Saturday, January 01, 2005
New Year's Day Movie Reviews:
On Edge: A mock-u-mentary about figure skating. If you know anything about figure skating, it's basically the bastard wintry cousin of gymnastics when it comes to teen girls, body image, eating disorders...you catch my drift? This is a comedy that parodies all of this. The kick ass thing about this movie, besides the always fabulous Marisa Jane Winkour as a plus-sized phenom (too bad it's unheard of at the elite level) and A.J. Langer (RayAnn from My So-Called Life) as a Tonya Harding rip-off is that real figure skaters had cameos in the film, and actually did a nice job acting...a little bit more so than the actual actors. I loved, loved, loved a well made-up Scott Hamilton as a whiny out-of-touch skating judge/expert. It's cute, but it's no Drop Dead Gorgeous.
Garden State: An extremely well done film about a young man who travels home for his mother's funeral. Amazing acting, well-written, and original.
Swingers: Big HATES this movie, starring the fabulously adorable Jon Favereau and the very very very hilarious Vince Vaughan as two aspiring rat packers, but I've always had a soft spot for it. I agree with Big it's a bit over the top with the whole "ring-a-ding-ding" vernacular, and it's a lot of yap, yap, yap, and it's not the most liberated point of view, but Favereau is so cute you almost don't care. If you too are a Favereau junkee hoping for more from the man other than doing a film that requires him to do the Electric Slide with Keanu Reeves (The Replacements), check out his weekly show "Dinner For Five" on the Independent Film Channel (IFC).
The Anniversary Party: I love love love both Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and this edgy film about a Hollywood couple celebrating their sixth anniversary of their rather dysfunctional marriage is absolutely beautifully written, wonderfully acted with supporting roles of Parker Posey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and real-life married couple Pheobe Cates and the wonderful Kevin Kline, and was co-written by Cumming and Leigh. The only thing is that I'm very used to seeing Cumming as an out-and-proud flamboyant gay icon, so it was a bit nonbelievable to see him in such a hetero role, but he is an incredible actor and does make it happen, and can pull it off for those who are less familiar with him. Rent it and show it at your next part-tay, and people will think you are smart and cool.
Sex and The City Season Six DVD, Part Two: I cried throughout this whole thing, because I knew it'd be the last time I'd have that excitement of getting a new DVD of SATC. For those of you in the void, Six is the last season of Sex. This has the last eight episodes, four with commentary by Michael Patrick King, who is fabulous. The last DVD I feel is the best out of the entire series, in that the girls really feel most real here. The last episode is poetry, perfection, and was given kudos by the feminist flagship, Ms. Magazine. Carrie would be so proud. Amazing.
Coming soon: Reviews of Whale Rider, Pieces of April, and a very special review by FiFi of My Dog Skip.
On Edge: A mock-u-mentary about figure skating. If you know anything about figure skating, it's basically the bastard wintry cousin of gymnastics when it comes to teen girls, body image, eating disorders...you catch my drift? This is a comedy that parodies all of this. The kick ass thing about this movie, besides the always fabulous Marisa Jane Winkour as a plus-sized phenom (too bad it's unheard of at the elite level) and A.J. Langer (RayAnn from My So-Called Life) as a Tonya Harding rip-off is that real figure skaters had cameos in the film, and actually did a nice job acting...a little bit more so than the actual actors. I loved, loved, loved a well made-up Scott Hamilton as a whiny out-of-touch skating judge/expert. It's cute, but it's no Drop Dead Gorgeous.
Garden State: An extremely well done film about a young man who travels home for his mother's funeral. Amazing acting, well-written, and original.
Swingers: Big HATES this movie, starring the fabulously adorable Jon Favereau and the very very very hilarious Vince Vaughan as two aspiring rat packers, but I've always had a soft spot for it. I agree with Big it's a bit over the top with the whole "ring-a-ding-ding" vernacular, and it's a lot of yap, yap, yap, and it's not the most liberated point of view, but Favereau is so cute you almost don't care. If you too are a Favereau junkee hoping for more from the man other than doing a film that requires him to do the Electric Slide with Keanu Reeves (The Replacements), check out his weekly show "Dinner For Five" on the Independent Film Channel (IFC).
The Anniversary Party: I love love love both Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and this edgy film about a Hollywood couple celebrating their sixth anniversary of their rather dysfunctional marriage is absolutely beautifully written, wonderfully acted with supporting roles of Parker Posey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and real-life married couple Pheobe Cates and the wonderful Kevin Kline, and was co-written by Cumming and Leigh. The only thing is that I'm very used to seeing Cumming as an out-and-proud flamboyant gay icon, so it was a bit nonbelievable to see him in such a hetero role, but he is an incredible actor and does make it happen, and can pull it off for those who are less familiar with him. Rent it and show it at your next part-tay, and people will think you are smart and cool.
Sex and The City Season Six DVD, Part Two: I cried throughout this whole thing, because I knew it'd be the last time I'd have that excitement of getting a new DVD of SATC. For those of you in the void, Six is the last season of Sex. This has the last eight episodes, four with commentary by Michael Patrick King, who is fabulous. The last DVD I feel is the best out of the entire series, in that the girls really feel most real here. The last episode is poetry, perfection, and was given kudos by the feminist flagship, Ms. Magazine. Carrie would be so proud. Amazing.
Coming soon: Reviews of Whale Rider, Pieces of April, and a very special review by FiFi of My Dog Skip.
