Archive
Movie Review: When In Rome (2010)
Summary:
Beth loves her career as a curator at the Guggenheim, and she’s told her friends that when she meets a man she loves more than her career that’s when she’ll know he’s the one. She, therefore, is shocked when her sister meets an Italian man on a plane and gets engaged to him two weeks later. Off to Rome for the wedding, and Beth hits it off with a guy. But when she sees him kissing an Italian woman, she gets drunk on champagne and takes four coins from the love fountain in front of the wedding. Uh-oh! Taking a coin from the fountain makes the thrower fall instantly in love with you, and when Beth gets back to NYC, she winds up with four very determined suitors.
Review:
Yes, I actually do watch a chick flick periodically. 😉 This one is quite stereotypical, complete with Beth declaring she’s starving and proceeding to grab a salad to eat. Oy. There’s also the usual slap-stick humor, such as the main suitor falling down a hole in the streets of NYC. It also takes quite a bit of suspension of disbelief to believe that Beth randomly grabbed four coins, all of which happened to have belonged to men. Uh-huh. Somehow I feel like the statistics of that actually happening are unlikely.
However, the story itself is a bit unique, what with the inclusion of magic. Although it’s obvious who Beth will end up with, the way they wind up together was not entirely predictable, so that was nice. The cinematography is visually very appealing. For instance, the scene of Beth drunk in the fountain is just gorgeous.
The acting ranges from cringe-inducing to excellent. Danny DeVito’s presence as one of the suitors really saves the film. That man is just always so believable in whatever film he’s in. Kristen Bell, who plays the lead, also does a good job, although the supporting characters are a bit iffy.
Overall, it’s a fun way to pass an hour and a half if you have a soft spot for romcoms and enjoy Italian scenery.
3 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
Movie Review: Matilda (1996)
Summary:
Matilda has the unfortunate luck of being a smart kid born to not only stupid, but annoying and neglectful, parents. They leave her alone for extended periods of time at a young age, time she fills by reading books from the public library. When she’s six and a half, her father finally sends her to a private school with a bully of a principal. However, her sweet teacher tells her she’s special, and Matilda’s mind stretches to be even more powerful than she ever thought it could.
Review:
This movie sounds serious, but it’s actually quite funny. Danny DeVito directs and acts–both as the narrator and Matilda’s father. Rhea Perlman, known like DeVito for comedic roles, plays Matilda’s mother. Matilda’s telekinetic abilities are played mainly for laughs, and she tends to use them in a child-like manner.
Matilda’s parents aren’t mean to their daughter on purpose; they just don’t understand her. They think it’s fun to watch terrible game shows on tv and are offended when she says she’d rather read Moby Dick. Matilda doesn’t hate them, but she also knows she doesn’t belong.
The message of the movie really is that family is what you make of it, not what you’re born into. Matilda could have dumbed herself down to fit in with her family, but she doesn’t. Her parents could have insisted that she belongs with them, but they don’t. Sometimes people are born into the right family; sometimes they’re not, and there’s nothing wrong with fixing that.
If you want some giggles and a heartwarming message that doesn’t have a love interest for once, give Matilda a shot.
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4 out of 5 stars
Source: Netflix
This work by Amanda Nevius is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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