Dan in Real Life

Dan in Real Life: Take it or leave it, this film left Rythemovieguy in the middle of the road. Steve Carell plays Dan, a widower with 3 daughters. Every year his family drives up to his parent’s lake house in Rode Island for the perfect family vacation. This year while Dan is at a local book store he meets a woman that he quickly falls in love with – problem is she is on her way to the same lake house to meet up with her new boyfriend….who happens to be Dan’s brother (played by Dane Cook). For all the good the movie does = exploring the difficulties of being a widower and dealing with real father/teenage daughter problems, at the same time the story becomes silly and cliché. The vacation events are too perfect – the family runs the gamut of playing every typical movie vacation event possible- charades, tackle football, crossword puzzle competition, a morning exercise together, even a family talent show appears. The film is slightly funny at times, but mainly is a drama. Nothing I would highly recommend, but not one I would Kick to the Floor either.

Very slight…."Pick it Up”

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The Brave One DVD Review

The Brave One: Is Jodi Foster’s vigilante flick a new take on Bronson’s Death Wish? I would say close, but not exactly. Foster plays Erica Bain, a radio talk show host who is a victim of a brutal attack by some hooligans in NY’s Central Park. The attack left her in a coma for 3 weeks and killed her boyfriend who she was with that night…..as for icing on the cake = the hooligans also steal the couple’s dog – mean. Erica then has a difficult time coping with this new sense of fear she has. This leads her to purchase a gun and subsequently go on a “revenge killing spree”. Her victims are always criminals– thus forcing the viewer to make up their mind if her actions are morally right or wrong. The film’s story is seeping with plot holes and there are more than a few spots that boarder on ridiculousness. However, I still found myself enjoying this violent thriller......... Guilty as charged.
“Pick it Up”

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The Assassination of Jesse James DVD

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: I loved this movie! This is easily one of the best 2007 films I have seen. With the climax given away in the title of the movie, it comes down to great storytelling to keep viewer interest. What I thought made this an OUTSTANING motion picture were the multiple layers the story had and the emotion each layer brought with it. The fascinating story is thought provoking – not only in direct relation to the characters and their motives, but also the symbolism it has in regards to today’s “media/celebrity infatuation”. Casey Affleck plays Robert Ford and to say he did an excellent job is an understatement. With this one role I would say he overshadows anything his big brother Ben ever did on screen and should be the Affleck we see more of going forward. Brad Pitt is perfect as Jesse James. It is crucial that Jesse has a dominant and intimidating presence and Pitt brings this tenfold. The one complaint I have heard with this film is the slow moving and long runtime (160 minutes) – I only mention this so that you can properly prepare yourself to appreciate this masterpiece!

“Pick it Up” !!!

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The Kingdom DVD Review

The Kingdom: The opening sequences of The Kingdom bring enough action and intrigue to draw in even viewers with only “TV attention spans”. Terrorists bomb a Western housing complex located in Saudi Arabia, killing many innocent Americans. The FBI then makes a secret deal with Saudi officials to bring in an elite team to investigate the crime. However once in Saudi Arabia the FBI realizes that Saudi authorities are unwelcoming and see no reason for the American team to even be there. The 4 person FBI team sent over is played by a motley group of actors. We have Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman. Believe it or not, they actually work perfectly together. The story resides more in the action genre than the drama, though the ending tries hard to make a serious statement. I enjoyed this rental and I think most will do the same.

“Pick it Up”

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The King of Kong Review

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters: A documentary that looks into the world of competitive video game players and their desire to break world records on classic arcade games. Simply put – this movie is hilarious. The humor actually stems from how serious all of the people involved are about playing video games (we meet some truly unique characters). To hear someone analyze a board of Donkey Kong like John Madden at his best is pure joy. Listening to someone breakdown the challenge of avoiding a wild barrel or sketching plays on the screen to show the trajectory of a bouncing spring is very amusing. At the center of the story are 2 competitors - Steve Wiebe (an unknown) & the current Donkey Kong world record holder, Billy Mitchell. Steve Wiebe actually breaks the record on his home Donkey Kong machine and videotapes it for proof. However, his record is not recognized by the current champ nor by Twin Galaxies – the official video game record keepers. This sets up an almost “Rocky” like challenge between the two men to see who can set the high score that will be included in the Guinness Book of World Records. The film transcends the humor aspect and is carried home by the drama of the moment. The King of Kong is an excellent rental….give it a spin!

"Pick it Up"

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