The front runner at the moment is Funny People. It's a movie I've already seen, but the other two haven't. Now, I could just say "you should check out Funny People" and hope they watch it independently, paving the way for us all to watch something new together. The problem with this is that Woody seems to have some sort of prejudice against Judd Apatow. Fair enough, his movies have a distinct feel and he isn't everybody's cup of tea. Ross may be more inclined to watch this, but still, I don't think he would.
The reason I'm keen for them both to see it, is that I'm pretty sure it isn't the movie they think it is. I mean, yeah it's got the "dick jokes" and plenty of toilet humour. It also has the Judd Apatow stamp all over it. The difference for me is the dark undertone to this movie, something that most of his stuff doesn't have.
Adam Sandler is playing a kind of caricature of himself. The opening scene is great too. As a long time fan of Sandler, it's great to get a peek into what drove his early humour. Rogen is great as the wannabe understudy and Jason Schwartzman is perfectly cast as the annoying hollywood asshole.
To be absolutely honest, I thought the cast was perfect. Leslie Mann did nothing for me as the love interest but I figure she wasn't supposed to really. She's slightly annoying and kind of gave e mixed feelings. Again, i feel this was intentional so job well done I guess.
Moving on, it feels like the second half of the movie takes us in a whole new direction. Once Eric Bana's character is introduced there's a new dimension to this. Personally, I love it. Any kind of betrayal, hurt, lies or other dark tones is right up my street. Not because I'm a bad person, but they induce such raw feelings. Feelings we may not experience in the day to day rat race.
So back to my point, I kind of want the to see the film and this seems like an opportune moment to do so. It's kind of a long film but well worth it.
My back up choices, should I waiver, are:
All The Real Girls
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (I can't believe I haven't seen this yet)
Anti Christ (Have no idea what this is other then it stars Willem Dafoe and goes 'way out there')
I'll be checking back in towards the end of the week with a snapshot of how it went.
Lastly, I want to do a little top 5 thing. I listen to some decent movie podcasts and it's something I enjoy listening to so though I'd jump on the bandwagon. As I'm British, I though I'd start with a Top 5 British Films. So here goes.
5. Trainspotting - What's not to like? Danny Boyle at his gritty best. Stunning performances from all. Shockingly truthful glimpse of a world I know all too well.
4. Notes On A Scandal - If you haven't seen this already it's an absolute must. Judy Dence at her absolute best. I never really understood the fuss about Dench until I saw this movie. It's raw, cringey and a ourney you have to go on.
3. Love Actually - Pretty mainstream but a good all rounder. It can be both happy and sad, cold and warm. An impressive soundtrack and an even more impressive cast. I'm sure you've all seen it anyway and will either agree or disagree with this being a great movie.
2. Shaun Of The Dead - A solid comedy. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost at their comedic best. Edgar Wright directs and gets every joke just right. The way the comedy is layered keeps me coming back again and again.
1. Closer - What can I say, my all time fave. Slick, stylish, powerfully emotional and ticks every box I have for a great drama.
So that's it for now. Have a think about your own top 5's. It's fun and you may dig out some gems of movies you've forgotten about.
Bye Bye
No comments:
Post a Comment