Priceless.

My Rating
(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: R Runtime: 102 minutes
Genre: Foreign, Romantic Comedy, Comedy

For me, romantic comedies are a love-hate thing. There’s no in between; I either love it or hate it. A romantic comedy that’s not sappy, cheesy, or predictable is hard to find. However, if you’re looking for a good one, look no further.

Irène(Audrey Tautou – who you may know from Amelie, although you’ll hardly recognize her) is a gold digger who lives by taking advantage of rich men with her charm and beauty. When she and her rich boyfriend go on a vacation, she mistakes the bartender Jean(Gad Elmaleh) for a rich man. He becomes smitten with her, and now she must figure out how to get rid of him.

Although, I thought the role didn’t fully allow Audrey Tautou to display her acting ability, she does great with what they give her. Gad Elmaleh was fantastic in the role of Jean, though. I don’t think the movie would be that great if another actor had been chosen for the role.

I thought that Priceless is a great, light-hearted romantic comedy that, despite its predictability, offers witty comedy and a fun storyline. This would make a great date movie.

Netflix Page for Priceless.

Wristcutters: A Love Story

My Rating

(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 88 minutes

Genre: Indie, Comedy, Romantic Comedy

I can’t remember where I heard about this movie, but I’m glad I put it in my queue. This movie turned out to be one of the most original romantic comedies I’ve ever seen…and it’s actually funny.

When Zia(Patrick Fugit) decides to commit suicide(by cutting his wrists as the title suggests) after his girlfriend Desiree breaks up with him, he ends up in another world of despotism and sorrow, one populated by everyone else who has committed suicide. When Zia hears that Desiree(Leslie Bibb) has also committed suicide and is now a part of this universe, he goes on a mission to track her down with a Russian musician named Eugene (this character is based on Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello). When on their journey, they pick up Mikal(Shannyn Sossamon), a hitchhiker who is searching for the people in charge because she says doesn’t belong in this world. Tom Waits and Will Arnett also stars in this film.

This movie ended up being one of the most charming films I’ve seen in a while. I love the idea of a world where all people who committed suicide go because I never contemplated anything like that before. The way it was executed was great, too. Some of my favorite things were just the subtle, quirky little jokes. For starters, when Zia first arrives in the post-suicide world, he finds work at Kamikaze Pizza. One of my favorite lines in the film was "I'm not going out tonight. It just makes me depressed." "So, what you gonna do? Kill yourself?"

The music in Wristcutters was great. They use Gogol Bordello’s music as the character Eugene’s band’s music. They’re great and if you have never listened to them (Gogol Bordello’s music also appears in Everything Is Illuminated as well), I recommend that you check them out.

If you have any interest in dark comedy, I would definitely check this one out. The film manages to be original, funny, and deliver.

Netflix Page for Wristcutters: A Love Story

Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

My Rating

(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: R

Runtime: 112 minutes

Genre: Comedy, Romantic Comedy

I wasn’t quite sure when I saw this movie. This movie hadn’t been quite as hyped as every other Judd Apatow film I’ve seen. But don’t let that fool you; this movie is as hilarious as every other Apatow film.

This film is about Peter(Jason Segel) and his breakup with his TV star girlfriend Sarah Marshall(Kristen Bell). After they break up, Peter decides he needs to get away and decides to travel to Hawaii. Low and behold, who is staying at the same resort? Sarah Marshall and her new boyfriend Aldous Snow(Russell Brand), lead singer of the popular band Infant Sorrow. Now Peter must find a way to get over the breakup with Sarah Marshall .

There are so many hilarious scenes in this movie, it’s hard to pick out a favorite. One of my favorite scenes about 5 seconds of a flashback –the “you shall not pass!” moment(you’ll know when you see it)...I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. The music in the film is also funny, but actually quite catchy at the same time. I’m not going to like, Inside You was stuck in my head after I saw this movie.

Everyone in this movie was hilarious. I never expected Kristen Bell to be as funny as she was in this movie. I thought Jason Segel was absolutely perfect in the part of Peter; he definitely knows how to pull off the sad guy thing without it being too depressing(it is a comedy after all). I had never heard of Russell Brand before this movie, but wow, casting could not have chosen someone better. He’s outrageous in real life so he fit really well with the character. Some of the best laughs came from the ridiculous things he said. Other members of the Apatow crew(Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd) are also in the film.

I would highly recommend this film if you’re looking for a good laugh. Sure, it’s a predictable romantic comedy, but even if you don’t like them, you’ll be laughing too hard to notice.

Netflix Page for Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Waitress.

My Rating
(out of 5 envelopes):

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 104 minutes
Genre: Indie, Romantic Comedy, Drama

A word to the wise: don’t watch this film when you’re hungry. You’ll be craving pie by the end of it. Waitress really is the definition of a chick flick. At times, this film will make you crack up, other times you’ll just want to go “Awww,” and other times you’ll want to cry.

Waitress is a cute little story about Jenna(Keri Russel), a waitress at Joe’s Pie Diner. She works there with her quirky friends Becky(Cheryl Hines) and Dawn(Adrienne Shelly). Jenna’s one passion is pie, and she expresses her life through them. One day, she finds she is pregnant with her obsessive jackass of a husband Earl. Now she has to figure out what to do.
However, I had a few problems with this movie. I thought the fake southern accents were pretty bad and hard to listen to for over an hour and a half. The plot of this movie is really unrealistic, too.

But there were good things too. There were a lot of “aww” moments in the movie as well as hilarious moments. And that’s what makes a good romantic comedy I suppose. For me, the scenes between Jenna and her doctor were both hilarious and aww moments. As a bonus the pies in this movie looked absolutely delectable(they have recipes online here).

Overall, I’d say that if you’re craving a girl-power romantic comedy, this would definitely satisfy your craving (was that meant as a bad pie pun? Either way, sorry!).

Netflix Page for Waitress

Run, Fat Boy, Run.

My Rating
(out of 5 envelopes):



MPAA Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 100 minutes
Genre: Comedy, Romantic Comedy

If you’re like me, you saw this because you loved Simon Pegg in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I wasn’t expecting this film to be amazing, but it was surprisingly better than I thought it would be.

It’s been five years since Dennis (Pegg) left his pregnant girlfriend Libby (Thandie Newton) right before their wedding. Now he wants her back, but her new beau Whit (Hank Azaria), a successful American businessman and running enthusiast, stands in the way. In order to win her back, he decides to run a marathon for charity to show her how much he’s changed since then.

Sure, the plot was predictable, but that’s true for most romantic comedies. I thought that it could have been a lot worse had they not executed it the way they did. However, Run, Fat Boy, Run was lacking a bit in the comedy department. This movie wasn’t as funny as Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, but it did provide some good laughs. I’d say a lot of jokes were geared more towards the immature side, though. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. I have to admit, I loved the scene where he attends a spin class with Whit. Absolutely hilarious.

I thought the performances of Dylan Moran (who plays Dennis’s best friend in the film and is also in Shaun of the Dead), Simon Pegg, and Hank Azaria were all pretty good. I can’t really picture anyone else playing the main character but Pegg.

Overall, this movie is a romantic comedy, light on the romance. This movie would make a great date night movie. Especially if you’re guy (or girl) isn’t a big fan of the romantic side of movies. It’s surprisingly cute, while remaining funny enough to keep you watching until the end.





Netflix Page for Run, Fat Boy, Run