pinartarhan.com

Fun and comprehensive entertainment blog feat. movies, TV series, actors, movie-makers, music & books: 1980 - Present

  • Home
  • Hire Me
  • Books
  • Privacy Policy

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

Posted on November 4, 2012 Written by ripitup

Share

 
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

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Alex Pettyfer, channing tatum, channing tatum magic mike, Cody Horn, comedy, drama, Magic Mike, magic mike cast, magic mike channing tatum, magic mike movie, matt bomer, Matthew McConaughey, movies, Steven Soderbergh, steven soderbergh magic mike

Beauty and The Beast : It’s Fun – Stop Wishing for Its Demise Already!

Posted on October 15, 2012 Written by ripitup

Share

Beauty and The Beast starring Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan
Beauty and The Beast TV Series
Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan. Image via onthedemo.com

 

It probably sucks that most TV writers can only have a short time of relief and feeling of success when a single disappointment about the rating figures can send a lot of movie writers and bloggers predicting the lifespan of the show, and not being generous or optimistic about it at all.

Sure, it is great to have sold a script, and then have your series picked up among so many others- but then you have to worry about keeping the interest level high, all the while knowing not all of your target audience will watch it when it airs on TV, that Nielsen doesn’t reflect the actual popularity of your show, and that a lot of weird viewers will stop watching it just because the lead guy is too “hot”, or the show resembles quite a few old ones…

Yes, a lot of people already started predicting and/or wishing the demise of Beauty and The Beast, but I’m not one of them. Let’s go over the plot, and then I’ll share my reasons of why it might be worth a chance.

*

NYPD detective Catherine Chandler (Kristin Kreuk) still hasn’t quite gotten over her mother’s death 9 years ago- the two assailants would have killed her too, hadn’t it not been for a mysterious “beast” that saved her. Of course her version of events was attributed to trauma, and she believed it when they said it was probably just a wild animal.

But a current case reveals clues about a dead doctor/military guy named Vincent Keller and as she digs, she realizes that Vincent Keller is “the beast” from that night-he tells her that he joined a military experiment without being fully aware of the consequences, had his DNA changed and gained the ability/curse to turn into a furious and freakishly strong beast when he got an adrenaline rush.

Even though he tries to get her to leave him alone for both their safety, she can’t- she decides that they will both be helping out each other- and make him realize that he is anything but a monster.

*

So there you have it- a police procedural led by a young pretty female detective, protected by her  ally – some drama, action, mystery and romance.

If you expected the wheel to be reinvented, this is not the show for you. If you don’t like to see pretty people on TV, this is not for you- although I have to say they haven’t gone half as overboard as The Vampire Diaries when it comes to casting attractive people. And you will have to live with the fact that the show is sci-fi, and not fantasy- as far as the beast is concerned.

If you’re OK with the cast of attractive actors, the sci-fi element, the case-of-the-week and the upcoming romance, great. So am I.

Now, people compared this to The Hulk. Scientist/experiment gone wrong/uncontrolled power/life led in secret? I see their point.

Some compared it to Moonlight, the short-lived vampire show starring Alex O’Loughlin – and I was too reminded of it.  The-not-exactly-human helping solve crimes and protecting innocent people/watching over the girl he saved years ago/partnering up and falling in love with her…Check, check, check all the way.

But come on-as much as I loved Moonlight and was sad to see it go, Moonlight was hardly the first to use the vampire-seeks-redemption-while-falling-in-love-with-the-girl-he-is-watching-over concept. Hello, Angel of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, anyone? He is a good vampire, has watched over Buffy ever since she became a slayer at 16, helped save people, fell in love with her…

But hey, I am definitely not saying Angel’s concept was original. It was cool and fun, but I’m pretty sure someone somewhere did it-many times-before.

So Beauty and the Beast is a fun show, with cliches I’d not change. It’d be a letdown if the Beast didn’t have his human sides, or if he was exactly Fairy-Tale-like-all fury , all the time. It’d sure suck without the emotional bond between its characters. Angel had Buffy, Mick had Beth (Moonlight) and hey, Vincent will have Catherine.

Now, I won’t be complaining a lot of if it is cancelled. I’m still not over Awake– now that show was emotionally gripping, extremely powerful and refreshing- and I still think cancelling it was a crime against creativity and good TV. I know it is all about ratings and revenues, but they give you more seasons, not necessarily good TV.

But I will be enjoying this show as long as it remains fun and on the air. I can’t promise not to mourn over Last Resort, however, should it be cancelled.

So sit back, and tune in if it’s your kind of thing. If it isn’t, good thing you have a gazillion alternatives.

 

 

Share

Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: alex o’loughlin moonlight, beauty and the beast, beauty and the beast 2012 tv show, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, drama, jay ryan, jay ryan beauty and the beast, Kristin Kreuk, Kristin Kreuk beauty and the beast, moonlight tv series, mystery, romance, thriller, TV shows

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

Posted on September 25, 2012 Written by ripitup

Share

Translation at the theatres: Open Hearts

Meaning: Love you forever.

Elsker dig for evigt starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sonja Richter & Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Elsker dig for evigt starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sonja Richter & Nikolaj Lie Kaas. Image via moviepostersdb.com.

Cæcilie (Sonja Richter) has recently accepted the proposal of his live-in boyfriend Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). But shortly after Joachim is hit by a car, ending up paralyzed.

The woman (Paprika Steen) driving the car is Marie, who was having an argument with her teenage daughter Stine. They race Joachim to the hospital where her doctor husband Niels (Mads Mikkelsen) is also working.

The po lice decides that Marie wasn’t at fault, but both she and her daughter are deeply shaken up, though not as much as Cæcilie, and definitely not as much as Joachim. He is too angry and depressed to let Cæcilie in, leaving her helpless. Niels becomes the only person she can talk to, as he’s encouraged by his wife to help her.

From then on, Cæcilie calls Niels often, finding a shoulder to cry on. Not over her guilt, Marie is happy that he is helping Cæcilie in a way. But soon Niels develops feelings for Cæcilie , and a guy who’s ever-helpful and sweet seems more attractive than a fiancé who keeps shutting her out in hurtful ways.

But for a guy who has never cheated on his wife before, things are about to get complicated. A wife and 3 children on one end, a beautiful young and sad woman on the other. Who will choose who? Can there even be a happy ending for anyone?

Elsker dig for evigt: Good but evokes extreme cynicism

*Warning: Minor Spoilers, and a Rant on the major characters

The film is good and compelling alright. It is tragic, makes you truly depressed as well as being thankful that you are not any of the characters. I know I was. But the characters go beyond to assure we will be infuriated with them, no matter how sad and compassionate we may have felt for them in the beginning. I may like a movie, but it won’t be a favorite romance of mine when I root for everyone but the “lovers”.

You know from the start you will not probably not be impressed with the love story presented. A married man with 3 children, getting involved with the fiancé of a paralyzed guy who became paralyzed because of his wife? Yep, no one is exactly expecting something deeply romantic and sweet here.

But sometimes, you are ready to forgive the cheater(s) with the right circumstances. It’d be cool if the wife was a bitch, and/or already cheated on him and he knows it. Or if the girl had lost her fiancé- and was coming to terms with his loss and not having sex with the married with the doctor while he is in his hospital bed.

Yes, we can all give her a little break assuming her messed up psychology-after all she went from happily and truly loved up to completely excluded and alone…But how she could let go off all empathy and not imagine how she would have felt if her husband would go and sleep with another woman after so many years of marriage and children? She was engaged after all. Let’s call it severe depression, and try to be more forgiving. I’m trying to be open-minded, but still failing.

How annoying is a guy that sleeps with a woman in that condition, not giving a damn about all the years his wife spent with him? Hell, maybe this is the only needy, affection-deprived 25-year-old who was willing to screw him so that is the reason he was a loyal husband all those years? But seriously though-is that all it takes? Some guys are only loyal because they are too lazy to go after women, but are more than willing to go for it when the opportunity is presented on a golden plate? That’s seriously depressing.

And the wife? Come on…Why do you still want him after how he has treated you? At least do kick him, throw things at him or something. Shred his clothes. But no, she has to hate the other woman. But guess what, the other woman only became so after she pushed her on her husband. You don’t make your husband a 25-year-old emotionally damaged woman’s best friend! You just don’t.

So yes, it is a perfectly alright film- well-shot (although I could have done without the dogma-style shots), well-acted, well-developed. It is the characters that are not exactly likeable, although except perhaps for Joachim-he lost the most, and it is understandable that he’d be difficult.

But if this movie doesn’t make you feel a little depressed about marriage, love, loyalty and life in general, I don’t know what will. If the premise of Mads mikkelsen’s The Hunt (where he is falsely accused of harassing a kindergarten kid) makes me not so keen on having children, Elsker dig for evigt makes seem the idea of marriage…not very tempting. I know it is only a movie…but it is a pretty bleak and powerful one.

Written by Anders Thomas Jensen and directed by Susanne Bier- who also worked as a writer-director team on After the Wedding, also starring Mads Mikkelsen. 2002 film Elsker dig for evigt is rated at 7.6 on IMDB by over 4,000 users. A solid 7.5 from me.

 

*

In the end, I prefer 21 Grams when it comes to “a freaky accident makes characters collide in complicated ways” premise. Depressing as that movie may be, no one goes around cheating on each other (well at least not anyone with kids, a nice marriage and a sweet wife), the guilt of the “crasher” feels more natural and real and the “comforter”… well, his (Sean Penn’s character) wife wasn’t that nice to begin with.

*

Let’s have some fun. Lessons learned from: Elsker dig for evigt

All characters do some pretty stupid and/or reckless stuff in the film, so the tips go to different characters. You know who. : )

-Panic when your husband is depriving you of sex- he might not be so depriving towards others.

-Tell the girl what might come 15 years after a marriage with kids.

-Don’t get out of the car in the middle of the road, and don’t overdo the PDA thing, especially not in the middle of the road!

– There should be a limit on how much you trust your husband

– Have some friends-so that when your boyfriend is depressed beyond words, you can have someone to talk to other than the husband of the woman who caused your boyfriend’s situation.

– Have a separate circle of friends from your husband’s –and make sure you are not too close with jerks who thinks it is awesome to be cheating on your wife (as long as you don’t leave the family.)

-Don’t stay home so you will know a lot of people and hey, maybe there will be hot guys who can comfort you –so you won’t be begging your scumbag-cheating husband to stay (the first bit is wishful thinking. It would suck to be her either way.)

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: after the wedding, Anders Thomas Jensen, drama, elsker dig evigt movie review, Elsker dig for evigt, mads mikkelsen, mads mikkelsen movies, movies, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, open hearts 2002 movie, open hearts movie, Paprika Steen, Sonja Richter, Susanne Bier

Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce & Catherine Zeta-Jones

Posted on September 21, 2012 Written by ripitup

Share

Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce & Catherine Zeta Jones.
Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce & Catherine Zeta Jones. Image via 2snaps.tv.

Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce) is already a legend with his death-defying acts and amazing tricks, even though the way he pushes himself drives his manager/friend Sugarman (Timothy Spall) crazy with the risks and challenges he takes.

Mary (Catherine Zeta Jones) is a Scottish woman who earns her living with her looks, ability to deceive and her assistant/daughterBenji (Saoirse Ronan.)

So when Mary hears that the great Houdini, who gets a kick of exposing scamming mediums, is challenging all mediums to tell him what his mother told him on her deathbed, she jumps at the opportunity to win against Houdini, and win $10,000 as well.

When the two meet, they manage to impress the other with their charm, unique outlook on life and passion. Her daughter also seems quite taken with Houdini, although Mary seems quite certain that Houdini might be more cunning than naive and might be playing her.

But no matter who’s playing who, things get very complicated when the attraction between them get stronger by the minute…

*

Death Defying Acts is a weird little drama/romance with no exciting scenes, apart from the couple of stunts Houdini pulls. Guy Pearce makes a perfect Houdini, but then that’s not exactly surprising since he easily becomes any character he plays. And Zeta Jones is gorgeous as always, but two good-looking, good actors don’t count for much when there isn’t much of an interesting story, the movie is PG and it takes ages to get to the romance.

The movie suffers a lot from its slow pace, and it never quite picks up. It’s not unwatchable, but I enjoyed the interviews, featuring comments about Guy Pearce impressed everyone by how he ended up more skilled than the stuntmen while he was doing Houdini’s stuff.

5/10.

Also on Guy Pearce

Guy Pearce Trivia

Lockout starring Guy Pearce & Maggie Grace

The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter & Guy Pearce

 

Also on Saoirse Ronan

Hanna starring Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana & Cate Blanchett

Share

Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: catherine zeta jones, catherine zeta jones death defying acts timothy spall, death defying acts, death defying acts movie, death defying acts movie guy pearce, drama, guy pearce, guy pearce death defying acts, guy pearce harry houdini, harry houdini, movies about harry houdini, romance, Saoirse Ronan

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • …
  • 48
  • Next Page »

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

Copyright © 2025 · Focus Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT