Martin's Musings

When Love and Other Drugs first begins, you may think you’re in for a very long next two hours. After all, there’s Jake Gyllenhaal dancing around an electronics store to the sounds of Spin Doctors’ “Two Princes.” Ugh. But damn if the film doesn’t eventually win you over. In the movie, Jake plays Jamie, a charming, slutty sales rep for Pfizer, who meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway) during one of his sales calls. We learn during that first meeting that Maggie has Parkinson’s Disease, and despite that, even though it’s completely out of character, somehow Jamie falls for Maggie. Of course, that’s after the two have sex. Lots and lots of sex. Let’s just say if you need a reason to see this movie, that’s it, and because you see plenty of the two actors. (Not that I’m complaining; they both look great.)

But anyway … with Maggie’s illness looming, you know Love is going to take a more serious turn eventually. And thankfully, the movie doesn’t become a total weepie. That’s partly because Anne and Jake make such a winning couple, and the script by director Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, and Charles Randolph isn’t a total downer. Zwick has made a film with plenty of intimate, sexy moments, and he’s drawn some good performances from his two leads. Yes, there are some missing details, and some plot points that strain credibility, but Jake and Anne’s great chemistry (yes, better than they had in Brokeback Mountain) makes it easy to overlook them. Thankfully, Love is much better than its opening few minutes would lead you to believe. I’m giving it a B.

What would you do to save your own life?

In 2003, Aron Ralston was out climbing in Robbers Roost, Utah, when he got stuck in a canyon — his hand trapped under a boulder.

Six days later, dehydrated, hungry, and nearly out of options, he somehow found the strength to free himself by first breaking his arm and then amputating it from the elbow down.

Ralston told his story in the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and now it’s come to the big screen in the thrilling film 127 Hours. Continue reading →

I wanted to like Due Date, but I’m calling it a disappointment. Not much to say about it, other than I saw it and didn’t love it. My rating’s a B–. How’s that for a short review?

In Welcome to the Rileys, James Gandolfini trades in his Jersey brogue for a midwestern twang and stars as Doug Riley, one half of a still-grieving Indiana couple that lost its 15-year-old daughter in a tragic car accident eight years prior. Doug has dealt with the loss by being emotionally distant, and his wife, Lois (Melissa Leo), has dealt with it by not even leaving the house.

Then, while on a business trip to New Orleans, Doug meets Mallory (Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart), a stripper with a strong resemblance to Doug’s daughter. Feeling like he has a second chance at the life he was denied, Doug decides to stay in NOLA and take care of the young lady — a move that prompts Lois to finally leave the house and join him. Continue reading →

About halfway through Jackass 3D, Chris Pontius sticks the bottom half of his face in a diorama where a couple of scorpions are crawling around. Seconds later, bitten and stung, Pontius is questioning his motives for partaking in such an inane stunt, and he’s asked, “What did you think was going to happen?”

Exactly.

Anyone considering seeing this latest film in the Jackass series must ask himself a similar question. After all, this is a movie in which the marquee stunt is something called “Poo Cocktail Supreme,” which features Steve-O sitting in a poo-filled port-a-potty that gets flung up on bungee cords and shaken around a bit (and yes, there are cameras inside the port-a-potty so you can see not just Steve-O’s reactions, but also the poo flying all over). Continue reading →

What is Red?

Well, it takes a while to figure that out.

This quirky action-comedy about a group of over-the-hill former CIA agents who band together when a hit is ordered on one of them has some stylistic touches, and a distinguished cast — both of which make for a surprisingly enjoyable film.

After all, who wouldn’t love to see Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman putting on disguises, throwing punches, and shooting bad guys?

Bruce Willis, he’s the kind of guy you expect in a movie like this, but you don’t see him going mano a mano with Richard Dreyfuss every day.

Sure, you may not have as much fun as Mary-Louise Parker seems to be having, but thanks largely to its cast, Red is a good time at the movies.

I’m giving it a B.