OK, so I know I promised a lot of content for today, but things came up, and I've only seen two shows. So... this is why we can't have nice things. So let's just get started.
Person of Interest
J.J. Abrams + Jonathan Nolan teaming up to make a show that stars Jim Caviezel and Michael Emerson? Consider me sold before the show even starts.
Hold up. Flag on the play.
This show was HELLZ BORING. Just like every show on CBS, everything was colored blue. There were generic villains. Generic dialogue. Forced 9/11 references. Plot lines from The Dark Knight. Bo.Ring. Throw in that Jim Caviezel delivered half his lines like he was reading cue cards and I was downright displeased. Not even Michael Emerson could save it. There was not enough backstory. No one seemed to have a personality! The twists were underwhelming, because I didn't care about anyone. But basically it was just boring, minus Jim kicking all sorts of ass.
Final Verdict: Maybe this is just premiere season ennui. Maybe it's having expectations that were far too high. Maybe this is my adolescent rebellion against the producer I trust more than any other (J.J.). I don't know. But I legitimately don't want to see another episode. I probably will, because come on, it's J.J. But I will have to force myself to come back, and I may only give it three episodes.
Community
Oh Greendale, how I have missed you. You truly are my favorite show, and it was a long summer apart. Let's be friends again this year. OK, sweet.
To be honest, this was one of the weaker episodes of Community in some time. I loved the opening. It pretty much says everything you need to know about the show. People may want it to be less crazy, less weird, more grounded, more upbeat, more mainstream, more "normal." And it will respond with a musical dream sequence. Which was fantastic. Jim Rash and Yvette wearing the same dress? Jeff and Dream-Annie saying they would finally sleep together? An aerial ballet Human Being? Perfection. I also loved John Goodman as Vice Dean, being intimidating and also unintentionally dirty. I think he's going to be an excellent villain this season. I also like Chang's new status quo as security guard, or as creator Dan Harmon described it, getting to see "what happens when Gollum gets the Ring." I loved Cougarton Abbey and Inspector Spacetime.
But as someone who relates to Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) a little too much [basically he's a heartless douche who isn't really heartless and is learning not to be a douche], it was really hard for me to see him crazy and kind of evil last night. I mean, I get what the show was going for. Showing us, and him, what it's like on the outside of the group and how much he needs them? That was great. And revealing his fear of becoming Pierce was equally great. I just felt like the group was way too forgiving/accepting of Pierce after everything he did last season, and way too hard on Jeff - even going so far as to say they didn't even want to be friends with him anymore. I felt like it was inconsistent with what we know about them.
Final Verdict: Season premieres have never been Community's strongest suit. I get that, and hopefully so does most of the audience. I'm excited for everything this episode set into motion, and hope to see a season that can compete with last season's TRULY stellar year. Bring it on, junior year.
And that's it for now. I may update this post later if some of my friends have reviews of any other shows from last night, but who knows? In any event, I'll see you tomorrow with reviews of Supernatural and Fringe, two of my favorite shows currently on!
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, pt. 3
Guys. I'm loving TV this year. I had heard there would be not a lot of anything great, but nothing truly awful either. Just a year of mediocrity. So far, I disagree. Few things have truly grabbed me by the hair, dipped me, and taken my breath away, it's true, but I see a lot of potential, and that is truly exciting. In fact, I've watched more TV this week than the past several weeks combined.
That being said, I am fairly relieved that last night was pretty light on things I actually wanted to watch. In fact, Modern Family and Revenge were about the only things I watched. So let's get started, shall we?
Modern Family
I so desperately wish I could say I've been watching this series since the beginning, but last night's episodes were only the third and fourth I've seen live. Fact is, I had resisted Modern Family for almost two whole seasons, because for some reason I saw it as a competitor to my one true love, Community. I don't know why, because they aren't on at the same time, or even the same night, and to be totally honest it's not like I expect Community to be winning Emmys (even if I think it could/should). But I finally saw the light (which is code for "ran out of things to watch on Netflix"), and got caught up in around four days. Because I LOVE it. It's more or less the perfect sitcom. And last night was no difference. The first episode saw the extended Pritchett family on a dude ranch in Wyoming. Dylan proposed, Claire freaked out, Phil had enough of trying to win Jay's approval, Alex got kissed by some Brooklyn bozo, and Mitchell freaked out about not being masculine enough to raise a son. Overall, this episode was hilarious. It was nice to see Phil (my favorite character) grow up a little and take charge. It is Jay's problem that he hasn't accepted Phil, because he is a great husband and father. The second episode centered mostly on Cam and Mitch trying to set up a dinner to tell the family about adopting a new baby. But Lily has started making comments about killing babies and shoving anyone who touches Cam, so that's... problematic. The B plot follows Claire's quest to prove that Phil shoved her in a grocery store, and Jay's similar quest to find out if Manny and Gloria told him a lie. My one complaint with these episodes, is that everyone seemed so hostile. Haley was so mad at Claire, Claire was mad at Phil, Phil was mad at Jay, Jay was sort of mad at Gloria, Alex was angry at that boy, Lily was mad at everyone. So much anger, Dunpy-Pritchetts! I like that things aren't all peaches and gravy, but where was the love??? Hopefully things aren't so stressful all season.
Final Verdict: I don't know that Modern Family could keep me away if it tried at this point.
Revenge
Honestly I only watched this because I wanted to review more than Modern Family, and everything else was either reality TV or a crime procedural. Blech. So, I tuned in for cute Everwood girl. And I wasn't disappointed. I was, however, confused. To be fair, I wasn't paying 100% attention as I was, ironically, blogging. So I'm actually rewatching it on hulu as I am... yes... blogging. But it makes more sense, maybe because it's the second time, maybe because I'm only blogging during commercials. So, here's the run-down for y'all. Apparently, X years ago, Amanda Clarke's dad was arrested for - I think - acts of terrorism. I think a plane crashed, and he was blamed when everyone at the company he co-founded testified against him. He was arrested in front of Amanda, who took it badly. She apparently went to juvie for a while, and upon release found out that her father was dead, and that she owns 49% of said company and is exceedingly wealthy. Her father's journals and letters urge her to forgive, but that is beyond her. So she moves to the Hamptons under the name of Emily Thorne, and sets into motion numerous tricky schemes to ruin the lives of everyone who lied about her father. So far, this has meant exposing an affair, through the use of some sort of poison and disguise. Jump forward 5 months, and she's apparently engaged, though her fiance is killed. No one knows who killed him. It could be her, we don't know. What I do know, is I'm intrigued. I like the villain, Queen Victoria, aka Cora from Last of the Mohicans. She's a bitch. My brother and I nicknamed her Skin, because she's kind of pale. Everwood girl is beautiful as ever, and equally believable as plotting, revenge-driven Femme Fatale, and charming, philanthropist Girl Next Door. All the wealth and parties remind me of The O.C., without feeling derivative.
Final Verdict: To be honest, I was expecting an epic cheese-fest. So I was pleasantly surprised by how complex the plot (and multiple timelines) were. I was also surprised at how dark it all was. Again, pleasantly. Like most shows, five episode commitment, but I'm fully expecting to be in for the season.
And that's actually it for Wednesday. Thursday is a magical day! We've got COMMUNITY!!! We've got a new J.J. Abrams show - Person of Interest! And my friend Trace will be back to review Parks and Recreation and Grey's Anatomy! And maybe some other things. I don't know. It'll be a surprise to all of us! So see you then!
That being said, I am fairly relieved that last night was pretty light on things I actually wanted to watch. In fact, Modern Family and Revenge were about the only things I watched. So let's get started, shall we?
Modern Family
I so desperately wish I could say I've been watching this series since the beginning, but last night's episodes were only the third and fourth I've seen live. Fact is, I had resisted Modern Family for almost two whole seasons, because for some reason I saw it as a competitor to my one true love, Community. I don't know why, because they aren't on at the same time, or even the same night, and to be totally honest it's not like I expect Community to be winning Emmys (even if I think it could/should). But I finally saw the light (which is code for "ran out of things to watch on Netflix"), and got caught up in around four days. Because I LOVE it. It's more or less the perfect sitcom. And last night was no difference. The first episode saw the extended Pritchett family on a dude ranch in Wyoming. Dylan proposed, Claire freaked out, Phil had enough of trying to win Jay's approval, Alex got kissed by some Brooklyn bozo, and Mitchell freaked out about not being masculine enough to raise a son. Overall, this episode was hilarious. It was nice to see Phil (my favorite character) grow up a little and take charge. It is Jay's problem that he hasn't accepted Phil, because he is a great husband and father. The second episode centered mostly on Cam and Mitch trying to set up a dinner to tell the family about adopting a new baby. But Lily has started making comments about killing babies and shoving anyone who touches Cam, so that's... problematic. The B plot follows Claire's quest to prove that Phil shoved her in a grocery store, and Jay's similar quest to find out if Manny and Gloria told him a lie. My one complaint with these episodes, is that everyone seemed so hostile. Haley was so mad at Claire, Claire was mad at Phil, Phil was mad at Jay, Jay was sort of mad at Gloria, Alex was angry at that boy, Lily was mad at everyone. So much anger, Dunpy-Pritchetts! I like that things aren't all peaches and gravy, but where was the love??? Hopefully things aren't so stressful all season.
Final Verdict: I don't know that Modern Family could keep me away if it tried at this point.
Revenge
Honestly I only watched this because I wanted to review more than Modern Family, and everything else was either reality TV or a crime procedural. Blech. So, I tuned in for cute Everwood girl. And I wasn't disappointed. I was, however, confused. To be fair, I wasn't paying 100% attention as I was, ironically, blogging. So I'm actually rewatching it on hulu as I am... yes... blogging. But it makes more sense, maybe because it's the second time, maybe because I'm only blogging during commercials. So, here's the run-down for y'all. Apparently, X years ago, Amanda Clarke's dad was arrested for - I think - acts of terrorism. I think a plane crashed, and he was blamed when everyone at the company he co-founded testified against him. He was arrested in front of Amanda, who took it badly. She apparently went to juvie for a while, and upon release found out that her father was dead, and that she owns 49% of said company and is exceedingly wealthy. Her father's journals and letters urge her to forgive, but that is beyond her. So she moves to the Hamptons under the name of Emily Thorne, and sets into motion numerous tricky schemes to ruin the lives of everyone who lied about her father. So far, this has meant exposing an affair, through the use of some sort of poison and disguise. Jump forward 5 months, and she's apparently engaged, though her fiance is killed. No one knows who killed him. It could be her, we don't know. What I do know, is I'm intrigued. I like the villain, Queen Victoria, aka Cora from Last of the Mohicans. She's a bitch. My brother and I nicknamed her Skin, because she's kind of pale. Everwood girl is beautiful as ever, and equally believable as plotting, revenge-driven Femme Fatale, and charming, philanthropist Girl Next Door. All the wealth and parties remind me of The O.C., without feeling derivative.
Final Verdict: To be honest, I was expecting an epic cheese-fest. So I was pleasantly surprised by how complex the plot (and multiple timelines) were. I was also surprised at how dark it all was. Again, pleasantly. Like most shows, five episode commitment, but I'm fully expecting to be in for the season.
And that's actually it for Wednesday. Thursday is a magical day! We've got COMMUNITY!!! We've got a new J.J. Abrams show - Person of Interest! And my friend Trace will be back to review Parks and Recreation and Grey's Anatomy! And maybe some other things. I don't know. It'll be a surprise to all of us! So see you then!
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, pt. 2
Guys, I hope you're enjoying premiere season as much as I am. And, in the event you're not, I hope you're enjoying reading my blog as much as I am enjoying writing it. I'm just going to assume you are, for all of our sakes.
Well, today's post covers the premieres of last night, specifically: Glee, New Girl, Raising Hope, Parenthood, and Ringer. Yes, I know Ringer technically premiered last Tuesday, but I forgot, so it was still new to me, OK. So let's get started, shall we?
New Girl
When I found out Zooey Deschanel was going to have her own television show, I may have fainted. By which I mean, I did NOT faint, but probably squealed like a girl. What is there not to love about her? I mean, she somehow manages to be quirky and off-beat without being the least bit pretentious or hipster! I don't know how she does it, but I dig it. She sings, she wears vintage clothing, she's super nice, and she tweets adorably to Ben Gibbard! I'm. Ob. Sessed. That being said, "New Girl" didn't quite blow me away. Zooey was Zooey, and that was nice. She was a nice stable core, around which rest of the show is clearly built. This is great, but quirky girl being quirky isn't going to sustain a weekly television show forever, if you know what I mean. There have to be solid supporting roles - which I think we have, or at least, will have. I'm hoping the guys in particular begin to differentiate themselves, and gain a couple extra dimensions. Because at this point they are just The Douche, The Chump, and The Black Guy Coach. The Douche takes off his shirt and says fratty things, The Chump cries about being dumped, and The Coach yells. Cool.
Final Verdict: Zooey alone has me signed on for a five-episode commitment. Throw in the son of Damon Wayans, and Leo from Veronica Mars, and I'm optimistic. Add the model friend Cecelia telling the boys that if they hurt Jess, she "will crazy murder" them, and I legitimately expect to be hooked. I'm just not quite there yet.
Raising Hope
Easily my favorite new show from last season, Raising Hope seems to be one of those shows not a lot of people watch, or even know about. Fewer make it past finding out that the baby's mother was a serial killer who was electrocuted. But I LOVE it. It blends shockingly irreverent with oddly sentimental in a way that The Office still wishes it could. Martha Plimpton was robbed at the Emmys, because her portrayal of Virginia is nothing short of brilliant. How Garret Dillahunt wasn't even nominated (especially if you've seen his totally opposite character in The 4400) is beyond me. I even enjoy Lucas Neff - who is in some respects the male counterpart to Egg, Bland, Plant, Yam, Ann "Hog" Veal, in that he seems to make no impression whatsoever on most people - and Cloris Leachman, whose character MawMaw is a little too crazy. Anyway, the premiere revealed that Jimmy was once a musical prodigy, who had the power to make girls swoon with his voice and piano skills. Everything was set for him to become a star, until he was struck in the head by a rogue putter. Upon waking, Jimmy had lost all musical talent. Throughout the episode, Jimmy tries to get it back in various ways, before everyone realizes he sounds amazing drunk. What I appreciated about this episode was the numerous ways it subverted expectations, from the drinking, the truth about the putter. Plus, it ended on a somewhat hopeful note that has me excited about the future for Jimmy/Sabrina.
Final Verdict: This show had me hooked about ten minutes into its pilot, and it hasn't done anything to jeopardize that so far. It has avoided two of the biggest sophomore mistakes - suddenly introducing new/irrelevant/unpopular characters (LOST, The OC, One Tree Hill), and going for bigger, crazier spectacle (Glee). All it needs to do now is stick to formula, but introduce just enough advancement to make sure this isn't just a rehash of Season 1.
Parenthood
Ok, so I don't watch Parenthood too often. My reasons are as follows: Lauren Graham will forever be a Gilmore Girl in my head, and to be perfectly honest I heard enough of any of them talking to last me a lifetime. TOO. MUCH. BANTER. Dax Shepard infuriates me a) because he reminds me WAY too much of Zach Braff (who sends me into rage blackouts. I mean, we get it, being a neurotic Jew is hard. This is hardly New Information. But do we really have to suffer through every inconsequential thought you ever have? [This is ironic in a post-Twitter age]) and b) stole Kristen Bell from me. Come on dude, you're eight feet tall. Do you really have to get with one of the seven who are shorter than me? Also, I thought it was a total copy clone of Modern Family, what with the grumpy grandpa and the whole "we are a unique modern family" feel. So when I watched the season finale a few months ago, I was shocked because it was SUPER dramatic and I was expecting comedy or at least a little levity. NOPE. It was all crying. Sorry TV, enough of that going on in my own life [at the time; medication has been sought, no one worry]. But I tuned in for the premiere out of sheer curiosity/I was high on TV and needed more. What did I think? Well, +100 for Peter Krause, because Six Feet Under was Phenomenal. +50 for Mae Whitman (25 because she was Ann in Arrested Development, 25 because she is the voice of Katara in Airbender). But -100 because she didn't appear until 45 minutes in and then only for ten seconds. -25 for Jason Ritter because The Event was JUST SO EFFING AWFUL. So I guess we're vaguely ahead in this game where the rules are made up and the points don't matter. But I don't know if I'll be coming back. You see, I work nights, so I'm never going to see it live again, and I just didn't feel that spark to keep me coming back for more, let alone having to hulu it.
Final Verdict: A show this (melo)dramatic just doesn't have a place in my heart - not at this time in my life. Maybe if I felt it could compete with any of the amazing cable dramas in my life, but honestly I just don't find it interesting. Bring in some meth dealers, some cowboy justice, or some prohibition, and I'll give you another shot.
Ringer
If at all possible, the return of Sarah Michelle "Buffy" Gellar Prinze, Jr. to network TV had me even more excited than Zooey Deschanel. I mean come on people, this is BUFFY. You already should know how much that means to me. It's a lot. In case you were still wondering. Anyway, Ringer, is the story of Bridget, a recovering addict/former stripper, who saw a murder and was supposed to testify. However, she broke out of protective custody to see her identical twin sister Siobhan (pronounced "Shivan" apparently) who is living all Great Gatsby up in here. But things take a dark turn when Siobhan seemingly kills herself while out on the ocean. In a moment of panic, Bridget assumes her sister's life. Only things are much more complicated than they appeared. Siobhan's marriage (to Ioan [pronounced Owen] Gruffold) seems to be totally devoid of love. His daughter hates everything. She has a best friend! But oh guess what she's sleeping with her husband. Oops. So yeah. Frying pan. Fire. You get it. To top things off, there's apparently a hit out of Siobhan for some reason, and Shiv is in France or something being mysterious. Also she's pregnant, but probably doesn't know it. Anyway, I really like it. There's just enough intrigue to keep me coming back. Is Shiv a spy? Is she a villain? Will the FBI figure everything out? Will the murder guy? How's Bridget supposed to fake a pregnancy? Will she fall for "her husband," who is apparently falling back in love with "his wife"? Will the affair be revealed? SO MUCH COULD HAPPEN!
Final Verdict: I'm pretty well hooked guys. Look. I know this isn't the best show on TV. I know it's in all reality nothing special. But I'm interested. So unless it gets really bad, I'm probably in for the long haul.
Glee
Guys. I thought this moment would never come. I successfully put Glee behind me after last season. After that Atrocious Rocky Horror episode, I was just done. I was offended on a writer's level, as a fan of Rocky Horror, and as a human being. It was literally the worst thing I have ever seen in my whole life, television-wise. I mean, I stayed a few more episodes to review, because bashing Glee is 10x more fun than loving it, I PROMISE you. But I was done by Christmas. And then they went and promised only two theme episodes this year! And to tone it down on the guest stars! Well, I was intrigued. And last night's episode has not changed that. Trouty mouth is gone. Good, he was useless. I'm sad that really really fat girl is gone, but if it means back to basics, bring it on. Apparently Sue is coach again? Why? Because screw continuity and logical repercussions, that's why. Quinn is angry, and no one knows what to do with her character. Santana is a bitch. Brittany is dumb. Artie is pretty much forgotten. So basically, nothing has really changed. Inconsistent show is still inconsistent. But... I don't know, I still enjoyed it. A) Darren Criss is there. I have to confess that I'm kind of obsessed with him. I mean, he's probably the best singer there. GQ loves his style, and I love GQ. He made the Harry Potter Musical. And his character breaks all kinds of gay stereotypes, unlike Kurt who reinforces ALL OF THEM. So that's nice. B) No more stupid emphasis on being current. Bring on the 80s. C) There seemed to be a renewed sense of purpose. I say "seemed" because it wasn't totally apparent. There was a LOT going on last night. Way too much in fact. But I'm vaguely excited despite myself. As long as the show doesn't try to do all of them every episode.
Final Verdict: Glee, you're still on probation. Five episodes. If you aren't legitimately GOOD, we're DONE. And I mean it. I can't keep being angry that you have never lived up to that first few episodes forever. My suggestion: abandon the Sue for office plot while you can. It's beyond stupid, and she's past redemption as either a character or a villain. Less Matthew Morrisson being sad about being sexless. More Leah Michelle and Kurt realizing they aren't awesome. And Darren Criss singing everything. OK thanks.
So, that does it for Tuesday. Holy crap, what a night of TV. I can't handle that much every week. Seriously. Luckily, it looks like Wednesday is just going to be Modern Family, maybe Happy Endings when it comes back, and I might try to review Revenge and see what happens. It's the Everwood Girl, so... who knows. Cheesy ABC is so cheesy sometimes.
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
No, I'm not talking about Christmas! My feelings toward that season are extremely well documented. I'm talking about PREMIERE SEASON! And for a TV addict like me, this is pretty much the same thing.
Now, I was going to post about the Emmys, but realized this would be better. And then I realized reviewing the week's premieres would be a lengthy undertaking. So, I propose this: one post a day, reviewing the previous day's premieres. I watch, so you don't have to! You're welcome!
Alright first up we have "The Playboy Club." So let's get this out of the way: IT WANTS TO BE MAD MEN. It's not. But that doesn't mean it can't be good in its own way. Let's face it, Mad Men would never make it on network TV. It's slow, introspective, cerebral. TPC takes the nostalgic appeal of a time when women wore pearls and men wore fedoras, when you could still smoke wherever the hell you wanted, when change seemed possible, when music was real, and repackages it for a network audience. That means Bunnies, the Mob, and - apparently - Tina Turner. The series seems to focus on three characters: Don Draper Nick Dalton, Bunny Maureen, and Bunny Mother Carol-Lynne. Not-Don-Draper has the whole silky voiced air of mystery thing going on [SideBar: I kind of suspect homeboy was chosen solely because he sounds so much like Jon Hamm]. He apparently used to work for the mafia, but is now looking at becoming District Attorney or some such. Carol-Lynne apparently was the First Bunny, which she only now seems to realize is a bad thing in this business. She has Issues with that. Maureen apparently has some sort of seedy past that is never elaborated on, and may or may not accidentally kill the head of the mafia. Oops. So that's all going on. The directing is great, as is the music. I found myself drawn in by the leads, almost against my will. After all, I went in pretty biased against the show. The acting seemed pretty good, and there's just enough going on with the side-plots to keep things interesting.
Final Verdict: You've got me interested, weird "Chicago" vibe not-withstanding. I'll commit to a five-episode... commitment. It has that long to get me truly on-board, or I jump ship. I only have so much bandwidth to hulu with.
This next review comes from my dear friend, Trace.
Final Verdict: Will I be watching next week? Possibly, if only to see what else Behrs can do, but I’m not making any promises.
Next up, we have a personal favorite show of mine: "How I Met Your Mother." Last season's finale pulled the rug out from under us - the wedding they had been teasing all season, the wedding at which Ted meets his future wife, was not in fact some random guy's wedding, but was actually BARNEY STINSON's wedding. But! Who was the bride?! Nora? Robin? Surely it has to be one of these! But... this premiere totally ignored all that. Surprise! Instead, it focused on... Marshall getting a streaking video off the internet, Barney sleeping in a diner, and Ted going to an architecture conference. Don't worry, there was Martin Short. Making the worst puns I've ever heard with the worst green screen I've ever seen. (In case you haven't noticed, I was not a big fan of this episode) It's just... we only have two seasons left! I wanted to see some acknowledgment of last season! An awkward gyno visit with Lily! Another glimpse of the wedding! A freaking yellow umbrella moment. Instead we got a weird guy with 40s taped to his hand, a Lenny Kravitz fake-out, and - oh yeah, the return of Victoria. As in, the most boring of all Ted's girlfriends. We're in the fourth quarter, guys, we don't have time for bullcrap like this. I would rather Ted do something crazy like maybe be single for once, than see the return of Lametoria.
Final Verdict: Of course I'm going to watch. I mean it's the sixth season. Come on. But things better change because this was dumb.
Aaaaaand that's actually it for today. Because I'm not reviewing Reality/Variety shows, I refuse to watch Two and a Half Men, I don't watch Hawaii 5-0 OR Castle, and the rest of the season hasn't premiered yet. BUT, check back tomorrow when I post an unprecedented second time in a row! I should be reviewing New Girl, Raising Hope, Ringer, and due to popular demand, the return of Glee coverage!
Also! If you watch Cougar Town, TALK TO ME. I could use a reviewer of Abed's favorite show!
Movie Review - Drive
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| "Wanna tooth-pick?" |
Yesterday, I decided on a whim to go see a movie; which one was yet to be determined. The contenders were "Contagion," "Straw Dogs," and "Drive." Here, in short, is the case for each as it was in my head.
"Contagion is killing the box office, has Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jude Law. It seems dystopic and paranoid and relevant."
"Straw Dogs. Alexander Skarsgard. Great actor, stuck in crappy things. Maybe not this time?"
"Drive has Carey Mulligan who is the most precious thing ever. I've liked Ryan Gosling since his 'Young Hercules' days, but The Notebook kind of ruined him for me. But reviews have been glowing."
Ultimately I asked my movie critic friend, who informed me that 'Contagion' just makes you want to wash your hands, and that 'Drive' was my best choice. Trusting him, I went to the theater immediately.
I was not disappointed. I'll try to summarize without giving away spoilers.
Ryan Gosling is an unnamed stunt driver/mechanic by day and getaway driver by night. He leads a relatively simple life however, seemingly without friends, family, or frivolity. He speaks seldom, and gets to the point when he does. All this changes when he meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio. The two share an instant attraction and soon begin seeing each other - though this appears to mean hanging out with her son and driving around at night. Everything is going great, until Irene gets a call that her husband Standard is getting out of prison. From here, the movie abruptly shifts gears (see what I did there?) into an intense, action-packed thriller that left me on the edge of my seat until the last second. Without giving too much away, I'll tell you that Standard needs to pay back some thugs with Ryan Gosling and Christina Hendricks' help, but things are much more complicated than they seem.
Above all, Gosling really impressed me. Blew me away, actually. As I said earlier, The Notebook ruined him for me. Not because he was bad in that movie - he wasn't. That movie is just emotional pornography that makes me really angry. The only reason I sill like Rachel McAdams is because, well, a) have you SEEN HER and b) she's been in several diverse movies I really enjoy and showcased a reasonably wide range.
Anyway, back to him. For the first part of the movie, he channels this... boyishness... that was incredibly endearing. I'm not talking about the Seth Rogen Hollywood man-child bull that we've been force-fed the last several years; there's nothing immature here. But somehow, despite his apparently dark past and less-than-legal job, he maintains this innocence that allows him to connect deeply with a child. Like I said, super endearing. And then, almost without warning, he's curb-stomping the bejeezus out of some hit man. He goes from zero to sixty (see what I did there?) in no time at all - yet it's totally believable. It's easy to imagine him as a guy with a really shady past who did everything he could to escape it, and is now living his life trying to atone/cope/forget. Quite simply, he's amazing and I cannot get over it.
Carey Mulligan is engaging as well. I mean, how can you not be brought in by her big eyes and huge dimples? But she's not just this waif-like little pixie. She's totally believable as a (basically) single mom who got knocked up young but is making the best of her life.
You've also got Bryan Cranston (who has officially moved in my mind from "Hal from Malcolm in the Middle" to "Walt from Breaking Bad. I am totally OK with this). He plays this strange kind of hybrid of the two characters, who is friendly like Hal but criminal like Walt. He's sort of the father figure to Gosling.
What else? Oh. I liked that when Standard got out of prison, he wasn't this like hardened criminal, nor was he some kind of wife-beater. He seemed like a pretty genuinely nice guy who wanted to do better. And I like that there was tension between him and Gosling without it being really obvious and in our faces. It was pretty subtle. Which is always better.
I hated the villain, Nino, but then again I was supposed to. But he was loud and gross and foul and it was never not jarring. There was something... big... about him. And if you don't know what that means, watch the episode of The O.C. where Summer gets a replacement-Seth while he is dating Anna. Or, alternatively, watch almost any Jim Carrey movie.
The soundtrack was also jarring. It was LOUD. And I don't know why it was so 80s. I really don't. I know there must have been a reason, because the movie's font is equally 80s. But I don't know the reason. Someone explain this to me.
Neither of those are really complaints, they were just parts that I found less enjoyable than the rest of the movie.
Snap Judgement: See this movie. See it now. There's amazing acting from multiple sources. There's a great cast, an engaging plot with an emotional core, and some sweet action. Be forewarned: there's definitely language, and gore, and some boobage. So if you can't handle those things, go see Lion King in 3D [SIDEBAR DON'T SEE LION KING IN 3D. We need to take a stand against useless 3D and the exploitation of our childhoods just to make a quick buck!].
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