Now Very Bad…

Blog

  • The Man in the White Suit (1951)

    The Man in the White Suit (1951)

    #140RVW

    Classic Ealing comedy is a slow burn. Actually better than it needs to be, though unusually not all that funny. Could have been chase movie.

    The Man in the White Suit

    What’s more:

    I was expecting this to be typically screwy comedy from Ealing Studios, and it definitely fit that formula, but I was rather impressed with the sophistication of the storyline. With a little more work or an inclination in that direction, this could have been a drama or a chase picture.

    The Man in the White Suit

    The story centers around Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness), a bright if reckless chemist working in the textile industry, whether they like it or not. He has been moving from one mill to another, covertly working on his very costly experiments without the knowledge or approval of management. While working at his latest home, Birnley Mill, he befriends and impresses Daphne Birnley (Joan Greenwood), daughter of the mill’s owner, and she persuades her father to allow Sidney to continue his experiments.

    The Man in the White Suit

    Sidney has developed an indestructible fabric that repels dirt and never needs replacing. Naturally, this development would lead to the complete breakdown and extinction of his and all related industries. Sidney must be made to see reason, and the discovery suppressed. But he’s not going down easy.

    The Man in the White Suit

    Audiences familiar with Guinness only through his later work are in for a treat with these Ealing comedies. He really was a most resourceful actor and was at the height of his talents at the time of this film.

    (Another thrill comes from seeing Alfred Pennyworth himself, the late Michael Gough as a young man.)

    The Man in the White Suit

    The film was directed by Boston native Alexander Mackendrick, who would go on to direct Guinness in The Ladykillers a few years later. The script was nominated for an Oscar and the movie was a hit. It remains a classic and is highly recommended.

    Poster:

    The Man in the White Suit

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:
    The Representation Test Score: D (3 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

     

    Main Cast Alec Guinness Sidney Stratton, Joan Greenwood Daphne Birnley, Cecil Parker Alan Birnley, Michael Gough Michael Corland
    Rating Approved
    Release Date Tue 01 Apr 1952 UTC
    Director Alexander Mackendrick
    Genres Comedy, Sci-Fi, Drama
    Plot An altruistic chemist invents a fabric that resists wear and stain as boon to humanity but both capital and labor realize it must be suppressed for economic reasons.
    Poster The Man in the White Suit
    Runtime 85
    Tagline Should they let him play…or should they put him away?
    Writers Roger MacDougall (play), Roger MacDougall (screenplay) …
    Year 1951
  • Run, Fatboy, Run (2007)

    Run, Fatboy, Run (2007)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Schwimmer’s directorial debut features the first Simon Pegg lead role I saw, and one of his best. He actually works as a fully-realized man.

    Run Fatboy Run

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Run Fatboy Run:

    I love this movie. Despite the popularity of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, this was actually the first of Simon Pegg’s movies that I saw. Up until this point I’d only seen him in supporting roles, and while I liked him very much, I had a hard time picturing him leading a film. That he’s very funny in this is a given. What is maybe more surprising and certainly more impressive is how well he plays it straight and how fully developed this character is.

    Run Fatboy Run

    Pegg plays Dennis, an underachiever who never finishes anything, least of all his marriage to his pregnant fiance Libby (Thandie Newton), whom he deserts at the altar in the film’s opening sequence. Things move forward five years and Dennis is still an immature lout who disappoints everyone. But when Libby and their son Jake are being swept away by the obnoxious new beau Whit (Hank Azaria), Dennis tries to change in order to win them back. With the support of his friend Gordon (Dylan Moran) and landlord (Harish Patel), Dennis trains for and enters the London Marathon.

    Run Fatboy Run

    The script by Pegg and Michael Ian Black, based on a story by Black, is really quite good. The dialogue is very funny, it’s got a great heart and the gross-out jokes are kept to a minimum (though not a low enough number for me). Thandie Newton is Hollywood’s most under-utilized talent and Pegg really does display a maturity here that I didn’t expect. Dylan Moran very nearly steals the entire movie as Libby’s cousin Gordon, who is best friends with Dennis. He has a marvelous deadpan delivery and great timing.

    Run Fatboy Run

    Possibly the most surprising aspect of Run Fatboy Run is how inspirational it is. I’m not saying it’ll make you rethink your life, but I was unexpectedly moved by Dennis’ quest to become a better person and touched by the relationship with his son. The movie really does make you feel good, in addition to being hilarious.

    Poster:

    Run Fatboy Run

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: B (7 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test
    [schema type=”movie” url=”http://www.runfatboyrunmovie.com/” name=”Run Fatboy Run” description=”Five years ago Dennis (Simon Pegg) was at the altar about to marry Libby (Thandie Newton), his pregnant fianc?e. He got cold feet and ran for the hills and he’s been going in circles ever since. When Dennis discovers Libby’s hooked up with high-flying-go-getter Whit (Hank Azaria), he realizes it’s now or never. He enters a marathon to show he’s more than a quitter, but then finds out just how much sweat, strain and tears it takes to run for 26 miles. Nobody gives him a chance, but Dennis knows this is his only hope to be more than a running joke.” director=”David Schwimmer” actor_1=”Simon Pegg” ]

    Main Cast Simon Pegg Dennis, Thandie Newton Libby, Hank Azaria Whit, Dylan Moran Gordon
    Rating PG-13
    Release Date Fri 28 Mar 2008 UTC
    Director David Schwimmer
    Genres Comedy, Romance, Sport
    Plot Five years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day, out-of-shape Dennis decides to run a marathon to win her back.
    Poster Run, Fatboy, Run
    Runtime 100
    Tagline Love. Commitment. Responsibility. There’s nothing he can’t run away from.
    Writers Michael Ian Black (screenplay) &, Simon Pegg (screenplay) …
    Year 2007
  • It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974)

    It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    The 12th Peanuts TV special is actually my daughter’s favorite. Mostly due to Snoopy dancing with bunnies, but it all really is very funny.

    It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

    Review of It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown:

    I always think of this as one of the original classics, but in truth this was actually the 12th Peanuts TV special. It probably maintains that spot in my mind because it is so good. There’s so much good stuff here: Peppermint Patty’s failed attempts to teach Marcie to dye eggs, the repeated shopping trips to the department store that warns “Only 246 shopping days until Christmas”, Linus preaching the gospel of the Easter Beagle as enthusiastically as he spoke of the Great Pumpkin. It’s so good. Go watch it.

    It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

    Poster:

    It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score:

    Yeah, I’m not doing this for a Charlie Brown cartoon…

    [schema type=”movie” url=”http://www.peanuts.com/” name=”It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” description=”The Peanuts gang prepare for Easter in their own clumsy ways.” director=”Phil Roman” ]

    Main Cast Todd Barbee Charlie Brown/Schroeder (voice), Melanie Kohn Lucy van Pelt (voice), Stephen Shea Linus van Pelt (voice), Linda Ercoli Patricia ‘Peppermint Patty’ Reichardt (voice)
    Rating Atp
    Release Date Tue 09 Apr 1974 UTC
    Director Phil Roman
    Genres Animation, Short, Comedy, Family
    Plot The Peanuts gang prepare for Easter in their own clumsy ways.
    Poster It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown!
    Runtime 30
    Tagline The Easter Beagle is coming! (2008 DVD re-release)
    Writers Charles M. Schulz (written and created by)
    Year 1974
  • The Great Gatsby (1925)

    The Great Gatsby (1925)

    The Great Gatsby
    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    My rating: 3 of 5 stars

    For my first attempt at re-reading this since high school I went with the audiobook read by Tim Robbins. Really glad I chose this edition. Robbins has a unique soft inflection that really made this text interesting to me in a way reading the novel never did. Of course, I was a lot younger and the story didn’t speak to me at all. Why do they make teenagers read these books? The stories can’t hope to carry the weight they will later in life.

    But in truth, I can’t say that the story really spoke to me now either. I enjoyed it, but I put felt no tug to start reading again after having taken a break. Part of reading almost strictly during commutes is the challenge of having something that beckons you to rejoin it as soon as possible. Having to break your reading up into one hour chunks provides an unusual and unintentional judging process. If I’m not eager to get to the next opportunity to read, finding extra opportunities to continue the story, then maybe it’s not that engaging after all. I’ve become much more selective this way, occasionally unfair, but then I’m reading for my enjoyment, so why stick with something if it’s not speaking to me.

    I guess it was well written, but I can’t pretend to have found it interesting.

  • Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)

    Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)

    #140RVW

    Never liked Andy Samberg. Breaking Rashida Jones’ heart? You bastard. Wait, maybe that was just the character, huh? Never mind. We’re good.

    Celeste and Jesse Forever

    What’s more:

    It’s very hard to carve out any original space in the overcrowded romantic comedy field. Celeste and Jesse Forever succeeds largely because it is more than your standard rom-com; it is a realistic look at relationships that happens to be funny as hell.

    Celeste and Jesse Forever

    The film opens with a wonderful title sequence showing the courtship of Celeste and Jesse, who appear to have a storybook relationship. From the opening scenes these two are adorkable and clearly perfect together. Only they’re not; this wonderful friendship is masking the failure of their relationship. The next 90 minutes follow these two trying to find happiness with or without each other, struggling with their friendship and their relationship.

    Celeste and Jesse Forever

    Rashida Jones co-wrote this with Will McCormack, who has a small role in the film. It is the first screenwriting gig for either of them, but I doubt very much it will be the last. They’ve put together a very good script that doesn’t shy away from real emotions. These characters behave in familiar ways; not familiar for movies, familiar to actual humans. Characters you like will do things that make you cringe – it’s not clean, and neither is life.

    Celeste and Jesse Forever

    Rashida Jones really becomes a certifiable star with this picture. It’s a great performance. Samberg leaves me cold; just a perennial smart-ass. Elijah Wood has a small but fun role as Celeste’s business partner. Emma Roberts plays Miley Cyrus, essentially, in a subplot that isn’t strictly necessary but provides some good comedy moments and gives Celeste some needed perspective.

    Celeste and Jesse Forever

    Good if not great picture – check it out.

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: A (13 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

     

    Main Cast Rashida Jones Celeste, Andy Samberg Jesse, Elijah Wood Scott, Emma Roberts Riley
    Rating R
    Release Date Fri 24 Aug 2012 UTC
    Director Lee Toland Krieger
    Genres Comedy, Drama, Romance
    Plot A divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other people.
    Poster Celeste & Jesse Forever
    Runtime 92
    Tagline A loved story.
    Writers Rashida Jones (written by) &, Will McCormack (written by)
    Year 2012