Peep World
Peep World (2010)
★★ / ★★★★
It was Henry Meyerwitz’ (Ron Rifkin) 70th birthday and his children were less than happy to celebrate over dinner. Nathan (Ben Schwartz), the youngest of the clan, wrote a book called “Peep World,” an extremely accurate portrayal of his dysfunctional family. Cheri (Sarah Silverman), his only sister, hated him for exposing her idiosyncrasies and self-loathing. On the other hand, Jack (Michael C. Hall), the eldest, was the responsible one. His architectural business was about to collapse because he was easy with money. When Joel (Rainn Wilson), the least ambitious sibling, called to ask for help in terms of pecuniary matters, Jack was always willing to lend a hand. Written by Peter Himmelstein, “Peep World” had the ingredients to construct a truly scathing film about family members who just did not mesh well. Unfortunately, the writing was limited. I noticed that it consistently went for easy laughs when it didn’t need to. For instance, Nathan, concerned about his tendency to prematurely ejaculate, turned to a dubious-looking doctor for a solution. Naturally, the drug didn’t work and it left his penis erect for several hours. There was a painful scene in which Nathan had to deliver a public reading and he desperately tried to hide the bulge in his pants. As the scene unfolded, I couldn’t help but think that the material was better than it was. Why lean on slapstick instead of further observing the seething rage within the family? All of Henry’s children were messed up in some way and they blamed him for how they turned out. But I found it odd that there was not a single scene of Henry prior to the uncomfortable, to say the least, dinner sequence. When Henry was on that table ready to celebrate his birthday and ecstatic to see his children, I just felt sorry for him because no one was really there to celebrate the father’s life. Perhaps we weren’t supposed to take Henry’s side despite not knowing much about him, but when he went around that table and pointed out to his children what he had done for them, I just saw the four as ungrateful brats. None of them would have gotten away with so much in my family. I do have to single out Taraji P. Henson as Joel’s supportive girlfriend. Out of everyone, her character was the one I identified with the most. She was a strong and honest person without having to be cruel, so unlike everyone else in the film. I wanted to know more about her. Henson was fantastic; when she shared a shot with all the other actors as they screamed at each other’s faces, I found my eyes being drawn to her. Since I related to her most, I wanted to see her facial expressions and how she processed the many spilled secrets of the broken family she was about to be a part of. Directed by Barry W. Blaustein, “Peep World” was occasionally brilliant yet filled with critical missteps which significantly weighed down the project. Although capable, the material didn’t soar.
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.
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, Sex and the City, The Strangers
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With
[ 3 stars out of 4 ]
This is a really short full feature film but it was really enjoyable. Pretty much each scene has something funny about it because it’s raw and honest. The movie comments on pretty much everything: the hypocrisy between the way people think and the way people act, the showbiz industry, relationships, and family. The pace is very brisk so it was never boring. Sarah Silverman is a bowl of sunshine. Every time she’s on screen, I have this silly smile on my face because I constantly anticipate for her to say or do something funny. And she delivers. Unfortunately, what prevents this movie from becoming great is that it could feel a little choppy. Choppy in a way that it feels more like it belongs on television than in the cinema. With better flow, even if it means adding an extra ten or fifteen minutes to the film, would’ve elevated this film. Still, I’m recommending this movie because it really did make me laugh and feel good about myself. Plus, I don’t see a lot of indie comedies out there that are both good-hearted and works in pretty much every level. If one wants to see comedians play characters in a movie, I’d say go see this one.
Sex and the City
[ 4 stars out of 4 ]
I only watched the early seasons but that didn’t prevent me from thoroughly enjoying this movie. I’m glad that it had some sort of an introduction to familiarize those that haven’t seen a single episode or people like me that didn’t see it until the end. Even though this is about two and a half hours long, it barely felt like two hours because it was full of ups and downs, interesting characters, fantastic fashion, and beautiful people. Each main actress–Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon–had something special to offer so I was glad that the film featured each of them at one point or another. I love that there is no perfect, cookie-cutter character because perfection is not what “Sex and the City” is about. It’s about problems: how people deal with the problems, moving on, and how to deal with similar problems in the future, all of which are wrapped in a feminist point of view. What I’m surprised about is how much gravity it had… especially after a certain event (you’ll know what I’m referring to once you watch it). It wasn’t handled in a cliched way but it’s delicate and touching enough to be close to perfection. The movie is so consistently funny, I had a smile from beginning to end. In fact, I wanted it to continue because I wanted to know more about what would happen to the characters. I’m glad they made a movie because it had the chance to give something truly special to its fans. Even though most guys will most definitely not like it, women will more than enjoy it. Fortunately, I’m one of those guys that did enjoy its brilliance. I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel!
Strangers, The
[ 2 stars out of 4 ]
I had high expectations coming into this film because its trailer was really good. I was really disappointed with movie because there weren’t enough thrills. With its running time of barely an hour and thiry minutes, it spent too much of its time trying to get its audiences to care for its characters. But when the “scares” actually finally happened, it was more laughable than anything because the characters made one stupid decision after another like most horror films out there. Liv Tyler is pretty good because she conveyed a lot of different emotions but her character was helpless most of the time. I would’ve liked to see her a bit tougher and less terrorized. For a short full feature film, I feel like they ran around the house for five hours, not really accomplishing anything other than waste my time. The factor that saved this movie for me was Glenn Howerton. When he finally appeared on screen, he was kind of amusing and the tension was at its peak because he arrived when everything was happening all at once. A few scenes like those made it somewhat entertaining. As for the rest of the picture, it didn’t make much sense nor was it truly terrifying. I came out of the theater thinking “Wow, that’s it?” and most people did, too. Just Netflix it when it comes out. It’s not worth the ten dollars.
