My best friend's wedding, 1997

My best friend's wedding, 1997
Director: P.J. Hogan
Cast: Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz





Stage: Home TV selection


My best friend's wedding in short: A woman who, by a promise made years earlier, is supposed to marry her best friend in three weeks, even though she doesn't want to. When she finds out that he's marrying someone else, she becomes jealous and tries to break off the wedding.


Preps: I have seen this piece several times. A nice romantic comedy, something to end up a good weekend with. 


Reality: This isn't one of the greatest achievements for Julia Roberts or Cameron Diaz. However, both share mutual affection (or attraction) to the genre (romantic comedy). It is without a doubt that you can never claim this one isn't cute or wittily put together. On the other hand, it isn't more than an average comedy. The story flow is charming, but not breathtaking. A girl finds out a guy of her dreams was waltzing around her the whole life and when she is to lose him, she realizes she wants him more than anything in the world.

It is a bit lame, the storyflow, as the big secret to learn is that we need to cherish things when we have them in our palms, not when they are about to go or already away. Ok, we got it. It is something you learn at a certain point of time. The tools Julia uses in bringing attention of once her best friend are merely worth any special attention. The scenario lacks a few good dialogues and you won't fell off your feet seeing bad things she does to distract her friend from his fiance.

Now, the music is cute. I even have a soundtrack and the songs go into your ears easily. You easily like Julia and Cameron, so it's hard to decide, who do you really  want to get this guy of their dreams. The setting is bound to make humour, things around wedding tend to get funny. But the director could have taken this chance to bring up an extraordinary character or two. He does some work with gay friend Julia has (Rupert Everett) and he quickly grows into your heart. He is the light in the dark you are surrounded with at some points. And he ends the piece with pure humour you cannot resist.


My personal rating: 6,0 (funny, witty dialogues, solid romantic comedy. Never fall in love with your best friend ;) after he's already engaged).


My best friend's wedding on IMDB

Catch and Release, 2006

Catch and Release, 2006
Director: Susannah Grant
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Kevin Smith, Timothy Olyphant



Stage: Home TV selection, late Sunday night.



Catch and Release in short: After the sudden death of her fiancé, Gray Wheeler finds comfort in the company of his friends: lighthearted and comic Sam, hyper-responsible Dennis, and, oddly enough, his old childhood buddy Fritz, an irresponsible playboy whom she'd previously pegged as one of the least reliable people in the world. As secrets about her supposedly perfect fiancé emerge, Gray comes to see new sides of the man she thought she knew, and at the same time, finds herself drawn to the last man she ever expected to fall for.


Preps: I don't know the essence of the movie, nor have I heard anything about this piece. But Jennifer can be cute in some romantic pieces. let's see.


Reality: It is an interesting piece. Starts off with irony of the moment. Losing a guy you are supposed to marry is a tragedy. Especially if you really mean it and you are all up to it. Quite another thing is finding out all the secret life he has been living parallel to living with you. This movie deals with loss and getting over by finding out all the bad things about your ex. Somehow different to similar pieces.

Gray is faced with all the dirty details, plus she falls for one of his friends. Scene where they kiss for the first time, is one of more optimal  solutions to the problem, what to do about it. Step aside and think. Not go for it, all the way. The irony of the moment is so strong it keeps me wondering for a long time. The same goes for the dialogues and the black humour witty stuff that keeps my belly trembling with anxiety.

As said, one of the better pieces in the genre, that wants to be some kind of comical drama and succeeds truly. The friends are neat, the family is awful (getting the engagement ring back might seem a good idea as the spouse isn't going to stay in family, but from her perspective it is either highly ironical or unacceptable). I believe I would slap the future ex mother in law in the face. I need to admit Garner plays a tremendous role in this one, compared to some minor ones that I can remember, where she doesn't have the decent glow around her.

Nothing really perticular about this piece, but I do like it. A good Sunday entertainment, truly. Plus, the guy she falls for, cute and charming, Mr Yummy. :)

My personal rating: 6,0 (more than decent Sunday fun. To be sincere, fell to the solid ground).


Catch and Release on IMDB

The Babysitter, 1995

The Babysitter, 1995
Director: Guy Ferland
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Jeremy London, J.T.Walsh


Stage: Home TV selection, Friday night



The Babysitter in short:A teenage girl babysits two young kids while the parents go out to a party. Her boyfriend is coerced (with the help of alcohol) by an old 'friend' into going to the house. Both boys are obsessed with the babysitter, as is the father of the two children. The story basically shows the effects drink has on different people.



Preps: I am not familiar with the piece and I notice Alicia Silverstone is still a child here. Though I see her as a sex icon in many movies with more recent date, I am curious how she behaved as a child and whether she has any talent in this time of her life.



Reality: The movie is dissappointing. It can be well taken as a juvenile movie, with some erotic moments (erotic also for juvenile audience). I haven't seen such lousy act for a long time. The same goes for stupid dialogues, the scenes that cannot touch my heart and presumeably erotic affection for a teenager that goes beyond belief.
Alicia Silverstone is here merely a child, still seducing adult people like they were on some transport line or something. All adults have wet dreams about her and dream about making it out or having straight sex with her. Right.
The same deed in The american beauty, but in quite a different shape. Beauty makes this erotic desire for the young lady so convincing you cannot find it disgusting. However in this perticular piece nothing is as it should be in real life. Therefore I cannot even bare to watch it beyond half a movie.
Don't recommend it. There isn't anything you would like to watch on this piece.

My personal rating: 0 (blah. not worth your time and effort).



The Babysitter on IMDB