Funny People
Funny People (2009)
★★ / ★★★★
“Funny People,” written and directed by Judd Apatow, stars a bunch of funny people: Adam Sandler as a senior comedian who discovers that he has a fatal disease, Seth Rogen as an aspiring comedian who Sandler hires to write jokes for him, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman as Rogen’s flatmates, Leslie Mann as Sandler’s ex-lover and Eric Bana as Mann’s unfaithful husband. Unfortunately, the material was not as funny as I expected it to be. In fact, it was quite serious because the lead character was obviously depressed because of his doomed fate. There were a few jokes with chuckling from here and there but there were no laugh-out-loud funny moments as they were in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” or “Knocked Up.” If Apatow was aiming for some sort of a dark comedy because it did (or was supposed to) have jokes about death, then I believe it completely failed on that level. I had major problems with Sandler’s character because I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to feel sorry for him. Not for one second did I feel bad for him because he was a jerk even to those who obviously cared for him. When his character finally met up with Mann after years of not seeing each other, he fell in love with her all over again but I didn’t buy it. After all, how could a guy who didn’t value himself and his friendships value some kind of a romantic relationship (and a flimsy one at that)? The film wasn’t logical and it should have been because this picture was supposed to be for adults. I was more interested in the angle regarding what it took to be a successful comedian instead of Sandler’s so-called plight. I enjoyed the cameos from Sarah Silverman, Andy Dick, Charles Fleischer, Eminem, Ray Romano, and others. With such a brilliant cast who are very funny in other movies, this film failed to take risks. Instead it featured one contrived and sometimes uncomfortable moments on top of one another. If it weren’t for the breathers (such as the cameos) that had nothing to do with the drama in the character’s depressing lives, I would have been harsher with this picture. If you’re a fan of any of the names mentioned, then by all means, see it. However, I warn you to not expect too much because it doesn’t have enough meat to carry a two-hour-and-thirty-minute feature.
Eye of the Beholder, The Incredibles, I Know What You Did Last Summer
Eye of the Beholder
[ 1 star out of 4 ]
I usually like Ewan McGregor in every film he’s in but this one is an exception. Not only is this movie without purpose, it goes all over the place in a very boring way. This is one of those films that made me want to go to sleep no matter how much I tried to pay attention to it. The acting is pretty bad but I don’t completely blame the actors because the script is even worse. Maybe the actors didn’t know what or why the heck their characters are saying what they’re saying so the inspiration wasn’t there. I feel like the direction, too, is to blame because the story is just so inert. For a movie less than an hour and fifty minutes long, it felt longer than that because there’s no progression in the story whatsoever. The scenery may change but the characters don’t change in any insightful way. The characters started out very flawed and ended the same way, not learning a thing about their experiences. In the end I said, “What!” out loud because I feel like I was cheated. I urge everyone to stay away from this movie because it does not make any sense.
Incredibles, The
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
This is one of the many great Pixar films because it’s extremely family-friendly and it doesn’t get old after one viewing. It’s smart enough to focus on characterization during the first forty-five minutes and saving the action-adventure for the rest of its running time. After the audiences are familiar enough with the basics of the characters, each of them are put on the spotlight and shows us their strengths and weaknesses both as superheroes and regular human beings. Even though it’s full of energy, it doesn’t sacrifice its intelligence when it comes to its script and visual candy. I was impressed with some of the ideas of this film such as the superheroes getting sued because some people did not want to be saved, the superheroes going underground because their actions are no longer appreciated, and the superheroes eventually rising up from the ashes like phoenixes. Finally, I admired its soundtrack which reminded me of spy films like the “James Bond” franchise and television shows like “Alias.” Despite all the attractions for children, this film contains adult-oriented jokes found in Bob and Helen’s marriage, humour about fashion such as Edna’s observations about designers and supermodels, and even a big reference to Eminem’s song called “Stan.” Suffice to say, this movie is quite, well, incredible.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
It may seem like a typical slasher movie on the outside but I was surprised when I realized how much suspense this movie had. The actual kills are rarely shown, which is a good thing, because the horror lies in the chases and the killer hiding in the shadows. I liked that there’s only four main characters: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. The audience didn’t get to know them as much as we should have but they’re not exactly boring either. This movie preys on people’s fears: when someone’s actively trying to run you over, someone hiding in your house but you not knowing about it, and hearing strange noises in your car when you’re driving alone are some effective chills that this film has to offer. I did have a major problem with the script, though, because the dialogue made my eyes roll. I feel like the characters were not that intelligent or they didn’t talk like they’re in college. This movie kept me guessing who the killer was up until the end and it was suspenseful. Those two alone are enough for me to recommend this.
