Going the Distance

3/5

Bold, funny, and romantic. “Going the Distance” is a perfect weekend movie treat!

I’ve been meaning to watch this ever since I saw its trailer when I watched “A-Team” some three months ago. I have to say that for a rom-com super fan like me, the movie didn’t disappoint.

Having troubles with commitment and understanding the female language, Garrett (Justin Long) was dumped by his girlfriend. Trying to cheer him up, his friends took him out to a bar and there he met Erin (Drew Barrymore). Erin is an intern at a major New York newspaper company and she’s only staying in New York for summer. The two hit off right away and began a no strings attached summer fling, dating every night and breakfasts during mornings. Their characters fit perfectly. But summer ended and Erin has to go back to San Francisco. Realizing that they’re both crazy in love with each other, they decided to continue what they have and bring it to the next level though now, they have different time zones and miles of distance between them. Can they make it work?

In my opinion, this was the kind of romantic comedies meant for young adults. It veered away from the clichés and mushiness of typical rom-com movies we’ve gone accustomed to.There’s a sense of balance in this movie that will make guys like it as well. The usually dragging and often times predictive plot of a romantic comedy was made honest and more realistic by the repetitive use of vulgar and cursing words in the script.

I have to say that this movie’s script is admirable because it didn’t flood its audience with tons of mushy, verging to yucky professions of love through words. It’s also noteworthy to point out that the movie’s story was perfectly executed in the big screen. Though what was depicted of the difficulties and struggles of a long distance relationship in the movie was not half as much of how hard it really is, I have to say that the movie did quite a great job in trying to show its conflicts. People should remember that this is a romantic comedy and as much as it tried to be the mature kind, it still is a romantic comedy. Thus, expecting a plot that will enumerate and make a rundown of the problems that will arise in a situation like this is a no no. The movie balanced it out with enough humour to make it feel light and fun. After all, this is a feel good movie. It’s supposed to make you feel good and not burden you further.

The on-screen, very natural chemistry of real life sweethearts Drew Barrymore and Justin Long provided the biggest come on of this movie. It gets kinda dragging sometime but the lovers’ chemistry makes you feel as if what you’re watching is really happening. They’re laughs, body language, and most importantly their acting is so natural and genuine. It very much helped the plot of the story. It provided authenticity to the otherwise very predictable storyline. Drew and Justin’s acting were also great. No overreacting expressions and half-baked what the hell is that acting all about. The material perfectly fit Drew and Justin.

The only downside of this movie for me was the conclusion. It started fine and the stability carried over up to the last 20 minutes of the movie. Important turning points were all present and never would you feel as if the story is being rushed. There’s proper timing and the build up of the love story was properly executed. But something went wrong with the movie’s ending. Though I liked the fact that they didn’t show a one month after scene to show what really happened to the characters and left it to the moviegoers’ imagination, the entire ending appeared to me as a hastened one. That all of a sudden, that’s it, let’s do this, end of story. The resolution to the story’s conflict was resolved so easy that you’ll have yourself questioning, why did they even bother to make it as a problem when they could have done that early on? It somehow betrayed the characters themselves for at the end, you don’t need to be a genius to figure out what should be done to make the relationship work after all.

Despite its glitch in the resolution part, I still recommend this movie especially for young adults like me. The movie’s honesty and not to mention superb wittiness makes it one of the best, matured romantic comedies I’ve ever seen. It’s the kind of movie that will make you laugh and ponder while watching. It’s totally a breather from all the overly dramatic infatuated kind of romantic comedies. This movie will entertain you and will definitely remind you the hardships, struggles, and pain of being in a long distance relationship. The movie is a reminder of the greater responsibilities when you are in this kind of relationship. Yes, it is a challenge to make it work but in the face of true love, no amount of time apart or miles and oceans between you can ever hinder its power. Especially in this day and age of technology, long distance relationships are bearable. The key to make it work is ultimately, TRUST and COMMITMENT. Without these two, a long distance relationship and relationships in general is doomed. Finally, this movie will make you realize that if it’s true love, fate will make its way.

Sex and the City 2

3/5

And they’re back!

Sex and the City was perhaps one of the best things that ever happened to TV. It was a phenomenon that helped shaped pop culture across the globe. Its ending was indeed, an ending of an era. Two years ago we were all CARRIEd away when we saw the reunion of the girls on the big screen. Now it’s 2010 and the girls are back with the glamour and fabulousness we’ve all come to love.

It’s been two years since Carrie became Mrs. Preston and married life proves to be a challenge for her. As Mr. Big likes to stay at home, watch black-and-white movies, and order take outs. Carrie misses the fun, the excitement, the chase she’s used to, being the outgoing party girl she is. Her friends also struggle with their own respective lives; Miranda is forced to work with a new boss who can’t handle girl power, Charlotte strives to the ups and downs of motherhood, and Samantha...is still Samantha—the bold, daring, funny sex addict who’s dealing with menopause. In this instalment of the Sex and the City franchise, the girls travelled to Abu Dhabi courtesy of an all-expense paid trip by Samantha’s supposed new client. And together with their outrageous fabulousness and allure of their characters, Abu Dhabi is caught off guard.

First and foremost, I will admit that Sex and the City 2 is by all means a movie for the fans. I’ve been reading a lot of bad reviews about the movie and I feel that many who watched the film was missing something--the idea that life even in a fictitious world of a movie must embrace change. Yes we’ve come to love Carrie and the girls because of the fabulous lives they depicted on the series but some failed to realize that they were on their 30s that time and, now, they’re already at their 40s, Samantha is even fiftyfuckintwo years old already. So literally, the bar hopping, on the go single gals we’ve come to love will never be present in the movie. The thing with Sex and the City 2 is that people failed to realize that this was the next stage, the more mature phase of Carrie’s life. We’ve been with her through it all, from Mr. Big to Aidan to Berger, to Alexander Petrovsky, to all the other guys she’s dated over the years. We’ve listened and related to her realizations and thoughts about love and relationship. Now, aren’t we curious how Carrie is as a wife?

In my opinion, Sex and the City 2’s main problem was not the plot or the storyline to which it’s headed. Although I have to admit that some scenes from the first half of the movie was somewhat dragging but I realized that that’s precisely the point. The movie started out boring and a bit tedious because the producer/director wanted to set this tone. He wanted to create an atmosphere that will make the audience feel the lack of sparkle Carrie was feeling in their marriage. But you see the second half of the movie was spiced with excitement; the chasing feeling we’re used to when we talk about Sex and the City. The downside of this whole film was not being able to communicate at first hand even before the film premiered that this time around, it’s no longer the fun, easy going gal, it’s now the WOMAN that Carrie Bradshaw is, whom you’ll get to watch on the big screen.

My anticipation for this sequel is inexplicable and after watching it last Wednesday, I have to say it’s worth the wait. I love it and I’m not in any way disappointed. It made me laugh at times and most importantly it made me feel the struggles of each and every character. I will never be a mother but somehow I felt Charlotte’s woes. I will never experience menopause but I felt Samantha’s difficulties. And I guess that’s the most important thing for a movie, for it to be able to communicate and make its audience relate. It’s so genius of Michael Patrick King to come up with a storyline like that for a sequel like this. It’s hard to show the maturity of every character and how far the girls have become especially for a series and characters as famous as Sex and the City but he was able to deliver that brilliantly.

Sex and the City and fashion go hand-in-hand and this instalment didn’t disappoint as well. Glamorous outfits, fabulous gowns, over the top accessories, magnificent shoes were all a sight to behold. The script was great-- perfectly intertwined with enough melodrama and hilariousness Sex and the City has been known for. Acting by all four main actresses was superb. Sarah Jessica Parker was still lovable and outstandingly great as Carrie Bradshaw. Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis were still both believable as Miranda and Charlotte. It’s remarkable how much these actresses have given life to the personalities of these four unique individuals. And I have to agree with my best friend, Korina that Sarah Jessica Parker may get top billing but Sex and the City 2 is a Kim Catrall movie. This is Samantha at her very best! Kim didn’t just give life to the character of Samantha, she was able to redefine what bold and daring truly means. Let’s face it, almost 80% of Sex and the City’s humour that made it such a phenomenon came from Samantha and Kim Catrall gave justice to every inch of Samantha’s character.

It’s been twelve years since the series’ pilot and till now, Sex and the City is still a part of many individual’s life. The essence of friendship that was depicted by Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda is the real epitome of what friendship is all about. Good and bad reviews of this film will surface but one thing is for sure, Sex and the City was able to affect millions of lives all over the world and it will continue to do so for the story and message of Sex and the City is timeless! It will never go out of style. It’s a classic everyone can relate to. Finally, what is so remarkable about Sex and the City is that its story is transcending. From looking for love to fighting for love, Sex and the City 2 tell us that after chasing love and finally settling down, the challenge is how to keep the romance alive.

The Time Traveler's Wife

3/5 stars

Beautiful, romantic, tear-jerker but insufficient in many ways, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” just wasn’t enough.

Henry (Bana), is a librarian with a genetic disorder that lets him travel through time. It’s an uncontrollable disorder that throws him in the past or in the future naked, and totally lost where he is. One thing though was constant in his time traveling…Claire (McAdams). Claire first met Henry in her childhood, in the meadow near her parent’s home. From then on, Claire was a recurring character in Henry’s time traveling. By chance of fate, one day, they finally met when Henry’s not time traveling, in the library where Henry is working. They soon fell in love and got married but how can their romance go on with Henry’s genetic disorder causing him to always disappear and making Claire wait till who knows when he’s coming back?

First and foremost, I wasn’t able to read the book. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t because there’s still a little satisfaction left in me to give this movie credit for an attempt to depict Audrey Niffenegger’s masterpiece into the big screen. I’d like to believe that the epic theme of Claire and Henry’s romance diminished in the movie adaptation. There are just so many untied loose ends totally disrupting the movie’s romantic element. The development of romance wasn’t executed very well thus leaving the audience in a rush to follow the character’s build-up from falling in love to “I Love You”. The story in general is a little confusing with the use of the concept of time traveling. Gladly, the idea that Henry was naked when he time travels saves the audience from further confusion. At least you know that there’s something constant and that when he’s naked in the scene, that means he’s time traveling. Direction was passable but if the director was more technical about the effects maybe he could have executed the time traveling clearer. In such a way that it doesn’t add more bizarreness to the already complex storyline. Because of the plot’s complexity, the confusion that arose from Henry’s constant travel back and forth makes the movie a little mind-boggling but nonetheless, the romantic element was still intact.

What’s very very commendable about the movie was its cinematography. Wow! I specifically loved the part when Claire and Henry’s daughter was born and to save running time while showing the years that passed, frames were interconnected to each other that simply created a delight for the eyes. As I’ve said I wasn’t able to read the book but I am not very happy about the movie’s script. In my opinion it wasn’t written very well causing flaws in the build up of romance as well as in the movie’s over-all development of tension in the plot. Also, the script lacks a lot of important dialogues that will draw the audience flow with the plot. If this movie was trying to pull off a “show! don’t tell” case, I dare say it wasn’t successful at all.

Rachel McAdams, I think is our generation’s Meg Ryan only, with better acting. She was perfect for the role of Claire and her facial expressions are admirable. I love the fact that McAdams was able to convey different emotions with just her facial expressions. She doesn’t have to be hysterical but by just looking at her, you’ll be able to feel her pain or any other variety of human emotions needed in a particular scene. Eric Bana wasn’t superb in his acting but rather okay. There were scenes that his acting was insufficient that’s why some scenes appears to be raw if we’ll talk about the emotions that should be conveyed. What I have to say about him is how HOT he is. As in OMG!!! If only for his hotness, I am so drawn to this movie. One star in my rating is actually for Eric Bana’s hotness!

In many ways, ”The Time Traveler’s Wife” is still worth the watch. I am not saying it’s superb but it’s ok. It’s confusing and mind-boggling at times but concentrate on the romantic element of the plot and surely, this movie is very much enjoyable. It’s very heartfelt and touching. I was actually super crying during the last 30 minutes of the movie. Once you get the flow of the plot, you’ll already be drawn to the character’s love story which in my opinion is true love in its truest form.

After watching “The Time Traveler’s Wife” I realized that we all wait for true love. We all dream and wish for it but sometimes love takes a lot of effort. A lot of times loving breaks all conventions that we human beings are all just bound to adjust for love. They say at one point, we all have to wait. But there’s no denying that waiting is never easy and it’ll never be easy in any situation. But I guess what the story of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is trying to tell us is that ultimately, SPACE AND TIME IS THE TRUEST TEST FOR TRUE LOVE. And no matter what happens, no matter how long, no matter how painful, your true love will wait for you.

Sex and the City

5/5

Fantastic, fabulous and never out of style, Sex and the City is undeniably the greatest movie event of 2008.

I am big fan of the series. I have all 6 seasons in DVD and I’ve seen every single episodes of it. I am also proud to say that among my favorite US TV series, Sex and the City has had the most impact in my life especially on the way I think about friendship, relationships and ultimately, love. Last year when the buzz that a movie is finally in the works, I said to myself, come what may, I gotta watch this movie on its first day…and so I did.

Four years since we last saw the girls at the series’ finale episode, “An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux,” the movie picks up three years after this and showed how the lives of the four fabulous characters we’ve come to love are all doing now.

Director and writer Michael Patrick King is a true genius for he was able to give a good take on the movie adaptation that it didn’t appear as if it’s nothing but an expanded episode on TV. He should also be credited enough for the wonderful script of this movie. Though still filled with ample humor that’s a trademark of the series, the movie has a more emotional take on the lives of the four girls. The flawless and poignant dialogues depicted how each of the four girls has matured.

Sarah Jessica Parker was as expected fabulous in this movie. Of course, Kim Cattrall is wonderful! It’s a feeling of great joy to see these four girls reprise their characters in the hit TV series into the movie. Four years after the series concluded, I still believe that they’re all perfect for their roles. Fashion wise, no questions asked, they’re all fabulous and perfect!

The 2hrs 30mins running time is worth the wait in every aspect of the word. It’ll definitely satisfy millions of Sex and the City fans all over the world who are all waiting for this movie year after year since its series finale in HBO. Whether you are a fan or not, you can’t afford to miss this movie, for it’s not only a movie…it’s history.

After watching the film, I txted my bestfriend right away and told her that you should forget you were ever born into this world if you’ll miss this movie. That’s how good Sex and the City is. Without any bias whatsoever, I believe that Sex and the City’s story is timeless and will forever linger generations after generations for it tells a story of what a genuine and unconditional friendship should be. More so, it gives us the hope that after all the ups and downs, all the joys and pains that you’ll have to go through in finding your perfect match, Sex and the City is a validation that all of us will indeed find the greatest love of our lives and the happy ending that will surely determine the essence of our existence is waiting for us.