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Re: Alex and Emma (2003)
| | Added by Joe Rickey on 2003-11-15 23:29:30 |
I agree with your review. I too enjoyed the film and can't comprehend why so many people disliked it.
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Re: Alex and Emma (2003)
| | Added by John Ulmer (email, web) on 2003-11-16 14:30:25 |
Good to know that there's someone else out there who didn't understand its bad hype. Thanks for the comment.
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Re: Alex and Emma (2003)
| | Added by Brodie James (email, web) on 2003-11-19 06:10:41 |
I was dragged to Alex & Emma by my girlfriend. As per usual, the majority of the films she picks are cookie cutter romance flicks: where storytelling is on the cheap. Surprisingly, I did enjoy this film because of its unique style of storytelling. I didn't think the acting was all that great (honestly, these types of films don't require much depth or thought), and the plot was nothing new. What saves this film from Trash Can Alley is its style.
Nice review, John.
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Re: Alex and Emma (2003)
| | Added by John Ulmer (email, web) on 2003-11-19 08:31:03 |
Thanks. I liked the intertwining movie-within-a-movie style of it all. It's got that classy Rob Reiner feel to it. Good movie.
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Alex and Emma
| | Added by Edward G. Mathenz (email) on 2004-12-19 10:53:48 |
I usually decide wether a movie is any good based on how much of the details of the story stays with me in the 24 hours afterwards, also on how much I find myself wanting to take a second look. On on occassion I will stoop to basing it on the slippery slope of " how good the actors are", this last because the unfortunate truth is truly good actors are as difficult to find as are good screenplays and when the two meet then they project is only worth a damn if you have a good directorat the helm, otherwise you have an unweildy behemoth careening out of control towards boxoffice icebergdom with the ritics cheering her on. When however the three com together then its definately worth a second look ala- Harry met Sally. Unfortunately this was a movie where the first espite some trully original variations on a very old theme (the screenplay) was moth eaten and basically all shot to hell and the second (the actors) were well how can I put this politely "set to the unenviable labour of flogging a deceased equine" That lives us with number three and I was suppriesed to discover that that it was almost enough foe Rob Reiners vision of what this story could become, was what makes this movie rise from the depths of medicority where I am sure it would have otherwise lain unmoving . the persistence of the directors vision of how to make a romatic tale and imbue it with humour was in itself an effort worth watching again if only to shake ones head at the endwith teh realisation that it was all in vain, while the dialogue was spiffy the actors brought no specific impetus to the project apart from Hudson who despite her horrendous swedish impersonation is able, in her Dinsmore persona, to at times put in a performance that transends her lines (Rob again perhaps ?) Anyway I believe she will suprise us all on day soon given the right vehicleand helmsmaster of course. The other performance deserving an honourable mention is David Paymer whose natural comic charm seems to get the better of him on virtualy every line he has to deliver, but given his past roles is able to carry of his part as John Shaw with creditable aplomb (but perhaps thats just me).
Personally after seeing some of the more... er brutal reviews youve done on other slightly more deserving movies I'm mildy suprised you gave this effort anything above a 2.
nuff sed methinks
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Terrible Movie
| | Added by David on 2005-06-20 17:33:14 |
This was truly one of the worst mainstream hollywood movies I've seen in a long time. In breaking down its weaknesses, first we can start with the tone, which careens from slapstick charicature, to melancholy romance, to costume drama, and doesn't manage any of the different styles convincingly. The performances are routinely dreadful: like a rehearsal with the cameras on. Luke Wilson is particularly bad. He works best as a droll, world weary put-upon character, like the one he plays in Old School (ironically released just before this stinkbomb) and here he's asked to convey a broad spectrum of emotion he's clearly either not comfortable or capable of delivering on. If the lead character doesn't seem to take the aspect of his pending demise seriously, how is the audience suppossed to care?
I think we can safely deposit blame for this debacle at the feet of Director Rob Reiner, who certainly should have known better. As the man who has delivered so many great films in the past based on other peoples' scripts, one can't help wondering why he doesn't seem aware that the script he's working from is filled with holes and contrivances, and scenes that don't work. The lead characters have no substance or emotional psychology, and all the film offers up is quirk.
Alex and Emma is barely deserving of a half star. About the only thing I can say in its defense is that both Sophie Marceau and Kate Hudson are nice to look at.
What's particulary disappointing is that the director at one time seemed to be the best and brightest of his generation, capable of delivering genre films that routinely transcended their genre from Spinal Tap and The Sure Thing, to When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men. One can only hope that Reiner manages to get things back on track and master whatever compulsion attracted him to this woefully uncooked project.
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