Disclaimer- The opinions in this blog are mine and do not represent the views or opinions of Alternative Video Spot, its management or ownership, the other employees or even that of anyone else who has or will see the movies discussed herein.
Signed- Sean
I mention these three movies because I have seen them and can tell you a little about them.
First up- Fool's Gold- A new romantic comedy/adventure film starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. The movie is about a divorcing pair of treasure hunters who share a passion for a legendary lost treasure called the "Queen's Dowry". The movie has wonderful locales and an interesting reason for moving along (treasure). However it also has one of the worst scores- not the soundtrack, who doesn't like a little Marley to liviley up with now and then?- the music is at times inappropriate, very often irritating and worst of all obtrusive like the loud guy on his cell phone on the bus. Fool's Gold tries to capture the spark and dynamic of earlier screen couples, Bogey and Bacall, Grant and Hepburn, Powell and Loy, or more recently Douglas and Turner, but the pairing of Hudson and McConaughey falls woefully short of achieving a small measure of the humour, tension, and chemistry of any of their predecessors. If you are looking for a good and rewarding romantic comedy/adventure movie rent Romancing the Stone or one of The Thin Man movies. Both Romancing... and The Thin Man have coupled leads who are witty, smart, and believable as couples.
Secondly- The Grand- an improved comedy about a high stakes poker tournament luckily enough named The Grand. The movies subject matter would have been a little more popular two years ago but with poker still appearing nightly on T.V. it just might find an audience on home video. The movie is funny in a low key way, unfortunately there are to many spots that drag between the laughs. Most of these involve Ray Romano. Film geeks will be pleased to see Werner Herzog director of Grizzly Man and Rescue Dawn playing a world renowned gambler who goes by the name "The German". Poker geeks will like the inclusion of several poker stars to add that touch of authenticity. For me the best parts of the film involved David Cross as Larry Schwartzman this guy is flat out funny. It was also nice to see Gabe Kaplan as Larry's dad in the movie. Welcome back Mr. Kaplan.
Last but certainly not least on the list of new releases is the Michel Gondry movie- Be Kind Rewind- Gondry's recent films include The Science of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This film has the same inventiveness as both of these movies. Be Kind Rewind is a movie about movies and the love and passion that they can inspire. It is a sweet and gentle piece of work that relates the ups and downs of a local video store in a historic neighbourhood- sound familiar to any of our regulars? This is a PG rated film that families can enjoy together. Ideally you will laugh, cry and laugh again when you sit down to watch Be Kind Rewind. You get a real sense of just how in love Gondry is with the movies and hopefully it will remind you why you love them to.
Navin R. Johnson
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