Bad Teacher

Bad Teacher

Year: 2011

Director: Jake Kasdan

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel, Lucy Punch

In My Own Words

                Hooray! Cameron Diaz is back to what she does so well, the comedies! I love Diaz when she is in comedies and light hearted movies and then I see her in the dramatic roles and I think she is bland. Actually that is a little harsh, let’s just say I find her more endearing and likable in the roles which she is most remembered for, such as The Mask, There’s Something About Mary, Charlie’s Angels and The Sweetest Thing. Even in Bad Teacher where her character is so unethically inclined and is the type of person I would hate in real life, she is still likable. It’s a good problem to have, being likable in every role you do your niche. I think I also have a soft spot for Diaz as she is from Long Beach in California, which is where I used to live for a time!

                An experience in the cinema today got me thinking. I had a middle aged couple sitting behind me when the film started. They seemed really “happy-go-lucky” laughing with each other before the movie began. Then 10 minutes into the film, I had to turn around and politely tell them to please stop talking. Judging by their body language then, they did not look like they were enjoying the movie at all. Sometime in the next five minutes, they left the film.

                Personally I have never walked out of a film. I can’t comprehend spending money on a film and then not seeing the whole thing. Even if I am not enjoying it, I give the film the benefit of the doubt and stay just in case it does get better. I can understand some people can get really offended by a film and feel they have to leave for personal reasons. If people are offended by the language or the violent content of a film, that does make me confused. The censorship ratings are there for a reason. People should really take notice of them. Bad Teacher is rated M 15+ for sexual references, sex scenes, drug use and coarse language. This doesn’t mean they may be there, they are there. If these things offend you, then maybe you shouldn’t see the film.

                These are my own words and here is my review.

Review

                2011 is the year of girls behaving badly in film. Bad Teacher continues on this trend, yet brings something different to the table. It is truly a one woman show led by Cameron Diaz and is very funny. However, it is one of those comedies which relies more on the jokes than on the storyline and the story dissolves into the jokes.

                Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) doesn’t like being a teacher, and she likes it even less when she has to come back from retirement after she is dumped by her fiancé. She decides that in order to be happy she needs to get breast implants, but she needs to raise at least $9000. When she meets new teacher, Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake), her ambition grows to impress this awkward but attractive colleague. She has to compete with another teacher, Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch) to get the man and in all her spite and competitiveness, Elizabeth ends up doing some things right.

                The huge problem with this film is that the story and the script do not blend with the comedy to make a successful film. There are many jokes which are irrelevant to what is going on and there are actually a lot of questions left unanswered. It is as though director Jake Kasdan is more concerned with getting the audience to laugh rather than provide them with a journey. Granted, there are some very funny moments. Some comedy moments may feel a bit over the top and just plain ridiculous to some people. There are some crude moments, but for a comedy about a woman obsessed with getting herself breast implants, what would you expect? However, it could have been a lot worse than what it was considering the subject matter.

The script doesn’t address anything which happens before or after the film such as where the characters are from and why they are the way they are. In other words, the character development is just weak and almost non-existent. For example, Elizabeth clearly has no family in the film, but what happened to them? Where are they? Why is Elizabeth the way she is? Did something happen to her or was she bought up that way? Anybody watching this does not feel as though they really know Elizabeth even after watching her for an hour and a half.

Cameron Diaz does do a very good job at playing the bad girl heroine. She is very funny and manages to still be likable while playing someone who is not supposed to be so. Diaz has the “I don’t give a hoot what you are talking about” look down to a tee. Her character of Elizabeth is actually quite unsettling at times and is believable how scheming she is. Diaz was perfectly cast in this film and it is refreshing to see her play a character which is a twist on her stereotypical good girl roles in her comedy films.

Jason Segel is great as gym teacher Russell Gettis with his sarcastic and random comedy moments. Justin Timberlake is good enough, but the nerdiness of the character could have been pushed further. He still seems too cool to be a dork. His song, “Simpatico” is a real treat in the film. Lucy Punch achieves what she sets out to achieve with her character by being irritating and increasing the attractiveness of Diaz’s character. However, her character does provide another unanswered questioned for the film. What was it that she did in 2008 which everybody keeps talking about throughout the film?     

Bad Teacher isn’t one of the best written films you will see as far as the story goes, yet it does give some laughs and some great one-liners. Diaz is the shining star and it is impossible to believe that this film would have been anything at all without her.

5.5/10

Knight And Day

Knight And Day
Year: 2010
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Paul Dano

In My Own Words
Some actors can just create box office magic out of anything they touch. I’ve decided to coin the term “box office magic” as there was a term in the Golden Hollywood days of “box office poison”. Katharine Hepburn was at one point in time, as were many other old time stars. Though some stars just make everything they touch turn to gold, such as, in this case, Tom Cruise. The man could be in anything and it would generate millions just from people seeing him on the posters and reacting by going and purchasing a ticket to the film. These actors who generate box office magic don’t have to be in more than one movie a year or two years, but when they do, they don’t need to work for more than those few months that they are filming and promoting because of the money the studio pays them for being box office magic. Other actors in this category besides Mr Cruise are John Travolta, Brad Pitt and his squeeze, Angelina Jolie. Being box office magic doesn’t mean that your most recent movie is a particularly good one, but nevertheless it will still bring in the millions just with their billing. So needless to say “Knight And Day” was extremely highly anticipated, has generated $161 million worldwide so far and it’s not that great a movie. Box office magic! Spread the word!

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
“Knight And Day” is Tom Cruise’s long-awaited return to the action film. If you are going to see this film purely to see Cruise complete amazing stunts and kill all the bad guys, then you will love this movie. If you are expecting anything else, chances are you will be disappointed. The first thing that strikes you about “Knight And Day” is that it seems extremely dated. The film would have been a hit if it was released at the most the early nineties, but now almost every aspect of it seems old and dated. June (Cameron Diaz) boards a plane to Boston with a handsome stranger, Roy Miller (Cruise), whom she is immediately attracted to. Little does she know, she has now become involved in a dangerous game of cat and mouse between Roy and his ex-partner, Fitzgerald (Peter Sarsgaard). Once Roy lands the plane by himself, June tries to go on living her life, but she is about to be taken on the adventure of her lifetime by this fugitive that she has just met.

For a mindless action film, “Knight And Day” isn’t too bad, but from a critical point of view, it is a miserable failure. The majority of the special effects and even the scene backdrops look terribly fake to the point that they can just look ridiculous. The film seems completely amateurish compared to some of the other action films that have come out in recent days. As said before, the story, musical score and the special effects resemble that of a 1980’s/1990’s action film. Harsh, but true. There is nothing worst then watching an action movie and the only thing you can think of is how fake the crashes look and how you can tell that they really aren’t underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. A film is supposed to suck you in and make you believe that what you are seeing on the big screen is the real thing. However, “Knight And Day” is an extremely unrealistic film. The plot is very unrealistic, not that this matters in an action film like this the majority of the time. However, the unrealistic nature of the script is also transformed to being that of pure fun on the screen. Many viewers will enjoy the continuously changing location of the film and seeing the beautiful cities featured, while others will just scoff at the silly antics and how far from the truth everything is. On the other hand, it really is quite comical in parts and there are quite a few giggles to be had throughout the film.

However, Cruise is worth going to see this movie for. He is still likable and is definitely the hero of the story, in both the story and in the mind of the movie viewer. As he is the reason for people going to see this film, he will be the reason many people will also enjoy it. The role he plays isn’t very emotionally challenging, but he still plays the part well. Cameron Diaz is just fine. There is nothing amazing about her performance and, again, it isn’t a very hard role. However, she can be very funny at times. Peter Sarsgaard and Viola Davis are both good in their roles. They bring to the table everything they can in the roles they have been given.

“Knight And Day” will be a delight for Tom Cruise fans as they will enjoy seeing him in his return to action. However, it will be one of the more forgettable films of the year and is really just a load of silliness.
4.5/10

Shrek Forever After

Shrek Forever After
Year: 2010
Director: Mike Mitchell
Cast: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas

In My Own Words
Ah...the amazing Shrek phenomenon! Who would have ever thought that a big, green, animated ogre would stick around for so long and become so close to everyone’s heart? How did this come to be so? Well, I think the answer is pretty simple. It’s an animation both adults and kids can both love. In the cinema today, there were about as many children as there were adults and the appeal to both was staggeringly obvious. The kids loved the visual humour while the adults loved the verbal humour. Attending the cinema with two adults and two 4 year old children, I often found myself laughing with the adults when there was silence from the two young boys. It’s not just the humour though that makes Shrek so appealing. It’s also its originality, colourful characters and the cast of superstars behind the voices. All of which are carried on in “Shrek Forever After”.

Do you remember your first trip to the movies? Honestly, I don’t. I went to the movies far too many times when I was younger to pick out my first flick. The earliest one I can remember is going to see “The Little Mermaid” at Village Cinemas at Sylvania, which has now been closed for many years. I had the pleasure of being in attendance at little Mitchell’s first film today. I’m not quite sure if he knew what he was in for, especially considering the film was in 3D! He wasn’t quite sure why he had to wear glasses and was over them about 15 minutes into the film. Although his mother did inform me that he was wearing them when he got into bed this evening! His first question when arriving at the cinemas was “Where’s Shrek?” He was very well behaved though and is looking forwards to his next movie.

Does anybody have any first movie stories they would like to share? Don’t be shy!

These are my own words and here is my review.


Review
“Shrek Forever After” is another example of films this year dragging out a phenomenon as far as it can possibly go. It may be suggested that director Mike Mitchell decided to create a fourth instalment to the Shrek series of films in order to utilise the new rage of 3D. However, unlike other films which have done this, “Shrek Forever After” is still a ball of fun and Shrek looks anything but tired and worn. This film doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the table but is nevertheless fun to watch and enjoyable. Shrek (Mike Myers) has all he could possibly want in life. His wife, Fiona (Cameron Diaz) who loves him, three one-year old ogre children and friends who are always there for him. Yet, he can’t help but feel that life is just getting too monotonous for him. When he meets Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), he decides to take him up on an offer to escape his life for just one day and go back to the days when he was a terrifying ogre, and not a friendly one. However, Rumpelstiltskin is not to be trusted and Shrek ends up losing more than he bargained for.

Looking like a Shrek version of “It’s A Wonderful Life”, the plot of “Shrek Forever After” is a storyline that has been done over and over. No prizes for who guesses how the film finishes or what realisations Shrek makes. This isn’t as much of a pitfall in this film as it would be in a stand alone film. The Shrek films have always been more about the visuals and the witty one-liners than about the actual plot, which is exactly how this film is. The visuals in this instalment are even better than the other three films as they are enhanced by 3D and Mitchell uses every opportunity throughout the film to take advantage of this. There are some moments that leave the audience awe-struck with the capabilities of 3D presented. With each instalment, Dreamworks has managed to make Shrek more and more lifelike. Thanks to 3D, “Shrek Forever After” is the closest to real life that Shrek will ever get. The script does also give some clever moments. Although it is not as funny as its predecessors, it still packs quite a few giggles into the film.

The creativity that goes into making Far Far Away and the characters are once again what makes this film such a joy to watch. Such concepts as the tourist coach coming past Shrek’s house at the swamp much like a Star Tours bus in Hollywood are pure genius and just plain fun. Fiona has been transformed for this film and is great to watch as a female warrior princess. The inclusion of the green faced witches bring a dash of “Wizard Of Oz” to the growing fairytale land and are great to watch. However, the two best characters are Puss In Boots, who has piled on weight after being treated as a domestic cat and a character by the name of Butterpants who says very little but “Do the roar!” And who could ever forget Eddie Murphy’s waffle loving Donkey? No Shrek movie is complete without him.

“Shrek Forever After” is a great film to go and watch for some harmless fun and humour. The film itself could have been made as a television special, but with the inclusion of 3D has made it a cinema spectacle. The amazing visuals and creative characters save this film from being lost in the whitewash of blockbuster sequels being released this season.
7/10

The Box

The Box
Year: 2009
Director: Richard Kelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella

In My Own Words
I was proud of myself going into this movie. I was going in to watch a film without reading a single review about it. Therefore I went in with no expectations and no clue as to whether this would be a good or bad movie. Unfortunately, I found it to be the latter, which is really a shame because the preview for it looked so good! I guess that is a credit to the people who edited the preview, they made it look like it should be good and worth watching. That’s what their job is though, to advertise the movie and buy it, just like any other product. Well, it worked! I bought a ticket for something I probably didn’t need…just like good advertising does. But, I just enjoy watching movies so it really wasn’t as bad an experience as what I am making out.

Review“The Box” is about a financially struggling couple, Norma and Arthur Lewis (Cameron Diaz and James Marsden) who wake one morning to fins a mysterious box only containing a button on their front door step. Later in the day, a mysterious stranger appears to inform them that if they hit the button, they will receive a million dollars. However, if they do this, then someone, who they don’t know, will die. From this plot summary, one would assume that “The Box” is going to be a film about the moral questions in life. The movie posters for it and its preview also add to the equation the assumption that this movie is a race against time. However, this film is none of these.

Although the question of whether or not you would push the button will be asked amongst viewers after the movie, the movie focuses very little on this question. It also lacks the suspense and other elements that would qualify it as being a thriller. The movie is completely different to what people will perceive it as being before they go in and may or may not, but in most cases, won’t be a pleasant surprise. For the first half of the movie, the audience is keep enthralled by the mysterious happenings and tries to piece the puzzle together. It is in this time that there is hope of the film coming to a pleasing finish, but it is soon vanquished by a turn that just seems ridiculous. The story does just not work as it is hard to follow in parts and completely unrealistic and far-fetched.

The direction of this film leaves much to be desired, with bad choices in editing, character and script. It is a shame to see such actors as Diaz, Marsden and Langella in a film that does not do them any favours. Diaz is unlikable and painful as Norma Lewis. In a role such as hers, the audience should feel pity for her, but instead feels nothing for her. And despite the facial abnormalities of Langella, his character is not intimidating or scary, or whatever he is supposed to be. Not a good choice of role to his follow up from “Frost/Nixon”. Their was evident character development for each of the characters which made the audience understand and acknowledge were each of them had came from, yet this was not enough to create any type of connection or empathy with them.

“The Box” certainly does not live up to the hype and many people will find watching the preview of it far more exciting than watching the movie itself.

3/10