Films, Films, Films
Film 268
"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"
starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Ari Graynor, Alexis Dziena, Jay Baruchel
directed by: Peter Sollett
I've always liked this film. Maybe it's because I'm every bit a hipster as I am an emo kid, to my core. That's me. I accept it. Maybe it's also because I've always found something quite charming and endearing about the act of making mixed tapes/CDs (nowadays) for significant others or ones that you want to make yours. I've always used my art of the mixed CD as a way to show a girl that I'm into her and that I want her to be into or at least appreciate the same music that I really enjoy. I also firmly believe I'm just really talented when it comes to making mixes.
Whether it's Seth Cohen making a mixed CD for his crush Summer on "The O.C." (which set the bar high for indie rock compilations. Or Joh Cusack's character in "High Fidelity" (who coincidentally worked at a record store). Or, now, Nick (Michael Cera's character) making a seemingly infinite number of playlists and mixed CDs for his now ex-girlfriend, Tris (played ruthlessly by Alexis Dziena), whom he spends pretty much the entire film pining for, until he finally sees the light with Norah (played by Kat Dennings), his night-adventure-through-Lower East Side New York City companion.
I love the idea of "One Great Night." In fact, that's what I bank all my own creative stories on. And here, we've got the same thing, and it worked for me (even though both Dennings and Cera are playing basically the same characters they've always played). Together, when they share screen time, and it's only them in the scene, they are true to each other. Their performances are authentic. Cera's is lovesick for a girl that he's probably better off without. And when he meets Norah, we don't understand why he can't just get over her ex, Tris. Tris is superficial and kind of ditzy. But Nick is drawn to her like a magnet- maybe because she was his first girlfriend. Norah, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Tris. She's the subtly beautiful girl who doesn't know/recognize her own beauty, or at least doesn't play that as her only card- she wants you to get to know her (and then, she doesn't care if you like her or not).
I love movies that celebrate the "One Great Night" because I'm an idealist and a romantic at heart, but unfortunately Nick and Norah's night together seems rather shallow. They are on the hunt for a mysterious band, Where's Fluffy, while also trying to find Norah's drunk friend who left a club with Nick's all gay posse. All the bit pieces that surround Nick and Norah's story just seem to gimmicky and take away from the story. I think one of the best "One Great Night" film is "Before Sunrise" and maybe my love for that film has spoiled me for other films in the same subgenre. Nick and Norah don't really seem to talk about anything of substance and yes, we do get to know them each as individuals as they get to know each other, but I feel like there was so much more to them.
One thing the film has is a great, indie, hipster soundtrack as the night plays out, including:
Devendra Banhart
Vampire Weekend
The Submarines
We Are Scientists
Band of Horses
Shout Out Louds
among many others
....................................................................................
Film 269
"Tenure"
starring: Luke Wilson, Gretchen Mol, David Koechner, Sasha Alexander, Bob Gunton, Rosemarie DeWitt
written and directed by: Mike Million
Here is another surprising indie film that I found well done and entertaining just enough. Why is it surprising? Well, it is filled with warmth like an apple pie right out of the oven, left sitting on the windowsill. And it's a small film with a big heart.
Luke Wilson plays Charlie Thurber, a professor stuck at a third-rate college. You really get the impression that Charlie has no interest in being there, but he's out to prove something (perhaps to himself, but I think even more so to his sister- Sasha Alexander, who's come a long way from her guest role on "Dawson's Creek" so many years ago- and his father, who's been put in an assisted living home because of the onset of symptoms related to Alzheimer's Disease).
Charlie is coming up on his tenure review, a race his good buddy (played by David Koechner, far from his days as a bit player on "SNL" but a good piece of the heart for this film) lost to another professor at the beginning of the film. Professor Thurber, thankfully, is coming up on his tenure, unopposed by any other English Professors (until Gretchen Mol's character shows up, having transferred from Yale University, and provides just enough competition to really make Charlie question his abilities. It also doesn't help that Charlie is having a lot of trouble getting published- a key factor to obtaining tenure in college.
You are rooting for Charlie through the whole film because here's what we know about him: he's a good friend, a good guy, and ultimately a good teacher, nay, a great teacher whose students love and adore him. He takes the high road whenever a fork in the road is presented. He's not looking to screw anyone over. I could tell that his character study would have read that he believes in karma, that it plays a large role in Charlie's life.
I think I really ended up liking this film because I could relate to Professor Charlie Thurber. He's someone that wants to be recognized for his accomplishments, but these accomplishments may not be physically recognizable to others. It's a very even-tempered script that never loses its audience, which also allows it to keep its charm.
The film is about Thurber getting tenure, so I think you can see the end result coming, but the director actually throws a slight curveball at you, that is recognizable only as Charlie walks down the hallway of a school in the final scene.
Well done.
..............................................................................
Film 270
"The Conspirator"
starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel
directed by: Robert Redford
written by: James D. Solomon
Robert Redford is like Clint Eastwood when it comes to directing films- he's only gotten better with age. And although both men are great actors (still), when they decide to direct films, those films are magnificent (and often times, beautifully made).
Look at his credits as director:
Ordinary People
A River Runs Through It (one of the most beautiful films)
Quiz Show
The Horse Whisperer
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Lions for Lambs
SPOILER ALERT--- HISTORY LESSON
Redford knows what he's doing in the director's chair.
His film here takes a look at post-Civil War Washington. President Lincoln gets assassinated early in the film and the rest of the film is more of a legal procedural look at Washington and the precedence these men created which are still relevant to our society today.
Most important, these men tried a civilian in a military tribunal setting, and denied the woman on trial as co-conspirator (Mary Surratt, played by Robin Wright) the right to a trial by jury of her peers, which we all know is a Constitutional right.
The woman in question and on trial is Mary Surratt. She owned a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and his fellow plotters stayed for a extended amount of time; brought there by Mary's son, John, who has since fled and is a fugitive. They couldn't find or get John, so they decided to try Mary as a co-conspirator, claiming that she knew what was going on under her roof the whole time.
Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton (Kevin Kline) wanted this trial done with as quickly as possible, with of course a conviction. As with other historical assassinations, the public was enraged, so Constitutional rights were bypassed and loopholes created in order to placate the public. The defense attorney assigned to the case by Sec. of War actually passed it down to young, novice lawyer named Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy).
Aiken wanted nothing to do with it. He felt she must be guilty. Johnson, a Southerner, felt he couldn't take the case with passions running so high, and forced the job upon Aiken, explaining that Surratt had a right to a competent defense. Surratt is certainly not helpful to her young attorney, because her only thought is to protect her son. Gradually, however, Aiken begins to believe it is possible she was not involved in the meetings of the conspirators.
Redford brings to mind a very literate and thoughtful presentation which allows the audience to make connections to the world we live in nowadays post-9/11 and Patriot Act. Besides being a history lesson for the ages, and so wonderfully done, the story depends on the human appeal of Robin Wright's Mary Surratt as well as McAvoy's Aiken. Wright is an underrated actress, especially here because she is deliberately withdrawn and quite restrained. She doesn't necessarily cooperate with Aiken and remains rather quiet on the entire matter because of two factors: 1) she knows that she'll be found guilty even if she protests against the unfairness of the trial and 2) she believes that her own lawyer, Aiken, thinks she is guilty. Aiken later converts his beliefs of guilty turned innocence, not necessarily because of the case, but rather the underlying constitutional principles that have been apparently thrown out the window in a time of war and tension.
Redford has designed a film that, sure, has a predictable outcome (because it's based on historical fact), but he never asks you to side one way or the other. Is Mary Surratt a heroic victim? Redford allows us to think for ourselves and come to our own decisions, opinions, and feelings on the entire matter. If you look at it more as a Constitutional case as opposed to one woman on trial for conspiracy to assassinate a well-liked President. In Redford's hands, he treats the history with respect.
Deep down, the story's core meaning requires lots of theory, philosophy, and dialogue (as all the characters need to vocalize their feelings and thoughts on the matter) and someone as interested in American History will love how Redford and his actors treated a valuable lesson. It's a smart film for smart audiences. Appreciate this.
...........................................................................
Film 271
"Horrible Bosses"
starring: Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Colin Ferrell
"Horrible Bosses" is almost the perfect, raunchy, dirty comedy, thanks in large part to all the actors involved that play their parts very well. It's certainly funny, as long as you can appreciate raunchy, teenage boy humor, because at the heart of the film are three man-boys, who never really seemed to grow up past their adolescence. It's a buddy comedy, in the same vein as "The Hangover" (which really paved the way for this new crop of raunchy, full-on R-ratings.
The story involves three horrible bosses, just like the title suggests, who each live up to their horrible nature, in their own ways. Under them are three employees that create a pact to help each other murder their respective bosses. They are each taken advantage of, and perhaps it can resonate with audiences thanks in large part to the economy we are living in these days. People are clinging to their jobs, no matter the amount of shit they have to take from their bosses. These bosses have reached a new level of not being much of a people-person (re: "Office Space"). It presents the employees, these three dudes, as rather weak entities and expendable positions, again, thanks to the economy. And these days, the horrible bosses know it, and they want to expose and take advantage of their employees weaknesses (for a desire to keep/have a job, at least), because they know there are plenty of other peons waiting in the wings to take their positions.
Each boss is played in such a way that the strengths of each actor portraying them is showcased. Their vile behavior is unique to the individual bosses, based on where they work.
Kevin Spacey plays Dave Harken, a particularly vile corporate boss who takes a particular interest in toying with his middle manager, Nick (played by Jason Bateman, perhaps one of the best everymans in films today). I can't think of any other man that could play such a despicable boss, who can regard others with contempt and purely enjoys the act of humiliating others under him with such pleasure. Think about the other awful (in a good way...you know, "Seven" style) guys that he's played previously. He avoids speaking his lines with an over-the-top sense and stays in "horrible boss" mode through the entire film, never really exposing himself as perhaps having any sign of a decent side of him. He is even convinced his new, younger wife (played by Julie Bowen) is sleeping her way through the entire neighborhood. I don't think Kevin Spacey can ever really be "bad" in any role he devotes himself to.
The second boss is Dr. Julia Harris (played by a seductive and temptation-fueled Jennifer Aniston, whom I've been in love with since she burst onto the TV screen on "Friends"). She is an sexually-charged nymphomaniac, who also happens to be a dentist. She takes pleasure in violating her patients while they are under the gas, but her main target is her dental assistant, Dale (played by Charlie Day, who is always over the top childish and hilarious... re: "It's Always Sunny..."). Dr. Julia takes extremely pleasure in blatantly and aggressively sexually harassing Dale, repeatedly. Every seen with Aniston made me laugh out loud (especially the scene which also made me wonder how the hell she managed to keep her white, dentist coat on, other than strategically placed tape on her breasts). Aniston is over 40 years old, but is definitely one of those rare actresses that just keeps looking even better with age (like a fine wine). And I'm with Dale's friends when they say, "What the hell is wrong with you? Just do it with her!" I would probably enjoy getting sexually harassed by Aniston far too much. I don't think I could ever plot to kill her, even if she was a horrible boss.
And the third boss is Bobby Pellitt (played by Colin Farrell), who is the son of Donald Sutherland's character, who happens to own a waste-management company. Bobby Pellitt takes over the company when his father drops dead in the car from a heart attack. He uses all the company's money to fund his excessive lifestyle. Jason Sudeikis plays Kurt, who was the old man's protege and cannot stand seeing the company he loves being run into the ground by such an asshole.
The three guys decide to plot murders of each of their bosses, except they don't want to do it themselves. So, they seek out a hitman and run into Motherfuckin' Jones (played by Jamie Foxx, who is in the film for probably a grand total of 3 minutes). As their plan develops and they start to carry it out, of course high jinx and slapstick comedic situations ensue that help drive the film from beginning to end. And even though you really know what's going to happen, you can't help but enjoy the ride.
All the actors really make this film what it is, and maybe even better than it should be. Like I said, I've always loved Jennifer Aniston, but unfortunately she tends to pick predictable situational comedy films that don't showcase her talent, except for in indie films like "The Good Girl" which is probably her best film to date.
........................................................................
Film 272
"Woman On Top"
starring: Penelope Cruz
"Woman on Top" is the kind of romance movie that might make you angry because its characters are so watered down that a script that could be much more sensual, does not come off that way at all. It plays out much more easier and smoother, like it was made for TV. The funny and ironic thing is that the story focuses on a beautiful, Brazilian woman/chef (played wonderfully down-to-Earth, and perhaps slightly unaware of just how beautiful she really is by Penelope Cruz- this was actually her introduction to American audiences) who gets live TV show that focuses on cooking and its sensuality- Except that her TV producers do not know what to do with her, or how to utilize her sensuality and combine it with the sensuality of cooking. It's as predictable as any rom-com, in that the story is light, the characters are less-than developed and it unfortunately relies too much on its rather dimwittedness (which is too bad, because it could have been a lot smarter-- I'm thinking "Julie and Julia" for a reference point of "food movies").
Cruz plays Isabella with such ease that it makes you wonder if she'd been given a better script/character what she could've done with it (clearly she's a good actress, who almost doesn't know how beautiful she is when her facial expressions read more as shy and introverted, almost as if she's afraid to use her sexuality, because it could be such a dangerous weapon- trust me). Isabella is an artist with food, which is never really explained, we are just supposed to believe it. Of course, because of all her "perfections" (re: beautiful, loves to cook, a real man's woman), she has one significant flaw: motion sickness, which doesn't affect her when she's in control (the title takes on a sexual reference, which really isn't played up as much as it should have been)-- "Woman on Top." I, for one, would be totally okay with that! Anyway. She falls early for the macho dude who doesn't take her need for control too well. It's almost as if he feels like his manhood is slowly being stripped from him. So, what does he do? He cheats on her, justifying it by telling her: "I'm a man! I have to be on top, sometimes!"
Isabella, being the strong, independent woman that she is, decides to uproot herself, so she flies to San Francisco, where her best friend, a transvestite named Monica Jones, has just been released from prison. They live together. Isabella cooks and whips up some apparently magically delicious food. The aroma of her food gives off some magical air, which follows her as she walks through the streets. Any man that catches a sniff of her food instantly falls for her and follows her, in a perhaps quite believable scene of Penelope Cruz being followed through the streets by a crowd of men that sizes in the hundreds. Her cooking bewitches a TV producer (Mark Feuerstein) who offers her a show. Isabella is enchanting and bewitching on the TV screen and it's definitely easy to understand how she would be a ratings darling. Penelope Cruz is unbelievably sexy, bewitching and enchanting throughout the film, but unfortunately her beauty and charm cannot relieve the film of its cliches and inevitability (re: predictability).
Feuerstein's character is set up as the potential new, safer love interest, but perhaps the only curveball in the film comes in the ending and who Isabella actually chooses to be with.
Since the film came out in 2000, and it's clear that Penelope Cruz can count herself amongst the sexiest and bankable American film stars now, it's easy to see it coming just from watching her in this safe transition film. She is every bit as adorable and lovable as her character. She has charisma and oozes sexuality. Like I said earlier, that should have been used far more and in better ways when making a film about cooking. Cooking is a very sensuality activity that engages many, if not all, of the senses- And Penelope Cruz would have been the ultimate vessel to convey this point.
"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"
starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Ari Graynor, Alexis Dziena, Jay Baruchel
directed by: Peter Sollett
I've always liked this film. Maybe it's because I'm every bit a hipster as I am an emo kid, to my core. That's me. I accept it. Maybe it's also because I've always found something quite charming and endearing about the act of making mixed tapes/CDs (nowadays) for significant others or ones that you want to make yours. I've always used my art of the mixed CD as a way to show a girl that I'm into her and that I want her to be into or at least appreciate the same music that I really enjoy. I also firmly believe I'm just really talented when it comes to making mixes.
Whether it's Seth Cohen making a mixed CD for his crush Summer on "The O.C." (which set the bar high for indie rock compilations. Or Joh Cusack's character in "High Fidelity" (who coincidentally worked at a record store). Or, now, Nick (Michael Cera's character) making a seemingly infinite number of playlists and mixed CDs for his now ex-girlfriend, Tris (played ruthlessly by Alexis Dziena), whom he spends pretty much the entire film pining for, until he finally sees the light with Norah (played by Kat Dennings), his night-adventure-through-Lower East Side New York City companion.
I love the idea of "One Great Night." In fact, that's what I bank all my own creative stories on. And here, we've got the same thing, and it worked for me (even though both Dennings and Cera are playing basically the same characters they've always played). Together, when they share screen time, and it's only them in the scene, they are true to each other. Their performances are authentic. Cera's is lovesick for a girl that he's probably better off without. And when he meets Norah, we don't understand why he can't just get over her ex, Tris. Tris is superficial and kind of ditzy. But Nick is drawn to her like a magnet- maybe because she was his first girlfriend. Norah, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Tris. She's the subtly beautiful girl who doesn't know/recognize her own beauty, or at least doesn't play that as her only card- she wants you to get to know her (and then, she doesn't care if you like her or not).
I love movies that celebrate the "One Great Night" because I'm an idealist and a romantic at heart, but unfortunately Nick and Norah's night together seems rather shallow. They are on the hunt for a mysterious band, Where's Fluffy, while also trying to find Norah's drunk friend who left a club with Nick's all gay posse. All the bit pieces that surround Nick and Norah's story just seem to gimmicky and take away from the story. I think one of the best "One Great Night" film is "Before Sunrise" and maybe my love for that film has spoiled me for other films in the same subgenre. Nick and Norah don't really seem to talk about anything of substance and yes, we do get to know them each as individuals as they get to know each other, but I feel like there was so much more to them.
One thing the film has is a great, indie, hipster soundtrack as the night plays out, including:
Devendra Banhart
Vampire Weekend
The Submarines
We Are Scientists
Band of Horses
Shout Out Louds
among many others
....................................................................................
Film 269
"Tenure"
starring: Luke Wilson, Gretchen Mol, David Koechner, Sasha Alexander, Bob Gunton, Rosemarie DeWitt
written and directed by: Mike Million
Here is another surprising indie film that I found well done and entertaining just enough. Why is it surprising? Well, it is filled with warmth like an apple pie right out of the oven, left sitting on the windowsill. And it's a small film with a big heart.
Luke Wilson plays Charlie Thurber, a professor stuck at a third-rate college. You really get the impression that Charlie has no interest in being there, but he's out to prove something (perhaps to himself, but I think even more so to his sister- Sasha Alexander, who's come a long way from her guest role on "Dawson's Creek" so many years ago- and his father, who's been put in an assisted living home because of the onset of symptoms related to Alzheimer's Disease).
Charlie is coming up on his tenure review, a race his good buddy (played by David Koechner, far from his days as a bit player on "SNL" but a good piece of the heart for this film) lost to another professor at the beginning of the film. Professor Thurber, thankfully, is coming up on his tenure, unopposed by any other English Professors (until Gretchen Mol's character shows up, having transferred from Yale University, and provides just enough competition to really make Charlie question his abilities. It also doesn't help that Charlie is having a lot of trouble getting published- a key factor to obtaining tenure in college.
You are rooting for Charlie through the whole film because here's what we know about him: he's a good friend, a good guy, and ultimately a good teacher, nay, a great teacher whose students love and adore him. He takes the high road whenever a fork in the road is presented. He's not looking to screw anyone over. I could tell that his character study would have read that he believes in karma, that it plays a large role in Charlie's life.
I think I really ended up liking this film because I could relate to Professor Charlie Thurber. He's someone that wants to be recognized for his accomplishments, but these accomplishments may not be physically recognizable to others. It's a very even-tempered script that never loses its audience, which also allows it to keep its charm.
The film is about Thurber getting tenure, so I think you can see the end result coming, but the director actually throws a slight curveball at you, that is recognizable only as Charlie walks down the hallway of a school in the final scene.
Well done.
..............................................................................
Film 270
"The Conspirator"
starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel
directed by: Robert Redford
written by: James D. Solomon
Robert Redford is like Clint Eastwood when it comes to directing films- he's only gotten better with age. And although both men are great actors (still), when they decide to direct films, those films are magnificent (and often times, beautifully made).
Look at his credits as director:
Ordinary People
A River Runs Through It (one of the most beautiful films)
Quiz Show
The Horse Whisperer
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Lions for Lambs
SPOILER ALERT--- HISTORY LESSON
Redford knows what he's doing in the director's chair.
His film here takes a look at post-Civil War Washington. President Lincoln gets assassinated early in the film and the rest of the film is more of a legal procedural look at Washington and the precedence these men created which are still relevant to our society today.
Most important, these men tried a civilian in a military tribunal setting, and denied the woman on trial as co-conspirator (Mary Surratt, played by Robin Wright) the right to a trial by jury of her peers, which we all know is a Constitutional right.
The woman in question and on trial is Mary Surratt. She owned a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and his fellow plotters stayed for a extended amount of time; brought there by Mary's son, John, who has since fled and is a fugitive. They couldn't find or get John, so they decided to try Mary as a co-conspirator, claiming that she knew what was going on under her roof the whole time.
Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton (Kevin Kline) wanted this trial done with as quickly as possible, with of course a conviction. As with other historical assassinations, the public was enraged, so Constitutional rights were bypassed and loopholes created in order to placate the public. The defense attorney assigned to the case by Sec. of War actually passed it down to young, novice lawyer named Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy).
Aiken wanted nothing to do with it. He felt she must be guilty. Johnson, a Southerner, felt he couldn't take the case with passions running so high, and forced the job upon Aiken, explaining that Surratt had a right to a competent defense. Surratt is certainly not helpful to her young attorney, because her only thought is to protect her son. Gradually, however, Aiken begins to believe it is possible she was not involved in the meetings of the conspirators.
Redford brings to mind a very literate and thoughtful presentation which allows the audience to make connections to the world we live in nowadays post-9/11 and Patriot Act. Besides being a history lesson for the ages, and so wonderfully done, the story depends on the human appeal of Robin Wright's Mary Surratt as well as McAvoy's Aiken. Wright is an underrated actress, especially here because she is deliberately withdrawn and quite restrained. She doesn't necessarily cooperate with Aiken and remains rather quiet on the entire matter because of two factors: 1) she knows that she'll be found guilty even if she protests against the unfairness of the trial and 2) she believes that her own lawyer, Aiken, thinks she is guilty. Aiken later converts his beliefs of guilty turned innocence, not necessarily because of the case, but rather the underlying constitutional principles that have been apparently thrown out the window in a time of war and tension.
Redford has designed a film that, sure, has a predictable outcome (because it's based on historical fact), but he never asks you to side one way or the other. Is Mary Surratt a heroic victim? Redford allows us to think for ourselves and come to our own decisions, opinions, and feelings on the entire matter. If you look at it more as a Constitutional case as opposed to one woman on trial for conspiracy to assassinate a well-liked President. In Redford's hands, he treats the history with respect.
Deep down, the story's core meaning requires lots of theory, philosophy, and dialogue (as all the characters need to vocalize their feelings and thoughts on the matter) and someone as interested in American History will love how Redford and his actors treated a valuable lesson. It's a smart film for smart audiences. Appreciate this.
...........................................................................
Film 271
"Horrible Bosses"
starring: Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Colin Ferrell
"Horrible Bosses" is almost the perfect, raunchy, dirty comedy, thanks in large part to all the actors involved that play their parts very well. It's certainly funny, as long as you can appreciate raunchy, teenage boy humor, because at the heart of the film are three man-boys, who never really seemed to grow up past their adolescence. It's a buddy comedy, in the same vein as "The Hangover" (which really paved the way for this new crop of raunchy, full-on R-ratings.
The story involves three horrible bosses, just like the title suggests, who each live up to their horrible nature, in their own ways. Under them are three employees that create a pact to help each other murder their respective bosses. They are each taken advantage of, and perhaps it can resonate with audiences thanks in large part to the economy we are living in these days. People are clinging to their jobs, no matter the amount of shit they have to take from their bosses. These bosses have reached a new level of not being much of a people-person (re: "Office Space"). It presents the employees, these three dudes, as rather weak entities and expendable positions, again, thanks to the economy. And these days, the horrible bosses know it, and they want to expose and take advantage of their employees weaknesses (for a desire to keep/have a job, at least), because they know there are plenty of other peons waiting in the wings to take their positions.
Each boss is played in such a way that the strengths of each actor portraying them is showcased. Their vile behavior is unique to the individual bosses, based on where they work.
Kevin Spacey plays Dave Harken, a particularly vile corporate boss who takes a particular interest in toying with his middle manager, Nick (played by Jason Bateman, perhaps one of the best everymans in films today). I can't think of any other man that could play such a despicable boss, who can regard others with contempt and purely enjoys the act of humiliating others under him with such pleasure. Think about the other awful (in a good way...you know, "Seven" style) guys that he's played previously. He avoids speaking his lines with an over-the-top sense and stays in "horrible boss" mode through the entire film, never really exposing himself as perhaps having any sign of a decent side of him. He is even convinced his new, younger wife (played by Julie Bowen) is sleeping her way through the entire neighborhood. I don't think Kevin Spacey can ever really be "bad" in any role he devotes himself to.
The second boss is Dr. Julia Harris (played by a seductive and temptation-fueled Jennifer Aniston, whom I've been in love with since she burst onto the TV screen on "Friends"). She is an sexually-charged nymphomaniac, who also happens to be a dentist. She takes pleasure in violating her patients while they are under the gas, but her main target is her dental assistant, Dale (played by Charlie Day, who is always over the top childish and hilarious... re: "It's Always Sunny..."). Dr. Julia takes extremely pleasure in blatantly and aggressively sexually harassing Dale, repeatedly. Every seen with Aniston made me laugh out loud (especially the scene which also made me wonder how the hell she managed to keep her white, dentist coat on, other than strategically placed tape on her breasts). Aniston is over 40 years old, but is definitely one of those rare actresses that just keeps looking even better with age (like a fine wine). And I'm with Dale's friends when they say, "What the hell is wrong with you? Just do it with her!" I would probably enjoy getting sexually harassed by Aniston far too much. I don't think I could ever plot to kill her, even if she was a horrible boss.
And the third boss is Bobby Pellitt (played by Colin Farrell), who is the son of Donald Sutherland's character, who happens to own a waste-management company. Bobby Pellitt takes over the company when his father drops dead in the car from a heart attack. He uses all the company's money to fund his excessive lifestyle. Jason Sudeikis plays Kurt, who was the old man's protege and cannot stand seeing the company he loves being run into the ground by such an asshole.
The three guys decide to plot murders of each of their bosses, except they don't want to do it themselves. So, they seek out a hitman and run into Motherfuckin' Jones (played by Jamie Foxx, who is in the film for probably a grand total of 3 minutes). As their plan develops and they start to carry it out, of course high jinx and slapstick comedic situations ensue that help drive the film from beginning to end. And even though you really know what's going to happen, you can't help but enjoy the ride.
All the actors really make this film what it is, and maybe even better than it should be. Like I said, I've always loved Jennifer Aniston, but unfortunately she tends to pick predictable situational comedy films that don't showcase her talent, except for in indie films like "The Good Girl" which is probably her best film to date.
........................................................................
Film 272
"Woman On Top"
starring: Penelope Cruz
"Woman on Top" is the kind of romance movie that might make you angry because its characters are so watered down that a script that could be much more sensual, does not come off that way at all. It plays out much more easier and smoother, like it was made for TV. The funny and ironic thing is that the story focuses on a beautiful, Brazilian woman/chef (played wonderfully down-to-Earth, and perhaps slightly unaware of just how beautiful she really is by Penelope Cruz- this was actually her introduction to American audiences) who gets live TV show that focuses on cooking and its sensuality- Except that her TV producers do not know what to do with her, or how to utilize her sensuality and combine it with the sensuality of cooking. It's as predictable as any rom-com, in that the story is light, the characters are less-than developed and it unfortunately relies too much on its rather dimwittedness (which is too bad, because it could have been a lot smarter-- I'm thinking "Julie and Julia" for a reference point of "food movies").
Cruz plays Isabella with such ease that it makes you wonder if she'd been given a better script/character what she could've done with it (clearly she's a good actress, who almost doesn't know how beautiful she is when her facial expressions read more as shy and introverted, almost as if she's afraid to use her sexuality, because it could be such a dangerous weapon- trust me). Isabella is an artist with food, which is never really explained, we are just supposed to believe it. Of course, because of all her "perfections" (re: beautiful, loves to cook, a real man's woman), she has one significant flaw: motion sickness, which doesn't affect her when she's in control (the title takes on a sexual reference, which really isn't played up as much as it should have been)-- "Woman on Top." I, for one, would be totally okay with that! Anyway. She falls early for the macho dude who doesn't take her need for control too well. It's almost as if he feels like his manhood is slowly being stripped from him. So, what does he do? He cheats on her, justifying it by telling her: "I'm a man! I have to be on top, sometimes!"
Isabella, being the strong, independent woman that she is, decides to uproot herself, so she flies to San Francisco, where her best friend, a transvestite named Monica Jones, has just been released from prison. They live together. Isabella cooks and whips up some apparently magically delicious food. The aroma of her food gives off some magical air, which follows her as she walks through the streets. Any man that catches a sniff of her food instantly falls for her and follows her, in a perhaps quite believable scene of Penelope Cruz being followed through the streets by a crowd of men that sizes in the hundreds. Her cooking bewitches a TV producer (Mark Feuerstein) who offers her a show. Isabella is enchanting and bewitching on the TV screen and it's definitely easy to understand how she would be a ratings darling. Penelope Cruz is unbelievably sexy, bewitching and enchanting throughout the film, but unfortunately her beauty and charm cannot relieve the film of its cliches and inevitability (re: predictability).
Feuerstein's character is set up as the potential new, safer love interest, but perhaps the only curveball in the film comes in the ending and who Isabella actually chooses to be with.
Since the film came out in 2000, and it's clear that Penelope Cruz can count herself amongst the sexiest and bankable American film stars now, it's easy to see it coming just from watching her in this safe transition film. She is every bit as adorable and lovable as her character. She has charisma and oozes sexuality. Like I said earlier, that should have been used far more and in better ways when making a film about cooking. Cooking is a very sensuality activity that engages many, if not all, of the senses- And Penelope Cruz would have been the ultimate vessel to convey this point.
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