Sunday Matinee

About a year ago I did something for the first time. It was something I’d been wanting to do for a long time, but never got up to do. I don’t know if it was that I was insecure about it or if I just never had the drive to do it or the desire, but I finally went to a movie alone.

It was spectacular.

I didn’t have to compromise on what movie I saw, I just chose one and saw it. I didn’t have to meet up with anybody or work around anybody else’s schedule. All I had to do was get my ticket and enjoy my time.

Since then, I’ve seen quite a few movies alone. It’s something I do when I get a little bit bored with socializing. Also, I love movies (I’ve seen tons, I watch them multiple times, and I always have a list of them to see). It’s a nice getaway from talking and I can spend quality time with myself (turns out, I’m a pretty cool guy to hang out with sometimes!)

So lately I’ve been going on Sundays to see movies with myself. It’s less expensive than any other day and Sundays have been my only days off recently. So I’ve decided to, each Sunday, write a review of the movie I see. This week I’m writing two, though, to cover last week’s and this week’s movies.
Disclaimer: I’m no movie critic. I’m an enthusiast. I’m simply writing these from one movie goer and lover to other movie goers and lovers.

Last week I saw…

The Art of Getting By:
3/10
I might even be generous in that rating. It was slow, remarkably uninteresting, difficult to believe, and it did NOT flow well. I wanted to see this one because I enjoy Emma Roberts and I’ve been in slight adoration of Freddie Highmore since Finding Neverland. Sadly, this movie was a huge disappointment. The characters felt far too “normal” for the problems that they were supposed to have. Additionally, as adolescent characters, they were far too disconnected from anything else (i.e. parents, accountability, respect, etc.) to really be believable. The movie was made up of what appeared to be miniature windows into these characters’ days: an attempt to show a broad picture of who they were while never revealing any true depth to each of them as people.
It wasn’t until the last 15 minutes or so of the movie’s 83 minutes (yes, it wasn’t even 1.5 hours long) that anything got interesting or remotely realistic. The characters finally began to show some emotion and the plot felt like it was actually leading in some sort of direction, albeit a predictable and cliché one. I think that the one redeeming aspect of this movie was the soundtrack, but I am definitely being kind in that one. The use of The Boxer Rebellion just generally makes my ears happy.

Overall: I don’t recommend this one. Unless you want a hipster movie that lacks clear direction and believable dialogue, you’d probably be better of not renting it either. Watch the preview, though, because that’s actually not bad.

Today I saw…

Bad Teacher:
8/10
I know, I know, “8/10 for a crass and abrasive comedy?!” I love comedies. No, this was no Gladiator or Shawshank Redemption, but it was damn funny. Ever since I saw my first rated R movie in theaters (There’s Something About Mary) I’ve had a crush on Cameron Diaz. Give me as much crap as you want, but I will also argue that she’s not a bad actress either. That on top of one of the funniest actors around right now, Jason Segel, and one of my 5 man-crushes, Justin Timberlake, makes this a pretty solid cast. It’s not a conventional comedic cast, but it works. The chemistry between the characters is believable, despite being pretty unrealistic. The ability to suspend disbelief throughout this movie comes naturally in part because of the actors’ abilities to bring their exaggerated characters to life, but largely because of the impeccable dialogue. Anybody who watches stand-up comedians or enough comedies knows that dialogue (and comedic timing) is paramount. Applause to Jason Segel here. He plays Russell Gettis: the gym teacher who is unrelentingly attracted to Elizabeth Halsey (Diaz) to the point where he succumbs to consistent rejection, yet shows no signs of giving up on asking her out on a date. His short bits quips throughout the movie aren’t as memorable as the entirety of, say, Anchorman, but they offer insight into each character by offering subtle clarity and they leave the audience laughing during nearly every scene.

Overall: I highly recommend this movie. You don’t need to go see it in theaters; it’s not anything that will be made better by it or worse by watching in your living room, but see it. If you have a blunt sense of humor that sidles into crassness and still appreciate a bit of an uplifting finale, you’ll love this one.