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No Looking Back starring Edward Burns, Lauren Holly & Jon Bon Jovi

Posted on January 14, 2011 Written by ripitup

No Looking Back starring Edward Burns, Lauren Holly & Jon Bon Jovi. Feat. Jennifer Esposito, Blythe Danner & Connie Britton. Image via filmlerim.com

Claudia (Lauren Holly) is living in the small town she grew up. Working as a diner waitress, her time is divided between her depressed mother (Blythe Danner) and her sister (Connie Britton), her live-in boyfriend Michael (Jon Bon Jovi) and with her friends – who are also Michael’s friends and they pretty much end up doing the same things every night.

Claudia is fed up with her life, but she doesn’t feel like there is much she can do, until her ex/the-love-of-her-life Charlie (Edward Burns) comes back to town. Charlie has never been content with the domestic town life and he makes sure he reminds Claudia that neither has she.

Sure, Charlie seems like an exciting change but can Claudia ever trust her again? And what about Michael?

Don’t accuse me of being a hypocrite for watching this just yet. So, I said I wasn’t really dying to watch Natalie Portman’s Love and Other Impossible Pursuits because it had such an unoriginal storyline. Yet here I am reviewing a film that, on the surface, offers nothing but a love triangle and small town depression. But then again, No Looking Back has two good things to offer: Jon Bon Jovi and Edward Burns. And I never had anything against Gwyneth Paltrow’s real life mother Blythe Danner, Spin City’s Nikki Connie Britton or Jennifer Esposito, who deliver nicely on the sidelines. But this movie, for me, was about Jon and Edward.

Yeah, Lauren Holly is a good actress. But what makes No Looking Back worth a look for me is that it is mainly a one-man effort, just like many Edward Burns movies. It was written and directed by Burns, he has the lead role and he has co-produced it. He doesn’t always come up with the best storylines, but he is good at creating ordinary yet life-like characters and he has always been one of my idols. Come on- how many movie buffs fantasized about shooting their own story, with their favorite actors? I am guessing and the difference is Burns has managed it. Remember his first The Brothers McMullen? Shot with $25,000 and making 10 million – all that with an unknown cast? Yep, that was Burns. As I said, No Looking Back is nothing special storywise, but it is a nice, modest little effort.

And Jon Bon Jovi. Yes, I am a Bon Jovi fan and yeah, that automatically makes me a fan of Jon’s singing, (most) song-writing and stage presence. But believe it or not, the guy can act. He first got the acting bug when he shot a scene for buddy Emilio Estevez’ Young Guns II, where Jon was doing the soundtrack. The movie did well and the soundtrack did even better, scoring Jon a Golden Globe for Best Song, as well as an Oscar nomination.

When Jon gave acting a serious shot in the mid-90s and while he wasn’t a box office star, he was critically liked and that was what he wanted. No Looking Back is a great film for Jon to shine because the heart of the movie lies in the triangle and he is smack in the middle of it.

Jon is a good example for getting what you want the old-fashioned way. He worked really hard to become a rock star and he did. He could have bought his way into a studio, but he did auditions and took acting lessons.

So yeah, the movie is more for Burns and Jon Bon Jovi fans as well as aspiring (indie) filmmakers.

It is also for getting nostalgic. 1998. Do you remember where you were? For me, it was the start of 9^th grade. But worry not- the themes in the movie won’t get obsolete. Clichéd and over-used? Sure. Obsolete? No. After all, depression, identity crisis, settling down, settling vs. chasing your dreams…they have been the core themes for a long while.

Rated 5.8 on IMDB. Sounds fair enough. No Looking Back is not recommended if you are after escapism or original screenplay. It is recommended for those who are after the familiar themes, a lovely soundtrack (Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Lynyrd Skynyrd,Pete Yorn, The Allman Brothers Band and more) and well, for those who are wondering whether Jon Bon Jovi can act.

Oh, I also like the ending. This part has a spoiler: the movie picks a neither- nor approach rather than either or;)

Fun Stuff:

The singer most heard in the background is the rock legend Bruce Springsteen and he is the favorite musician of Jon Bon Jovi. They are both from New Jersey and they performed on stage together.

Jennifer Espesito was married to Bradley Cooper.

On Lauren Holly

Sabrina starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond & Greg Kinnear. Feat. Lauren Holly

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Lauren Holly

On Edward Burns

Why Jon Bon Jovi, Edward Burns and Timothy Ferris Ruined Us

On Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jon Bon Jovi, Kevin Bacon

Bon Jovi Album Trivia: 10 Facts About Bon Jovi’s Keep the Faith

Bon Jovi Songs with Contradicting Lyrics and Themes: Feat. It’s My Life, Hey God, Living on a Prayer and More

Bon Jovi Trivia: 52 More Facts About The Rock Band Bon Jovi

6 Fast Bon Jovi Songs That Feature The Word Love

6 Rock Songs on Cheating: 1 Bryan Adams, 4 Bon Jovi and 1 KISS

4 Psycho Rock Songs Feat. Def Leppard, Talking Heads, Bon Jovi and The Smiths

Bon Jovi Were Born to be Followed

Jon Bon Jovi Hosts Snl

17 Men to Marry for Their Voices: Feat. Jon Bon Jovi, David Coverdale, Jani Lane, Brett Michael, Villie Valo and More

10 Celebrities to Wear Flats for: Featuring Taylor Lautner, Johnny Depp, Kevin Bacon, Jon Bon Jovi and More

Actors’ Pleasantly Surprising Roles feat. Robert De Niro & Mel Gibson

Posted on January 11, 2011 Written by ripitup

This is a sequel to the article Actors’ Pleasantly Surprising Roles feat. Russell Crowe, Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman.

Robert De Niro in Stardust

Robert De Niro is a terrific actor. Everyone knows it. But having been in the business for since the 60s, he has gotten to play a mobster, a psycho or a cop once too often. He does them all well but you start to think even he has fallen into a pattern. He is good but you think over the years, you know what to expect. You think he doesn’t have any surprises left. Great performances and good movies, yes. Surprises? Not so much. That’s until you see Stardust where he plays a masculine captain of a lightning catching ship. Nope, he hasn’t played that one before. But it is not just the occupation that’s unique but also the character. Masculine, tough and ruthless towards his men. Sweet, caring, homely to his guests. And totally feminine when left on his own. Amazing. Stardust is an overall great film experience but Robert’s character is by far the best in the movie. Hats off to De Niro. May he surprise and entertain us so much again.

Mel Gibson in What Women Want

Mel Gibson has played his first remarkable lead role in Mad Max, in 1979. Mad Max went to become a cult series. Now, he played a cop there. The story line is completely different in Lethal Weapon of course. But Lethal Weapon also became extremely popular and the 4^th movie was made. His character’s occupation? Also a cop. Again the genre and the plot is different but he was a cop in his 2010 movie Edge of Darkness. It is not to say he didn’t play an ex-criminal in FBI’S Witness Protection Program (Bird on a Wire), a drug dealer trying to leave his business (Tequila Sunrise) or a man with a low IQ (Tim). He is also no stranger to comedy but…let’s face it we have never seen him like we did in What Women Want where he plays a hotshot advertising executive who is well, a man’s man and a woman’s dream…unless you are working with him or well you are his daughter or if you are trying to be in a relationship with him. But then something really weird happens. You can check out the plot here. Here I will talk about what his new creative director tells him to do. He needs to come up with advertising ideas for feminine products such as tampons, make-up stuff, pantyhose and well… waxing equipment. Since his imagination doesn’t take him anywhere, he decides to try these stuff… This actor tried anything from a kilt to a western outfit.

The movie is one hell of a romantic comedy that doesn’t get romantic for a while. And yes, I believe you have never seen him in a bra and wearing mascara before this flick.

Actors’ Pleasantly Surprising Roles feat. Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman & Russell Crowe

Posted on January 10, 2011 Written by ripitup

Actors’ Pleasantly Surprising Roles feat. Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman & Russell Crowe

Finding a good script is tricky. Constantly being after good scripts and trying to be versatile at the same time is even trickier. An actor might often find himself playing a character more often than other roles- such as being a cop or a villain too often. So just when you think you’ve seen all the cards up his sleeve, he surprises you as a character you have never seen before. Below are 3 examples:

* Harrison Ford in Six Days Seven Nights

Six Days Seven Nights starring Harrison Ford & Anne Heche

We are accustomed to seeing Ford in serious roles. Whether he is a cop (The Devil’s Own,Witness) or The President (Air Force One). Sure he had his characters with a sense of humor (Indiana Jones) but this one really caught me off guard.

In Six Days Seven Nights, he is a middle-aged pilot who lives on an island in Tahiti and is pretty pleased with his easy-going life. That’s until he meets Robin (Anne Heche) and a plane crash puts them both an island.

Ford’s character gets drunk too often and makes jokes at Anne Heche’s character Robin’s expense. He also falls down, gets beaten up and smiles a lot, all the while managing to be the masculine Harrison Ford we know him to be. Watch this one to see Harrison in an action/romance/comedy genre.

Two other movies if you like the combination of these genres:

Birds on a Wire starring Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson

The Bounty Hunter starring Gerard Butler and Jennifer Anniston

* Gary Oldman in The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter starring Demi Moore & Gary Oldman

We saw Gary play the bad guy too often. Sure, when he isn’t playing the ultimate-villain (Léon, Murder in the First, Dracula), he does play a lot of shady/grey characters (Romeo Lies Bleeding, Sid and Nancy). So I am guessing I am not the only one surprised to find him as Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale in the film adaptation of The Scarlet Letter in 1995. He was a reverend, he was genuinely nice and he was playing a romantic character! And being Gary Oldman, he pulled this off brilliantly. You may or may not like the movie but Gary’s performance was…well, up to Gary’s standards.

* Russell Crowe in A Good Year

A Good Year starring Russell Crowe, Marion Cotillard & Albert Finney. Feat. Tom Hollander & Richard Coyle.

Russell Crowe might be an academy-award-winning actor, but hey let’s face it, he doesn’t have typically have a boyish charm. And he doesn’t really look like as if he is ready to make a fool out of himself. I am checking out his films to see another light-hearted role and I can’t. He played a warrior, a cop, an agent, an “insider”…. Sure, Mystery, Alaska is fun but A Good Year is even better. Not just because it features the Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies, Inception) but because it shows us the two sides of Crowe- one we know so well and we are not so used to.

A Good Year follows Max Skinner- a ruthless and successful British broker in London to Provence, France. His uncle has died and left him his vineyard. All Max wants to do get the paperwork out of the way and do whatever the hell he wants with it. But before he can change the property, the property, its residents, his uncle’s (Albert Finney’s) memories and a certain French girl changes him.

This movie is directed by Ridley Scott, a director that Russell collaborates with quite often. The duo also did Gladiator, American Gangster, Body of Lies and Robin Hood together. But among them all, this is the sweetest, lightness and the most romantic movie of them all. Here, Russell’s hotshot Max gets into funny situations, falls in love, falls in love with the vineyard and discovers a side to himself that he didn’t know or forgot that it existed. And best of all, Russell isn’t alone in providing the comic relief. His friend Charlie (Tom Hollander) comes to visit. And well, Tom’s scenes are usually not so charismatic in movies and this one is no exception. Max’s broker nemesis is played by Richard Coyle– who you might remember as Jeff from TV Show Coupling– the British series that had most viewers laughing their butts off. And that’s an understatement. So it doesn’t matter if you put Richard in a semi-serious, small role. I start laughing the moment I see the guy. Oh, and the female lead is so elegantly beautiful that the story wouldn’t have made sense if Max hadn’t fallen head over heels with her. This film really made me like Russell. Yes, he is a good actor but he was just not this fun before.

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: The Natalie Portman Movie We Aren’t Excited About

Posted on January 9, 2011 Written by ripitup

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits starring Natalie Portman, Scott Cohen and Lisa Kudrow.Image via ioncinema.com

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: The Natalie Portman Movie We Aren’t Excited About

I’m looking forward to see Natalie in Thor and maybe even in No Strings Attached but I can’t say the same about Love and Other Impossible Pursuits.

Why?

Well, let’s walk through the storyline:

Emilia Greenleaf is in for a rough ride when she meets and falls in love with her older colleague Jack (Scott Cohen). Jack is married with a kid (Charlie Tahan). When he gets divorced from Carolyne (Lisa Kudrow) and marries Emilia, Carolyne finds it difficult to get along with her stepson. Things get even more difficult for her when she gets pregnant and then loses the baby. It is not like Carolyne will be helpful at all. Can Emilia find a way to get over her loss and connect with Jack’s son?

I’m sure the acting is lovely. But the story? I find it extremely hard to sympathize with Jack. He says he hasn’t done “this” before – this being he never cheated on his wife before. Congratulations, Jack. Let’s get you a medal. So he leaves his wife for the younger model. It can be true love, but since Jack didn’t bother to walk away from his marriage before, I am not going to respect or tolerate him.

So Emilia falls in love with Jack. I am sure if she paid attention, there would be a lot of decent single or divorced man around. But no, Jack is “the one”.

I feel bad that she loses her own baby but it is a big stretch that anyone expects Carolyne to be nice to Emilia. Sure, maybe if enough time passed, she could be distant and polite. But come on…who wants to be nice to the other woman?

So, yeah Natalie Portman’s character is in for a tough ride, but she signed up for it willingly, apart from of course the loss of her baby. But her grief and attempts to connect with the kid aren’t enough elements to lure me in. Her acting may be good but come on…this is Portman. When is her acting ever bad?

And as a Lisa Kudrow fan, I might just stick to Friends re-runs. Or watch P.S. I love you again. After all man who stayed in love with his wife for 9 years and helped her cope with his own death makes for a better story, at least in my book.

Based on the novel of Ayelet Waldman and written and directed by Don Roos.

Other Posts feat. Natalie Portman

Coming Soon:Thor starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins & Natalie Portman

Overrated: Closer starring Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts & Jude Law

Preview: No Strings Attached starring Portman & Ashton Kutcher

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman

Other Posts feat. Lisa Kudrow

P.S. I Love You starring Gerard Butler, Hillary Swank & Jeffrey Dean Morgan feat. Lisa Kudrow

Hollywood Stars in Friends