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Short movie reviews by Adriana Popovici

Bridesmaids

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Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2011
Director: Paul Feig
Writers: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, etc.

For more information on “Bridesmaids”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
When I think of this movie, I always remember the first time I watched it, particularly a point where tears were running down my face and I was out of breath, with pain in my cheeks and chest. I couldn’t stop laughing! I chuckle as I’m writing this. It is a hilarious comedy supported by underlying drama, so it is not just a collection of gags. It’s about friendship, rivalry, relationships, passions, all blended well into a story lots of girls can relate to. Kristen Wiig (who is a genuine comedic talent) plays Annie, a woman in a challenging stage of her life. Her best friend is getting married and also has a new close friend. Her “romantic” life is reduced to a casual “no strings attached” relationship. She has an unsatisfactory job she’s not good at, and a past entrepreneurial failure that haunts her because the baking business she had to give up was her true knack. With a bruised ego and uncomfortable circumstances, she has to act in spite of her damaged self-confidence. Don’t worry, it can keep a guy amused too 😀

Highlights:
It made me laugh to tears.

Downside:
In my opinion, there’s no downside here 😀

Would I see it again? – Yes, and I already did 😀

My Rating (1 to 10): 9

Recommended: Yes!

Suggestion:
Do not eat or drink while watching this movie, and you’ll avoid accidents like choking.

 

Thin Ice

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Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2011
Director: Jill Sprecher
Writers: Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, etc.

For more information on “Thin Ice”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
Speculating weaknesses is often a weakness in itself, especially when greed and impatience are in the mix. Here’s a funny crime movie about an insurance agent who wants to get out of his present situation, and fast too. He needs money and is determined to obtain it, so he keeps scruples out of his way, enabling the circumstances for smooth twists. Although it lacks that special extra quality which makes the difference between good and great movies, it’s a movie worth watching.

Highlights:
Greg Kinnear is as awesome as always, and Crudup is just as good in his role.

Downside:
It may seem a bit dull in appearance, with lots of snow and ice – but that’s the setting of the story, so it makes sense 🙂

Would I see it again? – Someday, maybe 🙂

My Rating (1 to 10): 8

Recommended: Yes

Suggestion:
Keep away from spoilers.

 

The Big Year

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Image Source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2011
Director: David Frankel
Writers: Howard Franklin (screenplay), Mark Obmascik (book)
Starring: Jack Black, Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Rosamund Pike, etc.

For more information on “The Big Year”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
This could easily be written off as a mediocre movie, yet it does have a good moral, nice characters, and a big dose of beauty. It is about birdwatching, passion, ambition and priorities. In my house, it inspired a new goal (and new Pinterest boards); we love traveling, nature, being outdoors, hiking, plants and animals, so birding would make a very satisfying hobby for us. This movie reminds you that there is beauty in the world, and that sometimes selfish ambition costs our own happiness, transforming our fulfilled aspirations into bitter reminders of what we lost along the way.

Highlights:
Gorgeous scenery, beautiful birds!

Downside:
With Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wilson in the same movie, you expect a little more laughter .

Would I see it again? – Someday, not very soon. However, I’d rather go birding myself 😀

My Rating (1 to 10): 7

Recommended: Yep 🙂

Suggestion:
If you feel like your loved ones don’t truly understand you and your passions, try explaining clearer what those passions mean to you, how they make you happier and a better person, sprinkle some of that magic on them, share a bit. There’s a big chance you’ll not only be understood, but you’ll get support too 😀

 

The Iron Lady

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Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2011
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Abi Morgan
Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, etc.

For more information on “The Iron Lady”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
To get it out of the way: it’s a fine movie, and I liked it. However, there seems to be an odd problem with this biopic. It tries to show the softer side of a tough lady, while trying (and failing) to keep both softness and toughness intact. It’s as if it is trying to show the white in black, and the black in white, ending in middle gray. I’m not saying that softness and toughness cannot coexist in the same person/story. It is just that they were not well braided together in this movie. Other than that, it is touching, and it made me shed a few tears.

Highlights:
I hate to say what everybody says, but “The Iron Lady” is mostly about Meryl Streep’s performance.

Downside:
The same as above, plus the fact that Meryl Streep’s “Iron Lady” manages to steal the show and eclipse the real-life Margaret Thatcher. It’s like you can’t stop thinking “Oh my, that’s Meryl Streep playing Margaret Thatcher and she’s sooo good!”

Would I see it again? – Yeah, someday 🙂

My Rating (1 to 10): 8.5

Recommended: Yes

Suggestion:
If you cannot empathize with the real “Iron Lady”, pretend this movie is about a different, even fictional, person.

 

Source Code

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Image source: Wikimedia

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Year of release: 2011
Director: Duncan Jones
Writer: Ben Ripley
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Vera Farmiga, Michelle Monaghan, Jeffrey Wright, etc.

For more information on “Source Code”, visit Wikipedia and/or IMDb

 

General impression:
To think I postponed seeing it… three times. I started watching this movie with no expectations, just to get it over with – there was some gentle nagging involved. Aaand I was quickly hooked. It reminded me a bit of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception“, only “Source Code” seems to be more explicit, hence more digestible, and despite a similar dose of gloom, it manages to disperse it, ending in optimism. It is well done, well acted, and interesting. It is about a man who must live the last eight minutes of someone else’s life over and over again, until he completes his mission – how could that be uninteresting? But, remember, it’s more like “Inception” rather than “Groundhog Day” 🙂

Highlights:
It is surprisingly deep and touching.

Downside:
If you don’t like movies that make you think, you will not enjoy it.

Would I see it again? – Yes

My Rating (1 to 10): 9.5

Recommended: Yes!

Suggestion:
As the tagline of this movie says, “make every second count”.

 

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