The Duff is far from achieving teen-movie greatness, but that doesn't mean it isn't great. While it may not be as memorable or as quotable as films like "Mean Girls," and "The Breakfast Club," The Duff still manages to be funny, enjoyable, and original. Mae Whitman delivers a wonderful performance, and the dynamic between her and Robbie Arnell is magic. The two star-crossed lovers feed off each other and present a cute, if not exactly refreshing, couple. While petty high school drama gets old once you're out of high school, I'm sure the kids that this movie is targeting are still loving it.
Focus may not achieve the narrative brilliance of the Oceans movies, but it more than gets by thanks to riveting performances from its incredibly talented cast. It may be predictable, it may be scatter-brained at times, but I've yet to see a movie starring Will Smith that wasn't wonderful.
Don't get me wrong, Smith is far from the only saving grace of this movie. It's not the best thing to come out of Warner Bros. but it's far from the worst. I wouldn't give any movie 4 stars just for casting one good actor. The whole movie well-cast, well-acted, witty, fun, and a perfect mixture of serious and light-hearted. I know what you're thinking, "A positive review from a male conservative?" That's right. Unfortunately so many people had their noses turned up at the mere concept of a film about sex that they missed the fact that it wasn't actually a film about sex. I never read the books, but I heard the horror stories. I, too, took them more seriously than I should have, and rented this movie with every expectation of a trashy vomit-inducing-romance of a film. In the end, I think I enjoyed it more than my girlfriend whom I rented it for.
Why is it that people are so offended by something they're so obsessed with? Western society is completely infatuated with sex, and yet so incapable of having a serious conversation about it. The fact that the characters had a non-traditional sex-life completely derailed the audience from the actual story line and character development. 50 Shades is a story of a girl becoming a woman, and that transformation has nothing to do with the sex. She starts out as a shy and timid girl who can barely even speak to Grey, and develops into a bold woman who sets all the rules, does what she wants, and makes things happen. She opens herself up to a lifestyle other than her own, which takes bravery that most Americans are lacking nowadays, and shows passion, compassion, and acceptance. Meanwhile, Grey is broken down from his initial portrayal as a strong man's man who gets what he wants and doesn't take no for an answer, to a weak and violated man who tries to justify and understand his abusive childhood by reenacting the same acts that were performed on him. The film itself is sleek and stylish, with plenty of comedic relief. While the dialogue is laughable at times, the score is enticing, the cinematography is entrancing, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson brought it all together wonderfully. Let's get real here. If it's an MTV movie, they're clearly not shooting to be the next Clockwork Orange. It's time for critics to start weighing movies according to what the movie is trying to be. Not everybody is trying to earn an Oscar. Project Almanac has no intentions of going down in history as a sci-fi great. Its aim is to appeal to younger audiences through cultural relevance, relatable characters, fun, drama, and a plot that is disguised well enough that you don't realize it has been done a thousand times before. The movie succeeds in every aspect of this.
All of the protagonists were cast excellently and the actors gave riveting performances that were wholly believable and completely relatable. The protagonists managed to drive their own plot very well, and the story never got ahead of the people. It was a good length, fast paced, but not rushed, and worth revisiting. I don't have a lot to say about it, because it's not a sci-fi great, but it presents itself in a fresh way without being derivative of the dozens of movies it mimics. I award it 3.5 stars on a scale of 5. If I were to tell you that David Koepp (writer on War of the Worlds, Mission Impossible, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Angels & Demons, Men in Black 3; director of Secret Window) was making a movie starring Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Jeff Goldblum, and Paul Bettany, you would probably feel the need to let out a girlish squeal of delight. I know I did. However, even the most beautiful jigsaw puzzle in the world will look like crap if you put it together with super glue and a hammer. Somehow Lionsgate had all the right pieces, but still couldn't make heads nor tails of what they were trying to accomplish.
The premise was interesting enough, but I earnestly believe casting Johnny Depp was a mistake. The character was too mellow for a wild card like Depp, so Depp's attempts to make it his own simply detracted from the original purpose of the protagonist. The characters continually fail to drive the plot and instead are driven in circles by the plot. Each actor is constrained in their role and never really given much to work with. Paul Bettany was the sole exception in his endearing performance as the sex-crazed side-kick, Jock Strapp. This alleged comedy couldn't have been any more un-funny if they were trying to be. The plot is a never ending mad-dash for a climax that was unable to salvage the dull the introduction and hyperactive rising action. I award it 2 stars on a scale of 5 |
Scott EmighSandite. History buff. Lover. Fighter. Christian. Archives |