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21 starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey: It’s Vegas, baby!!!

Posted on October 8, 2009 Written by ripitup

I am not comfortable with the notion of gambling yet I love Vegas. I have never been yet and if I have enjoyed a movie, I really feel th urge to visit the city where it was shot. The bright lights, casinos, hotels, the colors, the excitement. I know I said I am not comfortable because well, I have two good reasons. One, I have an addictive personality – my addictions include rock n’ roll, movies,writing,coffee,cocktails,chocolate,dancing -and I am guessing if I like gambling half as much as I like the stuff I listed above, boy I’m in big trouble. And second, I don’t have much money. So the notion of the possibly of losing what little I have is well, alarming. But I really want to go to Vegas and go crazy for a couple of nights…Oh,yeah: we have 21 to blame.

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I don’t want to go all emotional here but some movies hit closer to home. Of course 21 is not exactly a emotional movie. It has some emotional moments about the lead character Ben. But overall, it is based on the real life story of five MIT students who regularly went to Vegas, counted the cards and made some serious cash. I don’t know how much the movie sticks to the real story,but the storyline goes something like this:

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is an excellent student.He is about to graduate from MIT with honors to continue to Harvard Medical School. Although his qualities are perfect, he has one gigantic problem: he doesn’t have the insane tuition amount. The fees add up to $300,000. His only chance to go to the school he has been accepted to is to get a scholarship.But the scholarship will only be granted to one student and it will all depend on the extraordinary essay he is going to write about his life- except there is nothing even remotely exciting about his life. All his life, he has worked hard and been the amazing student. But he makes one good impression on the one guy that he is going to change his life forever: his Professor Mickey (Kevin Spacey). Mickey is secretly managing a unique group of students from MIT. Together they practice on perfecting a team play. Mickey is reluctant to join them at first but ultimately he doesn’t have much choice. And then the time of his life begins. Luxurious hotel suits, pretending to be someone else every time they play, the thrill, the chemistry growing between him and his team player/his big crush Jill (Kate Bosworth), ludicrous shopping rounds, oh and a danger they are not noticing: the seasoned yet smart head of security Cole (Laurence Fisburne) .

Of course complications occur when he neglects his best friends, and he has a big fall out with his professor. The thing is Mickey doesn’t play nice when he thinks he is crossed…And yet that is exactly when the real adventure begins…

The movie has been directed by Robert Luketic who recently directed The Ugly Truth (2009). Despite having loved it, I have to stay this movie beats any other movie he has done. Rom-com is one of my favorite genres and Robert is good. But if you want to see him direct something more different and definitely more intriguing, watch 21.

We all need money to make our dreams come true. And I need a similar amount of money-at least- to start my own dream school program. The idea to try your hand in Vegas when all else fails makes sense. But then again, I am no math genius, I don’t go to MIT and I can’t count cards. Not to mention, I am not a fan of the Vegas’ casinos’ security systems and the measures taken when you get caught. Of course my knowledge on the subject is based on what Hollywood tells me, yet somehow I am not inspired to challenge that…

Watch 21. It is fun.It is exciting. It makes your fantasies come alive through a character you can easily identify yourself with. I might be neither able nor willing to cheat, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to play.

for the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRzZX2aN3I0

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Can he or can’t he? : Keanu Reeves

Posted on October 4, 2009 Written by ripitup

I have been a fan of Keanu Reeves ever since I saw Speed. I guess it is not a surprise, since he became the ultimate name for box office hits after that exciting action flick. But he is not simply an action hero. Yeah, he has fought and kicked as in Point Break, Speed, the Matrix triology and Street Kings. He has done somes spooky thrillers: He has been the villain; a psycho serial killer in The Watcher and somewhat the victim in The Devil’s Advocate. He has done his share of independent movies. He has proven to be good at romantic roles. Have you seen “A Walk in the Clouds” or “The Lake House“. Oh of course we have Sweet November on the sappy side. He has also played a male hustler, sleeping with men and claiming to be heterosexual; and hence not returning the affections and love of his best friend/fellow hustler friend. So here we have a guy who has taken on a variety of roles, in a vast variety of genres. Yet there are many people who find his acting flat and his facial expressions limited. Well, I am in the group that thinks Keanu is a talented actor. Sure it must have helped that he is handsome in an exotic way-being born to a Chinese/Hawaiian father and an English mother and all that. But you do not get his career without talent and hard work.

He has had some disappointments in his career. Not all his movies got the same good reaction. He has had his first TV appearance when he was 20. Keanu has been on screen for 25 years n0w. Yep, he is 45 now. He keeps up the interesting and challenging roles. He doesn’t mind taking smaller parts. And I have been following his movies. The movies aren’t all perfect. But they are never dull.

Yet he has another quality that admire. I don’t really see that much of him in the press. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading about actors. I love seeing their pictures, the latest news on their movies and it never hurts to see the lovely houses they live in. But I don’ t really care that much about who they date. Sure, it is interesting to see the couplings they form and all that. After all, it is fun to see beautiful people hooking up with beautiful people. But it gets really annoying when it is in your face all the time. I am so sick of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. It is like you can’t escape them. But I never knew that much about Keanu’s private life.Not even close. And I’m pretty happy about this. He is an actor. His on-screen chemistry with his co-star is a much bigger deal. The scripts he picks, the roles he takes on, the stunts he does himself…Now, those are the stuff. He is an actor. And I think even the fact that people are arguing over his acting ability rather than who he dates and how long he dates her is better. It is much more relevant.

Yes, I think he is gorgeous. Yes, I think he can act. Here are some suggestions to test my statements:

1) Speed- for action

2) A Walk in the Clouds- for some old-fashioned romance

3) The Watcher– watch out for his bad guy.

Well, if we are still not on the same page, it is ok. Because even if you think he is not a good actor, you have loved at least a couple of his movies. He has provided good entertainment. For 25 years. And that’s something to admire…

Keanu Reeves young — Keanu Reeves- really young

Keanu Reeves and Robin Wright Penn in The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. 2009.

All Posts on Keanu Reeves and his movies

Keanu Reeves Trivia 101

The Watcher Movie Review

Something’s Gotta Give Movie Review

Lake House Movie Review

Lovely and Weird: “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee”

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

Brad Pitt or Keanu Reeves?

A Walk in The Clouds movie review

6 Celebrities That Aged Well

Top 5 Movie Endings- featuring The Devil’s Advocate info

Touch of Pink starring Kris Holden-Ried, Jimi Mistry & Kyle MacLachlan

Posted on October 2, 2009 Written by ripitup

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Alim (Mistry) has a good life. He has moved in with Giles, his super-sexy boyfriend and he is very happy. Giles (Kris Holden-Ried) of course has no reservations about being gay, living in London and all. Alim,on the other hand, is from a Muslim family. His family lives far away and has no idea he is not interested in women. When his traditionalist mother comes to visit, meaning to find the perfect girl for his son, Giles has to pretend he is Alim’s straight room-mate. Giles’ sister is introduced as Alim’s loved one and even the idea of a bride from another culture is enough to drive the mother nuts.

Kyle MacLachlan plays Alim2s imaginary companion, Cary Grant’s spirit. He sort of displays the only father figure in Alim’s life. The mother develops a close friendship with Giles; having no idea that he is actually his son’s lover. Alim’s mother is not the only problem. Giles is having difficulty understanding Alim’s reservations. When the truth is revealed, all hell breaks loose for everyone.

The movie is very funny, sweet and emotional. The cultural differences are told in the most poignant way. You go between wanting to hug the mother and punch her and it goes same with Giles. Just sit back and be ready for laughs.

The Answer Man starring Jeff Daniels and Lauren Graham

Posted on September 5, 2009 Written by ripitup

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Wow, Jeff Daniels has grown up!!! I don’t mean it in a bad way. Sure he has gotten a little old, hell- he is 54 now. But do you remember the 1994 hit Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey? Yep, Jeff was the other lead. So it is funny to remember that role. He has matured and this is a lovely romantic comedy. Although it is a little different than your typical rom-com. It has characters whose paths cross in funny ways yet it has dramatic elements. Jeff Daniels’ grumpy and edgy character Arlen Faber is good for laughs.

So Arlen Faber- as the opening credits tells us- has written a book called “Me & God” 20 years ago. The book has become a hit of hits, a life-changing book for many and Arlen has millions of fans all over the world. Yet the man is a mystery. He has never given any interviews and his picture was never shown anywhere so no one even knows what he looks like. We, the viewer, however know who it is. The book has given all the answers you might wanna know about life in general. So after the credits, one might expect a serene, confident and well, nice guy. Instead, we have an unpleasant, grumpy, and weird guy living alone in a huge house with signs attached on the rooms, describing what they are. He meditates all the time and reads self-help books but it doesn’t cheer him up.

Then there is Elizabeth (Lauren Graham)- a single, over-protective mother who runs a chiropractor’s practice. And Kris (Lou Taylor Pucci), who is a recently recovered alcoholic and the owner of the bookstore that will also be another character in the movie.

One day Arlen has to go to a healing center after an awfully funny back incident and there he meets Elizabeth. After that, we find a whole different Arlen. With Elizabeth and near her son, he is nice, fun and wise. With others, of course he is usually an ass but starts to develop a strange friendship with Kris as well.

You have quirky characters with problems. And Arlen seems to have a good reason for being the “ass” that he is. …

It is a good movie. It is fun and interesting and eccentric. It could have been a little longer and I wish Arlen had a different secret behind the book. But I certainly do not agree with the viewers that think the movie is a rip off As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson. What? We can’t have a weird guy and single mother in a story anymore? C’ mon…

Watch it. Sure, there will be things you wish had been done differently. The writer/director John Hindman has pulled off a decent movie that I find honest and real. 6.6 on IMDB. A heartfelt 7 from me!