a fortnight of movies

I don't see a movie for ages and then suddenly two in two weeks (proper movies in the movie house with popcorn).  The first one was Crazy, Stupid, Love with Steve Carell whose perfect 40-something life suddenly starts falling apart.  His wife and childhood sweetheart is having an affair and wants a divorce.  Ryan Gosling becomes his wing man, gives him a make-over and starts training him to get back into the "market".   Both male leads are great.  It has some very funny moments and a couple of surprises.  Good fun and Ryan Gosling very easy on the eye (both with and without clothing).

The second one, Friends with Benefits.  Starring Justin Timberlake (did not know that he acted and was surprised that he can indeed act and did not sing (only mouthed the words to a song)) and Mila Kunis (the other dancer in Black Swan).   She must be the most beautiful girl around at the moment and delightful to watch.  Some are lucky to indeed "have it all" - amazing eyes, hair, mouth, body, acting ability and the best thing of all (I thought), the most sexy voice imaginable.  What a lovely movie made doubley lovely to me because it was filmed in New York.  Some amazing scenes at Grand Central Station and in Central Park.  I need to go back (sorry I have said that before and will probably say it again).  I want to go back!!

Then there have been some not-too-shabby re-runs on  DSTV at the moment.  "He's Just Not That Into You" was on the other night.  I hadn't seen it when on circuit but had seen the book by Greg Behrendt.  The movie had quite a starring line-up but was much the "same old, same old" but also entertaining and light, not too much to think about with a simple message where the title had said it all.

Some good quotes from the movie:-


Every man you have ever dated who has said he doesn't want to get married or doesn't believe in marriage, or has "issues" with marriage, will ... rest assured ... someday be married.  It just will never be with you.


No matter how powerful and real your feelings may be for someone, if that person cannot fully and honestly return them and therefore actively love you back, these feelings mean nothing.


And I love this one.  The word "friend" has popped up quite often around our dinner table of late (you know who you are, both of you!!):-



Beware of the word "friend".  It can often be used by men or the women that love them to excuse the most unfriendly behavior.  Personally, when I'm picking friends, I like the ones who don't make me cry myself to sleep. I don't want to be "sort of dating" someone.  I don't want to be "kinda hanging out" with someone.  I don't want to spend a lot of energy suppressing my feelings so I appear uninvolved.  I want to be involved.  I want to be sleeping with someone I know I'll see again because they've already demonstrated to me that they're trustworthy and honorable -- and into me.



Then last night I went down the Eat, Pray, Love road again.

Now, I love Julia Roberts like most of us do and (confession time) I have not read the Elizabeth Gilbert book.  I saw the movie when it first came on circuit and did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.  Last night I watched it again with Michael (who had not seen it and who loves Julia Roberts much more than most of us do) and I enjoyed it even less.  Besides Javier Bardem (worth travelling the world to find) and the travel destinations it is a very selfish and self absorbed movie.  Nic sent me an email a while back headed "Eat, Pray, Love, Vomit" and these are a few extracts from the email (sorry not sure where it came from):-



"Furthermore, Liz learns basically nothing from her journey. Two hours in, and she's still the same selfish and immature person she was to begin with, save for the most ham-fisted attempt at showing character growth I've ever seen. Liz uses all the rich, white friends she makes along the way to help buy a house in Bali for a divorcee from an abusive relationship and her daughter Tu-ti. Also, in Italian "Tutti" means "Everyone," SO IT WAS LIKE SHE WAS HELPING EVERYONE, YOU GUYS. This actually happens. In fact, Liz doesn't show any change until the last ninety seconds where she decides "Oh, maybe it's okay to be happy" and boats off into the sunset. This is the conclusion we are given. And everyone else is happy too, including her ex, or something."


I was under the impression that I was in the minority who did not enjoy the movie but on looking at other reviews on the internet, I am not alone.  There are some absolutely, brilliantly scathing reviews:-



Brilliant one by Ann McElhinney and then to quote Tony of Tony of all Media:-


"Old big mouth then moves on from Italy to Bali and India (where she pets an elephant, fresh!); we see our heroine, in a dizzying montage, variously discovering herself by eating a pizza, happily getting too fat for her jeans, clinking glasses of red wine with friends, meditating, gazing, crying, sulking, shuddering, beaming, laughing, attending an Indian wedding and getting hit on by Javier Bardem. In other words, "Eat Pray Love" makes "Sex and the City 2" look like something dreamt up by Simone de Beauvoir. And of course, single women will grab their friends and flock to it opening weekend instead of, oh we dunno, hitting a soup kitchen or animal shelter or nursing home, rolling up their sleeves and really making a difference and finding some purpose in life, rather than pissing away two hours on Julia Roberts's Club Med vacation approach to spiritual enlightenment. Movies like this must make Gloria Steinem and Deepak Chopra wonder why they even bothered. RELATED: For those of you who just can't get enough of old big mouth, AdRants is reporting she's inked a $20 million deal to be the face of Lancome. (Eat Pray Moisturize?)"



A little bit too heavy and harsh and perhaps it is not good to get too critical.  It was only a movie after all and like Shirley, Liz did find her Costas (and a much improved one).

Oh my word, look what he used to look like before Penelope got hold of him:-

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Cannot be?