This film was great, absolutely fantastic and without a doubt, one of the best films from 2012.
Pat (Bradley Cooper, finally showing some real acting chops) is in a mental institution because he beat the crap out of some guy screwing his wife in the shower. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder but he hates the medicines he has to take because they make him foggy and bloated. Upon his release, his mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) drives him home to the not really open arms of his father, Pat, Sr. (Robert De Niro). Pat Sr. has his own issues, including OCD, even going as far as numbering his envelopes and freaking out when Pat takes one so he can write a letter to his wife, whom he still pines for though she has a restraining order against him.
Pat has his many issues, including his wedding song which causes him to freak out. He also has meltdown when he can't find the video of his wedding. Then one evening everything changes. He goes out to have dinner at the house of his old friend, Ron (John Ortiz). Ron has a crazy demanding wife Veronica (Julia Stiles) who has a sister, the young widow Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). However, Pat and Tiffany don't really get off to a great start as he doesn't follow Ron's orders and immediately asks Tiffany how her late husband, Tommy, died. She doesn't tell him. Instead, she leaves the dinner early and insists that Pat walk her home which he does. She also invites him into her house, which is in the back of her parent's home to have sex but he can't take her up because he is still married and loyal to the absent Nikki (Brea Bee), a lifeless person when we finally see her toward the very end of the film.
Soon, Pat and Tiffany become running buddies, though their first date ends horribly. Soon, however, things change as Tiffany promises to deliver a letter to Nikki as Nikki and Veronica are still friends. But Pat must learn how to dance so she can dance in this competition. And, it seems, that for some time, their crazy problems are at bay. Pat is no longer that crazy, as he is finally able to control his emotions. Tiffany, who is filled with her own issues, including claiming that she was fired because she felt horny after Tommy died and had sex with everyone else in the office. But she seems focused on the dance competition, so her problems seem also to ease. Pat is likewise focused and Tiffany is pleased with his progress that she gives him a letter from Nikki. But then Pat gets cold feet for the competition as his father, a bookie, puts money on the competition. Tiffany devices a plan to get Pat to show up at the competition. They (she and his parents) will lie and say that Nikki will be there. This works, but when Nikki does actually show up and Tiffany is devastated. Crushed actually.
However, they dance and get the minimum score needed so Pat Sr. doesn't lose all his money. And Pat goes to greet Nikki. Tiffany storms out in a huff. Pat, after some wise words from his father, chases her and gives her a letter. But this one is not for Nikki, this one is for Tiffany. Here he writes that he is glad that she wrote the letter claiming to be from Nikki, something which I did not realize earlier, even when Tiffany uses one of the lines against him. They kiss. Everything works out. Tiffany finally stripes herself of her engagement and wedding ring. She has finally moved on. Life is now wonderful.
The film is absolutely brilliant, with quick, witty dialogue and sensational performances, also with great editing and camera angles, truly showing the action from the actor's point of views. Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro are all certainly of an Oscar nomination, if not the award itself. Even Chris Tucker is great as one of Pat's friends from the mental home. It is also rare that a film focus so much on the sports of Philadelphia, but then again Pat Sr. is a bookie, these sports are his livelihood. There may be some problems with Tiffany's character, as you never know what her problem truly is, but that didn't stop the film from being enjoyable and funny. I don't know if I would classify the film as life altering or anything, but I would classify it as one of the best of the year. Grade: A
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Les Miserables
Les Miserables (aka the film where the actors sing songs with the camera right in front of them) was released. Hailed to be the return of the Broadway musical, this film fell short, way short.
Now, the plot is a complicated one, so I won't go into all of that because it isn't necessary. The first problem came right in the very beginning. Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is a slave for simply stealing a loaf of bread and then trying to run away. He is pulling a boat into the harbor with a bunch of other slaves, singing a great song "Look Down". However, I thought the whole thing, with water everywhere looked like a set and not at all realistic.
Then came something good,after eight years have past, Valjean has created a new identity and opened a factory. Fantine (Anne Hathaway, clearly the best of the film) arrives. She was brilliant as the long suffering mother of Cosette (Isabelle Allen, quite good). Upon the discovery that she has an illegitimate child, she is cast out of her factory job and forced to sell her hair, her teeth and eventually, her body. This causes her to sing "I Dreamed a Dream". The number was quite good and it was filmed in one uninterrupted take, with the whole song focusing on her face. Was it a good film choice, no, but will it win her an Oscar, maybe. Only time will tell, as it was one of the best scenes of the film, with heavy emotion and great singing.
And then she dies, as everyone knows. Valjean goes to fetch young Cosette from the nasty innkeepers who rob their customers blind, the Thenardiers (Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen) who treat her horribly. However, there is a problem. That problem is Javert (Russell Crowe) who is a soldier who discovers that Valjean has created a new identity and thus has escaped parole. Valjean and the young Cosette must go into hiding.
Another nine years pass. Cosette has grown up and became Amanda Seyfried (the weak link of the film) and the citizens of France are starting an uprising again, led by Marius (Eddie Redmayne) and Enjolras (Aaron Tveit, great). Here we also meet Eponine, the daughter of the Thenardiers (Samantha Barks). She does not like her parents, but I could not feel sorry for her. She is jealous of Cosette, but I found no sympathy for her either. She dies, tragically, disguised as a boy, fighting for the crusade, with her love for Marius never being reciprocated. Instead, Marius only has eyes for Cosette. But Valjean and Cosette must run away, as his true identity has been discovered again. She writes him a letter, but Eponine discovers it and does not give him to him until she is nearly dying, trying to be a hero in her final breath. Marius then asks the small child Gavroche (Daniel Huttlestone) to deliver a letter to Valjean. Upon receiving this, Valjean joins the cause and sings of Marius's youth. After the barricade is fired upon, Valjean recuses an injured Marius and carts him through the sewers to save him. Once Marius recovers, he prepares to marry Cosette and Valjean finally tells him the truth about his past. This scene killed me. Valjean is revealing intimate details of his life, stuff he never told to Cosette and yet Marius's face remains unchanged. This got on my last nerve.
This sets up the wedding scene and Valjean's death finale. However, after his death, he walks away and the film ends with everyone that had died throughout the film singing "Do You Hear the People Sing?". It was odd. I perceived it to be heaven, but I don't really know what they were going for.
And what happens to Javert. He pretends to be joining to the rebels but is really a double spy. He is captured and is given to Valjean who spares his life, to his dismay. Later, he nearly kills Valjean again, but then commits suicide by tossing himself into the river, with a horrible sound effect included.
The main problems I had with the film were Cosette's awfully weak singing voice, and the fact that her character seemed one-dimensional. Marius was only slightly better. Sometimes his voice came across well, but other times it failed. Russell Crowe turned in a rather weak performance as the villain. He does hit the notes, but I found his voice to be different from what the character needed. Even Hugh Jackman could have done better as Jean Valjean, but at least he was mostly good, aging pretty well. Samantha Barks did have a nice voice, but she could also have been better. I blame Tom Hopper, who did so well with The King's Speech, but this was just too much to handle. I feel like having the actor's sing live, which is something I always wanted is also just too much as they focus on the words more than the emotions. And the camera angles, with some long uninterrupted scenes are also not that great. The costumes and art design is pretty good though the Thenadiers are certainly over the top. The death of the small child was also truly heart-wrenching especially after tragic shooting in Newtown. Still, the film covers a lot of ground and tells an epic story with great songs included. But I didn't find myself as invested as I would have hoped, barely crying at the end, when I should have been sobbing. However, Anne Hathaway was truly brilliant. Grade: B+
Now, the plot is a complicated one, so I won't go into all of that because it isn't necessary. The first problem came right in the very beginning. Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is a slave for simply stealing a loaf of bread and then trying to run away. He is pulling a boat into the harbor with a bunch of other slaves, singing a great song "Look Down". However, I thought the whole thing, with water everywhere looked like a set and not at all realistic.
Then came something good,after eight years have past, Valjean has created a new identity and opened a factory. Fantine (Anne Hathaway, clearly the best of the film) arrives. She was brilliant as the long suffering mother of Cosette (Isabelle Allen, quite good). Upon the discovery that she has an illegitimate child, she is cast out of her factory job and forced to sell her hair, her teeth and eventually, her body. This causes her to sing "I Dreamed a Dream". The number was quite good and it was filmed in one uninterrupted take, with the whole song focusing on her face. Was it a good film choice, no, but will it win her an Oscar, maybe. Only time will tell, as it was one of the best scenes of the film, with heavy emotion and great singing.
And then she dies, as everyone knows. Valjean goes to fetch young Cosette from the nasty innkeepers who rob their customers blind, the Thenardiers (Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen) who treat her horribly. However, there is a problem. That problem is Javert (Russell Crowe) who is a soldier who discovers that Valjean has created a new identity and thus has escaped parole. Valjean and the young Cosette must go into hiding.
Another nine years pass. Cosette has grown up and became Amanda Seyfried (the weak link of the film) and the citizens of France are starting an uprising again, led by Marius (Eddie Redmayne) and Enjolras (Aaron Tveit, great). Here we also meet Eponine, the daughter of the Thenardiers (Samantha Barks). She does not like her parents, but I could not feel sorry for her. She is jealous of Cosette, but I found no sympathy for her either. She dies, tragically, disguised as a boy, fighting for the crusade, with her love for Marius never being reciprocated. Instead, Marius only has eyes for Cosette. But Valjean and Cosette must run away, as his true identity has been discovered again. She writes him a letter, but Eponine discovers it and does not give him to him until she is nearly dying, trying to be a hero in her final breath. Marius then asks the small child Gavroche (Daniel Huttlestone) to deliver a letter to Valjean. Upon receiving this, Valjean joins the cause and sings of Marius's youth. After the barricade is fired upon, Valjean recuses an injured Marius and carts him through the sewers to save him. Once Marius recovers, he prepares to marry Cosette and Valjean finally tells him the truth about his past. This scene killed me. Valjean is revealing intimate details of his life, stuff he never told to Cosette and yet Marius's face remains unchanged. This got on my last nerve.
This sets up the wedding scene and Valjean's death finale. However, after his death, he walks away and the film ends with everyone that had died throughout the film singing "Do You Hear the People Sing?". It was odd. I perceived it to be heaven, but I don't really know what they were going for.
And what happens to Javert. He pretends to be joining to the rebels but is really a double spy. He is captured and is given to Valjean who spares his life, to his dismay. Later, he nearly kills Valjean again, but then commits suicide by tossing himself into the river, with a horrible sound effect included.
The main problems I had with the film were Cosette's awfully weak singing voice, and the fact that her character seemed one-dimensional. Marius was only slightly better. Sometimes his voice came across well, but other times it failed. Russell Crowe turned in a rather weak performance as the villain. He does hit the notes, but I found his voice to be different from what the character needed. Even Hugh Jackman could have done better as Jean Valjean, but at least he was mostly good, aging pretty well. Samantha Barks did have a nice voice, but she could also have been better. I blame Tom Hopper, who did so well with The King's Speech, but this was just too much to handle. I feel like having the actor's sing live, which is something I always wanted is also just too much as they focus on the words more than the emotions. And the camera angles, with some long uninterrupted scenes are also not that great. The costumes and art design is pretty good though the Thenadiers are certainly over the top. The death of the small child was also truly heart-wrenching especially after tragic shooting in Newtown. Still, the film covers a lot of ground and tells an epic story with great songs included. But I didn't find myself as invested as I would have hoped, barely crying at the end, when I should have been sobbing. However, Anne Hathaway was truly brilliant. Grade: B+
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The Guilt Trip
This film was not the greatest but it was not truly a waste of time.
The film is essentially a two person drama. Andy (Seth Rogen) is trying to start his own business. He has developed an environmentally safe cleaning product that is also non-toxic. However, businesses haven't bought this yet so he is ready to set out on a cross-country road trip so he can earn a living. Andy does have a problem and it comes in the form of his overprotective and annoying mother, Joyce (Barbra Streisand, doing well as the annoying mother). Though Andy's father died at least twenty years ago, she has barely dated since. Her life consists of calling Andy to tell him everything, visiting the GAP, doing yoga and joining Weight Watchers. Before Andy can begin his trip, she makes the mistake of telling him that she named him after her former boyfriend. So Andy looks this guy, it turns out he works in San Francisco. Andy decides to ask his mother on the trip with him, but doesn't tell her the real reason. It works, Joyce is in.
The rest of the movie plays out with them on the road and a few of the people they meet along the way. At the first hotel, the manager asks Andy if he and his lady need a room for the night. Then the car starts having some issues so they journey into a topless bar, but a stripper is able to mend the chair. It is after this when Joyce calls one of Andy's ex-girlfriends, Jessica, who is now married and hugely pregnant with another baby (though you never see the other children she claims she has). Here Joyce learns that Andy proposed to her a decade ago, when they were only eighteen. She said no, because they were too young and he promptly ended it with her. Too bad this was not discussed more, as the fact that Andy is still single is a big issue for Joyce.
Later, in Texas, Joyce succeeds in eating a fifty ounce steak in an hour and there she meets Ben, a potential love interest for her.
Then they arrive at Vegas, where Joyce hits the slots and Andy prepares for another presentation. They have not been going well up to this point. Here he also tells Joyce the truth about the trip and naturally she is devastated. Andy's presentation is not going well, until he decides to take his mother's advice and get the other person involved as this time it is being shown on QVC. He also drinks the gross liquid live on air. And it works, he gets an offer.
Joyce forgives him and they continue to San Francisco, only to discover that the man that has haunted her has died. It was his son (Adam Scott), named after the father, that he found. Joyce is crushed. But then she meets his daughter, named Joyce and all is right in the world. After all, she named him Andy because that name reminded her of someone and clearly he still thought of her, naming his daughter after a former girlfriend.
Later, they part ways at the airport, all the better for having made the trip. Joyce calls Ben, the guy from the restaurant in Texas, she is finally able to move on. Hopefully Andy can do the same.
The film is not bad, as there are a few laughs, though nothing truly hilarious along the way. The performances are fairly decent, though I just can't buy Seth Rogen as a geek organic chemist. But I can believe that he is Streisand's son. However, she is far too old for her role, though she doesn't look her age.
On the plus side, the plot is fairly good, with a few surprises along the way, which is always good. I also like how the movie is basically a two person drama, which are rare these days. Certainly, a love interest for Seth Rogen would have been much appreciated, but you can't always get what you want. Though there is nothing majorly wrong with this film, I doubt I will ever watch it again. I can't wait until Christmas when some good movies come out, movies that are actually worth my time. Grade: B
The film is essentially a two person drama. Andy (Seth Rogen) is trying to start his own business. He has developed an environmentally safe cleaning product that is also non-toxic. However, businesses haven't bought this yet so he is ready to set out on a cross-country road trip so he can earn a living. Andy does have a problem and it comes in the form of his overprotective and annoying mother, Joyce (Barbra Streisand, doing well as the annoying mother). Though Andy's father died at least twenty years ago, she has barely dated since. Her life consists of calling Andy to tell him everything, visiting the GAP, doing yoga and joining Weight Watchers. Before Andy can begin his trip, she makes the mistake of telling him that she named him after her former boyfriend. So Andy looks this guy, it turns out he works in San Francisco. Andy decides to ask his mother on the trip with him, but doesn't tell her the real reason. It works, Joyce is in.
The rest of the movie plays out with them on the road and a few of the people they meet along the way. At the first hotel, the manager asks Andy if he and his lady need a room for the night. Then the car starts having some issues so they journey into a topless bar, but a stripper is able to mend the chair. It is after this when Joyce calls one of Andy's ex-girlfriends, Jessica, who is now married and hugely pregnant with another baby (though you never see the other children she claims she has). Here Joyce learns that Andy proposed to her a decade ago, when they were only eighteen. She said no, because they were too young and he promptly ended it with her. Too bad this was not discussed more, as the fact that Andy is still single is a big issue for Joyce.
Later, in Texas, Joyce succeeds in eating a fifty ounce steak in an hour and there she meets Ben, a potential love interest for her.
Then they arrive at Vegas, where Joyce hits the slots and Andy prepares for another presentation. They have not been going well up to this point. Here he also tells Joyce the truth about the trip and naturally she is devastated. Andy's presentation is not going well, until he decides to take his mother's advice and get the other person involved as this time it is being shown on QVC. He also drinks the gross liquid live on air. And it works, he gets an offer.
Joyce forgives him and they continue to San Francisco, only to discover that the man that has haunted her has died. It was his son (Adam Scott), named after the father, that he found. Joyce is crushed. But then she meets his daughter, named Joyce and all is right in the world. After all, she named him Andy because that name reminded her of someone and clearly he still thought of her, naming his daughter after a former girlfriend.
Later, they part ways at the airport, all the better for having made the trip. Joyce calls Ben, the guy from the restaurant in Texas, she is finally able to move on. Hopefully Andy can do the same.
The film is not bad, as there are a few laughs, though nothing truly hilarious along the way. The performances are fairly decent, though I just can't buy Seth Rogen as a geek organic chemist. But I can believe that he is Streisand's son. However, she is far too old for her role, though she doesn't look her age.
On the plus side, the plot is fairly good, with a few surprises along the way, which is always good. I also like how the movie is basically a two person drama, which are rare these days. Certainly, a love interest for Seth Rogen would have been much appreciated, but you can't always get what you want. Though there is nothing majorly wrong with this film, I doubt I will ever watch it again. I can't wait until Christmas when some good movies come out, movies that are actually worth my time. Grade: B
Friday, December 21, 2012
Elf (2003)
This film is another Christmas classic.
Here, a human accidentally crawls into Santa's toy bag and thus finds himself in the North Pole. Buddy (Will Ferrell), as he is named, thanks to the label on his diaper, spends his life believing he is an elf, though there are some noticeable differences, including his massive height. He finds out after overhearing it from other elves, including Peter Billlngsley, forever known as Ralphie from the ultimate Christmas classic A Christmas Story. Naturally, he is devastated. Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) tells him the truth. He was put up for adoption, and his birth mother later died, but his father, who never even knew that he was born, is still alive, living in New York and on the naughty list.
Buddy journeys to New York and finds his father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a nasty book publisher, who cares only about money. Walter does not believe him and sends Buddy away. However, Buddy finds a home at Gimbels, a Macy's like replica. He is not even hired because he is wearing his elf outfit, which is what he always wears. Here he meets Jovie (a blond Zooey Deschanel), his one true love, because a good Christmas movie needs some sort of love story. Things do not get off to a good start because the next morning, Buddy goes into the women's locker room because he heard Jovie's beautiful singing voice and he was curious. Jovie doesn't take this well.
That morning, Santa shows up in the toy shop and Buddy is devastated to discover that it is not the real Santa. He ends up in jail and calls Walter, who reluctantly bails him out. A DNA test later, Buddy comes home with Walter. Walter's wife, Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and their son, Michael (Daniel Tay) take the news better than he does.
The movie plays out, coming to the climax when Santa's sleigh crashes in Central Park, Buddy is there to help, as during Walter's big conference with famous author, Miles Finch (Peter Dinklage), Buddy arrives and ruins everything. He is tossed out. He feels lost and forlorn, knowing he fits in nowhere. Luckily, he helps Santa with the sleigh and with help from Michael, who presents the naughty and nice list to the TV cameras. Jovie also faces her fears and sings in public, causing New York to get its Christmas Spirit back, which causes Santa's sleigh to fly on its own. The film ends happily, with Walter forming his own company and becoming a human being again. Buddy and Jovie end up together and have a daughter, named Susie after his mother, and visit Papa Elf from time to time in the North Pole. All is right in the world.
The film is quite good, with great performances all-around, though Jovie's character is horribly underdeveloped and underwritten. Will Ferrell is completely believable as an Elf struggling to find his way in the crazy town of New York City, sending his father some sexy underwear because the sign told him it was for someone special. The film is hilarious and heartfelt and clocks in at just over ninety minutes, so the timing is right. It is one that I will forever watch every Christmas. Grade: B+
Here, a human accidentally crawls into Santa's toy bag and thus finds himself in the North Pole. Buddy (Will Ferrell), as he is named, thanks to the label on his diaper, spends his life believing he is an elf, though there are some noticeable differences, including his massive height. He finds out after overhearing it from other elves, including Peter Billlngsley, forever known as Ralphie from the ultimate Christmas classic A Christmas Story. Naturally, he is devastated. Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) tells him the truth. He was put up for adoption, and his birth mother later died, but his father, who never even knew that he was born, is still alive, living in New York and on the naughty list.
Buddy journeys to New York and finds his father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a nasty book publisher, who cares only about money. Walter does not believe him and sends Buddy away. However, Buddy finds a home at Gimbels, a Macy's like replica. He is not even hired because he is wearing his elf outfit, which is what he always wears. Here he meets Jovie (a blond Zooey Deschanel), his one true love, because a good Christmas movie needs some sort of love story. Things do not get off to a good start because the next morning, Buddy goes into the women's locker room because he heard Jovie's beautiful singing voice and he was curious. Jovie doesn't take this well.
That morning, Santa shows up in the toy shop and Buddy is devastated to discover that it is not the real Santa. He ends up in jail and calls Walter, who reluctantly bails him out. A DNA test later, Buddy comes home with Walter. Walter's wife, Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and their son, Michael (Daniel Tay) take the news better than he does.
The movie plays out, coming to the climax when Santa's sleigh crashes in Central Park, Buddy is there to help, as during Walter's big conference with famous author, Miles Finch (Peter Dinklage), Buddy arrives and ruins everything. He is tossed out. He feels lost and forlorn, knowing he fits in nowhere. Luckily, he helps Santa with the sleigh and with help from Michael, who presents the naughty and nice list to the TV cameras. Jovie also faces her fears and sings in public, causing New York to get its Christmas Spirit back, which causes Santa's sleigh to fly on its own. The film ends happily, with Walter forming his own company and becoming a human being again. Buddy and Jovie end up together and have a daughter, named Susie after his mother, and visit Papa Elf from time to time in the North Pole. All is right in the world.
The film is quite good, with great performances all-around, though Jovie's character is horribly underdeveloped and underwritten. Will Ferrell is completely believable as an Elf struggling to find his way in the crazy town of New York City, sending his father some sexy underwear because the sign told him it was for someone special. The film is hilarious and heartfelt and clocks in at just over ninety minutes, so the timing is right. It is one that I will forever watch every Christmas. Grade: B+
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
This truly is a wonderful movie. And timeless. A true Christmas classic.
Here, the viewer enjoys watching George Bailey (James Stewart, robbed of an Oscar) growing up in the small town Bedford Falls. Though he aimed high from a young age, he was unable to make any of his dreams come true. Thanks to his father's sudden death, he was unable to attend college because he had to take over his father's business so it doesn't fall into the hands of the nasty wealthy business owner Potter (Lionel Barrymore). Upon his brother Harry's (Todd Karns) return, he still can't leave because his brother has been offered an excellent opportunity that he shouldn't pass up. George remains in Bedford Falls and marries the attractive and intelligent, but only cares about the simple things Mary Hatch (Donna Reed). Instead of going on their honeymoon, the Great Depression arrives and George needs the money to keep his building and loan office open. They settle down into the old house that they had thrown rocks in when they were younger, still with hopes and dreams and have four children. World War II comes and goes. Harry does great, saving many lives.
But then tragedy hits. The kind, but simple-minded Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) is set to deposit some money in the bank, but then Potter arrives and Uncle Billy decides to show him the article where Harry wins the Medal of Honor. Upon giving the newspaper back to Potter, the money is also lost. All 8,000 dollars. Because of this, George is ruined and will face jail time. This depresses him. He even gravels to Potter asking him for a loan, but Potter, who knows the truth, refuses to help him. George begins to contemplate suicide. Luckily, his guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), desperate to get his wings, arrives. Clarence shows George his life as though he had never been born. The life is a miserable one. His former boss, Mr. Gower spent many years in jail over accidentally put poison in some pills, which in reality George had saved him from giving the sick boy the pills. His younger brother drowned when they were children, meaning he never saved the lives of many during the war. His wife is the town librarian and a spinster. Their children were never born. Potter has also taken over the town. People will never have a way out from under him. Life is truly awful. Only one person affected the lives of so many.
George prays that he never wished his life away and everything is restored. His wife managed to gather the town who present him with the extra money that they have because he was always there to help them earlier. In a book that Clarence presents to him, he writes to George that a man is never poor with friends. And George has many friends.
Here a man is shown the value of his life in a way that most people should never have to see, but it was the only way for George to realize how precious his life was. After all, Potter even told him that he was worth more dead than alive.
Now, there are a few problems with the film, namely when Clarence and George arrive at Harry's grave in the alternate world. Clarence states that Harry was nine, but the grave has the years 1911-1919, meaning he could have only been eight. This is only a minor problem, but a noticeable one. I do wish at the end, with George surrounded by his family and friends that they could have shown Potter, alone in his room, to further drive home the point of the film. The films also ends happily, and bells ring, meaning Clarence has finally gotten his wings.
This film deserves to be watched again and again. It's a crying shame that this film was not a success upon it's initial release. It lost money and entered into public domain, which is how it became the success that it is. James Stewart should have won an Oscar for this film, as he was better than the winner, Frederic March, and Donna Reed should have been nominated for her vital performance. Grade: A
Here, the viewer enjoys watching George Bailey (James Stewart, robbed of an Oscar) growing up in the small town Bedford Falls. Though he aimed high from a young age, he was unable to make any of his dreams come true. Thanks to his father's sudden death, he was unable to attend college because he had to take over his father's business so it doesn't fall into the hands of the nasty wealthy business owner Potter (Lionel Barrymore). Upon his brother Harry's (Todd Karns) return, he still can't leave because his brother has been offered an excellent opportunity that he shouldn't pass up. George remains in Bedford Falls and marries the attractive and intelligent, but only cares about the simple things Mary Hatch (Donna Reed). Instead of going on their honeymoon, the Great Depression arrives and George needs the money to keep his building and loan office open. They settle down into the old house that they had thrown rocks in when they were younger, still with hopes and dreams and have four children. World War II comes and goes. Harry does great, saving many lives.
But then tragedy hits. The kind, but simple-minded Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) is set to deposit some money in the bank, but then Potter arrives and Uncle Billy decides to show him the article where Harry wins the Medal of Honor. Upon giving the newspaper back to Potter, the money is also lost. All 8,000 dollars. Because of this, George is ruined and will face jail time. This depresses him. He even gravels to Potter asking him for a loan, but Potter, who knows the truth, refuses to help him. George begins to contemplate suicide. Luckily, his guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), desperate to get his wings, arrives. Clarence shows George his life as though he had never been born. The life is a miserable one. His former boss, Mr. Gower spent many years in jail over accidentally put poison in some pills, which in reality George had saved him from giving the sick boy the pills. His younger brother drowned when they were children, meaning he never saved the lives of many during the war. His wife is the town librarian and a spinster. Their children were never born. Potter has also taken over the town. People will never have a way out from under him. Life is truly awful. Only one person affected the lives of so many.
George prays that he never wished his life away and everything is restored. His wife managed to gather the town who present him with the extra money that they have because he was always there to help them earlier. In a book that Clarence presents to him, he writes to George that a man is never poor with friends. And George has many friends.
Here a man is shown the value of his life in a way that most people should never have to see, but it was the only way for George to realize how precious his life was. After all, Potter even told him that he was worth more dead than alive.
Now, there are a few problems with the film, namely when Clarence and George arrive at Harry's grave in the alternate world. Clarence states that Harry was nine, but the grave has the years 1911-1919, meaning he could have only been eight. This is only a minor problem, but a noticeable one. I do wish at the end, with George surrounded by his family and friends that they could have shown Potter, alone in his room, to further drive home the point of the film. The films also ends happily, and bells ring, meaning Clarence has finally gotten his wings.
This film deserves to be watched again and again. It's a crying shame that this film was not a success upon it's initial release. It lost money and entered into public domain, which is how it became the success that it is. James Stewart should have won an Oscar for this film, as he was better than the winner, Frederic March, and Donna Reed should have been nominated for her vital performance. Grade: A
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Middle: Twenty Years
This episode was better than the Christmas episode, which should have been aired this week, being closer to Christmas and everything.
Mike and Frankie are about to celebrate their twentieth anniversary, but things aren't looking that great. Frankie was passing Mike while running errands, but he wouldn't pick up her call and later he sneaked out of bed to eat a steak and TV at one in the morning. That doesn't stop Sue from trying to plan a surprise party for them, but Axl and Brick won't help out, so she's left to prepare it all by herself. Which doesn't turn out to well, as all the friends, relatives and venues vanish on them. And Sue leaves her planning binder on her parent's bed, meaning that Frankie and Mike are expecting something grand, because everything is crossed out, and that is certainly not the case.
The party is disaster, with Sue ruining all of the food and getting into a huge fight with Axl, imitating their parents perfectly, and becoming a sobbing mess. But the night turns out to be wonderful, though Frankie was somewhat disappointed. Mike managed to even surprise her by saying that he had a present for her, and he gave her a nice ring, she was really touched.
For the subplot, Brick was getting a new book in a series of seven books perhaps similar to Harry Potter, these books meant the world to him, but Axl, still upset over losing his guitar to him in the last season, decided to spoil the ending for him, causing Brick to enter a coma-like state. Brick just lies around, depressed over what he is going to do for the rest of his life. Finally, he explains to Axl what the books meant to him, because he doesn't have sports or friends to fall back on. "I know these characters better than my own family," he pleads at one point. Eventually, Axl tries to create a new ending for Brick, though it is horrible. Instead, Brick decides to show Axl the power of books and begins reading out loud to him as the episode ends.
Though the episode was quite simple, there were still a few funny moments, mainly when Sue ventured out to visit Grandpa Big Mike who is a man of very few words, and doesn't help her out at all with cute stories of her parents and broke down to her parents. Rarely does anything ever work out for that girl. It's really sad. Though this episode lacked the craziness of the Thanksgiving episode, it was nice for the show to finally focus on the family, with only two tiny roles for guest stars. Hopefully something will finally go right for this family, though I might be upset if that happens. Grade: A-
Mike and Frankie are about to celebrate their twentieth anniversary, but things aren't looking that great. Frankie was passing Mike while running errands, but he wouldn't pick up her call and later he sneaked out of bed to eat a steak and TV at one in the morning. That doesn't stop Sue from trying to plan a surprise party for them, but Axl and Brick won't help out, so she's left to prepare it all by herself. Which doesn't turn out to well, as all the friends, relatives and venues vanish on them. And Sue leaves her planning binder on her parent's bed, meaning that Frankie and Mike are expecting something grand, because everything is crossed out, and that is certainly not the case.
The party is disaster, with Sue ruining all of the food and getting into a huge fight with Axl, imitating their parents perfectly, and becoming a sobbing mess. But the night turns out to be wonderful, though Frankie was somewhat disappointed. Mike managed to even surprise her by saying that he had a present for her, and he gave her a nice ring, she was really touched.
For the subplot, Brick was getting a new book in a series of seven books perhaps similar to Harry Potter, these books meant the world to him, but Axl, still upset over losing his guitar to him in the last season, decided to spoil the ending for him, causing Brick to enter a coma-like state. Brick just lies around, depressed over what he is going to do for the rest of his life. Finally, he explains to Axl what the books meant to him, because he doesn't have sports or friends to fall back on. "I know these characters better than my own family," he pleads at one point. Eventually, Axl tries to create a new ending for Brick, though it is horrible. Instead, Brick decides to show Axl the power of books and begins reading out loud to him as the episode ends.
Though the episode was quite simple, there were still a few funny moments, mainly when Sue ventured out to visit Grandpa Big Mike who is a man of very few words, and doesn't help her out at all with cute stories of her parents and broke down to her parents. Rarely does anything ever work out for that girl. It's really sad. Though this episode lacked the craziness of the Thanksgiving episode, it was nice for the show to finally focus on the family, with only two tiny roles for guest stars. Hopefully something will finally go right for this family, though I might be upset if that happens. Grade: A-
Friday, December 7, 2012
Flight
This film was interesting. To me, it wasn't as good as the reviews made it out to be, but it is certainly an excellent film in many respects.
Captain Whip Whitaker (a great Denzel Washington, playing a character that is a hero, but you still can't admire him) is a pilot, and a secret alcoholic, something he can't admit to himself until the final minutes of the film, but something the viewer realizes early on. He also is sleeping with one of his flight attendants, Trina (Nadine Velazquez), and to hide his painful addiction, he snorts cocaine. Whip is falling apart, but he hides everything so well and he seems able to do his job, after all he does fly the plane through some crazy turbulence in the horrible storm as the plane takes off, much to the dismay of his co-pilot, Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty). Then, while talking to the people, slips three small vodka bottles into his orange juice and then goes to sleep for a little while.
Next, things take a turn for the worse when the plane literally starts falling apart, and Whip gets serious. He does everything he can to stop the plane from crashing including turning it over and gliding to a place without people. And the plane lands, albeit in pieces and Whip loses consciousness. He is taken to a local hospital with basically everyone else on the plane. Six people did die, including two flight attendants, one of them was Trina.
His friend Harlan (John Goodman, great, though weird as Whip's cocaine dealer) arrives but Whip, for a time being, decides to stop drinking. But that changes after the union president and Whip's longtime friend, Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood) and the lawyer he hired for him, Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle) tell him that he was drunk and high on cocaine when the plane crashed and that he spend the rest of his life in prison.
While he is still at the hospital, he meets Nicole (Kelly Reilly, excellent) who is an addict like him. They develop a romantic relationship, as she loves the farm that used to belong his grandfather. However, Nicole, who did nearly just die, is trying to recover and she wants Whip to recover with her, but after she comes back from an AA meeting, she finds him drunk and high and she leaves the following morning. She's out of his life.
In the meantime, Whip has a nasty run-in with his ex-wife and their son, but then he does get sober, only to have it all ruined the night before he faces an interview with the NRSB investigator, Ellen Block (Melissa Leo, disturbingly chilling and professional). Though his hotel room is stocked with non-alcoholic drinks, the door to the adjoining suite is accidentally left open. Here, he opens the fridge to find it stuffed with alcohol. He opens a bottle and sniffs in and then leaves on top of the fridge, and started to walk away and then grabbed the bottle, causing me to jump. That next morning, both rooms are completely trashed and Whip, is completely passed out, But that's nothing some cocaine can't cure.
During the testimony, all Whip has to do is lie, and he tells Hugh not to tell him how to lie, he's been doing it all his life to cover up his drinking. He just has to tell the crowd that the vodka bottles found in the plane's trash were from Trina, but as he looks at her picture, he can't implicate her in his mistake. She died after buckling in a little boy who had fallen out of his seat. He can finally admit that he's an alcoholic.
He goes to jail and finally gets sober. He may be in jail, but he feels free for the first time.
The problem I had this film was it's opinion of God. When Whip goes to visit his co-pilot, he tells him that he thought that Whip was drunk from the moment he walked into the cockpit. His wife also looks at him suspiciously. Though they may blame him, they quickly change their tune when they say that it was truly a miracle that he landed the plane and they ask him to join in their prayer. This scene just seemed over the top and out of place.
Still, the performances were fantastic, including Tamara Tunie as the surviving flight attendant, Margaret. Denzel is also great and the performances all around him are magnificent. And the crash scene is also great and disturbingly realistic. The story line is also great, too bad they had to put in so many crazy religious references, still, this film raises many important issues, including whether Whip should be admired or hated for saving as many lives as he did. After all, Hugh says that all the flights in the simulator crashed, with everyone on board dying. I thought what he did was heroic, but I can't admire him. He betrayed the public's trust, as the judge told him. This film is no Argo, but Denzel Washington turns in a great performance. As of right now, only second to Lincoln's Daniel Day-Lewis. Grade: A-
Captain Whip Whitaker (a great Denzel Washington, playing a character that is a hero, but you still can't admire him) is a pilot, and a secret alcoholic, something he can't admit to himself until the final minutes of the film, but something the viewer realizes early on. He also is sleeping with one of his flight attendants, Trina (Nadine Velazquez), and to hide his painful addiction, he snorts cocaine. Whip is falling apart, but he hides everything so well and he seems able to do his job, after all he does fly the plane through some crazy turbulence in the horrible storm as the plane takes off, much to the dismay of his co-pilot, Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty). Then, while talking to the people, slips three small vodka bottles into his orange juice and then goes to sleep for a little while.
Next, things take a turn for the worse when the plane literally starts falling apart, and Whip gets serious. He does everything he can to stop the plane from crashing including turning it over and gliding to a place without people. And the plane lands, albeit in pieces and Whip loses consciousness. He is taken to a local hospital with basically everyone else on the plane. Six people did die, including two flight attendants, one of them was Trina.
His friend Harlan (John Goodman, great, though weird as Whip's cocaine dealer) arrives but Whip, for a time being, decides to stop drinking. But that changes after the union president and Whip's longtime friend, Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood) and the lawyer he hired for him, Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle) tell him that he was drunk and high on cocaine when the plane crashed and that he spend the rest of his life in prison.
While he is still at the hospital, he meets Nicole (Kelly Reilly, excellent) who is an addict like him. They develop a romantic relationship, as she loves the farm that used to belong his grandfather. However, Nicole, who did nearly just die, is trying to recover and she wants Whip to recover with her, but after she comes back from an AA meeting, she finds him drunk and high and she leaves the following morning. She's out of his life.
In the meantime, Whip has a nasty run-in with his ex-wife and their son, but then he does get sober, only to have it all ruined the night before he faces an interview with the NRSB investigator, Ellen Block (Melissa Leo, disturbingly chilling and professional). Though his hotel room is stocked with non-alcoholic drinks, the door to the adjoining suite is accidentally left open. Here, he opens the fridge to find it stuffed with alcohol. He opens a bottle and sniffs in and then leaves on top of the fridge, and started to walk away and then grabbed the bottle, causing me to jump. That next morning, both rooms are completely trashed and Whip, is completely passed out, But that's nothing some cocaine can't cure.
During the testimony, all Whip has to do is lie, and he tells Hugh not to tell him how to lie, he's been doing it all his life to cover up his drinking. He just has to tell the crowd that the vodka bottles found in the plane's trash were from Trina, but as he looks at her picture, he can't implicate her in his mistake. She died after buckling in a little boy who had fallen out of his seat. He can finally admit that he's an alcoholic.
He goes to jail and finally gets sober. He may be in jail, but he feels free for the first time.
The problem I had this film was it's opinion of God. When Whip goes to visit his co-pilot, he tells him that he thought that Whip was drunk from the moment he walked into the cockpit. His wife also looks at him suspiciously. Though they may blame him, they quickly change their tune when they say that it was truly a miracle that he landed the plane and they ask him to join in their prayer. This scene just seemed over the top and out of place.
Still, the performances were fantastic, including Tamara Tunie as the surviving flight attendant, Margaret. Denzel is also great and the performances all around him are magnificent. And the crash scene is also great and disturbingly realistic. The story line is also great, too bad they had to put in so many crazy religious references, still, this film raises many important issues, including whether Whip should be admired or hated for saving as many lives as he did. After all, Hugh says that all the flights in the simulator crashed, with everyone on board dying. I thought what he did was heroic, but I can't admire him. He betrayed the public's trust, as the judge told him. This film is no Argo, but Denzel Washington turns in a great performance. As of right now, only second to Lincoln's Daniel Day-Lewis. Grade: A-
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The Middle: Christmas Help
This episode had its ups and downs.
What I didn't like: Mike's brother, Rusty, was back and this time, he brought some furniture that he may or may not have stolen and stored it in Mike's garage. Needless to say, this did not make Mike happy. He got more and more mad at Rusty as the episode wore on.
Axl, on the other hand, turned the furniture into his own crib, and actually made it look nice, which is something he normally would not have done.The fact that he had moved out of the big house was only a minor plot and probably should have been made into a bigger deal than it was.
What I liked: Reverend Tim Tom was back and cast Brick as a wise man in the nativity story. He asks Sue to bake the Christmas cookies, and she actually doesn't mess up, which is a Christmas miracle in itself. When it came time for the pageant, Brick, who looked so cute in his costume, was horrible. It was hilarious, he forgot his lines and looked at the back of the stage for part of it and walked around in a circle with his squeaky shoes. He even ate one of Sue's cookies (which weren't selling) on the stage. Axl though his performance made the show more interesting and his acceptance of his crazy brother made Mike want to accept Rusty back in his life and they work through everything. Reverend Tim Tom decides to bring Sue's cookies with him on his next journey.
Frankie finds a job for the Christmas season, but her employee discount doesn't kick in right away, so she tries to hide her presents around the store, but people still snatch them up. Finally, her discount does kick in, but when she tries to hide her presents on the top shelf, her ladder is wheeled away so she is trapped, meaning her family receives no presents until the day after Christmas. Then they all go shopping and everything is right in the world.
This show tried to cram in four separate lines into one slim twenty-one minute episode and I thought that each plot line could have been more developed. Still the acting was brilliant as it always is. The pageant scene was especially hilarious. I can't wait for more new episodes. Grade: B+
What I didn't like: Mike's brother, Rusty, was back and this time, he brought some furniture that he may or may not have stolen and stored it in Mike's garage. Needless to say, this did not make Mike happy. He got more and more mad at Rusty as the episode wore on.
Axl, on the other hand, turned the furniture into his own crib, and actually made it look nice, which is something he normally would not have done.The fact that he had moved out of the big house was only a minor plot and probably should have been made into a bigger deal than it was.
What I liked: Reverend Tim Tom was back and cast Brick as a wise man in the nativity story. He asks Sue to bake the Christmas cookies, and she actually doesn't mess up, which is a Christmas miracle in itself. When it came time for the pageant, Brick, who looked so cute in his costume, was horrible. It was hilarious, he forgot his lines and looked at the back of the stage for part of it and walked around in a circle with his squeaky shoes. He even ate one of Sue's cookies (which weren't selling) on the stage. Axl though his performance made the show more interesting and his acceptance of his crazy brother made Mike want to accept Rusty back in his life and they work through everything. Reverend Tim Tom decides to bring Sue's cookies with him on his next journey.
Frankie finds a job for the Christmas season, but her employee discount doesn't kick in right away, so she tries to hide her presents around the store, but people still snatch them up. Finally, her discount does kick in, but when she tries to hide her presents on the top shelf, her ladder is wheeled away so she is trapped, meaning her family receives no presents until the day after Christmas. Then they all go shopping and everything is right in the world.
This show tried to cram in four separate lines into one slim twenty-one minute episode and I thought that each plot line could have been more developed. Still the acting was brilliant as it always is. The pageant scene was especially hilarious. I can't wait for more new episodes. Grade: B+
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Sparkle
Though this film was filled with good performances, the film ultimately fell flat with its serious flaws.
The idea is simple. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks, appropriate with her name and everything) is a songwriter, but is too nervous to sing. Her oldest sister, Sister (a great Carmen Ejogo) to sing them instead. Sister, who has a history that is not revealed) is loaded with sex appeal which appeals to the men in the audience. Sister is dating this good but bland guy Levi (Omari Hardwick) who lives with his cousin, Stix (Derek Luke) who is a budding agent. He wants the group of sisters to become famous. Sparkle is in as is the middle sister, Dolores, but called Dee (a scene-stealing Tika Sumpter) is in, but only until she gets into medical school so she can become a doctor. Finally, Sister also gives in. However, they all have to sneak around their mother, Emma (Whitney Houston, in her last role) who also has a history that is never fully revealed. She was also a budding singer who had almost made it, but then at sixteen, she became pregnant and never went anywhere. Still, she must be making a pretty good living for herself as she owns her own clothing store and a large house with a color TV, and this is 1968, color TVs were rare. Emma is also quite religious, church is her main purpose. She demands that her daughters curl their hair and go to bed so they can be ready for church in the morning.
Soon, a conflict arises. Sister dumps Levi for no real reason and becomes engaged to a comedian with a drug problem, Satin (Mike Epps). Needless to say, Sister is kicked out of the house. She goes to live with Satin and soon also becomes addicted to drugs. This ruins the sisters one chance at becoming famous. By that time, they were a huge hit in the nightclub scene and men drooled over them constantly.
After Sister ruins their chances, Sparkle and Dee go to rescue her from her abusive fiance, but that ends horribly. Satin ends up slapping Sparkle and the sisters try to defend her. The fight turns nasty and Dee ends it when she picks up a poker and whams it across the back of Satin's head, killing him. Sister takes the blame for this, going to jail for a few years.
In the meantime, Dee gets accepted into medical school and Sparkle, sick of dealing with her mother, gets her own place and finally gets the guy at Colombia to give her another chance and he does. Stix, who left after their chances were ruined, returns proposes to Sparkle and this time, she says yes, like she should have the first time and creates an amazing show for her. Sparkle will get her record deal and become famous. Emma even comes around, though her motives are not at all clear or known.
The performances were great. Jordin Sparks starts off weak, but that's because her character is poorly written until Act III. Whitney Houston does what she can with the weakest character in the film, she deserved better. Carmen Ejogo is great with the juicest and most dramatic character in the film. Tika Sumpter provided the comic relief and made her small, unwritten role unforgettable. The songs were also quite good as all actors had great voices. There were some awful editing choices, including opting to have one of the fight scenes between Satin and Sister in slow motion, making it much more comedic than it should have been. There were also the huge plot holes, including never fully explaining Sister's past, though Dee says that is near thirty and not yet married. And why does Emma change so suddenly at the end? And what is her real history? Why is she so religious when she was probably never married, but still managed to have three daughters? And how can she afford that house? The actors deserved, especially Whitney deserved a better finished product than what they received. Grade: B-
The idea is simple. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks, appropriate with her name and everything) is a songwriter, but is too nervous to sing. Her oldest sister, Sister (a great Carmen Ejogo) to sing them instead. Sister, who has a history that is not revealed) is loaded with sex appeal which appeals to the men in the audience. Sister is dating this good but bland guy Levi (Omari Hardwick) who lives with his cousin, Stix (Derek Luke) who is a budding agent. He wants the group of sisters to become famous. Sparkle is in as is the middle sister, Dolores, but called Dee (a scene-stealing Tika Sumpter) is in, but only until she gets into medical school so she can become a doctor. Finally, Sister also gives in. However, they all have to sneak around their mother, Emma (Whitney Houston, in her last role) who also has a history that is never fully revealed. She was also a budding singer who had almost made it, but then at sixteen, she became pregnant and never went anywhere. Still, she must be making a pretty good living for herself as she owns her own clothing store and a large house with a color TV, and this is 1968, color TVs were rare. Emma is also quite religious, church is her main purpose. She demands that her daughters curl their hair and go to bed so they can be ready for church in the morning.
Soon, a conflict arises. Sister dumps Levi for no real reason and becomes engaged to a comedian with a drug problem, Satin (Mike Epps). Needless to say, Sister is kicked out of the house. She goes to live with Satin and soon also becomes addicted to drugs. This ruins the sisters one chance at becoming famous. By that time, they were a huge hit in the nightclub scene and men drooled over them constantly.
After Sister ruins their chances, Sparkle and Dee go to rescue her from her abusive fiance, but that ends horribly. Satin ends up slapping Sparkle and the sisters try to defend her. The fight turns nasty and Dee ends it when she picks up a poker and whams it across the back of Satin's head, killing him. Sister takes the blame for this, going to jail for a few years.
In the meantime, Dee gets accepted into medical school and Sparkle, sick of dealing with her mother, gets her own place and finally gets the guy at Colombia to give her another chance and he does. Stix, who left after their chances were ruined, returns proposes to Sparkle and this time, she says yes, like she should have the first time and creates an amazing show for her. Sparkle will get her record deal and become famous. Emma even comes around, though her motives are not at all clear or known.
The performances were great. Jordin Sparks starts off weak, but that's because her character is poorly written until Act III. Whitney Houston does what she can with the weakest character in the film, she deserved better. Carmen Ejogo is great with the juicest and most dramatic character in the film. Tika Sumpter provided the comic relief and made her small, unwritten role unforgettable. The songs were also quite good as all actors had great voices. There were some awful editing choices, including opting to have one of the fight scenes between Satin and Sister in slow motion, making it much more comedic than it should have been. There were also the huge plot holes, including never fully explaining Sister's past, though Dee says that is near thirty and not yet married. And why does Emma change so suddenly at the end? And what is her real history? Why is she so religious when she was probably never married, but still managed to have three daughters? And how can she afford that house? The actors deserved, especially Whitney deserved a better finished product than what they received. Grade: B-
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Glee: Thanksgiving
I hated this episode and had tons of issues with it.
The first issue, if this episode is titled Thanksgiving, then why didn't it air on Thanksgiving? Whatever, that's the least of its issues.
Also, it's reunion time. Mike, Mercedes, Quinn, Santana and Puck are all back and Finn pairs them up with the new members. However, the only pair the show really focuses on is Kitty and Quinn. Kitty just adores Quinn and worships her. Quinn, on the outside, looks like she'd be a good role model, but she's not. What with her wild faze, her teen pregnancy and trying to pin it on the wrong guy, these are both things to be admired. Not. In the meantime, Santana discovers laxatives in Marley's backpack though Marley says they are old. Santana doesn't believe her, but lets the issue drop. Bad idea, Santana.
Ryder and Jake are actually getting along. They reach an agreement, Jake can have Marley but Ryder gets the dance lead. In the end, Ryder bails, because he knows that Jake can do it better than he can. One problem solved. However, Marley is dieting too much and side effects are arriving. She can't sleep at night and is sweating constantly.
Finally Sectionals arrive. The Warblers sing first, and their first number is pretty awful, as it is "The Whistle Song" which is just disgusting and it is not sung well. Luckily the second number from One Direction and is sung by Sebastian, who actually has a good voice. Then New Directions perform the Youtube sensation Gangnam Style, which finally gives Tina a solo but a cheap solo. The performance is certainly one of their weakest ones. The reviewer at EW gave the performance an F, which is somewhat low, but the performance was God awful. I don't think they deserve to win Sectionals, which would just be humiliating. And then the show ends with Marley fainting because of something that Kitty did. I hope Kitty gets her just desserts in the next episode.
Meanwhile in New York, Rachel and Kurt decide not to journey home and instead decide to have Thanksgiving in New York. Brody apologizes for his actions and Rachel forgives him and lets him off the hook and soon is back to flirting with him. He did not deserve to be forgiven that easily. Kurt also invites his boss, Isabelle (aka Sarah Jessica Parker) over and she brings her friends, which leads to an awful musical number and probably my second least favorite scene of the show. However, there was a sweet moment in the middle of this. Kurt finally takes his boss's advice. He calls Blaine and says that he misses him because they are friends but Blaine is not forgiven yet. That was probably the best scene of the episode.
Overall, this episode was horrible. The songs weren't that great and the fight between Quinn and Santana seemed odd and out of place but it did let the audience know that Quinn is dating one of her professors and says that Santana is jealous of Quinn's life. I wouldn't be jealous of Quinn's life if I were Santana. Grade: C+
The first issue, if this episode is titled Thanksgiving, then why didn't it air on Thanksgiving? Whatever, that's the least of its issues.
Also, it's reunion time. Mike, Mercedes, Quinn, Santana and Puck are all back and Finn pairs them up with the new members. However, the only pair the show really focuses on is Kitty and Quinn. Kitty just adores Quinn and worships her. Quinn, on the outside, looks like she'd be a good role model, but she's not. What with her wild faze, her teen pregnancy and trying to pin it on the wrong guy, these are both things to be admired. Not. In the meantime, Santana discovers laxatives in Marley's backpack though Marley says they are old. Santana doesn't believe her, but lets the issue drop. Bad idea, Santana.
Ryder and Jake are actually getting along. They reach an agreement, Jake can have Marley but Ryder gets the dance lead. In the end, Ryder bails, because he knows that Jake can do it better than he can. One problem solved. However, Marley is dieting too much and side effects are arriving. She can't sleep at night and is sweating constantly.
Finally Sectionals arrive. The Warblers sing first, and their first number is pretty awful, as it is "The Whistle Song" which is just disgusting and it is not sung well. Luckily the second number from One Direction and is sung by Sebastian, who actually has a good voice. Then New Directions perform the Youtube sensation Gangnam Style, which finally gives Tina a solo but a cheap solo. The performance is certainly one of their weakest ones. The reviewer at EW gave the performance an F, which is somewhat low, but the performance was God awful. I don't think they deserve to win Sectionals, which would just be humiliating. And then the show ends with Marley fainting because of something that Kitty did. I hope Kitty gets her just desserts in the next episode.
Meanwhile in New York, Rachel and Kurt decide not to journey home and instead decide to have Thanksgiving in New York. Brody apologizes for his actions and Rachel forgives him and lets him off the hook and soon is back to flirting with him. He did not deserve to be forgiven that easily. Kurt also invites his boss, Isabelle (aka Sarah Jessica Parker) over and she brings her friends, which leads to an awful musical number and probably my second least favorite scene of the show. However, there was a sweet moment in the middle of this. Kurt finally takes his boss's advice. He calls Blaine and says that he misses him because they are friends but Blaine is not forgiven yet. That was probably the best scene of the episode.
Overall, this episode was horrible. The songs weren't that great and the fight between Quinn and Santana seemed odd and out of place but it did let the audience know that Quinn is dating one of her professors and says that Santana is jealous of Quinn's life. I wouldn't be jealous of Quinn's life if I were Santana. Grade: C+
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