Sex Tape (2014)

So Cam gets to bear all yet Jason is fully clothed and even wearing socks? Hm…  Photo Source

I recently watched Sex Tape, a 2014 film starring Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel about a married couple that makes a sex tape then proceeds to accidentally send it to a lot of people. The movie, directed by Jake Kasdan, had some funny moments, but generally left me unimpressed. The film started with some unnecessary  and confusing college flashback scenes. Although Diaz and Segel are both attractive humans, they unfortunately do not look like twenty-year-olds. The flashback scenes also did nothing to contribute to the storyline except establish the fact that the couple had met in college and had a lot of great sex before having kids. Also the opportunity to prove that Annie (Diaz) had a great ass, and continues to have a great ass later in life as well.

In general there just wasn’t a lot to Sex Tape. Yes, it’s supposed to be a light comedy, but with a cast like Segel, Rob Lowe, Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper, and yes, Cameron Diaz, I guess I just expected better comedy. Segel even helped write the script, but a lot of the dialogue revolved around the fact that Annie was still very attractive for her age, which was predictable, tired, and frustrating. There was some physical comedy that I enjoyed, such as  Jay (Segel) nearly killing a dog with a treadmill. I also liked the scene in Annie’s boss’ house which involved Annie snorting cocaine with her boss, Hank (Lowe) while Jay searched the enormous house for an iPad that had the potential to ruin Annie’s future job prospects. I also appreciated some of the smaller details in the film like the paintings in Hank’s home featuring Hank as different characters from Disney movies. However, the general humor and style of the movie definitely didn’t make me want to watch it again. A lot of it felt repetitive and tired, despite some good surprises and moments such as a certain event at a fourth grade graduation. I was also personally annoyed that actors like Ellie Kemper were cast but then not really given anything to work with or do. Parts of Sex Tape were entertaining, but I would not recommend watching it in the theater.

My rating: 4/10

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Coraline

Source: http://www.fantasticreviews.com

I sped through Coraline, written by Neil Gaiman and published in 2002. I wouldn’t exactly call Coraline a children’s book but it’s definitely directed towards a younger audience. That being said, I enjoyed it immensely and believe that anyone of any age above maybe twelve or thirteen years old could enjoy it. Coraline tells the semi-creepy story of a young girl who moves into a flat in a strange house with her parents. She finds a passageway that leads to a presumably empty flat next door where she discovers her alternate family. Coraline’s “other mother” physically resembles her actual mother except that she has these crazy badass black buttons for eyes and her skin is as white as a piece of paper. There are other differences that Gaiman does a beautiful job of illustrating but I’ll just let you get to them. Coraline quickly realizes that her other mother is evil, and she must find a way to escape her clutches and save a few others that have fallen under her other mother’s wrath.

I really enjoyed the book. Gaiman’s writing style made it a quick, enjoyable read, and I loved the characters and the physical descriptions. My favorite character was Coraline’s other mother. Manipulative, sneaky, and rude, this woman definitely has a unique personality that would be fun to play if there were ever a non-animated movie version of Coraline.

This is my favorite illustration from the book. Source.

 I have also always appreciated the button eyes, even before reading the book. It’s just a really great touch. Gaiman seamlessly takes the reader through Coraline’s quest to return to reality and in her realization that in her case, trusting rude animals will probably always be in her best interest. I also enjoyed Coraline’s creative retaliation tactics and ideas in general, especially in the last chapter. I recommend this book to people who like adventure or fantasy stories, or fans of Alice in Wonderland. It’s also worth noting that the book has some pretty awesome illustrations by Dave McKean including a really great picture of a hand with long, disgusting fingernails. If you read Coraline and enjoy it, there is a 2009 movie version that I also recommend.

My rating: 7.5/10

Beaches (1988)

Source: kalafundra.com

After watching this movie, I learned that true dedication means consistently writing letters to someone for practically a lifetime. Beaches, directed by Garry Marshall and starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, tells the story of C.C. and Hillary, two friends who meet on the beach in Atlantic City as children and remain close for the rest of their lives. Even though Hillary comes from an insanely rich family, the two friends never see each other in person again until adulthood. By this time C.C., a struggling musician, lives in New York City waiting for her big break and Hillary goes to law school and struggles with her father’s high expectations for her. One day Hillary randomly shows up in New York out of the blue and proceeds to move in with C.C. Despite never having met in person besides one day in Atlantic City as children, the friendship survives and the roommates remain best friends despite some very strange jealousy issues. As time progresses, Hillary moves back to San Francisco to take care of her father and marry a “well bred” man who ends up cheating on her, and C.C. becomes a successful actor and musician. Once separated again, the two continue to correspond via letters, and the friendship and letters stand the test of time. Well, that’s only mostly true. During a confusing visit to New York, Hillary gets in a fight with C.C. about nothing in a Macy’s (this was actually a great scene) and afterwards refuses to answer C.C.’s letters for what seems to be a few years. Hillary is definitely the more irritating of the two, especially in that moment. When you’ve managed to send letters consistently with someone for this long, you do not stop because of your unexplained jealousy issues! Commit! Anyway, eventually the two rekindle the friendship. I won’t ruin anymore of the plot, but I found the film very touching.

They really found the perfect girl to play little C.C. Bloom. Source.

Highlights include two very strange, long scenes from musicals that C.C. stars in and an excellent argument in a Macy’s that I already mentioned before and that I plan on reenacting in the future in an actual Macy’s. I recommend this film to fans of Bette Midler (Hocus Pocus, anyone?) and to anyone who loves a good friendship story. Also I feel it’s important to note that Barbara Hershey, who plays Hillary, also plays Nina’s mother in Black Swan. When I realized this I didn’t know whether to be horrified or ecstatic, but I chose ecstatic. Watch Beaches with your best friend!

My rating: 6.3/10

 

 

Steel Magnolias (1989)

If you want to watch a film that makes you feel feelings, I recommend Steel Magnolias. This 1989 movie, starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Olympia Dukakis, and Shirley MacLaine, and directed by Herbert Ross, follows five friends and neighbors living in a small town in Louisiana. The plot follows the group of friends as they struggle with Shelby’s (Roberts) decision to have a child despite dealing with serious potential health risks. I must admit that seeing Dolly Parton in a movie threw me off at first but once I got used to her character running a hairdresser out of her home she won me over. My personal favorite scene was a very intense one that involved Sally Field’s character, M’Lynn, sobbing and yelling in a cemetery. The scene actually moved me to tears. God bless Sally. I also personally enjoyed the friendship between Ouiser (MacLaine) and Clairee (Dukakis). I hope when I’m a bitter 70-something I have a best friend like Clairee. I also just loved MacLaine’s performance as Ouiser in general. Another reason I enjoyed Steel Magnolias so much, besides the excellent nearly all-female cast, was because of the roller coaster of emotions that I experienced throughout the film.

Clairee and Ouiser in their usual spat. Source.

Whether I was scoffing at Annelle’s religious demands or practically sobbing while watching Shelby’s funeral, I felt that the movie did a good job of exposing life as it often is: sad, funny, frustrating, ridiculous, and beautiful.  If you like badass southern ladies, watch Steel Magnolias. You might shed a tear or two and you might feel more emotionally attuned for it.

My rating: 8/10

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Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

I’ve finally joined the ranks of the majority of people my age who have seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This 1986 classic, written and directed by John Hughes, follows Ferris (played by Matthew Broderick), a high school senior who pretends to be sick in order to skip school and have fun with his friends. In general I enjoyed the movie. I definitely recognized similarities between Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and some of Hughes’ other movies like The Breakfast Club. Maybe it’s the fact that it took me so long to watch this one, and the fact that I’m not in high school anymore, but I didn’t find that it struck any chord with me the way that it has with other people I know. That being said, it was still very entertaining and put my attempts to feign sickness in high school to absolute shame.

Watching Jeanie nearly have an aneurism several times throughout the day was another highlight.

It also annoyed me when Ferris would talk directly to the camera, but I think that might be partially influenced by some leftover feelings from season one of Sex and the City. Highlights of this movie include realizing that Ferris’ girlfriend is a high school junior and not twenty-seven years old and the school secretary who really doesn’t get enough screen time in my opinion. I recommend this movie to anxious high schoolers. However, unless you plan on destroying a very expensive car or making out with someone in jail, I’m not sure this film will help that much to cope with the stress of realizing you have to be a real person.

My rating: 6.5/10

 

Girl Walks into a Bar…

After months reading this book on and off, I have finally finished Girl Walks into a Bar… by Rachel Dratch and I really enjoyed it. Rachel Dratch is probably best known from her time on Saturday Night Live between 1999 and 2006, but she has also appeared on a lot of other TV shows and movies such as 30 Rock and Fish Hooks. She’s also an improv veteran from The Second City in Chicago. Girl Walks into a Bar… is Drach’s very entertaining and funny memoir. She discusses her comedy career, but mostly focuses on her personal life, reliving experiences that range from her time studying at Dartmouth to dating a sex addict. What I also particularly enjoy about this book is that although Dratch is an extremely successful person, her story seems a little more realistic than some of her counterparts’ (let’s just say she doesn’t have her own TV show called “The Rachel Project). Though Dratch did end up on Saturday Night Live, she had a very difficult time progressing in her career, especially early on. She’s a great example of someone who had to audition many times before landing a role, or stick things out for what probably seemed like forever before moving onto a new chapter in her comedy career. Even after her time on SNL, Dratch has had trouble landing roles that she really wants, or breaking out of the typical “best friend” character in roles she does land. However, the moral of the story seems to be: shit works out. I personally found Dratch’s story realistic and comforting. Her style is very light and funny even as she deals with potentially heavy topics like possibly giving up the opportunity to have a child and facing an unwanted career slowdown. I definitely recommend this book to any fan of Dratch’s work, and to anyone interested in comedy in general (especially women!).

My rating: 7/10

The Bell Jar

Today I finally finished The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, originally published in 1963. I must admit that my personality makes loving Plath and her works very easy. Either way, if you like to read and you are a college student, I would recommend this book. Not only is Plath’s style of writing fantastic, but I felt completely connected to Esther and her experiences (even though I don’t exactly think of myself as a suicidal poet). The story also takes the reader through some pretty awkward and funny scenes, including a first kiss, making friends in an asylum, and a few failed attempts at seducing men. Esther is a very recognizable character despite her descent into insanity.

This is a pretty common photo of Sylvia Plath but I really like it so I’m including it anyway.

There are definitely many ways to interpret this book. I read it with a feminist lens. The main character, Esther, seems to realize that her world and her surroundings aren’t exactly fit for her (or possibly her gender). She sees after a while that she cannot “have it all” in her society the way she thought was possible, then decides she’d rather be somewhere else, namely wherever people go after they die. The book of course is much more complicated than that simple interpretation and lends itself to a lot of dissecting, which I invite everyone to do! I would recommend this book to people who like stories about mental health, suicide, and asylums. I would also recommend this book to people who feel complicated or torn or lost a lot of the time. The Bell Jar won’t make you feel less lost or crazy or weird but it will definitely provide you with a cool lady with whom you can identify. I’m glad I didn’t read this book in high school and I definitely think college students are a good audience for the book, maybe because the main character is a college student herself.

There are sad, funny, confusing, and beautiful moments in The Bell Jar. Plath describes the feeling of isolation perfectly and even though Esther needs help getting back on her feet, her actions and feelings are defended and understood. I also enjoyed the book’s lack of resolution or hope. That’s not to say that there aren’t happy, positive moments in the novel. I just found Esther to be a very recognizable, human character and I found her story to be touching and true.

When reading this, I tried not to compare the events in the book with actual events that happened in Sylvia Plath’s life, but it’s very difficult not to if you’ve read about her. Either way, I think you should read this book and then find me to discuss it because I definitely found it complicated and full of potential dissection. If you liked this book I suggest you read Plath’s poetry. A personal favorite activity of mine is to read “Lady Lazarus” out loud in a very ominous, loud voice until my friends have “had enough.”

My rating: 8/10

 

 

Children of a Lesser God (1986)

Yesterday I watched Children of a Lesser God, starring Marlee Matlin and William Hurt. I had wanted to see this movie since I watched Matlin’s Oscar acceptance speech for the role on YouTube while waiting for my roommate who takes approximately two hours to get dressed. This film, directed by Randa Haines, tells an intense story about Sarah, a deaf woman who works as a janitor at a deaf school, and James, a hearing man who teaches at the school. Matlin does a great job playing Sarah, an angry badass who won’t let James into her world for a long time. The two fall in love but the fact that James can hear and Sarah cannot (even though James can sign very well) creates tension and drama. James wants Sarah to learn how to speak but Sarah doesn’t want to learn or conform to a practice that isn’t natural for her. This difference in opinion leads to many an emotional conversation and in Sarah’s case, many opportunities to leave the scene by storming out and slamming a door.

This is a fun moment when Sarah decided to dance in the middle of a restaurant and James just stands watching awkwardly.

In general I really liked the movie. There were some moments of confusion that I experienced, particularly the pool scene. Some thoughts that entered my mind were: why is Sarah just casually swimming nakedin the school pool at night? How does a person just forget his shoe in a pool? Did he think no on was  going to find it? Didn’t he need the shoe? I also had trouble working out how much time had passed between scenes but that may have just been because I was so distracted and angered by the pool scene.

I found comparing James’ and Sarah’s distinct perspectives the most interesting and exciting part of the movie.  The movie came out in 1986, so definitely look forward to some interesting hair and wardrobe choices. This movie is definitely more on the serious side. I didn’t cry this time around but I feel like it could happen. There are also some very emotionally charged couple fights which I enjoyed. Children of a Lesser God is a good choice if you want to watch something that keeps you thinking after it ends.

My rating: 7/10

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Play it as it Lays

Play It as It Lays, by Joan Didion, follows Maria, an actress in Hollywood struggling to escape the tangle of pointlessness that her life has become. I enjoyed this novel, published in 1970, because Maria is by no means a likable character, but her internal journey became so important to me that I was desperate for her situation to improve. Though Maria tries to escape the mundane and oppressive reality that her Hollywood life becomes, blackmail and engrained societal norms within her stop her from making progress. The book can be a bit confusing at times, but it contains many striking images that left me thinking for a while. The fact that Maria resembles a washed out skeleton of a person really drew me to her more because she really doesn’t seem capable of fixing her situation. This is a book I plan on reading again. The book’s style makes it a quick read, but I found it easy to miss specific details.

This is a pretty cool photo of Didion. Source

Reading the book definitely requires a desire to learn more about Maria and look at her world from her eyes. There is also a very static and stale feeling to Maria’s life that can either really annoy the reader or push her to try to understand why nothing seems real or exciting.  I recommend the book to people who like Nathaniel West, or anyone who wants to read a book about Hollywood in the late sixties. Look forward to a disturbing abortion scene (which is actually quite revolutionary for a novel written in 1970) and a trip to the desert. Reading this book with a  feminist lens can also lead to a lot of interesting conclusions about Maria and her situation.

My rating: 7/10

Blue is the Warmest Color

This is my favorite poster for the movie.

I sadly missed Blue is the Warmest Color when it came out in theaters, so as soon as I saw that it was added to Netflix I dropped everything to watch it, meaning I dropped my math homework to watch it. Blue is the Warmest Color, released in 2013, is a French coming of age story about Adèle, a young girl who begins to discover more about her sexual identity. She meets Emma, a badass art student with blue hair, and they fall in love. I thought the movie was fantastic and extremely raw. The director, Abdellatif Kechiche, has a very interesting style. The scenes had a feeling of vulnerability and nakedness to them (aside from the many actual nude scenes). Everything seemed very real and raw. Nothing was spared for the sake of looking good for the camera. I found this to be especially true during scenes involving eating or crying (and unfortunately, sometimes both). This movie also didn’t spare the audience from feeling extremely awkward or uncomfortable. Definitely think about who you are going to watch this movie with before committing. There are at least three sex scenes, and one of them lasts eleven minutes and is about as explicit as I imagine a sex scene in a movie can get. That being said, I found the film really emotional and striking, and the connection that Adèle and Emma establish is both beautiful and terrifying. Adèle Exarchopoulos, who plays Adele, and Léa Seydoux, who plays Emma, did a phenomenal job and truly committed to their roles. I also enjoyed some of the wardrobe and style choices that I felt made the characters more real.

This is a pretty good example of the hair: rat’s nest or flawless? You decide.

Adèle’s hair remains a hot mess for the whole movie to the point where I wanted to chase her down the street with a hairbrush, and the girl cannot eat without her mouth wide open. These flaws only make Adèle more recognizable and likable, though. They also confirm my philosophy on days when I have to wear my hideous and very clunky snow boots: maybe if I wear them with extreme confidence, they will turn less disgusting. I definitely recommend the movie. Be prepared for a lot of emotion, drama, and nudity.

My rating: 8/10

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