Couples Retreat

Director: Peter Billingsley

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, John Favreau, Kristen Bell, Jean Reno

Year: 2009

Genre: Comedy

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 6.0
IMDB – 5.7
FilmAffinity – 5.8


Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are a couple falling apart and bound to the divorce. However, and in order to struggle one last time for their marriage, they decide to go to Eden West Resort; a resort into a tropical island aimed to couples with problems.
In their effort, they drag with them their friends, 3 other couples with their own problems; a marriage fallen into the boredom (Vince Vaughn, Marlin Ackermann), a just divorced 40 something block going out with a new 20 year-old girl and a couple that passes more time cheating on each other rather than even speaking (John Favreau and Kristin Davis).

What since the beginning seemed as a week holiday having fun within a beautiful place, turns into a nightmare for them all as every couple problems will blossom, causing more than a tricky situation

Cinema-Reader Review:

Having a first sight into the cast, it is easy to foresee that this movie is becoming one of the blockbusters of this year into the boxes all around the world.

It’s all ingredients; a cast full of acknowledge faces of TV as Kristin Davis (Sex on the city) and cinema as Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sara Marshall) or Marlin Akermann (Watchmen) as well as well-known supporting actors as John Favreau is (In good company, Very bad things).
In addition, Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman leading the cast. Whatever in which they are involve is meant to be good, fucking good.

Thereafter this movie seems to be worthy, and as said above; it will be a blockbuster with all the consequences it entails.
Consequences as a weak screenplay (sorry Vince but your touch doesn’t work in here…) that makes this comedy being so predictable with an end the viewers can see coming from the first footage, messing up any effort (not huge by the way) on Vince and Jason side.

On the other hand, c’mon: is Vince Vaughn!

If you don’t have anything better to do, think twice before choosing this movie.
Then, keep thinking.
There are many other choices on the screen. Either way, is your call…

UP

Director: Pete Docter / Bob Peterson

Cast: Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai

Year: 2009

Genre: Animation

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 8.7

IMDB – 8.6

FilmAffinity – 8.2

(Click here to watch trailer)

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Carl Fredricksen is a seventy something year-old man which life has fallen into boredom and sadness right after his beloved wife did pass away. Their all time dream had been to settle themselves into an idyllic place in one of the farthest and unexplored places in the planet.

When Mr. Fredricksen finds himself and his house in jeopardy, he decides to take that dream further, packing all his belongings, including the house, and fulfil with this dream flying away towards this place.
However, he won't be doing this trip on his own. Russell, a junior Wilderness looking desperately for his last badge in order to become a Senior Wilderness will be alongside him.

Both will carry out their lifetime adventure, with talking dogs, bizarre birds and Mr. Fredricken's childhood hero turned into their evil enemy.

Cinema-Reader Review:

When Pixar seemed not able to better itself after awesome movie such Wall-E, Finding Nemo or Monster Inc; they show up with UP, a movie aim at children and not that children.
Not only is different, but spiky movie with an outstanding screenplay that fits into what Walt Disney though must have every good film; one tear for every laugh caused.

It won’t be a surprise if around February we see UP among all candidates into Oscar’s ceremony awards, and not only included within Animated Film contest. All my money goes for Best Original Screenplay.

And this could be the following brick placed in the building that Toy Story started already in 1995, the building of the computer-animated films. With titles like Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Wall-E, Planet 51 (incoming in following dates) or UP itself, the traditional hand-made picture film industry will be left out into a secondary background, although efforts on Disney’s side with films like The Princess and the Frog (pending of date of release).

Great movie. Probably one of the best of this year.
We will see if able to make history...

The Damned United

Director: Tom Hooper

Cast: Michael Sheen, Colm Meaney, Stephen Graham

Year: 2009

Genre: Drama / Sport

Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 7.6

IMDB – 7.6

FilmAffinity - 6.9

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Brian Clough (Michael Sheen, in the spotlight since his performance of Tony Blair in The Queen) is the football manager of Derby County (team located within the bottom of the English First Division and struggling to not be relegated to lower categories) which destiny changes when facing Leeds United, the current Premiership Champion, during a FA CUP match.

From that moment, Clough develops a rivalry with Leeds Manager Don Revie (Colm Meany) that encourages him to overpass all setbacks in order to achieve what he considers the best revenge: defeat Revie and his Leeds in a Premiership match.

Clough visionaries ideas about football and his desire of revenge, drive Derby County to win his first ever Premiership Title, and causing something that even the own Clough did not imagine: he ending up running Leeds United as Revie’s Replacement.

Cinema-Reader Review:

Based on a true story and a book after the same name, The Damned United is an approach within the life of a young and successful football manager with a huge ego, who enjoys showing up his achievements and qualities; which final goal is becoming European Champion with his team.

Football is not a common topic within the film industry despite some movies of doubtful quality (i.e. Goal, Goal 2 or Goal 3 that even before being released I bet it will be crap…). There are loads of movies using sport as a background to tell a story, normally an overcoming story. However football is not in that selected group as American Football (with films such as Any Given Sunday) or Basketball (Eddie or Blue Chips)
The only meaningful movie in which football has a main role is Victory, in which Stallone tried to make us believe that he was a keeper (he also tried to make us believe he was an actor...)

Thereafter, and just having a look into the precedents, could seem a waste of time just even believe that a football movie could be worthy to be watched. However, this movie is different. Mixing up film footage with true frames, the director Tom Hooper tries to create a sensation of false documental that works indeed.

The trigger that makes this happens is also the actors performances. Michael Sheen plays such amazing performance of Brian Clough, a character based a half on the own Clough and a haft in a current football figure; Jose Mourinho.
The supporting actors are terrific. From Colm Meany (deemed as one of the most notorious Irish actor of all time) to Stephen Graham, a brit actor which roles go from a neurotic and violent ex-con Nazi in This is England to a mob ganster with an easy mouth in Public Enemies.

Good movie for all those amazed by football and its history.

Zombieland

Director: Rublen Fleischer
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Year: 2009
Genre: Comedy
Rating:

Cinema-Reader – 7.3
IMDB – 8.4
FilmAffinity – 6.9

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:
The civilization and human being as known before is gone. Zombies overrun the world.
However, there still being survivors spread around as Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg, Adventureland), a young and nerd student that has been able to survive long enough sticking himself to a self-made list with rules of “how to survive a zombie attack”, basically based on running and doing it fast.

When he finds in his way Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson, always remembered for his roles on Cheers and Natural Born Killers) and two sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) those rules will be changed as new trip mates have different points of view about how to survive among zombies: killing them all.

Cinema-Reader Review:
Funny and by moments even hilarious (check out the appearance of Bill Murray), this movie grabs a topic often seen on the screens lately and turns it in order to cause a laugh on us. And it gets it!
Probably is not the best zombie-comedy ever (Shawn of the dead still being ahead in this genre so far) and the plot is quite simple (no further background on the screenplay besides killing zombies), but from time to time is nice to go to the cinema and simply have fun.
Jesse Eisenberg (Columbus) seems born in order to play this kind of roles; a nerd and sometimes even stupid young guy in troubles (probably is not playing…), and Emma Stone… no words… beautiful.

Summarizing; Zombieland is a comedy with a good cast, but simple screenplay and an overused idea. A (good) comedy anyway.

(500) Days of Summer

Director: Marc Webb
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
Year: 2009
Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama
Rating:

Cinema-Reader -8.1
IMDB -8.3
FilmAffinity -7.7

Cinema-Reader Synopsis:

Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, remembered for his stunning performance in the independent and award-winner film Mysterious Skin), is an Australian architect working as a greeting card writer which life goes down and down towards nowhere; until someone happens in his life: Summer (Zooey Deschanel), his boss's bright, beautiful new secretary.

For him it's love at first sight. An according time alongside her passes by, Tom believes he could spend the rest of his life with Summer.
Definitely, she is The One…
However, and that is the root of Tom’s miseries, she is not that into him.
She doesn’t believe in that called “True Love”, and she ain’t willing to get into a long term commitment.

Cinema-Reader Review:

The action jumps forward and backward through time into the two lovers’ story along 500 days, from Summer’s Day One in the greeting card company and the joy of first dates till the more absolutely sadness near by of the end of the relationship.

The movie is really advisable as doesn’t fall into the patterns and hackneyed clichés of conventional rom-coms. Moreover when the weigh of the plot falls into Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s shoulders; reaffirming his well-known reputation within the independent film scene.

All these make (500) Days of Summer a different and fresh movie in spire of the overused topic.