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Serious Moonlight starring Timothy Hutton and Meg Ryan

Posted on August 12, 2010 Written by ripitup

Serious Moonlight starring Timothy Hutton, Meg Ryan, Justin Long and Kristen Bell. Image via arti24.com

Ian (Timothy Hutton) is cheating on Louise (Meg Ryan) – his wife of 13 years with the younger Sara (Kristen Bell).He has planned to spend some romantic time at his and Louise’s summer house with Sara before they go to Paris together.

Louise is a busy and accomplished lawyer but unaware of Ian’s affair, she comes to the summer house early to surprise him. When he unwillingly confronts her, she gets upset and demands to talk things through. Ian, however, can’t wait to leave her for good. When he doesn’t want to talk it over, Louise gets mad and knocks him out. Ian wakes up, duct-taped to a chair. Louise wants Ian to think things over and she seems to think that this might actually help them save their marriage. This pisses Ian off and he tries anything to set free.

Louise does her best trying to remind him of the good times and how much they loved each other. She even manages to send Sarah away quickly after she arrives – telling her that Ian has agreed to spend one last night with her, going through the details of break-up.

Just when Ian thinks things couldn’t get any worse, he is proven wrong when Louise goes to town for shopping. The lawnmower guy (Justin Long) arrives and realizes that he has the perfect opportunity to rob the house. The only guy resident is duct-taped to a chair!

So of course by the time Louise arrives and shares the same faith with her husband, Ian has already realized that spending a couple more minutes with Louise may not be the worst thing that can happen to him. In fact, afraid for both their lives, it is beginning to seem like the only thing that matters. But will the guy let them go? Will he rape Louise? And he doesn’t seem to be in a rush to leave the house.. And what the hell will Sara do when Ian doesn’t meet her at the airport?

This is one crazy and sweet little romantic comedy, with the comedy and crazy parts being more dominant. The crime comedy parts with Justin Long are also fun. It is not exactly hilarious but it is really entertaining. I can say that guys can enjoy this one too, although I suspect women will have a little more fun with what Louise does to her cheating husband. Maybe it is not the most likely of scenarios but there is no reason it couldn’t happen either.

I read one user review that said the characters aren’t likable. I beg to differ. While Ian doesn’t exactly come off as a sweetheart, he is representing a big group of men who feel stuck in their marriages and decide they can be happier with a much younger girlfriend. And while what Louise does is a little wacky, I can’t promise I would be nice to my cheating husband either. While I may not go overboard with duct tapes and everything, I am likely to punch him in the face and kick him in the groins as hard as I can. So it is not that hard to like or at least feel a little sympathy for Louise- Ian has been her best friend and husband for 13 years, and there is a history behind it.

But boys and romcom haters, worry not! This is not typical. It has pretty funny situations and the story is more concerned about entertaining you than focusing on who Ian will end up with.

Funnily enough, this is the second time Kristen Bell plays a bitchy character with a name that sounds like Sara. Remember Forgetting Sarah Marshall?

It is fun. And it is a must see for any Timothy Hutton fan as you get to see a lot of him. As always, his performance is good and he sis at his best when his character gets emotional. And it is always fun watching Meg Ryan, Kristen Bell and Justin Long in comedies.

Warning: Cheating husbands may not enjoy this film.

Unfortunate trivia: Writer Adrienne Shelly was murdered in 2006. Directed by Cheryl Hines.

5.4/10 on IMDB

7/10 from me. They would have been better of, had they not given too many clues about the ending. Still, it is so much fun.

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Sweet November starring Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron

Posted on August 9, 2010 Written by ripitup

Sweet November starring Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves. 2001 remake of 1968’s Sweet November. Image via http://img03.blogcu.com/

Nelson (Keanu Reeves) is an ambitious and selfish young man, with an aspiring career in advertising. He has a somewhat mechanical lifestyle and his most possessed thing is his career. However things are about to change with two nig events: an advertising pitch gone wrong and an eccentric yet beautiful young woman named Sara (Charlize Theron).

Nelson needs to retake a test for his driving license and in an attempt to cheat, he gets Sara in trouble. Annoyed and intrigued, Sara asks for Nelson’s (driving) hand. Nelson thinks Sara is crazy and wants her to stay away. However Sara has much bigger plans for him, as she wants him to be her “November”…

Nelson realizes he has more serious problems than Sara – he ends up getting fired and dumped by his girlfriend (a very small appearance by Gilmore Girls’ Lorelai, Lauren Graham). Sara keeps trying to get his attention and persuade him to spend November with her. Sara thinks that if Nelson moves in with her for a month, she can get his priorities straight and he can just learn to enjoy life. A reluctant Nelson finally gives in to spend a night with Sara, and then one day only. However soon, Nelson is fascinated by how different she is and how she doesn’t care about what others think. It also helps that she is pretty and well…Nelson is starting to enjoy the new lifestyle where he is not a slave to an office, watch or cell-phone. However things can’t be perfect forever. There will be a chance for Nelson to get his career back. And even if he can resist the temptation of being a high-powered career man again, Sara just seems too fragile and weak at times. And why is she hung up on spending only a month, when Nelson is really falling for her? What is she keeping from him?

Despite being a far-fetched and weird concept, it is also a refreshing and original how Sara chose her next boyfriend for a month and work on him as if he is a project. Well, at least it was original when Herman Raucher wrote the screenplay of Sweet November in 1968 .

Another refreshing thing about the film is the two guys who play her cross-dressing male neighbors as one of them is played by Jason Isaacs (the evil English soldier from The Patriot) and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor of Smallville). And obviously, Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves are easy on the eye and Sara’s zest for life and her reluctance to live by other people’s rules is something you can relate to.

But despite loving the actors, and being a romantic, I find it highly unrealistic (yes, unrealistic even for a romantic drama) for a man like Nelson to turn into the boyfriend of any girl’s dreams just in like 2 weeks? Well, how he agreed to Sara’s deal is even a stretch! And even if you decide to pretend you bought into it for the sake of the leads, you are supposed to get over the fact that a woman in Sara’s condition would really bother with troubled men and teach them things, instead of traveling the world or doing things from crazy to-do lists…And don’t even get me started on the ending.

Here come the spoilers. Read at your own peril!

Let me ask you something. Suppose you are dying but you have found the love of your life. He is also very much in love and he wants to stick by your side no matter what. Would you let them go away- no wait- would you make them go away so that they can remember you forever as a pretty girl? Seriously, who does that? He already saw her sick, throwing up and well in a hospital bed and without make-up. He never thought she is ugly so what’s the point on giving up on your final days together? Oh well… Drama for drama’s sake…

So I did my best to enjoy Sweet November and I like it to a certain extent. But yes, I’ll be honest. I wouldn’t have watched it, had the leads been different. And despite the actors, a good direction, fun supporting cast and a good soundtrack (featuring Enya, Stevie Nicks, K.D. Lang, Barenaked Ladies, Robbie Williams….), this movie is off the mark. There is something off, something missing. It’s Nelson’s miraculous transition and Sara’s weird last wish and well…It is not a bad movie. It is just not satisfying and if you didn’t see it, you wouldn’t really have missed a thing. Besides, if you want to see a great romantic drama with Keanu Reeves, there is always A Walk in The Clouds and The Lake House– much more charming and solid. And if you do want him and Charlize together, watch The Devil’s Advocate as it comes with an interesting concept, a brilliant ending and well…Al Pacino.

Based on the 1968 screenplay. Written by Paul Yurick and Kurt Voelker. Directed by Pat O’ Connor. Rated 5.9 on IMDB. The original is rated at 6.8.

5/10 from me.

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Le Fate Ignoranti starring Stefano Accorsi and Margherita Buy

Posted on August 7, 2010 Written by ripitup

Le Fate Ignoranti starring Margherita Buy and Stefano Accorsi. Image via cinemadelsilenzio.it

Successful and beautiful doctor Antonia (Margherita Buy) has been happily married to the equally successful Massimo (Andrea Renzi). They have been married since school years and even though they don’t have any children, they are content about the state of their lives. That’s why Antonia’s world comes crashing down when Massimo dies in an accident. With her best friend/love of her life gone, she is depressed and very upset. But she gets a bigger shock when she finds out that her perfect husband was cheating on her. So she starts following the clues, which lead her to the interesting and colorful group of friends who hang out together: gays, heteroes, hookers, transsexuals….One of gay guys has AIDS and is doted on by his friends. One of the women is Turkish (Serra Yilmaz) and she has been a part of the gang for a long time. The center of the group seems to be the handsome, confident if not a little cocky and fun-loving gay guy called Michele (Stefano Accorsi).

The gang tries to get rid of Antonia as soon as they can as they really don’t want to give her the information she wants. But Antonia is sure her husband’s mistress is related to the group. In fact, from his evasive manners, she is certain it is Massimo’s sister or someone like that. So she gets another shock when she finds out it was Michele. Not only her husband had been cheating on her (for 7 years!!!), but he had been doing it with a guy.

Antonia is outraged and well, Michele isn’t all that happy to meet her either. But their curiosity eventually drives them together. Antonia starts hanging out with them and in a way, she does feel a sense of belonging. The gang likes her and to his surprise, so does Michele. However, life is not done throwing surprises their way. As they get to know each other more, they realize that Massimo is not their only thing in common. It seems even that Antonia and Michele seem more like soul mates than Antonia and Massimo or Massimo and Michele. But can romantic love exist between a gay man and a heterosexual woman? But if it is just friendship, why is Antonia getting annoyed by his “liberal lifestyle” and Michele seems pissed that Antonia might be interested in Emir (Koray Candemir), the young and cute Turkish guy who is visiting the gang?

Le Fate Ignoranti can be directly translated to English as The Ignorant Fairies- named after the painting featured in the film. But the English title is called His Secret Life. While it does seem a bit bland, it is a highly relevant translation.

La Fate Ignoranti is a delightful, entertaining, refreshing and emotional piece. It is impossible not to empathize with Antonia, who deals with the situation pretty well- given the circumstances. The movie was made in 2001 and when it first came to the theaters, I made the mistake of avoiding this film. After all, the premise did sound a little off. Being curious about your husband’s mistress is natural but why would anyone want to make friends with him/her? But the movie is told in such a great way that Antonia’s connection with Michele seems like the most natural thing in the world.

My favorite scene is when Antonia and Michele realize their favorite poet is the same. It is a very significant moment in the movie, as it becomes a big “A-ha” moment for them, especially for Michele.

The blurry perception of sexuality in the film can be attributed to the director’s real life views – as he believes that all people are bisexual to a certain extent and he admits to being one. You don’t have to agree with him, but the conversation about Antonia that takes place between Michele and the gang pretty much sums it up. When Serra asks about his feelings for her, others joke that it is not possible since the woman isn’t a lesbian. And when Michele wants to deem her suggestion ridiculous, she says she is talking about love and romance and he shouldn’t be thinking with his d***.

Written by Gianni Romoli and Turkish director Ferzan Ozpetek. Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek. Voted 7.4 on IMDB by about 3.500 people. I agree with the rating. This movie is sweet, fun, refreshing and very romantic at its core. The Turkish audience might enjoy the references, as the favorite poet is Turkish, the poster on the wall is a Turkish singer (Ajda Pekkan) and Emir is played by Koray Candemir, front man of Kargo- a popular Turkish rock band.

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City of Angels starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan

Posted on August 4, 2010 Written by ripitup

City of Angels starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage. Made in 1998. Image via http://www.dizimatik.com

Seth (Nicholas Cage) is an angel, conveniently located in the City of Angels, Los Angeles. His job is to appear to dying humans and take them with him in a friendly manner. He has the ability to appear to the humans – whether they are dying or not. He has no sense of touch or pain. He doesn’t feel fear and he is pretty much an immortal.

Maggie (Meg Ryan) is a pretty and sensitive doctor who is in a semi-serious and not so passionate relationship with a fellow doctor named Jordan (Colm Feore) from the same hospital.

Observing Maggie, Seth becomes fascinated by this pretty, humane and emotional woman. Maggie finds herself attracted to this mysterious stranger as well. Obviously an angel is not supposed to fall in love, but it is already too late for Seth. But he can’t just exactly ask her out. And soon Maggie will want to know more information than he volunteers.

Help comes in the form of a hospital patient called Messinger (Dennis Franz), who also can see Seth. But unlike Maggie, this middle-aged man has a pretty good idea about what Seth actually is. As it happens, this man used to be an angel as well. But when he fell in love with a woman, he chose to be a regular mortal. It all takes one big jump. So, Seth has to choose between the world he knows and Maggie…

City of Angels is undoubtedly a sappy love story but it does come with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan. And it is story was somewhat more refreshing than Meg’s other romantic roles. The movie also has a great slow-rock soundtrack featuring U2, Alanis Morisette, Goo Goo Dolls and more. Being the romantic that I am, I do love the unconditional love aspect of the story – and how these two really connect and see through each other’s souls. But there is one element that can make up for sappiness and this is what the movie lacks: a good ending. But I’ll get to the that in a minute. ,

Written by Dana Stevens- based on the German film Der Himmel über Berlin (incorrectly translated as Wings of Desire) from 1987. The German screenplay was written by Peter Handke, Richard Reitinger and Wim Wenders. City of Angels was directed by Brad Silberling.

Rated 6.4 on IMDB. Without the ending, my vote is a 6 or a 7. With the ending, I can even go as low as a 4.

And now, for those who have already seen the movie or the ones who just don’t mind major spoilers, here is why the ending breaks the movie:

Now, obviously there are many people who hated or disliked the movie as a whole or loved the film and found the ending to be just perfect. But as for me, I liked the movie a lot but despised the ending. Not just because an unhappy ending really renders Seth’s whole reason of being a human pointless but because the writer(s) chose the stupidest unhappy ending possible (I haven’t seen the German film so I don’t know if I am just blaming Dana Stevens or the others). What Meg Ryan does… I mean who does that? Seriously? Who rides a bicycle, eyes closed on a busy highway??? Even a suicidal or a masochistic person would prefer something else. But she is not even suicidal or masochistic, is she? She is blissfully happy….

If they were going to kill Meg Ryan, they could and should have at least gone with something less stupid. But I’d rather have a happy ending. Not just because I am a hopeless romantic –which I am- but I am a fun-loving, entertainment-obsessed romantic. So it is precisely because I love to have fun or at least get lost in a good story, I do demand a good ending. If it is going to be unhappy, it has to feel natural in the context of the story. I shouldn’t feel like the writer created tragedy for tragedy’s sake- which is a specialty of Nicholas Sparks and I really can’t stand how he ends his stories.

If you are a hopeless romantic, this is a must for you. If you have liked anything with Meg Ryan or Nicholas Cage, watch this. If you have a soft spot for tragic endings, by all means- this is the movie for you. But if you do want to watch something depressing yet naturally tragic with Nicholas Cage (where you probably wouldn’t have wanted or rationalized another ending) watch Leaving Las Vegas. If you want an in-your-face, realistic and very impressive Cage, watch Lord of War. And if you do want to watch a different kind of Meg Ryan movie, watch In the Land of Women, where the movie is definitely not about her ending up with the love of her life.

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