I finally got to see the latest Adam Sandler movie, and for once it didn’t disappoint. Although Sandler throws in his usual super lame jokes and his regular cameo friends show up in different places this isn’t the usual Sandler romp.
There are really great laughs in here, which play steadily enough to make the overall movie enjoyable. Miss Jennifer Aniston is of course a crucial element to that, playing Sandler’s secretary, who’s playing his ex wife. Surprisingly the story also becomes rather sincere at points, giving the movie a rare authenticity for a comedy.
Although played out in front of a stunning Hawaiian backdrop the story link that gets them there is incredibly weak. One wonders if the cast and crew just wanted an excuse to film somewhere tropical. That aside it’s definitely worth the price of admission. Laughing with an audience is always more fun than laughing alone.
It’s been a long time coming. Talks of the book about a boy’s journey through his first year at Boarding School being turned into a movie were almost instantaneous. Spud had begun to gather a cult following, smashing South African records, but it would be a few years before production on the movie could finally begin. After a six month country wide search for the main characters the movie began filming in March 2010 and it is now finally here.
Spud: The Movie follows John Milton, a first year at a private boarding school in the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands. It’s about fitting in, girls and the harsh world of high school.
The movie is based on one of the most beloved South African books of all time, no matter how much thought goes into it; it’s not going to please everybody. There are moments were you will grin from ear to ear at the perfect way something was captured just as it was meant to be, and there will be moments were you will cringe in horror as something is done in the opposite way to what you imagined.
Donavan Marsh, director and screenplay writer, has focused the story on Spud, as it should be, but most of the crazy eight don’t get the opportunity to fully develop as characters. This is a painful necessity when turning a book into a movie. You simply don’t have time to develop all the characters. In a quest to squeeze as much of the book into the movie as possible one horrific change was made that may upset some, and had a journalist in the row behind me muttering about how that was never meant to happen. To fully enjoy this movie you’re going to have to see it as a separate entity from the book.
John van de Ruit, the book’s author, puts it perfectly, “…my advice is to forget about comparisons and relish the film for what it is: A beautifully shot but simply told story of a boy seeking acceptance from the mortifying chaos that surrounds him.”
Troye Sivan is simply astounding in this film. He tells an entire story with one look and masterfully stands his ground with John Cleese. I simply can not picture any better person for this role. It’s Troye’s likeability and the ease with which you empathise with him that holds the entire movie together.
John Cleese has never been seen like this. It’s a complete pleasure whenever he opens his mouth to sprawl out a ramble of insults, however his role is far more dramatic than expected and he executes it beautifully.
The backdrop of Michael House is nothing short of breath taking. Expertly captured, it seems to play a character itself, adding an authenticity to the film.
Although I found myself internally struggling not to judge the movie against its source material, overall I enjoyed it. I smiled, I laughed, and there were moments where my sinuses started acting up.
This movie is a must see, and may just have the potential for a stint overseas.
Valentine’s Day’s shameless commercialism continues with its yearly visits of absurdity. One day in the year gets dedicated to that special someone you love. This year, however, it has also brought a star studded romantic comedy by the same name.
The movie follows a flimsy plotline and tries to squeeze in as much star power as it can without actually using any of it. It feels as if a movie exec decided to jump on the Valentine’s Day band wagon and cash in on another day when people blindly spend money they don’t have.
There are a few small laughs provided by a ditsy Taylor Swift, a raunchy Anne Hathaway along with the ever poised Julia Roberts but never takes it further.
Although the love fest will be pelted by critics everywhere it will make the perfect date movie for Valentine’s Day. Most of the audience will be too absorbed in their lover’s eyes to notice that they’ve paid to watch countless clichés rolled into two hours of dull film.
Tom meets summer for the first time in an office meeting. He knows immediately that they were meant to be together. After a few awkward days they are finally going out, but love is never that simple.
500 days of Summer tells a love story in a unique but honest way, jumping between different memorable events in the relationship. It’s a glimpse into the world of love, both falling in and out of it. And most importantly it’s very real.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are brilliant together. Their chemistry is electrifying, making their performances alone worth the admission price. The cast complement each other with great comedic timing and a napoleon dynamite esque humour.
Despite the moving forward and backward in the relationship, the storyline is easy to follow. In fact, the moving around in time creates an additional interest in the subjects. This can only be attributed to a brilliant script and excellent execution by the director. What many movies have tried to do with time jumping, 500 days of Summer pulls off flawlessly.
Hands down, this is the best boy meets girl movie I’ve seen this year. It has the comedy, romance, quirkiness and spunk to reach all age groups and whisk them away. This is the perfect date movie.
Fanboys follows five friends on a weird road trip across the country to break into the Skywalker Ranch and watch Star Wars: Episode 1 before it comes out. This is Star Wars Nerd utopia, with an unquestionably viva nerd vibe sprinkled over the already undercooked and over expired geek fest.
Let’s be perfectly honest here, Fanboys is nothing to write home about. It’s filled with pro-geek gibberish that most people, like me, who haven’t been able to stay awake through a Star Wars movie will find little to enjoy. We’ve seen the same characters before. There’s the slacker, the two former best friends fighting, the biggest nerd of the group who can’t talk to woman and the girl who has a crush on him. It’s been overdone, overworked and as much as the team tries it’s just too difficult to turn tired jokes into fall of your chair fun.
But let’s look at it from a casual movie goer perspective. It’s not going to be the best movie you’ve seen but it’s certainly not the worst. If there’s nothing better to watch at the movies this weekend Fanboys will provide a few light laughs and may even make you feel better about yourself in some weird way.
Review
