Showing posts with label Paul Rudd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Rudd. Show all posts
It’s Hard To Know
Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is a motivated and driven woman. She is a professional softball player that has a past with the US Olympic team. This year is different. The team is going younger and Lisa isn’t as quick or as strong as the youth movement the new coach is moving towards.
She is dating Matty (Owen Wilson). He is a hot pitcher for the Washington Nationals and knows what he wants. What he wants is Lisa, oh and he knows how to relate that fact, even if he doesn’t have an ounce of tact in his system.
This is all complicated a man named George (Paul Rudd). He’s an executive that is about to be indicted. Though he’s done nothing wrong, it’s the company his father has put him in charge of that is in trouble. It could be that his father (Jack Nicholson) has some involvement in the problems, or it could be he knows nothing.
Different individuals with different paths all searching for the answer to the question; how do you know?
Director James L. Brooks has made us laugh for years with a real life backdrop. Even his “bad” films that others dislike, I have tended to enjoy. How Do You Know is a tough film as it seems to have lost some of the regular sensibilities that you are used to finding.
Reese Witherspoon is likable, and I found myself coming away from this film with even more of an appreciation for everything she does. She plays a woman who is motivated and driven, using motivational words, phrases and techniques. Her ability to slip into her role as a champion softball player, with party side is amazingly fun.
Co-star Paul Rudd is perfectly cast as the nice guy who is caught in the middle of things. It’s a role he has gotten used to, and does it well. Owen Wilson gets to take his Fockers character and add a bit of attitude to it to create Matty. Sometimes it felt that it just wasn’t real enough. I almost wanted a bit more attitude out of his character, but you couldn’t help but “like” him and see the side that Lisa saw in him.
I know there were a number of laughs in this film. I know I like Reese Witherspoon more than I did before I saw this film. But ultimately, did I like this movie? It’s hard to know.
B- / C+
How Do You Know
Columbia Pictures
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.
Runtime: 116 minutes.
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Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is a motivated and driven woman. She is a professional softball player that has a past with the US Olympic team. This year is different. The team is going younger and Lisa isn’t as quick or as strong as the youth movement the new coach is moving towards.
She is dating Matty (Owen Wilson). He is a hot pitcher for the Washington Nationals and knows what he wants. What he wants is Lisa, oh and he knows how to relate that fact, even if he doesn’t have an ounce of tact in his system.
This is all complicated a man named George (Paul Rudd). He’s an executive that is about to be indicted. Though he’s done nothing wrong, it’s the company his father has put him in charge of that is in trouble. It could be that his father (Jack Nicholson) has some involvement in the problems, or it could be he knows nothing.
Different individuals with different paths all searching for the answer to the question; how do you know?
Director James L. Brooks has made us laugh for years with a real life backdrop. Even his “bad” films that others dislike, I have tended to enjoy. How Do You Know is a tough film as it seems to have lost some of the regular sensibilities that you are used to finding.
Reese Witherspoon is likable, and I found myself coming away from this film with even more of an appreciation for everything she does. She plays a woman who is motivated and driven, using motivational words, phrases and techniques. Her ability to slip into her role as a champion softball player, with party side is amazingly fun.
Co-star Paul Rudd is perfectly cast as the nice guy who is caught in the middle of things. It’s a role he has gotten used to, and does it well. Owen Wilson gets to take his Fockers character and add a bit of attitude to it to create Matty. Sometimes it felt that it just wasn’t real enough. I almost wanted a bit more attitude out of his character, but you couldn’t help but “like” him and see the side that Lisa saw in him.
I know there were a number of laughs in this film. I know I like Reese Witherspoon more than I did before I saw this film. But ultimately, did I like this movie? It’s hard to know.
B- / C+
How Do You Know
Columbia Pictures
Director: James L. Brooks
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language.
Runtime: 116 minutes.
This Dinner Filled Me With Laughter
What is a schmuck? Who is a schmuck?
Tim (Paul Rudd) is looking for a promotion. The person in the office he wants has been shown the door, and when his bright idea gets him a sneak peek at what could be his, he immediately falls for the idea.
Before the promotion, his boss invites him to a very special dinner. Every one of the senior level personnel brings a guest and the boss will pick the “winner” (the best guest for the evening). Despite telling these guests that they are all winners, and special; they are really looking for the biggest idiots.
Tim just happens to bump into Barry (Steve Carell) on the street, literally! When he finds out that Barry’s hobby is turning mice into beautiful scenes. This man could be just who Tim is looking for. With only one day until the dinner, it looks like the perfect solution.
Over the period of a bit over 24 hours Tim is transformed from someone who wants to fit in, to someone who is losing his girlfriend, to someone who starts to question what “fitting in” really is. Has Tim lost everything or has he simply gained a new friend in Barry?
Uneasy laughter is the name of the game in this film, but that’s not a bad thing. Carell is amazing in his physical mannerisms. The look of innocence that he displays sells his role all the more. You believe that he is as genuine of a person as anyone you have ever met.
Rudd is the perfect straight man to play against the Carell antics. His ability to examine a moral dilemma that is faced in life on a daily bases resonates with the comedic touch.
Jemaine Clement will have you laughing at his modern artist character and Zach Galifanakis is establishing himself as a go to comedic actor. I was even surprised at performance of Stephanie Szostak as Rudd’s girlfriend; although she seemed underutilized it was a fresh addition to the cast.
The nice thing about the script is that the film never truly disparages the individuals for laughs. It pokes fun at the situations and the comedy of errors it took to get there. While the dinner is the payoff in the third act, the film really examines relationships that can be made or broken in the blink of an eye.
Maybe, I too am a schmuck. Or maybe I just like to hang around with schumcks. But this dinner filled me with laughter – I can’t wait for dessert!
P.S. – Stay through the credits for a bonus scene…let’s just say there is one final mouse on display!
B
Dinner for Schmucks
Columbia Pictures
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.
Runtime: 110 minutes.
READ MORE
What is a schmuck? Who is a schmuck?
Tim (Paul Rudd) is looking for a promotion. The person in the office he wants has been shown the door, and when his bright idea gets him a sneak peek at what could be his, he immediately falls for the idea.
Before the promotion, his boss invites him to a very special dinner. Every one of the senior level personnel brings a guest and the boss will pick the “winner” (the best guest for the evening). Despite telling these guests that they are all winners, and special; they are really looking for the biggest idiots.
Tim just happens to bump into Barry (Steve Carell) on the street, literally! When he finds out that Barry’s hobby is turning mice into beautiful scenes. This man could be just who Tim is looking for. With only one day until the dinner, it looks like the perfect solution.
Over the period of a bit over 24 hours Tim is transformed from someone who wants to fit in, to someone who is losing his girlfriend, to someone who starts to question what “fitting in” really is. Has Tim lost everything or has he simply gained a new friend in Barry?
Uneasy laughter is the name of the game in this film, but that’s not a bad thing. Carell is amazing in his physical mannerisms. The look of innocence that he displays sells his role all the more. You believe that he is as genuine of a person as anyone you have ever met.
Rudd is the perfect straight man to play against the Carell antics. His ability to examine a moral dilemma that is faced in life on a daily bases resonates with the comedic touch.
Jemaine Clement will have you laughing at his modern artist character and Zach Galifanakis is establishing himself as a go to comedic actor. I was even surprised at performance of Stephanie Szostak as Rudd’s girlfriend; although she seemed underutilized it was a fresh addition to the cast.
The nice thing about the script is that the film never truly disparages the individuals for laughs. It pokes fun at the situations and the comedy of errors it took to get there. While the dinner is the payoff in the third act, the film really examines relationships that can be made or broken in the blink of an eye.
Maybe, I too am a schmuck. Or maybe I just like to hang around with schumcks. But this dinner filled me with laughter – I can’t wait for dessert!
P.S. – Stay through the credits for a bonus scene…let’s just say there is one final mouse on display!
B
Dinner for Schmucks
Columbia Pictures
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Stephanie Szostak
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language.
Runtime: 110 minutes.
Lustful but Lacking
George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) are living the life in New York City. They’ve just taken the giant leap and bought a place (a studio apartment) and are ready to move forward to take on all comers. But then…Linda’s documentary is turned down by HBO and the government has taken down George’s company. With life crashing down around them they take the only offer that is out there, they head south to move in with George’s obnoxious brother.
A long journey south to Georgia has driven them batty, the only thing that will help is a night in a soft bed and that is where the stumble into Elysium.
Elysium features some of the nicest people they have ever met, even though they are a bit eccentric. But the commune lifestyle isn’t what they were looking for on this trip, so on to the brother’s house. It takes very little time to realize that commune lifestyle is definitely better than George’s brother.
They give the free wheeling commune lifestyle a try for two weeks. Meeting character after character from the guru Seth (Justin Theroux), to the property owner Carvin (Alan Alda).
Seth’s girlfriend Eva (Malin Akerman) has eyes on George and Seth has eyes for Linda. Well since they share everything, that won’t be a problem, will it?
I came from this film virtually speechless. There are moments where I definitely laughed out loud. But unfortunately, I had to struggle through many weird plot points and unfunny use of male organs. Why is it that everyone wants to shock you with men’s privates, and yes – I’m ducking saying the P word. This is a family blog.
The uneven nature of the film took away the gusto that should have been present. I just didn’t buy into some of the characters, and that lack of investment made some of the scenes that should have been funny, somewhat disappointing.
I’ll definitely give this one another chance, but for now, I wasn’t filled with lust or love and I immediately shaved after seeing it. (The commune lifestyle is not for me!)
C+
Director: David Wain
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Alan Alda, Malin Akerman
Universal Pictures
Rating: R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and drug use.
Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes