Foxcatcher (2014)

1/5

Foxcatcher, set in the 1980's, tells the troubling true story of an enigmatic multimillionaire wrestling enthusiast (Carell) who enlists two Olympic gold medal-winning wrestlers (Tatum, Ruffalo) to help him start a training camp for the US Wrestling Team on his enormous estate. I won't go into more detail so as to prevent anyone reading this review from getting too interested in the movie.

The trailers for the movie give it a creepy, chilling atmosphere. And indeed it starts out intense and brooding, but the mood doesn't last and the pacing turns awkward and slow. The cinematography is bland and lingering like the worst kind of indie films. There is an obscene amount of silence to make the whole movie unendingly boring. A lot of shots seem to be nothing more than random events without any context. Nothing feels concrete (except the ending), which makes for an infuriating and unsatisfying film filled with nothing but hints and suggestions. And it was somewhat unsettling that I couldn't tell if there were homosexual undertones or not. That's how subtle everything was.

I will admit, though, that Steve Carell gives an impressive acting turn. The same could be said for Channing Tatum, although all I really got out of his performance is that he gets slapped in the face a lot. The problem is that the characters seem to perform actions with either unclear motivations or intentionally veiled ones, both of which are frustrating to watch. But the biggest surprise of all was when the credits rolled and I realized that this garbage was directed by Bennett Miller (Capote, Moneyball). I ended the movie asking myself why I spent the last 2+ hours watching it and I didn't have a good answer.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1100089/

Curly Sue (1991)

3/5

Curly Sue is a cheesy but charming 90's movie from John Hughes. The movie follows two homeless con artists, Alisan Porter as the titular adolescent and James Belushi as her father figure, who wander around the country trying to win the hearts and minds of generous people in order to get a bite to eat and a bed to sleep in. When they try to con a seemingly heartless divorce lawyer (Lynch), the lies start to get in the way of genuine feelings.

The movie is sweet and silly in an innocent, naive way, although a little heavy on the visual gags and body humor for my tastes. It's rather barebones from a writing and a technical standpoint, but I don't think Hughes intended it to be a particularly ground-breaking cinematic feat. The heart is in the story and the characters and they satisfy completely. This is an endearing movie that's pleasant enough to fill your next free afternoon with nostalgia.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101635/

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

4/5

Despicable Me 2 is the sequel to the endearing animated family film Despicable Me. While trying to raise his three adopted daughters (Cosgrove, Fischer, Gaier), ex-supervillain Gru (Carrell) is contracted by Lucy (Wiig) to locate and eliminate a new supervillain. Along the way he unexpectedly falls in love with Lucy, but higher forces conspire to pull them apart. From a technical standpoint, this movie is better than the first. Beautiful animation and first-rate voice-acting give it a brilliant polish and shine. The movie has plenty of good jokes--I was laughing the whole way through--but they did not have the same oomph that the first one had.

Something about Despicable Me 2 just feels staid, old, and contrived instead of feeling fresh, unexpected, and new. It is more childish, or maybe just more child-oriented, than the first one was. While many animated movies have parts for kids and adults, it seems that Despicable Me 2 uses adult humor (e.g., sexual double entendres) to placate the 20+ crowd instead of delivering mature, thoughtful themes (e.g., on parenting). While there's certainly nothing wrong with making a movie focused predominantly on kids, it definitely loses something that the first one had. It loses a certain gravitas, an opportunity to stand the test of time, a chance to be a classic. It's a terrifically entertaining movie, but it's also just a little disappointing.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1690953/

Hope Springs (2012)

2/5

Hope Springs follows an aging married couple (Jones, Streep) who have spent 30+ years together, coexisting with frictionless perfection. But in so doing, they have lost whatever romance they once had. The movie never explains (to my satisfaction anyway) why they lost that intimacy, nor does it explore Streep's motivation for wanting it back. Regardless, they seek out the help of Dr. Feld (Carell) and his week-long intensive couples counseling. The movie is billed as a romantic comedy (I think), but it's more a series of awkward encounters that did little more than gross me out.

I mean, I will admit it had the occasional saccharine moment and life lesson strewn about, but these pleasantries were just surrounded by uncomfortable situation after uncomfortable situation. I can't look back on this movie with anything but disgust. It is made for a specific age group and I believe it can only truly be appreciated by that age group. (Imagine, if you will, a kids movie where characters eat their own boogers; kids might find it hilarious, but it's just a disturbing image for everyone else.)

I realized very early on that I am much too young to be watching Hope Springs. But I kept watching until the grisly end. That's the problem with my obsessive-compulsive personality: finishing things that don't need to be finished. This movie may very well be a good movie for people who emerged from their midlife crises 2 decades ago, but I am certainly not its target audience. Unless you're about to become a Medicare beneficiary, I would not recommend you see this film.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535438/

Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

4/5

Crazy Stupid Love has commas in the official title that I am intentionally omitting because they annoy me. The movie itself does not annoy me. In fact, it surprised me with its humor and heart. The plot follows Cal (Carell) and Emily (Moore) Weaver. Emily wants a divorce, and in fact she has already cheated on him with her co-worker David Lindhagen (Bacon). Cal's son (Bobo) is in love with his babysitter (Tipton), who is in fact in love with Cal. Cal starts frequenting bars, whining to no one in particular nonstop for two weeks about the impending divorce, until Jacob (Gosling) becomes so annoyed that he takes him under his wing and shows him how to assert his manhood and pick up women for one-night stands. Cal's first "success" is with a crazy teacher (Tomei) who seems excited by his honesty, but he never calls her back. Jacob, on the other hand, meets Hannah (Stone), who shakes him of his womanizing ways and turns him into a boyfriend.

There is one fantastic scene in the middle of the film that involves Cal and Emily talking on the phone, and it becomes evident that she still loves him and cares for him and misses him even if she can't live with him. It is a tender moment that is filled with genuine emotion and more complexity than you might at first assume. It almost forced a tear out of my eye. In fact, almost the entire plot seems very simple superficially but becomes much more multi-faceted just below the surface.

The acting by the entire ensemble is wonderful; everyone is able to juggle empathy with wit in fluid harmony. The directing as a whole was very effective, although it felt somewhat choppy as people were ignored for chunks at a time. On the whole, Crazy Stupid Love impressed me unexpectedly, much like Bandslam. If you had any interest in the actors or the plot, I would not hesitate to recommend this movie.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570728/

Despicable Me (2010)

4.9/5

Despicable Me is an absolutely delightful film no matter how you slice it. The plot follows Gru (Carell), whose only goal in life is to become the greatest supervillain in the world. When the Great Pyramid of Giza is stolen by Vector (Segel), he steals Gru's media limelight and becomes Gru's new archenemy. So Gru decides to adopt three little orphans and use them in his master plot to steal the moon and embarrass Vector at the same time.

This movie is the first feature film for the new Illumination Animation studio and, if they keep making movies of this quality, their success is guaranteed. The directing is pitch-perfect. It deftly blends comedy with excitement, family appeal with evil intentions. The feel is a combination of Tim Burton and Pixar; the union manifests itself as a wholly realized alternate reality, but cutesy instead of scary. I absolutely adore how they play with their self-imposed rules to enthrall and surprise you (e.g., cracking and shaking up the minion to generate light). The comic timing and the editing are spectacular, resulting in an experience that is enjoyable without a single wasted second or shot. The voice-acting was impeccable. Even though they used big names, they were so well disguised that you felt as if you saw and hear each character, not the actor (everyone except Jack McBrayer, that is).

And it is not just for kids either. It has a lot of mature thematic content (and references to movies like The Godfather). It subtly delves into the reasons people act the way they do and dream the things they dream. But the heart of the movie is a compelling and uplifting story about family. Despite everything else this movie does right (and it does nearly everything right), what will imprint this movie in the memories of its viewers is its heartfelt storytelling. What more can you ask in a movie than to come out of the theater feeling rejuvenated and inspired?

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/

Date Night (2010)

4/5

Date Night is an incredibly fun movie that delivered non-stop laughs with an action twist. The plot follows Phil and Claire Foster (Carell, Fey) as two parents whose marriage is slowly becoming routine and whose children occupy the little free time they have after work. When their friends decide to get a divorce, Phil realizes that he has something special with Claire that he doesn't want to lose and decides to take her out to a special night in Manhattan at an upscale seafood restaurant. After arriving without a reservation, they take another couple's table and are believed to be the couple that stole a flash drive from gangster Joey Miletto (Liotta). They are chased around the city for about an hour and a half and finally end up happy together with their marriage secure. (Whoops, I just ruined the ending.)

The writing in this movie is perfect and the two NBC Thursday night stars pull it off with aplomb. Carell and Fey together are a dream come true; they are my ideal comedy duo and they do not disappoint. They should do everything together. The dialogue is 30 Rock gone mainstream and it flies. The humor was quick and the editing kept pace. There are too many funny scenes to even recount and there is absolutely no dead space in the 90 minute movie. It is literally laugh after laugh after laugh. The movie also has a little bit of heart thrown in there for good measure and, while it's not quite the tearjerker it intended to be, it's certainly got a little sap to separate it from the straight-up comedies we see all the time. I probably would've given this movie a higher rating had some unnecessary scenes been deleted and had the emotional aspect hit home harder. All in all, this is a terrific movie for anyone who loves Steve Carell or Tina Fey. Go watch it as soon as you can.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279935/

Dan in Real Life (2007)

3/5

Dan in Real Life is a movie whose entire story you know in detail if you've seen the trailer. A widower (Steve Carell) takes his three daughters to a family reunion, of sorts, where he meets a girl and falls in love with her. Only to find out later that she's his brother's girlfriend. The fairly predictable plot never really kept my attention and never really surprised me. And neither did Steve Carell. The director decided to hinge the movie on his puppy dog innocence instead of his offbeat, awkward humor. He (and Dane Cook) had very little opportunity to make us laugh, thanks to the rather bland script. (One point in the middle, though, I did laugh. But it was because of the absurdly rich suburban activities he and his entire family were able to partake in on a non-holiday in a countryside.)

Technically, there was nothing noteworthy. It was much more a romantic comedy chick flick than anything else, which I wasn't really expecting. Still, it accomplished what it set out to do (with few risks and fewer rewards), so I can't really give it a lower star rating than 3. But overall it was pretty disappointing if you're expecting a Steve Carell vehicle. If you're expecting blah, then this movie will satisfy you. But why would you watch a movie you knew to be mediocre instead of great?

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480242/

Get Smart (2008)

3/5

Get Smart is one of many modern movie adaptations of old TV shows. I've never seen the original, but I'm glad for it (apparently a number of reviewers find it to be unfaithful). It's a spy movie spoof about a bumbling new field agent chasing after terrorist bad guys. The story is pretty bare bones. Naturally, the music, cinematography, and editing are all adequate and forgettable. But it's a great combination of hilarity and action. The best part about this movie is the characters, the interactions between them, and the actors portraying them. I love Steve Carell in everything he does. I'm not a fanboy--he just hasn't let me down. Ever. If you love Steve Carell, you will love this movie. If you don't, I don't know who you are or why you're reading this, because you're obviously not my friend. Anyway. Just know that this is a very entertaining, very light, action comedy movie. And enjoy!

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425061/

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

4/5

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is an atypically smart take on a typically dumb comedy. It succeeds not because it generates more laughs, but because it generates more empathy. While I actually found most of the characters shallow and stereotypical, the titular role is surprisingly fleshed out. Carell's perfectly nuanced performance was amazing. I was blown away by a simple yet necessary line of dialogue he utters near the end that belies the simplicity and stupidity of the plot: "I got this when I was in second grade! Do you know how hard it is for a kid to not open that?" It is by far my favorite line in the movie. A close second comes from Seth Rogen's character: "You wait for it to grow into a plant... and then you fuck the plant."

The movie works well throughout. It is funny and it has heart, but it also has problems. Many scenes were side stories thrown in for comedic effect. And though it didn't usually happen, some jokes fell absolutely flat. The flashback/montages were stylistically jarring. And the story jumped around a lot. Because of this, the runtime was a bit long, which made the obligatory "discovery to argument to hatred to realization of true love" at the end seem tedious instead of tender. But again, being a huge Office fan, I love seeing the actors cameo in minor roles. I saw Knocked Up and enjoyed it; I think I may have enjoyed this movie more though, so I highly recommend it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0405422/

Knocked Up (2006)

4.9/5

Knocked Up is an incredibly hilarious movie about a one-night stand that turns into a pregnancy. From a simple story comes incredibly rich and developed characters and healthy doses of humor and heart. You go to see this movie for the jokes (and I was laughing the entire time), but the staying power rests in the deeper meaning and take-home message about life and love. Unlike other comedies like Hot Fuzz, when this movie tries to make a dramatic point, it feels like part of the movie and not a side note. The flow in this movie as the mood shifts gears is fantastic, aided by excellent music choices. My favorite parts were when people were arguing, because it seemed like that's when the characters were most themselves and the details and subtle mannerisms showed. That was also when I laughed the hardest. The writing in this movie was not exactly brilliant or original, but the stellar acting brought it to life. Being a fan of The Office, I especially loved seeing Darryl from warehouse, Ryan the temp, and Steve Carell make cameos. And Alan Tudyk from Firefly. I especially loved all the references to other movies, not just in dialogue and background sets, but also in plot and shot constructions.

There were some things I didn't like about the movie, although infrequent. First, much of it was simply too graphic. Random boobs were wholly unnecessary. And why they showed a newborn crowning is a mystery to me. A bit out of place in this comedy. Second, many of the side characters and side plots, while very funny, simply took away from the movie instead of adding to it, except in length. Sometimes characters' moods and motivations shifted and changed with little explanation, although it was never too unreasonable. Every so often something you thought was small would turn out to be extremely important and vice versa, which sometimes felt like forcing the plot in a certain direction in an otherwise fluid script. Also, the cinematography and editing were nothing to write home about, not that you would think they might be. All in all, however, a very entertaining movie that's more than just a stupid comedy.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0478311/

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

4/5

I saw this movie with my mother and brother for my birthday. It is both incredibly funny and incredibly heartfelt. There are some scenes of ridiculous emotional power, punctuated by extremely hilarious situations. The movie attempts to be both true to life and laugh-out-loud funny, and it succeeds admirably. It doesn't tie up the loose ends that don't need to be tied up; this dysfunctional family has problems that can't be solved in two hours and so they're not. The ending is so unexpected yet so fulfilling that it is sure to be remembered for years to come. It had me cracking up for five minutes straight.

I thought some of the film was uneven and some of the transitions between comedy and drama were too sudden. This movie contains sad scenarios, but instead of letting the emotions fully play out, they are instead cut up (and so the effect is diminished) by comedy. Wes Anderson's movies (e.g. The Royal Tenenbaums), on the other hand, have the opposite strategy, which I think works much better. Its standard is comedy, so when it suddenly switches to tragedy, we are taken aback more so than normal; the laugh escaping our mouth is choked and held in check. Otherwise, it's an amazing movie I wholeheartedly recommend.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449059/