Review of 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days

It is unfortunate that the people who would benefit the most from watching 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days are probably never going to hear about it or see it. When I started this blog I decided that I was going to try and avoid stating my political opinions, yet after watching a film such as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days it is basically impossible to review it without mentioning the impact that the movie had on my opinion of abortion laws. Despite already being a believer in a woman's right to choose, this film gave me an idea of what might happen if there were laws preventing women from obtaining an abortion. In a similar sense to films like The Hurt Locker, this film feels like a documentary caused by infrequent cuts, the feeling of hand held camera use and the realism of the issues that the movie explores. The personal feel of the film makes 4 Months, 3 weeks, and 2 Days an incredibly powerful cinematic experience.

I am not sure how close the U.S. government may be to passing an anti-abortion law, but I hope if it ever becomes a more serious issue that those opposed to a woman's right to choose will seriously consider the negative consequences it could have. According to the Guttmacher Institute, over 20% of American pregnancies end in abortion meaning that there are over one million legalized terminated pregnancies per year in the U.S. In our current state abortions are performed by trained professionals who have medical degrees and know how to safely terminate a pregnancy. Yet, if abortions became illegal, the question comes to mind of whether women would still find ways to obtain them and who would perform them. I personally had never thought about this until I watched 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days.

This film takes place over the course of one long day in Communist Romania during the mid 1980s. The dictator of Romania has made abortion highly illegal not because he is personally against it but because he wants more people to control. A college student named Gabriela is 4 months pregnant and wishes to get an abortion. She speaks to a few of her friends who have gotten abortions before and learns of a man who performs them. Feeling scared and insecure, she confines in her roommate named Otilia to help her raise the necessary money and to go with her. However, things do not go as smoothly as planned. After a lot of difficulty in finding a hotel room, the man they hire to perform the abortion named Mr. Bebe turns out to want more than just money. Overall, this film brings forth the question, if doctors are not allowed to perform abortions, what kind of people will end up terminating pregnancies? The answer, people who are not qualified, experienced, and/or people who are greedy for money, sex, and/or drugs. It is unrealistic to assume that accidental pregnancies are not going to happen. This film is not meant to assert when the fetus becomes a human being, but is simply meant to show what could happen if people are not allowed to have legal abortions. People make mistakes and no matter if abortions are legal or not, women will continue to get them so it is better that it remain legal so they can be performed safely.

Although 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days is slow at times, the steady gradual pacing adds to the suspense. Throughout the film I had absolutely no idea what could happen in the next scene. Overall, this film may be dark yet it is unforgettable. Once again if you have Instant Netflix, be sure to add 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days to your queue.

RATING: 3.8/5

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Top Ten Romantic Comedies of All Time

With Valentines day being this weekend I thought I'd list my top ten romantic comedies of all-time. This was challenging because romantic comedies tend to be my least favorite genre. If you take a look at my other rankings list I'm sure it is easy to see that I tend to like action films and dramas. However, I'll admit that romantic comedies are the best genre for a date. I classify a romantic comedy as any film where the primary focus is the relationship between two or more people or robots (in the case of WALL-E) and where the tone is cheerful, not gloomy. If you haven't seen these films, all of them are superior romantic comedies. Click on the picture to check out the YouTube Trailer for each movie.

10) Amelie (2001)
There has been no film I've seen over the past decade that displayed more creativity and charm than Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie. The entire film reminded me of a painting, in which every color and shape is brought to the attention of the audience. In addition, the way Paris is presented gives the viewer a personal sense of the perks of France. The film follows Amelie, a young girl who gains satisfaction out of helping various strangers throughout the city. During the film she falls in love at first sight with Nino and decides to win his heart by assisting him in the same sense that she helps the common citizens of Paris. Audrey Tautou, who plays one of the most likable characters in cinema history, is responsible for the movie's charm.

9) Bull Durham (1988)
Known as one of the best sports movies of all time, Bull Durham's main strength comes from the scenes which display the unusual connections between love and baseball. Every season Annie chooses a baseball player from the local minor league team to date with the intention that her love and advice will lead him to the majors. However, this year she has a tough decision. She can choose the experienced catcher who she is perfect for but has no chance at making it to the big leagues or the young all-star pitcher in need of advice. This film is funny, clever, and well worth your time no matter if you like baseball or not.

8) Broadcast News (1987)
Three way romances are entertaining because it adds a sense of suspense to a genre which is typically very predictable. The strength of Broadcast News is that it is not only hilarious but the audience has no idea who the main character will end up with. The film follows Jane Craig (Holly Hunter), a workaholic producer for a Network News show who is forced to choose between a nice but nerdy reporter named Aaron (Albert Brooks) or the confident, young reporter named Tom (William Hurt). I believe this film will become a comedy classic (if it isn't considered one already) primarily because of the appeal of the three leads, who each offer different amiable characteristics.

7) Love Actually (2003)
Although there are too many story lines to become attached to any particular character, Love Actually remains one of the best romantic comedies of the last decade simply because it is really funny. This particularly goes for the scenes with Bill Nighy (playing a washed up rock star making a come back) and Kris Marshall (playing a sexually frustrated Brit who believes he'll have better luck with the women in America). Since the film is divided into about five different stories, which share little or no connection, audiences will favor some story lines over others. Yet every account has both positive and negative aspects. With a fantastic cast and clever dialogue, Love Actually will appeal to both men and women and is worth a watch.

6) Annie Hall (1977)
In the case of the few Woody Allen films I have seen they have been very hit and miss. Sometimes his kind of humor is appealing, yet at other times I find him annoying. Annie Hall is known as his best film (the only one which won the Oscar for best picture) and for good reason. In the same sense that Seinfeld was so popular, Annie Hall is humorous because viewers are able to relate to the relationship between Annie (Diane Keaton) and Alvy Singer (Woody Allen). In one classic scene the screen splits showing both Annie and Alvy talking to their psychiatrist at different times, in which they disagree about their sex life and overall relationship. Woody Allen may have his strengths and weaknesses but he is an undeniable auteur of cinema and Annie Hall is where he shines the most.

5) The Apartment (1960)
Although it has not aged as well as some other classic films, The Apartment remains entertaining because of the great chemistry between Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. If I had to name an actor who turned out a consistency of great performances throughout a fifty-year career, Lemmon would be up there on my list. From Some Like It Hot in the late 1950s to Glengarry Glenross in the early 1990s, Lemmon has always been able to turn out a great performance even if all other elements of the film were below average. In the case of The Apartment, there has been no other movie I have seen that I wanted the leads to end up together. This is primarily caused by Lemmon's performance. You can see how much he cares for MacLaine's character in every line he states and every move he makes.

4) Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Out of all the raunchy romantic comedies of the last decade (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, etc.) Forgetting Sarah Marshall is my personal favorite. Unlike the other movies, Forgetting Sarah Marshall does not go overboard with gross humor. Instead it focuses on the hilarious hardships of Peter Bretter (Jason Segel), who is realistic enough for the viewer to be able to relate to him but gullible and clumsy enough so that we are able to laugh at him. Throughout the film we are cheering for Peter to move on with his life, yet we are able laugh at the ridiculousness of his situation. I love films where I can relate to the film's main character, which is partially why I love the number #3 and #4 picks on my list.

3) (500) Days of Summer (2009)
On a radio program I heard (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb state that approximately 75% of the films events had happened to him personally. Now for me it may not be quite that high but I can easily see how most of the scenes within the movie could happen in real life. This film reminds viewers that relationships are not always fairy tales. In fact often relationships bring unforeseen negative consequences, yet life goes on. (500) Days of Summer is unlike any other romantic comedy ever released and it is a must see for anyone who has ever been in a troubled relationship.


2) WALL-E (2008)
Most people probably don't consider WALL-E a romantic comedy, yet I was more entertained by the relationship between Eva and WALL-E then any cinematic human relationship I've ever seen. Not only is the animation for WALL-E revolutionary, but it contains a story that captivates the viewer. By the end of the film I realized that even though WALL-E is an animated robot, I wanted to see him succeed and win the girl. Pixar has made a lot of great films over the years, but none of their other works kept me even half as entranced as much as WALL-E. It is the family film of the decade.


1) When Harry Met Sally(1989)
In my mind this is the perfect romantic comedy. It is laugh out loud funny, contains two fantastic lead characters who the audience hopes will end up together, and has some fascinating dialogue and scenes (such as the restaurant scenes and the crying scene). It also brings up a lot of interesting questions about relationships that people go through on a day to day basis. Similar to (500) Days of Summer and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, audiences will be able to relate to a lot of the same problems that the main characters go through. This is why When Harry Met Sally continues to be popular among modern audiences. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be known as one of the best comedies ever made.

Review of Big Fan

For many Americans today is one of the most important days of the year. You guessed it, The Super Bowl. So although I am not a fan of any NFL team and have yet to watch a game this year, I feel obligated to watch tonight's game. Why? Because the Superbowl is so much more than just two teams playing football. The Superbowl is in many ways a celebration of the American way of life. It is a day where people can forget about their personal troubles and spend their time with friends, eating pizza, drinking beer, and watching football. For most Americans they will be cheering for one team or the other, despite their favorite team being knocked out during the regular season or the playoffs. Yet for those lucky fans of the Saints or the Colts, they truly care about who wins and who loses. In some rare cases the level of team pride that fans have may match that of Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) from Robert D. Siegel's Big Fan (2009).

Big Fan follows a character who literally lives for New York Giants football. Although Paul doesn't have the money to go to the games, he makes the effort to head to the stadium to cheer for the Giants. Despite being a 36 year old parking garage teller who lives with his mother, he makes it clear to his family that he is satisfied with his life. One day while at a gas station, Paul sees the Giants starting quarterback and decides to follow him all the way across New York in order to express how big of a fan he truly is. However, when he finally meets the star player and tells him how he traveled hours just to say hello, the quarterback becomes enraged and hospitalizes Paul for a week. As a result the quarterback ends up being charged with aggravated assault and is suspended by the National Football League. This leaves Paul with a tough decision, sue the quarterback so that he can make millions of dollars and start a new life or let it go so the star player can continue to help the Giants get to the Superbowl.

Most sports movies focus on the success of a particular team or player, so the idea that sports are not simply about the players themselves but about the fans and the city the team represents is an original and refreshing concept. Yet while watching Big Fan I couldn't decide whether to feel sorry for Paul or laugh at him. Although Paul seems satisfied with his life, you have to wonder whether it is because he actually likes being a fan or because he has never been able to experience anything better. The scenes showing the conflict between Paul and his mother are easily the funniest in the film. She can't understand how Paul is content with living the way he does and he can't understand how she just can't seem to let it go.

What makes this film superior to most other comedies is the great cast of characters. It is as if every actor and actress was born to play the character they portray. This is especially true for Oswalt, who plays the lead better than anyone that comes to mind. So although this film only contains a few laugh out loud moments (mainly between Paul and his mother), the relationships between the different characters kept me interested and entertained for 90 minutes. If you have Instant Netflix, add Big Fan to your queue because it is well worth your time.

RATING: 3.1/5

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Review of Falling Down

Have you ever had such a bad day that you could just lose your mind? We all have our boiling points, yet the boundaries of society normally prevent us from exploding at the simple injustices presented day by day. However, in the case of William Foster (Michael Douglass) from Joel Schumacher's Falling Down, he lashes out at every simple societal transgression after he loses his job, gets divorced from his wife, and is issued a restraining order so that he is not able to see his daughter. The violent acts performed by the frustrated Foster are what make Falling Down worth a rent. Every person has their pet peeves about how society functions and it is really interesting to watch a common citizen attack the fundamental norms of everyday life in America. For example, in one scene Foster goes to a fast food restaurant in order to eat breakfast only to discover that breakfast is no longer served because it is 11:35 a.m. and the restaurant quit serving at 11:30 (I've been there). Where most of us would just be disappointed and would order something off the lunch menu, Foster whips out a gun and begins shooting the place up. There are several scenes such as this that are really entertaining. Unfortunately the scenes where Foster is not thrashing out at people are where this film suffers. There are a lot of scenes that I felt were not needed. I love Robert Duvall but we've seen his retiring cop character many times in other films. In all honesty every time his character appeared on screen I simply wanted Schumacher to cut to a scene in which Foster was belaboring the citizens of L.A. Overall, this film is filled with some fascinating scenes and a great performance by Michael Douglass. So although the story did not keep me captivated and the other characters are not nearly as interesting as Foster, some specific scenes are enough for me to recommend Falling Down.

RATING: 3.2/5

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