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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 January 2008

Ever since she was a young girl, Jane (Heigl) has loved weddings.  She keeps newspaper clippings of wedding photos and reports.  She has attended the ceremonies and receptions of her many friends.  Plus, as the title reveals, she has been a bridesmaid at 27 different weddings.  Jane has kept every one of her bridesmaid dresses and they are stuffed into a cupboard in her New York apartment.

Now the thing is, Jane has never been married herself.  How is it that someone as nice and good looking as Jane can’t find a boyfriend?  It’s a good question which has been bugging me for months (since I first saw the trailer).  It turns out that she spends so much time helping others that she doesn’t have time to focus on her own life.  Further, she does have a crush on someone but it’s her boss, George (Burns).  Jane has never had the guts to reveal her true feelings for fear of ruining her career.

Her busy lifestyle is turned on its head when her youngster sister, Tess (Akerman), comes to stay with her for a few weeks.  Tess is a model who is in between assignments.  Jane asks Tess to come along to a work function but it turns out to be a bad idea.  Tess and George are introduced and… end up spending the night together.

Within weeks, Tess and George are engaged to be married and Jane has been asked to help plan it.  Jane doesn’t know what to do.  She’s planning the wedding for a man she’s hopelessly in love with but unfortunately, she’s not the bride.  What’s she going to do?  To further complicate the situation, Jane is being pursued by a very determined writer named Kevin (Marsden).  All he wants is a chance but Jane is too busy to oblige.

I do have issues with the film’s premise.  When you break it down, it’s all a bit too far-fetched and nothing like this could ever happen in reality.  Well, maybe it could and I’m just a non-romantic.  Jane somehow goes to two weddings in one night by shuttling back and forth in a taxi.  Who would do this and how does she go undetected?  When George meets Tess, he “pops the question” seemingly within a week.  How could someone as sensible as George do something so hasty and not realise that Tess is such a ditz?

If you’re prepared to go along with the story (and I did my best to do so), then 27 Dresses is an entertaining romantic comedy.  The key is the performance of star Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up).  She shares some great scenes in particular with James Marsden (Enchanted) where they open up about their thoughts on marriage and weddings.  There’s something about her facial expressions and the way she delivers her lines that makes her both real and likeable.  That’s more than I can say for the female lead in pretty much every other romantic comedy I see.

It follows a familiar formula and satisfies the definition of a “chick flick” but 27 Dresses is still good fun.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 January 2008

I’m not really sure how much of the film’s plot I should reveal.  For once, the marketing team have gotten it right and not given the entire story away in the film’s trailer.  I’ll therefore make my overview rather vague…

It is the year 2012 and Robert Neville (Smith) is the only man living in New York City.  The entire population has been wiped out.  How did this happen?  Why is he the only survivor?  Is there hope for the human race?  These questions will be answered but not all at once.  You’ll have to be patient…

During the day, Robert roams around the city.  He broadcasts a radio message in the hope that someone is listening.  He goes down to his local video store to find something to watch.  He hits golf balls down the city streets.

On sunset, Robert’s relaxed demeanour changes.  He retreats to his house and covers the doors and windows with thick metal coverings.  He will anxiously listen to the strange noises outside and wait for the sun to rise.

This concept is very similar to the Danny Boyle movie, 28 Days Later (released in 2002).  In that film, a young man (played by Cillian Murphy) woke up in a London hospital after having been in a coma for some time.  On walking out into the streets, he found that everything was deserted.  He would spend his time trying to figure out what had transpired and whether any other humans were alive.

I like the idea of both films and it’s an interesting concept.  In I Am Legend, director Francis Lawrence (Constantine) has used special effects to create an amazing setting.  It’s scary to see New York City look the way that it does.  The billboards are torn and faded, the buildings look run-down and grass is growing everywhere.  It’s now a ghost town that was once home to around 10 million people.

I also wish to praise the way in which the story is told.  Instead of giving us the answers all at once, we learn more about the situation and the troubles which Robert faces as the film progresses.  The best scene is one where he looks for his lost dog in the darkened corridors of a bank.  You’ll feel like you’re in Robert’s shoes – timidly stepping around every corner whilst nervously flashing your torch in every direction.  There’s something that he sees that gave me quite a fright.

The film does have its fair share of weaknesses.  For starters, there’s not enough action.  Too much time is spent trying to illustrate Robert’s fragile mental state.  With no human contact in 3 years, we see Robert talking to himself, to his dog and even to mannequins in a store.  I was saying to myself in the cinema “yeah, I get the point, he’s going crazy, can we get to the part where something starts to happen?”  I’ve also got a few concerns about the finale which seemed rushed and “convenient”.  It can’t have been that easy.

I’m not a big Will Smith fan (I think I say that in every Will Smith film I review) and I’m not convinced he’s the ideal person for this role.  Still, I can’t deny the fact that he’s a massive drawcard.  I Am Legend took in $76m in its first three days when it opened last month in the U.S.  This makes it one of the biggest openings of all time.  Not bad for a film with only one major actor in it.  In the eyes of Warners Bros. Pictures (who financed the film), he is indeed a “legend”.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 January 2008

Most people who get recurrent work in the film world have talent.  Without it, they’d be replaced as quickly as you’ve read this sentence.  There are thousands of hopefuls knocking on the door who are waiting for their opportunity to break though.  As good as these regular actors / writers / directors are, there is an upper echelon who have achieved greatness.  When a group of these folk get to together to make a movie, you can be pretty confident that it’s going to be “damn great”.

A perfect example is American Gangster.  It is directed by Ridley Scott, the man who helmed such films as Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down.  It is written by Steven Zaillian, the man who came up with the script for films such as Schindler’s List, A Civil Action and Gangs Of New York.  It stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, two likeable actors with 3 Academy Award wins and 8 Academy Award nominations between them.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise to hear me say that American Gangster is “damn great”.

It’s set in New York in the late 1960s and two stories are told concurrently.  The first is of Frank Lucas (Washington).  Mafia heavyweights have been selling large quantities of drugs on streets of Harlem.  Frank knows that these drugs are of low quality and with all the middlemen involved, the price is too high.  There’s money to be made.

Through a few contacts in South East Asia, Frank finds a creative way to import 100% pure heroin from South East Asia.  He and his crew are now selling a product called “Blue Magic” that offers “twice the quality for half the price”.  Soon enough, Frank is the new big boy in town.  He has a lot of money and a lot of power.  Success has its price however.  Frank’s sudden rise to fame has ruffled some feathers within the corrupt police force and the New York Mafia.

The second story is of Richie Roberts (Crowe).  Richie is a New Jersey police detective with little going for him.  His partner is a habitual drug user and his wife is about to divorce him.  On top of this, his ethical “do things by the book” style has alienated him from his dishonest work colleagues.  It would seem that he has few friends.

Richie is asked by his boss to assemble a team and set up a new Drug Enforcement Agency.  Their job is to identify the major drug suppliers and dealers and come up with enough evidence to prosecute them.  It’s an almost impossible task.  In Richie’s own words, “if you stop bringing dope into this country about 100,000 people and going to be out of a job.”

As you can see, this puts Frank and Richie on a collision course.  It may sound like a simple good vs. evil story but there’s more to it than that.  It’s interesting to watch each side and the way they go about achieving their objectives.  It reminded me of the 1995 film, Heat (directed by Michael Mann and starring Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro).  The tension builds as you wait for the moment where the two leading characters will come face-to-face.  Washington and Crowe are great throughout and yes, their confrontation in the film’s finale is worth the wait.

Based on actual events, American Gangster is a two and a half hour journey that will keep you engrossed.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 December 2007

3:10 To Yuma is the first new release “western” I’ve seen in a long time and it’s a damn good one.  Fans of the genre won’t want to miss it.  When you realise that a film of this quality, it makes you wonder why we don’t see more westerns in today’s cinemas.

Ben Wade (Crowe) is a notorious outlaw who is wanted by the authorities.  He and his large posse have robbed many establishments over the years.  He’s been caught before but he always finds a way to escape.

After robbing a stage coach just outside of the town of Bisbee, Wade and his crew slip quietly into town.  They split the money between them and celebrate with a few drinks.  Just as he is about to leave, Wade is spotted and arrested by the sheriff.  Wade doesn’t seem too concerned – it’s as if he’s looking forward the challenge of escaping once again.

It’s decided by the sheriff that Wade will be transported to the jail in Yuma where he will be tried and hopefully hanged.  There’s a train (with a special prisoner section) that leaves every day from the town of Contention at 3:10pm.  It’s a long horse ride to Contention however.  The sheriff is worried that Wade’s posse will intercept them en route and rescue their leader.

Dan Evans (Bale) is a farmer struggling to make ends meet.  He’s overdue on his land repayments and is about to be kicked off the property.  Desperate for money, he accepts an offer to help escort Wade to Contention.  He knows it will be dangerous but the $200 fee is too tempting.  Around six people start out as part of the escort but not all will make it…

3:10 To Yuma is the complete package.  It’s got action, drama, comedy and suspense.  It’s a great way to spend two hours.  The tension keeps building and you know there’s going to be a big climax to finish the movie off.  The setting is terrific too – director James Mangold (Walk The Line) takes up back to a very interesting time in American history.  It’s fun watching them all try to shoot each other with bullets with their ancient pistols.  I don’t know how any of them could shoot straight back then.

Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are two of the best actors going around today and they’re great in this movie.  They can play any role and they prove that here.  The other standout in the cast is Ben Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand) who plays a man in Wade’s crew.  His crazy look and creepy voice make him an intimidating individual.

Load your guns, saddle up and prepare for an adventure.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 January 2008

Dave (Lee) is a wannabe songwriter who just can’t come up with a hit.  To make matters worse, he’s just lost his regular day job as an advertising consultant.  Did I also mention that Dave recently got dumped by his girlfriend because he wasn’t ready to settle down and start a family?  You should be getting the picture that Dave is down on his luck and due for a life change.

That’s where Alvin, Simon and Theodore come in.  Three talking chipmunks find their way into Dave’s house.  He finds them rummaging through his pantries and leaving a large mess.  He’s just about to get rid of them when he realises… they can talk!  He shakes his head of a little but it doesn’t change anything.  It’s not a dream.

When Dave hears Alvin, Simon and Theodore’s high pitched singing voices, it gives him an idea.  With his lyrics and their unique vocal cords, he might be able to come up with a new sound that will revolutionise the music industry.  They could be the first animals to make a hit record.

Dave’s judgement is right and soon enough, Alvin & The Chipmunks are sitting atop the music charts.  It’s not all smooth sailing though.  The Chipmunks are looking for a father figure but Dave’s still not sure he’s ready for such a commitment.  Further, a high profile music executive (Cross) is looking to take control of the band and milk as much money from them as possible.

The idea of Alvin & The Chipmunks was created by Ross Bagdasrian in 1958.  Many “chipmunk” albums have been released over the years for better or worse.  There have also been many animated television shows and movies based around them.  Now, we’ve got a live action movie (well, the chipmunks are computer generated).

Alvin & The Chipmunks is a fun family movie which is pretty easy to follow.  Its strong showing at the box-office shows that its been very popular with kids.  I don’t think its anything special but I guess it’s because I’m not in the target demographic.  There were plenty of laughs in my cinema so I’m strongly recommending this for parents looking to entertain their kids over the school holidays.