Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

The Last Five Years (2014)

            Let me start off this review that I like musicals. Some of my favorite movies of all time are musicals. I have absolutely nothing against the genre. It is very rare that I watch a musical and I do not like it. The Last Five Years was one of those rare musicals that I did not wind up particularly liking.

            The Last Five Years is the story of Cathy Hiatt (Anna Kendrick) and Jaime Wellerstein (Jeremy Jordan). The story is told in a very different way. It is all singing with very little dialogue through each one of their perspectives of the relation but from Cathy’s perspective it is told in reverse and from Jaime’s it is told chronologically. Cathy’s story begins the movie when she comes home to find a note from Jaime that he has left. Jaime’s story is told from when they first started seeing each other.

            Jaime is a writer who gets a novel published and becomes a pretty big success. Cathy is a struggling actress who takes acting jobs out in Ohio for a summer stock company. Their relationship starts off nice and bubbly like all relationships and then later on comes temptation and a little resentment and jealousy.

            I am not going to go much more into detail because there is a lot of stuff that happens and I do not want to give too much else away.

            The Last Five Years was alright. I really do not like musicals where it is all singing and no dialogue. I guess I am used to the usual musicals where everyone just busts out into song after talking. The way the story was told was very different for a musical and I liked that a lot. I would like to see how that played out on stage. Anna Kendrick is brilliant. The girl is super ridiculously talented. Jeremy Jordan was good. I remember when I first saw him on the second season of Smash and I liked him. I do not plan on watching The Last Five Years again but even though I was not too thrilled with it I will say it is worth seeing at least once.

Up in the Air (2009)

“Never get behind people traveling with infants. I've never seen a stroller collapse in less than 20 minutes. Old people are worse. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love 'em.”

“That's racist.”

“I'm like my mother, I stereotype. It's faster.”

            Getting fired sucks. The one time I got fired from a job was over the phone. I was working in New York City for a job that I really was not into but I tried my best. I was also going through some rough shit with depression and grad school and I was not really living at home during the week when I was working in the City. I went to the place where I was staying while working in the city during the week and that night I got a call from the person I was working for telling me that I was let go. I think I was more pissed because I was exhausted and I had just spent over two hundred dollars for a monthly train pass. After being let go from that job in January I did not find another job until the middle of March. As I said that was a rough time for me. I cannot imagine how hard it must be for people who are on their own and have families.

            Up in the Air deals with a guy named Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) who is hired by companies to fire employees. That kind of job has to take balls of steel and no soul. Or it just takes an incredible amount of practice and completely removing yourself from the situation when you do it. Anyway, Ryan has been doing his job for a long time. He travels all over the country all year round firing people. He does not have any solid relationships with people including his own family.

            Ryan is called back to his company’s base for a meeting. His boss (Jason Bateman) tells them all that he has hired a new person named Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) right out of college and she has a new strategy for firing people over the computer through some kind of video program. Ryan is considerably pissed because he likes to travel. He wants Natalie to see what he does so he has her tag along with him to some jobs so she can fire people face to face. Natalie breaks down after her first firing since it is a lot harder than she realized.

            At one of the hotels before he came back to base Ryan had met a woman named Alex (Vera Farmiga). They coordinate when they are going to be in the same town and meet up. For years Ryan had built up walls to not fall in love or have any ideas about settling down but that of course falls apart as soon as he meets Alex. And also from Natalie talking about wanting to get married and have a family someday.

            My brothers and some friends had been going on and on about how good a movie Up in the Air was. I wanted to see it anyway because I adore Anna Kendrick as an actress and all around human being. I honestly did not have any expectations for Up in the Air even though my brothers raved about it and I am glad I did not because I would have been totally let down. I really was not too crazy about Up in the Air. Anna Kendrick was amazing she deserved to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The direction and writing, George Clooney, and Vera Famiga were all nominated for an Academy Award as well and for the life of me I cannot understand why. There was nothing great or outstanding about the movie or the acting (besides Kendrick) or the writing. I will say that I liked the idea how there was a company used to fire people because the bosses of other companies were not willing to do so themselves. I also liked, despite it being clichéd, how Ryan started to break down and really think about what his life was after he met Natalie and Alex. It got sad and upsetting to see the people getting fired and freaking out because I somewhat know what it is liked to be fired. I was upset because these were not people in their mid-twenties working for seventeen dollars an hour organizing a onetime event for crusty rich New Yorkers they were people with real office jobs and families. A lot of the people being fired were actual people who had been fired and were told to say what they wish they could have said when they were getting fired.

            Besides my attitude of not really liking it or understanding the big deal with it, Up in the Air is worth watching at least once

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

“You are one of us, you paid the registration fee.”

            I love guy humor. I love bawdy, raunchy, crazy silly, ridiculous humor. I will most likely be the first one laughing at farts, burps, and any kind of shit stories (my current idols in this department are Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart. Go listen to Grace’s Not Too Deep podcast or watch her videos Fart Soundboard Challenge and I Almost Sh*t My Pants and go watch anything on Mamrie’s two channels You Deserve a Drink and Mametown). Most women will not admit to thinking that guy humor and bodily functions are hilarious and that to me is sad I feel like they are missing out on some good gut wrenching laughs. Ever since Bridesmaids it has become more mainstream for women to act like guys and say things like guys. Well we actually already did but it was never really too out loud or in the mainstream. I praise Bridesmaids for bringing that humor with women forward. It helped bring about Pitch Perfect which was hysterical and wonderfully entertaining to hear insane things come out of the mouths of Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson. Both actresses come back for more hilarity and insanity in Pitch Perfect 2 and even more bawdy and raunchy humor.

            Since the first Pitch Perfect movie the Barden Bellas have dominated the world of accapella group competitions. They are chosen to sing at President Obama’s birthday at the Kennedy Center in DC. Their routine goes over really well until Fat Amy (Wilson) does an in the acrobatic routine and splits her costume revealing parts of her that the whole world does not want to see. Even though the clothing malfunction was an accident the Bellas are band from competing and from their victory tour they were about to go on. And they cannot audition any new members. Chloe (Brittany Snow) finds a loop hole that will let them compete in a huge international competition. Their only serious competition is the German accapella group Das Sound Machine. The group has a lot of members and incredible sound. They are lead by a woman that Beca has a hard time getting herself together and makes her sexually confused in the most hilarious of ways.

            Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) is a freshman at Barden College. Her mother (Katey Sagal) was a Bella and it means everything to both of them if Emily makes it into the group. Emily idolizes the Bellas for all they have achieved and also because she is a legacy. Since the Bellas were not allowed to perform to get new students to try out Emily finds the Bellas at their house. She technically came to them so they are not breaking the rule of auditioning people and let her in.

            While all of this is going on Beca (Kendrick) has gotten an internship at a record company. She knows the Bellas are not her whole life and this internship might possibly lead to something for her. The producer wants a new sound for Snoop Dog’s Christmas album. He does not want a traditional sound. No one comes up with any ideas so Beca comes in and with the help of a soundboard and singing a different Christmas song on top of the one Snoop is singing creates the sound the producer is looking for. He wants her to give him a demo of her work. Now on top of creating mixes for the Bellas Beca also now has to create a demo.

            The Bellas perform at some event with a bunch of old people and it is a disaster. Chloe decides that the best thing for all of them to do is to go on a retreat to find their sound again and get closer together since they are all drifting apart. They go to a retreat out in the middle of the woods run by former Bella Aubrey (Anna Camp). After getting out a lot of frustrations about each other and themselves the Bellas come back to school stronger and ready to kick some ass in the international finals.

            If you cannot guess who wins the international finals then you obviously live under a ginormous movie rock and need to get out from underneath it.

            Anna Kendrick is fucking amazing. I love this girl as a human being and an actress so much. Her delivery of Beca’s snarky lines is so spot on. I was laughing so hard in her scenes where Beca is around the German woman and cannot handle how sexually confused she is around her. Rebel Wilson was really funny. There was a scene with Fat Amy during the retreat that cracked me up so much that I had tears running down my cheek. It was also a scene that I was so excited to hear/see in a chick/teen flick. I have to admit as much as I liked the first Pitch Perfect I had no plans on seeing the second one… that is until I found out that Flula Borg was in it. If you have not seen the movie yet he is the German guy in the trailers on TV in the mesh black shirt. If you have never even heard of Flula just stop reading this right now and go check him out on his YouTube channel. The guy is so damn funny (especially in his collaborations with Mamrie Hart. FLAMRIE!!!!) he puts on such a great act and his songs he comes up with are so wacky. If you do not want to hug Flula after watching one of his videos or even after seeing the movie than you need to go away off this earth. Hailee Steinfeld was adorable. I really liked her character because she did a great job playing Emily. I liked how Emily was the fan girl getting to hang with her faves. She gets to do what every fan girl dreams of, ha ha.

            Elizabeth Banks did a wonderful job directing the movie. Her direction gave the story a little more heart than the first one.

            Pitch Perfect 2 was a good time. I did not go in expecting anything mind blowing or fantastic. I just went into it that I liked enjoyed the first one and I knew I would enjoy this one. And how could I have been let down with Flula Borg as one of the evil Germans? The story was predictable as most are these days. You can tell that by bringing in Hailee Steinfeld that they are hoping to do another Pitch Perfect with her as the leader of the Bellas. I did not mind paying the money to see Pitch Perfect 2 in theaters. If you liked the first movie it is worth seeing in theaters. I may even get it when it is out on Blu Ray… majorly on sale. 

Into the Woods (2014)

“I wish, more than anything...”

            I am a big fan of the show Once Upon a Time. I like how all the fairy tale stories and characters are brought together. Magic, in the show, is used for both good and evil. The good and the bad characters struggle with their ability to use magic. As one character has said over and over again throughout the series “Magic always comes with a price.” I have no doubt that the concept for Once Upon a Time came from the Broadway musical Into the Woods. The musical has been made into a movie. In this story characters from different stories come together to learn that magic, either good or bad, comes with a price and they all pay in one way or another.

            The story revolves mainly around a baker and his wife, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella. The Baker and his wife have been married for a few years and have no children. The Baker’s Wife (Emily Blunt) desperately wants a child. The Baker cannot stand to see his wife so upset but he has some trepidation about being a father since his walked out on him. The Witch (Meryl Streep) from next door comes barging in. She tells the couple the reason they cannot have any children is because she put a curse on the Baker’s father. The father came into the Witch’s garden years before and stole from her. The Witch’s mother had told her to never pick the magic beans. The father had taken the magic beans and the Witch turned to her ugly self. Because of this theft, the Witch made sure anyone in that house would never be able to have children. But, she tells the couple, the curse can be broken. They need to find a red cape, hair the yellow color of corn, a cow as white as milk, and gold colored shoes. The Baker has to go into the woods to find what he needs. His wife wants to go but he tells her to stay behind. Before he leaves they find the magic beans in the pocket of his jacket that had once belonged to his father.

            Little Red Riding Hood had stopped in the Baker’s shop on her way to her grandmother’s in the woods. She helps herself to some cookies and bread and is on her way. In the woods a wolf (Johnny Depp) tries to tempt her to come with him. He wants to eat her. As much as Red would like to go with him to pick flowers and do other things she cannot stray from the path to her grandmother’s. Of course you know the wolf makes it to the grandmother’s eats the grandmother. In this version the wolf does eat both the grandmother and the girl but they are saved by the Baker.

            Jack and his mother are very poor. Their cow Milky White has not given them any milk. His mother (Tracy Ullman) makes him go through the woods to the next town to sell the cow. He comes across the Baker and his wife who refused to be left alone. The Baker’s Wife talks Jack into giving them the cow in exchange for some beans. Of course the beans are magic and the next day there is a large beanstalk next to his house. He climbs up and steals three large gold coins from the giants. He finds the Baker in the woods to buy back his cow but the cow dies.

            Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) lives with her step-mother and two step-sisters. There is a festival at the palace that she desperately wants to go to. The cruel step-mother and sisters make her clean up in the hopes of possibly going and then cruelly tell her no. Cinderella decides to go to her mother’s grace under a large tree in the woods. She tells her mother she wants to go to the festival. The mother comes to her daughter and grants the wish. Cinderella is dressed in a beautiful gold dress with matching gold shoes. She dances the night away with the prince (Chris Pine). Then she takes flight like she is frightened into the woods. She gets nervous and runs away all three nights of the festival. The prince, each night, runs after the beautiful girl. Each time she runs away Cinderella crosses paths with the Baker’s Wife who desperately wants her shoes.

            Everyone gets their wishes eventually but there comes a price even for the Witch.

            The cast was fantastic. Meryl Streep is just incredible in whatever she does. She is Meryl Streep she can do anything! She actually looked gorgeous in all blue when the Witch got her beautiful looks back. Anna Kendrick was brilliant. Her Cinderella was perfect. Emily Blunt I just adore the more I watch her in movies. Her singing voice was fantastic I had no idea she could sing. She was perfect in her role because she can go from doing drama to comedy flawlessly. Johnny Depp is not in the movie very long but he was the only one who could have played the Wolf it was almost as though it was made for him to do. James Cordon as the Baker was adorable. He and Emily Blunt were paired wonderfully they worked so well. Tracy Ullman is not in the movie too long either and she was brilliant in her few scenes. Chris Pine… I have issues with him in general so I was not thrilled with his character. He did a song with another prince called “Agony” and let me tell you it was pure agony to sit through.

            Into the Woods is a type of movie that drives me crazy. It started off well and then the last like half hour just went in a totally different direction and it blew the whole thing. If you see the movie you will know exactly the scene I am talking about. Ugh, the last half hour drove me nuts! It was literally a WTF moment. So many things happened so suddenly and out of nowhere that, to me, just messed up the whole movie. I think Once Upon a Time takes this type of queue from the movie. So many times has the show done something good for one of their characters (especially the Evil Queen who I adore. They always screw with her) and then messed everything they had built for the one character, brought them down and changed them out of the blue.

            Besides the poor ending Into the Woods was not terrible. I did not even know that it was a musical so that surprised me a bit when it started. The songs were good, the acting was perfection, the sets and costumes were gorgeous, and the direction was really good. Into the Woods is worth seeing at least once because of the cast.