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Recent DVD Release: American Hustle

Published April 4, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Jack Huston, Michael Pena, Shea Whigham, Paul Herman, Anthony Zerbe, Robert De Niro.

Rated: R.  Crime/Drama/A Little History.  Running Time: 2 hours 18 minutes.

 

The hair.  This movie is worth a watch for the sole purpose of seeing Christian Bale’s incomparable comb over.  Or peeping Bradley Cooper’s remarkable perm.  And the clothes.  Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence sport some deep v’s that rival that of awards season fashion.  And the guys are looking sharp in big collared shirts with flashy bell bottomed pants.  This amiable ensemble is the glue for David O’Russell’s sophomore directorial picture.  The film opens with the intriguing bit “A lot of this happened”…which leaves the audience to deduce that some of did not.  Artistic liberty, I would guess.  American Hustle is the story of con artist Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) and his sultry sidekick, Sydney Prosser (Adams).  The pair are busted by the FBI during one of their loan scams and an overzealous agent forces the two to participate in a larger bust.  That bust being the FBI ABSCAM operation of the 1970’s; an elaborate sting targeting corrupt politicians.  The eager agent, Richie DiMaso (Cooper), is young, dumb and full of…bad ideas.  He gets the trio entangled in schemes involving the mafia and the entrapment of some very high up officials.  Including Mayor Carmine Polito (Renner), a family man of sorts who is widely known and loved by his constituents.  Polito and Rosenfeld form a friendship, which serves in leading the operation to its limited success.  And also leads to Rosenfeld developing a much needed conscience.

I was around during ABSCAM (Maria had not yet graced the Earth with her arrival), but I must admit, I don’t remember too much about it.  A fake sheik, the FBI and some money hungry politicians.  It did seem like the crimes were concocted by the feds and dangled in front of the poor saps.  I suppose they could have said “no” to the cash, but as the deals were all fabricated, it’s somewhat like a wife sending horny, naked babes to her husband’s office and having them stick their hands down his pants; and then divorcing him if he cheats on her.  Maria mentioned the hair and the clothes, which are indeed worth watching American Hustle on their own, but the acting?!  Oh my goodness, the four leads here throw out performances for the ages.  To me the subject matter was secondary; watching the interaction of these crazy, quirky, complicated characters brought to life by Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and most of all Jennifer Lawrence, is better than any reality show on TV.  Bale has been a standout since he burst on the scene in Empire of the Sun, and I always expect greatness from him.  Jennifer Lawrence at 23 is already at the very top of Hollywood’s A list, as is her Silver Linings Playbook co-star Bradley Cooper.  And Amy Adams hasn’t been nominated for five Academy Awards by accident, the girl can act!  I mean honestly, how many more movies do you think will be made where Jeremy Renner is an afterthought?      

Very true.  Renner is always superb and it’s shocking that he’s so easy to overlook in this role.  Lawrence absolutely steals the show as Rosenfeld’s manipulative and conniving old lady.  She commands every ounce of attention every time she’s on screen.  The casting of this movie is both interesting and impressive.  I would never have imagined Bale or Cooper in either of the roles they portray here, but somehow it works.  The heart of the story didn’t quite pique my interest as much as I had hoped.  However, the conclusion did add some much needed spice.  As Ross had stated, the fabulous performances are what drive this piece.  Unfortunately, this was one of those cliché experiences when a movie gets way over hyped before you get a chance to see it.  Too much awards season buzz mixed with friendly entertainment gossip.  It isn’t going to make me forget about Silver Linings Playbook anytime soon, but I liked it.

I liked American Hustle too, I didn’t love it.  I do love the stars of the film and can’t wait to see all of them in their future projects.  The last Hunger Games with J-Law and hopefully a third collaboration with Bradley Cooper sooner rather than later.  How about another in the Bourne series with Jeremy Renner?  Maybe even bring back Matt Damon?  What a kick ass duo they would make!!   Who knows what Christian Bale will pick next, he loves to mix it up, maybe he won’t have to lose or gain weight for it (AH-fat. The Fighter and Rescue Dawn-emaciated).  Certainly will be exciting to see what the future brings.  While we wait check out American Hustle.  ABSCAM as a  backdrop, goofy hairdos, bad clothes and fantastic performances equals an entertaining couple of hours that won’t leave you disappointed. 

Maria’s Rating:  3.75 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 3.5 Gummies. 

 

 

 

 

    

Recent DVD Release: Dallas Buyers Club

Published March 20, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring:  Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn, Denis O’Hare, Michael O’Neill, Griffin Dunne.

Rated: R.  Biography/Drama/History.  Running Time: 1 hour 57 minutes.

Wow, Matthew McConaughey is on fire!  After viewing the abysmal movie duo of Killer Joe and The Paperboy within the last couple of years, I thought this guy was heading for career suicide.  He got me to consider jumping back on his bandwagon with Mud, then reeled me in hook, line and sinker with his turn in the amazing HBO series, True Detective (see TV Talk at MRSRAG.com), and apparently everyone else has hitched to his star after his Oscar winning performance in Dallas Buyers Club.  The true story of a bull riding, con artist/hustler, electrician, bigot, drug using, and all around asshole named Ron Woodroof; who contracts AIDS in Dallas in 1985.  He’s so far gone by the time he goes to the doctor that they give him a measly thirty days to live.  McConaughey lost more than forty pounds for the role, and he looked so bad it was hard to watch on several occasions.  ’85 was close to the beginning of society’s understanding of the disease, and treatment was non-existent or VERY hard to come by.  You could say many things about Woodroof, but a quitter he was not, and he goes literally to the ends of the Earth to stay alive.  Along the way he meets, and forms an unlikely partnership with, Rayon (an almost unrecognizable Jared Leto), a homosexual cross dresser.  Together they hustle to get the drugs that people with AIDS need but can’t get through regular and legal channels.  It’s no mission of mercy to start with for sure, they make tons of money and they need the drugs themselves, but eventually the whole story morphs into something deeper. 

The sheer magnitude of the transformation these two actors have gone through for the authenticity of their roles is just impressive.  There’s no other way to put it.  I pointed Jared Leto out to Ross and he hadn’t even realized it was him on the screen.  And McConaughey is seriously hard to watch in the first half hour of this film.  His usually muscled and healthy looking physique is a sheer shell of what it normally looks like.  The appearance is capped off by some non-stop hard drinking, drug use and altogether hard to watch activities…including stomach turning coughing fits.  This film is not my favorite type of fare, although I do enjoy a true story every once in a while.  But DBC did more than depress the shit out of me.  It also showcased the unbelievable transformation of a total douchebag, highlighted a majorly disturbing road block our government set in the path of some seriously ill citizens and seamlessly told a story of overwhelming struggle and the amazing human spirit.  There is no doubt in my mind that these men deserved their Academy Awards.  They earned them with these unforgettable and powerful performances.

They absolutely deserved their trophies, no question, but Hollywood loves an actor who will change their body for a part.  Think Robert De Niro in Raging Bull and Tom Hanks in Philadelphia and Cast Away (Golden Globe).  I read that the script for Dallas Buyers Club had been floating around out there for a while, and that the people with the money were having a hard time envisioning it having commercial success.  I can understand it, as Maria mentioned, the movie is a series of unsettling scenes.  I would submit that there are at least a couple of enduring lessons to be learned from DBC.  One is to appreciate life and what you have and try not to sweat the small shit.  And also, try to understand your fellow man and the trials and tribulations they may be encountering.  Ron Woodroof is a bad man.  He is a bigot and a homophobe and it’s not until he has to walk in the shoes of some of the people he reviles that he begins to transform.  It’s a shame and an indictment  on the human condition, that oftentimes it takes a tragedy or loss in our lives to truly appreciate what we have or to take a really good look in the mirror.   Hopefully, watching Dallas Buyers Club can turn on the light bulb for some of us, yours truly included.

It’s so true.  You can’t help but feel blessed to have your health after watching this.  We’re all guilty of taking the small things for granted and it’s nice to have something to remind us how lucky we truly are.  I enjoyed the movie a great deal more than I expected, which is always a nice surprise when it comes to film.  I remember the first time I saw McConaughey in one of my all time favorite crime/thrillers, A Time to Kill.  He was so young and handsome – and he just oozed stardom.  I can never forget the scene when he lets out that genuine and lovable laugh when he views his ‘on-the-curb’ drunken parking job.  A laugh as recognizable as his dimpled face these days.  It seems he has found his niche in Hollywood.  Let’s hope he keeps on this newly found path.

Ross’ Rating: 3.5 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Maria’s Rating: 4 Gummies.

Movie Review: Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Published March 12, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring the voices of:  Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Allison Janney, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, Patrick Warburton, Mel Brooks, Stanley Tucci.

Rated: PG.  Animated/Comedy.  Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes.

Smart.  Witty.  Furry.  Mr. Peabody is one sharp pup and he lights up the screen in this wonderfully clever tale.  Peabody (Burell) is in jeopardy of losing custody of Sherman (Winter), his adopted human son.  And all because of a total misunderstanding on Sherman’s first day of school.  Well, because of the misunderstanding and also because he was being antagonized by a very mean classmate.  Up until now, Mr. Peabody and Sherman have been living a happy, healthy and quite interesting life together.  Peabody is an advanced canine who can speak – and he speaks quite eloquently.  He is an acclaimed scientist, a Nobel laureate, a gourmet chef, a musician, a business titan and an inventor.  But his favorite role is being a father to his pride and joy, his tiny ginger pal, Sherman.  His most prized invention is a time machine called the WABAC (pronounced “way back”).  He and Sherman time travel in the WABAC and learn all about history.  Peabody is wonderfully charming and he can usually weave his way through any hardship with sheer intelligence and swagger.  But he meets his match in Mrs. Grunion (Janney), the beastly woman from child services who seems Hell bent on taking Sherman away from Mr. Peabody.

Maria, and probably most of you reading this, have never seen the old cartoon version of Mr. Peabody and Sherman.  Part of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, I watched them when I was a little dude in the 70’s and I can attest that screenwriter Craig Wright has brought our heroes to the present day in style.  Mr. Peabody and Sherman followed a theme, pardon the pun, way back then; Sherman would get into mischief and Mr. Peabody would have to bail him out, and I’m happy to report they’ve stuck with what works.  Ty Burrell is terrific as the smartest canine in history (though I had wrongly guessed he was Hugh Laurie, a rare miss), and the Sherlock Holmes-esque scenes of Peabody showing us how he figures his way out of impossible situations in a split second, are pure genius.  If you’ve seen the Robert Downey Jr. versions of Holmes, you know what I mean.  The romp through time is hilarious and educational, the time spent with da Vinci is a personal favorite, but we also run into King Tut, Marie Antoinette, The Trojan Horse and Einstein among others.  The world has never seen anything like Mr. Peabody, now or in the past, and he has a positive effect on all he encounters.  My only concern is that he’s following (a bit too closely perhaps?) the megahit, The Lego Movie.  Hopefully, parents aren’t tapped out from the two or three trips they’ve had to take to the land of interlocking blocks. MPAS is too good though, word of mouth should easily help recoup it’s daunting $120,000,000 production cost.

The Lego Movie was certainly a hard act to follow, but this animated feature should do well.  It’s way too cute and endearing to be overlooked.  And the spruced up animation of yesteryear still echoes a familiarity to its roots, while adding some much needed flair and excitement.  I was extremely impressed with the 3-D effects, which is one of my biggest pet peeves with these animated films.  But MPAS put it to good use with scenes involving the time travelling and Mr. Peabody’s daily shenanigans.  I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, especially because it was smart and very well done.  It maintains its fun and hilarity, while providing some educational anecdotes.  And Mr. Peabody drops a lot of puns, which is one of our favorite sources of amusement.  Ethan had to ask us to explain a few of them, which only benefits his already impressive vocabulary.  I mean, the kid references Stockholm Syndrome.

Retooling old franchises is a Hollywood staple.  But for every Superman there is a Lone Ranger.  Every Batman a Green Hornet.  Every Scooby Doo a Flintstones.  I must admit when I heard about Mr. Peabody and Sherman, I was thinking “there’s a friggin’ train wreck ready to happen”, but it was very well done and I’m happy a whole new generation, or two, will enjoy the adventures through the WABAC machine.  I’m guessing it’s success will lead to a parade of more obscure characters from the 60’s and 70’s being resurrected.  Who might be next?  Snagglepuss.  “Exit, stage left.”   Tennessee Tuxedo and Chumley, the penguin and walrus team always trying to escape from the zoo?  Maybe Top Cat, that wisecracking, streetwise hustler?  Anybody but Woody Woodpecker, that guy always annoyed the shit out of me!     

Maria’s Rating: 3.5 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 3.75 Gummies. 

Recent DVD Release: All Is Lost

Published February 26, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring:  Robert Redford.

Rated: PG-13.  Action/Adventure/Drama.  Running Time: 1 hour 46 minutes.

The cast list tells the tale; this is quite literally a one man show.  “Our Man” (as he is listed in the credits), is the 77 year old Redford, alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean asleep aboard his sailboat when he is jarred awake by a violent collision.  He has rammed into a floating shipping container that must’ve been lost at sea, and the result has left a gaping hole in the side of Robert’s 39 foot yacht.  This unfortunate and unlikely happening is really just the beginning of the bad luck that Our Man will encounter.  I would contend that no movie has ever had a more appropriate title than All Is Lost.  Redford, to his credit, looks pretty good for a man his age.  He wears it  mostly in his face, but his body has held up rather nicely.  He performs all manner of feats, grand and small, in a furious effort to stay alive, but he just can’t catch a break.  I was hoping for a, ‘Cast Away on a boat movie’, but All Is Lost is no Cast Away.  Too much adversity, not enough triumph.  Just imagine if Tom Hanks had ONLY: crashed, knocked his own aching tooth out, had his flashlight burn out, gashed his leg on the coral, and found his dead friend; without also: making fire, learning to spear fish, finding the cave, finding the sail, finding all the FedEx boxes and Wilson.  You need the highs with the lows and Redford just doesn’t get any.  He gets to keep breathing, mostly, that pretty much is his “high” inventory.

All Is Lost lacks a very simple ingredient that helps a viewer like myself give a shit.  Back story.  We don’t know who this guy is, what he’s doing out there or why.  And we never get answers to these aching questions.  I imagined that at some point they would address the most basic ones, but we get nothing.  Back story aside, you can’t help but feel bad for Our Man.  But I spent the entirety of the movie feeling relatively depressed, which is not my favorite state to be in while watching a film.  Our Man is persistent, if nothing else.  He tries everything and seemingly impresses us with his vast knowledge of the ocean.  But as Ross has already laid out, luck and fate have other plans.  There are a few redeeming qualities to this flick.  For one, the effects are breathtaking.  The boat is literally toppling over and you, the viewer, believe it.  They flawlessly execute scenes that involve yachting and the protocol for emergency action.  That kind of knowledge can only come from experience or in depth research.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Redford is an avid sailor.  And the other redeeming quality is the message of hope.  There are times when you can feel and see Our Man’s exasperation.  But there’s always that shred of hope left in his eye, like he believes that his luck is about to change.

It was maddening not knowing why this man chose to be out in the middle of nowhere, at his age, alone.  Did he lose a wife?  Screw over some business partners?  Was it on his bucket list?  Or is he just a life-long thrill seeker?  Not knowing who Our Man is and what motivates him, made it extremely difficult for me to feel for him and with him.  At one crucial juncture during one of the horrible storms he went through, Redford runs into a pole and knocks himself out cold.  I spontaneously burst into laughter like I was watching Jackass.  This was a serious moment, but I wasn’t invested enough to feel his pain and the mortal danger he was in.   It just felt funny and I hit “rewind” twice to watch it again.  I wanted to love All Is Lost; I didn’t.  I also didn’t hate it, because how can you hate anything Robert Redford is in?  My feelings about the movie actually have nothing to do with his performance.  He was brilliant as always.  Ironically, later on in the night while lying in bed channel surfing before sleeping, I came upon The Sting.  One of my top two favorite movies of all time (Caddyshack is either 1 or 1A depending on the day) I’ve seen it a jillion times but I had to watch the whole thing again.  Redford and Newman are pure, silky magic and Maria turns to me and says, “He made this movie 41 years ago!”   Hard to conceive the time passage, but there is no mistaking the magnificent career of the man.  His face shows the wear and tear of the decades but he still has that magical twinkle in his eyes.  He deserved a better screenplay than he got in All Is Lost, and I think he knew it on some level.  Near the end of the film,  after another incident of horrendous luck, Our Man who has barely uttered a peep, throws his head back and screams to the heavens “Fuuuuuuuckkk!”  I couldn’t agree more Robert, fuck it all.  Old age, bad scripts and your weird orange(?) hair.    

It was by far the best part of the movie.  And the closest I came to feeling for Our Man.  We can all relate to his F bomb moment in some small way.  When his head hit that pole, Ross’ laughter was too contagious not to join in.  Even though I was still feeling pretty bad for the guy.  The Academy Award winner does his usual on screen magic, but all in all, All Is Lost falls short.  I think at this point in his career Redford is just doing what he wants to do.  He must have really liked some aspect of this project or he wouldn’t have wasted his time with it.  The score of this movie is definitely one of its highlights, as there is little to no dialogue.  And Alex Ebert, frontman of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, cleaned up at the Golden Globes taking home ‘Best Song’ and ‘Best Original Score’.  I wouldn’t say that I hated the movie, but I certainly didn’t love it.

Ross’ Rating:  3 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Maria’s Rating:  2.5 Gummies.

 

Movie Review: The Lego Movie

Published February 12, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring the voices of: Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman, Will Ferrell, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Charlie Day, Nick Offerman, Shaquille O’Neil, Jonah Hill.

Rated: PG.  Animated/Comedy.  Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes.

Ross leaned over toward the end of the movie and said, “This may be the most clever kids movie I’ve ever seen…or the most clever movie ever.”  Which is saying a lot considering he’s seen a TON of movies, especially of the kid genre.  Clever is the best one word description of this film.  He wasn’t even looking forward to it as much as Ethan and I were.  As we walked to the car he declared, “Well, that was 1,000 times better than I thought it was going to be.”  The Lego Movie was full of fun, laughs and tons of heart.  The jokes were so high brow that out of a packed theatre, Ross and I found ourselves to be the only two hysterically laughing.  I’m not saying the two of us are ready to join Mensa, but these jokes were too funny not to be laughing if you understood them.  Some of my personal favorites were the references to things such as ‘Kragle’, an old tube of Krazy Glue with some illegible letters, the orb of ‘Titleist’ – an ordinary golf ball and the ‘Exact zero’ blade, an Exacto knife.  They flawlessly integrated these everyday household objects into the fantastical plot surrounding the Lego characters.  And the cast of Lego people included, but were not limited to the following: Batman, Wonder Woman, Abraham Lincoln, Gandalf, Superman, the Green Lantern, the Green Ninja, a bunch of Star Wars characters and the usual yellow-faced dudes.  One of which ends up fulfilling a prophecy about a master builder who will save the World.  Emmett is just a regular old construction worker who likes to follow the rules, enjoys his daily routine and just wants to make friends.  Until one day when he sets eyes on the girl of his dreams.  While in pursuit, he literally stumbles upon the ‘piece of resistance’ and is thrust into an unexpected adventure.

The “Polish (think Poland) Remover of Nigh-ell, for nail polish remover was one of my favorites!  Having watched Lego based shows Ninjago and The Legends of Chima on Cartoon Network with Ethan, I REALLY wasn’t expecting much from The Lego Movie, and as is often the case I was more than pleasantly surprised.  The voice actors  were perfectly cast here and the writing is off the charts.  Everyman hero Emmet (Pratt), Master Po-like mentor Vitruvius (Freeman), vibrant vixen Wyldstyle (Banks), her beau Batman (Arnett), Bad Cop/Good Cop (Neeson) and Lord Business/President Business (Ferrell) are the core of the movie, and they banter and battle their way through the land of Legos with blissful abandon.  I honestly can’t wait to see it again to memorize more of the classic lines.  And as if the whole romp wasn’t enough on it’s own, there is a spectacular twist at the end (that Maria mostly saw coming I might add), that brings it to an even higher level.  Go see The Lego Movie.  You’re kids will love it and if you keep your attention vigilant, you’ll hear some of the wittiest jokes and references since the Shrek series.  “I will repay you.  Unless of course I can’t find you, or I forget.” 

Much like Shrek, The Lego Movie is full of classics.  It definitely merits another watch.  Along with the witty jokes and clever plot, there is also a deeper allegory that focuses on conformity.  The underlying message being: be creative, think outside the box and don’t always follow the instructions.  This movie just makes you feel good after seeing it and it will make you laugh.  Something I think we could all use.  Just go see this movie because, “EVERYTHING IS AWESOME…”

“Everything is Awesome”, the signature song from the movie is a catchy, brainless ditty that you will find yourself humming on the way out.  We have seen some great animated films in the last year or so.  Wreck-It Ralph (which I thought should have definitely beat out Brave for Best Animated), Despicable Me 2, and the fantastic Frozen.  The Lego Movie fits in nicely with those gems.  First week gross was $69,000,00, easily outdistancing The Monuments Men $22,000,000.  It remains to be seen if TLM can catch Frozen’s $350,000,000 and counting, but I’m guessing word of mouth will push it to the stratosphere.  Would be absolutely shocked if we don’t see more from the land of interlocking blocks, and I for one can’t wait!  Who would of thought, little yellow people with “C’s”  for hands = box office gold?!  Awesome, indeed.

Maria’s Rating: 5 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 4.5 Gummies.

Recent DVD Release: Last Vegas

Published February 6, 2014 by mrsrag

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, Romany Malco.

Rated: PG-13.  Comedy. Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes.

An A-list foursome of old codgers head to Vegas and rip it up.  Sounds like my last trip out there; just kidding.  Seriously though, I’m not quite as old as those boys but some of the themes hit pretty close to home.  Billy (Douglas) is getting married to a woman less than half his age, and he needs his three best friends to come to Vegas for his bachelor party.  Archie (Freeman), Sam (Kline) and Paddy (De Niro) come from New York, Jersey and Florida to complete the “Flatbush Four”.  They’ve known each other for fifty years and even though they’re thousands of miles apart, they’re as close as ever.  One problem, Paddy is seriously pissed at Billy for missing his wife’s funeral.  There is more to the story, but I’ll let you find that out for yourself.  The guys quickly meet an interesting lounge singer of a certain age, Diana (Steenburgen); and make an impression in the casino, which leads to a comped suite.  Things move at a fast pace in Last Vegas, and you get the feeling the guys can hear their clocks ticking down.  The prostate jokes, references to small strokes and oodles of prescription meds are flying around, but the chemistry between these four legends is smooth as silk, and they really feel like lifelong buddies.

When I first saw the previews for Last Vegas I thought, “It’s ‘The Hangover’, geriatric style.”  Which it kind of is.  But I love these four guys and they keep it entertaining.  They can laugh at themselves and they genuinely seem like they’re having a good time doing it.  The four friends embark on this spontaneous trip, each hoping that it will breathe new life into their progressively mundane lives.  Kline is suffering through water aerobics classes at his Florida community.  Freeman is being treated like a big child, nearly imprisoned in his son’s Jersey home.  DeNiro is a grieving widower and he spends his days sitting around his apartment in a bathrobe and refusing soup from a concerned neighbor.  Douglas appears to be the only one of the ‘Flatbush Four’ with blood coursing through his veins.  He’s got a beautiful young lady on his arm and a successful business.  But he’s still unsatisfied.  He’s faced with his own mortality at a close friend’s funeral and pops the question to his ‘child bride’, as they so often refer to her.

We can certainly relate to the Douglas’ story line as Maria and I are getting married in August and we have a fairly significant difference in age.  Unlike these relationship stereotypes, which are clearly on display here, I am not rich and Maria is not an empty-headed bimbo.  I am also not quite ready for the nursing home, but can clearly relate with the guys facing down their own mortality and fears of not being able to live life to it’s fullest.  Beyond all of what appears to be morbid subject matter, Last Vegas is an enjoyable watch.  As I mentioned the action is fast paced, the laughs are plentiful and there are some decent supporting roles.  Steenburgen is sultry, and surprisingly can carry a decent tune, as the lounge singer/possible love interest.  Romany Malco (from 40-Year Old Virgin) is great as the guys’ reluctant at first concierge, he was supposed to be handling 50 cent for the weekend.  And Jerry Ferrara is very Turtle-like (his role in the HBO series Entourage) as Dean, a cocky bar rat who gets knocked down a peg or two and becomes the Flatbush Four’s personal boy Friday.  Certainly not going to be a cinematic classic, but I saw enough to hope they have at least one sequel in them.  One final note, keep an eye out for the scene where Morgan Freeman’s character has one too many Red Bull vodkas.  We’ve all seen, or been, that guy before.  “It’s like being drunk and electrocuted all at the same time!” 

Freeman was the highlight for me.  He provided the best laughs and was my personal favorite character.  The bar scene Ross is referring to is literally the best five minutes of the whole movie.  But there’s a few more laugh out loud moments.  The ‘child bride’ storyline is formulaic and the age difference is much more substantial in this plot than our real life relationship.  The young woman is always portrayed as a money grubbing, ditzy bimbo.  And honestly, I can’t blame them for this.  I’ve seen that stereotype played out in real life.  Fortunately, it does not at all reflect our story.  I think I would have played my hand a bit better if that was my mission.  Firstly, I’d get some filthy rich Palm Beach resident.  I’d have my eye on someone with more money than God.  And secondly, he’d be attached to some oxygen and rapidly approaching his expiration date.  What does this look like, amateur hour?  Last Vegas turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  These four seasoned actors don’t take themselves too seriously in the film and that translates on screen.  It was most certainly a better choice than watching ‘The Hangover 3″.

Ross’ Rating: 3.5 Gummy Bears out of 5.

Maria’s Rating: 3.5 Gummies.