The Sweetest Thing (2002)

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Directed by: Roger Kumble
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Thomas Jane
Time: 85 minutes

 

Christina Walters is an interior designer that is known as a player on the dating scene. She hangs out with her best friends Courtney and Jane, and she makes a conscious effort never to get attached to the men she goes out with. All of this changes one evening when she meets a man named Peter in a club. Peter challenges her a bit, and she finds herself falling for him more and more.

This is a comedy written by Nancy Pimental, who wrote it based on her relationship with her friend Kate Walsh. It seems that her objective was to show that women can be just as crude and as playful on the dating scene as men. Mission accomplished.

As such, it is an entertaining flick, albeit very silly. A few scenes made me laugh out of loud. The ensemble is a little flimsy, story-wise, which is unfortunate. With such a loaded cast, stronger material could have made a killing.

Rating: «««

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Directed by: Troy Duffy
Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Julie Benz, Peter Fonda, Billy Connolly
Time: 117 minutes

 

Eight years after the events of the first film, fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus are living a quiet life in Ireland with their father Noah. After a hired assassin attempts to frame them with the murder of a priest, the brothers return to Boston, where they team with a Mexican underground fighter to settle the issue.

While not completely uninteresting, I feel like the original should have been left alone. This extension to the story was not necessary. There were some good battles and some funny lines, but it dragged on way too long. They are talking of a third installment in the franchise. Personally, I think they should not bother.

Rating: ««

Une manière de vivre (2019)

Genre: Franco / Drama
Réalisation: Micheline Lanctôt
Distribution: Laurent Lucas, Rose-Marie Perreault, Gabrielle Lazure, Pierre-Luc Lafontaine
Durée: 118 minutes

 

Colette perd son mari, qui se suicide dans un accident de voiture. En plus de la culpabilité qu’elle ressent, elle doit aussi composer avec sa fille Gabrielle, une jeune femme boulimique, avec qui elle entretient une relation tumultueuse. Gabrielle, qui gagne surtout sa vie comme escorte de luxe, entreprend de séduire Joseph, un professeur belge spécialiste de Spinoza qui est en ville pour une conférence.

Le début du film m’avait accroché, mais quand le tout a pris un virage abrupte avec le périple interminable de Joseph dans le Nord québécois, j’ai peu à peu décroché. À la fin, j’avais tout simplement hâte que le tout se termine. Il y a du bon ici, mais, malheureusement, il y a plus de mauvais.

Rating: ««

Rain Man (1988)

Genre: Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Cast: Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Valeria Golino
Time: 134 minutes

 

Charlie Babbitt is an arrogant collectibles dealer who finds out, upon the death of his estranged father, that he has an older brother, Raymond, who is an autistic savant man living in an institution. Raymond has inherited almost all of his father’s fortune. Charlie takes Raymond out of the facility where he lives and takes him on the road with him, hoping to find a way to get his fair share of his father’s money.

This film is an absolute classic, thanks in great part to the brilliant direction and the acting of the two main cast members. The story is compelling and pulls you in. Cruise and Hoffman make their respective characters believable. All around a great film.

Rating: «««««

My Old Ass (2024)

Genre: Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Megan Park
Cast: Maisy Stella, Percy Hynes White, Aubrey Plaza
Time: 89 minutes

 

Elliot is an 18-year-old girl who is about to leave the family farm to go to university in Toronto. On her birthday, she goes camping with her two best friends and they consume mushrooms. While hallucinating, Elliot meets her own self at the age of 39. The two versions of Elliot stay in contact, and the 39-year-old tells her 18-year-old self to avoid a boy name Chad, without much more explanation. Elliot meets Chad and tries to keep him at bay, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

The premise of this film felt kind of silly to me at first, but I decided to give this one a chance last weekend. I am glad I did because it is a very charming movie. There is a good lesson here about what is gained and what is lost with age. This one made me smile, it touched my heart. Really well done.

Rating: ««««

All of Us Strangers (2023)

Genre: Romance / Fantasy
Directed by: Andrew Haigh
Cast: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy
Time: 105 minutes

 

Andrew is a screenwriter living alone in his London apartment. While writing, he decides to visit his suburban childhood home, now empty. He becomes haunted by the presence of his parents, who died in a car accident when he was 12 years old. At the same time, Andrew embarks into a relationship with his mysterious neighbor Harry.

Once we get past the weirdness of the fantastical aspect of the storyline of this film, we find a movie that offers a compelling look at loss, at love and at grief. It was a little confusing at first, but it all came together nicely, with good storytelling and talented actors. Overall, well worth the effort.

Rating: ««««

Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool (2024)

Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Seth Barrish
Cast: Mike Birbiglia
Time: 77 minutes

 

Live on stage, comedian Mike Birbiglia delivers here a strong comedy special about such topics as anxiety, family, death, and swimming. Birbiglia is a great storyteller. The man has a knack for pulling you in a getting you emotionally involved in seeing what he will say next. His style is very self-deprecating, which I dig. I laughed out loud a lot on this one. Very, very well done.

Rating: «««««