Synopsis:
Upon discovering her husband’s infidelity, Sandy (Zeta-Jones) and her two kids move from the suburbs to pursue a new life in the big city. There she meets Aram (Bartha), a local coffee shop employee whose wife only married him as a means to getting her green card. The two strike up a friendship which eventually evolves into something more. But it isn’t long before they’re faced with the big question – “Is this real or just a rebound?”

Technorati Tags: The Rebound, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Justin Bartha, Quiz, February 7, Fox, Movie

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE SYNOPSIS

Hailed as “pure enchantment,” (New York Times), Shakespeare in Love garnered seven Academy Awards® in 1998, including Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Gwyneth Paltrow and Best Supporting Actress for Judi Dench. Co-starring Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth and Ben Affleck, the film captivated audiences with its intoxicating love story, endless wit and all-star cast. For the first time on Blu-ray Disc, the release will also include audio commentaries, a “making of” featurette, a look at the Oscar® winning costumes, deleted scenes and more.

Out of ideas and cash, a young Will Shakespeare (Fiennes), is in search of a muse to break his creative drought. After meeting the lovely Lady Viola (Paltrow), the two find themselves entangled in a secret romance that rejuvenates Will’s creativity. His pen flows like never before until he uncovers two unexpected truths about his new lover – she’s promised to marry someone else and she’s successfully impersonating a man to play the lead in Will’s latest play.

Shakespeare in Love – Film Clip: “The Kiss”

BLU-RAY DISC SPECIAL FEATURES*
• “Shakespeare in Love and On Film” – “making of” featurette
• Academy Award® winning costumes featurette
• Audio commentary with John Madden
• Audio commentary with cast and crew
• Deleted scenes
• Theatrical trailer
• Television spots
*subject to change

Shakespeare in Love – Film Clip: “Ned’s Return to Rose Playhouse”

DIRECTED BY
John Madden (The Debt, Proof, Her Majesty Mrs. Brown)

WRITTEN BY
Marc Norman (The Aviator, The Killer Elite, Breakout)
And Tom Stoppard (Enigma, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Empire of the Sun, Brazil)

Shakespeare in Love – Blu-ray Trailer

CAST
Gwyneth Paltrow (Contagion, Iron Man 2, Iron Man, Emma, Se7en, Two Lovers)
Joseph Fiennes (TV’s “FlashForward,” Luther, Enemy at the Gates, Elizabeth)
Geoffrey Rush (The Pirates of the Caribbean series, The King’s Speech, Shine)
Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Mamma Mia, Bridget Jones’s Diary, The English Patient, Then She Found Me)
Ben Affleck (The Town, The Company Men, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, Good Will Hunting)
Judi Dench (J. Edgar, Casino Royale, Chocolat, Her Majesty Mrs. Brown)
Simon Callow (TV’s “Doctor Who,” Amadeus, HBO’s “Rome”)
Jim Carter (My Week With Marilyn, Creation, TV’s “Downton Abbey”)
Martin Clunes (TV’s “Doc Martin,” TV’s “Doctor Who”)
Antony Sher (TV’s “Murphy’s Law,” Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown)
Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, the Harry Potter series, Another Year)
Tom Wilkinson (The Conspirator, Michael Clayton, Batman Begins)
Mark Williams (upcoming Albert Nobbs, the Harry Potter series, Stardust)

Technorati Tags: Blu-ray, Shakespeare in Love, Tom Wilkinson, Colin Firth, Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Clips, Movie, Romance

Synopsis: Devastated by the sudden death of his parents at the height of The Depression, a young dreamer from the wrong side of the tracks, Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson), abandons his veterinary studies at Cornell University. With no other family, no house, and no money, Jacob stows away on a train carrying the circus performers of The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Hired as a veterinarian to care for the troupe’s animals, Jacob is temporarily filled with the promise of an exciting life that comes with a traveling circus troupe.

However, as he builds a rapport and falls in love with the star of the show, Marlena (Witherspoon), they become prey to the circus’s owner, Marlena’s violent and abusive husband August (Waltz). As the circus begins to crumble from within and against all odds, Jacob and Marlena come together and fall in love through their compassion for a special elephant. With their love on the line, Jacob and Marlena come to a crossroads that will forever change their destiny.

Technorati Tags: Water for Elephants, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, Circus, DVD, Bluray, Movie, Romantic Drama, Video

For more information on this new film, visit the Official Site for One Day.

You can also Like and follow updates for One Day on Facebook by Clicking Here.

One Day is a Focus Features film. More information on the release is available through the Focus Features Twitter.

One Day is set for release in theaters on August 19, 2011.

Technorati Tags: One Day, Trailer, New Trailer, Romantic Drama, Anne Hathaway, Jim Sturgess, Movie, Lone Sherfig, Focus Features

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: November 30, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $14.99

I have to tell you that I enjoy a good Rom Com. It might be surprising, but it is true. Beneath the big-bellied machismo of a man I am is a sensitive, caring romantic at heart. Drew Barrymore is just adorable, so I usually enjoy the movies she is in. I loved her in Never Been Kissed, 50 First Dates, and The Wedding Singer. Of course Going the Distance isn’t exactly an Adam Sandler film and Barrymore’s Erin is no Julia Gulia. But, and this is a big BUT, this movie is an honest little ditty of a flick. It’s sugary sweet with a cherry on top, especially the ending. I am sure you can guess what’s gonna happen before the movie even begins, but I’m not about to be a spoil sport and ruin it for you.

As sweet and simple as Going the Distance is, there are moments of boring. The plot runs rather dry at times, and it feels almost too predictable. Rom Coms are predictable, of course. We watch them because we know what is going to happen. We want to find happiness with the characters. We want to feel their joy and their love. That is why we go see these movies. It is not so much not knowing what the story entails, but rather wanting to enjoy a new version of an old story we’ve overplayed many times. It is the newness of the old that we crave, and when the timeless tale of love is able to reinvent itself, we too fall in love all over again.

The problem here is that Going the Distance almost seems too familiar. Yes, they’ve added in things like phone sex that I do not often recall seeing in other romantic comedies, but the few bits added in for shock value really do not add the newness, I, as a Rom Com fan, crave. The plot just sort of plods along to where it is going and it feels like the actors are just going through the motions. While Barrymore and Long work well together in this genre, they do not have enough love in the world to prevent Going the Distance from bordering on becoming a snooze-fest, at times. It’s kind of sad, because the two have a lot of promise together, as a Rom Com team.

Ultimately, I blame the script, by newbie, Geoff Latulippe. Latulippe may understand the outer conventions of a Rom Com, but it is clear he has a flimsy grasp of the inner-workings of a Rom Com script. When it comes to the comedy, Latulippe tries too hard. Instead of being funny, the dialogue is often awkward. It is the kind of dialogue I imagine a group of teens saying as they act out in their backyard with their camcorder in hand. It’s sad because I’ve seen Drew Barrymore be good. In Going the Distance she’s okay, but when you’ve seen her be brilliant, okay just isn’t good enough. Justin Long has been in a lot of Rom Coms, but I am not as in love with him as I am Drew. I think he has some potential, but Going the Distance wasn’t the right film for him to highlight that.

The Going the Distance Movie Guide
Erin is a woman in her early 30s who has fallen behind in life. She still is in grad school, with a potential future that has yet to start. While interning for the summer at a newspaper in New York, she meets Garrett. The two bump into each other at a bar and hit it off well enough to go back to Garrett’s and have sex. Garrett, who manages a band through a label, implores Erin to have breakfast with him the morning after, and the two continue to find a common interest. However, Erin lets him know she is only interning for six more weeks and will be heading home to the west coast then. The two decided to have a casual fling until she leaves.

When it is time for Erin to go, the two have spent enough time together to grow quite close to one another. After Garrett professes his feelings for Erin, the two decide to have a long distance relationship. The distance is hard, but for a while, they are able to maintain their relationship, professing their hope that soon they will be together. They both also try to visit one another whenever they get the chance. The distance does not help Garrett, who already hates his job and thinks the band he manages absolutely sucks. When he goes to visit Erin, things seem good, but quickly become awkward, partly thanks to her sister, Corinne.

The two fight and their relationship seems on the rocks, but they both seem to want to try and work it out. Erin tries to get a job in New York at the paper where she interned. Instead, she is offered a job in San Francisco. Garrett is desperate to have their relationship work out. He wants her to move to New York, where they can move in together and see where this goes. With her career finally about to start, Erin must decide between the chance at a career or living with the man she believes might just be the love of her life.

Storyline/Plot: 1 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3 out of 5 stars
Directing: 1 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Just like the movie itself, inconsistency is the name of the game here. 1080p sounds good in theory, but Going the Distance fizzles and fades when it comes to getting things done visually. Daytime scenes look brilliant, but the nighttime scenes are unsatisfying to say the least. Issues with noise crop up more than once and it’s just rather disappointing for a Blu-ray. Details could be better. Colors change and do not remain strong. If this were a DVD one might be able to ignore some of these issues, but it’s not. At best, this is an acceptable transfer that borders on dull.

The main thing going for this 5.1 DTS HD MA soundtrack is that its a romcom. That being said, you don’t really expect to hear sound like you might at a Guns N’ Roses concert. Dialogue is the name of the game here and the track succeeds on the basis that you can hear the actors and there isn’t too many issues with clarity. The music scenes are alright, but never truly offer that surround feel that would have been nice here. Special sound effects aren’t really a big part of this movie, so there isn’t much to offer in that respect. This ends up working for this film, but it’s hardly dynamic, engrossing sound. There is also a lesser English mix offered here as well as some 5.1 presentations in French and Spanish. Subtitles are offered in English, French, and Spanish also.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are some fluffy offerings here, but at the end of the day, it’s not like it really matters because the film isn’t much worthy of any special features. You get to listen to a commentary by first time feature film director (Burstein had done documentaries previously, but never a romcom like this) and then they offer some of the usual featurettes on dating, the cast, and things of that sort.

Deleted Scenes: Here you have about thirteen minutes worth of the same things you found in the movie. Sure, some of these things are worth a laugh, but like the movie there isn’t much to fall in love with.

The Audio Commentary is the only thing that I can imagine that could make this movie worse. While I had hopes for Erin and Garrett it clearly wasn’t thanks to the director Nanette Burstein. I thought the name seemed familiar to me and then I realized who Burstein was. Known for her documentary, American Teen, where Burstein tried to make all teenagers fit into the Breakfast Club box, Burstein was probably the last person I would have picked for a romcom. If you doubted her before listening to this, you might find that things only continue to get worse as you listen. She spends a good time babbling about how this is her first actual fictional film. Funnily enough, she also stresses the importance of the other characters in the film. She’s really helpful, in a non-interesting sort of way. I’d skip this is I were you, but if you’re a glutton for punishment or find yourself clipping your toenails for a couple of hours with nothing else to do, you might want to give this a listen.

“How to Have the Perfect Date” – This lasts for under ten minutes and gives you a chance to learn about the cast members and the perfect idea of their date.

“A Guide to Long Distance Dating” – This is another featurette that lasts for less than ten minutes. This looks at the cast and their thoughts on the characters and what happens to them in the movie.

“The Cast of Going the Distance: Off the Cuff” – If you like improv, this gives you about four minutes of the cast showing off their skills.

The only other features are a music video for The Boxer Rebellion (the band in the movie) and a Behind the Scenes for the movie soundtrack.

Bonus Features: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I love me some Drew Barrymore, but I prefer her in the Rom Coms that actually have comedy in them. This movie can be cute at times. It is a sweet story, but it is also boring with dialogue that makes even me want to groan. Unfortunately, I feel that Going the Distance is kind of like Drew’s relationship with Justin Long. It just doesn’t have longevity. This might be a good movie to rent, especially if you like Drew and Justin, or either one of them, but I don’t think you’re going to want to watch this more than once.

Overall Rating: 2.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, DVD, Going the Distance, Justin Long, Drew Barrymore, Rom Com, Romance, Humor, Movie, Chick Flick, New York, West Coast, Long Distance Romance

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 31, 2010
DVD Release Date: August 17, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.99

I am not a fan of Nicholas Sparks novel adaptations, but I am told the reason for that is that I have yet to watch any of them. I might have seen A Walk in the Clouds though the film presently escapes my mind, but I know I haven’t seen The Notebook. So, when The Last Song was announced I chalked it up to your basic chick flick and tried to ignore most news about it. I might have been interested if the main cast were different, but being what it was, I felt it left much to be desired.

The main problem that I have with The Last Song is that Miley Cyrus is the lead actress. Cyrus apparently thought that this would be the movie that would lead her away from the childhood success of her vehicle to fame, Hannah Montana. Depending on who you ask, the opposite happened. Much of the female audience was interested solely on the Sparks connection. The rest of the audience was between the age of eight and ten and wanted to see Cyrus in her new movie.

I have nothing against a “star” (I use that term loosely in Cyrus’ case) attempting to show off their talents by working on different genres of movies. However, if the actress or actor does not have the talent to handle the genre then there will be an obvious problem. The major issue with The Last Song is that it’s got all of the elements of a chick flick meets a Miley Cyrus movie.

In every part that Cyrus seems to play, she plays the disgruntled teenager with an attitude that at some point realizes some lesson and becomes a better person as a result. You know, your typical coming of age from a bratty teenager to an adult kind of thing. I don’t have a problem with this once, but we’ve seen it before and with The Last Song we’re seeing her do it again.

The thing is, she never has me convinced in her ability. While The Last Song does have a few redeemable performances in Kelly Preston and Greg Kinnear, they aren’t enough to hold this sequel/twin flick of Hannah Montana: The Movie together. While the tween market might not agree that this movie is the same, it has a lot of similar features. Cyrus is falling to the wayside and becoming a bad girl so she is sent down South to live there and get back in touch with the things that matter. While there she meets a hot guy and love is found. She grows up, it’s pretty predictable, and it appeals mainly to her fan base even though it’s for an audience a little older than the one that is watching.

The Last Song Plot
Cyrus plays Ronnie, a 17 year old that seems to be nothing but an uncertain amount of trouble. She turned down a scholarship to Julliard and is your typical, emo teenager that has nothing to do and even less to prove. Due to her attitude, she is sent with her little brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) to Georgia to live with her dad, Steve (Kinnear). This appears to be a last ditch effort by the kids’ mom (Preston) to straighten Ronnie out. Of course, Ronnie is not thrilled about going to stay with her dad. She is incessantly whiny, wears a lot of black, and is generally annoying.

As with any notable chick flick it does not take long for romance to sneak up on you. In this case, it only takes Ronnie a day or two in Georgia and before she knows it, she meets the handsomest boy in town, Will (Liam Hemsworth). While Ronnie’s emotional wall might seem tough to crack at first (she did get milkshake on herself in the beginning, after all) some bonding over unborn sea turtles and a little persistence on the part of Will pays off and eventually the two are officially together.

True to every Nicholas Sparks movie there is some tearjerking heartbreak around the corner. It ends up that sickness has befallen one of the family and they do not have long to live. On top of this, Will is hiding a secret and as dumb as it is, it’s important enough to threaten the relationship he has with Ronnie.

As the movie progresses you will see walks on the beach, touching family moments, and two teenagers grow up, apart, and possibly together again if the right choices are made. With a better cast, this still probably would have been predictable, but it might have been a little more entertaining.

Storyline/Plot: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 2 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Last Song utilizes an AVC.MPEG-4 encode transfer which makes for a pretty nice looking picture. The transfer offered some nice moments of detail and the background, while simple, got the job done. This wasn’t a movie filled with special effects, but the long walks on the beach did offer a few good looking water shots. Some grain does appear in the softest amounts but it seems clear that this was intention to give it the appearance that it was shot on film. With this kind of film there would be no excuse for a poor transfer. Naturally, with most Disney blu-rays, this one looks just fine.

The audio is handled with an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. This might be a bit powerful for a dialogue driven chick-flick, but it handles it fine and there isn’t much to complain about. This isn’t going to be the movie to tax your surround sound, and in truth it doesn’t even come close. There is some background noise that comes through clearly and there is never any problem with the dialogue. I could have taken or left the music, but it sounded completely fine. So, all in all, the sound got the job done like it was supposed to.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
All of the special features found on the blu-ray disc for The Last Song are shot in 1080p. Considering this is a new movie there is no reason why this shouldn’t be the case, but I felt it was worth mentioning. In addition to the Blu-ray you also have access to the DVD and a digital copy on the outside chance that you absolutely just love this film.

The special features include:
Alternative Opening “The Church Fire” with optional commentary by the director. This opening offered a different look and feel, but it doesn’t change the film much. It’s worth watching if you liked the movie, but it’s nothing that you will need to watch twice.

Five Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by the director. These five scenes did not make the cut of the movie. That alone should say it all. However, if you want to watch these you will end up with a few more minutes or so of additional content.

Set Tour w/ Bobby Coleman takes you on a five minute tour of the set with one of the youngest stars in the cast. You also get some brief interviews and behind the scenes looks in this segment.

The Making of “When I Look at You” offers a four minute look at the making of Cyrus’ music video for this film.

“When I Look at You” Music Video

Also included along with the previews is a commentary with the director. I had a hard time sitting through it merely because I had no interest in this film after sitting through it once. However, fans might find more value in it than I did.

Bonus Features: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
If this was the best that Nicholas Sparks had to offer I might just tell him to stick to writing novels and avoid adapting them for film. In any case, predictability aside, I think the real killer here was Cyrus. If I wanted to see Hannah Montana I would have turned on the Disney Channel. I appreciate that she is growing up and trying to move beyond her childhood career, but if she wants to play in big girl movies she’s going to need to up her game. Younger Cyrus teen fans might like this, but it’s going to fail in a big way for adult audiences. If you have to see it, rent it first.

Overall Rating: 2.36 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Kelly Preston, Nicholas Sparks, Disney, Bluray Review, Movie Review, Chick Flick

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: January 29, 2010
DVD Release Date: June 15, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $21. 99

I don’t know how many times I have to write this in reviews, but I’m just not into Rom Coms. I’m not a fan of chick flicks. I don’t like curling up with my girlfriends with boxes of tissues and balling my eyes out as the guy finally gets the girl. That’s just not my cup of tea. On the other hand, my mom LOVES these kinds of movies. Usually, I’ll try to endure them for her, but I am miserable the entire time the movie is on.

I will admit, occasionally a Rom Com surprises me. I may even laugh and find myself enjoying the movie. I am still a woman, after all, and can occasionally appreciate mushy, feel good movies. I am going to tell you now that When in Rome is NOT one of these films. What an incredibly trite, excessively corny and overly cliché film! When in Rome was so bad, not even my mother liked it. I sometimes question her taste in films, but this is a rare occurrence where she and I are in agreement. We both agree that When in Rome is a horrid film that never should have been made.

I like Josh Duhamel. I have liked him ever since he was on All My Children. I like Kristen Bell. I have no problem with them as actors. I have a problem with two decent actors performing in such a horrible film. I have to wonder if this script was not cut all to hell after they filmed, and if not, what provoked them to make this film?

The whole chip thing is just ludicrous. The entire plot for this movie is dumb. I do not know where Mark Steven Johnson came up with this crap. I have to assume his less experienced co-writers provided most of the material. This is just pure garbage. You really do not have to read anymore of my review, which I am obliged to write, unless you truly are a glutton for punishment.

The When in Rome Plot
Beth (Bell) is a Guggenheim art curator, and she’s good at her job. Her job is her life, and therefore, she does not have any room for love. She’s become hardened by the years of trying to find the perfect man. You know, the one seen in movies. When her younger sister, Joan (Dziena), impulsively plans a wedding in Rome, she takes time from work to go to Italy. There, she meets a guy named Nick (Duhamel).

Nick saves Beth from a few interesting situations, but they are just perfect for one another and they hit it off (despite Beth being bitter and all). Everything is going perfect, until she spots Nick kissing another woman, the cousin of the man her sister is marrying. She gets drunk and takes coins from a fountain that is a part of a legend. The owner of the coins is said to fall in love with the person who took them, unless they return the coins to the fountain. Too busy with work and her boss (Huston) breathing down her neck, Beth just doesn’t have time to return them.

Of course, the prophecy comes true and suitors (DeVito, Heder, Arnett, and Shepard) are knocking at her door. Nick is there, too, but as she falls for him, she soon realizes he may just be falling for her because she has his coin.

Storyline/Plot: 0 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 2 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
When in Rome offers the standard expected 1080p and AVC encode that you expect Blu-ray to have. However, the actual picture quality comes up feeling lifeless. Like many romantic comedies, the entire thing just lacks strength. Funnily enough, nothing is particularly wrong with the picture. There is no grain and no other big problems come up either. The print looks and feels rather flawless save for a few soft moments that occasionally creep up. Black levels are good and the detail, while not overly impressive, is acceptable. This looks like your typical romantic comedy. In short, you could easily buy the DVD if you have to own this, because films like this are wasted on Blu-Ray.

The DTS HD MA 5.1 could handle far more than it is forced to deal with here. In fact, When in Rome sticks to mainly the front channels and nothing dramatic ever happens where the sound is concerned. This is mainly a dialogue driven affair so there shouldn’t be much going on anyway, but it’s still disappointing. If you like romantic comedies, this is the kind of track that you are used to though so it shouldn’t bother you in the least. This presentation is even more forgettable than the film itself. Additional languages tracks include both French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are included in English, French, and Spanish.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Alternate Opening & Ending: I cannot even comment on this. I can see why they didn’t use this beginning and ending, but I am not sure why they were even made in the first place. These were just ridiculously stupid.

Crazy Casanovas: Mischief From the Set: This is nothing more than a selection of cast interviews and some goofy set moments. It’s not anything special. Unless you’re referring to the director’s reaction to this substandard film. That was pretty special, though not necessarily in a good way.

Extended Pain with The Suitors: This is a selection of three deleted scenes. As you might have guessed they all contain the suitors. The scenes are all of them crashing the Guggenheim party.

Kerplunk!: Bloopers From Rome: Three minutes of bloopers. In the end, these are no better or worse than the actual film.

Deleted Scenes: This is eight scenes totaling around seven minutes of additional deleted scenes. Considering the whole move should have been deleted, these aren’t necessary. Of course, they had to add something.

Music Videos: The music videos include “Starstrukk” by 3OH!3 and Katy Perry and “Stupid Love Letter” by the Friday Night Boys.

What’s the Craziest Thing You’ve Done For Love?: This is just a minute long look of what some of the cast members have done, stupidly in the name of love.

Sneak Peaks: Plenty of promos for Lost: The Final Season, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, ESPN World Cup 2010 and Alice in Wonderland.

Bonus Features: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Not only is When in Rome a terrible movie, but the Blu-Ray features and capabilities are not that impressive. I would not recommend When in Rome to my worst enemy. Ignore the release of When in Rome on Blu-Ray and DVD. Forget this movie was ever made. When in Rome is an embarrassment to not only movies in general, but also to the rom com genre. Avoid at ALL costs!!!!!

Overall Rating: 1.57 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Anjelica Huston, RomCom, Comedy, Disney, Movie Review, Bluray, BD Review, When in Rome

Release Info:
Theatrical Release Date: February 12, 2010
DVD Release Date: May 18, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $12.99

I don’t like chick flicks, especially romantic comedies. I respect Garry Marshall, though. I might be willing to sit through a chick flick for my girlfriend, but usually, she doesn’t like them either. I am lucky that way. She doesn’t drag me off to the theater to see those films that most other girls make their boyfriends watch; the ones I call eye-gushers. She prefers the more hardcore films, though every once in a while she’ll find a chick flick she likes. Like a good boyfriend I will endure it for her since it is such a rare occurrence. As a reviewer, I endure chick flicks for another reason – it’s my job.

I knew from the previews I was not going to like Valentine’s Day. The vignette of what was meant to be cute and heartfelt love and relationship stories from the trailer made me throw up a little bit in my mouth. I wonder what Garry Marshall was thinking when he took on this project. I wonder what the half-dozen stars who acted in this were thinking when they chose to make it? Ultimately, who would review this DVD came down to the toss of a coin, and guess who didn’t pick tails?

Even if I did like romantic comedies, Valentine’s Day would still be a horrible mess of a movie. I don’t understand how a group of actors, most of whom have proven they can act, can do so in such a poor way that not even their acting can save this train wreck. How were they so willing to speak such unoriginal, clichéd, excessively cheesy dialogue? I cannot imagine what prompted Katherine Fugate to write such drivel. She did much better when writing that one episode of Xena. At least THAT was entertaining. How does a guy like GARRY MARSHALL get involved in this crap? I just don’t get it????

Valentine’s Day is not just awful. It’s BEYOND AWFUL. How can people stand to watch this crap? I can’t imagine who, if anyone, would like it. I found it to be one of the worst chick flicks I have ever seen. There is no celebrating during Valentine’s Day. Nobody is going to “fall in love” with this pitiful excuse for a movie. Essentially, I’m saying don’t watch this piece of shit film. AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE.

The Valentine’s Day Plot
This is about a bunch of relationships that tie into one another. Reed Bennett (Ashton Kutcher) is a florist. He proposes to his girlfriend, Morley (Jessica Alba), who accepts but then declines. Reed is friends with:

–Alphonso (George Lopez)

and

Julia Fitzpatrick (Jennifer Garner) a school teacher who is having an affair with a married man, Dr. Harrison Copeland (Patrick Dempsey). She does not know he is married though. She also has a young student, Edison (Bryce Robinson), who tries to buy her flowers from Reed.

Alphonso and Julia knew Reed and Morely wouldn’t last.

Edison’s grandparents, Edgar (Hector Elizondo) and Estelle (Shirley MacLaine), struggle with the longevity of their marriage. Estelle mentions an affair she had and it upsets Edgar. They also are worried about Edison’s babysitter, Grace (Emma Roberts), who wants her boyfriend, Alex (Carter Jenkins), to pop her cherry, but those plans are foiled by her mom. Her friends, Willy (Taylor Lautner) and Felicia (Taylor Swift) are in love, but have decided to wait to have sex. It has gotten them publicity and a TV interview.

Speaking of TV, Sean Jackson (Eric Dane) is a closeted gay male because he is a professional football player. Being in the closet is hard, so he has a powwow about his career with his publicist Kara (Jessica Biel) and his agent Paula (Queen Latifah). Kara hates Valentine’s Day and is planning an I Hate Valentines party, but she kind of likes Kelvin Moore (Jamie Foxx), a sports reporter who is covering Valentines Day thanks to his producer Susan (Kathy Bates). Apparently, sports news is lacking.

Several of these characters are tied to Kate Hazeltine (Julia Roberts), a captain in the U.S. Army and Holden Bristow (Bradley Cooper). The two meet on an airplane to L.A., since Kate is on one day leave and they forge a friendship.

Storyline/Plot: 0 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 0 out of 5 stars
Acting: 0.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Valentine’s Day is a newer movie, so I expected it to at least look good. Sure enough, this calamity of a movie looks good in all it’s stupendously horrible glory. You get to see the train wreck up close and personal thanks to the anamorphic widescreen transfer. Valentine’s Day is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. I did not really notice any visual flaws, though some blur might have done the movie good, by blurring out the terrible acting and story.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 English soundtrack sounds decent. Valentine’s Day isn’t an action flick, so it is not going to tax out the audio capabilities. This allows for dynamic dialogue, but a dialogue driven movie doesn’t benefit as much as one full of sound effects. Additional 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks are available in Spanish and French. Subtitles are also available in English, Spanish and French.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There isn’t really much here in the way of bonuses. Valentine’s Day was packaged rather cheaply, but then, I didn’t really want to spend any more time on this film than I already had to spend. What you get is mostly promotional crap.

First is an Exclusive Sex And The City 2 Sneak Peak Trailer. Whoop di doo. I wasn’t into the show and I think the films are dumb. Gone is my crush on Kim Cattrall from the 80s.

Next, there are additional scenes. The movie was bad enough. Why would I want to make myself suffer and torture myself by watching scenes that did not even make the cut?

That’s all that is here. The bonus section for Valentine’s Day is as lame as the film, itself.

Bonus Features: 0.5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Valentine’s Day sucks. It is a horrid movie. The actors in it seem to have forgotten how to act. The plot for Valentine’s Day sucks. The dialogue sucks. The characters are cheesy and unrealistic. Therefore, they also suck. There is not ONE redeemable feature to Valentine’s Day. Everything about this DVD reeks. Don’t even consider buying it. As any child I know would say, this movie blows chunks or it makes you want to. So, just don’t buy it…or rent it…or watch it on TV. Save yourself.

Overall Rating: 1.21 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Valentine’s Day, Movie, New Line Cinema, Romantic Comedy, Garry Marshall, Romance, DVD

I just keep asking myself what one of my favorite actors was thinking being in this. I am hoping that it’s better than I think it will be, but I am sure it’s no When Harry Met Sally. In any case, this film is out in theaters now and if you’re a fan of this genre of movies I am sure that you won’t want to miss The Backup Plan.

To celebrate the release of The Backup Plan you can enjoy the following trailer and some different screenshots of the film. If you decide to go and see it, make sure to let us know what you think! I think I am going to wait until the release of the DVD on this one, so until we’d love to hear your thoughts if you decided to check it out in theater.

Synopsis:
The Back-up Plan is a comedy that explores dating, love, marriage and family “in reverse.” After years of dating, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long. Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes an appointment and decides to go it alone. That same day, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) – a man with real possibilities. Trying to nurture a budding relationship and hide the early signs of pregnancy becomes a comedy of errors for Zoe and creates confusing signals for Stan. Anyone can fall in love, get married and have a baby but doing it backwards in hyper-drive is the real pregnancy test.

Jennifer Lopez (Monster-In-Law, Maid In Manhattan) and Alex O’Loughlin (“Three Rivers,” August Rush) star in The Back-up Plan for CBS Films, the film division within CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS). The project, which commenced principal photography in Los Angeles on May 11, is set to debut in theaters April 23, 2010.

The film is directed by Alan Poul (“Swingtown,” “Six Feet Under”) from a screenplay by Kate Angelo (“Will & Grace,” “What About Brian”). Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Taking of Pelham 123) produced through their Escape Artists banner. Rodney Liber and David Bloomfield are executive producers. Chris Coggins and Lance Johnson are co-producers.

Technorati Tags: The Backup Plan, Theaters, Screenshots, Video, Trailer, Alex O’Loughlin, Jennifer Lopez, Movie, Romantic Comedy, Parenthood

Release Info:
Theatrical Release Date: August 14, 2009
DVD Release Date: February 9, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $

Conventional chick flicks aren’t my thing. I cringe at the prospect of watching and reviewing chick flicks. I admit it. If my mother says she loves a romantic movie, I more often than not will avoid said movie. I haven’t seen The Notebook for that very reason. When I was offered the chance to review The Time Traveler’s Wife, Rachel McAdams’ latest chick flick, I had to think long and hard about whether it would be worth it to check out this movie.

From watching the trailer, I was somewhat intrigued by the concept. I was able to ascertain that the guy in the movie was a time traveler. He could not control his traveling and he moved in and out of Rachel McAdams’ characters’ life throughout various stages of it. I figured that it was a little more complex then that. Her character seemed to be the woman the man loved, but it was unclear how she felt about his time-travelling ways. Once in the movie, you learn she has always known, since a young age, that the man would be in her life and anticipated their romance before he did.

The Time-Travelers Wife is based on a book of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger. I have not read the book, though I’m told that the book is much better. I found this movie to be kind of blah. I wasn’t particularly interested in watching it after it got going, but I wasn’t offended by it either. The acting was decent, but not breakout performance worthy. I’ve seen Eric Bana in Troy and The Other Boleyn Girl. I like him just fine as an actor, but I wasn’t in love with his performance here. I wasn’t wowed by it nor completely engaged by it. Ultimately, this film was just okay.

While I can blame the actors for a little bit of missing mojo, and lackluster performances, I primarily blame the writer. This type of book cannot be done justice in film. I understand the intent behind the movie, but the results ended up being sloppy and somewhat disjointed. The whole moving back and forth through time thing has to be better in written form, where the imagination is not bound by the constraints of a movie screen. I just feel like The Time Traveler’s Wife is missing something, an essential element that makes it a good movie, though putting what exactly that is into words is difficult.

The Time Traveler’s Wife Plot
Henry DeTamble (Bana) has a rare genetic disease that manifests itself during a traumatic event in the 70s, a car accident, which kills his mother. His disorder causes him to time-travel unexpectedly and he does so, going back two weeks, where he meets another, older version of himself. He travels on a whim with no control over where he is going or when, and he cannot seem to change past events that happen, for the most part. He also is naked wherever he ends up, and has to resort to theft and breaking and entering to get clothing after each arrival.

Several years pass and it’s now the 90s. Henry, now grown, meets Clare Abshire (McAdams), who seems to know him and is thrilled to see him. He has no idea who she is, but apparently, his older self went back in time to tell a young Clare about himself and that they are best friends. The two start dating, but Henry’s inability to control his time travelling affects their relationship. Henry often visits Clare in various stages, and she usually arrives, expecting him, with clothing.

Henry and Clare marry, but their life as parents is complicated by the fact that his disorder is hereditary, and each unborn child they have is capable of time travel, causing many miscarriages. A life full of suffering and pain seems to await Clare, who never knows when her husband will be coming or going and whether they can ever have a family is a question that weighs heavily on her mind, as she has nothing but her art and Henry’s leaving and returning to think about as she passes days between his trips.

Storyline/Plot: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 2 out of 5 stars
Acting: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 2 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Time Traveler’s Wife offers a 1080p transfer that looks beautiful. Despite the movie’s plot falling to the wayside, the quality here is nothing to complain about. The coloring of the picture is near perfect and the blacks are equally as strong. The detail found in the presentation is highly impressive. The only thing I noted worth complaining about was some edge enhancement. In most places it’s not too bad, but occasionally it does become quite annoying. Still, it’s the only thing holding this film back. Otherwise, the presentation is top notch.

The audio for The Time Traveler’s Wife is DTS-HD MA 5.1. It’s not an action track, but it will get the point across quite well. This film might have some sound effects and musical moments, but the dialogue is always on point and easily understood. Nothing takes priority over the other audio aspects. There are some whispered moments that you do not hear, but it is obvious that the whispers you cannot hear, you weren’t meant to hear. Multiple channels are utilized so nothing sounds flat or one dimensional. All in all, it’s a very worthwhile effort. In addition to English audio there are subtitles in German, Dutch, English, and Spanish.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Two special features beyond the previews are available. That’s all you get. If this was as good as they made it look from the trailers I might be upset, but since I was left wanting a whole lot more, I really don’t mind so much. In defense, of this weak package I will say that both features last for more than 20 minutes. On the downside, length does not make them worth watching more than once, if at all.

“The Time Traveler’s Wife Love Beyond Words” – This serves as the making of/documentary for the film. Unfortunately, it ends up being too fluffy and publicity oriented. I prefer the making of to offer a real look at what making the film was like. Here you just receive some cast and crew interviews with questions that feel like an entertainment journalist is asking them. It ends up being rather disappointing.

“An Unconventional Love Story” – In this feature, McAdams and Bana are on hand to talk about the love story that builds between their characters. The discussion does have some substance, but they don’t go too deep. On the plus side, fans of the movie will receive a fairly decent discussion. Of course, if you’re not a fan this isn’t going to change your opinion in any way.

Bonus Features: 2 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I can’t pinpoint exactly what is wrong with this movie, but I was not in love with The Time Traveler’s Wife. I do not hate it, but I would be content if I never saw this movie again. It isn’t something I need to see to be content. I recommend that if you have read the book or even if you haven’t that you rent before buying. It may be something you only want to see once. Then again, it may be something you’ll love. Most people, though, won’t really care if they own this movie, or even remember it the next day. It’s just that forgettable.

Overall Rating: 2.93 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Movie Review, Blu-ray, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Films, Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Chick Flicks, Genetic Disorder