New Year's Eve (2011)

New Year’s Eve

Year: 2011

Director: Garry Marshall

Cast: Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michelle, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Josh Duhamel, Jessica Biel, Abigail Breslin, Jon Bon Jovi

Before I begin my review….

Wow, after I had written down the cast for New Year’s Eve, I thought to myself how impressive that list of actors really is.

There are a few Academy Award winners or nominees in that list, but those who aren’t…it is a who’s who of chick flicks really.  Sarah Jessica Parker is once again enjoying her time in New York City, Katherine Heigl plays the same film role she always does, Lea Michelle is belting out a tune and Zac Efron busts a move on the dance floor. Besides the winners/nominees circle where Hilary Swank, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin belong, everyone is happy playing who they normally do.

My favourite thing about the movie? The bloopers reel. In my opinion, every comedy film should have a bloopers reel at the end. They just keep the laughs going right until the credits role. Honestly, some blooper reels are even funnier than the movies themselves. For the record if I was in a movie, my blooper reel would be like that of Halle Berry’s.

Review

What did British film Love, Actually start?

Garry Marshall has continued his 2010 film Valentine’s Day with this year’s New Year’s Eve. What is this film designed to do? Not much else than the collaboration of some big names for box office draw and create some sort of feeling of optimism. Other than that, it is a completely faulted film with more wrong with it than right.

New Year’s Eve follows the much used film technique of a number of stories being told over a particular time period with characters who’s lives all link in with each other. It is New Years Eve in New York City and everyone is trying to get through the night of nights in their own way. The night doesn’t end up the way any of the characters expect and there are tears, smiles, laughter and, of course, that elusive midnight kiss.

The best thing about New Year’s Eve is it does have a party atmosphere which makes everyone in the audience ready for the party season. However, the ball has to drop for this to be felt.

The first half of the film is incredibly boring and slow which will only prompt you to check your watch.  No suspense is felt and none of the subplots are really that interesting.  It is more of the same old, same old chick flick stories you see rolled into one with no time for any real emotion and any connection as the film darts from one story to the next. 

The script is very lack lustre and relies on the sparkly glitter and confetti to make the film fun and enjoyable.

For a comedy, there isn’t very many actually funny moments. The moments in the film which are supposed to be funny are more just very forced and the jokes are really quite old. The blooper reel at the end of the film is funnier than the majority of the film.

None of the characters have absolutely any depth to them and people will walk away asking questions about the background of them, as there are definitely questions there to be asked. For example, how is Sarah Jessica Parker’s character of Kim Zac Efron’s Paul’s sister? There is at least an age difference of 20 years there. Some explanation of the family dynamics there would have been nice.

Hilary Swank, who plays the vice president of New Year’s Eve proceedings in Times Square Claire Morgan, starts off shaky and a bit rubbishy, grows into her role towards the end, helped by Robert De Niro who plays her father. Halle Berry is also quite good as Nurse Aimee, although her role is really very brief. It’s also good to see Abigail Breslin growing into a woman and still holding onto her acting talents.

Michelle Pfeiffer’s Ingrid is so pathetic at times that she is just irritating and Efron is also completely irritating at times. Lea Michelle’s Elise seems like a whole lot of nothing besides a singing voice and her and Ashton Kutcher have absolutely no screen chemistry.

Katherine Heigl is once again, just Katherine Heigl.

New Year’s Eve is, if nothing else, relevant for this time of the year. Completely unmemorable and trying a bit too hard to be everything it’s un named predecessors were.

3.5/10

When In Rome

When In Rome
Year: 2010
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Cast: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Anjelica Huston, Alexis Dziena

In My Own Words
Ah, the chick flick. I have not met any girl who can resist a chick flick, and any girl who tells you that she doesn’t like chick flicks is lying. I’m not saying that chick flicks are the favourite genres of every female, but they are take up so little brain activity that they are just easy and fun to watch. A chick flick is to a female what an action movie is to a male. Guy’s love watching big explosions and action heroes, while girls like watching romance and female heroines. It all makes sense. In my experience, guys have bagged me out when I have wanted to go and see a chick flick, but what these guys need to realise, is that a chick flick is our answer to the action film. And part of me did really want to see “When In Rome”, but mainly for the fact that Rome and New York City are in one movie. I have yet to visit Rome (even though I am dying to), but New York City is, like many other people, one of the great loves of my life.

I noticed something interesting while at the cinema today. I went to the 12:05 session of “When In Rome” today by myself. Some people find going to a movie by themselves an act of desperation. I once heard one girl I used to know complaining about how much of a “nigel” she was going to a film by herself. I have done this on many occasions and I don’t feel like a “nigel” at all. Today when I went, there was about 6 other people in the cinema by themselves. There were maybe only about 20 people in the cinema, but I thought it was interesting that there were so many people there on their own. I think I might put it down to the time of day. Most of the people who came in to the cinema by themselves had shopping bags with them, so maybe it was the fact that the cinema was in a shopping centre. Once people finish their shopping, they have time and look for something to do so they go to a movie. I just find it interesting how people think it is taboo to go to a movie by yourself, because you may be missing out on a great movie just because you can’t find someone to go to it with you!

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“When In Rome” is the typical chick flick, which means that most guys would rather poke their eyes out than see it. It is not the worlds best movie, but there is something fun, funny and very cute about it. Beth (Kristen Bell) has always had bad luck in love and life and it only gets worse when she has to make a flash trip to Rome for her sister, Joan’s (Alexis Dziena) wedding. Down and drunk, Beth takes a venture into the Fountain of Love and instead of throwing a coin into the fountain to wish for love as most people do, she decides to take 5 coins. It is only when she gets home and starts getting strange mans following her around professing their love for her, she finds out that if you take someone else’s coins, they will fall in love with you. A real problem arises when she actually falls for Nick (Josh Duhamel), who she believes is one of the men who’s coin she has retrieved.

Nothing about “When In Rome” makes it a great film. It won’t be remembered in years to come as there is nothing which really makes it stand out. However, it is very light, fluffy and cute. It is definitely an easy watch and extremely predictable. The script isn’t all bad, there are some very funny moments, although it can be very corny. There is not much more to be expected from this film though, it is very stereotypical in the way that a girl has bad luck in love and then finds love. Even though it is very predictable, there are no boring moments in the film. The scenery of Rome and New York are well captured and can at times, detract from the story and characters at hand, which some people may see as being bad and others see as being a good thing.

Kristen Bell is adorable as Beth. Her character of Beth does seem pathetic at the beginning, but she does become more likable towards the end. Her and Josh Duhamel definitely have on screen chemistry and make a very cute couple. However, the four men that fall in love with her are loose ends. They are all pretty painful, more so than they are supposed to be. Their characters are all more annoying than funny. They are probably the biggest turn off in the film and so over the top that it is ridiculous.

Again, keep boys as far away from this film as you can. It is a stereotypical chick flick, but not the best chick flick you will see this year. The best words to describe “When In Rome” are predictable and the two words used the most in this review, cute and adorable. It is a great film to see if you plan on not thinking for an hour and a half or taking a trip to Rome or New York.
5/10