Life As We Know It

This film is about Holly (Katherine Heigl) and Messer (Josh Duhamel) who were once set up on a blind date by their mutual friends (Peter and Alison) who are married. The date didn't last past the walk to the car and they didn't like eachother ever since. They were the godparents of Peter and Alison's only daughter, Sophie. When Sophie was not even a year old, her parents die in a car crash. However, they appoint Holly and Messer as guardians in their will. Holly and Messer try to figure out what to do with this situation without it messing up their entire lives.

This movie was great! It was funny and well-written. The chemistry between Duhamel and Heigl was excellent and the humor used in this film is just the type that I tend to enjoy the most. I usually don't really care for Katherine Heigl too much, but I tried to look past that in this film. Before I saw critics' responses to this film I predicted exactly what the general consensus would say: "Heigl and Duhamel's chemistry was great, but it couldn't make up for the formulaic plot." And guess, what? That was EXACTLY what it said! I don't care if it's formulaic. Like I've said before, it's formulaic for a reason--these types of movies help to show us why it became a formula in the first place. It's an enjoyable movie. Isn't that all we ask for??

Overall Grade: A-

-Ethan Brehm

Secretariat

This is an amazing film, that I have always wished they would make, about the true story of the greatest race horse (and one of the greatest athletes) of all-time. It stars Diane Lane as Penny, Secretariat's owner, and John Malkovich as Lucien, the horse trainer. It takes you through the journey of Secretariat as he handles the doubt surrounding his ability to win the Triple Crown.

The film is funny, but serious where it needs to be. It gives a very realistic feeling of the story. The movie presents us with beautiful messages that don't feel honey-dipped at all. Diane Lane does an excellent job, as does Malkovich and the rest of the cast. You get the feel of the era in this film, as it is written as though it was made in the 1970s itself.

There's not much else to say about this film except tell you to see it. It's the best Disney sports related film since Remember the Titans.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Case 39

I hate scary movies, and despite what many of you may think after seeing this film, to me it is the scariest movie of the year so far. It stars Renee Zellweger as a social worker, Emily, who saves a 10-year-old girl from her abusive parents only to realize that her life is about to be changed forever.

I have to give credit to this film for scaring me senseless. Everything about it is creepy, so I guess you could say it reached its goal. However, Zellweger doesn't do her best job as the protagonist, and the little girl, Lilith, forces much of her lines. The script is poorly written. The film is shot well though, and does a good job at scaring.

I will never watch this film again, but it isn't as poorly done as many other critics say. The story is very interesting and amusing.

Overall Grade: D+


-Ethan Brehm

Alpha and Omega

I am not very picky when it comes to animated movies, but as far as they go, this one isn't at the top of my list. It's about Kate (Hayden Panettiere) who is an alpha wolf, whose job is to hunt for food. However, Humphrey (Justin Long) is an omega wolf, who spend their time playing all day. Despite the rules for them not to howl together or be wed, Humphrey has a crush on Kate--who sees him as immature. Kate is arranged to marry Garth--the son of the rival pack's leader.

The humor in this movie was very good for the most part. It was funny and everything. Some of the dialogue, however, seemed forced. There wasn't too much character depth, and the animation was really jumpy and sloppy--almost to give the feeling that this film was rushed to get made. There wasn't a whole lot of explanation on how the whole alpha and omega thing worked--I just had to figure it out, and even then it's still kind of an assumption.

But like I said, the movie was funny. This is another case of how much I like a film having a better grade on how well the film was actually made. I liked the film at about a A- grade. However, the technicalities of the film would give it a C+ grade. So, I will somewhat give an average of the two, with more weight on how much I actually enjoyed it (because that's what matters most).

Overall Grade: B+


-Ethan Brehm

Devil

Don't let the name of the movie turn you off if you are religious. I tried telling my mom this. This film by one of my favorite film makers, M. Night Shyamalan, is about a group of 5 strangers who get trapped in an elevator and realize that one of them is the Devil because, one by one, they keep dying.

I don't like scary movies, but I like M. Night Shyamalan's creepy and eerie premises. They really keep me intrigued and interested. He always answers many of our "what if" questions very well. This film was no different. It was very entertaining and interesting. Like many of his movies, the acting can be a bit campy, but it lends to the purpose of the film without weakening it or distracting the audience.

Like I said, don't let the title deter you from watching this film. There is a very strong religious message at the end--as well as throughout. It is not just one of those scary movies that has a bunch of drastic things happening just to leave the audience with no feel of closure. This is another reason why I like Shyamalan's films, because he is more interested it scaring you and teaching you a lesson than just getting a cheap and easy scare out of the audience.

This film is fast-paced and entertaining film that will grab your face and let you know the truth. I loved it and couldn't find anything wrong with it. It's on of my favorite M. Night Shyamalan films to date.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Easy A

This film stars Emma Stone as Olive, an average high school teenager who lies to her best friend about sleeping with the imaginary guy that she had said to have gone on a date with that weekend. The head of the school's church group overhears this and spreads the word that Olive is a slut. Olive embraces this as she has always felt invisible in high school. She takes her project to one of her guy friends who people think is gay, and pretends to have slept with him so that he won't be made fun of anymore. The film continues as her gimmick gets out of hand.

The idea for this movie is really good. The film is funny and smart and well-written. Emma Stone does a great job as her first lead in a film. This will definitely send her career soaring. She was charismatic and believable. The humor in this film wasn't as typical as you would expect in this type of movie. It was not as much sex related, but more of a Mean Girls type of humor that was more subtle. However, I am not sure how to feel about the depiction of the holy rollers in this film (i.e. the members of the church group). They depict them as extremists. I know there are some like this, but at times it feels as though the film is trying to give abstinence a bad name. But in the end, the message is less about abstinence and more about being yourself and how a little white lie can really get out of hand. It kind of finds a middle ground on the topic regarding abstinence.

Anyway, it's a good, unique film and I would definitely watch it again. And despite what it may seem like, it is very different from most teen films.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

The Social Network

As most of you have heard, this film is considered by many as the best film of the year. To me, it may not be the best, but definitely in the top 3 (the other two being Toy Story 3 and maybe How to Train Your Dragon). However, since my review isn't going to differ all that much from other critic's reviews, it may not serve a great purpose to continue reading it. But, to those of you who will continue to read it (and those of you who continue to read my blogs in general), thank you :) ...Anyway, this film is about how Facebook came to be. It stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook.

Everything about this film is great! The acting, the cinematography, the writing, the story. Eisenberg works his way up my list of favorite actors as he convincingly plays Zuckerberg. The film shows 3 sides of an argument without ever really taking sides. It never once takes itself too seriously, however, it wouldn't be categorized as a comedy (although it is very funny). This is a prime example of brilliant film-making.

There wasn't anything I didn't like about it. It's one of the smartest movies that you'll ever watch, yet still be able to follow. I won't be surprised if it wins Best Picture.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Most of you who know me know that Shia LaBeouf is my favorite actor and that I will literally love everything that I see him in! ....Well, this is no exception! It is the sequel to the 1987 film, starring Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko as well. But in this film, he is accompanied by amazing talent, such as Carey Mulligan, who plays his daughter, Winnie, who has been estranged from Gordon's life for years. Shia LaBeouf plays Jake Moore, a young propriety trader who is planning on proposing to Winnie. He sets out to meet Gordon to ask for his daughter's hand, but at the same time learn a thing or two from the legendary market-man. Winnie isn't sure whether or not to trust the influence that her ex-convict father will have on her boyfriend.

It's a great movie. The acting was amazing, the script was flawless, the cinematography was superb, etc. The film still depicts a dark and sinister outlook on the world of stock trading, however, unlike the first film, (SPOILER ALERT) this film strays away from the dark and mysterious end result of the first film.

Overall, I would definitely see this film again. It doesn't take itself too seriously--but just enough. Maybe another Academy nod towards Douglas for playing Gekko again?? Maybe one towards Shia as well, but then again, I am speaking from a biased point of view.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

The Virginity Hit

An interesting concept for a film (referring to the filming PROCESS) would be better with a more unique plot. It's a Blair Witch-style film depicting no-name actors as themselves. The main character, Matt, is being filmed by his friends in his quest to lose his virginity with his girlfriend of 2 years. A couple days before they are planning on "losing it" Matt finds out that his girlfriend went to a party and cheated on him. He breaks up with her and sets out to lose it with some other girl.

The film has a respectively decent message about saving it for someone you love--they just forget to leave out that the person you love should also be the person you are married to (it woulda been a better message). The actors were believable for the most part, but I think that the filmmakers tried to set up Matt and his best friend, Zack to be like Evan and Seth (respectively) from Superbad. There are a couple of funny parts--neither of which are hysterical. It is more than decently written. The series of events are interesting and unique, however, the already-deteriorated message is clouded even more by several other questionable scenes.

Overall Grade: C


-Ethan Brehm

You Again

Here is a perfect example that confuses and funny film with a "good" film. This film starring Kristen Bell as Marni, a once-nerdy teenager who discovers that her brother is about to marry Joanna, her bully from high school (Odette Yustman). Her mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) also discovers that Joanna's aunt (Sigourney Weaver) was her high school rival.

This film was laughable throughout and had some great characters. However, it seemed that, even though the lines were good, the SCRIPT was messy. There were several parts that seemed key, but were never again mentioned or referred to. It was as though the writers made a list of events and scenarios and just cut and pasted them into the script without any remembrance that they existed. It's also frustrating when conflicts are forced into a movie just because the characters don't handle the situations realistically--as though there is no other way to work those conflicts into the film.

Kyle Bornheimer, who plays one of Joanna's ex-boyfriends, is the highlight of this film, as he adds a great sense of refreshing humor that I wish was in most films. Otherwise, this film is funny, but confusing where it shouldn't be. The acting is good too (with the exception of one or two actors), but the resolution of the story seems forced and unrealistic.

If I were to grade this film on how much I liked it and how much I wanted to see it again, I would give it an A, because it's funny and innocent. But as far as the quality of the film, I would have to go towards a C+ maybe. So, for my overall grade, I will average the two out.

Overall Grade: B


-Ethan Brehm