Killers (2010)

2/5

Killers is such a stupid movie. When I first saw the trailer, I thought that it might be cool. As time went on and reviews came out, I got less and less excited for it. If I had just waited for my interest to dwindle to nothing, I might have spared myself from watching this stupid movie. It follows the awkward relationship that develops between awkward CIA agent Spencer (Kutcher) and awkward computer nerd Jen (Heigl) after awkwardly bumping into each other in France. Spencer is there to kill someone while Jen is there vacationing with her alcoholic mother (O'Hara) and overbearing father (Selleck). They get married and, several years later, Spencer discovers that a bounty has been placed on his head. All of his neighbors start attacking him with machine guns and kitchen knives like something out of Hot Fuzz, only bad. There are also a few side stories that are worthless and a final "twist" that would have been obvious if it made any sense.

Now that you know how stupid the plot is, I can tell you how stupid the rest of the movie is. The characters just don't work. At all. None of them. The two leads have absolutely no chemistry together; it's like they're talking cardboard cutouts. There was no passion, even in their arguments. There's very little romance and there's very little comedy (although the movie as a whole does provide some moments to laugh at, like the alcoholic mother, before you come to the depressing realization that alcoholism has become a punchline). The pacing is atrocious and the special effects are terrible. The gunfights and car chases failed to keep my attention (although the hand-to-hand combat was actually not bad). It's not the worst movie in the world, but I would seriously ask anybody who was intrigued by the trailer to just step away and let this one go. (The only reason it is not 1 star is that it didn't offend me in any way.)

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103153/

Away We Go (2009)

4/5

Sam Mendes's Away We Go is an utterly charming film. The plot follows a 6-months-pregnant Verona (Rudolph) and her life partner Burt (Krasinski) as they travel around the US, meeting with family and friends as they attempt to find the perfect home to raise their new child. The people they meet on their journey range from criminally unfit parents to their antithetical role model counterparts. And yet this movie seems to suggest that, despite what we would like, it is the hardest of situations that bring out the best in us. Even after dealing with endless miscarriages or prolonged separations, the ideal parents will always be there for their kids.

Much like Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth, the first 75% of Away We Go is hilarious and light, while the last 25% contains harsh realities and sobering truths about life, love, and parenthood. The writing and acting are 100% spot-on, and a perfect blend of comedy and drama. The editing was also stellar. Unfortunately, the lighting and cinematography in this film were fairly average. Given the rest of Sam Mendes's oeuvre, it was a bit disappointing. Taken as a whole, this is a solidly entertaining, quasi-independent film that feels more like Zach Braff than Sam Mendes. But it's an uplifting movie with memorable characters and is not to be missed.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176740/