Your Place or Mine Movie Review

*The image below is not mine. I am borrowing it. It can be found at fineartamerica.com.

The best romances often start as platonic friendships. The complication comes in when that relationship becomes more than friends.

In the new Netflix romantic comedy, Your Place or Mine, Debbie (Reese Witherspoon) and Peter (Ashton Kutcher) have been besties for twenty years. Debbie is divorced, a single mother, and lives in Los Angeles. Peter is single and lives in New York City.

For one week, they switch lives. Peter travels to LA to take care of Debbie’s son. Debbie flies to New York to fulfill her educational dream. While temporarily living in each other’s houses, they discover new things about the other person. They also realize that they are in love with one another.

I loved this movie. It is romantic, funny, charming, and the perfect way to relax after a long week. The lead actors have fantastic chemistry and the narrative is pitch-perfect. The cherry on top is that the portrayal of NYC is the way it’s supposed to be. The chaos, the beauty, the people, it’s all there.

My favorite scene is the one in which Debbie has arrived in the city and is walking to Peter’s apartment. He tells her to stop. She is in DUMBO and is standing in front of the bridge. Her mouth drops at the sight. It is one of my favorite places in Brooklyn. Every time I see the bridge framed by the building, my heart stops. No matter how many times I see it, I am awed by its beauty.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Your Place or Mine is available for streaming on Netflix.

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Flashback Friday: Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)

The natural evolution of a narrative may seem simple to write. But the truth is that it is not. The next step in the story has to hold onto the characters and narrative while ensuring that it is not forced or outlandish. It becomes more complicated when the original work is respected and appreciated by both fans and critics.

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) is the sequel to Legally Blonde (2001). Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) has a new passion: animal rights. It is so important to her, that she prioritizes the issue over her wedding to Emmett Richmond (Luke Wilson). Arriving in Washington D.C., she turns to Congresswoman Rudd (Sally Field) to help her bring attention to the issue. She also gets help from Sid Post (Bob Newhart), her building’s doorman who provides guidance in how to navigate the figurative power corridors of the city. As in the previous film, Elle is an outsider who is initially judged a pretty blonde with nothing between the ears.

As sequels go, it’s pretty good. The screenplay does not feel like it was being stretched to fit within the world that was created in its predecessor. The film is funny, charming, and Witherspoon again makes us root for an unlikely heroine. The message of not judging a book by its cover is potent, but does not hit the audience over the head. It is a lesson that is forever universal and important.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Where the Crawdads Sing Movie Review

*This review is solely based on the movie. I have not read the book yet.

Rumors are powerful. Regardless of whether or not they are truthful, they have a way of developing a life of their own.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a new movie based on the book of the same name by Delia Owens. Set in 1969 in the South, Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones) has been on her own since she was a child. Growing up in the woods, she is known in town as “the marsh girl”. Though she is independent and able to take care of herself, a part of her yearns for love and acceptance.

When Kya’s ex-boyfriend, Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson) is found dead, the finger is pointed at Kya. Defending her is local lawyer Tom Milton (David Strathairn). The film flicks back and forth from the present to the past. Included in Kya’s past is her first love, Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith).

This film is really good. The whodunit aspect of the narrative kept me on tenterhooks. Kya is the type of heroine who is likable, human, and an outsider. That outsiderness is what made me want to follow her story and understand the choices she makes.

The visuals are fantastic. The beauty of nature and the animals that make up the world around us were front and center, adding layers and a character that is both touchable and distant.

The only issue I have is the characterizations of Mabel (Michael Hyatt) and Jumpin’ (Sterling Macer Jr.). They own the local general store and are one of the few allies that Kya has. The problem is that they are the only people of color in the film and unfortunately falls into the magical negro category.

Produced by Reese Witherspoon, this movie is one of the best this year. It is a slow burn that made me question if I knew the whole story until the very end.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Where the Crawdads Sing is presently showing in theaters.

This Changes Everything Review

Change, whether on a personal level or societal level, is hard. It requires work, the ability to open our eyes, and most importantly, the want to change.

The 2019 Netflix documentary, This Changes Everything, examines sexism in Hollywood and its impact on the careers of female creators, filmmakers, and performers. Speaking to noted names such as Geena Davis, Meryl Streep, Shonda Rhimes, and Reese Witherspoon, the film looks at the ways in which women are inhibited from reaching the peak of their careers. Female filmmakers are not given the same opportunities as their male counterparts. If they have one successful film, it is a fluke. If a male filmmaker receives positive notices from critics and audiences, the door opens more work and a bigger budget. In the same vein, female actresses are often boxed into certain roles and are limited in screen time compared to their male co-stars. Very often, they are over-sexualized or forced into playing traditional female parts.

I got angry watching this film. Women are 50% of the population, yet on screen, we are at best minimized and at worst, forced into the background. What is worse is that we learn early that we need to fit a certain physical and sexual mold to not only be happy but also thrive. The one moment that really pissed me off was a conversation with actress Chloë Grace Moretz (Carrie, 2013). At the young age of 16, a directive came down from the studios that she needed to amphliphy her bosom. What kind of adult tells a young girl that this is necessary to keep her job?

It is the kick in the but we need. Women are just as creative and capable as men. But we have not been given the opportunities to show what we can do. Those opportunities can only come when we break down the doors and demand our rights.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

This Changes Everything is avaliable for streaming on Netflix.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Book Review

Not everyone is blessed with the ability to easily interact with others. For some of us, the scariest thing we can do is talk to people.

In the 2017 novel, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman, the title character, Eleanor Oliphant is not exactly a social butterfly. Awkward with a capital A, Eleanor often blurts out what she is thinking, has no social life and keeps to her regimented weekly schedule as if she was in the military. The only conversations she has are the most basic greetings with her colleagues and her weekly phone conversations with her mother, which are not exactly the most uplifting.

Then she meets Raymond, the new hire in her company’s IT department. Raymond is as awkward as Eleanor is. When they save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on sidewalk, something changes for her. With the help of her friendship with Raymond, she may learn to move on from her past and open her heart.

This book was recommended to me by a friend. It is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. From nearly the moment that I started reading this book, I knew who Eleanor was because I understood her. It’s nice to read about a heroine who lives with social anxiety, mental illness and emotional hardships that come with carrying the weight of those obstacles on your shoulders. I also appreciated that Raymond is not a paragon of perfection, a prince charming type who “rescues” the heroine by seeing her inner beauty.

I absolutely recommend it.

P.S. The book is being made into a movie. Reese Witherspoon is one of the producers. This is one movie that  I will be waiting in line on opening weekend to see.

Cruel Intentions The Musical Review

Two thoughts come to mind when it is announced that a musical based on a story that is not a musical will soon be on stage. One thought is that the producers have chosen a known work with a dedicated fan base, who can spread the word and reduce the work of the publicity department. The other thought is that the producers took the easy way out, choosing a known work instead of taking a chance on a work by a writer whose name is not as well-known.

I saw Cruel Intentions: The Musical earlier today. As with the 1999 film of the same name, the story is set in New York City. Sebastian Valmont (Constantine Rousouli, taking over from Ryan Phillipe) and Kathryn Merteuil (Lauren Zarkin, taking over from Sarah Michelle Gellar) are rich step-siblings. They make a bet that Sebastian can seduce Annette Hargrove (Carrie St. Louis, taking over from Reese Witherspoon), the virgin daughter of their school’s new headmaster. If Sebastian wins, he gets to sleep with Kathryn, the one girl who is out of his reach. If Kathryn wins, she can claim ownership of Sebastian’s car, his pride and joy.  It seems like a simple task, but by the time the game of seduction and lies is over, nothing will be the same.

Based on the book Dangerous Liaisons, the show is a ton of fun and extremely enjoyable. True to the film incarnation, with a singable soundtrack straight out of the 1990s, the show is one of the best I have seen in a very long time.

I absolutely recommend it.

Cruel Intentions is playing at (Le) Poisson Rouge (158 Bleeker Street, New York City) until March 16th, 2018. 

 

 

Happy Birthday Legally Blonde!

15 years ago today, Legally Blonde hit theaters.

Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is the typical empty-headed California blonde sorority girl. At the beginning of the film, Elle expects a marriage proposal from her long time boyfriend, Warner (Matthew Davis). What she gets instead is a broken heart.

Warner is heading to law school and sees his future in politics. Elle is not exactly the ideal politician’s wife, according to Warner. After throwing herself a pity party, Elle decides to follow her now ex across the country to law school. Her only goal is to get her boyfriend back. What Elle does not know is how life changing attending law school will be.

This movie is brilliant, for several reasons. First is Reese Witherspoon, who was perfectly cast as Elle. The second reason is that the movie is incredibly funny and entertaining. The third (and most important) reason why this movie is brilliant is that Elle is a role model. She may look the part of the typical dumb blonde, but grows into a strong woman who can stand on her own two feet and is incredibly smart. She is not a dumb blonde.

Happy Birthday, Legally Blonde.

Throwback Thursday- Walk The Line (2005)

There are only a handful of performers who are so iconic, that it only takes a few moments to recognize their work. The late Johnny Cash was one of these performers.

The 2005 film, Walk The Line, chronicles the life, music and struggles of the legendary musician. Stepping into the shoes and up to the microphone as Cash is Joaquin Phoenix.  As his loyal, but sometimes questioning second wife, June Carter Cash is Reese Witherspoon.

The film is an honest, but dramatic and sometimes brutal portrayal of it’s lead character. Cash, like many performers then and now is beloved by his fans and works with the best in the business, but suffers from addiction.

I recommend it.

Flashback Thursday-Reese Witherspoon Rom-Com-Double Feature-Sweet Home Alabama (2002) & Just Like Heaven (2005)

Every decade has it’s rom-com queen. In the early 2000’s, that actress was Reese Witherspoon.

During the early 2000’s, she played in a variety of rom-comish roles.

One of the films she starred in was 2002’s Sweet Home Alabama. Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) has made it big in New York City. Her career as a fashion designer is extremely successful. Her relationship with Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey), has taken a new turn. Melanie has just accepted Andrew’s marriage proposal.  Life cannot get any better.  But before Melanie can move forward with her new life, she has to get rid of the old life.

Born and raised in the South, Melanie married Jake Perry (Josh Lucas) years ago. Now Melanie must divorce Jake before she can marry Andrew. The trip home is supposed to be quick. But it is not as quick as Melanie intended and now she must choose the life and the man she wants.

This movie is a standard rom-com with the standard tropes and characters of the genre. But it is the film’s lead actress and the idea of facing your past before moving onto your present that makes it stand out.

The second film is 2005’s Just Like Heaven. Elizabeth Masterson (Reese Witherspoon) has a successful career, but she has no social life.  On the way to a date, she is seriously injured in a car accident and lies dormant in a coma.  Meanwhile David Abbott (Mark Ruffalo) now lives in Elizabeth’s apartment. While Elizabeth’s body is in the coma, her spirit remains in her  home. She remembers nothing, except her home and knows nothing except the new tenant. Can David and Elizabeth figure out who is and return her to her body or will she spend the rest of her life in a coma?

This is another movie that moves beyond the standard rom-com film. It takes a slightly darker turn while retaining the qualities that make a rom-com a rom-com.

I recommend both.

 

Throwback Thursday- Pleasantville (1998)

Happy 2015. This will be my first Throwback Thursday blog post of the New Year.

The 1950’s can often be seen through rose colored glasses, especially when viewed through the family sitcoms of the era. Television programs like Father Knows Best and The Donna Reed Show presented the audience with a perfect Caucasian suburban family whose problems were easily solved within a 30 minute time span.

Flash forward to the 1990’s where television story lines and  characters were complex and problems were so easily solved within 30 minutes.

In 1998, Pleasantville,  two 1990’s teens into the world of the perfect 1950’s family sitcom. David, who has little to no social life (Tobey Maguire) is obsessed with the 1950’s television program Pleasantville. His sister, Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) has a very active social life and looks down on her brother’s obsession.  A strange looking remote transports them into the television program. As they spend more time in Pleasantville, things begin to change and the boat begins to rock.

I like this movie. What I like about this movie is that it brings color to a world that is black and white, literally and figuratively. The special effects are also a nice touch. They add to the movie as needed, without drawing attention away from the plot or the characters.

I recommend it.