We're the Millers

When you think of the comedy genre of late, you would come up with a word that is used to describe activities that may exceed boundaries of common sense.  In case you are still wondering about what I am talking about, the word would be "slapstick".  And that is exactly what I expected from “We’re The Millers” when I walked in to the hall.  Surprisingly, I was in for much better than what I expected.

The Good Girl

This one is actually 10 years old this year. And I had a feeling I had seen it but could not recollect. About 10 minutes into the movie it all started coming back to me. And so did the reasons for not recollecting the movie. Considering that it was exceptionally slow and bordering on a bit loose in the head in terms of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character. But having committed to it, and not having reviewed it (which is an important reason for me these days to watch a movie ), I decided to stick to it and fight my heavy eye lids on my return flight from Brisbane to watch The Good Girl. Turns out that it was my immature self which found the movie to be not so great. It wasn’t a wasted hour and a half at the end of the day.

From a casting perspective, I would always have cast Jennifer Aniston in the role of Justine Last, a 30 something check in clerk at the local “Retail Rodeo” store. She has the “goody two shoes” aura about her coupled with “girl next door” looks which make her the ideal candidate for the role of a woman who is exceptionally frustrated with her marriage to Phil Last (John C Reilly). Phil is a painter by profession and basically lounges around at home after a hard day’s work and doesn’t make himself useful in any way. Another example of perfect casting. John C Reilly is so capable of playing the loser role that I sometimes think he has been typecast into such kind of roles for the rest of his life. Phil has another loser friend Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson) who gives him company in doing nothing.

Enter the mentally disturbed, Holden Worther (Jake Gyllenhaal), who has renamed himself form his birth name of Thomas after being inspired by Holden Caulfield. He is exceptionally frustrated about how the world doesn’t let people be what they actually want to be and helps Justine bring to life exactly the same emotions. The only difference being Justine is not wonky in the head and young Holden is half way there. But sparks fly enough for them to have an affair and get Justine seriously thinking about running away from the small town that they are in and start a new life.

The performances all round are very good and in line with the characters that the actors are supposed to play. A very young Jake Gyllenhaal exceeds himself surprisingly. However, director Miguel Arteta (6 ft under; Ugly Betty), could have added some amount of pace to the movie. He took the small town laid back life a bit too seriously is what I thought. For the not so regular movie goer, it could be a challenge in parts to sit through The Good Girl. But overall, a good effort form the entire crew for this 6 on 10. Watch it if you are OK with slow movies that take time to build up.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi519242009/

He's Just Not That Into You

I love the way this movie starts. The first few statements are simply superb. It actually solves the age old mysteries that I had about the female mind. You start watching He’s Just Not That Into You (HJNTIN) and it clears every little doubt about the convoluted female brain (I am certain to lose some female fan followers after this) that you may have had in your mind. Heres the way it goes. The theory says that as children most parents teach their young girls that, “Boys who behave badly with you actually have a crush on you”. This theory then morphs into statements such as, “He cannot handle your emotional maturity” OR “He cannot handle the fact that you are good looking” Or his capability to manage your success is very low”. All of these are statements made by closest friends and relatives who will follow it up by promptly saying, “But he loves you a lot you know”. And dim witted women actually get suckered into it!!!! =)) =)) I mean how difficult is it to believe that, “HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU”??? I could not have said it better.

HJNTIN follows the lives of 9 people who are in various stages of a relationship. And this narration is going to get very complicated. So please bear with me. We start with Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) who believes in putting herself out there as often as she can irrespective of whether her heart gets broken or not – lovely approach but needs an immensely strong heart. She is on a date with Connor (Kevin Connolly) who isn’t too interested in her but more interested in the sizzling hot Anna (Scarlett Johansson). But Anna doesn’t really care much about Connor. To her, Connor is just a squeeze which she uses when she is feeling low. Why she doesn’t see the merit in Connor is beyond my reasoning. Anna bumps into Ben (Bradley Cooper) at a supermarket. Ben is extremely smooth with her and charms her off her feet despite openly declaring that he is married to Janine (Jennifer Connelly). Janine and Ben are having severe problems with their married life and Anna is just the release Ben shouldn’t be looking for. His closest buddy, Neil (Ben Affleck) definitely doesn’t approve of this. Ben has been in a seven year releationship with Beth (Jennifer Aniston), is truly in love with her but doesn’t believe in marriage. Something that Beth is not willing to live with. Now Beth, Gigi and Janine are colleagues. In between all of this is Alex (Justin Long) who is Connors room mate and has trust issues. He appears to be extremely happy go lucky but does let anyone too close to himself. And yes, there is Janine’s good friend Mary (Drew Barrymore) who is struggling to come to terms with technology and how it has affected relationships.

Thrown into this complicated Khichdi (Goulash) are some great one liners (watch out for Drew Barrymore’s small monologue on the tech bit). The 9 people in the lead roles are given pretty much equal screen time and deliver some really solid performances. Ken Kwapis is the guy who also directed Dunston Checks in (Remember the chimpanzee movie?). Predominantly a TV director, he seems to be one of the rare cases of a TV director being quite good on his big screen ventures as well. Some good humour thrown into this heady mix of complicated relationships makes HJNTIY a very enjoyable flick – chick flick nevertheless and my love for them keeps growing. 7 on 10. I liked it. A lot. Most guys may not (I am the exception). Most girls will.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1239875865/

Just Go With It

Denis Dugan does it yet again. This is the second movie with the Adam Sandler – Denis Dugan combination that I am reviewing and I must say that there has been no improvement whatsoever. It could be a case of the director and actor have built a familiarity and there is no scope for further improvement. I would hazard a more drastic thought that they are probably the same person and that Dugan is just a front that Sandler and eventually gives us a movie that HE wants us to see. For the fifth time, Sandler and Dugan get together and give us a movie that is just about par for the course. In an adaptation of the 1969 classic Cactus Flower that starred Walter Mathau and was also the debut movie for Goldie Hawn. The only difference being that Cactus Flower was extremely tastefully made and is still remembered fondly in most circles. Just Go With It will be forgotten in a few moments after you move out of the hall.


Danny (Adam Sandler) is studying to be a doctor and is therefore a great catch for his would be wife. And the only reason the wife to be is willing to compromise on his horrendous looks (a really massive nose) is that he is a secure investment. And before I forget, she is as promiscuous as can be and has a romp in the sack with her ex boyfriend, the night before the wedding. Unfortunately for her, Danny over hears a conversation that she is having with her friends and is distraught to say the least. But things are about to change for the ugly Danny who decides to drown his sorrows in alcohol at the local bar and gets lucky… really lucky if you know what I mean. At this pivotal moment in his life, the medical student decides to keep his wedding ring and put up a front as being an unhappily married man thanks to an atrocious wife. He also chooses his area of specialization – Plastic Surgery – an extremely lucrative career in the developed world. And the wedding rings ensures that our good doctor continues to get his regular doses in the sack. Needless to say, he gets his nose also fixed soon enough to ensure that he doesn’t have any drawbacks whatsoever. This keeps going on for a few years but soon enough he finds himself not only attracted to but very much falling for Palmer (Brooklyn Decker). But his wedding ring gets him into trouble this time around and to bail himself out, he seeks the help of his very average looking but extremely committed secretary, Katherine (Jennifer Aniston).

If you have seen Cactus Flower you will find JGWI to be a travesty to say the least. If you haven’t seen it, I would strongly recommend that you watch it sooner than later because it is a wonderful movie. Adam Sandler, cannot, is not and will not be a patch on Walter Mathau, a fact that would be endorsed by several people. The same can be said of the rest of the cast also. I would guess that the only difference between Goldie Hawn and Brooklyn Decker would be that on a hotness quotient, Brooklyn is ahead by a country mile and a half. But if it is a question of class, then everyone in Cactus Flower is miles ahead. Now don’t misunderstand me when I say this. I am a genuine fan of remakes but they should be done in the right manner and tastefully. After JGWI, I am compelled to make a request for an organization that screens these remakes before the release. A just about average movie at best. 4.5 on 10 is what I would give it. Watch it on DVD if you have nothing else to do.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1443666457/

Office Space

This one is an ode to all of my programmer / IT friends. Surely you would have in your times in the country or outside it, experienced several of the points that have been shown in Office Space. Experiences that are gut wrenchingly frustrating and makes your want to really beat someone up – especially if that someone is your project manager or one of your several bosses. And that too for matters that are excruciatingly insignificant but would be portrayed as the most important thing that has ever happened in the history of the organization. We are talking about the pain, that people who are otherwise known as “cubicle dwellers” or are known to indulge in what is called as “prarier dogging”, go through on a daily basis.


Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is one such programmer for a small firm that goes by the name of Initech. His life is being converted into a living nightmare thanks to one of his 8 bosses Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole). Bill is designated as the Vice President of Operations or something to that extent, the primary benefit for which is an exclusive parking lot with his name on it. And then there is the aspect of Peter’s anorexic and extremely irritating girlfriend Anne (Alexandra Wentworth) who Peter believes is cheating on him but is desperate to make it work – haven’t we seen that before. As a last ditch effort, Peter agrees to accompany Anne to a occupational hypnotherapist who can probably help him out. But as the shrink is performing his hypnosis, he suffers a massive heart attack and just dies right in front of Peter. Peter, although not hypnotized feels something snapping inside his head and decides to do exactly what he wants to do going forward starting with dumping Anne and then not reporting for work on the weekend.

Simultaneously, Initech has recruited a couple of “consultants” Bob Slydell (John C McGinley) and Bob Porter (Paul Wilson) whose job is to assess what each one of the people @ Initech are upto – in short, they are here to fire people. In the process they decide to move out Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu – no IT movie can be complete without an Indian right), Michael Bolton (David Herman – yes his name is Michael Bolton but he doesn’t like any of his songs) and Tom Smykowski (Richard Riehle – an employee of 30 years) amongst several other not so significant characters. Peter though, thanks to his care a damn attitude, gets portrayed as the next big senior manager by the Bobs much to the surprise of Peter’s bosses. Thanks to his movement, he gets to know of that Samit and Michael are being fired. Together they hatch a plan to load a virus into the organization payroll that takes away a fraction of a cent for every transaction and puts it into an account which would over a period of 2 years get them a reasonable sum of money. As good as stealing. But will they be able to get away with it?

Office Space is based on the animated short series titled “Milton” by the director Mike Judge who is primarily known for his Beavis and Butt-head series that created a minor rage in the second half of the 90s. Hot on its heels is where Mike Judge released Office Space – smart move which would probably indicate why it is rated @ nearly 8 stars on imdb which is way too high for a movie of this quality. There is not much acting on display. Surprisingly it is not a slapstick comedy like a Beavis & Butt-head and truly tries to portray what our programmer friends go through. Entertaining in parts but not really too great. But, considering that the only semblance of a know actor would be Jennifer Aniston who plays the part of furniture, quite a decent effort. I would go no where close to the 8 stars that imdb calls out. 5 on 10 from my end.

Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4159963929/

Marley & Me

“A Dog doesn’t care if you give him diamonds or gold. He just needs a wet stick. A Dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor or live a huge house. Give him your heart and he will him yours back. How many people can you say that about? How many people really make you feel extraordinary”?

I loved the last line of the movie and if you are dog lovers then you would too. Not because its feel good and deep and etc. etc. But because only a dog lover would understand that the statement is 120% true!!!!

John Grogan (Owen Wilson) is an up and coming journalist who has always wanted to be a reporter. Jenny Grogan (Jennifer Aniston) on the other hand writes for the Palm Beach Post but gets much more importance than John. Nope this is not leading towards a friction between husband and wife. Both are very much in love and do not really consider the other as competition. Ideal nah? Sad that life unfortunately is not the same way.

Sebastian (Eric Dane) is John’s more prominent reporter colleague who writes front page news unlike John. Now Jenny wants to go the family way and John is lets say, not quite ready for it. Over a conversation Sebastian suggests that John should get a dog since they are the best way to prepare for a baby (I second that opinion) And therefore for Jenny’s birthday, John decides to surprise her with a puppy. Now, I am a huge dog lover (for those who know me) and seriously found the scene with 6-7 golden lab puppies irresistible to say the least.

And they name him Marley after the Bob variety.

However, what they were not prepared for is the fact that Marley is one hyper active li’l beast whose only passion in life is to completely wreak havoc with the house. Now I say that’s one normal dog . But, not only does Marley bring in happiness at home but also luck. John is able to crack a deal with Arnie Klien (Alan Arkin) for writing 2 columns a week to discuss everyday life in general. Marley becomes his inspiration for the column.

What follows is the life of an everyday family who tries to cope with the nuances of having a growing dog at home. The movie shows very common place situations that every dog owner would be familiar with. The irritation at the constant demand for attention, the disgust at the poop and pee in all the wrong or the right places, the trauma of cleaning up a house that has been ripped to shreds when u were away. The usual stuff. But all that is replaced with the unconditional love that one receives when s/he is back from a tiring day at work.

One failed pregnancy and a trip to Ireland later, John and Jenny are finally blessed with a baby boy Patrick. He is followed by another boy Connor and then a daughter Colleen. As the pressures of the family get to the couple, Jenny in a moment of weakness asks Marley to be sent away. Reluctantly John agrees to the idea and leaves Marley with Sebastian. However, like most people, they quickly realize that a dog is an integral part of a family and not just a pet.

Probably for the first time, a movie handles the bringing up of a dog and the effects it has on an normal family. The transition from being perceived as an incorrigible brat to an inseperable part of the family. The panic that sets in when he decides to run away. The pain that one goes through when he falls ill. The immense vacuum that is left in your life when he passes away :’)

The movie is well directed by David Frankel (Devi Wears Prada, 6 episodes of SATC). Imagine having to use 22 dogs in the same movie to play one part. Would have been one really difficult experience. But he comes out trumps.

This is the first time I have seen Owen Wilson playing a serious kind of role and not something dreadfully slapstick. I think he does a really good job. Jen Aniston is as always successful in playing the kind of woman, every man would like to get married to. I think she is getting to be an expert in the same after Bruce Almighty, He’s just not that into you, Love Happens and many others over the past decade. Alan Arkin as always is superb in his execution of Arnie Klien.

Marley and Me is a wonderful movie to catch with your family on a Sunday afternoon. Just like I did. It also gives you reason to change your mind about not getting a dog – if u were undecided till date. Trust me, it would be the best decision you take. And while you are at it, adopt a stray. Score for the movie – 5 on 10….. actually 6 on 10. Marley independently deserves to take the movie a notch higher.