britwrit Reviews

Wedding Daze (2006)

Sort of Funny

[6/10 · 3 June 2007]

This is one of those movies where a lot depends on how you feel going in. If you're in a good mood and aren't looking for anything great, Wedding Daze will happily fill up an hour and a half. If you're looking for another American Pie or Clerks, though, I'd give this a miss.

Really, there are about a dozen hilarious moments scattered about this movie. Unfortunately, they're surrounded by underwritten characters, mediocre acting and a cookie-cutter plot. Jason Biggs is still playing the same character he did in American Pie. Isla Fisher has an extremely convincing American accent but that's about it. And despite flashes of brilliance, everyone else seems to be a little embarrassed to be here. Really, I'd say wait for the DVD.

(Oh, and for you dirty old men out there, there's a truly delightful scene of Isla Fisher early on parading around in her underwear. It makes absolutely no sense plot-wise but six months from now, a bunch of 13-year-old boys with cable are going to be very, very happy.)

The Last Days of Disco (1998)

"I'm not an addict. I'm a habitual user."

[8/10 · 30 December 2004]

If you found that line witty and funny (like I did), and persist in quoting it to mystified friends every couple of years, than this film is probably for you. If not, well, that probably says something very, very bad about you. Seriously.

Anyway, it's nice to see that some directors can fall into the same deep rut that the rest of us do, repeating the identical patterns over and over. Like his two previous films, Stillman concentrates most of his attention on young urbanites with think too much and act too little. The settings change, somewhat, along with the cast (natch), but he has pretty much made one long six-hour plus movie over the course of his entire career. Enjoyable, yes, but sometimes it hits a little too close to home.

The Good Girl (2002)

Them working class people talk real slow

[2 August 2003]

And, uh, they ain't all that, uh, bright either.

What a beautiful film. A lot of times I have the unfortunate experience of going to the movies and actually having my smug, conventional middle-class view of the world somehow challenged by what I see up there on screen. Oh, the uneasiness never lasts for all that long but just the fact that it sometimes does happen makes me want to swear off these 'moving pictures' forever.

Thankfully, there was no risk of that with "The Good Girl." All of the working class characters in the film can barely string a couple of sentences together and even when they do, it's usually a banal platitude or a shopworn cliche. Better yet, the one uppity prole who dares to read a book in the film gets his comeuppance at the end and I cannot think a better lesson to teach the working class of America.

No, this film pretty much confirmed everything that I already suspected. People in the middle class are there because they're, well, smarter. Thank you Mike White and thank you for your excellent movie.

Die Another Day (2002)

So, uh, it's a Bond film

[5/10 · 23 November 2002]

Not that there's anything wrong with that but this sure isn't the masterpiece it's been hyped. Halle Berry is beautiful but underused. Bronson grows a beard. And there's a lot of car chases, explosions and corny one-liners along the way. Nothing new but oddly sort of comforting. Go, if you like Bond, but don't expect anything wonderful and amazing.

28 Days Later (2002)

It's a zombie movie

[1 November 2002]

Ok, technically, it's not a Zombie movie, but you know, it pretty much is. Undead, virus infected humans, what's the difference? When you see a creature looking like a shambling corpse chowing down on another human being, you know you're in Night of the Living Dead territory.

Having said that, this was a real good film. The opening sequences set in a deserted London are truly stunning and the action moves along at a fairly fast clip. The ending does seem a little too happy clappy but I guess that was put in to please the Americans. If you're looking for a grade-A thriller/horror/whatever picture, 28 Days Later is a sure bet.

Me Without You (2001)

A pleasant surprise

[8/10 · 23 June 2002]

One of the few films that takes a look at women's friendships without descending into cliche or mawkishness. A little on the dark side, but great performances all around. Michelle Williams (from Dawson's Creek) not only pulls off the accent, but brings her character completely to life. The ending was a little flat, but otherwise, a pretty good film.

Fever Pitch (1997)

Read the book

[3/10 · 27 April 2002]

See, Colin Firth is this bloke who's so into footie and Arsenal that He Just Can't Commit to a relationship. And, er, that's it. This could have been funny but it really wasn't and even as a brain-dead romantic comedy, it's a bit grim.

Wonder Boys (2000)

Nothing fantastic...

[5/10 · 21 April 2002]

Not that this isn't a pretty good movie, but it's hard to understand what all the hype was about. This is a pleasant, unchallenging film. Maybe a bit dry for some and maybe a bit slow, but an enjoyable way to spend two hours. It was nice to see a story made for adults for once, but anyone coming to Wonder Boys should probably lower their expectations.