Archives for January 2011

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: The Natalie Portman Movie We Aren’t Excited About

Posted on January 9, 2011 Written by ripitup

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits starring Natalie Portman, Scott Cohen and Lisa Kudrow.Image via ioncinema.com

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: The Natalie Portman Movie We Aren’t Excited About

I’m looking forward to see Natalie in Thor and maybe even in No Strings Attached but I can’t say the same about Love and Other Impossible Pursuits.

Why?

Well, let’s walk through the storyline:

Emilia Greenleaf is in for a rough ride when she meets and falls in love with her older colleague Jack (Scott Cohen). Jack is married with a kid (Charlie Tahan). When he gets divorced from Carolyne (Lisa Kudrow) and marries Emilia, Carolyne finds it difficult to get along with her stepson. Things get even more difficult for her when she gets pregnant and then loses the baby. It is not like Carolyne will be helpful at all. Can Emilia find a way to get over her loss and connect with Jack’s son?

I’m sure the acting is lovely. But the story? I find it extremely hard to sympathize with Jack. He says he hasn’t done “this” before – this being he never cheated on his wife before. Congratulations, Jack. Let’s get you a medal. So he leaves his wife for the younger model. It can be true love, but since Jack didn’t bother to walk away from his marriage before, I am not going to respect or tolerate him.

So Emilia falls in love with Jack. I am sure if she paid attention, there would be a lot of decent single or divorced man around. But no, Jack is “the one”.

I feel bad that she loses her own baby but it is a big stretch that anyone expects Carolyne to be nice to Emilia. Sure, maybe if enough time passed, she could be distant and polite. But come on…who wants to be nice to the other woman?

So, yeah Natalie Portman’s character is in for a tough ride, but she signed up for it willingly, apart from of course the loss of her baby. But her grief and attempts to connect with the kid aren’t enough elements to lure me in. Her acting may be good but come on…this is Portman. When is her acting ever bad?

And as a Lisa Kudrow fan, I might just stick to Friends re-runs. Or watch P.S. I love you again. After all man who stayed in love with his wife for 9 years and helped her cope with his own death makes for a better story, at least in my book.

Based on the novel of Ayelet Waldman and written and directed by Don Roos.

Other Posts feat. Natalie Portman

Coming Soon:Thor starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins & Natalie Portman

Overrated: Closer starring Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts & Jude Law

Preview: No Strings Attached starring Portman & Ashton Kutcher

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman

Other Posts feat. Lisa Kudrow

P.S. I Love You starring Gerard Butler, Hillary Swank & Jeffrey Dean Morgan feat. Lisa Kudrow

Hollywood Stars in Friends

Lost Girl starring Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried & Ksenia Solo

Posted on January 8, 2011 Written by ripitup

Lost Girl starring Anna Silk, Kris Holden-Ried & Ksenia Solo. Image via blog.xvidivx.com.

Characters & Plot Summary of Episode 1

Bo (Anna Silk)has grown up believing that she’s an “unwilling” serial killer. After all, she has the uncontrollable tendency to drain the life out of people either through kissing or sex. What she can control though is her ability to seduce people with a single touch, hence getting whatever she needs.

When she kills a potential rapist and saves a young girl named Kenzi (Ksenia Solo), her abilities are exposed. She wants to leave town like she always does but Kenzi wants to stick with her. After all, you can hardly beat a friend who has abilities like that…

What Bo doesn’t know is that she is not a human but a succubus- a supernatural being that feeds off human energy. She also doesn’t know that there is whole different world called the Fae, consisting of different creatures – shapeshifters, demons and others included.

Most of the Fae live among humans, disguising their Fae nature. They work at normal human jobs and use their resources to Fae benefits. Such to Fae are Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried )and Hale ( K.C. Collins) . The Fae have divided into two major groups: light and dark. Dyson & belong to the Light Fae, working as cops. That’s how they discover the existence of Bo.

They abduct Kensi and let her know about the rules, and why she needs to choose between sides. The dark side wouldn’t mind killing her, but the Light Fae insists she is tested- the old way. Meaning: she has to fight to the death with two powerful demons. Knowing Bo’s powers, Dyson transfers some of his strength to her through a kiss.

Of course Bo survives. However she is too stubborn and independent to join either side. But because she was powerful enough to beat two strong creatures on her own, the Fae World’s bartender – Light Fae, Trick (Richard Howland) advises they observe her and not kill her.

Dyson lets Kenzi and Bo go, telling them they can call him whenever they need help.

From then on, Kenzi sets up a detective agency so that they can make money the legal way through Bo’s power. Kenzi & Dyson help Bo control her hunger. Bo also gets assistance from the human doctor Lauren (Zoie Palmer), who is working with the Light Fae. Enchanted by Bo’s beauty, Lauren also medicates her to control her hunger. The side-effect however is that it diminishes her ability to heal on the spot. But Bo knows that having sex with Dyson will be the fastest way & most fun way to restore her health so the she doesn’t mind the side effect.

Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) & Bo (Anna Silk). Image via serialetari.com

Of course Dyson is her first and probably only real Fae friend & ally and the growing connection as well as attraction will make it hard for their relationship to be just physical. Throw in Trick’s objections, as well as Lauren’s interest in Bo and Bo’s life had never been more complicated.

Verdict: LOVE IT!

Lost Girl is a fun & refreshing little gem for all supernatural TV series. It is a good show without any leading vampire characters. It is also refreshing that it hasn’t really limited itself with PG-13 or R-rated scenes. Sometimes there is much blood and gore, and sometimes not so much. And the sex scenes are a cross between The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, both nudity& intensitywise.

Characters (Actors) from left: Trick (Richard Howland), Kenzi (Ksenia Solo), Hale (K.C. Collins), Bo (Anna Silk) , Lauren (Zoie Palmer) and Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) — Characters (Actors) from left: Trick (Richard Howland), Kenzi (Ksenia Solo), Hale (K.C.Collins), Bo (Anna Silk), Lauren (Zoie Palmer)&Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) Image:sinetif.com

Sure, not all the Fae characters are as easy on the eye. And the Fae creatures can be as ugly as the demons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer but they fit in with the concept.

The show is entertaining on all grounds: it is mysterious, sexy, romantic and funny all at the same time.

Season 1 has 13 episodes and season 2 is due back in September, 2011.

Oh, and the soundtrack is to die for!

Fun note: Bo is bi-sexual and bi-Fae. Guess what happens when Dyson keeps an emotional distance?

Fun Spoilers – don’t worry they are minor!

– The first kiss between Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried) & Bo (Anna Silk) happens in episode 1.

– The first time Dyson and Bo have sex is at the end of episode 2.

– Dyson is a shapeshifter: he can turn into a wolf at will. He shows this to Kenzi in episode 2, but we already figure out in episode 1 – the teeth he shows during fighting was a big clue;)

– Hottest sex scene between Dyson and Bo: Episode 8, the very first scene.

Also on Kris Holden-Ried

Touch of Pink starring Jimi Mistry & Kris Hoden-Ried

Other Supernatural Shows Covered

And Soon the Darkness starring Amber Heard, Odette Yustman & Karl Urban

Posted on January 7, 2011 Written by ripitup

And Soon The Darkness starring Amber Heard, Karl Urban & Odette Yustman.

Close friends Ellie and Stephanie (Amber Heard) are on a bicycle trip through Argentina. Their final stop is a small town, where the locals seem to either menacing, or worried that they are travelling on their own.

Stephanie isn’t particularly thrilled that Ellie (Odette Yustman) is flirting for the both of them. While she hooks up with a local, she tries to get the attention of Michael (Karl Urban) –another tourist- for Stephanie. Michael doesn’t seem interested, although he warns Ellie not to leave Stephanie alone.

The girls miss their bus the next morning. They go to a secluded area for exploration, a place that proves to be exactly the wrong time and place to have a fight with each other. Stephanie takes off, leaving Ellie behind. Ellie is too stubborn to follow. By the time she decides to meet Steph, it is too late. Ellie is abducted.

Steph realizes something is wrong but there is no one to trust, except for Michael- whose actions seem dubious and the policeman Calvo (César Vianco), who can’t have been more nonchalant about the whole thing.

With so many girls gone missing, is it possible that there is more than one villain? And will Steph be able to save Ellie?

While I have to admit the trailer is cooler than the movie, the movie is not bad at all. The major problem the movie is that even though it is not a teen-slasher (thankful for that!), the characters’ borderline stupidity certainly makes you feel like you are watching one. How stupid could Ellie be? And how idiotic could the seemingly rational and cautious Stephanie get when leaving Ellie alone? When looking for her on her own?

I can forgive characters acting stupidly during a fight or an escape but Ellie and Stephanie make so many things that make the abductor’s job so much easier. And as if we are not having enough idiotic decisions from the girls, Michael himself contributes to the crappy decisions.

It seems like screenwriters can’t write/re-write a movie (this one was based on the 1970 film And Soon the Darkness) with smart victims. They don’t have to be rational all the time, but it would have to be refreshing to see our potential victims be a little smarter.

But well, I guess if we go with the fact that there are many clueless people engaging in brainless activities, the movie shouldn’t be considered too much of a stretch.

It’s fun trying to guess who you should trust all the while seeing some nice and not-so-nice Argentina countryside.

Pop-corn thriller that is above mediocre. 6.5 for the effort. 1/10 to how well the characters’ brain works. Still, And Soon the Darkness makes one long and great commercial for “what not to do” during a girls-only holiday.

Stone starring Edward Norton, Robert De Niro, Milla Jovovich & Frances Conroy

Posted on January 6, 2011 Written by ripitup

Stone starring Edward Norton, Robert De Niro, Milla Jovovich & Frances Conroy

Whoa. I just watched Stone and I feel a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders. Stone ended up being one of the worst disappointments ever.

I admit I had high expectations. Although I didn’t expect an original plot, I wanted interesting characters, a good direction (John Curran was directing) and a flowing story. I got none.

Here’s what happens in the film:

Stone (Edward Norton) is a convict, serving time for arson. He has to persuade the seasoned parole officer Jack (Robert De Niro) that he deserves early freedom. But he believes that it will be easier if his gorgeous wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) seduces Jack as well.

At first Jack is wary and unresponsive to Lucetta, but it doesn’t take that long for her to get him to have sex with her. But with two people as unstable as Lucetta and Stone, can Jack prevent his wife (Frances Conroy) from finding out?

Ok, the plot did seem entirely predictable before watching but I was relying on the director John Curran to make it worth. After all, he and Edward Norton gave us the wonderful The Painted Veil. But while not being as predictable as anticipated, Stone doesn’t deserve the label thriller at all. Yes, it is drama but I am not sure it even deserves that title. After all dramas are supposed to give you at least one character worth worrying about? Worth caring for?

Jack lives with his depressed, over-religious wife. But he alone is the one to blame for such a soulless existence. He treated his wife like she wasn’t even there over 4 decades ago and when she wanted to leave, he almost threw their kid out of the window. No, this really happened. He literally took his own child from the bed and threatened to throw her out! His wife freaked and stayed. And that scene was the only interesting scene of the movie.

Milla Jovovich plays Stone’s sex-crazed wife who seems to be mad about her husband- so mad in fact that she would seduce the much older Stone. But even before Stone, she gets to f*** some guy out of the blue. And in the daytime, she is a school teacher, teaching young children. Ouch.

And Stone sounds like stoned through the whole movie. Yes, Edward creatively invents a character but his rants grow old and boring pretty quickly.

The movie is soulless and well, I mostly blame it on the writer Angus MacLachlan.

Frankly, there are tens of other Norton and De Niro movies you should watch before you should waste time on this one. And hey, if you are in the mood for Norton’s weird rants, and all the weird religious talk on the radio…

Currently, at 6.0 on IMDB, it is annoyingly overrated. And this is coming from a major Norton fan.

Also on Edward Norton

Edward Norton Trivia

Leaves of Grass

Kingdom of Heaven

Down in the Valley

25th Hour

Fight Club

The Illusionist

The Painted Veil

American History X

Primal Fear