I Could Never Be Your Woman

I Could Never Be Your Woman

Weinstein Company

February 26, 2008

Romcom, Fantasy

DVD
B-

This is one of those movies I like so much I want to love it, but it is definitely flawed, with the usually wonderful Ullman here playing the downer Mother Nature character, and the backstabbing All-About-Eve-light receptionist being too cartoony a villainess.  Still, I like Pfeiffer's romantic chemistry with Rudd, and her mother-daughter relationship with Ronan, and there are some other nifty things about it, including of course the Heckerling-designed color scheme and Fred Willard willarding away.  Note that this was made in '05, when Rudd was about 36 but of course was ageless enough to pass for 29, while Pfeiffer was about 47 and of course still gorgeous and believable as 40.*  I tagged as many people as I recognized and could fit.

*Also, the cut to Stacey Dash (at 39ish believably playing an actress who pioneered portraying teens) laughing at an insult to President George W. Bush has of course only gotten more ironic with time.

Hairspray (2007)

Hairspray (2007)

New Line

July 20, 2007

Musical, Historical Comedy
DVD
C-

I tried watching this once before but gave up on it because it couldn't hold a candle to the original movie.  This time I tried to just enjoy it as a musical, but the dancing and songs are unmemorable.  Adam Shankman directed, four years after he did Bringing Down the House, also with Queen Latifah.

Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows
Warner Bros.
May 11, 2012
Horror, Historical Comedy
DVD
C

When I saw this in the theater, I think my rating was a C+, but I just didn't care enough about the characters this time to go beyond fifteen minutes.  However, the look of the film (directed by Tim Burton) is great, hence the C.  This is incidentally the fifth Johnny Depp movie I've looked at for this project, and so far he's batting .400, better than a lot of performers.