There’s something less than thrilling at the prospect of yet another movie about a pompous businessman caught up in the ego of earning a quick buck who suddenly has a change of heart and rediscovers himself. With Russell Crowe (Cinderella Man) as the self-professed bastard Max Skinner and directed by the usually reliable Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down), one can already see where this is heading. The plot is predictable and the overall film standard Hollywood fare, complete with the full range of caricatures.
Despite a cast of big Hollywood names, who have all had their fair share of quality work, directors Anthony and Joe Russo’s (both of The Kiss) You, Me and Dupree is a complete disaster. From start to finish the jokes are tedious, the plot wanders aimlessly; even the usually amusing Owen Wilson (Starsky & Hutch) can’t save this from being a train wreck.
Sandra Bullock (“Speed”), Keanu Reeves (surprise surprise, “Speed”) and a letterbox that can transport letters backwards and forwards in time - we already know where this is going, right? “The Lake House” is really pretty humdrum, but could have been reasonably entertaining had the director put more thought into it.
So after all the hype of The Big Break Up, Brangelina and speculation about Jennifer Aniston (TV’s Friends) and Vince Vaughn’s (Wedding Crashers) off-screen romance, here is the movie with the ironic title that coincided, rather skilfully from a PR perspective, with the hoo-ha around Jen’s love life. With such a build up one would only expect this to be another ho-hum romantic comedy where Aniston is Rachel Green all over again capped off with some mildly amusing jokes from Vaughn. It’s not.
This quirky Danish film is short and undemanding, but thoroughly agreeable viewing. Director-writer Anders Thomas Jensen (The Green Butchers) has created a superb black comedy about an unlikely group of misfits trying to live normal lives as they cope with the tragedies that befall them.
Cut the Carbs
Myth: Taking carbohydrates out of your diet is a healthy way to lose weight.
Verdict: FALSE
Carbohydrates provide about 50-60 percent of the body’s energy calories, so a drastic reduction in carbohydrate intake means the thyroid slows down, decreasing metabolism and the body’s ability to break down fats and carbohydrates. Certified personal trainer Irving Henson notes this can be detrimental to attempts to lose weight.
With swimwear season slowly but surely approaching, two experts separate fat fact from fiction
Some gals like to do it every few weeks, but for most of us the concept of a full Brazilian wax is a little daunting (although—strangely intriguing). And the idea of a Boyzilian, where they go full sack, back and crack? Forget it. To get to the root of the issue, we sent two virgin guinea pigs (anonymously) to an unnamed hair-removal center to have a “Triple X” treatment and get (almost) everything taken off.
BK exposes the truth about what it’s really like to get it all off—hair that is.
Symbolism and historical analysis made the The Da Vinci Code novel a fascinating read. Pity none of this is in the movie version.
Belgian film L’Enfant, winner of Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palme D’Or last year, is a subdued and thoughtful arthouse offering, even if its end is conventional and unconvincing.
Predictable and uninspiring, An Unfinished Life is a mediocre film with a palpable cast.
Here we go again with another aging-old-man-learning-to-express-himself movie. With Robert Redford (Spy Game) in the lead as a jaded cowboy unable to recover from his son’s death, and Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) as his sidekick, you know where this is heading. Throw in the always-dubious casting of Jennifer Lopez (Shall We Dance), and you can be sure that while this film might make the bucks, it won’t change your life.
