It's Complicated

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Originally uploaded by aboutmerylstreepvn2

Jane and Jake have been divorced for 10 years and Jane isn’t looking for love, what she’s looking for is to start the addition to her house after dreaming of it for years. However, things get complicated when Jane and Jake go to New York for their son Luke’s graduation – the two get hammered and end up sleeping together. This starts an affair where Jane is the other woman, while Jake cheats on Agnes, his wife and the woman he originally left Jane for. All while this is happening their daughter Lauren is planning her wedding to fiancée Harley and Jane’s architect Adam begins to pursue her.

It’s Complicated is a comedy that I went into expecting it to be funny, but I thought it would be the polite, adult, intellectual giggle kind of comedy. Nope. I (and most of the audience) laughed so hard at points in this film that dialogue was missed – I haven’t done that since Tropic Thunder. Nancy Meyers hit it out of the park with It’s Complicated and made a wonderful comedy, and probably one of my favorite films of the year by delivering an intelligent, funny script and combining it with good direction and the perfect cast.

One of the huge appeals for me in It’s Complicated was the three stars – Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin & Steve Martin. The comedic timing, chemistry and talent these three have on screen in the film is incredible and even though each are huge stars in their own right none of them steals scenes from one another. All three are a perfect pairing.

The character that I actually stole the film for me was Harley played by John Krasinski. Harley is Lauren’s fiancée and a perfect for their family unit. So perfect in fact when he discovers the affair between Jake and Jane he knows he needs to cover it up. Harley is one of the funniest characters in the film and Krasinski manages to be just as memorable as Streep, Baldwin & Martin which is not an easy task.

Perhaps the one thing that makes It’s Complicated truly great is that it’s not a chick flick, it’s just a well made, funny film that can be enjoyed by almost any audience. When I went to the theatre to see this film the audience crossed the spectrum or couples, individuals, young and old and the entire audience was laughing just as hard as I was.

Director & Writer: Nancy Meyers
Jane: Meryl Streep
Adam: Steve Martin
Jake: Alec Baldwin
Harley: John Krasinski
Agness: Lake Bell
Trisha: Rita Wilson

Harley: Are you smoking WEED in the guest bathroom?
Jake: Yes we are, and we'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone?
Harley: Oh no. Of course not. Just add it to the list.

The Muppet Movie

Kermit the Frog & Fozzie Bear - Moving Right Along
Originally uploaded by Kimberly and Marc

Kermit is a talented frog who is happy living his life in his swamp until a Hollywood agent gets lost in the swamp and recommends that Kermit get into show biz. Realizing that his would allow him to make millions of people happy, Kermit embarks on a road trip to Hollywood. Along the way he meets Fozzie the bear, Gonzo, Miss Piggy and other Muppets and they all decide to accompany him to California. However, he also has a fun-in with Doc Hopper, the owner of Doc Hoppers Fried Frog Legs restaurants who begins to chase Kermit because he wants him as a spokesfrog.

I love this movie, Jim Henson is an absolute genius and The Muppet Movie is a film that can be enjoyed by an audience of any age. It is a family film not a kids movie, and Henson and crew worked hard to put humor for kids and adults in there; it’s the kind of jokes that kids find funny because they are silly and delivered engagingly but adults get the actual joke. This is something that too few people make any more, even the rest of the Muppet films lost it over the past decades.

Re-watching this film has made me realize that it may have started my love for movies about movies. The Muppet Movie begins at a movie studio where the Muppets are attending a premier of The Muppet Movie which tells the tale of how the Muppets were founded. The audience throws things, talks to each other, waits impatiently and then when the movie finally starts the 4ths wall exists even less as the characters (in Muppet tradition) talk to the audience. These are all characters that know they are in a movie and keep pointing that out to the viewers. At one point Kermit & Fozzie even give the script to Dr. Teeth so that they do not have to have exposition that will “bore the audience”.

The Muppets are also known for their guest stars and the movie does not disappoint. It has Orson Welles, Dom DeLuise, Steve Martin, Bob Hope, Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Richard Pryor & so many more. My stand out favorites would have to be Steve Martin as the bitter waiter & Mel Brooks as the crazy German scientist.

Another Muppet film is about to enter into production and it has been promised that it will ring of the mentality of the old films. I can only hope that it will be able to be loved as much as The Muppet Movie.

Director: James Frawley
Writers: Jack Burns & Jerry Juhl

Robin the Frog: Uncle Kermit, is this how the Muppets *really* got started?
Kermit: Well, it's sort of approximately how it happened.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Steve Martine and John Candy are comedy geniuses; each has a very different style yet somehow in Planes, Trains & Automobiles they work together flawlessly.

Neal Page and Del Griffith have one thing in common, they are both trying to get to Chicago and their plane gets stranded states away because of a snowstorm. Neal reluctantly agrees to team up with Del to find another way home and together the men not only irritate each other to no end, but run into every trial you can imagine from being forced to ride in the back of a hillbillies pick up truck to being stolen from in a motel room. This movie is a traveler’s nightmare and that alone makes it one of the funniest films you’ll enjoy about something that might actually happen to you.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles is a John Hughes film and I have to say it is the first Hughes film I’ve seen that is an adult story. While the teen angst I’ve come to associate so much with Hughes was gone, the anal, goofy, uptight characters were still a perfect fit for Hughes mentality. Between his knack for comedy and the extreme talents of Martin and Candy no joke is misplaced and even the most surreal situations retain their comic power.

I was a child when John Candy died and I have to say that I don’t really remember many of his performances with clarity. Watching Planes, Trains & Automobiles reminded me that Candy was a powerful comic in his heyday and his films should still be watched.

What I liked so much about Planes, Trains & Automobiles is again that it is film whose comedy doesn’t rely on the trends of its contemporary pop culture to be funny like Shrek or Murphy Brown, it finds its humor in the humanity of its characters and situations and that is what will make the film last and remain fresh for many years to come.

Director & Writer: John Hughes
Neal Page: Steve Martin
Del Griffith: John Candy
State Trooper: Michael McKean
Taxi Racer: Kevin Bacon
Car Rental Agent: Edie McClurg

Del: You know I had a feeling that when we parted ways. We would somehow wind up back together again. I've never seen a guy get picked up by his testicles before. Lucky thing for you that cop passed by when he did. Otherwise, you'd be lifting up your schnutz to tie you shoes. I'm sorry. That's terrible. Do you have any idea how glad I am I didn't kill you?
Neal: Do you have any idea how glad I'd be if you had?