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Love Happens starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston

Posted on June 15, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Love Happens starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckheart
Love Happens starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckheart. Co-starring Martin Sheen, Dan Vogler and John Carroll Lynch. Image via thorunnsteins.files.wordpress.com.

Burke Ryan (Aaron Eckhart) has lost his wife a couple of years ago. He has written a book about coping with loss and to his surprise, the book has become a bestseller and made Burke a household name and a hero for anyone who has ever lost a loved one. Now, it is all about book tours and workshops. His current city is Seattle. The problem? This is the city where his wife’s parents lived, the city where she lived and died. It is also the city where she meets a beautiful and intriguing woman named Eloise (Jennifer Aniston).

Eloise runs a flower shop and is in the depressive and pessimistic post break- up mode. She also has an unusual interest in really long and not so typical words in the English language.

When they two meet, it is not exactly sparks and irresistible chemistry. It is full of misunderstandings, misjudgments and then well, sweet awkwardness. However, as Eloise and Burke begin spending time together and develop a close friendship, and along with one particular participant in the workshop, Burke will have to face the fact that he hasn’t come to terms with his wife’s death. And despite all the useful and genuine advice he is giving out, he hasn’t yet taken them himself…

Now, this is not a romantic comedy. It is a drama with some romantic elements . Sure, there are feelings between Eloise and Burke but this is not the story of Burke and Eloise falling in love. This is Burke’s journey and it is a really emotional, fun and interesting one at that. The premise is really good. Even though you hate Jennifer Aniston (which I don’t), and hate the idea of a romantic drama (which again, I don’t), this movie is about one love story. Burke’s story isn’t merely in the background; it is not there to help serve and enhance his relationship with Eloise. Eloise is there to help move Burke’s story forward. Now, it is amusing that how people condemn the movie saying it is predictable. Well, the only thing predictable here is that he will, at some point, move on and give it a shot with her. And? How would it make a better story if he didn’t develop feelings for Eloise at all? Why would it make a better movie if he didn’t move on? Seriously?

Yes, Burke will get to be happy. Yes, Eloise will help. If you despise the idea so much, don’t see the movie. But this is a good movie. In my subjective yet humble opinion, Aaron Eckhart is a terrific actor. I have been following his work ever since he took the backseat to Julia Roberts’s Erin Brockovich as the long-haired, bearded biker who loved rock n’ roll and was a softie who loved kids. I was only bored with two Aaron movies: Nurse Betty and Conversations with Other Women, but his other movies more than made up for it: Thank you for Smoking, Neverwas, Molly, Erin Brockovich and Bill. It is a shame that his character and its development were totally rushed in Batman The Dark Knight. And his romantic drama with Catherine Zeta Jones- No Reservations- is a typical comedy/romance/drama. But despite the typical elements, it is a feel-good-movie that will please the lovers of the genre. And it is rated 6.3 on IMDB.

And why do people love bashing Aniston so much? Well, people love saying her roles lack diversity. They might be right. She may not play very different roles but then again the criticisms are not that creative either. She is branded as Rachel. Well, I don’t know how people watched Friends and how they watched Love Happens but Eloise isn’t Rachel. The only thing they have in common is Aniston. And while her roles may not be radically different, why should she not play those roles? It represents an important segment of the world population: Single women in their 30s, with some bad luck in romance, good friends and careers. I am that girl, only I am in my 20s. So you can’t just say she is Rachel every time she plays anyone.  She may not be the greatest actor out there but she is a good enough actress.

This movie has its some really funny moments but it is no comedy. So don’t expect one. And don’t expect it to focus on romance. It is about loss and love, moving on and being stuck. It might also strike a chord on how humane, vulnerable and genuine Burke is. In between enjoying his success and resenting how it happened, he might also remind you, well… you. After all we give advice on a regular basis but it is much harder to stick to our own advice in our own lives. Practicing is much, much harder than preaching. I also loved Martin Sheen’s presence in the film and the significance of both his and John Carroll Lynch’s (he plays the mourning father) characters.

5.5/10 on IMDB. 7 from me. And I just rated I love you Philip Morris. At the end of the day, it all comes down to whether you can relate to the characters and I did. Written by Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson. Directed by Brandon Camp.

Posts Featuring  Jennifer Aniston

The Bounty Hunter

Marley and Me

He’s Just Not That Into You

Hollywood Stars in Friends

Derailed

Love Happens on amazon.com

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Aaron Eckhart, Brandon Camp, Dan Vogler, drama, Jennifer Aniston, John Carrol Lynch, Love Happens, Martin Sheen, Mike Thompson, movies, romance

The Bounty Hunter starring Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston

Posted on May 11, 2010 Written by ripitup

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The Bounty Hunter starring Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston
The Bounty Hunter starring Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston. Image from: http://temptu.files.wordpress.com

Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler) is well…a loser. An ex cop who got out of the force, he is now working as a bounty hunter. His job is to catch people who jump bail. He is mocked by cops and he does have a gambling debt. However his next assignment puts a huge smile on his face: He has to catch his ex-wife Nicole.

Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) is a successful journalist who is cursing the day she married Milo. She loves her job and she is after a huge story. One lead causes her to miss her trial and now Milo is after her.

If only that were simple…The bad guy has caught Nicole’s snitch and he is now after her. Then there are the debt collectors who are after Milo. And there is the struggle between Milo and Nicole- who might not just hate each other as they claim…

When I first the movie was being made, I couldn’t wait to see it. After all, I don’t mind Jennifer Aniston being in movies (it is a Friends thing) and I am a huge fan of Gerard Butler. Then the movie came out and people were so quick and ruthless in bashing the movie that I was half-scared that it would be a disaster. But hey , it is always best to see the movie and judge it yourself and I have to say I genuinely enjoyed it. Honestly, It has its downs:

–          It has its mediocre moments and its fair share of clichés.

–          Oh, it also has a character that’s supposed to be funny but all he did was irritate me. This character is called Stewart (Jason Sudeikis). Stewart is Nicole’s colleague and he is such a big loser that Milo seems like the ultimate catch in his worst moment, including the time he is wearing the world’s ugliest shirt and short pair! Normally ,I love Jason. He is my favorite cast member at Saturday Night Live. You might like to check out youtube for the 300 spoof- where Gerard Butler makes fun of his character King Leonidas and Jason plays his right arm. Hilarious. But Stewart is just unnecessary.

–          The music dominates some of the scenes too much. It is not that the songs are bad but the scenes are funny on their own but the music seemed determined that it wanted to steal the scenes from Butler. That was weird.

–          Sometimes you do want the movie to make up its mind on whether it wants to be a romcom or an action comedy or whatever.

That being said, it definitely has its ups:

–          Gerard Butler. It is so much fun watching him as a loser than slowly building his charm and gain his confidence back. He doesn’t mind making an ass out of himself and he sure doesn’t seem to mind if he doesn’t look the least bit good-looking. But obviously he does. He is an actor and he wants to play different characters. Sure, you saw the sweet loser Milo character before but it is still different to Gerard’s other characters. Plus, Milo is fun to watch. Most of the time.

–          Some viewer reviews claimed that Jennifer is so bad in this that she should completely stop making movies. Oh, give me a break! There is nothing about her character that requires anything more than Jennifer gives to the role. Who do they suggest played Nicole? Meryl Streep? It is a simple role. Jennifer was OK.

–          It has some really funny scenes: The golf course chasing scene, Jennifer’s hijacking a bicycle cab or Gerard’s method of rescuing Jennifer from the thugs… Don’t worry, it has more. I just don’t want to spoil it for you.

–          Have you seen the movie Bird on a Wire? It’s made in 1990 and it features Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn in the leading roles.  It is not rated high on IMDB (a mere 5.4) but it is one of the most entertaining movies I have seen and one of my favorite movies from Gibson. It is also a mixture of action/comedy/romance and follows the story of ex-lovers. Even the storyline is quite different, as they try to save their lives and sort things out, they also realize they are not over each other. Watching The Bounty Hunter, I realized it is in the tradition of Bird on a Wire and I love that movie. Yeah, Bird on a Wire is a tad more original and a little funnier but it doesn’t change the fact that The Bounty Hunter is also all about mindless entertainment, out there to show you a good time. And it does. And that’s what matters.

It is currently 5.1 on IMDB. It has its 5 moments and it has its 7. I’ll give it a 6.

Other Posts on Gerard Butler:

6 Hollywood Stars That Would Make 20-Year-Olds Jealous

Gamer Movie Review

Top 10 Gerard Butler Movies

5 Reasons to Love Gerard Butler

Beowulf and Grendel

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler Hosts Saturday Night Live

Posts on Jennifer Aniston

Love Happens

Marley and Me

He’s Just Not That Into You

Hollywood Stars in Friends

Derailed

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: action, Bird on a Wire, comedy, Gerard Butler, goldie hawn, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Mel Gibson, romance, Saturday Night Live, The Bounty Hunter

Stardust, The Air I Breathe, Playing by Heart, The Good Shepherd, Hairspray & He’s Just Not That Into You: 6 Good Movies with Brilliant Casts

Posted on April 10, 2010 Written by ripitup

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If you are anything like me, you have some actors whose projects really entertain you. But sometimes those actors come together to star in a film. So for instance what’s better than seeing Michelle Pfeiffer acting with Robert De Niro? Adding Mark Strong to the list. And you provide the comic relief with Ricky Gervais. Beauty? Siena Miller. New talent? Charlie Cox. Before you know it, you have one hell of a cast. Here’re my 6 favorite ensemble casts:

1) STARDUST

 

Stardust movie poster featuring: Claire Danes, Ricky Gervais, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Peter O' Toole, Sienna Mille, Mark Strong and Charlie Cox

 

Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Siena Miller, Charlie Cox, Ben Barnes, Ricky Gervais, Mark Strong and Henry Cavill.

 

Magical, thrilling, romantic and visually wonderful story of a young man (Charlie Cox) after a star (Claire Danes), the star co-operating so that she can go home, princes after a crown necklace and the witches after the star’s heart. For many more details, photos and trailer of Stardust:

https://pinartarhan.com/blog/20-reasons-to-love-stardust/

 

2) Playing By Heart

Playing by Heart starring Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid
Playing by Heart starring Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid. There’s also Ellen Burstyn and Jay Mohr. I love this movie and the cast. Photo: http://www.moviegoods.com

Starring:Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, Dennis Quaid, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Gillian Anderson, Gena Rowlands, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, Ryan Phillippe.

It is romantic, sweet and at times really funny.  You can check out the plot here.

 

3) The Air I Breathe

The Air I Breathe. Starring: Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser, Forest Whitaker, Emile Hirsch, Julie Delpy, Kevin Bacon

 


Starring: Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Emile Hirsch, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

If you like any of these actors and enjoy intersecting stories, you will enjoy this one. Sure, the undertone is very dramatic and it is slightly depressing but it is hopeful. Love, hatred, depression, anger, revenge, fun, loyalty,….. You name the emotion and you will find the story. No event is unrelated here. Andy Garcia is the villain. Kevin Bacon plays a really nice guy. Refreshing, right?

4) The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro,William Hurt, Alec Baldwin, Lee Pace, Billy Crudup, John Turturro

 

 

Starring: Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Lee Pace, William Hurt, John Turturro, Billy Crudup and Alec Baldwin.

1960s. CIA agent Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) is faced with a crisis as some crucial information might be leaked to enemies. As the agents try to figure out who is responisble and who the info was given to, we start learning about Edward’s past with flashbacks going into the late 30s. We learn about what made he who he is from his childhood to his days at Yale, from the ww2 and onward. The cast is by far one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. It might be due to the fact that De Niro is the director. Great film. It is a drama thriller.

5) He’s Just Not That Into You

He's Just Not That Into You starring Jennifer Connely, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johannson, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long

Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johannson, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long

Don’t wait by the phone, don’t make excuses. If he is not calling you, he is just not that into you. Based on the refreshing relationships book by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo. Extendend review for both the movie and the book can be found here.

6)  Hairspray

Hairspray starring John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes
Hairspray starring John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes. Fun, colors, the hair and more fun…Photo: drkruznutty.files.wordpress.com

Now, you may have watched an Hairspray film made in 1988, written and directed by John Waters. And it is not that its cast is unknown, featuring names like Sonny Bono and Deborah Harry. However, you might realize that it was rated 6.8 votecd by over 8.000 people. However the Hairspray film that I’ll brag about I from 2007 and it is rated 7.2, voted over 40.000. So yes, we are facing a remake rated higher than the original.And I have no intentions of seeing the original.

Because John Travolta is a terrific actor and a singer and he is playing a woman! The wife of Christopher Walken! Absolute hilarity! And you have seen the cast, right? Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer makes a kick-ass bitch. James Marsden is a great actor, yeah- but here he shows us that he is an amazing singer too. And br ready to forgive Zac Efron for the Highschool Musical series. Yeah he still plays a guy in high school but the guy can sing rocknroll. Just forget about his pop idol/teenage-girl magnet reputation. If a guy can sing rocknroll well, he will have my respect. I also vote for the jet black hair.

If you aren’t entertained by this film-regardless of how you feel about musicals- I am sure what will put a smile on your face. Directed by Adam Shankman (A Walk to Remember).


Feel free to add your favorite ensembles. In the meantime, here’s a list of posts on these actors:

ANGELINA JOLIE:

Beyond Borders

Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life

The Most Gorgeous Women in Haollywood

Lee Pace:

Possession

The Fall

Soldier’s Girl

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

James Marsden:

Enchanted

24th Day

The Box

Julie Delpy:    

Before Sunrise

Before Sunset

Bradley Cooper:

The Wedding Crashers

The Hangover

Alias

Yes Man

Zac Efron:

17 Again

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Andy Garcia, Angelina Jolie, Ben Barnes, Bradley Cooper, Brendan Fraser, Charlie Cox, Forest Whitekar, Gillian Anderson, Henry Cavill, Jennifer Aniston, John Travolta, Lee Pace, Madeleine Stowe, Matt Damon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ricky Gervais, Robert De Niro, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Scarlett Johannson, Sienna Miller, Zac Efron

Marley & Me starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston

Posted on April 6, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Marley & Me with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson
Marley & Me with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. Co-starring Eric Dane, Alan Arkin and Kathleen Turner. Poster from: impawards.com

John Grogan (Owen Wilson) is a very happy man.He has just married to the love of his life, Jennifer (Jennifer Aniston) and has moved to Florida where they both jobs at different newspapers. While Jennifer seems to covering the types of news that matter (according to John) and his buddy at the office – Sebastian (Eric Dane)- is actually being a real reporter, John is stuck with boring and annoying stuff. However, he is holding on. He loves his wife and he has no intention to go from one girl to another like Sebastian. He actually decides he wants kids and what better than a little puppy to warm both him and Jen for the job? The puppy- Marley-is the cutest thing ever. But he soon proves to be the most hyperactive and neurotic dog ever and managing him becomes more exhausting as the couple starts having kids…

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lShipoEMI6Q[/pro-player]

This is one sweetheart of a movie. I had read a viewer comment that criticized the movie for being too ordinary. Seriously? I am not sure what part of the poster/trailer/plot suggested it anything to be other than a family comedy/romance? And ordinary is a relative term isn’t it? After all, we are talking about love, relationships, pets, family and careers. But yes, obviously do not expect to be surprised. It is the actual tale of John Grogan. The movie has been based on his book.

Both Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson are lovely. And as a girl, I have never complained about seeing Eric Dane (Mark Sloan, a.k.a McSteamy on Grey’s Anatomy) on screen. The guy really fits the role of a womanizer. Co- starring are Alan Arkin as Sebastian and John’s editor and Kathleen Turner as a dog trainer in a small role. The last time I saw Arkin on the screen, he was playing the much older and selfish husband of Robin Wright Penn in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Here, he is pretty much the editor of my dreams. Watch the film and you will know what I mean. But what on earth happened to Kathleen Turner? What happened to the gorgeous woman from Romancing the Stone? There is getting old…Then there is getting old like Mel Gibson. And then apparently there is aging like Turner. Oh, boy. Just compare her old self and you will pardon my shock.

7.0 on IMDB. Fair enough. Charming as hell.

Other Jennifer Aniston Posts

Love Happens

The Bounty Hunter

He’s just not that into you

Derailed

Friends

Marley and Me on amazon.com

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Alan Arkin, comedy, dogs, Eric Dane, Jennifer Aniston, John Grogan, Kathleen Turner, Marley and me, movies about dogs, Owen Wilson

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