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Lay The Favorite Review: LTF starring Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hole, Joshua Jackson & Catherine Zeta Jones

Posted on November 17, 2012 Written by ripitup

Lay The Favorite starring Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall, Joshua Jackson & Catherine Zeta Jones — Image via teaser-trailer.com.

Based on the autobiography of Beth Raymer, Lay the Favorite is the story of the highly colorful background of the writer:

Beth Raymer (Rebecca Hall) gets tired of her weird clients as a stripper, and decides to live the glamorous life a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. No, seriously-she does think that it is the adventure of a lifetime. But before she can land a job as a waitress, she lands a job as a sports bettor next to the interesting Dink (Bruce Willis), who immediately takes a liking to this weirdly naive ex-stripper/porn site entrepreneur/star. Of course no wife (Catherine Zeta Jones) will be pleased to see Beth liking her husband too much, so things get a tad complicated for Beth. And to add more to the complications, she meets the cute writer Jeremy (Joshua Jackson), who happens to be the first normal guy she gets involved with.

Frankly, I prefer the trailer to the movie. I had no idea that it was a memoir, and I’d thought that I would just see a fun, if not a little quirky, comedy about 4 interesting people. Instead I got a movie that seemed off in many directions, and despite the good cast, I just couldn’t get into it. And when you can’t get into a movie your mind wanders:

11 Things Lay The Favorite Might Make You Think

1) I was thinking why anyone would want to tell this story, then I realized it was a memoir. So truth is stranger than fiction.

2) Apparently people can have sex first and have a relationship later.

3) Shy people can run porn sites and strip.

4) Diablo Cody (Juno) is not the only ex-stripper that became a successful writer.

5) Catherine Zeta Jones is still beautiful.

6) Joshua Jackson could star in Benjamin Button the Sequel- that guy does not look 34! Apply little eye cream, and he could still star as a high school senior.

7) Beth Raymer is one protagonist that is borderline impossible to identify with.

8) Bruce Wills in comedy is fun in small doses, but I’d rather have him go around kicking ass and saving the day. Can A Good Day to Die Hard come to the theaters already?

9) As much as I like Vince Vaughn, even I’m retiring from watching him play a fast-talking gambler/player/swinger/bookie. Remember the times he did movies like Cell or Return to Paradise?

10) I’d rather have Stephen Frears direct period pieces. Remember that stunning movie Dangerous Liasions?

11) I want to read Beth Raymer rather than watch a movie based on her. She has been published in pretty prestigious magazines after getting a writing MFA.

Also on the Cast

Joshua Jacskson:

Fringe starring Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv & John Noble

The Shadow Dancer- romantic drama starring Joshua Jackson, Harvey Keitel & Claire Forlani

BRUCE WILLIS:

Red starring Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Karl Urban, Morgan Freeman & Helen Mirren

Surrogates starring Bruce Willis & Rosamund Pike

Top 5 Movie Endings feat. The Sixth Sense

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors feat. Willis and Travolta

What Ricky Gervais said on 2011 Golden Globes about Bruce

10 Celebrity Break-ups You Didn’t See Coming

CATHERINE ZETA-JONES

Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce & Catherine Zeta-Jones

REBECCA HALL

The Awakening starring Rebecca Hall & Dominic West: Good Enough

Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona starring Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall and Penélope Cruz

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Review for A Royal Affair starring Mads Mikkelsen: Denmark’s Submission to the Oscars

Posted on November 10, 2012 Written by ripitup

Trailer, Expectations, Premise

I’d been looking forward to see A Royal Affair, and I am so glad it didn’t disappoint. It was as exquisite, touching, romantic and inspirational as I expected to be. And while it is primarily a romance/drama period piece, it has its genuinely funny moments.

It is one of those movies whose trailer gives you all the main points: a love affair between the queen and her husband’s physician, the idealistic views of the lovers making things even more complicated and the quite unique relationship between the doctor and the king.

However this is not a thriller, and we were never expecting plot twists. The trailer is supposed to be just a taste of what’s the come, and it does a wonderful job of doing that.

But while the affair gets to be the catalyst of bigger events, the movie is so much more than a love story (though it has become one of my favorite love stories ever).

The movie is about an era when personal freedom or free press doesn’t exist. When free-thinking get you despised or in trouble, and even if you are a princess, you don’t have a lot of options. And politics is as about personal interests, religious influences and manipulation as ever.

Plot

Denmark’s young king Christian (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) couldn’t have been less suitable for being a king: he is impulsive, childish, inappropriate and…well, he looks and acts crazy. He’d much rather sleep around with hookers, drink a lot and be oblivious to anything else around him. Of course this serves the court’s interest, as they do whatever they want and just get Christian’s signature. So while the court thrives, the country is in a horrible state: people are dirt poor, there is no freedom of speech or press, there’s corporal punishment for prisoners and serfs…

When English princess Caroline Mathilde (Alicia Vikander) marries the king, she is willing to make the best of the arrangement. However her romantic illusions disappear when Christian treats her horribly, making her avoid him for good as soon as she delivers a son.

But things at the kingdom things are about to change tremendously with the arrival of Doctor Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), who has charmed the king with his unique way of approaching him. He is everything the court despises: a free-thinker.

Christian decides that Struensee can make the “boring” queen fun, and Struensee quickly realizes that she is a lot more like him than he initially realized, and as they spend more time together, the attraction and friendship soon turn into something much more intense.

They also realize that, together, using Struensee’s friendship with the king, can make a positive impact on the country. But everything will turn out to be a lot harder than they thought…

What Makes It Special: Set in the 18^th Century, Yet Extremely Relevant

I’m absolutely in love with this movie. Hope it gets picked to be one of the foreign film Oscar nominees (and wins, should it be nominated.) It is just my kind of love story: two people share a connection on many levels, there is intense mutual love, they have fun together and most importantly, they fall for each other because of who they are- they can be totally themselves next to each other.

Then there are the universal and timeless concepts of freedom, freedom of expression (even those who are supposedly free don’t have that freedom here), individuality, oppression, religion, politics, ideals and sacrifice.

Last, but not least, there is the “unique” love triangle where the person loved by two people is not the queen, but the doctor. Christian despairs at the possibility of losing Struensee, and he started to enjoy the idea of being a king after he got into the picture.

In addition to the wonderful story, the acting is superb, and the set decoration as well as costume design would probably win Oscar nominations, had this not been a foreign language film. It has 2 Silver Berlin Bears: Best Script and Best Actor (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard).

While the movie as a whole can appeal to the masses, it will please period romance/drama lovers and Mads Mikkelsen fans even more. It might also come across as more meaningful for people who find that they don’t quite belong with the majority and society’s expectations.

It’s worth seeing more than once.

Also on Mads Mikkelsen

Elsker dig for evigt (Open Hearts) starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sonja Richter & Nikolaj Lie Kaas

After the Wedding starring Mads Mikkelsen – 2007 Best Foreign Film Oscar Nominee

Mads Mikkelsen Trivia

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Magic Mike starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey & Cody Horn

Posted on November 4, 2012 Written by ripitup

Magic-Mike-Movie-Poster — Image via seat42f.com.

Loosely based on Channing Tatum’s year as a stripper, Magic Mike tells the story of a star stripper (Channing Tatum), trying to build a different future for himself while not being quite able to stay away from the fun his profession comes with: lots of cash, easy pretty women and great parties. But he doesn’t question his choices more than he has to until he meets Brooke (Cody Horn), the older sister of Adam (Alex Pettyfer), their newest stripper. She isn’t happy with her carefree brother’s job, but he seems to be having a blast, and Mike promises to take care of him.

Of course in between trying to teach Adam the ropes, dealing with his own life crisis, keeping his promise to Brooke and his attraction towards her…he just might be in over his head.

Magic Mike is a Steven Soderbergh movie. And even though it might not seem so from the subject matter or the trailer, it is typically him-from the camera angles to the pace, from the characters that start to grow on you to the scenes you find yourself laughing along with, despite yourself.

Granted, it is lighter than Erin Brockovich or Sex, Lies and Videotape- but to me, it carries more substance than the Ocean’s series. For some reason, despite the allure of the cast, and having been somewhat entertained, I was just not that into them. And while Magic Mike has way too many stripping scenes, it comes with the territory-and it is efficiently used for laughs.

I have to confess that I’m a straight girl who finds Channing Tatum really attractive, and looking at Matt Bomer or Matthew McConaughey didn’t hurt. But pushing dollars into men’s g-strings while they give you lap dances or fake-hump you… It’s not my scene, and I’d rather women went into clubs and hook up with strangers rather than watching strippers and sleeping with them later. Yep, I am not a fan of men going to strip clubs either.

Though I have to say, Magic Mike’s stripping scenes carry theatrics, decoration and a good set of laughs-so I have a feeling straight men with open minds will have a better time with watching them than women would have watching movies’ women stripping scenes where it is just about….getting naked.

But it is definitely easy to relate to Brooke’s attitude towards Mike- her not flirting with him or not being ready to offer more than a cautious friendship. As charming and likeable he is, his profession? Not a turn on. Not for your normal girl that preferred her boyfriend got naked just for her, that is.

All in all, Magic Mike is a fun dramedy, and if anything, you should be impressed by this Soderbergh effort shot with 7 million dollars and made about $100 million more than that. You might complain that there is too much stripping, or there are scenes that contrast the happy-go-lucky/the ultimate male fantasy nature (women/cash/parties-all the time), but that is exactly the point.

And hey, McConaughey couldn’t have been further away from his romantic comedy roles, and Tatum is endearingly natural. Pettyfer proves that he really can act. Matt Bomer? Sorry, but he just serves as a pretty ornament. But he couldn’t have been bored shooting this movie…

Other Channing Tatum Movies

The Vow starring Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams and Jessica Lange

21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill: A Silly Yet Funny Ride

Also on Matthew McConaughey

The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei & Ryan Phillippe

Matthew McConaughey : Wanna see him act? I have the movie for you…

Sex and The City TV Series – guest appearances feat. Matthew McConaughey

21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill: A Silly Yet Funny Ride

Posted on October 26, 2012 Written by ripitup

21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill : A Silly Yet Funny Ride

21 Jump Street movie — 21 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum & Jonah Hill. Image via hollywoodreporter.com.

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are on the opposite sides of the popularity chart in high school. Schmidt is successful at classes and a failure when it comes to girls. Jenko, on the other hand, is the prom king but the teachers’ nightmare. They have nothing in common.

Fast-forward 7 years. Both of these young men have chosen to be cops. As expected, Schmidt rocks at tests and sucks at the physical training, and vice versa for Jenko. They decide to be friends and join strengths. And it works- they both graduate the academy, and have formed a strong friendship.

But when they fail spectacularly in the beginning, and they are begrudgingly assigned as undercover cops to pose as high school students, because they look young.

This is when the comedy truly starts as Jenko realizes the rules of popularity have changed, as well as how fellow students are grouped. It also blows up in their faces when their identities get mixed and Schmidt has to pose as the athlete and Jenko as the nerd.

With their angry captain breathing down their neck and expecting results and with them realizing that they are starting to like their new roles, both their friendship and skills as cops will be tested.

Can they pull off the mission-without getting killed and ruining the friendship in the process?

Funny & Entertaining: But Could Have Been Hilarious

One problem with PG-13 and R-rated comedies in common is that they rarely push the boundaries in between, meaning PG-13 comedies almost strive to stay too clean, and R-rated ones go out of their way to be vulgar.

Some PG-13 romcoms have succeeded in finding a decent balance- such as Someone Like You and This Means War. From character interactions to language, from storylines to certain scenes, they feel a lot more natural than their other fellow PG-13 (romantic) comedies (Also these two have quite a high level of comedic scenes and theories, hence my reason to reference them. 🙂

Now, the problem with 21 Jump Street that they give the feeling that no one really talks like that, or acts like that. And they make a habit of keeping a lot of the characters’ jokes/reactions/language below the belt- to the point of looking ridiculous. If the movie pulls it off (The Hangover), it is hilarious. If it fails, it is annoying (The Hangover 2.)

Thankfully 21 Jump Street has some decent physical comedy and other funny situations to back up the vulgarity for vulgarity’s sake language, and it does make you laugh. A lot. Sometimes you laugh despite yourself.

But frankly, I was expecting to be a lot more hilarious after watching the trailer.

But the movie is fun, and there will also be a sequel. I can’t wait to see that one, though I suspect they will further abuse their freedom with the R rating since our boys will be “grown up.”

Should you see it?

If you don’t mind a lot of vulgarity, yes- definitely. Isn’t going to make it to one of the funniest films ever list, but this silly/incapable and highly emotional duo will entertain. Oh, not to mention- Johnny Depp, the original star of the 21 Jump Street series (although the series wasn’t a comedy), reassuming his role as Tom Hanson, makes a cameo- and makes us laugh our butts off in his short screen time. And man, that man doesn’t get old!

7.3 on IMDB. 6 from me- though with a less forced language, I’d have easily given it a 7.