2012: Week 38: Trouble with the Curve

Trouble with the Curve

Genre: Drama

Main Players: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman

General Gist: A veteraned baseball scout gets some (unsolicited and unwanted) help from his daughter when he realizes his eyes are starting to go and needs help keeping his job. 

Tiff's Take: 
So that whole thing about not going to a movie this past week?  Yeah, we lied.  We were both going out of town and didn't really think we'd be able to work one in.  As luck would have it, we were able to work one in AND go with our brother and sister-in-law.  Perfect!

I'll just start out by saying I really enjoyed this movie.  I've always been a fan of Amy Adams.  I think I've liked her in almost everything she's been in.  She sort of comes off as this American Sweetheart type actress but I'm always surprised when she can be a little rougher around the edges.  She had a little bit of that edge in this one.  I can't say whether I really like or dislike Clint Eastwood but he was a good fit for the role of grouchy dad/ baseball scout.  Together, they were spot on.  And Justin Timberlake is always good to me.  I think he is talented and just plain funny.  I liked him as the love interest.

This movie had a little bit of everything.  It was serious (I teared up many times), if was funny, it had love and sports.  How could you go wrong with that?  My sister-in-law, who is sort of picky when it comes to movies, loved it.  My brother said it was good but didn't quite rave like we did.  Take that how you will.    

Tiff's Rate: A very solid Friday Night

Deb's Take:

Well, I guess we are addicted.  Not only did we not miss this week, we actually saw two movies. One was on our verrrryyy long flight to Reno (and Cleveland, and San Francisco) and the other with my brother and sister in law.  After reading Tiff's review there is a little repeat here, but we always knew we are a like.

My husband saw this movie and enjoyed it.   He didn’t say a whole lot about it though.  My brother was only mildly impressed, or mildly unimpressed, whichever way you want to look at it.  With two small girls he and my sister in law don’t get to movies much.  He said it was “predictable.”  My sister in law disagreed, she liked it because there was closure.  At the end, everything was neatly resolved and all situations were how they were intended. 

I agree with both of them, the movie was predictable.  Amy Adams and Clint Eastwood did well as a father/daughter pair.  I enjoyed the relationship, its turmoil and its resolve.  I am becoming more impressed with Justin Timberlake as an actor as well.  He plays the boyfriend role well.  He and Amy Adams seemed to have nice chemistry.  The movie was touching, funny and full of relationship…everything a good Hollywood Movie tries to be…Hence my brother’s lack of excitement  and my sister in laws praise.  Yes, the movie was predictable and ended all tied up in a bow at the end, nothing outstanding but not awful either.  I have to say the highlight was spending time with my family though.

Deb's Rate: Friday Night

Preview: Since we actually had a movie to review we'll post the infamous Bonus Reviews later this week. 

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.