Movie review: Funny People (2009)

George Simmons was prepared to die, but then a funny thing happened.

What it’s about:
(from IMDb)
When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship cause him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.

My take on it:
I’m not sure why, but I was under the impression that this had been one hilarious comedy sensation. Maybe it was because of Adam Sandler. Or because of its title. Either way, it is in fact a movie that chronicles the life of a man suffering from a terminal illness. What?!? I know, I didn’t see that one coming either. That sounds pretty depressing, right? Well, it’s not. What Funny People is actually something quite unique – while it is far from being a flat-out comedy (a person dying is not exactly a laughing matter), it is an odd mix of laughs and drama. I might not have been laughing and gagging the whole way through (although be warned, it’s packed with some pretty crude humor), but I sure was entertained from beginning to end (a solid two and a half hours). In fact, I’d have to say that I really, really enjoyed it.

Adam Sandler plays the role of George Simmons, a man in his 40s leading a very successful professional life. He’s a well-known actor and a stand-up comedian with a large and faithful fan base. His private life however, is in shambles. He feels detached from the world, has no real friends, and constantly regrets not marrying the woman he loves. Then the results of a blood test show that a severe medical problem is about to finish him off. Devastated, he attempts to fix his broken life, hiring an aspiring young comedian, Ira Wright (played by Seth Rogen) in the process, giving him the opportunity of a lifetime.

George Simmons is actually a character that is not very likable. He is self-centered and egoistic, and constantly treats Ira like he doesn’t have any feelings. In fact, he’s pretty rude to him most of the time. Unfortunately, this is a trait that remains throughout the entire film. For a man about to die, Simmons has little character development, except at the very end, which wasn’t very satisfactory, at least for me. Ira, however, is a character that you immediately start warming to – hard-working, talented and determined to be a good friend to the dying movie star. Both Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen did some spectacular acting work in this.

Despite there being some very dramatic elements in the movie, there are also some genuinely funny moments. Like whenever Jonah Hill enters the scene. Some of his lines are like the funniest ever. There was this humorous scene where Jonah’s character convinces his roommate that his granddad went to hell (‘It’s not my fault your grandpa is playing backgammon with Hitler right now’). Towards the end, the weirdest confrontation scene ever unfolds (where Adam Sandler and Eric Bana have a tense wrestling match on the front lawn), and Leslie Mann, who plays Laura, puts on a mocking imitation of the Australian accent.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll love this, but I say it’s worth giving it a shot. Hopefully you will. :)

Rating: 4/5

Links:
Watch the trailer here.
Visit the official website here.

--or--
Learn more about this movie, or purchase from Amazon.com here.

On-topic Post: Book Blogger Hop! (Round 11!)

Welcome visitors from the book blogger hop, make yourself at home! In case you don't know what I'm talking about, this is a lovely weekly event hosted by Crazy for Books where bloggers and readers can find each other and share their love for books!

This time, the question we've got to answer is:
Post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past three months.

And here's my answer:
Recently I wrote a blog post detailing my favorite moments of the most awesome TV series Dexter, which is one of my personal favorites. If you're interested, you can read it here. The post contains spoilers however, so for those who don't want me to spoil the great finales of the tv series, check out the right sidebar, which contains links to my reviews of the Harry Potter series. Thanks for reading!

If you're interested, click on the button above, and get hopping! Oh, and if you're a blogger, leave a comment below and I'll return your visit as soon as I can! If you follow my blog, leave a comment and I'll follow back! It's all about the love. :)

Also, check out the right sidebar --> I'm in the middle of a Harry Potter challenge, which is to reread all seven books! I hope you'll join me on my journey. ;)

Have a great day, and thanks for visiting!

On-topic Post: A Harry Potter Update

It's been a little over a month since I started the Harry Potter challenge. These books seriously become more addicting the further along you go. To be clichéd, they are like ice-cream on a swelteringly hot day (it's a warm 45°C here). Currently reading Book 6, in the middle of Chapter 23 ('Horcruxes').

I've been a bit busy in the past few days (and still am), because I've been trying to arrange and finalise my university plans. That doesn't mean I haven't been reading. In fact, reading the series after a long day is like the best way to unwind. And I'm taking things slowly and leisurely, because, as you can guess, I DON'T want it to be over (it's just too epic).

So, anyway, I thought I'd introduce you to other people that have/are also recording their HP reading experiences online. If I've missed anyone out, let me know! :)

- The Last Muggle to Read Harry Potter
From the 'About' page:

What happens when a 20-something reads the Harry Potter series for the first time, years after everyone else?

This project began in July, 2009, with a copy of The Sorcerer's Stone and a few crazy predictions about where things were going. After seven books and hundreds of reactions, overreactions, wrong predictions, and the occassional right prediction, the series is over, but the craziness has just begun.

This blogger writes lively and entertaining articles about the books as she reads. She blogs about the movies too!

- Expecto Patronum!
A detailed, analytical and very interesting take on the books as the blogger re-reads them for the first time.

- Summer at Hogwarts at Loving Books
A series of review posts and interactive discussion posts starting from Book 1 all the way to Book 7. Very fun! Start here.

- Julia at The Competitive Bibliomaniac
Julia has *just* started her Harry Potter re-read challenge, so be sure to check in and read her updates! Start here.

- Mark Reads Harry Potter
A chapter-by-chapter analysis of the books, in an unconventional style.

-And lastly, Steph at Bella's Bookshelves wrote a post about her love of Harry Potter the same day I started the challenge, both of us not knowing at first it was HP's birthday (July 31st)! Pretty eerie. Read it here.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Movie review: Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

The blonde leading the blonde.

What it’s about:
(from IMDb)
Two women get into a lot of trouble when they go to their high school reunion and lie about their lives after twelfth grade.

My take on it:
We all know what high school reunions are for. To show off how cool, rich and successful you’ve become since your (awkward) schooling years. And that’s exactly what best friends Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) plan to do when they get invited to their 10-year reunion in Tucson. Except, in 10 years, neither of them have exactly become ‘cool’, ‘rich’ or ‘successful’. In fact, they’ve lived together, have had no boyfriends, and one of them is unemployed. How then, in the span of 2 weeks, can they become popular businesswomen with successful relationships, so they can impress their classmates? Easy – act it. Pretend. But we all know how lying can lead to trouble…

No matter how many times I watch Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, it never gets old. In fact, it just gets funnier. The chemistry between Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino is great and their quirks are adorable. Almost every scene is a gem. Yes, it’s silly, and excessive, and satirical, and yes, they’re blondes, but Romy and Michele’s story makes for one of the greatest chick flicks ever. The 80s music, the ditzy outfits and the bizarre dance moves towards the end make this one memorable. That, and the bad-tempered, angry-at-life pessimist Heather Mooney, played remarkably well on-screen by Janeane Garofalo. Heather is a character that is not easily forgotten.

Random things you’ll learn from watching the movie: Who invented Post-Its? What’s the formula for glue? What must you do if you want to snag a convertible (for free)? And if that’s not reason enough to watch this, it’s also original, hilarious, heartwarming and wildly entertaining. If it’s just feel-good fluff, then it’s clever, feel-good fluff. And did I just contradict myself? ;)

Rating: 4.5/5

Links:
Watch the trailer here.
Visit a fan site here.

--or--
Learn more about this movie, or purchase from Amazon.com here.

On-topic Post: Book Blogger Hop! (Round 10!)

Welcome visitors from the book blogger hop, make yourself at home! In case you don't know what I'm talking about, this is a lovely weekly event hosted by Crazy for Books where bloggers and readers can find each other and share their love for books!

This time, the question we've got to answer is:
Do you judge a book by it's cover?

And here's my answer:
The honest answer? Absolutely. The cover plays a pretty important role in whether I end up buying, or learning more, about a book or not. It's like the very first impression you have of a book. Fortunately, I haven't turned off any books that sound good but have a less-than-impressive cover. But, I still like my book covers to be nice and elegant. :D

If you're interested, click on the button above, and get hopping! Oh, and if you're a blogger, leave a comment below and I'll return your visit as soon as I can! If you follow my blog, leave a comment and I'll follow back! It's all about the love. :)

Also, check out the right sidebar --> I'm in the middle of a Harry Potter challenge, which is to reread all seven books! I hope you'll join me on my journey. ;)

Have a great day, and thanks for visiting!

Book review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5 done!)

Neither can live while the other survives…

(beware - spoilers as usual)

In the longest book in the series, J. K. Rowling delves into the darker politics of the wizarding world, makes Harry Potter a bad-tempered mess (at least at the very beginning), and gives an interesting take on examinations in magical education (O.W.L.s – another play on letters and words that is truly genius).

‘that Umbridge woman’
‘Umbridge’ is another name that will just be stained forever. Because of J. K. Rowling, an odd process of conditioning has taken place in my mind – in almost every instance where Umbridge is mentioned, there is also a comparison to a toad (‘toadlike witch’, ‘her wide, toadlike mouth’, ‘old toad’, ‘her pouchy toad’s eyes’). This must be about 50 (or more) times throughout the whole novel, and it’s funny because I don’t seem to remember noticing that on my first read. But now, happily, in my eyes: the word ‘Umbridge’ = toad. If that is not reason enough to despise her, she also happens to an evil psychopath and a devil in disguise.

Rowling seems to make very accurate animal comparisons for characters throughout the series. Like in the earlier book, Rita Skeeter was a ‘cow’. And in Half-Blood Prince (which I am reading now), Snape is described as ‘an overgrown bat’, which, in my opinion, sums him up pretty nicely. :)

Wizard sayings
A collection of sayings I discovered while reading, only applicable to the wizarding world:

“Time is Galleons, little brother.” – Fred Weasley
“It’s no good crying over spilled potion.” – Mrs. Figg
“Merlin’s beard.” – Usually said by adults, when they are taken by surprise.
“Son of a bludger.” – Mundungus (clever twist on the phrase ‘son of a gun’)
“Poisonous toadstools don’t change their spots.” – Ron Weasley
“Don’t count your owls before they’re delivered.”– Albus Dumbledore (in Book 6)

Sirius’ death
‘It was as though they had just entered the house of a dying person.’

J. K. Rowling leaves behind clues and trails that are so subtle and intricate that it is wonderful unraveling them upon rereading. This particular example is found in Chapter 4 when Harry enters Grimmauld Place for the first time, foretelling the death of the owner of the house, the valiant Sirius Black, several chapters later. Sirius’ story is so, so heartbreaking and Harry’s own life becomes even more tragic because he was doomed to lose the only living guardian he had.

I read somewhere that J. K. Rowling wanted one of the biggest themes in the series to be about death, and dealing with death. She does have some very beautiful ideas about it – that it is our ‘next greatest adventure’, that Voldemort’s vulnerability lies in the fact that he fears death so much that he would do anything to keep himself alive, to sacrifice yourself to protect the one you love is the strongest shield, and so on. More concepts of death are explored in this book – we are introduced to ‘thestrals’, black, winged, reptilian horses visible only to those that have witnessed death, and the ‘veil’, the line between life and death, the voices and murmurs of the dead luring you to come over to the other side. Those are melancholic yet beautiful notions to come up with.

(Yes, I think a lot about death. :D)

To sum up
Loved the fifth book. I could read it all over again and not get worn-out. But, I’m currently in Chapter 9 of the sixth book. I’m going to be sad when this challenge is over.

Off-topic Post: The Hidden Evils of Blogger

I love Blogger, but sometimes it makes simple things ridiculously complicated. Like today I wanted to create a horizontal navigation menu bar, centered, right below my header. Unfortunately, googling lead me to posts that wanted me to edit my HTML code (which looks as familiar as an alien language), something which I am hesitant to do. If it wasn't for a particular goddess named Katie, I would be tearing my hair out by now. She has this brilliant tutorial (which you can read here) that shows you how to create a menu in blogger without having to mess with your template. It's simple and functional. So if any of my fellow bloggers are crying over this, please read it, and you can literally have your menu in under two minutes.

p.s. - Sheree at Book-n-Roll presented me with the One Lovely Blog award today. Thank you so much! :D