Something Borrowed (2011)

3/5

Something Borrowed is a trite romantic comedy about a love triangle on the eve of a wedding (thus the stupid title). The main character is Rachel (Goodwin). Rachel has been best friends with Darcy (Hudson) since childhood. In law school, she met Dex (Egglesfield). And though they like each other, they are too shy to pursue the other's affection. Instead, Darcy's outgoing personality and Dex's openness leads to the two getting engaged.

As for the film itself, nearly every aspect is middle-of-the-road. It's predictably written (including its dumb ending) and appropriately funny. The technical aspects, from cinematography to editing, are completely unremarkable. However, there is one gem in the rough, and that gem is John Krasinski. He epitomizes humor. He is full of wit and sass, mixed in with genuine emotion and heart. I wish he were real and I wish he were my friend. For any Krasinski fan, Something Borrowed is a must-watch. As good as he is, though, he's not good enough to make up for the rest of this movie. If you're not interested in this movie already (and you're not interested in Krasinski), this movie will be an absolute waste of time.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491152/

Fireproof (2008)

2/5

Fireproof is a very Christian movie with very bad acting and a very bad script. The plot follows Caleb Holt (Cameron) and Catherine Holt (Bethea) as their marriage is falling apart. Divorce is imminent, but Caleb's father (Malcolm) wants him to wait 40 days before proceeding. He sends him a book called The Love Dare, which contains instructions and Bible verses for each of 40 days in order to save a failing marriage. Spoiler alert: it works!

The trailer looked bad, but I was unprepared for how disastrous everything about this movie turned out to be. I don't have a problem with Christian movies (in fact, I wish there were more good ones), but I do have a problem when the director uses a movie to lecture people. People were speaking to the audience about God instead of to each other. Nothing felt genuine. It was like watching a book being read to me with occasional snippets of religious ideas. I can't blame everything on the script, because the acting is equally amateurish and superficial (the best actor was the girl in a car accident screaming in fear). This was essentially a well-financed student film project with good equipment and poor talent. And an overabundance of firefighter metaphors.

Be that as it may, the movie somehow still manages to be inspirational. You wouldn't expect it, but some of the problems feel so down-to-earth and applicable compared to the melodrama you might see in other movies about marriage and divorce. Unfortunately, realism doesn't always make for a pleasant viewing experience. The only people I would recommend this movie to are Christians or people looking to save a marriage that is worth saving. Otherwise, pass on it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129423/