Greetings,
I recently posted my Top Ten list of Whose Line is it Anyway? games. Since Drew Carey was the host of that show, I briefly mentioned his sitcom, The Drew Carey Show. I may not have mentioned that it was one of my favorite comedies of all time. I know it was never critically acclaimed. I think some critics had a problem with the fact that the actors weren't exactly Shakespearean trained, but that was what I liked about it. They all just seemed like regular people who you might know in your own life. And it was funny. I'd like to think that would be the most important thing for a comedy show, but call me crazy.
Now I, like most fans, can admit that the show was a bit slow in the beginning, and it began to decline a little in the last couple of years, which seems to be the life cycle of a lot of shows. I think most of us consider the middle five or six seasons to be the best. And though there were later changes, it was within those years that the core and best known characters would lie. Those characters were led by the main man, Drew Allison Carey. Yes, his middle name was Allison. There's some trivia for you. He was joined by his lifelong friends Kate (Christa Miller), Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader), as well as his generously eyeshadowed nemesis Mimi (Kathy Kinney), his brother Steve (John Carroll Lynch) and his boss at the Winfred-Louder department store, Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson. Yes, THAT Craig Ferguson).
And so now I will share with you my Top Ten episodes of The Drew Carey Show. It was actually quite difficult for me to narrow this down, since there were a lot of great moments. But I did my best.
#10. "Two Weddings and a Funeral For a Fridge" (Season 3) - In this episode, we suffer a tragic loss. That of Bessie. And if you haven't figured it out by now, Bessie is Drew's refrigerator, a refrigerator that had been with the gang since childhood. Obviously, they're upset, so they all compete in the Winfred-Louder annual employee games to win him a new one. Unless, of course, Mimi gets in their way. Think that might happen?
#9. "Drew's Brother" (Season 3) - After losing his job and going through a break up, Drew's brother, Steve, suddenly shows up at his door asking for help. You can see that Drew and Steve love each other but also that there is a history of comical sibling abuse. Of course, I say 'comical', because I am an older sibling. So Steve is your typical older brother. Or is he? Well, surprise for us and Drew, it turns out that Steve is a cross dresser. Funny enough. Now I know some men may easily pass themselves off as a woman if dressed in drag, but the wonderful and underrated actor, John Carroll Lynch, who played Steve, is not exactly one of them. Yes, sir, it is a compliment that I find you more attractive as a man. Ironically, this is the same episode where, due to an allergic reaction, Mimi is forced to go two weeks without make up. Oh, the horror.
#8. "The Curse of the Mummy" (Season 7) - Here we have a guest appearance by Richard Chamberlain . . . as Mr. Wick's mother. I only have three things to say about this. Number One: Dear Richard Chamberlain, how did we not know? Number Two: What is it with this show and cross dressers? Number Three: A year. ONE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR before I could watch The Thornbirds again! Thanks a bunch, one and all!
#7. "It's Halloween, Dummy" (Season 7) - In a nice change from Drew's past experiences, Winfred-Louder gets a new owner who loves him. Who is that owner? Why, it's Mr. Newsome played by Henry Winkler! Oh, classic! He plans to move Drew up in the company, but, alas, (spoiler!) he dies. He is literally scared to death by a fake spider while he is dressed like a turtle. It is the second funniest thing in this episode. The first would be Oswald's "mushroom" costume. If you can't figure it out, look it up online.
#6. "Batmobile" (Season 3) - Believe it or not, Drew won the actual Batmobile in this episode. Needless to say, everyone is quite excited, but none more than Lewis and Oswald who go so far as to take the car without permission while they are dressed in some very specific outfits. Yes, it is exactly what you think. And do not think Nolan Batman.
#5. "Hush, Little Baby" (Season 6) - This is the first episode after Mimi gives birth to her and Steve's son (yes, she married Drew's brother. More on that later). She is plagued by the fact that he will not stop crying . . . unless he is held by Drew. To make matters worse, Steve gets sick and has to move to Drew's house, and then makes Drew stay with Mimi and the baby. Nobody is happy about that, except for us, of course.
#4. "See Drew Run" (Season 2) - Due to Winfred-Louder's refusal to build a skywalk, the employees are forced to cross the street at a dangerous intersection. Now it wouldn't be a comedy if a few people didn't get hit by cars. No disappointment on that one. So, in protest, Drew opts to go on a hunger strike until they build the skywalk. Things begin a little slowly on that, to say the least, but the gang comes up with a hilarious and somewhat creepy looking way to get what they need. Oh, Drew, you and your big head.
#3. "Steve and Mimi Get Married" (Season 5) - Okay, a little back story. Soon after arriving, Steve begins a romance with Mimi, much to Drew's chagrin. No kidding. They date for a while, but it all culminates with this wedding episode. A lot happens here. Steve is mad at Drew for his attitude toward Mimi and wants it to stop, which is the basic plot of this one. But we also get some special appearances, like Joe Walsh in his recurring and extremely funny role of Ed, and Tammy Faye as Mimi's mother. I wonder how she got that part. Hands down though, I'd say the best part of this episode is Mimi's dress. I've seen a plethora of TV wedding dresses in my lifetime, but none better than this. None!
#2. "Drew Blows His Promotion" (Season 2) - Drew is offered a promotion if he remakes the store's safety videos, which he does. This coincides with his birthday, a day where his friends attack him with pranks. Lewis and Oswald criticize Kate for not pulling any good pranks, so she takes a copy of Drew's newly made video and adds amusing sounds. And what might they be? Well, let's just say that the sound editor's whoopee cushion was working overtime. It was meant to be shown at his party, but the tapes were switched and Drew got embarrassed in front of his bosses. At least, he entertained them. And us. No lie, the first time I saw this, I went into that 'I can't stop laughing, but I wish I could because it's replacing my breathing at the moment' type of laughter. Good times.
#1. "The Gang Stops Drinking" (Season 5) - After eating a meal that Kate prepares, the gang becomes very sick. They think it was her cooking, but it turns out that Mimi dosed their dessert with a drug that makes you vomit if you drink alcohol. Oh, did I mention they all drink a lot? So they must spend St. Patrick's Day sober. Tragic. But since the actress who played Kate looked a tad pregnant at the time, perhaps no beer was a good idea. Still, seeing them sit around the table at their favorite bar drinking not beer was a moment to remember, because I'm pretty sure it never happened again. Also, 'the night the toilet cried' is a phrase now in my vernacular. Thank you, Drew.
So there you have it. I tried my best to recall these episodes since I have not seen them in years. Yeah, this show is nowhere to be found anymore. Why, oh why can't they put it on DVD? It would make me so happy. Come on, Drew. Use some of that mojo that Bob Barker left lingering to make it happen.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Chiklis and the Change
Greetings,
I am never certain if I take change well. Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't. But if there is one thing, or one person I should say, who makes me think that I fall more on the side of the "don't", it is Michael Chiklis.
Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Michael Chiklis and have for over twenty years. That should be your first clue as to where I discovered him. That's right - The Commish. The Commish was and still is one of my all time favorite shows. It was fantastic. The stories were great, so were the characters. Although, some people would always point out that commissioners never went out to crime scenes like detectives or beat cops. They may have been right, but The Commish was not just any commissioner. He was Anthony J. Scali. His friends call him Tony, so I'm going to call him Tony, because, in my world, we are friends. Problem? Anyway, Tony Scali was the commissioner of Eastbridge, New York, a place that may or may not have been real. I never really looked into that. He was a wonderful, loving, cuddly - yes, cuddly - family man with a wife and two kids. Tony was just an all around nice guy, and that included his life as a cop. Oh, sure, he may have gotten angry at a suspect or two, but nothing too crazy. You could always tell how much he cared about the people he was helping.
Unfortunately, that wonderful show ended much too soon in my opinion. So after several years of waiting, I heard that my man Chiklis was going to be doing a new show called The Shield. He was going to play a guy named Vic Mackey who was a cop. Yay, a cop! Just like he was on The Commish. Yeah, I think everyone knows I kind of jumped the gun on that assumption.
In case you don't know, Vic Mackey of The Shield is nothing, NOTHING, like Tony Scali of The Commish. For really reals. If I could sum it up easily, he was just not a nice guy. And I figured that out with just one episode. Yes, I'll admit it. I only watched one episode of The Shield. I just couldn't handle it. I certainly couldn't handle my sweet, little Chiklis acting like such a meanie. So, therefore, I came to the conclusion that, perhaps, I do not take change very well. I certainly didn't in this case.
Now as I say these things about The Shield, I am not attacking the merit of the show. Though I never became a dedicated watcher, I'm sure it was well-done. It was certainly successful and critically acclaimed, including an Emmy for the star. And, by the way, when Chiklis won that Emmy, I was extremely happy for him because I knew he deserved it. I never doubted the talent of that man, and I never will.
So as time has passed and the resume of Mr. Chiklis has lengthened, many more people have gotten to see him in many more ways. They can all decide how they like him best. But for me, I still have a soft spot for Tony Scali and his gang. No matter what Michael Chiklis does, that is how I will think of him. I pray he thinks fondly on that time as well, because I am holding out hope for a The Commish reunion someday.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I am never certain if I take change well. Sometimes I do; sometimes I don't. But if there is one thing, or one person I should say, who makes me think that I fall more on the side of the "don't", it is Michael Chiklis.
Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Michael Chiklis and have for over twenty years. That should be your first clue as to where I discovered him. That's right - The Commish. The Commish was and still is one of my all time favorite shows. It was fantastic. The stories were great, so were the characters. Although, some people would always point out that commissioners never went out to crime scenes like detectives or beat cops. They may have been right, but The Commish was not just any commissioner. He was Anthony J. Scali. His friends call him Tony, so I'm going to call him Tony, because, in my world, we are friends. Problem? Anyway, Tony Scali was the commissioner of Eastbridge, New York, a place that may or may not have been real. I never really looked into that. He was a wonderful, loving, cuddly - yes, cuddly - family man with a wife and two kids. Tony was just an all around nice guy, and that included his life as a cop. Oh, sure, he may have gotten angry at a suspect or two, but nothing too crazy. You could always tell how much he cared about the people he was helping.
Unfortunately, that wonderful show ended much too soon in my opinion. So after several years of waiting, I heard that my man Chiklis was going to be doing a new show called The Shield. He was going to play a guy named Vic Mackey who was a cop. Yay, a cop! Just like he was on The Commish. Yeah, I think everyone knows I kind of jumped the gun on that assumption.
In case you don't know, Vic Mackey of The Shield is nothing, NOTHING, like Tony Scali of The Commish. For really reals. If I could sum it up easily, he was just not a nice guy. And I figured that out with just one episode. Yes, I'll admit it. I only watched one episode of The Shield. I just couldn't handle it. I certainly couldn't handle my sweet, little Chiklis acting like such a meanie. So, therefore, I came to the conclusion that, perhaps, I do not take change very well. I certainly didn't in this case.
Now as I say these things about The Shield, I am not attacking the merit of the show. Though I never became a dedicated watcher, I'm sure it was well-done. It was certainly successful and critically acclaimed, including an Emmy for the star. And, by the way, when Chiklis won that Emmy, I was extremely happy for him because I knew he deserved it. I never doubted the talent of that man, and I never will.
So as time has passed and the resume of Mr. Chiklis has lengthened, many more people have gotten to see him in many more ways. They can all decide how they like him best. But for me, I still have a soft spot for Tony Scali and his gang. No matter what Michael Chiklis does, that is how I will think of him. I pray he thinks fondly on that time as well, because I am holding out hope for a The Commish reunion someday.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Country Strong - Music Movie Review
Greetings,
I have always loved music, but it took me awhile to get into the country kind. Actually, all it really took was a few cute boys coming into the mix. Now I am a fan of that kind of music completely. Well, maybe not completely. I can name a few people that I try to avoid, adulteresses and whatnot, but let's not get into that today. Anyway, since I became such a fan, I tend to take notice of things if they have something to do with country music, like movies, for example. One of those movies is Country Strong.
Now I am not generally a huge fan of actresses becoming singers and vice versa. It can work, but it mostly seems contrived to me. Or a mess so hot you could toast marshmallows over it. In the case of our star here, Gwyneth Paltrow, I've always enjoyed the way she managed to use her talent for singing by slipping it into her acting jobs. She's never made a full on album or expected a Grammy, I think. Anyway, in this film, she really melded these two talents together better than she ever has. Okay, the story.
Country Strong is about a once praised but recently fallen singer named Kelly Canter played by Paltrow. We start off with her in rehab for her alcoholism, something which led to a very tragic, very public incident in her life. While there, she has met a special friend named Beau Hutton, played by Garrett Hedlund, who is a talented but unknown singer/songwriter. Oh, and by the way, when I say "special friend", it's exactly what you think it means, despite the fact that she is married. Her husband is a man named James who is played by Tim McGraw. So they are really not kidding about her having a drinking problem. I mean, who would cheat on Tim McGraw, for real? And while on the subject, I know I said I'm not always into the career switcheroo thing, but I do enjoy Tim McGraw as an actor. Still, I do hope one day he REALLY steps out of his comfort zone with this. Someone who hasn't always earned their "Good Acting" badge with me is Leighton Meester who plays Chiles Stanton, a young singer, relying more on her looks than her talent for fame, at first. Maybe it's the character she plays on Gossip Girl that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but here, she's not so bad.
The plot follows this three-date tour for which James has pulled Kelly out of rehab. I'm guessing not the best idea. James wants to hire Chiles as the opening act, but Kelly wants Beau to do it. Oh, for crying out loud! It's three dates. What is the whoop? Anyway, they take both youngsters with them and hilarity ensues. By hilarity, I mean one mess after another for Kelly. Hey, you take someone out of rehab early, you pay the price . . . to the concert promoters who are super annoyed at these shenanigans.
As their time on the road continues, Beau, who initially is not at all that crazy about Chiles, begins to develop feelings for her, as does she about him. I kind of think we saw that one coming. Despite this relationship that is blossoming, to say the least, Beau still cares deeply for Kelly and seems to be taking better care of her than her husband sometimes. Now that time, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Actually, most of the time, Beau comes off as being a very sincere friend to her who is pained as she engages in destructive behavior. It's kind of sweet.
Despite all the bad that occurs, there are a few bright moments. One of my favorite scenes is when Kelly goes to visit a little boy named Travis. She sings a song that she makes up on the spot that is especially for him, and the whole room starts dancing. We get to see a rare, gentle moment of love between Kelly and James that almost makes you forget all the problems, but when you do remember them, this scene could break your heart.
The end of the movie gives us a concert in Dallas, the city where that tragedy I mentioned earlier occurred. After that, a few more things happen and then we're done. Now the end of the film could be considered predictable, but that all depends on whether you are a pessimist or an optimist. I can't really say for which type of person this ending is predictable, because then I would be giving it away. And I don't want to do that, since I will most likely recommend this one. Before I get to officially doing that, we have something else about which to talk - the music.
So was it any good in this film? For the most part, I'll say yes, especially if you like country music (no kidding). It was so good, in fact, they released two CD soundtracks. Of course, if you like Tim McGraw's singing, you are out of luck. He is featured on but one song, and it is a duet. But there are some really strong musical moments here. Some of my favorites are the the title song, another one called "Timing is Everything", and of course, "Coming Home". The last of those was actually nominated for some big awards, and I get that. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking song.
Okay, do I recommend this movie? Yes, I do. While I can admit there is a lot of predictability in it, the performances are very strong and the music is good, something one may look for in a music movie. And, to combine those two things, the performances of the music are also very well done. I think it fulfilled what it set out to do. So check it out, especially if you like that country music.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I have always loved music, but it took me awhile to get into the country kind. Actually, all it really took was a few cute boys coming into the mix. Now I am a fan of that kind of music completely. Well, maybe not completely. I can name a few people that I try to avoid, adulteresses and whatnot, but let's not get into that today. Anyway, since I became such a fan, I tend to take notice of things if they have something to do with country music, like movies, for example. One of those movies is Country Strong.
Now I am not generally a huge fan of actresses becoming singers and vice versa. It can work, but it mostly seems contrived to me. Or a mess so hot you could toast marshmallows over it. In the case of our star here, Gwyneth Paltrow, I've always enjoyed the way she managed to use her talent for singing by slipping it into her acting jobs. She's never made a full on album or expected a Grammy, I think. Anyway, in this film, she really melded these two talents together better than she ever has. Okay, the story.
Country Strong is about a once praised but recently fallen singer named Kelly Canter played by Paltrow. We start off with her in rehab for her alcoholism, something which led to a very tragic, very public incident in her life. While there, she has met a special friend named Beau Hutton, played by Garrett Hedlund, who is a talented but unknown singer/songwriter. Oh, and by the way, when I say "special friend", it's exactly what you think it means, despite the fact that she is married. Her husband is a man named James who is played by Tim McGraw. So they are really not kidding about her having a drinking problem. I mean, who would cheat on Tim McGraw, for real? And while on the subject, I know I said I'm not always into the career switcheroo thing, but I do enjoy Tim McGraw as an actor. Still, I do hope one day he REALLY steps out of his comfort zone with this. Someone who hasn't always earned their "Good Acting" badge with me is Leighton Meester who plays Chiles Stanton, a young singer, relying more on her looks than her talent for fame, at first. Maybe it's the character she plays on Gossip Girl that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but here, she's not so bad.
The plot follows this three-date tour for which James has pulled Kelly out of rehab. I'm guessing not the best idea. James wants to hire Chiles as the opening act, but Kelly wants Beau to do it. Oh, for crying out loud! It's three dates. What is the whoop? Anyway, they take both youngsters with them and hilarity ensues. By hilarity, I mean one mess after another for Kelly. Hey, you take someone out of rehab early, you pay the price . . . to the concert promoters who are super annoyed at these shenanigans.
As their time on the road continues, Beau, who initially is not at all that crazy about Chiles, begins to develop feelings for her, as does she about him. I kind of think we saw that one coming. Despite this relationship that is blossoming, to say the least, Beau still cares deeply for Kelly and seems to be taking better care of her than her husband sometimes. Now that time, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Actually, most of the time, Beau comes off as being a very sincere friend to her who is pained as she engages in destructive behavior. It's kind of sweet.
Despite all the bad that occurs, there are a few bright moments. One of my favorite scenes is when Kelly goes to visit a little boy named Travis. She sings a song that she makes up on the spot that is especially for him, and the whole room starts dancing. We get to see a rare, gentle moment of love between Kelly and James that almost makes you forget all the problems, but when you do remember them, this scene could break your heart.
The end of the movie gives us a concert in Dallas, the city where that tragedy I mentioned earlier occurred. After that, a few more things happen and then we're done. Now the end of the film could be considered predictable, but that all depends on whether you are a pessimist or an optimist. I can't really say for which type of person this ending is predictable, because then I would be giving it away. And I don't want to do that, since I will most likely recommend this one. Before I get to officially doing that, we have something else about which to talk - the music.
So was it any good in this film? For the most part, I'll say yes, especially if you like country music (no kidding). It was so good, in fact, they released two CD soundtracks. Of course, if you like Tim McGraw's singing, you are out of luck. He is featured on but one song, and it is a duet. But there are some really strong musical moments here. Some of my favorites are the the title song, another one called "Timing is Everything", and of course, "Coming Home". The last of those was actually nominated for some big awards, and I get that. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking song.
Okay, do I recommend this movie? Yes, I do. While I can admit there is a lot of predictability in it, the performances are very strong and the music is good, something one may look for in a music movie. And, to combine those two things, the performances of the music are also very well done. I think it fulfilled what it set out to do. So check it out, especially if you like that country music.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Friday, September 21, 2012
Glitter - Music Movie Review
Greetings,
I bet you thought you were safe this week. No, we are going to go there. Back in time, to one of the worst movies of ALL time. But it's a music movie, so it qualifies to be reviewed by me. Take my hand. We are going to talk about Glitter.
I know that it's practically cliche to talk about how bad this movie is, and every reviewer has had the pleasure of bashing the daylights out of this thing. But I didn't have this blog way back then, so please indulge me on this.
For those of you who may not know, Glitter is a 2001 film (?) starring Mariah Carey. This was her first attempt at acting, aside from a very small part in a movie called The Bachelor. And up until this point, she had never been anything but successful. I am speaking, of course, professionally. When it came to her personal life, she didn't exactly succeed at marriage, but that is a whole other issue. Needless to say, this movie was not a success at all. I'm sure it didn't help that Mariah was also having some kind of breakdown at the same time. I sympathize with her on that, but I really don't know what she was thinking with this movie. Hang on, is it even legally a movie if there is no legitimate plot involved? Technically, I say no. It's what I call a PBFWTTAMA. Translation: People Being Filmed While They Talk And Move Around. Yes, I know. I am a genius. But, to make things easier for all of us, I'll just call it a movie. Let us begin. Oh, mercy.
Okay, if I was forced to extract some kind of plot from this movie, I guess I could say that it is the story of a little girl with a troubled home life who becomes a big star. Yes, it is a little unoriginal, but it could have been a good foundation. You start with that, then you add in a couple of conflicts that can mature and be resolved. A COUPLE of conflicts, not a thousand. See, that was one of the major problems here. There were a ton of things getting thrown at the main character. Oh, whose name, by the way, is Billie. I can't believe I didn't even think to mention that. As I was saying, there were a lot of problems thrown at Billie, but like 99.9% of them were resolved in about two minutes. So none of these so-called issues got a chance to mature into actual problems where the resolution would be an actual payoff.
And let's talk of the overall generic quality of everything in this movie. We had generic best friends, a generic love interest, a generic competitor for the love interest. We are not given anything to make us care about any of these characters. We certainly were not given any actors who could properly portray the characters and make them in any way dynamic. Well, we do get a pre-legitimized Terrence Howard, but with him, I think was just a case of a good actor trying to make the best of some really bad material. Speaking of which, what the heck with Dorian Harewood showing up in this thing? He was in Full Metal Jacket, for crying out loud. I weep, say a prayer and recall when I saw Hugh Laurie in Spice World. Now you know why House was always in a mood.
Now this post would be a mile long if I tried to get into all those plot threads that never led to anything. So I think I will choose to stop with talk of the movie on that level and get on to the music. This will be slightly less painful. Slightly.
The soundtrack is really nothing about which to brag. I think what made this so unsuccessful can be attributed to two things. First, being tied to this movie doesn't help. Second, when you compare it to all of Mariah's previous music, there is no comparison. Maybe if this album had been released by some new unknown artist it would have been given some props, but it did not live up to the quality we had come to expect from Mariah Carey. Now she did have a very minor hit from this called "Loverboy" and to be honest, I don't hate the song "Never Too Far", which reminded me of one of her classic ballads. Still, it wasn't enough to give this album a pass.
So am I recommending this? Not really. But I will choose to end on a high note, so to speak. As we all know, in 2005, Mariah made a huge musical comeback with The Emancipation of Mimi, but let us not forget about the strides she has made as an actress. Many people, myself included, were quite impressed by her performance in the movie Precious. But it was there that she did the right thing. She was not carrying the entire film, and she was not playing herself but a woman who was a not all glammed up, regular person. Therefore, Mariah proved that she does, indeed, have some acting chops. It's just all about presentation.
So, yes, we will always have Glitter whether we like it or not. We can be critical of dear Mariah, which I think I was, but let's remember that we all make mistakes in life. Some of us are just blessed enough to not have to make them in front of the whole world.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I bet you thought you were safe this week. No, we are going to go there. Back in time, to one of the worst movies of ALL time. But it's a music movie, so it qualifies to be reviewed by me. Take my hand. We are going to talk about Glitter.
I know that it's practically cliche to talk about how bad this movie is, and every reviewer has had the pleasure of bashing the daylights out of this thing. But I didn't have this blog way back then, so please indulge me on this.
For those of you who may not know, Glitter is a 2001 film (?) starring Mariah Carey. This was her first attempt at acting, aside from a very small part in a movie called The Bachelor. And up until this point, she had never been anything but successful. I am speaking, of course, professionally. When it came to her personal life, she didn't exactly succeed at marriage, but that is a whole other issue. Needless to say, this movie was not a success at all. I'm sure it didn't help that Mariah was also having some kind of breakdown at the same time. I sympathize with her on that, but I really don't know what she was thinking with this movie. Hang on, is it even legally a movie if there is no legitimate plot involved? Technically, I say no. It's what I call a PBFWTTAMA. Translation: People Being Filmed While They Talk And Move Around. Yes, I know. I am a genius. But, to make things easier for all of us, I'll just call it a movie. Let us begin. Oh, mercy.
Okay, if I was forced to extract some kind of plot from this movie, I guess I could say that it is the story of a little girl with a troubled home life who becomes a big star. Yes, it is a little unoriginal, but it could have been a good foundation. You start with that, then you add in a couple of conflicts that can mature and be resolved. A COUPLE of conflicts, not a thousand. See, that was one of the major problems here. There were a ton of things getting thrown at the main character. Oh, whose name, by the way, is Billie. I can't believe I didn't even think to mention that. As I was saying, there were a lot of problems thrown at Billie, but like 99.9% of them were resolved in about two minutes. So none of these so-called issues got a chance to mature into actual problems where the resolution would be an actual payoff.
And let's talk of the overall generic quality of everything in this movie. We had generic best friends, a generic love interest, a generic competitor for the love interest. We are not given anything to make us care about any of these characters. We certainly were not given any actors who could properly portray the characters and make them in any way dynamic. Well, we do get a pre-legitimized Terrence Howard, but with him, I think was just a case of a good actor trying to make the best of some really bad material. Speaking of which, what the heck with Dorian Harewood showing up in this thing? He was in Full Metal Jacket, for crying out loud. I weep, say a prayer and recall when I saw Hugh Laurie in Spice World. Now you know why House was always in a mood.
Now this post would be a mile long if I tried to get into all those plot threads that never led to anything. So I think I will choose to stop with talk of the movie on that level and get on to the music. This will be slightly less painful. Slightly.
The soundtrack is really nothing about which to brag. I think what made this so unsuccessful can be attributed to two things. First, being tied to this movie doesn't help. Second, when you compare it to all of Mariah's previous music, there is no comparison. Maybe if this album had been released by some new unknown artist it would have been given some props, but it did not live up to the quality we had come to expect from Mariah Carey. Now she did have a very minor hit from this called "Loverboy" and to be honest, I don't hate the song "Never Too Far", which reminded me of one of her classic ballads. Still, it wasn't enough to give this album a pass.
So am I recommending this? Not really. But I will choose to end on a high note, so to speak. As we all know, in 2005, Mariah made a huge musical comeback with The Emancipation of Mimi, but let us not forget about the strides she has made as an actress. Many people, myself included, were quite impressed by her performance in the movie Precious. But it was there that she did the right thing. She was not carrying the entire film, and she was not playing herself but a woman who was a not all glammed up, regular person. Therefore, Mariah proved that she does, indeed, have some acting chops. It's just all about presentation.
So, yes, we will always have Glitter whether we like it or not. We can be critical of dear Mariah, which I think I was, but let's remember that we all make mistakes in life. Some of us are just blessed enough to not have to make them in front of the whole world.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Music and Lyrics - Music Movie Review
Greetings,
Yesterday, I reviewed a little movie called Once, which, in its simplest form, is about a guy and a girl who meet and write songs together. I loved it, but it is an indie film. That is not everyone's cup of tea. Some people want a movie that is more mainstream, so I thought the best way to follow up that one would be with Music and Lyrics. It had a bigger budget and bigger stars. Literally. This thing has Brad Garrett, and he's like 8 feet tall. But our "Guy" and "Girl" here are played by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Well, I like one of them. Anyway, this is a comedy, so these two were cast because of their track record in that area and their names as actors and not at all because of their musical talent or lack thereof. But we'll get to that later. Let's get to the actual movie.
The film starts with the sound of some dated 80's pop music accompanied by a music video ("A what?" says the youngsters), which is just as cheesy as we would expect. It features a band called PoP!(actual spelling), a group of five guys which are clearly led by two of them, namely Alex Fletcher and Colin Thompson. The first of those two is played by Hugh Grant. This video leads to some present day exposition about the history of the band. Look, let me just break it down for you. Colin is the George Michael and Alex is the Andrew Ridgeley. Yeah, they're Wham! I don't even think the film makers try to hide this fact, as if they could, but apparently, this thing is also inspired by Duran Duran. Fine. Moving on.
Obviously, Alex is not the more famous of the two, but he hopes to get back some success. How? Well, enter his manager, Chris Riley, played by Brad Garrett, very well I might add. Chris tells Alex that he is in the running to write a song for a very popular young singer named Cora Corman played by newcomer Hayley Bennett, who I think did great as this character. And who is this character exactly? Well, she is clearly a Britney Spears copy, but since Cora is completely into the religion of Buddhism, which she is trying to make trendy, we obviously have a little Madonna thrown in there, too. Oh, and her manager is played by Matthew Morrison. Yeah, Mr. Schuster from Glee is in a movie about music and he doesn't even sing. I guess he wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. Keep trying, buddy.
Anyway, Cora wants a song called "Way Back Into Love" and she wants it by the end of the week. She also wants Alex to perform it with her at a big concert, which should definitely help to put him back on top. Should be no problem for a professional songwriter like Alex? Right? Wrong! Alex excelled at music writing, not lyric writing. And through sheer coincidence, he meets a woman named Sophie Fisher, played by Drew Barrymore.
Before I go on, a little Sophie Fisher back story. She took writing classes at The New School, where she had a little trouble with a teacher. That is touched upon in the film. But now she works for her parents diet food company with her sister, Rhonda played by Kristen Johnston. And Kristen Johnston is why I have this separate paragraph. She is hilarious in this film and absolutely steals the show in every scene she is in. That being said, let us continue.
As Alex and Sophie work on the song, their relationship deepens. What a surprise. They learn a lot about each other's pasts and even have the creative differences that are usually set aside for partners that have been writing together for years. Aren't they lucky? But they do eventually finish the song and get the job. Speaking of that song, let's talk about the music.
Okay, the music in this movie is mostly songs written specifically for it. So don't expect a load of masterpieces, but it's not total crap either. I mean, even though Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore could barely carry a tune, it didn't do that much damage. Actually, I think some of the music is pretty good, and it certainly fits with what it is supposed to be. The old PoP! songs that Alex performs do sound like something Wham! might have done, and all the songs for Cora are what you would expect from a current pop princess. But what about THE song? The song that the entire movie is based on, "Way Back Into Love"? Well, to be honest, I think it's kind of cute. Again, not a masterpiece, but a decent pop song with pretty good music and lyrics. There you go! Music and lyrics! I'm not saying you'll want to run out and buy or download the soundtrack, but you won't be spending the whole movie groaning at the music either.
So, despite the fact that I may have issues with some of the actors, I find this movie quite enjoyable. It's just one of those fun films that is not meant to take itself too seriously, which is nice to have every now and then. But I have to be honest with you all. The main accomplishment of this movie, much like Once, is to make me very jealous. I am a songwriter, but I can admit that I certainly excel more at the lyrics rather than the music. So why can't I find some adorable boy with an accent to write songs with me? Oh, sigh. I guess it's just one more thing to add to the prayer list.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Yesterday, I reviewed a little movie called Once, which, in its simplest form, is about a guy and a girl who meet and write songs together. I loved it, but it is an indie film. That is not everyone's cup of tea. Some people want a movie that is more mainstream, so I thought the best way to follow up that one would be with Music and Lyrics. It had a bigger budget and bigger stars. Literally. This thing has Brad Garrett, and he's like 8 feet tall. But our "Guy" and "Girl" here are played by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Well, I like one of them. Anyway, this is a comedy, so these two were cast because of their track record in that area and their names as actors and not at all because of their musical talent or lack thereof. But we'll get to that later. Let's get to the actual movie.
The film starts with the sound of some dated 80's pop music accompanied by a music video ("A what?" says the youngsters), which is just as cheesy as we would expect. It features a band called PoP!(actual spelling), a group of five guys which are clearly led by two of them, namely Alex Fletcher and Colin Thompson. The first of those two is played by Hugh Grant. This video leads to some present day exposition about the history of the band. Look, let me just break it down for you. Colin is the George Michael and Alex is the Andrew Ridgeley. Yeah, they're Wham! I don't even think the film makers try to hide this fact, as if they could, but apparently, this thing is also inspired by Duran Duran. Fine. Moving on.
Obviously, Alex is not the more famous of the two, but he hopes to get back some success. How? Well, enter his manager, Chris Riley, played by Brad Garrett, very well I might add. Chris tells Alex that he is in the running to write a song for a very popular young singer named Cora Corman played by newcomer Hayley Bennett, who I think did great as this character. And who is this character exactly? Well, she is clearly a Britney Spears copy, but since Cora is completely into the religion of Buddhism, which she is trying to make trendy, we obviously have a little Madonna thrown in there, too. Oh, and her manager is played by Matthew Morrison. Yeah, Mr. Schuster from Glee is in a movie about music and he doesn't even sing. I guess he wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. Keep trying, buddy.
Anyway, Cora wants a song called "Way Back Into Love" and she wants it by the end of the week. She also wants Alex to perform it with her at a big concert, which should definitely help to put him back on top. Should be no problem for a professional songwriter like Alex? Right? Wrong! Alex excelled at music writing, not lyric writing. And through sheer coincidence, he meets a woman named Sophie Fisher, played by Drew Barrymore.
Before I go on, a little Sophie Fisher back story. She took writing classes at The New School, where she had a little trouble with a teacher. That is touched upon in the film. But now she works for her parents diet food company with her sister, Rhonda played by Kristen Johnston. And Kristen Johnston is why I have this separate paragraph. She is hilarious in this film and absolutely steals the show in every scene she is in. That being said, let us continue.
As Alex and Sophie work on the song, their relationship deepens. What a surprise. They learn a lot about each other's pasts and even have the creative differences that are usually set aside for partners that have been writing together for years. Aren't they lucky? But they do eventually finish the song and get the job. Speaking of that song, let's talk about the music.
Okay, the music in this movie is mostly songs written specifically for it. So don't expect a load of masterpieces, but it's not total crap either. I mean, even though Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore could barely carry a tune, it didn't do that much damage. Actually, I think some of the music is pretty good, and it certainly fits with what it is supposed to be. The old PoP! songs that Alex performs do sound like something Wham! might have done, and all the songs for Cora are what you would expect from a current pop princess. But what about THE song? The song that the entire movie is based on, "Way Back Into Love"? Well, to be honest, I think it's kind of cute. Again, not a masterpiece, but a decent pop song with pretty good music and lyrics. There you go! Music and lyrics! I'm not saying you'll want to run out and buy or download the soundtrack, but you won't be spending the whole movie groaning at the music either.
So, despite the fact that I may have issues with some of the actors, I find this movie quite enjoyable. It's just one of those fun films that is not meant to take itself too seriously, which is nice to have every now and then. But I have to be honest with you all. The main accomplishment of this movie, much like Once, is to make me very jealous. I am a songwriter, but I can admit that I certainly excel more at the lyrics rather than the music. So why can't I find some adorable boy with an accent to write songs with me? Oh, sigh. I guess it's just one more thing to add to the prayer list.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Once - Music Movie Review
Greetings,
I love things that are simple. Not simplistic, but simple. This is probably why I like a good indie film. Sometimes I just like to watch a good story that is true to life without a lot of bells and whistles and special effects, and if you can throw in a little music, that just makes it even better. Put all of this together and you get the movie Once.
Once is a seriously stripped down film. So much so that they don't even name the main characters. For real. In the credits, they are called Guy and Girl, which means that is what I will have to call them. If you ask me, though, I think this is to emphasize the fact of how well they got to know each other on levels that are different from the ones of which we normally think. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's get to the story. I won't be saying too much, because when I said this was simple, I was not kidding.
As the film opens, we see Guy, played by Glen Hansard. He is partaking in his hobby/job of being a Dublin busker. Love him already. A "busker", for those of you who don't know, is a street performer, a street musician in this case. As he plays, he is approached by Girl, played by Marketa Irglova. She is a Czech immigrant who is drawn to his music. She begins a conversation, bombarding him with questions about his songs, and, in the process, finds out that his "day job" is repairing vacuum cleaners. And she has a broken one. What a coincidence.
The next day, Girl brings her cleaner, and she and Guy end up having lunch together. This is where things really take off, because the conversation again turns to music. Guy finds out that she is a musician herself, and they find a piano store in which they can play together. Immediately, they discover that they are kindred musical spirits and start to write songs.
As the time passes, they learn more about each other's lives. Girl learns of Guy's relationship with his dad and his ex-girlfriend who has served as quite a powerful inspiration. Guy learns of Girl's family, which includes her mother and baby daughter with whom she lives and a husband who is nowhere to be found.
They begin to take the idea of their new musical partnership seriously, going so far as to hire some other musicians and rent out some time in a studio to make a demo. And while all of this is taking place, the relationship of Guy and Girl continues to deepen. And that is about all I can really say without ruining anything. I will say, though, that each scene of the film is easily passed off to the next just in order to get us to the end where we are not necessarily given some jaw dropping reveal. And yet, you do feel like the whole trip was worth it to get to that end. It is definitely an investment that pays off. Having said that, let me discuss the music.
Much like the film, the music here is simple but moving and even powerful at times. All of it was written by either Hansard or Irglova or both of them. Of course, I must discuss the most famous song, "Falling Slowly", which went on to win an Academy Award. The moment I heard this song, I fell in love with it, and I have heard a lot of other people say the same. It is absolutely beautiful, and as you listen, you can really feel the two writers coming together to create it, as though what happened in the film was infused right into the notes. But even though this one is most well known, there are other great songs as well. Some of my favorites are "Lies" and "When Your Mind's Made Up", as well as the Irglova only penned "If You Want Me" and "The Hill".
Now I really do have to speak about the artists themselves and their performances. Marketa Irglova seems to be quite a soft spoken woman, and it carries over into her singing. It is gentle but just strong enough to make you feel something, and she has a quiet maturity in her voice, which was amplified for me when I found out just how young she was when she made this film. Glen Hansard, on the other hand, is a singer that I find to be very outwardly dynamic. He can do the quiet thing, too, but when he truly digs deeps, you will be blown away by what he can do as a performer. To sum it up, I absolutely love these two people.
Whether you like indie films or not, I would certainly recommend this. Of course, it is more suited to a viewer who just likes to watch ordinary people live their lives with an extraordinary story bubbling beneath their everyday actions. It is definitely a film for songwriters like myself because we get to see our people doing their thing. And as a side note, if you do see this, or have seen it, and like it, here is another recommendation. In 2011, a documentary called The Swell Season was released, and it explores the musical and personal lives of Hansard and Irglova as they experience their newly found fame. It is actually very good, as I said, especially if you like Once.
So, in conclusion, if simple and beautiful films and music are what you find appealing, then this one is definitely for you. I just wish, as always, that there wasn't so much swearing. But still, fantastic movie, amazing music, and very wonderful people.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I love things that are simple. Not simplistic, but simple. This is probably why I like a good indie film. Sometimes I just like to watch a good story that is true to life without a lot of bells and whistles and special effects, and if you can throw in a little music, that just makes it even better. Put all of this together and you get the movie Once.
Once is a seriously stripped down film. So much so that they don't even name the main characters. For real. In the credits, they are called Guy and Girl, which means that is what I will have to call them. If you ask me, though, I think this is to emphasize the fact of how well they got to know each other on levels that are different from the ones of which we normally think. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's get to the story. I won't be saying too much, because when I said this was simple, I was not kidding.
As the film opens, we see Guy, played by Glen Hansard. He is partaking in his hobby/job of being a Dublin busker. Love him already. A "busker", for those of you who don't know, is a street performer, a street musician in this case. As he plays, he is approached by Girl, played by Marketa Irglova. She is a Czech immigrant who is drawn to his music. She begins a conversation, bombarding him with questions about his songs, and, in the process, finds out that his "day job" is repairing vacuum cleaners. And she has a broken one. What a coincidence.
The next day, Girl brings her cleaner, and she and Guy end up having lunch together. This is where things really take off, because the conversation again turns to music. Guy finds out that she is a musician herself, and they find a piano store in which they can play together. Immediately, they discover that they are kindred musical spirits and start to write songs.
As the time passes, they learn more about each other's lives. Girl learns of Guy's relationship with his dad and his ex-girlfriend who has served as quite a powerful inspiration. Guy learns of Girl's family, which includes her mother and baby daughter with whom she lives and a husband who is nowhere to be found.
They begin to take the idea of their new musical partnership seriously, going so far as to hire some other musicians and rent out some time in a studio to make a demo. And while all of this is taking place, the relationship of Guy and Girl continues to deepen. And that is about all I can really say without ruining anything. I will say, though, that each scene of the film is easily passed off to the next just in order to get us to the end where we are not necessarily given some jaw dropping reveal. And yet, you do feel like the whole trip was worth it to get to that end. It is definitely an investment that pays off. Having said that, let me discuss the music.
Much like the film, the music here is simple but moving and even powerful at times. All of it was written by either Hansard or Irglova or both of them. Of course, I must discuss the most famous song, "Falling Slowly", which went on to win an Academy Award. The moment I heard this song, I fell in love with it, and I have heard a lot of other people say the same. It is absolutely beautiful, and as you listen, you can really feel the two writers coming together to create it, as though what happened in the film was infused right into the notes. But even though this one is most well known, there are other great songs as well. Some of my favorites are "Lies" and "When Your Mind's Made Up", as well as the Irglova only penned "If You Want Me" and "The Hill".
Now I really do have to speak about the artists themselves and their performances. Marketa Irglova seems to be quite a soft spoken woman, and it carries over into her singing. It is gentle but just strong enough to make you feel something, and she has a quiet maturity in her voice, which was amplified for me when I found out just how young she was when she made this film. Glen Hansard, on the other hand, is a singer that I find to be very outwardly dynamic. He can do the quiet thing, too, but when he truly digs deeps, you will be blown away by what he can do as a performer. To sum it up, I absolutely love these two people.
Whether you like indie films or not, I would certainly recommend this. Of course, it is more suited to a viewer who just likes to watch ordinary people live their lives with an extraordinary story bubbling beneath their everyday actions. It is definitely a film for songwriters like myself because we get to see our people doing their thing. And as a side note, if you do see this, or have seen it, and like it, here is another recommendation. In 2011, a documentary called The Swell Season was released, and it explores the musical and personal lives of Hansard and Irglova as they experience their newly found fame. It is actually very good, as I said, especially if you like Once.
So, in conclusion, if simple and beautiful films and music are what you find appealing, then this one is definitely for you. I just wish, as always, that there wasn't so much swearing. But still, fantastic movie, amazing music, and very wonderful people.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Burlesque - Music Movie Review
Greetings,
I have mentioned this before, but let me do it again. I am not a big fan of one Miss Christina Aguilera. Don't get me wrong. I do like some of her songs, but it's more her as a person for which I do not care much. I know. I don't know her, but I have known people who have known her from way back when, and, trust, nothing good was ever said. So, though it may seem cruel, the main reason why I watched the movie Burlesque was to see if she would fall on her face as an actress. Yeah, she really didn't disappoint me much on that. You know, just because Mariah Carey allegedly said some nasty things about you, doesn't mean you have to try and one up her on the bad acting.
Okay, before I get into the story, let me warn you. I may be giving some spoilers. Not a ton, since there is little story to spoil, but I always give a heads up when I do that. Let's start this thing.
Burlesque is about a girl named Ali who moves from a small town to a big city in hopes of becoming famous. Very original. Anyway, Ali gets to L.A. and wanders into a burlesque club. The first thing she sees, besides Alan Cumming as the doorman (there's a bouncer to fear) is Tess, the owner of the club, singing and being surrounded by her "dancers". Tess is played by Cher, and I don't think anyone else could have played this part. Good or bad, it's the truth. So Ali wants to be on stage, but the best she can do is con herself a waitress job with the help of bartender Jack played by Cam Gigandet, who some of you may know as one of the unconvincingly evil vamps from Twilight. We also get to meet Stanley Tucci as Sean, the longtime gay friend and employee of Tess. Wait! Stanley Tucci is playing a gay guy who works for an aging business woman? Okay, someone had a little trouble parting with his character from The Devil Wears Prada. But I do like Stanley Tucci, so I guess I can let it slide.
So Ali does her waitressing gig while still dreaming of being one of the performers. And when I say dreaming, I mean they blatantly stole the Renee Zelwegger bit from the "All That Jazz" scene of Chicago. So already this movie has made me think of two better movies that I wish I was watching instead. Through some cinematic upheaval, namely an apartment robbery and one of the "dancers" getting pregnant, Ali moves in with Jack and gets a chance to get on stage. What? She's moving in with the cute, single guy that she works with? I wonder what might happen! Insert eye roll. More upheaval causes Ali to be able to sing live as opposed to the lipsynching the girls normally do, except for Tess. So, surprise, she becomes the star and, eventually and, according to Jack, a total "B" (yeah, I still don't say that word!). Anyway, Tess hopes that this (the singing) will bring in enough money so that she can save her club. Oh, yeah, that is another plot of this movie, which includes some guy who wants to get his hands on the club. That guy is played by one of those Mc. . .whatever doctors from Grey's Anatomy. And Ali just happens to get involved with him, too. What is all the heck? This IS The Devil Wears Prada!
Anyway, things continue on just as predictably as one would expect, including the ending. I mean, every single aspect of the conclusion could be seen coming from the Earth to the moon. But whatever, let's get to the music.
About 90% of the songs in the film are ones you would expect to hear in one of these clubs, which is fine, since there are some good ones here. But believe me, I would much rather hear Etta James singing "Tough Lover" than Christina Aguilera. Now I am not one to deny any goodness I can find, so I will point out a couple of songs that aren't so bad. There is one called "Bound to You", which, despite the 'too much as usual' performance by Christina, is actually a lovely ballad. If only it hadn't been interspersed with scenes of fornication! Heh, heh! Then we have the Diane Warren penned "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" performed by Cher. Again, say what you will about her, the woman can sing, and she certainly has a presence about her. And this song, certainly lyrically, fits her very well. So hats off for that one.
So, besides that, is there anything else good I can say about this movie? Actually, yes. Like I said, love me some Stanley Tucci and good Cher, but a couple of other performances are pretty good, too. Though I have never considered myself a fan of hers, I thought Kristen Bell did a good job playing, Nikki, the often drunk antagonist of . . . well, pretty much everybody. She was actually kind of fun. And let me give a little shout out to Julianne Hough in this thing. She plays Georgia, the one that gets pregnant, therefore letting Ali take her place. So her part is pivotal, but not huge, and for what little screen time she has, she's not bad. See, Julianne did the thing that every "famous for something else" person should do when it comes to their first movie role. She got a small part in an ensemble cast where she could utilize her talents and see if she can handle the acting thing. Now, the Footloose remake debacle aside, I do think that if she keeps honing her acting skills, she will become very good at it. And she's just so sweet!
Films like this do serve a purpose in the world. We can't have bad movie night without bad movies! And this one qualifies. Of course, it does have a few bright moments, but just not enough for me. I have heard people say it wasn't as bad as they were expecting, which I guess is a little true. Still, that is not exactly a glowing recommendation, especially since the bar was set so low to begin with. Look, watch it if you want to, but don't say I told you to do it. I just can't be responsible for that many people smashing things into their plasmas.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I have mentioned this before, but let me do it again. I am not a big fan of one Miss Christina Aguilera. Don't get me wrong. I do like some of her songs, but it's more her as a person for which I do not care much. I know. I don't know her, but I have known people who have known her from way back when, and, trust, nothing good was ever said. So, though it may seem cruel, the main reason why I watched the movie Burlesque was to see if she would fall on her face as an actress. Yeah, she really didn't disappoint me much on that. You know, just because Mariah Carey allegedly said some nasty things about you, doesn't mean you have to try and one up her on the bad acting.
Okay, before I get into the story, let me warn you. I may be giving some spoilers. Not a ton, since there is little story to spoil, but I always give a heads up when I do that. Let's start this thing.
Burlesque is about a girl named Ali who moves from a small town to a big city in hopes of becoming famous. Very original. Anyway, Ali gets to L.A. and wanders into a burlesque club. The first thing she sees, besides Alan Cumming as the doorman (there's a bouncer to fear) is Tess, the owner of the club, singing and being surrounded by her "dancers". Tess is played by Cher, and I don't think anyone else could have played this part. Good or bad, it's the truth. So Ali wants to be on stage, but the best she can do is con herself a waitress job with the help of bartender Jack played by Cam Gigandet, who some of you may know as one of the unconvincingly evil vamps from Twilight. We also get to meet Stanley Tucci as Sean, the longtime gay friend and employee of Tess. Wait! Stanley Tucci is playing a gay guy who works for an aging business woman? Okay, someone had a little trouble parting with his character from The Devil Wears Prada. But I do like Stanley Tucci, so I guess I can let it slide.
So Ali does her waitressing gig while still dreaming of being one of the performers. And when I say dreaming, I mean they blatantly stole the Renee Zelwegger bit from the "All That Jazz" scene of Chicago. So already this movie has made me think of two better movies that I wish I was watching instead. Through some cinematic upheaval, namely an apartment robbery and one of the "dancers" getting pregnant, Ali moves in with Jack and gets a chance to get on stage. What? She's moving in with the cute, single guy that she works with? I wonder what might happen! Insert eye roll. More upheaval causes Ali to be able to sing live as opposed to the lipsynching the girls normally do, except for Tess. So, surprise, she becomes the star and, eventually and, according to Jack, a total "B" (yeah, I still don't say that word!). Anyway, Tess hopes that this (the singing) will bring in enough money so that she can save her club. Oh, yeah, that is another plot of this movie, which includes some guy who wants to get his hands on the club. That guy is played by one of those Mc. . .whatever doctors from Grey's Anatomy. And Ali just happens to get involved with him, too. What is all the heck? This IS The Devil Wears Prada!
Anyway, things continue on just as predictably as one would expect, including the ending. I mean, every single aspect of the conclusion could be seen coming from the Earth to the moon. But whatever, let's get to the music.
About 90% of the songs in the film are ones you would expect to hear in one of these clubs, which is fine, since there are some good ones here. But believe me, I would much rather hear Etta James singing "Tough Lover" than Christina Aguilera. Now I am not one to deny any goodness I can find, so I will point out a couple of songs that aren't so bad. There is one called "Bound to You", which, despite the 'too much as usual' performance by Christina, is actually a lovely ballad. If only it hadn't been interspersed with scenes of fornication! Heh, heh! Then we have the Diane Warren penned "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" performed by Cher. Again, say what you will about her, the woman can sing, and she certainly has a presence about her. And this song, certainly lyrically, fits her very well. So hats off for that one.
So, besides that, is there anything else good I can say about this movie? Actually, yes. Like I said, love me some Stanley Tucci and good Cher, but a couple of other performances are pretty good, too. Though I have never considered myself a fan of hers, I thought Kristen Bell did a good job playing, Nikki, the often drunk antagonist of . . . well, pretty much everybody. She was actually kind of fun. And let me give a little shout out to Julianne Hough in this thing. She plays Georgia, the one that gets pregnant, therefore letting Ali take her place. So her part is pivotal, but not huge, and for what little screen time she has, she's not bad. See, Julianne did the thing that every "famous for something else" person should do when it comes to their first movie role. She got a small part in an ensemble cast where she could utilize her talents and see if she can handle the acting thing. Now, the Footloose remake debacle aside, I do think that if she keeps honing her acting skills, she will become very good at it. And she's just so sweet!
Films like this do serve a purpose in the world. We can't have bad movie night without bad movies! And this one qualifies. Of course, it does have a few bright moments, but just not enough for me. I have heard people say it wasn't as bad as they were expecting, which I guess is a little true. Still, that is not exactly a glowing recommendation, especially since the bar was set so low to begin with. Look, watch it if you want to, but don't say I told you to do it. I just can't be responsible for that many people smashing things into their plasmas.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)