Movie Review: He's Just Not That Into You

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long, Jennifer Connelly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore
Director: Ken Kwapis
Rating: C+

"All my friends used to tell me about how things might work out with these dipsticks because they knew someone, who knew someone, who dated a dipstick just like mine. That girl ended up getting married and living happily ever after. That's the exception and we're not the exception we're the rule. "

It's difficult enough translating a best-selling fiction novel into a movie - having to compete with the readers' imaginations and potentially skimping on the author's details. What more if the movie is a translation of a non-fiction self-help book?

Such is the dilemma of He's Not That Into You - an interpretation of Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo's best-selling book for women that get trampled on in the dating game when they make excuses for the jerks they chase after. The general message: men go for what they want, period. Stop adding in the shades of gray, it really is that simple. If he's not all over you, it means he doesn't want to be. The book is empowering and liberating to those who fall into this trap, possibly obvious and silly to the more well adjusted sorts. I'm more from the former category than the latter, so I was very, very curious how these simple yet powerful ideas would translate into script. An allegory of the pitfalls of modern love? A very intriguing possibility...

First, some introductions.
Gigi - she is you, she is the girl that needs to read the book, she is the girl waiting by her phone, she is the girl that soothes herself with excuses when the phone does not ring, she is... desperate to the point of alienation and irritation. I'm not sure single girls will appreciate having Gigi as their representative - for the most part, I didn't.
Alex - he is the voice of the book, the voice of reason at the sidelines of Gigi's desperate debacles telling her how not into her all these guys are. Problem is, he doesn't fit into the story. He's the narrator that is hanging out with the characters instead of being the all-knowing voice-over. He's saying the same thing, repetitive and contrived. He's not like anyone you'd ever meet, he's not believable - he might as well be 3 inches tall and sitting on Gigi's shoulder.
Unfortunately, Gigi and Alex are the crux of the film, the most important players, and they don't fare so well.

It's not all bad. Around Gigi and Alex is a network of other relationships that are delicately, tragically intertwined. Through several characters, some very poignant issues in modern relationships are explored: the marriage/commitment distinction, marriage breakdown, infidelity, technological impacts on social interaction, the pressure of loneliness (and the following insanity), unrequited love and the fact that girls can be jerks, too - they're not always the victims of the piece.

In fact, there are some absolute gems in this movie - lines, scenes, snippets that either had me laughing out loud, or stopping short of laughing out loud because it hit a little too close to home. Mary (Drew Barrymore) provides a great commentary on the numerous technological outputs you can get rejected on and I was in hysterics over the women who mused about how they had been tricked into thinking they were breaking up with guys when really, they were the ones being dumped!

He's Just Not That Into You falls over when trying to 'tie up' all these complex issues at the end. Although the crew make a very deliberate attempt to stop people from dismissing the film as a typical romantic comedy (Watch their piss-take on rom-com cliches that are not in the film here: click on the candy heart that reads Top Ten Chick Flick Cliches - pretty funny, actually), there is no distinction between formulaic (what they try to avoid) and predictable (what the story inevitably becomes). What I found most outrageous was Alex's assertion at the end that Gigi is indeed the exception and not the rule, completely betraying the book and everything it stands for!

Perhaps translating a manifesto into a story is too ambitious for even the best of film-makers. Perhaps these issues are better explored in a series rather than crammed into the confines of a romantic comedy. There's enough in He's Just Not That Into You to be engaging, funny and even insightful. But the unlucky in love will have to look for answers elsewhere...

Movie Review: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
Director: Woody Allen
Rating: C+

"How can I trust you? After all, I have thoughts of killing you!"

When I saw the trailers for this film, I suspected it could be either a. an insightful reflection on self-discovery and (sexual) adventure in unconventional relationships or b. a self-indulgent memoir of "that summer" with all the love triangles. If it weren't for Penelope Cruz, I'd have been pretty damn disappointed in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, especially since it leaned more towards 'b'.

Vicky is the straight-laced one - she's engaged to a dependable man and is pleased with her sensible life choices. In contrast, her friend Cristina is pleasure-seeking and spontaneous, willing to try anything that life throws at her. Whilst visiting friends in Barcelona and soaking in the culture, they meet Juan Antonio who suggests they have a threesome. Shortly thereafter, they find out that Juan Antonio has some baggage - his ex-wife (Maria Elena, played by the scene stealing Penelope Cruz) tried to kill him by stabbing him with a knife. Hilarity ensues? Hmm.

The main problem I had with Vicky Cristina Barcelona is that the character divisions were so obvious and simple. To top it off, there is cheesy narration to emphasise points in the movie that are already very, very clear. Cristina and Vicky are polar opposites, but not in an interesting or complex way. It was more like putting black next to white. Throughout the film I was unconvinced that they were even very good friends! Vicky is a know-it-all and her smugness and self-righteousness is really annoying. Cristina is fickle, flaky and dull (I wondered if the dullness was due to Johanssen - I liked her first few movies, when I thought that she was a good actress who knew how to play characters dialed back, now I worry it's just because she has no charisma...?) . Juan Antonio, I imagine, was meant to be a breath of fresh air in the womens' lives, but I never really bought into his character either. Is he a free spirit or a sleaze? I didn't even care.

Enter Maria Elena. Sassy, gorgeous, insane, hilarious. The movie is almost unbearable until she shows up, and I wished the film rotated more around her character. Next to Maria Elena, Vicky is pitied for her frigidity and fear of passion (if not forgotten), Cristina appears even more vacuous (if possible), and Juan Antonio completely loses his edge - all the things that make him sexy and alluring (to Vicky and Cristina, not me) turn out to be rip-offs of Maria Elena. She's got more talent as an artist, she's sexier, she's more inspired with a stronger sense of self. I don't know whether creating Maria Elena was good or bad for the film - she's enough to bring the enjoyment factor right up, but she renders every other plot arm lame.

Maria Elena Barcelona - now that would have been a worthwhile film.

Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Director: David Fincher
Rating: B

"I was thinkin' about how nothin' lasts. And what a shame that is."

The curious case of Benjamin Button is this: He ages backwards. The age of his physical body grows in reverse, while his mind develops along the typical human course. Born with wrinkles, cataracts and arthritis, baby Benjamin is abandoned on Queenie's (Taraji P. Henson) doorstep. Queenie, a caregiver at the nearby nursing home, feels an aching compassion for the deformed child and takes Benjamin in.

I found Benjamin effortlessly compelling (and believable, thanks to the astonishing special effects) - his mind and his body are always at odds, his condition constantly displaces him in time and from his surroundings. Growing up, he has the frustrations of a child being raised amongst the elderly in a nursing home, trapped in an elderly person's body. And despite the fact that those around him are aware of his condition, he is still treated according to his physical age - like an elderly man and not a growing boy. Benjamin is also a very endearing character. He has the wisdom and patience of an adult, mixed with the wide-eyed optimism of a child - the contrast between his physical and mental development is reflected in his attitudes towards life. The film is textured with warm humour and empathy.

The most prevailing (and heartbreaking) theme is that of impermanence, this idea that "nothing lasts" - a concept that all the other characters seem to struggle with. Benjamin, on the other hand, is much more adept in dealing with loss and moving on. To Benjamin, time is no longer an adequate measure of the space in which a life resides. As a result, Benjamin and Daisy's love-story also takes a different spin. While most love stories are about emphasising "forever", Benjamin and Daisy's story forces them to accept that their romance can only last for a finite amount of time.

While I thought Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett did a fine job in their portrayal of Benjamin and Daisy, I'm not convinced there was anything particularly special or outstanding about their performances either (I secretly wondered if the film would have reached different depths with unknown actors?). Despite the interesting explorations of time and age, the script itself was a bit simplistic, and this shortfall was empasised by the fact that much of the story was narrated. The film dragged a little in the last quarter, probably because the perspective shifted from Benjamin to Daisy and by then the film's take home messages had already hit home.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a thoughtful reflection of time and impermanence and Benjamin is an interesting character to follow. While I felt like there was a shade of depth that was missing, overall it is a heartwarming film worth watching.

Movie Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Starring: Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor, Madhur Mittal
Director: Danny Boyle
Rating: A

"You think I don’t wake up every morning wishing I didn’t know the answer to that question?"

If life can be summarised as a series of defining moments, Jamal, the hero of Slumdog Millionaire, is re-living them all from the hot-seat on the Indian version of "Who wants to be a millionaire?" Jamal is an orphaned street kid from Mumbai who is taken in for questioning because the authorities suspect he is cheating on the popular game show. The police officers demand an explanation from Jamal: how could a "slumdog" know any of these answers?
Such is the clever formula of the film: The game show is used as a platform for Jamal's story. The story jumps back and forth between the interrogation room and Jamal's flashbacks. Each game show question is linked to a tale from Jamal's past - sometimes a hilarious memory, but for the most part a tragic and painful one. The tales revolve around the three children - Jamal, his older brother, Salim, and Latika, Jamal's childhood sweetheart. Theirs is a story of poverty, abuse and children having to grow up too fast. Each flashback explains, little by little, the circumstances that lead Jamal to his game show appearance.

I became attached to the characters very quickly and easily - I could see each unique perspective and could feel the anguish and confusion when confronted with every challenge. The complex relationship between Jamal and his brother is particularly brilliant - you want to love and hate Salim at the same time as he is alternately protective and destructive towards Jamal. The performances are superb - especially given that the cast is made up of children!

At the film's heart is it's message of relentless optimism, regardless of the chaos and ugliness that threatens all around. Despite the harrowing backdrop of Jamal's upbringing, he believes in destiny and happy ("Bollywood") endings. Although surrounded by corruption, he never allows himself to be corrupted. The slumdog is also the underdog, and audiences want to follow him and want him to succeed (this goes for the gameshow audience in the film and the film audience). He is driven by a determinism that withstands heartbreaking and even violent setbacks.

A beautiful, memorable film - not always for the faint hearted, but a shining example of triumph in adversity.