Cin’s Movie Critiques

Guest Review by Mari Peacock

Rated PG for some scary images and mild innuendo.  2007, Romantic Comedy.  Mari’s Critique:

In musicals or Disney cartoons and the like, everyone bursts into song and/or dance as beautiful music begins to play in the background. They are always on key, have perfect hair and clothes and it all seems like a normal occurrence. This is not so in real life. I have on many occasions started singing in the store or while walking or wherever I happen to be (my own made up song of course) or have danced along to the elevator music playing in most grocery stores and have gotten many strange looks. Most of the time I don’t realize I’m doing it until people either start giggling or completely and totally ignore me. I usually make up new words using primary hymn tunes.

In Disney’s Enchanted they bring to real life the make-believe world of cartoons and all their fruitiness and happily-ever-afters. They do a great job of making fun of themselves and the typical Disney Princesses.

Giselle (Amy Adams) is a cartoon princess living in Andalasia who is rescued by Prince Edward (James Marsden) and they immediately fall in love and prepare to be married the next day and live happily… well, you know. However, the wicked stepmother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) doesn’t want him to ever marry or she has to give up her throne. She throws Giselle into a fountain and sends her to modern-day New York City. Prince Edward and his “friend” Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) follow after to rescue her.

Giselle meets Robert (Patrick Dempsey- Dr. McDreamy, Hello!), his daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) and his girlfriend (Idina Menzel- the original Elephaba on Broadways’s Wicked) and becomes entangled in their lives as does Prince Edward, Pip the talking chipmunk, Queen Narissa and Nathaniel.

The adventures run rampant as lives and loves are questioned, mixed then found again as the land of make-believe and real-life collide.

It is quite a silly movie, but the good kind of silly that adults and kids can all enjoy! It was written, re-written and directed by several different people. Alan Menken composed as Stephen Schwartz (Of Wicked fame) served as lyricist.

What would life be without embarrassing moments?

Recently at the gym, I needed to use a machine that some meathead had loaded up with 500 pounds of weights. So I start unloading, one 50 pounder at a time, getting a workout just by doing that. It wasn’t until I pulled the last weight off of one side, in that split second before disaster struck, that my genius kicked in and I realized I should have unloaded evenly on both sides. Too late, CRASH!!! The machine tipped over and the other 250 pounds of weights slid off the other side. Thunder and vibrations echoed through the gym and every single eye turned to me. I was horrified!

There is a good side though. Mr. Muscles, who is the hottest guy in the entire gym, and three, yes three of his friends, were kind enough to pick up the machine for me. Although this was just about as embarrassing as the initial disaster, it has prompted them to talk to me every day! Granted, it’s caveman language and remarks like “Hey Cin, let us know if you need help picking up any machines today.” But at least they notice me right?

If that weren’t enough, the story actually has a new development. I’ve recounted this tale to some friends and family members, always emphasizing how incredibly built Mr. Muscles is, and how enjoyable it was to watch those muscles flex right in front of my eyes.

Monday, I’m picking Colton up from the playroom and in comes Mr. Muscles to pick up his son, and of course, asked me if I tipped anything over that day. Colton looked up at him and had a shining moment of realization. Then he LOUDLY asked me, “Hey Mom! Is that Mr. Muscles?!”

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey. Rated PG-13 for some sex-related material. 2003, Romantic Comedy. Cin’s Critique:

Andie writes how-to columns for a magazine and to add emphasis to her latest article “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days”, she takes a bet that she can do just that. Ben is an ad executive and ladies man who takes a bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. Naturally, they find each other, and the hilarity begins! While Andie does insanely absurd things to ensure he dumps her, Ben keeps gritting his teeth and puts up with it all to win his own bet. This one is a chick flick that the guys will like because it is gut busting laughter from the time Andie and Ben meet each other until they realize they are actually in love. Plus it has a great Keith Urban song in it!

The Holiday

Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Jack Black. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language. 2006, Romantic Comedy. Cin’s Critique:

Two women with heartache problems, one in LA and one in England, trade locations for the Christmas season. They swap houses to get away from their own lives for The Holiday. Of course, they both meet new men and fall in love for Christmas.

This movie is absolutely hilarious! Seriously, there were parts that I had to rewind because I didn’t hear it the first time around because I was laughing so stinking hard! Each of the actors played each of the characters to perfection. And I loved that it wasn’t a typical romantic comedy. There was some depth here, and interesting side plots that only added to the charm of the story line.

I found a funny little tidbit on IMDB. (Which by the way stands for Internet Movie Database, and is easily accessed through the link right over there on the right and has information on practically any movie ever made). There is a scene where Kate Winslet and Jack Black are in the movie store and Dustin Hoffman overhears them talking about “The Graduate”. This scene was not originally part of the script. Dustin Hoffman really was just driving by, saw all the hullabaloo with the movie filming, stopped in to say hi to writer Nancy Meyers, and ended up with a cameo in the movie.

So, if you haven’t seen this one, and you’re up for a little “Christmas in July”, rent The Holiday!

June 1, 2007 was my parents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary. It really was wonderful to be with them to celebrate, and to be surrounded by my entire family. It’s not very often that all of us can get together in the same place at the same time.

I helped my mom make the invitations, we sent out a picture of her and my dad on their wedding day. They looked so different then. I wish I could have seen them that day, I wish I knew what they were like before five children drained all their energy away!

Anyway, I’ve been in the mood to watch another wedding movie, and lucked out yesterday when My Best Friend’s Wedding came on TV. If you haven’t seen this one, put it on your list, it’s one of my favorite romantic comedies.

My Best Friend’s Wedding

Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney. Rated PG-13 for one use of strong language and brief sex-related humor. 1997, Romantic Comedy. Cin’s Critique:

Julianne and Michael have a pact. If they haven’t found true love by the time they turn 28, they will marry each other. They have been best friends for years and seen each other through everything. Just before Julianne turns 28, Michael tells her he is getting married. It is then that she realizes just how much she loves him, and sets out to break up his engagement.

Even though Julia Roberts is essentially a villain in this movie, the audience is on her side, hoping that she can successfully break up the happy couple and claim Michael for herself. Full of humor, and even a few tears, this one has a happy ending, even if it may not be the ending you’ve been rooting for the entire movie.

I’ve been house-sitting for two different houses. I must emanate a trustworthy vibe. Muu-haa-haa-haaaaa. (That’s supposed to be a dark and sinister chuckle.) So, I gather mail, water lawns, feed animals, and empty drip buckets. I also eat their goodies, drink their pop, help myself to their DVD’s! (That’s how I stumbled across House.) I got to thinking about that old movie with Goldie Hawn. So I rented it, and came to realize that the movie has absolutely nothing to do with house-sitting, how very misleading!

HouseSitter

Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn. Rated PG for mild sensuality and language. 1992, Romantic Comedy. Cin’s Critique:

An architect builds a magnificent house for his girlfriend and proposes to her, only to be turned down. In his misery he has a one-night stand with a woman who turns out to be a con artist. She moves into his empty home in the small town he grew up in and poses as his wife. That works fine, until he comes back to try to sell the house and half the town congratulates him on his marriage, including his own parents. Steve and Goldie work out a plan to end this fake marriage and win back his old girlfriend. Their relationship built upon lies of course turns out to be true love.

So, I got my first job as an amateur photographer!  Yes, when the preferred photographer fell through, and the backup failed to step up, and the backup to the backup wasn’t available either, I was ushered right in!  Exciting huh?

And what an important first job it was: bridal pictures!  So, I got to finesse my new digital camera and my lovely subject of photography throughout the International Peace Gardens (very cool place, for those of you that enjoy parks, put this one on your list) for three hours.  All the while fussing and primping and promoting the perfect pose.  It was great fun.

So, it got me to thinkin’ about one of my many favorite romantic comedies:

The Wedding Planner

Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lopez.  Rated PG-13 for language and some sexual humor.  2001, Romantic Comedy.  Cin’s Critique: 4 *

Mary is a wedding planner.  Her motto is “Those who can’t wed, plan!”  But she finally meets the perfect guy, Steve.  Only to discover, he is the fiancé of her next client.  To complicate matters, this is a very important client, whose account will secure Mary’s career as a partner in the business.  So Mary has to try to put aside her personal feelings and conflicts, and get the job done.  But, when the bride has urgent business to attend to, Steve takes over the wedding planning, and makes it much more difficult for Mary to get over him, and to plan his perfect wedding.

The Wedding Planner is full of laughs from opening scene to end credits.  I especially liked how the movie respected certain boundaries of those who are engaged, no cheating and such.  It is an innocent romance that develops into a happy ending for all.

My heart flutters a little every time I pass a guy on the road, all decked out in leather chaps, biker boots, dark sunglasses, and the wind blowing his hair. It is sexy!! Not smart, not wearing a helmet and all, but definitely sexy! Ah, there is nothing like the wind in your face and feeling the speed when you’re on a motorcycle. It’s a rush, and even though it’s been a while since I’ve been on one, I crave the feeling each time I hear the rumble of a hog…

Wild Hogs

Tim Allen, John Travolta, William H. Macy, Martin Lawrence. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and some violence. 2007, Comedy. Cin’s Critique: 3 *

Four friends embark on a motorcycle road trip, each with his own set of problems in life, hoping to prove that even though they may not be all that young, they are still young at heart. They encounter several funny mishaps, and ultimately upset a biker gang whose leader is bad boy Ray Liotta.

One of the funniest parts of this movie is the gay cop that follows the group around, hoping to be included. Another is Ray Liotta’s character as a crazy, tough, biker dude. I would say this film has too much adult content for kids to watch, but was mild enough to be funny rather than crude for adults. It was an entertaining watch, and if you’ve ever been on a road trip on a motorcycle, you’ll appreciate the truth and humor in this movie. Be sure to stick around for the end credits, very funny.

Only You

Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei. Rated PG for sensuality and language. 1994, Romantic/Comedy. Cin’s Critique: 5 *

This is my favorite romantic comedy of all time! Has been for 13 years now. Everyone that has stayed at my house has been forced to watch it, and all have enjoyed it. (Even if it was because they were afraid of the consequences if they didn’t!) This is the movie that made me love romantic comedies. This is the movie that made me love Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. This is the movie that made me believe in destiny. This is the movie that made me want to go to Italy. This is the first movie I ever bought for myself. This is a movie that if you have not seen, YOU MUST WATCH IT IMMEDIATELY!!!

Faith has believed since she was young that she is destined to be with a man named Damon Bradley. Just before her wedding (to someone else) she gets a phone call. Guess who is on the other end? Yep, Damon Bradley. But before she can say anything, he hangs up. Determined to follow her destiny, she and her best friend (played by the hilarious Bonnie Hunt) traipse halfway across the world to track him down.

Full of hilarious twists and turns, filmed in the most beautiful and romantic country in the world, with a wonderful story line that keeps you entertained and wondering up until the very last scene, you cannot go wrong with Only You.

(What are you doing? Go watch it!!)

Just Like Heaven

Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo. Rated PG-13 for some sexual content. 2005, Romantic/Comedy. Cin’s Critique: 4 ½ *

A man moves into a new apartment to find it is inhabited by the ghost of the previous tenant. As the two of them try to figure out why she’s still here, they fall in love…ahhh. This is one of the best romantic comedies ever; I could watch it over and over again. It is full of laughs, it has a great moral to the story, and with the sparking chemistry between the two main characters, it leaves you with that romantic written in the stars swoon.

When I think of the ‘80’s, what comes to mind is big hair and denim jackets covered in sequins, studs, pins and patches. I think of all the pretty boy bands with ratted hair and skin tight leather pants, sucking on microphones and railing on electric guitars. Whew! Totally radical dude!

Every girl I knew had their bedroom walls covered in magazine centerfolds of Michael J. Fox, Kirk Cameron, Jon Bon Jovi, Bret Michaels, and Axl Rose. But not me. Nope, my mom had such fear instilled in me, that I didn’t even think about pinning up a man with a nipple showing. (Years later, when I finally got the nerve to stand up for my belief in those beautiful Nelson brothers, she relented, on the condition that I had to blacken in the nipples with a sharpie.)

I do remember the big bangs. I specifically remember the day that our 6^th grade English teacher never showed, so we entertained ourselves by measuring everyone’s bangs. Darn that Melissa Whatsername, her bangs were an inch higher than mine! Miniskirts and Sony Walkmans, those were the days…

(I’d love to hear your memories of the ‘80’s. Leave me comment please!)

Music and Lyrics

Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore. Rated PG-13 for some sexual content. 2007, Romantic Comedy. Cin’s Critique: 3 ½ *

Hugh Grant is hilarious as a has been ‘80’s pop sensation. No, the movie isn’t set in the ‘80’s, but the music video clips shown during the course of the movie were enough to give me flashbacks. Very funny! Grant’s character is given a chance to write lyrics for the new Britney Spears to boost his career, and he seeks help from a word savvy Drew Barrymore. Yes, the story line is very weak, not much substance at all, yet I liked this movie. It was a true romantic comedy, lot’s of laughs and ends happily ever after, with plenty of witty banter and romantic flow between characters to keep the audience entertained and love dizzy. I recommend this one for the romantic comedy lovers out there.

Another funny ’80′s movie with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler is The Wedding Singer, check it out.