Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Monday, March 23, 2015

What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Directed by: Kirk Jones
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick
Running time: 110 minutes



What to Expect When You’re Expecting tells the story of five women of different walks of life going through the process of becoming a mother. What we have here is an ensemble cast telling five different stories that link up to each other briefly at various points in the film.

I thought it was a nice touch to include a case of parents adopting a child from another country in the stories, as it is something that has not been exploited enough in the movies, especially not the right way. Having gone through part of that process with my wife, it really resonated with me, though our story did not end the same way.

The dude group of guys getting together to discuss fatherhood idea was a very funny one in the way they delivered it. It made me chuckle a few times and it offered a nice little comic relief from the sweet stuff.

The actresses were mostly good here, though a bit over-the-top in some cases. For example, I have seen better roles for Elizabeth Banks. Here, she could have toned it down a bit and it would have not come off as so clichéd. Cameron Diaz, whom I had a crush on when I first saw her in The Mask, has given some lackluster performances as of late. Here, she was OK, though her character was a bit one dimensional. I guess the gals had only so much to work with. Jennifer Lopez really surprised me here, I must admit, though Anna Kendrick played my favorite female character, as she had the right balance in her performance. As for the guys, their roles were mostly secondary, though Randy Quaid and Chris Rock both made me laugh in their limited roles.

The stories being told were cute, though a tad clichéd in some cases. What this a great movie? Not by any means. It was good entertainment for what it is: a cute little movie to see as a couple.

Rating: «««


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