I must apologize for my absence on my own blog, but it's a new year and I'm going to try to be writing a lot more because I love talking about movies.
I recently saw two movies, No Strings Attached and The Dilemma which were mediocre at best nothing you should pay full price for, better yet wait for the rental.
No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher just never resonated with me and it has to do with the leads who I don't think have any chemistry. My first question is why are studios still giving Aston Kutcher roles, he's been playing that same annoying character in these types of movies since he started. I understand that certain actors or actresses play only certain roles but even they make the most out of there roles and I quite enjoy them in those movies but Ashton Kutcher I don't get it or see it, he doesn't have the talent.
Natalie Portman is another actress whom I've thought was okay in the movies she's played but was never blown away by. I thought she was going to be a lot better since she started out so well with her first two movies, The Professional and Beautiful Girls but she kind of just fell into the middle and never blossomed. Of course that's changed with Black Swan but in this movie it's the same Natalie Portman the one who feels as if she's been miscast because frankly she isn't believable.
The movies premise of friends with benefits is one thing because you can see the ending a mile away but it's the way the story is played out that just doesn't work, in fact they should have kept the script and kept working on it because it really feels contrived, not that most romantic comedies aren't contrived. It all starts with the leads and if they have chemistry they can make the story believable even if it's contrived. Another complaint is the movie isn't funny and I kept waiting to laugh as this is supposed to be a romantic comedy.
The Dilemma is the other movie I saw and talk about disjointed, it can't decide what it wants to be, a comedy or a drama. The movie is based on the premise of what would you do if you caught your best friends significant other cheating on them. Vince Vaughn is one of the leads and does his usual shtick which in this movie feels out of place, if the movie was a straight comedy that would be one thing but when you add drama like this it doesn't work. Vince Vaughn can do drama so it isn't a question of his talent, I'm just shocked that Ron Howard could make this poor of a movie.
Kevin James is miscast in this movie because him playing his usual King of Queens role is getting old quick and I have yet to see if he can handle a dramatic role, because this role required someone with a little more acting chops.
I feel there were two performances that were wasted and they belonged to Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder because they keep the movie grounded and centered playing the love interest for the two lead characters. Jennifer Connelly brings her immense talent to the role as Vince Vaughn's girlfriend that gets wasted because this movie can't figure out if it's trying to be funny or serious. Winona Ryder shows she still has what it takes especially in a scene in a diner opposite Vince Vaughn that makes you wonder why she isn't acting more.
Queen Latifah is thrown in to add more comedy or laughs which doesn't add or work in the movie and then there's the Channing Tatum character which is just ridiculous and stupid, all this in a Ron Howard film, I'm shocked because he's a great filmmaker just not here.
Now I'd like to recommend some romantic comedies that are some of my favorites and never get old.
Notting Hill
Untamed Heart
Mystic Pizza
Never Been Kissed
When Harry Met Sally
There's more but I'll save those for another time.
