Friends with Benefits: Movie Review

Insulting romantic comedies, its fans, and everything else.

The thing about ‘Friends with Benefits” is that you have, in fact, seen it before. Not in the generic way the film implies that all romantic comedies are the same. But this exact movie was released earlier this year with the title “No Strings Attached”. And what’s worse is that vapid, uninspired, Hollywood-love-fest original is actually better.		2011 Directed by: Will Gluck Screenplay by: Keith Merryman, David A. Newman, Will Gluck and Harley Peyton Starring: Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake

Red State: Movie Review

 

This is the stuff that nightmares are made of.

“Red State” is a horror the way “Jesus Camp” (the 2006 documentary) is a horror; not in the way Hollywood makes horror movies. It’s actually scary. It’s scary because these people exist and events like the fictional ones portrayed here have occurred and there’s no reason they won’t occur again. I’m assuming Kevin Smith had nightmares for years and to try and right his world, he had to tell this story.		2011 Directed by: Kevin Smith Screenplay by: Kevin Smith Starring: Michael Parks and John Goodman

The Entitled: Movie Review

Rich kids, poor kids, their parents, and all their attitudes locked in a house.

A group of under-privileged kids starving for money and attention; a group of over-privileged kids starving for action and attention; a group of over-privileged adults trying to be content with their current state of life. That’s The Entitled. One group wants what the others have and the others just plain want. If you want an intelligent, thought-out thriller, you’ve got it.		2011 Directed by: Aaron Woodley Screenplay by: William Morrissey Starring: Kevin Zegers and Ray Liotta

The Ides of March: Movie Review

The games people play to get ahead, not necessarily in politics, but within themselves.

George Clooney is running for President. Well, I mean, in “The Ides of March,” as Governor Mike Morris, he’s running for the Democratic Presidential nomination. He’s the good guy and his opponent is the bad guy. Because that’s how it is supposed to be, right? The opponent’s campaign manager is played by the ever shady Paul Giamatti, while Morris’ campaign is run by the young, handsome idealist Stephen (Ryan Gosling).		2011 Directed by: George Clooney Screenplay by: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon Based on the play by Beau Willimon Starring: George Clooney and Ryan Gosling

Moneyball: Movie Review

More than a game of numbers.

It has long been said that professional sports are more a game of politics than an actual game. The MLB is not just a game of money, but here, it’s a game of numbers versus a game of people. It's callousness at its highest when general managers trade away people as objects with little regard for them or their family. Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the GM of the Oakland As, seems to take that even further, treating people as if they are only numbers, and yet there was something refreshing and humanistic about the whole thing.		2011 Directed by: Bennett Miller Screenplay by: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Based on the book by Michael Lewis Starring: Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill