Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

If Charade was ridiculous, Everyone Says I Love You is downright wacky. The amount of suspension of disbelief required to accept this movie is more than could be asked of most movie-goers. And to top it off, it's a musical.

I didn't realize that last part going in, only to be greeted by Edward Norton singing to Drew Barrymore in the film's opening. That's right. Edward Norton. Singing. Happily. Director Woody Allen did round up an extensive well-known cast. The movie is narrated by Natasha McLyonne as DJ, the daughter of ex-couple Steffi (Goldie Hawn) and Joe (Woody Allen). She tells the story of her life with her mom, step-dad (Alan Alda), step-brother (Lukas Haas), step-sister Skylar (Barrymore), and half-sisters (Gabby Hoffman & Natalie Portman) as well as the time she spends with her Dad.

Oh, wait. Did I mention Julia Roberts is in this too? Yes, she is - as the woman Woody Allen's character is interested in, of course. And of course with it being a Woody Allen comedy and an ensemble like this hijinks ensue. There's even a man in trouble with the law and gasp! - it's not Edward Norton. It's Tim Roth.

I'm sure many people would find this whole thing charming and silly. I got hung up on the silly part and was too busy staring in disbelief at the screen. The singing is not perfect, but they say that's what Allen was going for. The dancing is sort of impressive.

It's just all so.... wacky.

Rating: 3/5

Recommended for: viewing on a day you're feeling giddy

Charade (1963)

Charade is one odd cookie of a movie.

Audrey Hepburn is Regina Lampert, who upon returning to Paris from a holiday plans to ask her husband for a divorce. When she returns to their home though she finds it completely empty and is soon notified that her husband was found dead after someone threw him from a train.

Strangers show up at his funeral and test the body to make sure he's really dead. She then finds out from CIA agent Hamilton Bartholomew (Walter Mathau) that her husband was part of a group of soldiers who buried money that they were supposed to give to the French Resistance during World War II. Mr. Lampert had recently gone back to the site and dug up the money for himself but no one could find it in his possessions. So now Regina and her new randomly-found friend Peter Joshua (Carey Grant) need to figure out where the money is so they can return it to the US before Mr. Lampert's fellow ex-soldiers hunt them down and take it from them.

If it sounds goofy with serious elements that aren't taken seriously, that's because it is. It's also all over the board.

Regina is threatened and intimidated by the ex-soldiers. But then for no apparent reason they don't scare her anymore. Then they follow suit and become more accommodating.

Regina trusts Peter even though she just met him. Then she thinks maybe she can't. Then again maybe she can. Then again, oh look there's Audrey Hepburn managing to be the most fashionable and out-of-nowhere stealthy person in Paris. (Well she was dressed by Givenchy.)

And after all this dated flightiness, I was ready to write it off. But then, in the last fifteen minutes, it becomes this suddenly gripping, really serious, really interesting film. It's as if the film was a balloon floating around Paris and suddenly someone jumped up on a chair, grabbed the string, tied a rock to it and grounded the darn thing. Really it was for the best.

Rating: 3/5

Recommended for: People who like their well-dressed screwball comedies to have sudden moments of gravitas and violence that doesn't involve animals or a man being hit in the crotch

The Frisco Kid (1979)

I admit it. I decided to watch The Frisco Kid because it's a western with Harrison Ford. You don't come across that too often (you know, besides his two episodes of Gunsmoke). And I had to know how combing these two elements turned out.

And the result, as you might have guessed, is strange. But it's not just from the aforementioned combo. After all, the tagline is "The greatest cowboy ever to ride into the Wild West. From Poland." The movie also stars Gene Wilder as Avram, a Polish rabbi sent to make his way across the United States (mainly the Old West) so he can lead a synagogue in San Francisco. As Avram makes his way, he crosses paths with Ford's bandit Tommy - except nothing happens the first time. Tommy holds up a train Avram is riding but Avram is in the bathroom and misses the hold-up completely.

Later Tommy comes across Avram trying to stab fish with a huge wooden pole in a stream. He helps the rabbi out by shooting the fish. Then they bond a little and Tommy decides to help Avram navigate the rest of the way. Apparently Tommy has a heart of gold but just considers robbing people his job. They have a few mini-adventures along the way and then eventually their journey is over. And that's pretty much it.

The trailer for The Frisco Kid, builds on Wilder's roles in Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. While slightly endearing this is not the comedy it's built up to be. In fact, it's not a Mel Brooks movie nor is it close to that brand of funny at all. And it certainly doesn't take itself seriously enough to be a drama. It just sort of floats in and out of a few comedic styles and ambles to the end.

I kept thinking "This came out between Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back."

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for: People who wonder what it'd be like if Han Solo was a softer individual from 1850

Whip It (2009)

Whip It is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. And I guess I was expecting something amazing. She's been in the movie business most of her life and instead of propelling originality, it seems to be a lot of the classic shots and telling techniques we've seen so many times before. Now what she gave us wasn't bad - it just wasn't what I was expecting.

The story, set in small-town Texas, is about a teenager named Bliss (Ellen Page) whose mother heavy-hands her into local beauty pageant after pageant. Bliss is less than thrilled but goes through the motions until she discovers roller derby. Becoming part of the underdog team The Hurl Scouts becomes her secret passion. She sneaks off to practices and games. Her best friend is in on it. She finds some understanding in her situation with her mother from her father. And she's really good at her sport.

And voila... we have a roller derby version of Bend it Like Beckham.

It's a charming enough movie. It's a well-acted enough movie. The ensemble cast is great. It's about roller derby - a sport that is definitely not over-saturated in the way of movie depictions. And it's predictable in many aspects but not overly-predictable as a whole. In the end though, it just didn't seem distinct enough for me.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Those of you who haven't seen Bend it Like Beckham (especially if you're unfamiliar with British culture).

The Brothers Bloom (2009)

It's not often that I'm beguiled by a trailer. I usually see through the marketing ploys and am keenly aware when one month the trailer is presented as a drama and the next it's been recut as a comedy. But then along came Brothers Bloom with its Wes Anderson-esque whimsy in camera shots and characters and smaller, yet acclaimed Ocean's 11-ful cast and plot.

Point to you for that one, The Brothers Bloom. Too bad you won't be scoring much more than that. First let's start with the title. The brothers in it are lifelong con artists Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody). They do not appear to have a last name. So why is the film titled after one of the two brothers? If anything it should be called "Brothers, Bloom."

Then there's the mess of a plot. We're constantly out of the loop because more than one character is out of the loop but they are all out to varying degrees. And even when you think you've been let in, you're usually still left out. Us audiences tend to like to be in on things from the beginning, or left totally out and surprised at the end, or slowly have things revealed to us over time. None of this see-sawing crap, please. Some sort of flow or balance is missing. Ironically, towards the end a character essentially promises the story will be better next time.

At least some of the characters are fun. Rachel Weisz's Penelope Stamp is a reclusive heiress who collects hobbies. Weisz seems to be having a blast in this comedic role. She actually tried to learn every hobby her character has. I kept thinking if only Wes Anderson could scoop up Penelope and the brothers' mute associate Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi) and give them a better story in which to play... if only.

An alluring trailer and two fun female characters just aren't enough though.

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for: Penelope's hobby montage.

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

I'm hesitant to put (500) Days of Summer in the category of romantic comedy because it's just not the same fare you typically get out of the genre. Yes, there's comedy. Yes, there's romance. It has its share of silly moments. But it's something loftier and smarter than How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or You've Got Mail.

The film nonlinearly explores greeting-card-writer Tom Hansen's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) love for co-worker Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) over the course of 500 days. The script is by first time screenwriters Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter. Titles pop up to let us know which day we're on and but it's really a tribute to editor Alan Edward Bell, director Marc Webb, and the two leads that the audience never gets left behind. Bell has already won the San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Editing and it won't be surprising if he gets an Oscar nomination as well.

Webb and Gordon-Levitt seem to make quite the formidable team as well in Webb's first feature-length film. While Webb has mainly been responsible for a few music videos for 3 Doors Down and Green Day, you may remember Gordon-Levitt as the long-haired kid on the tv show Third Rock from the Sun. He's come a long way, had a fairly consistent amount of work since then, and has no doubt made a successful transition from child to adult actor.

Here Gordon-Levitt is our well-developed driver, taking us on a tour of joy, confusion, and heart-break. Summer knows who she is, or at least claims to, and tells Tom right from the start she's not looking for a boyfriend. He embarks on a relationship with her anyway and the story is still captivating even knowing from the beginning the relationship doesn't have a good chance. This movie isn't conventional so we're allowed to still have some hope.

They even make a dance number and scenes in a karaoke bar charming, fresh, and fitting. Zooey Deschanel seems to be wearing all her own clothing and hair accessories, but it is an indie movie after all so I'm willing to write it off as a money saver.

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for: Anyone who has ever loved anyone to whom they weren't related

Extended Review:
A note about the soundtrack: Give this film's soundtrack a listen. It includes some classics that have made recent appearences elsewhere (Hall & Oates' You Make My Dreams Come True & The Smiths' Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want,) some other songs that have been just waiting for a soundtrack inclusion (Regina Spektor's Us and Feist's Mushaboom) and an interesting inclusion (but obviously a shot at romance with French lyrics) of Quelqu'un m'a dit by French first lady, Carla Bruni.

Away We Go (2009)

With the music and the mood from the get-go Away We Go feels like Garden State a decade later. There's a familiar-feeling airport scene and time spent in the dark wondering about failure. But it's not a repeat of Garden State and it definitely isn't some sort of sequel. While Garden State was ideal for the disillusioned twenty-something audience, Away We Go's appeal is broader.

We're following Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph), a devoted couple in their mid-30s who've recently discovered Verona is pregnant with the couple's first child. They live near Burt's parents since Verona's have passed away. But when Verona is at the 6-month mark, Burt's parents (the amusing Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) announce they're moving to Belgium. Now with nothing tying them to their current home, they set out on a trip to discover where would be the best place to raise their child.

Along the way they visit with an interesting cast of characters they've known throughout their lives. Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Carmen Ejogo, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Melanie Lynskey, Chris Messina, and Paul Schneider all provide memorable, and in some cases awkward and ridiculously entertaining, performances.

The husband and wife team of Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida have provided a script that is willing to show the good and bad of every situation while remaining delightful, hopeful, and clever. And while Eggers is known for his novels such as A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and You Shall Know Our Velocity, this is Eggers and Vida's first screenplay, making this story victory all the more sweet.

The way Burt and Verona handle their situation is nearly inspirational; things don't rock their worlds, they just roll with it and say, "Ok. We're doing this now." John Kransinski is allowed to be the goofy, good-intentioned one and it's refreshing to see him in a role where he's not playing the straight man to someone else's comedy, making faces. And Maya Rudolph, known for her time on Saturday Night Live, seems toned down. She's not there to be the comedic relief or to act absurdly. Instead she gives a sweetly understated performance.

And if the movie wasn't already impressive enough, it also is the first studio production to take green (environmentally-friendly) initiatives to reduce CO2 emission. Garbage was reduced by half, thanks to the various bins for recyclable material. Caterers used ceramic and washed dishes as opposed to throwaway products. Vehicles on the set used biodiesel fuel.

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for: 98 minutes of quirky sweetness

Sita Sings the Blues (2008)

Sita Sings the Blues may be animated but it isn't your typical animated film. Employing no less than five animation styles, kids can get some entertainment out of it. But it will be appreciated more so by an adult audience.

The story is a retelling of the Indian epic Ramayana interspersed with a bit of writer/director/animator/voice actor/producer/editor/production designer Nina Paley's tragic real-life story of rejection. In fact, making the movie was Paley's coping mechanism. And it was no light undertaking.

Even though I'm not a big fan of the wiggle-style animation, along with the other four styles employed, it shows Paley's wide talent range as well as keeps the visuals interesting. Another interesting choice comes in the three shadow puppet narrators who keep the tone conversational. They're figuring out the story as much as telling it as they go along. These narrators, Aseem Chhabra, Bhavana Nagulapally, and Manish Acharya, were not scripted at all so their hearing slightly different versions of the story growing up is what leads to corrections and much of the levity they provide. It's important to note that Paley's making no claims that the version of the Ramayana she shows is the definitive one. This is her story told with and through the epic.

The use of Annette Henshaw jazz music from the 1920s as the voice of Sita provides humor, moves the story along, and gives Sita's plight a timelessness. Paley made so many more clever, tongue-in-cheek additions - ranging from a tribute to old Hollywood musicals and Bollywood through a 3-minute intermission that features characters walking across the screen to get concessions to adding "Bam!" cartoon explosions to a fight sequence a la live-action TV Batman to a "follow the bouncing ball" first half review song.

With so many elements this project could have become a mess, but Paley pieced it together fabulously. What's more, she wanted it to be accessible to everyone. Sita Sings the Blues has a Creative Commons Share Alike license, which means anyone is free to broadcast the movie at any time. It's available for free online to watch and to download. See Sitasingstheblues.com for more information.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Anyone who's ever been rejected or could use some art in their life

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

If it was done in a town you passed through, it was hard to miss the quasi-guerilla marketing campaign of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Billboards, taxi-tops, bus sides and bus stops had signs meant to look hand-written with phrases like "I'm so over you, Sarah Marshall." and "You do look fat in those jeans, Sarah Marshall." It was different enough to pique my curiosity. When I found out it was written by Jason Segel my curiosity only grew.

Segel also plays the main character of Peter Bretter in this story based on some of his own relationship experiences. Peter is the composer for a tv show called Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime - a show on which his girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) just happens to be the star. Peter's considering proposing to Sarah when she suddenly dumps him.

He takes off for Hawaii to cope but it turns out Sarah is staying at the same hotel with her new boyfriend, rock star Aldous Snow (hilariously played by British comedian Russell Brand). Luckily Peter finds a sympathetic ally in front desk worker Rachel Jansen (Mila Kunis).

Antics ensue and it's hard to say much more without giving too many surprises away. Peter's a bit goofy but he's easy to root for because he obviously has a big heart. And the smattering of well-known faces (Paul Rudd, Jack McBrayer, Bill Hader, Jason Bateman, William Baldwin, Kristen Wiig...) in small roles sliding in and out of the picture definitely help keep things lively. There are plenty of silly and/or adult humor moments, but the film doesn't totally rely on them to be entertaining.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Adults who need a good laugh and a cheap trip to Hawaii.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Some people say The Royal Tenenbaums is where writer/director Wes Anderson peaked. I would be inclined to agree so far, but I still hold out hope he'll make another film as great as this one.

You could say this is a character piece with, as you can see from the poster, a whole bunch of characters. In a way it's sort of a choose-your-own-adventure. Pick the character you relate to most and ride through the movie with them. If you don't like them anymore, there are several more from which to choose and each actor pulls his or her own weight resulting in a superb ensemble.

The movie opens as a book where you're introduced to the family as they were about 15 years ago and then a quirky montage shows you them now (and also serves as opening credits). Gene Hackman is the patriarch, Royal Tenenbaum. He wasn't very supportive of the kids when they were growing up and he's been out of their lives completely for many years. Meanwhile their mother, Etheline (Angelica Huston), indulged them in their talents and they all became known as child prodigies (Hello, children who grew up being told they could be whatever they wanted.). Richie (Luke Wilson) was a tennis player. Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) was a writer. Chas (Ben Stiller) was a financial whiz. But the past several years have been filled with disappointment and failures for all of them.

Broke and kicked out of the hotel he's been staying in, Royal decides now might be a good time to try to reconnect with his family—by lying to them and telling them he has less than two months to live. The whole family soon finds themselves back in the family home and more quirkiness ensues.

The film exists in a hyper-real world. They live in New York, but without any recognizable New York sites. The family dresses in clothing styled after the time when they were all in their heyday. Director Anderson totally ignores the rule of thirds, oftentimes sticking his character smack dab in the center of the screen. He then lets them hang there a moment in a pose before they move on.

The story he's brought us with writing partner Owen Wilson is an odd one but the dysfunctional family line has elements to which everyone can relate. Characters slide between deadpan comedy and heavy drama. And at the end, there's a trademark Anderson slow-motion shot that brings the family together and makes you feel like everyone is taking their final bow. It's a fitting tribute to the charm of a quirky film. Some movies you watch once and their done, but this one can easily stick with you and make you want to watch it again. (For me, again has meant 49 times - no exaggeration.)

Rating: 5/5
Recommended for: Nearly everyone, but especially those of us who grew up entrenched in extracurriculars and are afraid we really might have peaked too early.

The Valet (2006)

Writer/Director Francis Veber created a sweet and highly amusing film with The Valet even with it's absurdity. Valet Francois Pignon is hired to portray the boyfriend of the highest paid model in the world, Elena, after he's caught in a paparazzi photo of Elena with billionaire Pierre Levasseur. Levasseur is trying to hide his affair with Elena from his wife, a majority stakeholder in all his businesses. Pignon has just been rejected by the woman he's loved his entire life, bookstore owner Emilie, so he's not really in the mood for pretending to have a fabulous supermodel girlfriend.

Part of the reason the absurdity works is because the characters acknowledge it themselves. Another reason is that behind it all, is a genuine portrayal of relationships which comes from a great combination of the script and the actors who all hold their own. Gad Elmaleh is incredibly sympathetic as the valet Pignon and he has great friendship chemistry with Alice Taglioni who plays the very Heidi Klum-esque (i.e. sweet and beautiful) supermodel. In fact, nearly every character is likable in some way. Kristin Scott Thomas, in beautiful fluent French, is fun to watch as the clever and strong wife of Levasseur.

Overall, it's a fun movie to watch with laugh out loud moments and appeal for American audiences despite the spoken dialogue being French.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Anyone 12 and up (even if you hate the French).

Whatever Works (2009)

Whatever Works features a character who keeps turning away from the people in his world and directly addressing the audience. It's something you just don't find all that often in films today—and probably for good reason. The breaking of the 4th wall provides grand opportunity for awkward corniness. Not to mention it messes with the whole suspension of disbelief thing.

But the main character of this feature, Boris Yellnikoff (Yes, he does yell.), is so disenchanted with the people around him that, even though he tries to talk to the others, he really has no one else to turn to besides the audience. Plus, I guess it wouldn't be a Woody Allen comedy/commentary without something off-kilter like that. Larry David, who is well known for playing disgruntled and bitter, easily yammers on in the role of Boris.

He's a former physicist who almost won the Nobel Prize. One day he finds former southern beauty pageant contestant Melodie sleeping outside his door. He agrees to let her stay while she tries to get on her feet in New York and meanwhile pushes his views on relationships, religion, and existence in general into her incredibly impressionable brain. Evan Rachel Wood takes a refreshing change for her usual rebel roles to play Melodie although oftentimes her performance runs along the borderline of just plain silly. Eventually, Melodie's parents come looking for her and that's when Patricia Clarkson glides in, takes charge of the film, and completely steals it right through the end.

It's definitely not Allen's best, but it's amusing enough if you forget about that suspension of disbelief thing and just listen.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Anyone wondering what Woody Allen's been thinking about lately.

Fanboys (2009)

First let me say that I enjoy Star Wars a lot. Then I must say that Fanboys is ridiculous - and not in a good way.

The movie centers around 4 friends from high school who, now in their early twenties, are eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Star Wars franchise, Episode 1: The Phantom Menance... or at least 3 of them are and they have to remind the other one that he's a Star Wars fan too (because apparently you can only have a career or be a Star Wars fan).

They develop a plan to drive across the US, break into Skywalker Ranch, and see the movie before it's released because one of them has cancer (although you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him) and they're afraid he won't live long enough to see it in theaters. The movie then devolves into a low-brow road trip movie. How else would we have opportunity to run into Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, and Kevin Smith? It also allows for a random, totally unnecessary fight with Trekkies.

When the quartet lands in jail, their friend Zoe (Kristen Bell) comes to bail them out. She manages to bail the movie part way out as well by presenting a likeable, non-comedy-stereotype character. With her kicking their butts into gear, they finally make it to Skywalker Ranch where they see a lot of cool things (for Star Wars fans) before the contrived, outrageous, slap-you-in-the-face reference situations ensue.

In the end this film was a interesting idea that ultimately failed in execution. Unfortunately I'm unsure how much of this had to do with it coming out 2 years after it was supposed to and the fights that ensued over different cuts of the film. There are several funny moments and several that are just supposed to be. There's enough references to fill a Star Wars fan's half month quota, but probably not enough entertainment for a non fan to even consider watching. And to top it all off, the audience has the misfortune of knowing what these kids are after didn't live up to expectations either.

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for: People looking to fill their Star Wars reference quota

Extended Review: Apparently there are not enough actors in the world or even actors who also like Star Wars. This must be why Seth Rogen played three parts in the movie.

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

In case you're not familiar with writer/director Michel Gondry's films the fact that the leads are riding a giant videotape on the poster should clue you in that this won't be your typical movie.

A VHS-only video rental store is facing eviction. While the owner (Danny Glover) goes to see what makes his competition so great, employee Mike (Mos Def) is in charge of the store. His friend Jerry (Jack Black) has recently become magnetized from attacking a power plant he thought was causing his headaches. Magnetized Jerry + VHS rental store = a bunch of blank VHS tapes. So the two go about filming their own versions of the movies so people will keep frequenting the store.

Gondry's probably most widely known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - a cohesive whimsical drama. Be Kind Rewind's drama is more on the scale of a sitcom and so is it's whimsy. And the cohesiveness? It's not really there. The best part by far is watching them try to reenact the likes of Ghostbusters, Driving Miss Daisy, Rush Hour, and Robocop as well as the crazy gadgets they rig up to get certain effects.

Be Kind Rewind would have worked better as a short film. All the disconnected elements that leave the viewer wondering if they missed something in the story could be cut out and the clever idea behind the story can stay. If it can keep their attention the whole time, kids will probably like it in its current form though. They seem to be more of Jack Black's target audience lately. He is his usual crazy and incredibly intense guy who means well. Meanwhile Mos Def is amiable despite mumbling a lot and Melonie Diaz is a delight as the girl from the dry cleaners who helps them with their movies.

Rating:2/5
Recommended for: People looking for tips on how to make their own low-budget movies

Eagle vs Shark (2007)

Eagle vs Shark = Napoleon Dynamite + Flight of the Conchords - comedy.

Taika Cohen's 2007 New Zealand export features the same deadpan, down-on-their-luck type main characters as 2004's Napoleon Dynamite. The difference is you can only root for one of these characters... and only for a limited time.

Loren Horsley's Lily is unpopular even in her job at a fast food restaurant where on at least one occasion, she has given away food for free. After she gets let go from her job, she gains the courage to invite herself to a recent customer's party. This customer is the socially awkward Jarrod (Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement) who is only interested in Lily when she almost beats him at a video game. Moments later they're a couple and she's joining him on a trip back home where he plans on facing a bully from his youth. What follows is people being cold to each other and disappointment. Overall, it is just the aforementioned equation. The movie doesn't bring anything more to those concepts, plus it's uncomfortable to watch with no satisfying redemption.

If you want a socially awkward movie, stick with Napoleon Dynamite - it has a lot more charm and a greater chance of leaving a smile on your face.

Rating: 1/5
Recommended for: People who liked Napoleon Dynamite but found it to be much too uplifting.

I Love You, Man (2009)

The appearance of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel on the poster should tell you that I Love You, Man is not your typical gross-out, buddy movie. It's so much better.

These men are the thinking person's comedians presenting us with the multi-dimensional characters of Peter Klaven (Rudd) and Sydney Fife (Segel). Peter's a real estate agent whose just proposed to his girlfriend (Rashida Jones). Her friends have noticed that Peter doesn't seem to have any guy friends of his own and everyone's wondering who his best man will be. He realizes he doesn't know how to go out and make guy friends. He doesn't play poker. He doesn't go out drinking. He doesn't do any of the typical things guys do with their buddies.

Luckily for him, he hosts an open house at Lou Ferrigno's house and Sydney is in attendance (to pick up women and score free food). It's here where they first begin to bond. Of course the two men are opposites in many ways. Sydney is a laid back, confident, philosopher-type while Peter is an uptight, timid, by-the-rules man.

Peter somehow gets the courage to call up Sydney to hang out and the friendship that grows out of that comes off as genuine while still being highly entertaining. The guys share a love of Rush and enjoy hanging out in Sydney's "Man Cave". Peter finally has someone he can talk to about anything and Sydney has someone to hang out with when all his other friends have to go home to their wives and kids.

Both Rudd and Segel play off each other with ease. It's nice to see two actors better known for their supporting roles (with the exception of Segel's recent Forgetting Sarah Marshall) shine as leads. Writer/Director John Hamburg has given them some fun material to work with, although there was definitely a fair share of improvisation as well.

Andy Samberg and J. K. Simmons in supporting roles as Peter's brother and father respectively steal the screen in their moments with their simple, seriousness. In fact there's a full cast of comedians doing a nice job of not stepping on each others' toes while taking their characters very seriously. This I Love You, Man team leaves us with something that is funny, yet relatable all the while feeling surprisingly fresh.

Rating: 4/5
Recommended for: Adults who want a feel-good movie that also makes you laugh. Also Rush fans.

Extended Review: After watching the metric ton worth of extras on the DVD, it's easy to see that a) these people had a blast making this movie and b) Hamburg and the editing team had a lot of decisions to make for the final cut of this film. Often when watching deleted or extended versions of scenes, the reasons they were cut are quite apparent. For I Love You, Man, the best reasons seem to be just that they went with an alternate version of the line or it'd make the film 4 hours long to keep it in there. So much of what didn't make it into the film was just as funny as some of the stuff that did make it. You don't see that very often.

The Rocker (2008)

I really wanted to enjoy The Rocker. Its the first staring vehicle for Rainn Wilson, who does a fabulous job on tv as The Office's Dwight Schrute. But the film falls flat with few if any laugh out loud moments.

Apparently 5 years is not long enough between this movie and Jack Black's School of Rock because it strikingly seems like the same movie with a few substitutions. Swap out the down-on-his-luck guitarist with a drummer who just missed out on making it big. Instead of the character taking a job as a 4th grade music teacher, he'll be asked by his nephew to join said nephew's high school band. Oh, and instead of this character being named Dewey Finn, this lead will be named Robert "Fish" Fishman.

If you're going to redo a distinct plot, you've got to bring something to the table. The slapstick and guest stars as Fish's former bandmates just weren't enough. And with all that being said, it's all still mildly amusing. Kids will probably like it.

Rating: 2/5
Recommended for: People who miss School of Rock and Guitar Hero fanatics

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

Nick and Norah seem like nice enough people. And it seems like they had a fun enough evening. It's just too bad it was so laid back it almost doesn't seem interesting enough to make a movie about.

Nick (Michael Cera) is a low-confidence high school senior recently dumped by his girlfriend. Norah (Kat Dennings) is a high school senior as well as the daughter of a recording industry executive. She seemingly spends all her time though being the caretaker of her irresponsible best friend, Caroline. Nick's band mates drag him out of the house to play a concert. Norah is there, walks up to Nick, and kisses him to prove to a school acquaintance she isn't alone. And the rest of the night stems from there with a missing drunken friend, a search for the mystery location of a favorite band's concert, and the looming ex-girlfriend and ex-boyfriend of the title characters.

Cera and Dennings bring charm and realism to their roles. They're likable and their relationship is believable. Ari Graynor as Norah's friend Caroline brings comic relief with her drunken escapades without becoming too annoying. Nick's band mates deliver some amusing one liners and a kind support system. The indie music provides a fun background. Now if only they could all have taken their trip in about a half hour less. What could be a madcap adventure crawls slowly through the evening. Everything that happens before the concert was filmed 6 months into post-production. Those scenes of course made the movie longer but it also gave some depth to the characters so adding that wasn't a bad choice. Either director Peter Sollett needed to move everyone along while filming or the editor Myron Kerstein needed to cut down a few scenes.

Overall it's a decent movie that teenagers and many adults can find enjoyable enough.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: those who miss George Michael from Arrested Development

Extended Review: Although the film starts out with steadicam shots that make the viewer feel like they're alternately swaying or just tilting his/her head side to side, luckily for our stomachs, the cinematography gets much better as the film goes on. Although since the beginning was filmed later, perhaps the cinematography was good and then the "hurry up, let's get this done so we can add it" was what suffered. Either way, the closing shot is what really deserves a mention. Michael Cera walking in place on the down escalator was amusing. They took that movement and went with it and Cera and Dennings' heads moving through the frame like a heart was a cute choice. (Not to mention so much more preferable than them dancing the night away at that rooftop concert or worse yet, a freeze frame at the end of dancing.)

Mermaids (1990)

You look at the poster for this movie and think... I hope this isn't a movie about a woman who thinks she's a mermaid and her children who have to deal with it. But luckily for all of us, it's just a costume she wears to a strange Christmasy/New Year's Eve/Costume party.

Mermaids is instead the story of Mrs. Flax (Cher) who basically does whatever she wants and when it backfires on her, she just picks up her family and moves somewhere else. She doesn't really seem to care how this affects her two children - teenaged Charlotte (Winona Ryder), who wants to become a nun despite being Jewish, and Kate (Christina Ricci in her first film role), a grade schooler who'd like to break the world record for not breathing underwater. At the beginning of the film, they're on their 18th move and Charlotte is having trouble coping.

If you've never seen Cher in film before you may be surprised to find out she's a decent actress. Christina Ricci isn't given any terribly difficult material but she does just fine with what she has - not distracting from any of the adults with the "acting" to which some child actors are prone. It's Winona Ryder who really makes this movie though. Her narration interspersed with in the moment internal monologuing helps you get attached to her quickly. Emotions she goes through in voiceover are also readily apparent in her expressions on the screen. Ryder's maturity makes her ideal for this role.

As for other aspects of the film... well, it takes place in the 1960s but looks more so like a fictional place. You almost expect a saloon to be next door to their friend Lou's shoe store. All the buildings are pale and seashore colored, except for the nunnery next door that looks like a dark and overly foreboding tower in the weeds. Just keep your eyes on the characters and you'll be in for an interesting ride.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Winona Ryder fans.

Extended Review: There seems to be a case of "oh-shoot-we-have-to-end-this-movie" going on here. Mrs. Flax and Charlotte have said what they need to say. They've come to some sort of a deal that holds no promise of a long term solution. I know... let's dance! It looks like they're having fun even though it's logically way too soon for that if things are really going to change in that household. The only worse choice of an ending that could have been made is a freeze frame of the three girls in a group hug.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

Days must have been longer in late 1930s London. Miss Pettigrew certainly has a long one in this story of an out-of-work nanny who sidesteps her way into the screwy world of aspiring American actress, Delysia Lafosse, under the assumption that she's a renowned social secretary.

Frances McDormand plays the title character with demure wisdom that builds over the course of the film. This contrasts a bit with the actual pace of the movie which picks up double time from Delysia's first appearance for a whirlwind ride all the way to the finish.

Amy Adams' Delysia is a slight offshoot from her typical innocent living in her own world; it's difficult not to feel a little bad for her even though her dilemma is entirely her own fault. As Miss Pettigrew skillfully assists her in balancing three boyfriends - a controlling nightclub owner, a pushover play producer, and a lovesick piano player - we're treated to a glitzy view of pre-war London. Much of it comes off like a stage production but there are some good shots that pull the audience into the 4th wall. One of those is the circle of relationships shot during Delysia and Michael's treatment of "If I Didn't Care". Overall this is mainly a fluffy piece with no real underlying message but an enjoyable sprint through what must have been an exhausting day 70 years in the making.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for: Women and men alike looking for 90 minutes of light laughs