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

Posted on November 4, 2012 Written by ripitup

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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

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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

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

Posted on December 26, 2010 Written by ripitup

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The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei & Ryan Phillippe
The Lincoln Lawyer starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei & Ryan Phillippe. Based on the novel by Michael Connelly.

Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a good litigation attorney whose office is the back of his (Lincoln) car. He has a young daughter with Maggie (Marisa Tomei), whose work environment is pretty conventional.

Matthew’s life changes when he signs on a big client – Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) who is charged with assault. He is claiming that it is all a big set up. Is it really entrapment or he is a psychopath capable of killing women as well as destroying Mickey and his family?

**

This legal thriller is right up my alley. I am obsessed with legal thrillers, something I owe to John Grisham. In fact while I was watching the trailer, it all felt Grishamesque and which drew me in the first place.  This one is based on Michael Connelly’s book The Lincoln Lawyer.

This loving family member lawyer type is exactly the role I want to see McConaughey in. God knows he played in enough romantic comedies and if he is going to stereotype himself, I’d rather have him in a legal thriller. It was a John Grisham drama/thriller that had made me a Matthew McConaughey fan in the first place. The movie was A Time to Kill, a solid Grisham adaptation co-starring Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Ashley Judd and Kevin Spacey.  I loved the movie, despite having read and loved the book so that has got to say something.

It might be full of clichés but some clichés just work. Add the Grisham atmosphere, the cast (Marisa Tomei is one of my favorite actresses and Ryan Phillippe makes a perfectly unexpected villain with that baby face of his).

Coming to theaters in March. Watch The Trailer here.

**

Interested in upcoming thrillers? You can also check out Limitless starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel & Robert De Niro.

Also on Matthew McConaughey:

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

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

Also on Marisa Tomei:

The Watcher starring Keanu Reeves, James Spader & Marisa Tomei

6 Hollywood Stars That Would Make 20-Year-Olds Jealous feat. Marisa Tomei

Someone Like You starring Hugh Jackman, Ashley Judd, Greg Kinnear & Marisa Tomei,

Also on Ryan Phillippe:

Playing by Heart starring Phillippe, Angelina Jolie, Madeleine Stowe, Sean Connery, Dennis Quaid …

10 Celebrity Couple Break-Ups You May Not Have Seen Coming

Cheating Celebrity Trivia: 8 Male Celebrities That Cheated on Their Wives or Girlfriends

On John Grisham:

People who screwed us over…in a good way.Part 2: John Grisham

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: A Time to Kill, a time to kill book, a time to kill movie, drama, John Grisham, legal thriller, Marisa Tomei, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Connelly, movies, Ryan Phillippe, the Lincoln lawyer, the lincoln lawyer book, the lincoln lawyer matthew mcconaughey, the lincoln lawyer michael connelly, the lincoln lawyer movie, thriller

Tom Cruise: The Actor Movie-Goers Love to Hate and Hate to Love

Posted on August 15, 2009 Written by ripitup

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tom-cruise-2
Tom Cruise

I thought about writing a “what on earth happened to you” sort of article for Tom Cruise, just like I did with Mel Gibson, but I thought it wouldn’t be fair. Because although Tom makes us question his sanity with his extreme commitment to Scientology and all the weird gossips going on around him, I still like him as an actor. Unlike Mel, Tom has not appeared in many movies that I don’t like, because apart from Eyes Wide Shut and War of the Worlds, I pretty much like all his work. His appearance also improved as he got older- from cute to sexy and attractive. In fact, the only problem I have with his appearance is his height. His 170 cm.s (5’7″) is not exactly star material. But hey, the guy is one of the richest in Hollywood and I believe his movies deserve that popularity.

Before
Before
My fav. look on Tom
My fav. look on Tom. Can be seen in Mission Impossible 2 and Vanilla Sky.

I started to question his sanity after he broke up with Nicole Kidman. Sure heightwise they weren’t the most compatible, Kidman being 179 cm.s (5′ 10″) but lookswise, hell they looked so beautiful together. And they were married for what? 11 years? I know relationships go awry all the time and marriages are even harder but still…If they stuck together that long in Hollywood, there must once have been so strong between them. Now he is married to Katie Holmes.

Tom with Kidman
Tom with ex-wife Nicole Kidman.
Tom with Holmes
Tom with Holmes

If people are going to complain about Matthew McConaughey or Kate Hudson or Ryan Reynolds taking on the same roles, playing the same people, they should really take Katie Holmes to the top of their list. When I was  about 14 or 15, I liked Dawson’s Creek. First 2 seasons or so were good-until it became a partner-swapping story. Oh, you know: three guys, 3 boys. Intra-group dating. You imagine the so-called drama and the complications. And Katie Holmes’ pouting. Oh my God, she was- and is- so annoying. She really has one facial expression. Her movie roles did not bring out anything new and for me, Tom’s marrying Holmes seemed like a step down. Nicole’s beauty and versatility as an actress and then to Holmes…Oh well, they seem happy together so I’ll shut up about it. But of course Katie added another thing to the list of things I don’t like about Cruise. Plus, everything about their relationship was so in our face, they were so hard to avoid. There was a time we talked about his movies right?

So leaving his personal life aside… Sometimes I think 80s and 90s were much better times to become stars. Think of Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise- I am thinking it will be hard- if not impossible- to reach this kind of popularity and make this much money for male stars. Tom has evolved-both in appearance and acting-since his Risky Business days. He has played in comedy, drama, thriller, war, action and so on. He was nominated for an academy award for 3 times (2 for best actor and 1 for best supporting role). His harmless feel good movies such as Cocktail and Risky Business are classics. No need to mention Top Gun made him. Even though I find most Oliver Stone movies pretentious, I was genuinely touched by Born on the 4th of July. List goes on. But my favorite Tom Cruise ever is Jerry Maguire. It is one of the loveliest stories ever written and although it made me a follower of its writer/director Cameron Crowe, Jerry Maguire remains my fav.

Let’s take a trip in history:

(hey I can’t include everything, you know he has been in a lot of films!!!)

Tom Cruise as a teenager who gets to party home with friends and a hooker. 1983.
Tom Cruise as a teenager who gets to party home with friends and a hooker. 1983. Risky Business.
Flying School. Lots of action. Romance. Classic Tony Scott film. 1986.
Flying School. Lots of action. Romance. Classic Tony Scott film Top Gun. 1986. There is Val Kilmer too!
Dustin Hoffman won Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the autistic older brother to Tom Cruise's character. It is an amazing road trip. Fun and deep. 1988.
Dustin Hoffman won Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the autistic older brother to Tom Cruise's character. It is an amazing road trip. Fun and deep. 1988. Rain Man is a should-see.
A young man is too willing to go fight in Vietnam. But then he loses a lot. in the war and his return makes for a great anti-war battle. 1989.
A young man is too willing to go fight in Vietnam. But then he loses a lot in the war and his return makes for a great anti-war battle. 1989. Tom Cruise was directed by Oliver Stone. Might be the only Stone movie I ever liked.
Military Drama/ Thriller. Amazing cast: Nicholson, Moore, Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland. 1992.

First movie of the triology based on the popular tv show of the same name. I prefer the second and the third. 1996.
First movie of the triology based on the popular tv show Mission Impossible. I prefer the 2nd and the 3rd. 1996.

Sports manager J. Maguire takes a big risk when he cares for his clients. He gets his ass fired and a life changing journey starts. I will write its own post. 1996.
Sports manager Jerry Maguire takes a big risk when he cares for his clients. He gets his ass fired and a life changing journey starts. 1996.

vanilla_sky
It is just a wonderful epic. Lots of action, great cinematography. Saw it 2 times at the theater. 2003.
The Last Samurai is a gloriously wonderful epic. Lots of action, great cinematography. Saw it 2 times at the theater. 2003.

Yes, I still love his movies. As long as he doesn’t talk about his “religion” and stops trying to prove how much he loves Katie on Oprah (remember the time he jumped around on the couch???) , I’ll be fine.

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: a few good men, Academy-award winning movies, jerry maguire, katie holmes, Matthew McConaughey, Mission Impossible, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Tom Cruise movies, Top Gun

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

Posted on August 15, 2009 Written by ripitup

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matthew mcconaugheyMjEx

It is sad to admit that Matthew McConaughey is probably the symbol of anti-diversity (I’m not even sure if this is a word but you get the point). I hadn’t even conciously thought about it until I saw a  funny blog post about his romantic comedies, the latest being Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. The post was about how all his movies and their posters were alike. Although romantic comedies might follow a certain formula, they follow (almost) different routes on how characters get to be together in the end. The similarity of the posters, though, make me laugh. You can check out the link below:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/matthew-mcconaugheys-next-10-movies/

However, I am not sure I would go that far to thrash the guy. Because frankly, his name does attract me to a romantic comedy. It is not that I’m expecting much, but I like his presence. Yes, it feels like he is playing the same character a lot. And yes, he doesn’t change his appearance either- (a part from the awful haircut he wore in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past- and that straight cut made him look old and kind of unattractive) . But if you don’t think he can act and/or he is just a pretty face, go see A Time to Kill. It is a John Grisham adaptation; and it is a beautiful movie. And trust me, Grisham is my favorite author and I hate the movies that don’t do his work justice. But it is a powerful movie, and Matthew is brilliant there. I’ll get back to this movie shortly.

The post I gave the link of above, also thrashes Kate Hudson. A friend of mine had the same complaint about her: that she can’t act; that she plays the same character in the same lousy way over and over again. But then again, how many ways are there to play similar, two-dimensional characters? Maybe, they really find the paychecks too nice to turn down the roles. Maybe they love the work that doesn’t challenge them. Or maybe they are simply not offered scripts that help them bring out their potential. Remember, Hudson had been nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in Almost Famous. Hollywood is a tricky place to be in. I never see anyone doubting Gary Oldman’s talent. Yet even he has complained that he is hardly offered scripts that he loves.

And as for romantic comedies, why shouldn’t we have them? Where there is demand, there has to be supply. Economics 101, guys! Of course not all the examples of the genre are good. But they help you escape real life problems and it is nice to watch lives that are easily sorted out for a change.

Now, if you want to see Matthew act; and act him well at a good drama at that:

636_atimetokill

Plot: Mississippi,1990s. Two rednecks rape a 10 year-old, African American girl. They are arrested but there is a chance they might not get a life sentence or even get away with it. The father loses it, and kills the men on the trial day. Now the father is the defendant. He is defended by his white lawyer friend Jake (McConaughey). You are with the father all the way. The thing so powerful about the story is, it feels so real. It kicks you in the gut. Because John Grisham based it on a real life case. You see, Grisham himself is a lawyer. One day at court, he is hearing in on a similar case- a little girl has been raped. John is a father too, so he puts himself  in the father’s shoes, not being able to help it. And he thinks that he would want to shoot them down- and he probably would try. The story is gripping. Yet Grisham added another conflict by making the criminals white, and the victims Black; adding inevitable racism issues. The fact that the man’s lawyer also has a family- a wife and a little girl- and they get threatened by racist groups does not make things easier…Oh and of course the morality issues. Is it OK to take matters into your own hands? Hell, it is easy to give a lecture on what is right or wrong unless it is personal.

Go see A Time to Kill. You have seen the cast on the poster: Sandra Bullock (Jake’s assistant), Samuel L. Jackson (the father), Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey ( as the District Attorney) and Ashley Judd (as Jake’s wife).  And let’s keep our fingers crossed that Matthew acts in more movies like this…

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: A Time to Kill, Ashley Judd, Gary Oldman, John Grisham, Kate Hudson, Kevin Spacey, Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

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