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Looking Forward to: The Ledge starring Liv Tyler, Charlie Hunnam, Patrick Wilson & Terrence Howard

Posted on May 22, 2011 Written by ripitup

The Ledge starring Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson & Terrence Howard. Written & directed by Matthew Chapman. Image via daemonsmovies.com

** Update: This post was written before I saw the movie. I wrote the review after seeing the movie, and you can read it here.

Shauna (Liv Tyler) is married to the obsessively religious Joe (Patrick Wilson). When she starts working for the sweet, and atheist Gavin (Charlie Hunnam), a passionate affair starts. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before Joe finds out, and comes up with a deadly plan. Instead of killing them both, he puts Shauna’s life is in Gavin’s hands. His conditions are simple: Gavin is to stand on the ledge of a building until noon, and then jump to his death. Or Shauna will die. With cops trying to change Gavin’s mind, and then trying to help him out, can Gavin make it out alive? And even if he jumps, can he trust Joe to let Shauna live?

Judging by its plot, trailer, and actors, The Ledge is a very promising drama/thriller. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival, and is supposed to hit the theaters at the end of May. Written & directed by Matthew Chapman.

Co-starring is Terrence Howard, as the cop trying to help out Gavin.

Patrick Wilson, who we are more used to seeing as the romantic lead, makes a wonderfully creepy psycho.

Also on Patrick Wilson:

Morning Glory starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton & Patrick Wilson

The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Sharlto Copley & Quinton Rampage Jackson

Watchmen starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley and Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson Trivia

Also on Terrence Howard:

Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges & Terrence Howard

The Hunting Party starring Richard Gere, Terrence Howard & Jesse Eisenberg

The Narrows starring Kevin Zegers, Eddie Cahill & Sophia Bush

Posted on May 18, 2011 Written by ripitup

The Narrows starring Kevin Zegers, Eddie Cahill, Sophia Bush & Vincent D'Onofrio. Image via yourimages.org.

In many ways, Mike (Kevin Zegers) is a typical young man from Brooklyn: he lives with his dad Vinny (Vincent D’Onofrio), has a lousy job driving cars, and has a long-time girlfriend Gina (Monica Keena) who expects an engagement ring, However, he wants out – and he wants his love for photography to be the way out.

While his skills have earned him a partial scholarship at a Manhattan university, this scholarship isn’t nearly enough and his dad won’t let him get any loans. So he decides that working for the local mob Tony (Titus Welliver) as a package carrier is his only solution.

So Mike enrolls in college, and gets to learn from his photographer. He even meets the beautiful Kathy (Sophia Bush). Problem? His dad isn’t really fond of his new part time job, and he is not all that supportive of school. His finance still wants to get married, and his friendship with an old neighborhood acquaintance Nicky (Eddie Cahill) will complicate things even further.

Can Mike get out alive, without compromising his dreams?

The Narrows is a slow-paced film, but the contrast between Mike’s two worlds makes the film interesting enough. Sure , it is dialogue heavy – and it doesn’t have that many action moments. But all in all, it is a watchable drama. And like with most dramas, there is a character you root for- despite how stupid some of his actions can be. And I quite liked the ending, especially Vinny’s part in it.

Good cast, familiar story – with a nice little “artistic” twist on our main character’s part.

Favorite Scene: How Mike captures Nick’s eyes when he is down on the floor.

Fun Note: Eddie Cahill is more than a familiar for Friends fans as he played Rachel’s hot assistant for several episodes in season …

Also on Kevin Zegers

It’s A Boy Girl Thing starring Kevin Zegers

The Jane Austen Book Club starring Hugh Dancy & Maria Bello (Co-starring Kevin Zegers)

Also on Vincent D’Onofrio

11 Actors, 11 Drastic Weight Changes for Roles: With Christian Bale, Jared Leto, Vincent D’Onofrio and More

Beastly starring Alex Pettyfer & Vanessa Hudgens

Posted on May 13, 2011 Written by ripitup

Beastly starring Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen & Neil Patrick Harris. 3.bp.blogspot.com

High school student Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) has everything he cares about: looks, money & popularity. He believes that looks are everything, and ugly people don’t really stand a chance about anything, a belief that his less than superficial, famous news anchor dad taught him.

But things stop being perfect for Kyle the moment he pisses off the wrong “loser” – the witch Mary-Kate Olsen). She casts a spell on him that is his ultimate nightmare: she takes away her looks, and makes him look as “good” his soul. So now Kyle simply looks gruesome. His dad tries to fix his appearance, and when he fails, he buys a remote apartment building for Kyle to be away from the public eye. The “promise” is that he will meet Kyle whenever he can. Of course his father misses every scheduled date until Kyle realizes that he doesn’t have anyone, apart from the Jamaican maid (Rebecca Gay Hamilton) whom he previously treated like crap, and the blind tutor (Neil Patrick Harris) his father hires to stay with them.

The good news is, the spell is reversible. Kyle needs to find someone who will love him for who he is, despite his looks, and will say “I Love You” before the year is over, or he will stay ugly forever.

And there is one person Kyle really would love to these words from: the pretty, but not-so-popular Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) who he had briefly interacted with before the spell. Because of her father’s drug addiction and the current trouble he gets into, Kyle persuades her dad to let Lindy stay with Kyle.

According to the story his dad feeds her, Kyle’s name is Hunter- and his dad is an old friend of her dad. As Kyle remains determined not to show his face and tries to buy her happiness, she hates the situation more and more. But Kyle learns that she doesn’t care about money, and couldn’t have cared less about how awful he looks. As he tries more and more to make her happy, and becomes a nicer guy in general, he really falls for her. But will she fall for him in time?

A modern twist on The Beauty & the Beast, Beastly takes your typical high school jerk and gives him the lesson of his life after a “supernatural” event. Adapted for the screen (and directed) by Daniel Barnz (from the book Beastly by Alex Flinn), is an enjoyable film. Yes, it is light and cheesy. Yes, there are many things that could have been better. But 4.8 on IMDB? Let’s be fair. Many of the movie’s faults come from the faults of the original story – with all the lessons the beast learns, we still get a guy fall for the pretty girl. But hey, guys like pretty girls so let’s get over that.

It’d have made for a better overall moral lesson if the girl had been plainer, at least along the lines of Elizabeth Bennet (in the story/movie/series of Pride and Prejudice). It would have been better if the producers made Alex Pettyfer take off his shirt less after the spell was cast. But overall, this is a fun movie about a guy who doesn’t just experience being ugly, but he gets to learn to like and respect people regardless of their looks. He learns that looks don’t necessarily grant you love. He learns to care about others. He learns that it is so much more meaningful to build a greenhouse from scratch than go hire a landscape architect to make one for him.

It’s not goose bumps and fireworks. It’s simple good time, better enjoyed when you don’t analyze or expect too much.

It certainly isn’t ghastly, as one reviewer calls the movie. It’s just enjoyable fluff.

Recommended Romance Movies (also with Fantasy Elements)

Just Like Heaven starring Reese Witherspoon & Mark Ruffalo

( the girl goes into a coma, and only one guy can hear and see her)

Forever Young starring Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis & Elijah Wood

(the guy is frozen so that he won’t live to watch his girlfriend die, but he wakes up 50 years later as opposed to a couple).

Also on Alex Pettyfer:

I’m Number Four starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Diana Agron & Teresa Palmer

London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell & Keira Knightley

Posted on May 1, 2011 Written by ripitup

London Boulevard starring Colin Farrell & Keira Knightley. Image via spinetinglermag.com

Plot Summary – No Spoilers

Mitchel (Colin Farrell) has just been released prison and would rather not have any more violence in his life. Unfortunately, he is stupid enough to hang around his friend Billy (Ben Chaplin), who gets Mitchel more into trouble than any favor he might to for him. It is also because of Billy that Mitchel gets involved with the ruthless psycho gangster Gant (Ray Winstone). Gant tries to grant Mitchel’s loyalty, but Mitchel isn’t exactly tamable.

An ex-con trying to stay an ex-con is always difficult, if not impossible, but Mitchel’s bad choices, as well as his thirst to avenge his mate Joe get him deeper and deeper. He could have been free to run away or waste anyone he wanted, but unfortunately he has two weaknesses: his wacky sister (Anna Friel), and the movie star Charlotte (Keira Knightley) he is trying to protect and is falling in love with. What has a guy got to do?

The Movie

Now, London Boulevard is an interesting film. It’s deeply flawed in many areas, but it is weirdly fun to watch. Let’s break it down:

Keira Knightley:

Did you notice how I let Keira Knightley just be in the sidelines (of the plot summary)? It is because she really is just another tool for us to see where Mitchel’s choices are going to take him. It is probably intentionally ironic (intended by the writer/director) William Monahan –since Keira Knightley plays an actress who is just sick of being simply the bed buddy to the male star, only to help the audience find out more about him.

The flaws: (Spoilers!)

– Why does everyone think it is much more authentic if gangsters are saying the c-word, all the time? I mean really- do novelists (London Boulevard was based on the novel by Ken Bruen) and screenwriters (adapted by director William Monahan)?

Do they hang out with gangsters, count how many times they say the c-word in a minute and reflect it in the screenplay? I don’t think so. There is some f-word thrown in for good measure too. OK, so if there is going to be this much swearing, can we get some more variety? The dialogue gets very boring, very often.

– Why make Keira Knightley an ornament? Yes, she is the leading actress, but there is not much for her to do except to hang around, smoke and get depressed. There are barely a couple of conversations before they are in love. Yes, Colin Farrell is pretty charismatic and good-looking here. And Keira Knightley is the perfect damsel in distress. But we need more than just two of them chatting twice to see the connection/attraction/whatever.

– Why the hell is he not taking the job as her protector/bodyguard? He liked the girl. He liked the wacky friend Jordan (David Thewlis). Why not freaking take the job and never ever see Billy?

– He says he is never getting back in, but he is out for blood for his homeless friend. And he is out for blood, yet he grows a conscience at the last minute which will obviously bite him in the last minute. If a teenager is cold-blooded enough to kill an old homeless guy, he doesn’t deserve your mercy. Period. And if you are going to hunt him down, don’t let him know. And if you will let the whole town know you are after someone, finish the job when you have the chance.

– Could Ben Chaplin’s character be more of a loser? Yes, I get it we are not supposed to like him and he is supposed to be a scumbag, an excuse for a lowlife criminal but even so…it seems like a miracle his dumb character survived to see his 30s/40s.

– Are all paparazzi that disgusting, disturbing and idiotic? And it is a wonder how Mithcel kept his temper and cool for so long. I was expecting a beating at his first encounter.

The fun:

– The soundtrack is just awesome. It suits the mood perfectly and I want to own every single song used in the film.

– Colin Farrell is really good. A truly grey character couldn’t have been more likable. He seems pretty mild at first (for a criminal), but he gets more aggressive as his buttons are pushed and we get to see his dark side. And his dark side is truly cool.

– David Thewlis is a riot. His hippie/weed-smoking and apparently ready-for-anything-exciting character makes for a refreshing buddy/partner-in-crime for Mitchel.

And actually, this trio does win over all the flaws I listed.

The verdict:

A crime/drama of an ex-con – with some cool moments and a touch of romance thrown in. Fun and watchable, but could have been so much better. And it does need work on the dialogue and the IQ on its major character. But no, I don’t regret the 90+ minutes I spent watching it.

Currently 6.4 on IMDB. I was about to rate it a 6.5- too intriguing to be a 6, and missing too much to be a 7.

Favorite Mitchell Line/Scene:

Mitchel (to Gant): See what you have to understand, Rob, if I was a gangster you’d be the first to fucking die. I’d not work for you. I’d kill you and take everything you’ve got.

Gant: Oh.

Mitchel: If I were a gangster. That’s why you don’t want me to be a gangster. That’s why nobody wants me to be a gangster. ‘Cause I could not stop if I started. Do you get it? Don’t ask again.

Fun note: Ophelia Lovibond-from No Strings Attached (the girl who slept with Ashton Kutcher, and later his dad Kevin Kline) has a small part. As it turns out, she is British and her NSA accent is real. Oh, and she is playing a bitch again.

MORE ON THE STARS OF THE MOVIE:

Colin Farrell:

Colin Farrell Trivia

Pride and Glory starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

The Recruit starring Colin Farrell, Al Pacino and Bridget Moynahan

5 Movies to Watch on Fast Forward feat. The New World starring Colin Farrell

Ricky Gervais on Farrell- 2010 Golden Globes

Keira Knightley:

Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen

Ray Winstone:

Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence: Fun romcom with Monica Potter, Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes feat. Ray Winstone

Edge of Darkness starring Mel Gibson feat. Ray Winstone