tbrown 26 #1 January 3, 2010 Biggest surprise of the holidays and one of the funniest movies my wife or I have seen in years. Anybody who thinks sixty can't be sexy needs to take another look at Meryl Streep. Alec Baldwin's character may be a bit of an a-hole, but Baldwin himself is hysterically funny. The mostly middle aged audience was laughing their asses off in the theater. So if you want to find out how funny old fart sex can be, when an ex-wife becomes the "other woman" behind the back of the young bitch who stole her husband in the first place, definitely check it out ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HoldtheIce 0 #2 January 3, 2010 Thanks for the tip Bro! I really need a good laugh about now. Maybe I'll go see it tomorrow afternoon after my jump (weather pending) ~HoldCause they know, and so do I, The high road is hard to find A detour to your new life, Tell all of your friends goodbye Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
npgraphicdesign 3 #3 January 3, 2010 Just saw it yesterday. Hilarious movie! The same was true in the local theatre...mostly middle aged audience, and it was packed. A few people were standing around the edges of the theatre, and EVERYONE was laughing at one point or another. Meryl Streep is fantastic, and I didn't know that Alec Baldwin can be THAT much of an arse. Another movie that has a similar feel to it comes to mind.. Something's Gotta Give with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337741/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HoldtheIce 0 #4 January 5, 2010 The wife and I checked it out this afternoon. There were some funny parts, but not the gut busting, eye tearing funny that I was expecting. It was a cute movie, that’s all. And I didn’t need to see Alec’s fat ass!! Damn, he let himself go. Nasty! Would I see it again or purchase the movie for home viewing……No Would I recommend the movie to friends…….No. I’d tell them to wait until it comes out on netflecks and save the coin. ~HoldCause they know, and so do I, The high road is hard to find A detour to your new life, Tell all of your friends goodbye Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #5 January 11, 2010 Finally got around to seeing this and sort of wish I hadn't. The film's promise of the premise is there, but there is just so much baggage to weed through and wasted time with unnecessary characters that just aren't funny. The "Sex in the City" girlfriends, the "kids", the "room addition" . . . all just so much wasted time. Streep, Baldwin and Martin are great, but I'm sorry, I just can't feel that much sympathy for people that have so much going for them otherwise as the characters in this film do. Maybe if Nancy Meyers had set the film in a little more average setting I would have felt something, but in very wealthy Santa Barbara on multi-million dollar lots that still need to be "improved" because their kitchens aren't perfect enough? Sorry, ya lost me. While eventually we do have a couple of scenes at the very end of the film that discuss a couple of real issues, most of this is just drek, at least, that's my opinion.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #6 January 11, 2010 I enjoyed it. Okay romantic comedy. Meryl Streep is always enjoyable. Baldwin was okay. I had little sympathy for his shallow portrayal of regret. Yes, they had quite the lifestyle, didn't they? That's the Hollywood version of divorce, where no one sinks into poverty and the kids aren't neglected because mom has to work. It's just a fantasy. Enjoy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #7 January 18, 2010 Just got back from seeing a live performance of "Private Lives", a 1930s vintage play by Noel Coward. It's pretty obvious that "It's Complicated" is "Private Lives" updated to the 2000s. Plot is almost identical.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #8 January 18, 2010 I'll have to look it up. People love to play the "this is like that" game, but to a certain extent every story contains elements from other stories. In some cases it's just a cheap shot like when people say Avatar is the same as Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas. Of course that completely ignores the literally thousands of other completely unique aspects of the film; it's just a cheap shot.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #9 January 18, 2010 QuoteI'll have to look it up. People love to play the "this is like that" game, but to a certain extent every story contains elements from other stories. In some cases it's just a cheap shot like when people say Avatar is the same as Dances with Wolves or Pocahontas. Of course that completely ignores the literally thousands of other completely unique aspects of the film; it's just a cheap shot. Let's see. Romantic comedy. One member of each of two couples staying in the same hotel discover that their former spouses are also there. Re-ignited affair follows. Complications follow. Lots of sexual innuendo. Sound familiar? (I don't believe "Independence Day" announced that it was a rip-off of "War of the Worlds", but clearly it was, right down to the virus that saves the world from the aliens).... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skypuppy 1 #10 January 18, 2010 The two that pissed me off were that Russell Crow's Gladiator was a copy of the Fall of the Roman Empire -- I think they used the same script in places, for god's sake. Yet everyone goes on about how great Gladiator was, never mentioning the first movie.... It was nothing special....If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead. Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #11 January 18, 2010 QuoteRussell Crow's Gladiator Ah, but "...I will have my vengeance" is a great line to use when fighting with one's spouse. I'm just saying. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #12 January 18, 2010 Quote(I don't believe "Independence Day" announced that it was a rip-off of "War of the Worlds", but clearly it was, right down to the virus that saves the world from the aliens). "Rip off" isn't quite the right phrase, I'd say "structurally similar." Let's say you wanted to build a house. You could be completely original and design one without any right angles in it, completely organically shaped windows, walls and ceiling made of compound curves . . . or . . . you could follow certain conventions. Most films have what is known as a 3 Act structure. That's very basic. Beyond that there are certain points in the story known as "beats" that various story theories share. One popular structure breaks stories into 15 of these beats and probably most of the films you know follow this structure; everything from The Wizard of Oz to Avatar. Yep, deep down and in a very fundamental way those two movies share fundamental structural elements just as surely as both our houses have floors, walls and ceilings. However, just because my house has floors, walls and ceilings, doesn't mean it's the same house as yours. Not even if the square footage is the same and they have the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Further, the individual furnishings of each house and the way they're decorated make them completely unique. Looked at another way, have you ever read a scientific paper that didn't build upon research done by and equations of other researchers? Now, I'll be one of the first people to admit there are significant similarities to the structure of Independence Day and War of the Worlds. Sure, but there are also some wild differences between them as well.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #13 January 18, 2010 Sorry Quade, I agree with the Prof. Structure and Story Line are 2 different things. Ripping off a story line is just lazy and lame. ... Oh and Re-imaging is the very worst form of that practice too e.g The Prisoner (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BikerBabe 0 #14 January 18, 2010 *shakes head* this is like...hmm...thinking of a proper analogy... oh yes. This is like Me arguing with William Randolph Hearst about how to run a newspaper empire. Or Me arguing with Shakespeare about how to write a play. Or me arguing with quade about how a screenplay/film is structured. why? because all three of those feature me, an uneducated hack on each of those subjects, arguing with someone who has loads more experience and/or education in said subjects. That being said, I *think* quade's point was that many things that people mistake for "story line" are actually structural elements of the film/screenplay. But I could be wrong (see previous analogy ) Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,146 #15 January 18, 2010 QuoteQuote(I don't believe "Independence Day" announced that it was a rip-off of "War of the Worlds", but clearly it was, right down to the virus that saves the world from the aliens). "Rip off" isn't quite the right phrase, I'd say "structurally similar." . Structurally similar, INDEED. Same plot, same story, just the details (names and locations) have been altered. At least the dreadful revised version of The Ladykillers was honest enough to acknowledge the original. The folks who made "Forbidden Planet" also acknowledged that it was based on "The Tempest".... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shropshire 0 #16 January 18, 2010 Yeah but... yeah but ..... this is the DZ.COM and aurguments is the norm' (.)Y(.) Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,108 #17 January 18, 2010 >Ripping off a story line is just lazy and lame. ... Most of the better movies over the past 20 years have been "ripoffs." There really aren't that many original stories around. Heck, even the Matrix, hailed as a very original movie, is 'ripped off' a story line 2000 years old. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #18 January 18, 2010 QuoteQuoteQuote(I don't believe "Independence Day" announced that it was a rip-off of "War of the Worlds", but clearly it was, right down to the virus that saves the world from the aliens). "Rip off" isn't quite the right phrase, I'd say "structurally similar." . Structurally similar, INDEED. Same plot, same story, just the details (names and locations) have been altered. Ok, let me try this another way. My guess is you're probably familiar with at least four versions of War of the Worlds: The original book written by H.G. Wells in 1898. The radio program by Orson Welles in 1938. The 1953 movie, script by Barré Lyndon. The 2005 movie, directed by Steven Spielberg. They all have the same name, the three subsequent versions are all "based" on the original book. They all include martians invading earth, but all three subsequent versions are wildly different in how they go about telling the story. Even the subtext of who the Martians represent in each version shifts. These are all different stories.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nataly 38 #19 January 18, 2010 All I know is I saw "It's Complicated" and I thought it was lame. I chuckled in some bits, but I have to say that overall I didn't particularly warm to any of the characters. The story wasn't exceptionally clever, the jokes weren't especially hilarious, and I thought it dragged on a bit on top of all of that.. Overall, I would rate it as merely: "meh".."There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #20 January 18, 2010 QuoteAll I know is I saw "It's Complicated" and I thought it was lame. I chuckled in some bits, but I have to say that overall I didn't particularly warm to any of the characters. The story wasn't exceptionally clever, the jokes weren't especially hilarious, and I thought it dragged on a bit on top of all of that.. Overall, I would rate it as merely: "meh".. I felt the same way and ultimately, what does matter is whether or not you're entertained by the film.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #21 March 22, 2010 QuoteFinally got around to seeing this and sort of wish I hadn't. The film's promise of the premise is there, but there is just so much baggage to weed through and wasted time with unnecessary characters that just aren't funny. The "Sex in the City" girlfriends, the "kids", the "room addition" . . . all just so much wasted time. Streep, Baldwin and Martin are great, but I'm sorry, I just can't feel that much sympathy for people that have so much going for them otherwise as the characters in this film do. Maybe if Nancy Meyers had set the film in a little more average setting I would have felt something, but in very wealthy Santa Barbara on multi-million dollar lots that still need to be "improved" because their kitchens aren't perfect enough? Sorry, ya lost me. While eventually we do have a couple of scenes at the very end of the film that discuss a couple of real issues, most of this is just drek, at least, that's my opinion. Sorry Paul, but the Soviet Film Bureau sort of went out of bidness. Still have a good copy of Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky" if you're innerested.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #22 March 22, 2010 QuoteSorry Paul, but the Soviet Film Bureau sort of went out of bidness. Still have a good copy of Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky" if you're innerested.... I'm not saying the issues discussed had to be earth shattering, but maybe they could have explored the actual topic at hand, the complications of a relationship like that.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites