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Derailed starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston

Posted on January 27, 2010 Written by ripitup

Derailed movie review, starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Anniston

Charles (Clive Owen) is depressed. His once good marriage to Deanna (Melissa George) is shadowed by the fact that their daughter (Addison Timlin) is type 1 diabetics, which means she has to live with a dialysis machine in the house. Charles loves his daughter and what she is going through is killing him- which is why he feels refreshed and alive when he meets Lucinda (Jennifer Aniston) on his commute to work. She is pretty, smart, fun and understanding. She seems to provide perfect escapism and he seems to embrace this. When they decide to actually have sex, they go to a hotel. However they are caught in the middle of the act by a brutal gunned man who beats the hell out of Charles and rapes Lucinda. Knowing all about their identities, he is after cash. Lots of it. Charles can’t go go the police- after all, Lucinda’s husband will take her daughter away if he finds about their affair. He has to find the money but there are two problems: Charles is not wealthy. Their entire savings are done to be able to afford a drug for their daughter…

I liked Derailed. I like both lead actors. Plus Vincent Cassel is a pretty neat psycho. It comes all so naturally to him. And don’t listen to people who say Jennifer can’t act or she will be stuck as Rachel for the rest of her life (even though Ricky Gervais made a good joke about this at the Golden Globes).

The story is good. It has some cool twists and turns and the storytelling made even the predictable ones enjoyable..

Verdict: Clive Owen+ in a well-paced thriller = Success. 6.6/10 on IMDB. 7.5/10 from me.

Buy Derailed on amazon. com

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Duplicity starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts

Posted on January 26, 2010 Written by ripitup

Duplicity movie review, starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts — Duplicity stars Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. It might require some fast-forwarding, but it is fun.

Duplicity is a 2009 movie; written and directed by Tony Gilroy.

This is a weird film. It is a romantic/spy sort of thriller but it is not the thrillers we are used to from spy movies. Maybe it is just me but when I hear the word spy, I expect fighting scenes, explosions, complicated disguises, foreign languages spoken with perfect accents, adrenaline… Maybe it is the side effects of watching shows like 24 or Alias. I also like movies like The Saint. So imagine my surprise when all the spying takes place between two leading and competing corporations. Sure there are bugs, contacts, handlers and high-tech stuff, but all the disguise Clive Owen gives us is a southern accent with eye glasses.

Now, the movie is fun. I have always liked Julia Roberts and after having watched Beyond Borders, I decided to make a habit of watching Clive Owen movies (well, I hated Closer. So I watch anything with Clive but that). The movie’s basic problem is that it is too long. About 2 hours with lot of unnecessary dialogue. They also didn’t spend enough time trying to show how Ray (Owen) and Claire (Roberts) fell for each other. It would be cool to shoot for the lust angle but here we are talking about an actual long-distance relationship.

So a thriller with no chases and a relationship with no depth…Big cons, right? But I have to admit I did still enjoy it. Sure it dragged on and I’d have edited the script to 90 minutes tops if it were me. However, I have a degree in Business. It was our thing to go over case studies and study what corporations did or did not do right. And trust me- it is not that hard to imagine stuff like this happens all the time. You probably know at least a couple real life stories yourself. Pepsi vs Coca-Cola, anyone?

The plot? Oh yeah, that:

Claire and Ray go back 5 years. They meet, have sex and Claire disappears with some important stuff that belongs to Ray. Ray demands an explanation the next time he sees her. As it turns out, they are both spies and now they are forced to work together. Claire is the mole in a big company and Ray is her contact officer. They absolutely detest each other. Or do they?

The CEOs act like they would feel more at home at CIA headquarters than at their corporate offices. They each think they are smarter than the other. Each CEO is confident that his men will nail the next big thing. However Claire and Ray have a totally different plan of their own…

Harmless fun. But don’t even bother if you are in the mood for fast-paced action or if you don’t particularly like Roberts or Owen.

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkx2vYNE9V0[/pro-player]

Couples Retreat starring Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis and Jason Bateman

Posted on January 21, 2010 Written by ripitup

Couples retreat starring Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Jon Favreau and Kristin Bell — Couples Retreat Cast: Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Jason Bateman, Faizon Love and Kali Hawk.

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbfhb-43UNQ[/pro-player]

Let’s talk about your expectations first. The trailer was fun enough and made me expect a funny film with familiar actors. Now, there is no originality. The film is all about stuff you have seen before. But then again, it is about something that never gets old: Relationships. There are no plot twists or surprise endings. So, if you are looking for a smart and somewhat original script, run away from the film and never look back.

Why on earth did I enjoy it then?

1) Vince Vaughn. I like that guy. He surely seems to be playing the same talkative half-wiseass, half-sweet guy over and over again. But he is always entertaining. He proved his dramatic skills in Return to Paradise, which is unlike any Vince movie you have ever seen. I find Wedding Crashers and Old School hilarious and The Break-Up tolerable. Mr. and Mrs. Smith only got more fun with his contribution.

2) Jon Favreau. Now, you have to like a guy who directs the Iron Man movies.

3) Kristen Bell. She had the title role in the interesting TV series Veronica Mars. She also stars in the 2010 romcom When in Rome, crime/romantic/comedy Serious Moonlight alongside Timothy Hutton and Meg Ryan; as well as the hilarious romantic comedy written by and starring Jason Segel – Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

4) Kristin Davis. I loved Sex and The City and its 4 girls.

5) Carlos Ponce. Yes, I know you have seen his character Salvador a million times before: The extra-muscled exotic yoga instructor with a heavy accent. He makes all the men feel threatened. But, if you have seen Carlos in Lipstick Jungle, the difference alone will put a smile on your face.

6) Just look at the place they retreat to. Just breath-taking.

7) The kid playing Vince’s younger son. He is a riot!

8) Malin Akerman: If you liked her in The Watchmen (she plays silk Spectre II), there is a chance you will like her here. But of course for a totally opposite character, you can watch The Heartbreak Kid, also featuring Ben Stiller.

9) Jean Reno: Oh yes, he can pull off everything. But for maximum effect, remember Leon. You will laugh your butts off.

10) I have always loved Guitar Hero. You will know what I mean after you see it.

The plot? Four couples are best friends with each other: Lucy and Joey (Davis and Favreau), Dave and Ronnie (Vaugh and Akerman), Cynthia and Jason (Bell and Jason Bateman) and their friend in crisis: Shane. I said 4 couples. I will come to that.

Dave and Ronnie are happily married with 2 little kids. They are busy with their hectic lives but they are still in love.

Lucy and Joey have raised their daughter and they are counting down the days till she leaves home for college- so that they can get a divorce. Their friends have no idea.

Well, Shane’s wife has divorced him and he is now in the middle of a mid-life crisis, dating a 20 year old.

Cynthia and Jason are having a rough time and they have come with a plan. They have found a really good group discount for a week’s vacation on an exotic island. The only catch is, they have to persuade their friends to join this program that includes counseling as well. What follows is one hilarious week with even wackier characters.

It is harmless, silly and ordinary. But it is fun.

Of Love and Shadows starring Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Connelly

Posted on January 5, 2010 Written by ripitup

Of love and Shadows, 1994 movie starring Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Connelly. Now, another reason to like the movie... OK, I like this scene in the poster. It is sexy and it is romantic. Warning for boys: Antonio reveals much more than Jennifer.

OK. Don’t let the poster fool you. While the steamy screen implicated in the poster does take place in the movie, the

movie is not about sex. It is a love story with a dominant political background. And while the movie has many flaws, it is a decent picture.

The plot:

Irene (Jennifer Connelly) is a journalist in a fashion magazine in Chile during the fascist dictatorship. However, she lives in relatively well conditions with her mom. Irene’s fiancé Gustavo is a soldier and her comfortable, though a little restricted life, has kept her eyes closed to how bad things really are in the country.

Francisco (Antonio Banderas) is a psychologist. His family has been exiled from Spain and since he can’t work as a psychologist during a time when it is considered to be one of the biggest taboos, he gets work as a photographer and starts working for Irene. He and Irene develop an instant bond. While their friendship deepens and Francisco falls for her, he also opens her eyes to what’s really going on in the country. He also works in the “shadows”- that is he helps people that have been tortured/jailed unjustly- just because the military “felt like it”

The flaws:

– The acting is too over the top. Sometimes even Connelly doesn’t even seem that natural but she still makes it work because of how her character is supposed react. Antonio Banderas is quite good. In fact, he is the only one that acts quite well. The rest of the cast looks like they would have belonged better on stage- during times when theater acting was much more exaggerated.

– The movie is in English and the cast’s exaggeratedly heavy accents really hurt the ear. Next to them, you will think Banderas is a native English speaker. Plus, we are used to his accent. Connelly also speaks softly and she doesn’t hurt. But the rest…Thankfully, the majority of the dialogues and events take between these two characters. I wish the movie wasn’t shot in English. Total recasting, except Banderas, wouldn’t have been a bad idea either. Now, there is a reason I like him in this type of film. Yeah, he is good-looking and all that. But, playing a passionate lover is something he does very well. It fits.

Why the hell do I like it?

The first time I saw it, the story got to me. When you don’t know the storyline and don’t know if the characters are going to make it, it is easier to concentrate on the surroundings than the actors and accents. And you got me: I like it when Banderas acts as passionately he does. I mean, you have a character who is passionate both romantically and ideologically, and he fights for what he believes in.

Facts

The book is based on the book of Isabel Allende and the movie was directed by Betty Caplan. Maybe there should be a remake with another director…