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The Company Men starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello & Kevin Costner

Posted on November 10, 2011 Written by ripitup

The Company Men starring Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Maria Bello & Kevin Costner. Image via prlog.org

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Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) has really made it: he is a white-collar that makes 120K a year+ bonuses, he drives a Porsche, goes golfing, has a beautiful house he can barely afford as well as a wife and 2 kids.

Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) is pushing 60, and has climbed up considerably well in the corporate ladder.

Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) is in the board of directors of the company both Bobby and Phil are working for, and is leading a very comfortable lifestyle.

However when a economic crisis hits the US, James Salinger (Craig T. Nelson), the CEO of their company, starts letting a lot of men go, starting with Bobby, who has been one of Gene’s favorite employees. Bobby finds that he hasn’t exactly saved money, and the expenses seem too much for an unemployed man to cover. He also realizes that his 12-year-experience doesn’t mean much in a competitive marketplace where much younger guys are willing to work for less. As he begrudgingly gets unemployment assistance, the CEO lets more people go and the company starts getting out of Gene’s control. Phil is also fired, and Gene’s reaction doesn’t reflect well on his affair with the head of human resources, Sally Wilcox (Maria Bello).

Bobby’s wife gets back to work, and he unwillingly accepts the job offer of Jack (Kevin Costner), his wife’s brother. He doesn’t enjoy having to work in construction under a man who believes all corporate white-collars are unworthy of their salaries, but he doesn’t have any other options left. Phil takes it much, much harder and Gene struggles with his values and keeps disapproving James’ actions…until Sally has to fire him as well.

3 former company men all get depressed and furious, and they all come up different solutions to their problems…

Thoughts, Other Criticisms and Endnote

The Company Men is a slow-paced, albeit effective drama about how much people give to their careers, what these careers demand and how they cope when the company they have built their careers at suddenly lets them go. It is realistic, a little sad and does offer some quite obvious (yet valuable) life lessons.

While some viewers have criticized the movie for aiming to make us feel sorry about a bunch of rich white guys, they are actually missing the point. The movie is about how the lives of 3 white collar men turn upside down. What, because they earned much more money than the average movie-goer, their story is not worth telling? Would those viewers not be crushed if the careers they gave their life to/depended upon/defined themselves with were taken away from them?

With Ben Affleck’s character, he suddenly finds himself without any money- with a family to take care of, his frustration is understandable. He wasn’t always upper middle class. And you know the last job Jim Carrey would want on earth? It is being a custodian. Not because he looks down on the profession. It is because he was actually broke, and worked as a custodian. It is understandable that Afflec’s Bobby doesn’t want to do construction work until he absolutely has to….

With Chris Cooper, it is how he defines himself. He is from a generation where people gave their lives to one company. He doesn’t know what to do. Sure, it is sad, and a little pathetic maybe. But his job is all he knows…

With Tommy Lee Jones, it is the betrayal of a friend, the lack of empathy in his friend and how values millions over the lives of other people…

So of course you can criticize the characters for caring too much about one company, the course of one career. You can judge them for not being prepared. But it is hard to prepare for a big downhill, if things went on very smoothly for a very long time.

So, no, this movie is not about 3 rich guys who suddenly find themselves penniless. The only guy who finds himself penniless is the one who wasn’t rich to begin with. The Company Men is about how much value we place on our careers/jobs, how precaution matters, how we should have more than just our jobs/education to define us and how life really requires us to have a back-up plan. It may not be the most original story around, but guess what- my father experienced what Affleck went through. He went through what Cooper went through too, although thankfully he got over it just fine because my mom has always been great with managing money. I find it hard to believe that people who really watched this movie-from beginning to end- couldn’t find something they could relate to.

Some complained that the women in the film weren’t depicted in the best light. At best, they had been loyal wives who picked their husband’s career over theirs. At worst, they were either successful businesswomen who didn’t mind sleeping with married men or materialistic women who just lived through their husband’s wealth. But come on…Not all movies have to give us amazing female characters. There are a lot of women who prioritize their husband’s money, their career and just sit at home and look after the kids. It’s their choice. And just because I am not like that, I am not going to give up on a perfectly good movie because the female characters aren’t that great. And look at the title of the movie…Does it look like it’ll be an effective study of the modern woman?

Is this a movie you absolutely have to see? No. It is good, emotional and has good acting. Sure, you can ignore it. After all, it is not life-altering. It is not mind-blowing. It doesn’t reinvent anything. And it’s more about facing reality than being entertained. But it is solid, the actors are great and it doesn’t make you regret you saw it. Rated at 6.8 on IMDB, it all depends on how interested you are in the core story. Because it is delivered well.

Written and directed by John Wells.

Body of Proof starring Dana Delany, Nicholas Bishop & Jeri Ryan

Posted on November 2, 2011 Written by ripitup

body-of-proof-abc-poster — Body of Proof starring Dana Delany, Nicholas Bishop and Jeri Ryan

Megan Hunt (Dana Delany) is a former successful neurosurgeon-turned-brilliant medical examiner due to a car accident and the loss of a patient. Her career as a surgeon cost her marriage and her relationship with her 12-year-old daughter Lacey. Now, she is solving cases with the wit of Patrick Jane (Simon Baker’s character in The Mentalist). While Megan is deemed to be anti-social and difficult to work with, she is the friendliest and most agreeable person compared to House.

Show’s comedic relief comes both from the banter between Megan and her co-workers- especially Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop), and the interactions of young Dr. Ethan (Geoffrey Arend) and Curtis (Windell Middlebrooks), Megan’s superior. After the first couple episodes, Megan’s genius pretty much accepted, and she starts developing friendlier relationships with the two cops, Sam (Sonja Sohn) and Bud (John Carroll Lynch) that are usually assigned to her cases.

Body of Proof is a very fun crime drama. Sure, it has the obligatory emotional moments as leading characters of these shows usually come with baggage, especially the head crime solvers. Megan’s often criticized by caring too much about the dead, and she replies that 1) she has to, because no one else will listen to them now, and 2) she is feeling guilty about her former career when she did hundreds of operations and yet didn’t know any of her patients on a personal level.

While the characters of the show constantly joke that Megan has no friends, I’d say that she has become pretty good friends with Peter. Their relationship borders on flirty, and it wouldn’t exactly shock the viewers if they started dating. Fortunately though, this is a show that works perfectly fine with or without romance. The show is more about the murder case they are trying to solve each episode, as well as Megan’s personal growth.

It might not be the most original thing on the block, but it is sure capable of entertaining you for over 40 minutes. The dynamics between the characters are fun, the murder cases are interesting –even if you pride yourself in being able to guess who’s guilty during these kind of shows. Get over it, folks! After seeing our share of the crime drama/thrillers, it is no longer about finding the killer. It is how the killer is found, which one-liners are provided and who the main character pisses off in the process.

6.9/10 on IMDB. A solid 9/10 from me.

Fun Body of Proof Facts:

– Dana Delany co-starred in Desperate Housewives for many episodes, from season 4 to season 6. She was the neighbor Mike dated when he and Susan were divorced. Interestingly enough, one of her character’s love interests was played by Nathan Fillion, who went on to star in his own crime drama Castle.

– In season 6, one of the Desperate Housewives guest stars was Jeffrey Nordling, who played the husband of Angie Nolan, the new neighbor. In Body of Proof, he plays Megan’s ex-husband.

– Dana Delaney just might be the proof of Hollywood is growing up. At 55, she is the leading actress of a criminal show. She is gorgeous, and from the looks of it, it is natural.

– Dana Delaney co-starred with Timothy Hutton in the movie Multiple Sarcasms. Timothy Hutton is the star of another crime/mystery/thriller TV-show Leverage.

– Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Riley Marc Blucas co-stars in the episode Dead Man Walking (Season 1, Episode 5). He is one of the main suspects. Marc Blucas is no stranger to crime or medical dramas as he also guest-starred in Castle & House.

– Jeri Ryan, who plays Dana Delany’s boss, played the DA in the first season of the crime/law drama Shark. She also guest-starred in the two episodes of Boston Legal.

Recommended TV Shows: Other Crime or Medical Dramas You Can Enjoy

Castle starring Nathan Fillion & Stana Katic

House starring Hugh Laurie

The Mentalist starring Simon Baker

The Closer starring Kyra Sedgwick (esp. the first seasons)

Leverage starring Timothy Hutton

Bones starring David Boreanaz & Emily Deschanel

Crossing Jordan starring Jill Hennessey

Haven starring Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant & Eric Belfour

Posted on October 13, 2011 Written by ripitup

Haven starrng Lucas Bryant, Emily Rose & Eric Belfour. — Lucas Bryant as Nathan of Haven.

Young FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) is sent to Maine on a mission to capture an escaped convict. However, the convict is already dead when she gets there, and despite the sheriff’s determination that it is an accident, he reluctantly lends her deputy chief/his son Nathan (Lucas Bryant).

Almost as soon as they start searching for clues, Audrey realizes that something isn’t quite right about the residents. Some of them have supernatural powers, such as mood swings affecting the weather or the ability to shove you a couple of feet with one little push. Oh, and her new friend Nathan can’t feel pain. Or anything else for that matter…

When the mystery is solved, another mystery-possibly one that can unlock Audrey’s past surfaces. She asks a couple of weeks from her boss, who lets her all too willingly to stay.

Then there is Duke (Eric Balfour), the charming, and not-always law-abiding guy who Nathan isn’t fond of.

The sheriff is impressed by case-solving skills, so Audrey joins Nathan in his office. They become good friends, with implications that maybe we might expect more in the future.

But our main concern in Haven is not if Nathan and Audrey will get together. We want to know about Lucy Ripley, who looks exactly like Lucy- and looks to be the same age as Lucy. Yet she was here when Nathan and Duke were just kids and they don’t remember anything about the day (the day The Colorado Kid was murdered)….

Loosely based on Stephen King’s The Colorado Kid, Haven has found a nice balance between the micro events we deal with each episode and the clues as we try to solve who Audrey is, and also learn that maybe things about Nathan and Luke aren’t so straightforward either. The effects could have been better, but the drama/mystery /relationships are well balanced. Some episodes are better than others, but overall it is great for anyone who loves his supernatural without the horror or extreme romances.

As much as I love my vampires and werewolves, it is refreshing and fun where the supernatural come from humans who are just “troubled”. We are curious to see why it started, and how it is all related to Lucy.

Favorite Episodes

– Season 2, Episode 6- Audrey Parker’s Day Off offers the appropriate reference to Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day, it had the right amount of comedy, mystery and drama

Fun Facts about the Show and the Cast

– Haven is set in Maine, USA but shot in Canada.

– Emily Rose (Audrey) and Eric Balfour (Duke) are American and Lucas Bryant is Canadian.

– Broadcasted on the same network as (the North American version of) Being Human.

– Original Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000)’s Brandon Jason Priestly appears in 4 episodes, serving both as a “troubled” guy and a love interest for Audrey.

– Wrestler Adam Copeland is a frequent co-star.

Daydream Nation starring Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, Josh Lucas & Andie MacDowell

Posted on September 5, 2011 Written by ripitup

daydream-nation-movie-poster — Daydream Nation starring Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, Josh Lucas & Andie MacDowell. Written & directed by Michael Goldbach.

Caroline (Kat Dennings) has moved to a small town due her dad’s job and she is not exactly happy about it. Caroline lost her mother a short time ago, the small town life only adds to her boredom and depression: the mean school kids who already hate her on principle, the mind-numbingly dull small town with dirty air and the curfews established to protect residents from the serial killer lurking around.

Since there is not much fun to do except to get drunk and/or high, Caroline decides that she should at least deserve the slutty image and sleep with her English teacher Barry (Josh Lucas). When he insists on keeping up appearances to not to get caught, she starts hanging out with the likeable pothead Thurston (Reece Thompson). The bad thing is, he is already smitten and will not really be happy with her games. Add it to the fact that he has his own issues, things are about to get very complicated.

Can Caroline find happiness and not get killed by the serial killer in process?

Daydream Nation might be the only teen movie where the serial killer is added to the notion of drama. This is not a thriller or a teen-slasher. It is not a very romantic story or a very dramatic story. It is a weird mixture that provides some tragic comedy, and manages not to bore you. And while I would definitely not watch it again, it does provide a weirdly entertaining-enough experience for your first time.

Most of the time the characters are far too….annoying for my taste. And as far as teen movies that provide some depression and drugs, I prefer Charlie Bartlett, another Kat Dennings movie with more likeable male characters.

The 6 IMDB user-rating sounds just about right. Above average and interesting enough. But I realize I am not too fond of teen movies where I get to like the parents more than the teenagers. And here my favorite characters were Kat’s dad, and Thurston’s mom (Andie MacDowell). And be warned, the pace is slow.

My Favorite Teen Movies (Movies with High School Student Lead Characters)

– 10 Things I Hate About You starring Heath Ledger & Joseph Gordon-Levitt

– Charlie Bartlett starring Kat Dennings and Anton Yelchin

– Footloose starring Kevin Bacon

– Saved! starring Jena Malone, Mandy Moore & Macaulay Culkin

Also on Ben Affleck:

Also on Maria Bello:

Also on Kevin Costner: