Ghost Town

So what is this one about?
Welp, my delightfully under-used friend Netlfix tells us,

British funnyman Ricky Gervais ("The Office," "Extras") stars in his first feature film lead as Bertram Pincus, a hapless gent who's pronounced dead, only to be brought back to life with an unexpected gift: a newfound ability to see ghosts. When Bertram crosses paths with the recently departed Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), he gets pulled into Frank's desperate bid to break up his widowed wife's (Téa Leoni) pending marriage to another man.

ok.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Nothing.

One thing you might not know about me is I have recently (well, maybe not too recently, since the Olympics) started going 10 miles a day on Saturday and Sundays on the treadmill in my basement. For the most part this works well because I have recorded shows from the previous week that I can watch. At most, three episodes of Law and Order (and it's friends) and one episode of Gossip Girl. This seems to fit the time well.

Unfortunately, the weekend I watched this I had nothing left to watch, so I used my HBO on demand and settled on this one. And since I don't pay for cable it really was nothing.

And what did I think?
Well, I am a big Ricky Gervais fan. I like his insane laugh. And his British accent. And his fat little face. He doesn't seem to have a lot of range to me, because I've never seen a role where he wasn't just playing Ricky Gervais. Luckily, though, I like him. So, it works well.

As Bertram he was really playing himself. Grumpy old Ricky. There is something about him, though, that is so sincere, so his character arc was nice. He had a very nice chemistry with each other character in the movie, and you really wanted things to work out well for him.

Interestingly enough, since it is a stupid idiotic romantic comedy, things had to fail then could be built back up. Romantic comedies are so flipping dumb. In life, when you like a boy (or a boy likes a girl) and you do something stupid to fuck it up, you often don't get a second chance. Romantic comedies give stupid people too much ammunition for them to think that everything will work out for them too. Romantic comedies are the devil. (except Love Actually, and does Clueless count?) I sound way more bitter than I am.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
It was funny enough, but mostly, anything with Ricky Gervais will likely be enjoyable for me.

I give it a 6.

It's Complicated

So what is this one about?
Wellllllllll, Netlfix tells us,

Ten years after their divorce, Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin) enjoy an amicable friendship. When the two unite for their son's college graduation, their romance is rekindled. But Jake is married, and Jane's architect, Adam (Steve Martin), has a thing for her. Now cheating on the younger woman for whom he left Jane, Jake wants his ex-wife back. But Jane's busy getting to know Adam. Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give) wrote and directed this Golden Globe-nominated comedy.

Ok. So far, so good.

And how much did I pay to watch?
Actually, I paid nothing. Why? Well, Erik and I went to go see it at the Georgetown AMC, and this old guy in line asked what movie we were going to see. We said "It's Complicated" and he said, "if you wait a minute, I am waiting for my friend, and if he doesn't show you could just buy my ticket from me." We were like, "nah, that's ok". So right as Erik went up to buy his ticket this guy flagged me down and was like "tell him to stop!" His friend hadn't showed up, and since the movie was starting in like 2 minutes he just gave me his ticket. AWESOME!

Now, Erik, like a sucker, still had to pay for his. It's ok Erik!

And what did I think?
Well, I went in seeing a movie like this one knowing it wasn't going to be amazing. For some reason, though, when I saw the commercials I thought it looked really funny.

And it was pretty funny. We laughed quite a bit during this one. Some of the laughs were actually very uncomfortable--there was a lot of naked Alec Baldwin. An uncomfortable amount. That guy is seriously fatter and seriously hairier than one would expect. (Unless you have seen It's Complicated, I suppose.) We were also some of the youngest--if not the youngest--people in the theatre. It was like old folks' city in there!! And watching old Alec Baldwin be naked and having sex and to have him say creepy gross things to Meryl Streep was even creepier when the old folks around us started to laugh. unCOMFORtable!!

As far as something like characterization goes, Baldwin and Krazinski were completely ridiculous. They weren't even real people, they were absolutely absurd caricatures. They were not real people. The only man in the entire movie who wasn't a total freak was Steve Martin. The family in the movie was creepily close and Erik kept leaning over to me saying "I know you are totally that way with your brother"...as a joke. They were like REALLY close and comfortable with each other in a way that was weird for me to watch.

The plot was pretty predictable, which is about what you would expect in a movie like this. Additionally, it made me hungry because Meryl Streep's character was a chef. Making fresh chocolate croissants. Yummmmmm.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Honestly, it was about what I thought it would be. It was funny. I was entertained.

It gets a 5.

Kissing Jessica Stein

So what is this one about?
My beloved Netflix tells us,

Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt) is a single, straight, successful New York journalist who, like most of her female friends, has had a history of dating (male) creeps. But when she answers an intriguing personal ad from Helen (Heather Juergensen), Jessica finds herself intensely drawn to her. As Jessica explores this new side of her sexuality, the two begin a friendship that ultimately leads to romance.

Isn't that the way it always works?

And how much did I pay to watch?
Zero dollars because I own this movie. It is one of my faves.

Though, back in the day I did see this in the theatre. I saw it with my mom at my belov'd Cinema Arts. And when the movie was over, do you know what my mom said to me? She said "You remind me of Jessica Stein." And to this day I have never been able to figure out what she meant. Though, it does make me feel a bit odd for her to say that to me.

And what did I think?
Well, here is the thing. Despite this movie being one of my faves, upon watching it I realize it isn't all that spectacular. What makes this movie so appealing is the characters.

It is empathizing with the characters that makes the whole thing relate-able. Hmm, how can I say this in a way that doesn't make me sound totally gay? Hmmm, see, the thing is, how can you--as someone who has likely met someone (no matter what gender) who is utterly intriguing--dismiss this film just because the storyline is somewhat gay? Answer: you cannot. If you think about it, of course you can relate to it.

It is like that line in Chasing Amy,

The way the world is, how seldom it is that you meet that one person who just *gets* you - it's so rare. ... And to cut oneself off from finding that person, to immediately halve your options by eliminating the possibility of finding that one person within your own gender, that just seemed stupid to me. So I didn't.

I mean, that, I think, is what Kissing Jessica Stein is about. It isn't about, like, realizing you are a lesbian, but it IS about opening yourself up to all that is out there.

Now, other than that, I realized way way later that John Hamm, of Mad Men fame, is in this movie, since Jennifer Westfeldt is his longtime girlfriend. But let me tell you, even as an avid Mad Men watcher, if I hadn't know he was in this, I never would have realized it was him. He is so much hotter in the 1960s than in the early 2000s.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
Well, I love it. For realzies. But, I realize it isn't a 10. So I give it an 8, though it still remains one of my favorites!

He's Just Not That Into You

**really? two months after I saw this I am finally getting around to the summary?? I am embarrassed.**

So what is this one about?
He's Just Not That Into You is a book that revolutionized the lives of women all over America, probably all over the world. I am not ashamed (well, maybe I am a little ashamed) to admit that I read and loved the book! The point it makes is simple, but it is one that seems to elude most women. If he isn't calling you, if he isn't sleeping with you, if he is sleeping with someone else, if he doesn't want to be in a relationship with you...he just isn't that into you. Once someone accepts this fact then it becomes much easier to put things into perspective. "He didn't want to try our relationship again. If he was that into he would have, so he isn't the right guy for me." Silly Greg Behrendt yammers on and on about how "you" (the woman reading the book) deserve a guy who is insanely into you, and if he can't be, then you should move on, because someone will be. (eventually. hopefully)

So, the movie is basically the book in movie form (now, I had no idea how this was going to be done when I learned a year ago that this was going to be made into a movie...but, I'll go into that later). Netflix tells us,

Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson lead an all-star cast in this adaptation of the bestseller that follows an ensemble of characters dealing with the pitfalls of love and human interaction. Set in Baltimore, director Ken Kwapis's film moves swiftly between a host of storylines and characters brought to life by a stellar lineup that includes Jennifer Connelly, Ben Affleck, Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long.

Ken Kwapis!! Of The Office Season 2 "Casino Night" (aka: the most perfect episode ever) fame?! Hot DAMN!!

And how much did I pay to watch?
Again, my mother paid for the ticket. I don't know how much, but I didn't pay anything. But she did buy me movie nachos...which was awesome!

And what did I think?
Well, I am embarrassed to say that this is the best book to film adaptation I have seen this year. I suppose, though, that the film industry should be embarassed by this, not me, because there have been amazing books that have been turned into films (Atonement, Revolutionary Road, The Reader, etc). Even though these books were better, and were written SO beautifully, they didn't translate well because there was no narrator to communicate what the author told us as readers. Now, what made HJNTIY work well as a movie was that the role of the author/narrator was made into an actual character in the film (played by Justin Long). This was what made the different questions/vingettes from the book translate to film. Frankly, I was amazed that this device was employed, and I was floored that it worked. Poor idiots who failed making better books into movies because they didn't have a narrator. Losers.

Now, the thing that was irritating and odd was that the characters and the narrator and the book's author kept emphasizing that you (the everywoman) are not special. Sure, you heard the story about the girl who liked the guy and he never called and treated you like crap, but somehow they ended up happily ever after anyway. But you are not that woman. And her story is the exception to the rule. You are the rule, not the exception. EXCEPT...every. single. character. in the movie ended up being the exception. So, what does that tell all the ridiculous, silly women in the world? You aren't the exception to the rule, but, for your specific love and relationship you probably are.

This seemed so ludicrous for a movie that was trying to communicate what it was. Ri.dic.u.lous.

But, other than that little flaw it was really quite good. Entertaining with characters that the audience cared about--good looking characters, at that--it was funny, and heartfelt, and honestly, everything I would expect from Ken Kwapis.

So what is the rating? (out of 10)
I give it a 9. No, maybe an 8.5. No, I guess a 9. Because it was a great book adaptation, smartly done and well acted for what it was. The message was quite trite, but, well, I suppose a lot of messages are these days.