Midnight in Paris, 2011

Midnight in Paris, 2011
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Cathy Bates



Stage: Home Theatre


Midnight in short: Gil and Inez travel to Paris as a tag-along vacation on her parents' business trip. Gil is a successful Hollywood writer but is struggling on his first novel. He falls in love with the city and thinks they should move there after they get married, but Inez does not share his romantic notions of the city or the idea that the 1920s was the golden age. When Inez goes off dancing with her friends, Gil takes a walk at midnight and discovers what could be the ultimate source of inspiration for writing. Gil's daily walks at midnight in Paris could take him closer to the heart of the city but further from the woman he's about to marry.


Preps: Oh, the new stuff from Woody Allen. A must see. I don't care what it is, but I am a huge fan of Allen's movies and could swallow them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Am definitely curious who the protagonist will be and what his main pain will be.



Reality: MMMMMMMMMM, a balsam to my romantic soul. The real question is are we satisfied in the present or are we living somewhere else (with our minds), letting it argue with our present being and just watching the present run away. Are we trying to escape into another body, soul, time period? And how does it conflict with who we are today. Where to stay, in your Avatar or in your present, this is the question this piece is struggling with.

Is Clive Owen the best protagonist you could imagine? Being used to romantic comedies, the genre fits perfectly. However, I am dissappointed in Allen's choice for the main cast. In some aspects, however, it perfectly fits to the purpose. Does he imperson Allen as Woody decides not to break the ice again with playing in his own movie? Probably yes. Is he really like Allen? Well, the character is like Allen, lost, then found, lost again, then dragged away by an idea. So the job, given to Owen, is actualy driven perfectly. Even though I despise his lack of mannly behaviour, I am deeply intrigued by the story. What a great idea, to travel into the world of people you embrace in your deepest desires. And what an upgrade, to find out that once you are in that world, the protagonists or the Einsteins of that time, think that they aren't living in the proper era.

Is this the question we all keep asking ourselves - how would it be to live in something else, someone else's trousers, a different setting, different points of certainty.. and for how long would it last? The main characters in 1920 also want to escape to some other period, just for the sake of being able to live like the people they admire. And after some time, they would get fed up of that time too and give it away for another jump. In some dillusion, it would be great of having the power to jump any time given, to the period that drives you the most at that moment. The inspiration then, must be to live your life the way it could move and switch through different drives we all seek within something else. It's not the neigbour, whose grass is always greener. I think we should find it within our own backyard. And that would be the leading point of the piece.

Brilliant in many aspects. Light and entertaining. And yet, extremely deep. Applause.


My personal rate: 9,0 (truly good plot and way to think about the present).


Midnight in Paris on IMDB

Hall Pass, 2011

Hall Pass, 2011
Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Cast: Owen Wilson, Christina Applegate, Jason Sudeikis



Stage: Home theatre



Hall Pass in short:A couple of married guys are always looking at other women, treating their own wives like trash. Their wives are fed up with their behavior, and grant them a 'hall pass': a week off their marriage allowing them to do anything. But the guys take their time and their week is almost up. What they don't realize is that at the same time their wives make connections of their own.

Preps: One of the hot ones in the movies a while ago. Although it's the dead season for the movies, I still find a luring bate inside this one. What if maybe once I am wrong and this could be a good one afterall?


Reality: Nope. I am not wrong. This is again, one of the crooked comedies, and as my expectations rose high, they were stabbed and trembled down with the mere (again, used and abused) idea of giving your husband graciously a week off the marriage. Hm. Like we are in the kindergarten. Where is the sense of responsibility and how does the message of the movie comply to this?
In average, every normal person wants to get off the train every now and then. I believe this piece is a sort of attempt how to do it and what happens (the look behind the scenes). But guess what, it doesn't even pass the normal standard I would expect, or at least, it could have some more brains attached to the making of the movie, for instance the script, the mere definition of why he gets to do it and why does she comply with that? Is there some written rule that guys pay more in the marriage, in terms of pain and suffering, and therefore should be allowed to take a break? In some sense, what if you have children, you cannot just go around and decide to take a break. The mere idea breaks my nerves in two parts and makes me angry all the time, since I barely sense the red line in the movie or dare I say a message. What is the true message; he's gonna wander around, doing whatever he wants to do (from a sane point of view, we can all do whatever we want, it's the responsibility and conscious that are leaving us behind doing things we decided we wanted and act as adults. In this piece, you can see small children playing in a sand box. Wives getting an extra story and an extra connection? Oh, come on. No way I buy it. And it's a shitty version. Owen acts like a clown and Applegate as the tortured wife. No way a smart viewer should comply with that or just accept it. Hence, I erase this brainless piece of a movie. Don't recommend it, don't go there, don't even think about it. There is absolutely nothing about this movie you might like.


My personal rating: 0,0 (and no comment whatsoever).

Hall Pass on IMDB

Marley and me, 2008

Marley and me, 2008
Director: David Frankel
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson




Marley in short: After their wedding, newspaper writers John and Jennifer Grogan move to Florida. In an attempt to stall Jennifer's "biological clock", John gives her a puppy. While the puppy Marley grows into a 100 pound dog, he loses none of his puppy energy or rambunctiousness. Meanwhile, Marley gains no self-discipline. Marley's antics give John rich material for his newspaper column. As the Grogans mature and have children of their own, Marley continues to test everyone's patience by acting like the world's most impulsive dog.


Stage: home theatre

Preps: Also, a known movie in the local cinema. Since I am an animal lover I love watching movies that somehow include an animal or the relationship a human can have with the pet, if he/she allows it.


Reality: Regarding the trailer, I need to make the first comment. There are good dogs and there are bad dogs - one of the worst taglines ever, to bring a crowd in the cinema in order to teach them dog habits or responsibility that a dog brings. If Marley is percepted as bad dog right in front, then the movie audience will lack those that adore animals with a nicer perception.

Apart from that, the movie has a distinctive advantage towards others in this genre - the humorous scenes with Marley are hillarious. Let's leave behind the idea that taking a pet instead of a child is simply immature, or that your life needs to have an agenda you follow and tick the tasks you have already accomplished.

Marley makes you adore the idea of having a dog as a pet and Anniston with Owen makes a perfect unsuitable couple to have it. A dog taking the lead master role in the family - this idea is simply brilliant and remarkably shown. Therefore, for the funny scenes in the movie when the dog is growing up, a big plus.

A big minus for everything else. Although it's cute, the dog cannot hide the bad cast and the weak scenario, also the scenery doesn't impress, neither photography, the music is unnoticeable, etc. In some sense, apart from the funny dog scenes and running on the beach nothing really important to miss if you miss this piece.



My personal rating: 3,5 (some great scenes with the dog and the way a pet can slaughter any type of bossing around by the owner. They made me burst with laughter).

Marley's page on IMDB

Marley's home page