2014: Week 17: The Other Woman

The Other Woman

Genre:  Romantic Comedy

Main Players:  Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

General Gist:  A wife finds that her husband is having an affair and soon befriends his lover, only to find there is another lover.  The three woman plot to beat him at his own game.

Deb's Take:   
I like Leslie Mann a lot.  She's quirky, and odd and funny to me.  She makes me laugh and I enjoy watching her act.  I tend to not be a fan of Cameron Diaz.  I'm not sure why, but she just has never been impressive to me.  That being said, this movie was just okay for me.  I thought it was funny, in parts, but I think the story was weak.  The movie didn't have a lot of deep connections, the friendships were surface, at best, and the whole "must get revenge" was sort of out there.  By the end of the movie I think the writer was grasping for straws. I think it sort of fell apart and was just thrown together for closure.  Also, the movie wasn't really what I would call a "romantic" comedy.  It made me laugh, but didn't hold a lot of substance.   It wasn't awful, but I think watching it at home with a glass of wine and your BFF would be fine.

Deb's Rate:  Rent it 

Tiff's Take: 

I guess I'm just a tad bit more forgiving with this one then Deb.  Although not by much.  I like Leslie Mann too.  She's really funny and she made me laugh a lot in this movie.  I generally do like Cameron Diaz but in this she was just okay.  I haven't seen her in a movie in a while it seems.  She seems more harsh in her features than she used to be.  I guess that's not necessarily bad but she seems a little different as an actress.  Not sure it makes me like her better though.  So back to the movie.  There were some really funny parts but it was a little out there.  And yes, it seemed to lose track along the way.  But generally the chemistry between the actresses were good.  I have to say though I wasn't very impressed at all with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.  Especially with the funnier parts.  He didn't work well for me at all.

So just okay.  Some funny parts but not quite all there.
Tiff's Rate: Matinee

Preview:  Draft Day

2012: Week 20: What To Expect When You're Expecting

What To Expect When You're Expecting

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Main Players: Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, Brooklyn Decker (these are the main females, there are waaaay to many main players to list them all...)

General Gist:  Five interconnected couples are followed through the ups and downs of pregnancy and experiences of expecting a child.

Deb's Take:  This movie was another one of our many pre-screenings.  We are having so much fun!  We got to experience a movie at AMC Mainstreet regular theatre. (vs the Cinema Suites).  Very nice theatre, comfy chairs and a nice set-up of stadium seating. 

This movie had a lot key actors.  Both men and woman.  This was one of those movies that follows several (5) different couples yet they all are connected somehow.  I was a little surprised because the movie was actually quite different than I expected.  (kind of like having children!)  The previews really played up the comedy, funny aspect, but I didn't really feel like this movie was a comedy as much as a Drama.  There were funny parts for sure, but the whole meaning behind the film and the relationships dominated more than the comedy.  I did like that, as I do like drama, but I think the advertisements were trying to draw in the male audience, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were slightly disappointed.  I think this was a little bit more on the chick flick side.

I liked the acting, Elizabeth Banks has a great scene that many woman may be able to relate to, and I think the men all did well portraying life as fathers and fathers to be.  My favorite "relationship" was played by Anna Kendrick and Chace Crawford, however,  a few storylines hit on that sort of , roll your eyes, kind of dumb.  I liked the message the movie was sending...are we ever really ready to have kids?    Not bad for a pre-screening.

Deb's Rate: I waiver a little here....A good girls Friday night out, but a Matinee for you couples.

Tiff's Take:
I think I might be just a tad bit harsher with my review then Deb.  Like Deb, I felt like the previews were really playing up the comedy in this movie.  Going into the movie that's what I was expecting.  I left feeling like it was just so so.  There were more serious parts to this movie which I think would have worked really well with the funny parts but both were just a little lack luster.  The comedy could have been much funnier and the drama could have been more relatable.  I don't think I really felt a connection to many of the characters and their stories.  Also like Deb, I liked the relationship between Anna Kendrick's and Chace Crawford's characters the best.  They really had great chemistry.  On a side note, I have to say that every time I see Anna Kendrick in a movie I like her more and more.  I'm not sure what it is. 

Don't get me wrong, I thought this was a decent movie.  There were good laughs and even a time when I got teared up but this movie had so much more potential.  Unfortunately it left me a little disappointed. 

Tiff's Rate: Matinee

Preview: Might be struggling to find something this week.  Any suggestions??

Week 26: Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher was the movie for this week.  I have to admit I was a little more disappointed than Deb for this movie.  I wasn't expecting this movie to be great but I thought it would be funnier.  It turns out I was more annoyed with the characters than anything.

I generally like Cameron Diaz in most movies.  She usually plays characters that are easy to like.  For this one, not only did I not like her character but I was a little disgusted.  Okay, maybe disgusted is too strong of a word.  I'll go back to the word annoyed.  I was annoyed with her selfishness and annoyed with the absurdity of the story line.  I mean really, what teacher would get away with acting like her character did?  Does this mean I'm getting old?  I can't laugh at this kind of stuff anymore?  Maybe so. 

And I'm usually a fan of Justin Timberlake too.  Even he fell short for me.  The only character I thought was decent was the one played by Jason Segel.  He had a little more genuine quality to him even if he didn't have much chemistry with Cameron Diaz.  Lucy Punch's character was okay.  Dare I say, slightly annoying.

Overall the absurdity of this story should have been overshadowed by the humor.  It just wasn't for me.  I guess my funny bone wasn't working as well as Deb's for this week.

To Sum it up: Good actors who should have been funny but just plain...annoying.

Week 26: Bad Teacher

"Bad Teacher" was our movie of choice this week, starring Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch and Jason Segel. I can't really say this movie had any depth what so ever, it really was quite shallow and mindless, however, I laughed a lot and the comedy was good.

The movie was basically about a teacher, Elizabeth, played by Cameron Diaz who teaches for no other reason, then that she needs a job. Her primary goal is to find a rich man to take care of her, and she thinks Scott, played by Justin Timberlake, will fit the bill perfectly. Amy, played by Lucy Punch, can see that Elizabeth is shallow and only out for self fulfilling goals, and goes about trying to prove it. Russell, (jason Segel) is the gym teacher, and has a thing for Elizabeth, but does quite fit the bill for her.

All in all, like I said, pretty shallow and little depth, but for some reason the humor hit my funny bone today and I enjoyed it. The humor was raunchy, (not as bad as the hang over) definately an "R" rating, and if you are looking for a movie that challenges your mind in any way, this isn't it..but stupid humor? right no it!

Overall, makes you laugh, a little romance and mindless entertainment.