Two Girls and a Guy

Title: Two Girls and a Guy (1997)
Dir: James Toback
Rating: ** out of 5 stars



I'll be honest - I saw this movie for one reason only, and that is the titular "guy." Sure enough, Robert Downey Jr. was the only watchable thing in this. I know what the director is trying to say and I know the dialogue is supposed to be honest and real, but oh my god I wanted to shoot myself at times. The film is very slow-moving and the girls' acting (or lackthereof) is painful.

Carla and Louise meet outside an apartment one day while waiting for their respective boyfriends. They each brag about how amazing he is, until they come to realize they are talking about the same guy. As it turns out, Blake has been dating (and deceiving) them both for months. The two angry girls breaks into his apartment and wait for him to come home. When he does, they confront him and demand explanations. What follows is an hour of long conversations about fidelity, love, and dishonesty. Oh, and one explicit NC-17 sex scene.

I'm not trying to blow the guy, but Downey Jr. really is good in this. Whether Blake is hamming it up as a self-absorbed actor, or breaking down over his mother's ailing health, RDJ shows a range of emotion that is captivating. I can't say the same for Wagner and Graham, who came across as wooden and occasionally grating. At least the sex scene was nice to watch :)

Reading about the film, I gotta say that James Toback seems like a pretentious hack. I like the idea of exploring real people with real conversations, but so much of this movie feels forced and drawn-out. Toback talks about it like he's a genius and treading brave new territory. It is an interesting character study, I just wish it wasnt so boring boring BORING. And I wish Robert had better co-stars.

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Only You

Title: Only You (1994)
Dir: Norman Jewison
Rating: **** out of 5 stars



Everyone knows Sleepless in Seattle or When Harry Met Sally, but one overlooked, underrated romantic comedy is Only You. It stars two beautiful, charming people and largely takes place in gorgeous Italy. And it's all about fate and destiny, which I am a sucker for. Afterall, I loved Serendipity, which had a pretty similar plot (just before a wedding, fate brings two people together). This is definitely a must-see film for hopeless romantics.

Marisa Tomei plays Faith, who has always believed in destiny and that every person has one soul-mate. A Ouiji board and a fortune teller gave her the name of hers - Damon Bradley. Now in her 30s, she is engaged to marry a podiatrist, but her heart is not in it. Then she gets a phone call from her fiance's old friend...Damon Bradley...who is leaving for Italy. Without hesitation, Faith hops a cab to the airport, and then a plane to Italy to chase down her soul-mate. She is accompanied by her sister-in-law (Bonnie Hunt), who's marriage is ailing.

I won't say what happens next for fear of ruining anything, but trust me, this movie is loaded with romance. Faith meets Downey Jr.'s character in Italy, and together they have wonderful chemistry. I dare you not to fall in love with one of them! The Italian setting is just breathtaking, especially Venice. I so badly want to go there now.

I guess this qualifies as a chick flick, which I don't usually like, but I really enjoyed Only You. It is a very cute, romantic movie. Unfortunately, they just don't make films like this anymore.

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Headless Horseman

Title: Headless Horseman (2008)
Dir: Anthony Ferrantenthony
Rating: 1/2 out of 5 stars



Check out my review at ShockTillYouDrop.com:

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/reviewsnews.php?id=6241

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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Title: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Dir: Shane Black
Rating: ***** out of 5 stars



I am grateful for Iron Man for two reasons: 1) it's a fucking awesome movie, and 2) it was the catalyst I needed to make me finally watch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang after much procrastination. Iron Man may have perked my interest in Robert Downey Jr. but Kiss Kiss launced a full-on love affair. In addition to perfect performances by RDJ and Val Kilmer, the movie has a clever script, hilarious dialogue, and a talented director at the helm.

In this black comedy-noir, Downey Jr. plays Harry, a small-time thief who is mistaken for an actor and sent to L.A. to screentest for a detective film. He meets Perry (Kilmer), a gay private detective who gives him 'detective lessons' for the film. While on a routine case, Perry and Harry come across a dead girl and thus are unwittingly dragged into a homicide case. Meanwhile, at a party, Harry runs into his childhood sweetheart, Harmony (Michelle Monaghan). She believes him to be a PI and asks him to help solve her sister's murder. He reluctantly agrees, but soon realizes the two cases may be connected.

Kiss Kiss was written and directed by Shane Black, who is best known for penning action films like Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout. His directorial debut is incredibly witty and smart, with some of the most hilarious dialogue ever put to film. Kilmer is the funniest he has ever been, and Downey Jr. is funny as hell, too. I hope Black writes another comedy like this, and continues to direct because he definitely has skills behind the camera.

I love this film tremendously, and highly recommend you go rent it right now. It is one hilarious, genius film that has been sadly overlooked by the general movie-viewing audience. Do not miss this one, I beg you.

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Timber Falls

Title: Timber Falls (2007)
Dir: Tony Giglio
Rating: *1/2 out of 5 stars



Check out my review over at ShockTillYouDrop:

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/reviewsnews.php?id=6028

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Iron Man

Title: Iron Man (2008)
Dir: Jon Favreau
Rating: ***** out of 5 stars



I'll admit it - I was skeptical. But damn if I didn't love this movie! It is definitely up there with X2, Batman Begins, and Spider-Man 2 as the best comic book-to-film adaptations. Iron Man has everything you could want in a fun summer blockbuster - big action, flawless special effects, great actors, and a sense of humor. Furthermore, Favreau is clearly big on fan service - this movie is LOADED with inside references sure to give any comic book fan a nerdgasm.

Tony Stark is a billionaire playboy, an engineering genius, and CEO of Stark Industries, the world's leading manufacturer of advanced weaponry. After demonstrating his latest missile to the US Air Force, Stark is kidnapped by Afghan warlords and told he must build them his missile or be killed. With the help of another captive scientist, Tony instead makes an armored suit with built-in weapons and escapes his captors. Upon returning home, he decides to quit making weapons and upgrades his suit so he can undo the harm his weapons have done. Meanwhile, his business associate Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) plots to get rid of Stark and steal the suit's technology.

Robert Downey Jr. was born to play bad boy Tony Stark. I suspect much of the character is just like Robert in real life, but regardless, he absolutely nails the role. He provides the perfect combination of wit, charisma, and arrogance. As Obadiah (aka Iron Monger), Bridges seamlessly goes from a trustworthy papa-bear type to an ominous nemesis. Rounding out the fantastic cast are Gwenyth Paltrow as Stark's assistant Pepper Potts (gotta love those Marvel names) and Terrence Howard as Stark's military friend, James Rhodes. I have never been a fan of either actor, but they are both great here. Any doubts I once had about the cast have been shattered. Even the voice of Tony's home security system is a cool actor (but I'll let you look that up for yourself).

Jon Favreau also grabbed my attention for the first time as a director. I did not like Elf, and had no interest in his other efforts. With Iron Man, he really impressed me. Not only is the look of the film great, but he captures the comic book so well, and was not afraid to include many inside references. Fans will find references to Mandarin, S.H.I.E.L.D., and War Machine. And be sure to wait until after the end credits for a nerdy tease!

Visually, the movie is stunning. Every stage of the Iron Man suit looks amazing, as does Iron Monger's. The big metal suits looked so badass, and the final cherry-red suit is just gorgeous. The visual fx are so good that I could hardly tell which versions were real vs. computer-generated. This movie also satisfied my love for big machines battling one another in a way that Michael Bay's Tranformers barely even touched. And I could actually see what was going on during this film's fight scenes.

Finally, I need to mention one of my favorite aspects of this film - the humor. It was much funnier than I expected. Whether it be Stark's outlandish lifestyle, his witty one-liners, or his anthropomorphic laboratory robots (especially one that sounds exactly like H.E.L.P.eR. from Venture Bros), the movie is full of really hilarious moments.

This is definitely a film you will want to see in theatres. The sound effects are incredible and call for an impressive sound system. My only complaint about this movie is a petty one - they did not use the titular Black Sabbath song in the movie! I was literally holding my breath hoping I'd see that first suit burst through a cave as that song kicks in. But it didn't happen. Oh well. It is an awesome film, and I really hope the cast and crew return for sequels. I want to see Stark's missions expand and pit him against a wider variety of bad guys. This first movie only touches on Iron Man's origin and does not go into him as a full-fledged superhero. Bring on Iron Man 2, please!

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