stellar cast didn't hurt either. I could watch Jason Bateman read the phone book. Everything he says is hilarious. Jeff Goldblum was great as well and Patrick Wilson...*sigh* Oh, Patrick Wilson..... Anyway, I thought The Switch was very sweet and funny. And that little boy was adorable!

Around the World

If you like your movies entertaining and full of fun, then Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is your best bet. I really enjoyed this movie. Based on the popular graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim is overflowing with pop culture references, clever dialogue and style. My goodness, the style! The filmmakers really geeked this movie out and it's all the better for it. Not going all out in this context would have been a bad choice. As Scott battles each of Ramona's evil exes, there's no denying the escalating humor and jubilance.

I'm all for letting yourself go and marveling at the world, but I don't think Eat Pray Love quite hit all the right notes here. I don't think the first half hour or so is particularly great and I wasn't buying James Franco and Julia Roberts as a couple. Thankfully once Jules began her trip, the film found its stride. Particularly enjoyable were the locals that Jules met on her journey. Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem were both outstanding. These small roles made a big difference. For me, this film definitely inspired me to travel and see the world, and it was entertaining, I just wasn't all that attached or invested in Jules' self discovery.

The Other Guys

Can anyone else remember the last time Will Ferrell made a good movie? Me either. At least he's redeemed himself with The Other Guys. In a summer that's been noticeably lacking of decent comedies (I liked Get Him to the Greek, but no one else saw it), The Other Guys is a welcome addition. As the cops who try so hard, but never seem to do anything right Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have an absurd and very entertaining chemistry. They're perfectly cast in their scared of danger/let's get bad guys personas. The rest of the cast more than holds their own too. I thought Michael Keaton and Eva Mendes had a few nice moments, as did Sam Jackson and Dwayne Johnson. The Other Guys is silly, but it's the good kind of silly that makes you laugh, not want to walk out of the theater (see last week's review).

Salty and (Bitter)Sweet

Last week I saw the newest Angelina Jolie "I'm a tough chick who can beat anyone up" movie, Salt. I have to admit that I liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would. Jolie plays a CIA agent accused of being a Russian spy who then goes on the lam to clear her name. I didn't quite buy the final showdown - a fist fight between Jolie and a guy (I won't spoil who) with at least 100 pounds on her - but it did have some fun action and a clever plot.

Who can resist Zac Efron? I saw Charlie St. Cloud, so draw your own conclusions. This is a sweet picture. Overcome with grief after losing his brother, Charlie becomes a shell of his former self; giving up everything he loves and taking a job at the cemetery where his brother is buried. It's a somber picture - and I will concede that it sometimes feels like a modeling ad of Efron - but it's ultimately uplifting and nice story about letting go and moving on.

I'm not going to lie, I wanted to walk out of Dinner for Schmucks. Not because it was super terrible, but because I HATED Steve Carell's character. I wanted to scream expletives at the screen and just punch his face until I lost feeling in my hand. Even looking at his face in the poster - I want to kick his teeth in! The movie wasn't as awful as I thought it would be, but that doesn't mean it was good. I laughed once and smiled once. I will admit though that the audience I saw it with was laughing pretty hard and often.