Alan Arkin, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman star in this film and since they are all great actors it is a pleasure to watch them perform even if the rest of the film is a bit off. All three men in their old age are getting screwed over in many ways by their retirement. At the beginning of the film Joe (Caine), finds himself in the middle of the bank heist and after seeing how much money the crooks made off with decides to convince his friends to rob the same bank with him. The majority of the film is spent seeing the three men practice for the heist and we get glimpses into their motivations for doing this, but they are glossed over for the most part.
The script is by no means fantastic, but there are enjoyable moments. Still the jokes could have been funnier and the serious moments could have been delved into much further. For what it was though it kept me entertained. The three stars have great chemistry and deliver good performances.
The Circle sets out to explore the consequences of a world overrun with technology. While I liked the message it was trying to send, ultimately it did not deliver as much as it could have.
The film is based on the book by the same name which I have not read so this review is based purely on the film. I do not know if the book did a better job of achieving the message it was trying so hard to send.
The Circle boasts a dynamic, star-studded cast, but this is not enough to save the film.
The story follows Mae (Emma Watson) who begins working at the Circle. There are many perks to working at the company, but there are big downfalls to it as well.
While Mae is the main character, it is unclear what her purpose in the film is. One minute she loves Eamon's (Tom Hanks) of making sure privacy is a right no one has anymore. Then she's suddenly against it and joins with her best friend Annie (Karen Gillan) and social media founder Ty (John Boyega).
I was excited to watch this film based purely on the cast, but I left the theatre feeling empty. Seeing Mae go through these transitions should ignite anger and fear, yet there is none of that.
There are things to fear about the Circle such as the need to join TruYou, the company's social media site. Every Friday the company goes to a meeting with boss Eamon and they learn about all the progress the company is bringing to the world, yet no one seems concerned about the lack of privacy.
Mae, at first, is appalled by these improvements. Then she suddenly decides to share her every moment of every day with the world. Then once again she changes her mind and there are never any clear transitions as to why she changes her mind so often.
The Circle could have been a downright scary glimpse into the future, but ultimately does not know where to focus and how to drive these fears home.
I personally would like to keep my privacy and there are others who would not mind sharing all the intimate details of their life and with social media these options are not too outrageous to think. Yet the consequences are never truly touched on in the film and this is where the real tragedy lies.
2/5 Stars
Pg-13
Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Patton Oswalt, John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Bill Paxton
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 was a smash hit. Well it was with everyone except me. There was nothing particularly wrong with it, but by the time I saw it the hype had set in and flown off and I found it highly overrated.
I know I'm a total buzzkill when it comes to comic movies. Anyway, with the first Guardians film being such a hit a sequel was bound to happen. This one is just as silly as the first and those that loved the first are bound to love this one.
This film follows the standard Marvel formula, but amps it up by ten. It should be a delightful romp and I'm sure to many people it is, but unfortunately it was kind of meh to me. For the most part this will be my reaction to comic/super hero films; they are just not my thing. I will give credit where credit is due: this is unlike any of the other Marvel films and I can see why it has such a following.
Guardians 2 continues to bring a lot to the table that the majority of the other films do not. It is a lot more bright and colorful and does not try to take itself seriously in the least. Written and directed by James Gunn, it plays by its own rules. The story follows a basic story arc (beginning, middle and clear ending) and there are plenty of moments for the characters' personalities to shine through.
This feels more like a comic book than the others though they come from the same source material. Peter Quill (Bring on the hate. Not a fan of Chris Pratt, at least in this role.) meets his father, Ego (Kurt Russell). The Guardians must go their separate ways to figure out the truth and along the way their bonds grow stronger. Set to music from the eighties there are plenty of kick ass moments.
The film stars Eugenio Derbez as a gigolo who is thrown out on the street after his sugar mama leaves him for a younger man. The rest of the cast includes Rob Lowe, Salma Hayek, Kristen Bell and Raquel Welch.
Maximo (Derbez) has been married to his rich wife (Renee Taylor) for 25 years until she divorces him after meeting and falling for a young car salesman (Michael Cera). The life Maximo has grown accustomed to is suddenly taken from him.
With no where to go he seeks out his estranged sister Sara (Hayek) a widow with a young son named Hugo (Raphael Alejandro). Maximo is determined to return to his lavish lifestyle after finding out that one of the rich grandmothers of Hugo's classmate is a widow.
The film is funny, but it is also heartwarming as we see Maximo bond with his sister and nephew once again.
The screenplay can be cliche at times, but it can be overlooked by the great chemistry the cast has with each other. Derbez and Hayek play off of each other seamlessly and have a genuine relationship that jumps off the screen.
Rob Lowe as Maximo's friend who lives a similar lifestyle with his sugar mama played by Linda Lavin and Kristen Bell as an overly-perky yogurt shop employee also provide plenty of laughs. The best part of the film is hands down the cast as it is apparent they are having the times of their lives on set. How to Be a Latin Lover is over the top and silly, but when the cast has great chemistry and are having fun on set, you can't help but enjoy the performances that occur as a result.
Distributor: Pantelion Films
Production company: 3Pas Studios
Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Salma Hayek, Rob Lowe, Kristen Bell, Raphael Alejandro, Michael Cera, Rob Corddry, Rob Riggel, Raquel Welch, Linda Lavin, Renee Taylor
Director: Ken Marino
Screenwriters: Chris Spain, Jon Zack
Producers: Eugenio Derbez, Ben Odell
Executive producer: Mike Upton
Director of photography: John Bailey
Production designer: Marcia Hinds
Costume designer: Molly Grundman
Editor: John Daigle
Composer: Craig Wedren:
Casting directors: Deborah Aquila, Tricia Wood, Lisa Zagoria
