Real Movie Review-Movie Reviews, Movie Quotes, Movie Trivia

Director: Michael Patrick King

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Jennifer Hudson, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis

Well, as you might guess from my name, the Manhattan Movie Maniac, I’m not a TV guy. Sure I watch a game or reality show from time to time and know every Seinfeld like a fanatic, but generally speaking TV is not what I do. So, it should come as no surprise that I had never seen this show that seemed to enrapture female viewers for six seasons. The look is flashy and the dialog is crisp, but not particularly funny. The story is not real convincing and is packed with women going ape shit over clothes and accessories. I guess as an anti-materialistic, heterosexual male, this isn’t really supposed to make sense to me. The characters are fairly well-developed for a film of this kind, and my lack of familiarity with the TV show, didn’t leave me lost, but the male characters don’t get much attention from the busy script.

Sarah Jessica Parker, looking like she needs bucket therapy from KFC (Eat something! Have a doughnut for the love of God!) plays Carrie Bradshaw, a NYC writer with three perfect friends, who believes she has found the perfect man and the perfect apartment who now needs the perfect closet to house her collection of ridiculously overpriced clothes, justified by our media-driven corporate culture. Now she needs the perfect closet as a gift and wants the perfect wedding in this world where money means nothing. There are unconvincing complications along the way, of course, and lots of shots of the four girls having fun, and looking fabulous. The whole thing ends the way you think it will before you even sat through the montages.

Sex and The City is a flashy, but ultimately flat, tribute to people who think their lives should be self-indulgent fairy tales. There are few good lines, lots of shots of silly ‘fashion’ outfits and a neat reversal that has men as one dimensional accessories to the women’s lives. It wasn’t unpleasant to watch, but should be relegated to an add-on position on 2 for 1 video nights for those with an interest in the subject matter.

Director: Tom Vaughan

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, Rob Corddry, Lake Bell, Jason Sudeikis, Queen Latifah, Dennis Farina

What Happens in Vegas is a mediocre formula film with a predictable formula story, stock characters right out of the screenwriters’ handbook, and ending that you see from two hours away and an over reliance on not-so comical fight scenes between men and women.

Ashton Kutcher is Jack, a fun, but aimless guy who can’t even hold a job when his father is the boss and Cameron Diaz is Joy, an successful, but uptight stock trader who can’t hold on to her man, even though she is a successful stock trader who looks like Cameron Diaz. Go figure. Anyway, these two both decide that the solution to their problems lies in a wild weekend trip with their friends, Hater (Rob Corddry) and Tipper (Lake Bell). The pairs are drawn together by fate and while Hater and Tipper zinging each other with insults, Jack and Joy have an alcohol-fueled evening of debauchery and marriage. Yup, they awake in Holy Matrimony and are all set to pursue an annulment when a 3 million dollar jackpot gets in the way. Now a fed up judge sentences then to ‘six months hard marriage’ and the story is off and limping.

What Happens in Vegas is funny in some spots and blandly interesting in others, but it is really too silly and predictable to stand out from the crowd, leaving it as the default choice for couples who can‘t agree on what they really want to see and teenagers who are young to know what they really want to see.

Director: Rob Reiner

Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Bruno Kirby, Carrie Fisher

Rob Reiner gave us this romantic comedy classic that has set the standard for the entire genre. Nora Ephron’s stellar screenplay has well-formed characters exchanging fabulous dialog that will remind new viewers of Seinfeld. Crystal gives his usual appealing neurotic, but laid back, portrayal, while Ryan shines in the leading role, including the unforgettable restaurant orgasm scene. This hit would make her the go-to gal for rom-coms for the next decade. The story is gentle, patient and authentic and, aided by talented and charismatic performers and makes this film a wonderfully pleasing experience.

Harry (Billy Crystal) first meets Sally (Meg Ryan) when both have just finished university in Chicago and are sharing a car ride to NYC. They click like motor oil and mustard and soon forget about one another. Over the years, a couple more chance encounters paves the path to an unlikely friendship between two very different young, single adults. There are charming scenes set in during time passages featuring interviews of older couples talking about how they met. Adding humor and story depth that is stereotypical, but still amusing, are ‘friends’ played here by Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher.

When Harry Met Sally looks a little dated now with its 80’s hair and fashions, but this near-perfect screenplay is still interesting, touching and funny. If you have never seen this before, it’s better than you think. If you have seen it before, it’s better than you remember.

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Starring: Jason Segal, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Aldous Snow, Jonah Hill

Yes, penis lovers, rejoice, for there is another oh-so-funny ball-dropping event, thanks to Hollywood’s most prolific comedy creator, these days, Judd Apatow. Since leaving an illustrious TV career in 2003, producer Judd Apatow has come up with a formula for creating appealing comedy projects without the expense of big name performers or directors. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the next car in Judd Apatow’s train to success. First time director Nicholas Stoller takes a pretty decent story with likable characters played by a largely unfamiliar cast and manages to make an enjoyable feature out of it all.

Jason Segal is Peter Bretter, a TV music score composer with a famous TV star girlfriend named Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). Yup, life is good for Peter. Well, at least until Sarah rips his life apart by dumping him for a rock star. God, I hate it when that happens. Anyway, Peter decides that a Hawaiian vacation is just the thing to take his mind off of his heartbreak. Unfortunately, after arriving, and meeting the beautiful desk clerk, Rachel (Mila Kunis), Peter finds out that the other guests include the rock star, Aldous Snow and his new squeeze, Sarah. Things pretty much progress just as you think they will from there, but there are some laughs along the way, including a neat scene where they talk about a film that Sarah’s character has just made. Her performer, Kristen Bell actually made a movie exactly like that.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall the girl might be tricky, but forgetting the movie probably won’t be. There is nothing new to offer here, but that is not to say its a bad movie. It isn’t. This is enjoyable familiar fare with pretty girls, funny guys and a few clever lines. What else can you ask from a Friday night film?