Some Girl(s) (2013)

Would you ever want your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend contacting you out of the blue after having not seen you in years to apologize for what went wrong in your relationship? I am a cold hearted bitch when it comes to handling men. I really have no patience and my last two boyfriends were annoying clinging babies. If they ever contacted me and asked to meet me again I just tell them to go take a hike. The relationships did not really mean anything anyway they did not even last that long.? But you are not me and maybe you have been in a meaningful relationship but it ended Or maybe the relationship was not even meaningful but it left an impression on you that it is one you will always remember it left some kind of impact on your life? In the movie Some Girl(s) a character simply listed as “The Man” goes back to talk to five past girlfriends to apologize for what happened in their relationship.

            The first stop The Man makes is to his hometown of Seattle to see his first girlfriend Sam (Jennifer Morrison). Since she last saw The Man, Sam got married and has two kids. He tells her he wants to apologize for the way things ended. Their conversation goes over well until they take about the night of their prom. He had broken things off before the prom. Sam recently overheard his mother in a food store talking to a friend and the subject of proms came up. She heard his mother say that he went to a prom and had a great time. He wound up going with a girl from a different school. Sam is upset because they had dated for so long and that they had talked about becoming engaged.

            The Man next goes out to Chicago to see Tyler (Mia Maestro). Tyler is a wild girl who likes to have fun. As they talk he realizes that he plunged into a physical relationship with her because of how his relationship before her had ended. Tyler says she always felt like she was number two in his life. He would call someone and then hang up all the time. Over time Tyler says she did not feel like such a distant number two but still did not feel close to him.

            After Tyler, The Man goes out to Boston to see Lindsay. When he was with Lindsay he had been teaching English at a college. Her husband had hired him. The Man and Lindsay had an affair and were caught. He ran away from the situation rather than face it then later wrote a book about it. Lindsay tells him what hurt the most was how when they would lay in bed he would tell her about the places they would go and how they would get away from the world. They were all things they could never really do. Lindsay makes like she wants to sleep with The Man. They take off their clothes down to their underwear. She has him close his eyes and think of the last time they were together. As he reminisces Lindsay walks out of the room.

            Next The Man goes back home (at least I think he goes back home I cannot remember) to see his friend’s sister Reggie. He is someone she will never forget. Reggie tells him how she used to follow him and her sister sometimes and there is not one detail about him she cannot forget. The one unfortunate memory she will never be able to forget about him is the time he sexually assaulted her when she was twelve. Somehow The Man cannot even remember doing anything to her and profusely apologizes to her.

            The Man’s final stop is to Bobbi (Kristen Bell). Bobbi is the girl who got away. Apparently The Man did something with her twin sister Billie and that did not go over well. Bobbi cannot understand why he just took off and left for Chicago and never called her. He tells her about all the times he tried to call and he just hung up. Bobbi points out that the whole reason he is meeting with his ex-girlfriends is to make sure he is not missing out on anything with them before he gets married. He tells her that she was the one who got away and he regrets it. His fiancé looks like her and is even studying to be a nurse like she is. Bobbi tries to leave but The Man holds her down. She rips his shirt to try to get him off of her and she sees he is wearing a wire. He is recording their conversation so he can get material for his book. After that incident he pours his soul out to her that he loves her and that he is sorry. Bobbi tells him that he is late for everything now.

            Some Girl(s) was alright. There were a lot of unexplained things and I did not like how The Man forgot details in his life. I do not mind ambiguous characters where things have to be left up to your imagination but that ambiguity did not work here. Too much about him and some of the girls and why he ran away needed to be explained and they were not. And it was never explained why he was really, truly going through this whole process. Maybe he was getting material for a book or he was weird and just thought he needed to see his old girlfriends before he got married to clear his conscience. I only watched this movie for Kristen Bell with the added bonus of Mia Maestro (love her from Alias) and Jennifer Morrison (currently very into Once Upon a Time). All three of them were very good. Actually all the actors did well with the dialogue and what very little story and background they were given to work with. Some Girl(s) is not a movie I highly suggest seeing. Only watch if you are a fan of any of the actors otherwise skip 

Veronica Mars(2014)

“Do I get a chip for this? Pouring the drink. Swishing it. Smelling it. Leaving the bar without taking a sip. Is this what getting clean feels like?”

            One of the only quotes from a book or play or anything I read in high school comes from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie when Jean tells the girls in her class “Give me a girl at an impressionable age and she is mine for life.” I must have been at an impressionable age when I began watching Veronica Mars. I cannot even remember when I got into it or how I got into it or why I even wanted to see it in the first place. All I can remember is that Veronica was and still is a very influential character. I can remember I have always wanted to be snarky and fabulous and iron willed like she is. Veronica is just the type of character young girls need in their lives. I believe I was in my late teens when I started watching Veronica Mars and however many years later at twenty-six I still admire the character the character to no end and still want to be like her ha ha.

            When I heard there was going to be a Veronica Mars movie I was beyond thrilled. I missed all the snarkiness and great quick wits and lines. I missed one of my top TV heroines (Sydney Bristow is top dog followed very closely by Veronica). It was great to see I was not the only one who desperately missed the show. The movie was, literally, given life by the fans through a Kickstarter campaign.

            It has been nine years since Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) was last back in her home of Neptune, California. Years ago her father had been the town sheriff until he was run out of office by the locals when he tried to pin the murder of Veronica’s friend Lily Kane on the girl’s father. After that Veronica was shunned by the people she thought were her friends and began working with her father at his PI firm. Veronica got by with her sarcasm and smarts. In college she thought about going to the FBI but nine years later that did not happen. Instead she went to law school.

            While waiting for an interview Veronica gets a call from her old boyfriend Logan Echolls. She has not spoken to Logan in nine years. He has is a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend Carrie Bishop who is a popular singer. Even though she has a great offer with a law firm in New York Veronica agrees to go out to see Logan but only for a few days and only to help him choose a lawyer.

            Needless to say Veronica’s plans get totally blown and she winds up staying to solve the case. Throughout the movie her voiceovers explain Logan and her need to solve crimes and investigate to get the truth as a drug that she is addicted to. The deeper into the case she gets the harder for her it is to get out.

            It was great to see the entire cast of the show come back to their characters. They all did not miss one beat it was as if they never came out of character. Kristen Bell is just an awesome actress. No one else could ever have played Veronica Mars any better. The character goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions and Bell handles all those emotions like a champ. Jason Dohring who plays Logan was never one of my favorites. Logan, to me, was never really a good character to begin with. I was always Team Piz. Ryan Hanson gets ten points out of ten for playing Dick Casablancas. Dick, even though he is a huge jerk, was one of my favorites because he was so damn funny.

            I have to be a bit of an asshole and brag about the time I met Kristen Bell. I got a chance to meet her when she did Big Apple Con in New York City a few years ago when she was on Heroes. I was nervous with excitement and anticipation. Before this I had never met one of my favorite actresses. My brother came with me and we got a picture with Bell. After we took the picture I asked Bell if I could get a hug and she very nicely and very sweetly said “Yeah sure” and gave me a big hug. At that moment I could have died and gone to heaven! (I’d like to say I did not fan girl it too much but I may have I can’t remember!) Then we were getting her autograph my brother asked her what it was like working with Judd Apatow since she had just filmed Forgetting Sarah Marshall. For two minutes she talked to my brother about the movie and some of the scenes she just completed. So whenever you read or heard about how nice and sweet Kristen Bell is absolutely believe it.

            I always going back and watching something I have not seen in ages. It has been ages since I sat down to watch Veronica Mars. I know I love the show I know I love because Veronica is snarky and wonderful and Kristen Bell just kicks ass as the character. And also because the dialogue is the best I have ever heard on a series. But since I have not seen the show or the characters in forever I remembered exactly why I love it and why Veronica is one of my heroes.

            The Veronica Mars movie was fantastic. The story was great it was darker than the TV show could ever be. I loved the fact that there was a bit of cursing it was perfect for all the characters. The reason this movie was perfect is because the creator of the show, Rob Thomas, wrote and directed it. It was never out of the hands of the creator and the cast all came back. That is dedication and that is what makes this movie so perfect. The direction, writing, and pace never fail to keep you entertained. Even if you have never seen the TV series you should still go see it (there is a recap of the series at the beginning). If you are a Veronica Mars fan or Marshmallow, get ready to have one of the greatest movie experiences you could ever ask for.  

 

The Lifeguard (2013)

“ I'm not invisible. I'm the fucking lifeguard, mother fucker”

            Ever get the feeling your life is not going the way you want it? Ever feel trapped in the way your life is going and just want to run away? How bad does that feeling suck?! I went through a rough patch mentally and emotionally last year. I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to either be home all the time or I wanted to run away and be alone. I just hated being me. I was in a crisis. Fortunately I was able to get out of my rut and I feel a lot better. In The Lifeguard the main character is going through a turning-30-crisis and realizes that her life is not how she thought it would go.

            Leigh (Kristen Bell) is twenty-nine years old, she lives in New York City, and works as a journalist. Her boyfriend is her boss and that relationship does not end well. She was given a story that was really tragic and combined with everything else going on in her life the story just pushes her over the edge.

            Leigh decides to head back home to Connecticut with her cat Moose. Her mom is not too thrilled to see her but her dad is. She reconnects with her old friends Todd and Mel (Mamie Gummer). Todd has never had a desire to move out of town and Mel is married and trying to having a baby.

             In high school Leigh was a lifeguard and takes it on again since she has no plans on going back to the city. At the pool she meets a high school kid named Jason. One night Todd takes Leigh and Mel out to get some pot and they buy it from Jason and his friends. Mel is not too happy because she works at the local high school and has seen Jason around. They all hang out with the high schoolers. Jason starts coming around and hanging out at the pool where Leigh works.

            Things begin to spiral out of control for Leigh when she starts seeing Jason and having sex with him. She sees him as broken and vulnerable and she tries to tell lead him in what she thinks is the right direction. Mel gets mad with Leigh for sleeping with Jason. Her mother flips out at her for being home and taking up the father’s attention so she kicks Leigh out of the house.

            Eventually Leigh heads back to the city along with Todd.

            The Lifeguard was not too bad. I did not give that great of a summary there are some details in the movie that would have helped explain more but I do not want to give too much of the story away. Some parts were boring some parts were good. I kind of liked how once Leigh got back into town Mel and Todd kind of reverted back to their old ways but then they picked themselves out of it. Kristen Bell was excellent she is a very good actress who should get more attention. Bell can do anything she is given be it snarky teen, really bad horror movie, or dramas like this she is brilliant. Mamie Gummer was good too. I would like to see her in more movies. David Lambert who played Jason was also excellent because he looked like a mature older kid yet at the same time you could see he was a vulnerable kid trying to do what he wanted. I liked The Lifeguard I liked the character of Leigh even though she did screw things up for herself and others. I can relate to her being lost and just wanting to get out of her rut once she found that her life and plans have not gone the way she wanted. As much I liked The Lifeguard I will say that the story and the characters are not for everyone so unless you really like Kristen Bell or can relate to her character, skip it.

 

When in Rome (2010)

“You could get your heart broken or... you could have the greatest love affair the world has ever known. But you're never gonna know unless you try”

I do not like chick flicks at all anymore. They are outrageously predictable and unbelievable. I know they are made to be fun and fantastical but still they annoy me and do not offer me an escape… if anything they offer annoyance and sometimes a fantasy of love and romance that will never come true. The only reason I even sat through When in Rome and own it is because Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel are the stars.

            Beth (Bell) is a curator in the Guggenheim in NYC. She has a busy schedule which leaves her no time for romance. Her ex-boyfriend broke up with her and is engaged to another woman. To top things off her sister is marrying an Italian man named Umberto she only met two weeks prior. Her sister’s wedding in Rome cannot come at a worse time as Beth is putting together a new exhibit for the museum and her boss is being a bitch about it.

            Throughout her visit to Rome, Beth is trying to keep in touch with the museum but it is not working out too well. At the wedding is Umberto’s roommate and best man Nick (Duhamel). At first Beth is not too crazy about Nick he seems arrogant and full of himself but as the night goes on she starts to fall for him. When she goes to bring a bottle of champagne outside for them to drink together she sees Nick with another girl (who is Umberto’s sister and there was nothing going on between them) and gets upset. In front of the church is a fountain called The Fountain of Love where people through their coins in and hope that Venus will help them find love. Beth takes three coins and a poker chip out of the fountain. Unfortunately each coin belongs to some creepy man and when she took out the coins and chip the men fall in love with her.

            Now to add to Beth’s stress she has a weird model guy (Dax Shepherd), a bald rich older man (Danny DeVito), and a magician (Jon Heder) following her and professing their love. Nick is also wooing her but she thinks it is because it his poker chip she has. She really likes Nick but she does not find it fair he believes he has no will.

            Well not-so-spoiler-alert Beth finds out Nick really loves her, the chip was not his, and they truly fall in love and marry each other. THE END

            I have nothing but serious love for Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel I am so upset that they were in a movie like this. Kristen Bell is such a good actress, she was very good she always gives a great performance no matter what she is in but I did not like her in this I felt it was a waste of her talent. Josh Duhamel is a good actor not the best just good. His character was cute if a little silly at times.

            Maybe I am not a fan because I am a little jealous that Kristen Bell’s character was supposed to be a curator at the Guggenheim. I am studying Art History and Museum Education so I can work at a museum. I would die to work in the Metropolitan Museum in NYC or any museum anywhere for that matter. It is so hard to find a position in a museum anywhere let along one in NYC. If we go by Bell’s real age for her character Beth would be thirty years old she would have spent four years in college (if she went to a four year school and did not transfer and did not spend an extra year as an undergrad… like me) then she would have had to have spent two year in grad school for a Master’s degree because you cannot even think to apply for a museum job without a Master’s in Museum Studies so she would be about twenty-five to twenty-six years old when she was finished with school. Usually curator’s and anyone in the museum world starts out in a small museum almost never in a large and very well known museum. Also no one ever leaves their post until they literally cannot work anymore or they die (that has happened I read about it in a book on the Met). So chick flick fantasy numero uno right here: Beth at thirty years old being a curator at the Guggenheim. I am not denying that something like this could happen it is just very rare.

            When in Rome has its cute moments but like all chick flicks it is predictable and unbelievable. Watch it if you really like chick flick movies or if you are a diehard fan of either Kristen Bell or Josh Duhamel.