Happy Birthday Colin Firth!

There are actors or actresses I tend to look for in movies and TV; if I see them I usually know whether it is going to be good or bad. One such actor I have admired for years, whose birthday is today, is Colin Firth. Whether he is wooing hearts, being dramatic or making audiences laugh Firth has always been an actor audiences have loved for many years. Today on his 58th birthday we are going to take a look at some of Firth’s film and TV career and what is worth watching.

Pride and Prejudice miniseries. Firth had been acting in films and television prior for some time, but his career skyrocketed after this 1995 miniseries about the beloved Jane Austin novel. Despite his objections at first Firth was cast as the male lead character Mr. Darcy, a man who becomes the main love interest and annoyance of Elizabeth Bennet. Critics and audiences loved him, particularly the famous scene at the lake, and Firth’s career has never been the same since. In a twist of fate if it wasn’t for this miniseries author Helen Fielding may never have written her famous Bridget Jones books and we wouldn’t have had some of the more memorable performances of Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and of course Firth.

Shakespeare in Love. It might be odd to see Firth in a villainous like role, but that is exactly what he was in this 1998 romantic drama film. Firth portrays Lord Wessex, an aristocrat who intends to keep his betrothed Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow) close by. However he might be thwarted because Viola, who disguises as a man to participate in a play, has fallen in love with William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes). Firth hasn’t played many villains in his career so it was interesting to see him in this role. I kinda hope he plays more villains in the future.

Bridget Jones Diary franchise. A more modern take on Jane Austin’s Pride & Prejudice, with Firth playing a very similar role. Here he is Mark Darcy (the last name speaks for itself), an old family friend of Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger). In the first film, released in 2001, they at first do not get along, but anyone familiar with the story knows how it goes. Throughout the first film and the two sequels, released in 2004 and in 2016 respectively, Mark and Bridget’s relationship has ups and downs (and other men), but at the end of the day they were meant to be. Firth is spectacular as Mark and had excellent chemistry with Zellweger.

Love Actually. One of the go-to romantic comedies, as well as Christmas movies. This 2003 British film has so many stars and love stories, but Firth still manages to stand out. He stars as Jamie, a writer whose heart is broken when he discovers his girlfriend is sleeping with his brother. Retreating to his French cottage Jamie meets the new housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz). Despite not speaking the same language Jamie and Aurélia fall in love. Firth is one of my favorite actors/characters in this movie and watching him overcome heartbreak and fall in love again is just so sweet to watch. Firth would reprise his role for the Red Nose Day special.

What a Girl Wants. If younger generations were not familiar with Firth they may have been after watching this 2004 teen movie. Firth plays Henry Dashwood, a wealthy lord running for the House of Commons with the promise of becoming Prime Minister. However his past comes back when his long lost daughter Daphne Reynolds (Amanda Bynes) arrives in England to finally meet him. Henry must come to terms with what he really wants, and Daphne might just the key to figuring it all out. Firth is downright hysterical in this movie (there is a scene with him in leather pants, enough said there.) He also comes off as a great father figure to Amanda Bynes’s character. This is a great movie for a girl’s night in.

Nanny McPhee. Like in the previous film Firth plays a father trying to do what is right for his children, but this time he gets a little help. This 2005 film stars Firth as Cedric Brown a widowed undertaker with seven nasty and unruly children during Victorian England. Desperate he hires Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) to help take care of his children; which she does with a little magic. Cedric is told by his late wife’s wealthy aunt if he doesn’t marry soon she will take away the children and their home. Firth is pretty funny in this role as he somehow manages to keep the kids under control (some of the time.) Definitely a great family movie to keep an eye on.

Mamma Mia! Firth isn’t much of a singer, but that did not stop him from being cast in this 2008 guilty pleasure musical. Here Firth is Harry Bright, a banker and one of Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) possible dads. He seems to want to do the right thing if Sophie is his, and is probably the funnier of the other dads. Despite not having the greatest singing voice (which most of the cast doesn’t) Firth is still an absolute joy to watch. He would reprise his role in the 2018 sequel, and was still just as entertaining.

A Single Man. This 2009 drama based on the best-selling novel might not be as well-known as some of the other films on this list, but it was a major hit for Firth’s career. Nominated for his first Oscar for his part Firth portrays George Falconer a gay professor in 1962 who is struggling with depression after the death of his lover. The film was mostly well received, but the critics agreed that Firth’s performance stood out.

The King’s Speech. If there is one film with Colin Firth that will probably be viewed for many years it will without a doubt be this 2010 historical drama. Based on a true story Firth brilliantly performs as Prince Albert Duke of York, later named King George VI. With the help of his wife, the queen consort Elisabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), King George sees Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) a speech therapist. Seeing Firth’s character struggle with his stutter and the relationship he builds with Lionel is breathtaking, hence why Firth won the Oscar for Best Actor. Many years from now I believe we will look back on this performance as Firth’s best.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. There have been many versions of the famous 1974 novel by John le Carré, but this 2011 film is regarded as one of the better ones. Firth stars as Bill Haydon, the “Tailor” as he along with a team of spies trade secrets during the Cold War. Firth’s character is charming, but like most of the characters in here has a dark side. As stated in another film Firth doesn’t usually portray guys in bad lights, but he still stands out among a star filled cast including Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Kingsman franchise. When most think action movie star Colin Firth might not be the first or even fifth to come to mind. Yet in the Kingsman films he is not only funny but can kick butt or kill just as good as some of the best action stars (OK I admit it’s over the top but it is expected.) Firth plays Harry Hart aka Galahad, an agent of the Kingsman, an undercover intelligence service. In the 2014 film he recruits the son of a former student, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) to become a Kingsman. He appears to have been killed, but in the sequel, released in 2017, he makes a surprising comeback. While I don’t think Firth is doing action movies anytime soon, this showed he could not only do it, but do it well. Some of the best scenes are him with a straight face responding to a quip with one of his own (makes the scene that much better.)

Colin Firth is without question one of the best actors today and with films coming including Mary Poppins Returns and The Secret Garden his career is not slowing down anytime soon. Happy birthday Colin Firth!

Is there a Colin Firth performance not on this list but should be? What is your favorite film or TV appearance by Firth? Comment below please.

Photo is courtesy of IMDB. No copyright infringement is intended.

Movie Review: Sweet Home Alabama

For those maybe not as familiar with movies no this is not about the famous Lynyrd Skynyrd song. Sweet Home Alabama, released in 2002, has often been listed among the best romantic comedies of the 2000’s and officially cemented Reese Witherspoon as one of the queens of the genre. As always spoilers will be ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Melanie Carmichael (Witherspoon with Dakota Fanning as the child version) is a fashion designer living in New York City and dating Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey) the son of the New York City mayor Kate Hennings (Candice Bergen). After becoming engaged (in one of the most epic proposals in film) to Andrew Melanie decides to head back home to Alabama to tell her parents Pearl and Earl (Mary Kay Place and Fred Ward), but she is hiding a few big secrets. In order to get away from her poor, and youth trouble, Southern roots Melanie changed her last name from Smoots to Carmichael, her parents are not as classy as she claimed (her father does Civil War re-enactments) and is still married to her childhood sweetheart Jake Perry (Josh Lucas with Thomas Curtis as the child version). Despite Melanie sending divorce papers numerous times Jake refuses to sign them. Melanie uses everything in her power as his wife to get him to sign, such as emptying their joint account to sprucing up his home. However the longer she is at home the more Melanie realizes she shouldn’t be ashamed of who she was/is, and how much in love she still is with Jake. Unfortunately for Melanie Kate, doubting how good she is for Andrew (she is just a tad controlling), sends her assistant Barry (Kevin Sussman) to Alabama to investigate her son’s fiancé. About as far as I should go without giving away the rest of the movie.

Witherspoon as always shines in whatever movie she is in, and this is no exception. Whether she is coming off as New York businesswoman one minute then Southern troublemaker the next Witherspoon’s acting ability was top notch. Lucas was fantastic as Jake, the only guy who sees Melanie for who she truly is, and will do anything to show her that. Dempsey is good as Andrew, standing up to his mother and accepts Melanie for who she is (or so he thinks she is). The rest of the cast is enjoyable and has some very funny moments, although I admit the baby in the bar scene does have me questioning a few things. The films culture clash between New York and Alabama was so perfectly written, although it may have been a little stereotyping. I am not from the South nor have I traveled there so I have yet to experience if it is as different as this film perceives it; I’d like to judge it for myself by actually going one day and not how they are portrayed in film and television. Sweet Home Alabama is still a very cute romantic comedy and while I won’t say it is a must watch it is absolutely a girls night or date night film.

Movie Review: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

It has been over 10 years since the previous Mamma Mia and took the musical world by storm. Whether it was good or bad people were talking about it; I have often seen it listed as a guilty pleasure film for many. As I mentioned in my review of the first film which you can view here I was looking forward to the sequel but I won’t lie and say I wasn’t concerned that they would mess up with the original story. While the sequel was not perfect and might have messed up the timeline a tiny bit I still very much enjoyed the movie. As this is still in theaters I’m issuing a big spoiler alert. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Five years after the previous film Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) now runs the hotel after Donna (Meryl Streep) passed away a year ago. She plans a big re-opening of the hotel named after Donna as she prepares along with the staff; including new gloomy manager Fernando Cienfuegos (Andy Garcia), one of her dads/stepfather Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan) who is still grieving Donna’s death and her mom’s closest friend Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters). Sophie expresses her desire to make her mother proud, but she is also upset because two of her dads Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) and Harry (Colin Firth) cannot make it and Sky (Dominic Cooper) has a job offer in New York; further somewhat straining their relationship. Meanwhile while this is happening the audience travels all the way back to 1979 when Donna (Lily James) graduates from Oxford, along with Tanya (Jessica Keenan Wynn) and Rosie (Alexa Davies). After her mother doesn’t show up for her graduation Donna decides to travel to the island of Kalokairi. While traveling there, and after arriving Donna meets three men that would change her life forever: the quirky Harry (Hugh Skinner), the flirty Bill (Josh Dylan) and the handsome Sam (Jeremy Irvine) I probably shouldn’t go into too much more, but I cannot forget the arrival of Sophie’s estranged grandmother Ruby (Cher)

There have been times when movies get a sequel and they are not really necessary. That is what I originally thought when I heard about this film; however those thoughts were quickly erased from my mind a few moments after Lily James came on the screen. She has recently been an actress I have admired over a few of her films and this role is no exception. I’m sure she felt the pressure of portraying a young version of Meryl Streep (arguably the greatest actress alive today) but I thought she absolutely nailed it in terms of acting and singing. I also very much enjoyed the younger versions of the dads. Skinner, Dylan and Irvine are all very good looking men, their singing voices were better than I thought they were gonna be and their acting was pretty spot one with their older selves; I hope their careers continue to grow after this. Wynn and Davies were perfect as Tanya and Rosie; Davies if I may say had me laughing a little too loud in the theater at times. Of course I cannot forget about the original cast members that returned. Seyfried shined once again as Sophie while Streep’s appearance was brief but nonetheless enjoyable. It was great to see Brosnan, Skarsgård and Firth again; and while some singing has improved it is not by much. Baranski and Walters were just as hilarious as in the first film (Baranski has a line that almost had me falling out of my seat) while Cooper did pretty well as Sky; although I admit his singing voice may have gone down since the first film. Garcia was amusing as Fernando but of course a special spotlight was shined on Cher as Ruby. Whether it is her singing or her acting you cannot take your eyes off of Cher. The writing was pretty good, but I was a little annoyed because how Donna met the guys in the film doesn’t seem to line up with how it was in the original show and movie.

The soundtrack for the movie including many more of ABBA’s greatest hits and I think it might actually be better than the first. Favorites from the first film such as “Mamma Mia” performed by James, Wynn and Davies, “Dancing Queen” by the present cast “I Have a Dream” by James “Waterloo” performed hilariously by James and Skinner “The Name of the Game” by James as she expresses her love for Sam and “Super Trooper” by everyone at the end of the film made their way back, songs from the Broadway show that did not make it to the first film such as “One of Us” performed by Seyfried and Cooper on opposite sides of the world and “Knowing Me Knowing You” performed by James and Irvine as the couple breaks up appeared while new songs were added to tell the past story of Donna as well as the present with Sophie and company. Among the new songs were “Fernando” sung brilliantly by Cher, “Why Did It Have to Be Me” by James, Skinner and Dylan, “Andante Andante” by James, “Angel Eyes” and “I’ve Been Waiting For You” by Seyfried, Walters and Baranski and finally “My Love, My Life” by Streep and Seyfried which may or may not leave a tear in your eye.

Regardless of the small inaccuracies I still loved the sequel I did not know I wanted. While you may not have to watch the original film to understand the sequel it does help a little bit. I will definitely by going again and again to see Mamma Mia Here We Go Again.

Movie Review: Runaway Bride

A women’s wedding day is usually described as the best day of her life, unless she is far from ready in the case of this movie. Released in 1999 and directed by Gary Marshall, Runaway Bride took the saying and turned into a pretty funny romantic comedy. It also reunited Julia Roberts and Richard Gere from the movie Pretty Woman, and their chemistry still stood. As always spoilers will be ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Maggie Carpenter (Roberts) has received the tabloid nickname “The Runaway Bride” after she has left three heartbroken men on their wedding day while being captured on film. New York columnist Homer Eisenhower Graham, aka Ike (Gere) writes an extensive article about Maggie thanks to meeting one of her jilted fiancés. However the article is deemed factually wrong and, after refusing to site his source, Ike is fired. Maggie rightly so is infuriated by the article. Trying to restore his career and reputation Ike travels to Hale, Maryland (yes a fictional town before you start Googling) where Maggie will attempt to marry for the fourth time. Her fiancé is Bob Kelly (Christopher Meloni), the high school football coach who often uses sports analogy to try and calm Maggie. Ike tries to get Maggie’s story from her family and friends, including her best friend Peggy (Joan Cusack), but Maggie freaks out; especially when he calls her out on changing herself to appease her fiancés. Ike and Maggie begin to tell her story, and also begin a very close bond which terrifies both of them. About as far as I should go without spoiling the rest of the movie.

I would describe this film as a very cute romantic comedy, perfect for a night on the couch with a loved one or a girl’s night. Roberts and Gere are two of the finest actors in Hollywood showing how far the two have come since their Pretty Woman days. While I think their chemistry in here is good I believe Pretty Woman is still their better work. Their characters are very interesting as they develop over the course of the movie: Maggie is a woman who changes everything about herself to appease a man she loves, but then runs off because of it while Ike is a kinda bitter man at the beginning before he finds himself falling for Maggie. Runaway Bride may not be a must see film, but if you are in the mood for cute, funny and/or Gere and Roberts together I think it will be a good watch.

Movie Review: A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song

The third installment of the Cinderella story franchise may not be as well known (or as good) as the previous two, but it is still a decent watch. Released on DVD in 2011 this one is more musical than the other two and took the story in a different direction, which actually made it all the more interesting. Spoilers ahead as always. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Katie Gibbs (Lucy Hale) is a student at the Wellesley Academy of Arts aspiring to be a singer, but has many obstacles in her way. For starters she lives with her horrible stepmother (and headmistress of the school) Gail Van Ravensway (Missi Pyle) who has never had success as an artist, her mean and tone-deaf step sister Bev (Megan Park), her trouble making (but actually cares about her) step brother Victor (Matthew Lintz) and Gail’s guru Tony (Manu Narayan), and cannot escape Gail or Bev in school with only her friend Angela (Jessalyn Williams) for company. Gail gets excited when Guy Morgan (Dikran Tulaine), the president of Massive Records Inc. comes to enroll his son, and gorgeous pop star, Luke (Freddie Stroma) in the school. Katie manages to slip in a demo into Guy’s briefcase, and capture the attention of Luke, but Gail claims it is Bev’s. On the night of a big Bollywood ball at the school Gail orders Katie to babysit Victor, but she convinces Tony (who is not actually a guru but an actor needing the work) to do the job. Katie, wearing a disguise, impresses Luke with her voice but quickly leaves when Gail arrives. However Gail beats Katie home and threatens Angela’s education if Katie doesn’t help Bev get with Luke. Katie agrees, even though it is killing her seeing Luke with Bev. About as far as I should go, but given the material it is probably not hard to figure out.

While I did not like this film as much as the previous Cinderella stories, I did like the twist that the stepmother actually beats Cinderella home and force her to help the stepsister; for the record I don’t support it but is definitely a good twist. I was a little familiar with Lucy Hale from some works, but I had no idea how great of a singer she was; it was a very pleasant surprise. Freddie Stroma I remembered from Harry Potter and I was glad to see him as a good guy, and a pretty good singer. Missi Pyle is hilarious as Gail; I almost sympathized with Megan Park and enjoyed the performances of Lintz, Narayan and Williams. The writing and filming could have been better, but I liked the soundtrack. Lucy Hale sang really well with songs such as “Make You Believe”, “Bless Myself” and “Run This Town” while Stroma did pretty good on “Knockin”. While this is probably not must see, if you liked the previous Cinderella stories, then A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song is great for you.

Movie Review: Just Like Heaven

Sometimes it takes a film that may not be as well-known today to become a fan of some of the biggest names in Hollywood. While this is not the best work of Reese Witherspoon or Mark Ruffalo, this 2005 rom com introduced me to them and I have been a huge fan of both ever since. Spoilers ahead as always. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

If you looked up workaholic in the dictionary you might find a picture of Elizabeth Masterson (Witherspoon), an emergency physician who is always working for a promotion. Her sister Abby (Dina Waters) sets Elizabeth up on a blind date and she is on her way there when she gets into an accident. Three months later David Abbott (Ruffalo) a widowed, alcoholic landscape architect rents out Elizabeth’s apartment. Sometime later Elizabeth’s spirit appears, freaking both her and David out as she doesn’t believe she is dead, nor does she remember anything about her life. As David is the only one who can see and hear Elizabeth they both set out to find out what happened to her and why only David can see her; to hilarious results as people think David is crazy for talking to himself including his best friend Jack (Donal Logue) and one of his neighbors Katrina (Ivana Milicevic) who is trying to sleep with him. The only person who seems to believe them is a weird psychic bookkeeper Darryl (Jon Heder). Along the way David and Elizabeth fall in love and when they realize what happened to her Davis is determined to bring her back to him.

I have seen better written romantic comedies, but Just Like Heaven is still pretty cute. Reese is very funny as well as sweet in this movie. Mark Ruffalo is fantastic as a man who has been through so much; it almost feels like his character gets an awaking when he realizes how much he cares for Elizabeth. Heder was pretty good as well; the film also debunked a myth that he was dead. I also enjoyed Logue in this movie as the sarcastic and hilarious Jack. As I stated earlier while I have seen both actors in better movies this is the film that made me a fan of Witherspoon and Ruffalo; both have great chemistry in here and I kinda wish they would do more movies together. We’ll have to wait and see on if it happens again. Just Like Heaven is a good girls night or romantic movie night, but this is not a film I would put high on a must watch list. If you find it on TV or rent it on Netflix by all means watch, it will definitely leave you with a feeling of life is to short so do what you want, say what you want to say and fall in love.

Movie Review: Sydney White

A while back I wrote about a movie that told the story of Cinderella in a modern fashion (more of those probably to come). Today I’m doing something similar, but with Snow White instead and in college. Released in 2007, Sydney White took the beloved fairy tale and in my opinion made it a little better. Now it is not the best modern fairy tale movie, but it is still a good watch. Spoilers ahead as always.

Sydney White (Amanda Bynes) is all set to go to college, specifically her late mother’s Alma matter SAU as well as pledge to her mother’s sorority, Kappa. Having been raised by her widowed father Paul (John Schneider) and his construction friends, Sydney is in the eyes of Kappa president, queen bee (another word that starts with b) and the hottest female at SAU Rachel Witchburn (Sara Paxton) “not Kappa material” despite her being a legacy; well that and Rachel’s on/off boyfriend and president of the top fraternity at the school Tyler Prince (Matt Long) likes Sydney shortly after meeting her. Sydney, along with her friend and another Legacy Kappa Demetria Rosemead Hotchkiss aka Dinky (Crystal Hunt) are able to survive the pledging, but because Sydney basically defies Rachel’s ways she is not accepted. Sydney leaves the Kappa house and meets members of The Vortex, a rundown house on campus and home to seven “dorks” at the school. The seven are Lenny (Jack Carpenter) who has a lot of allergies and health problems (he also has a huge crush on Dinky and vice versa), Terrence (Jeremy Howard) a smart post grad who is still there just because, Gurkin (Danny Strong) a blogger with anger issues, George (Arnie Pantoja) the child-like member of the group, Jeremy (Adam Hendershott) the shy one who speaks through a puppet, Embelakbo Akapaktumble aka Embele (Donte Bonner) a foreign exchange student from Nigeria who still suffers jet-lag and “Spanky” (Samm Levine) who despite his “best” efforts has no experience with girls. Sydney and the guys decide that they have to take down Rachel and her tyrannical reign; especially after they find out she wants to destroy the Vortex for a center for only the top Greek sororities and fraternities, by going after the people that Rachel has ignored. Meanwhile as Sydney continues to rank higher and higher on the “hottest” list on the school website, and Tyler and Sydney grow closer, Rachel’s sanity begins to unravel. About as far as I should go without spoiling, but as I’m sure you are aware of the material it is probably not hard to figure out.

As I said before this is not the best modern fairy tale, but I thought it wasn’t too bad. Amanda Bynes was pretty good as the geeky beauty Sydney White. The seven “dorks” are very funny, Matt Long is exceedingly charming, Crystal Hunt was a nice addition as I didn’t know a lot about the character she is based on and Sara Paxton is a real witch as Rachel (and that’s me being nice). There are several references to the original fairy tale and the Disney movie at a few times. If you like the Snow White story, or a fan of Amanda Bynes and the other actors involved than I would say watch Sydney White, otherwise this probably should not be including on a must watch list.

Movie Review: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Ever wonder what A Christmas Carol may be like if it wasn’t taking place at Christmas? Well probably not but here is one answer. Released in 2009 this romantic comedy takes the Charles Dickens tale and not only modernizes it, but twists it into a non-Christmas story. I know the critics were not a fan, but it still did not stop this movie from making a lot of money. Spoiler alert as always. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Photographer Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey, with Devin Brochu and Logan Miller as the younger versions) not only takes great pictures, but is a notorious womanizer; let me put it this way while hooking up with the woman he was doing a magazine spread for he dumped three other woman via Skype at the same time. He travels up to his childhood home to attend the wedding of his brother Paul (Breckin Meyer) to longtime girlfriend Sandra (Lacey Chabert), despite not really believing in love. Connor as well reunites with childhood friend Jenny Perotti (Jennifer Garner with Kasey Russell and Christa B. Allen as the younger versions), the only woman to ever capture his heart (and clearly still has strong feelings for). Connor makes a drunken speech about love being a myth (and worrying an already freaking out Sandra) and when he goes to the bathroom runs into the ghost of the man who taught him his womanizing ways: his uncle Wayne (Michael Douglas). Telling Connor he is going to die just like him (alone) Wayne tells Connor he will be visited by three ghosts tonight in order to change his ways. Connor at first dismisses it, until he meets the first ghost: the Ghosts of Girlfriends past in the form of Allison Vandermeersh (Emma Stone) who happens to be the first woman Connor slept with in high school who takes him back through his past relationships (which took a LONG time) including him falling for Jenny and then leaving her out of fear of breaking his heart. The Ghosts of Girlfriends Present takes form in Connor’s assistant, and the only constant female figure in his life, Melanie (Noureen DeWulf) showing what people actually think of Connor, including Jenny who is clearly still in love with him but might move on in another man Brad (Daniel Sunjata) much to Connor’s chagrin. When Connor might have screwed up things for his brother he meets the Ghost of Girlfriends Future (Olga Maliouk) which shows a future where Jenny is marring Brad and Connor becomes upset. I know I probably gave a lot away, but considering the material probably not hard to figure out.

A really nice movie perfect for wither a girls night or in need of a little romance. Matthew McConaughey is fantastic as Connor, a womanizer but actually has a heart underneath everything. Jennifer Garner is so good as Jenny, the only woman Connor seems to have loved. Their chemistry is off the charts adorable, I kinda wish these two did more movies together. I liked the rest of the cast, but I have to give a special shout out to Michael Douglas as Uncle Wayne; he was so good. While I would not call Ghost of Girlfriends Past a must see, it is still a very cute movie and if you can find it on TV I would at least DVR it for a later time. Hey you can even watch it on Christmas just to stay true to the original material.

Movie Review: A Cinderella Story

One of my favorite movies not just of my school days but of all time. Released in 2004, A Cinderella Story took the classic fairy-tale and modernized as well as twisted it; to make the story more relatable to the people watching. Starring two of the hottest young stars at the time as our Cinderella and Prince Charming may have also played a part. Not sure why I should say it given everyone knows the Cinderella tale but just in case spoiler alert. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

Our Cinderella in this movie is Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff). She loves baseball, her widowed dad’s diner and dreams of going to Princeton. Feeling Sam needs a mother figure her dad Hal (Whip Hubley) marries Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge) who seemed sweet when they met, but is clearly a self-absorbed gold digger. She brings along her twin daughters Brianna (Madeline Zima) and Gabriella (Andrea Avery) who are both dumb and selfish. Hal is killed during the 1994 Northridge earthquake and because he apparently did not make a will Fiona gets everything, including Sam to both of their dismays. Years later Sam is a servant in her own home and diner while her step family makes it look like they are living a good life (they happily water their lawns despite being told to conserve water during the drought). Because she works at the diner Sam is made fun of at her school by the popular kids, specifically head cheerleader Shelby (Julie Gonzalo). Sam it seems only has a few friends: her lifelong friend Carter (Dan Byrd) who is trying to be an actor and has an obvious crush on Shelby (he is blind to her mean ways), the people who work at the diner long before Fiona got there and her online pen pal Nomad she met in a Princeton chat room. They have a lot in common in their lives and dreams about Princeton, but they have never met. Unbeknownst to Sam, Nomad is actually Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray) the high school quarterback, most popular guy in school and Shelby’s ex-boyfriend (which she has not come to terms with). He wants to go to Princeton but his dad that he wants Austin to go to the University of Southern California to play football.

Nomad wants to meet with Sam during the homecoming dance, but Sam is scared to (not to mention Fiona forced her to work the night of the dance). Rhonda (Regina King) Sam’s sassy other best friend at the diner and wanting to stick it to Fiona helps Sam get ready for the dance in a very Cinderella like dress and mask. Sam and Austin meet and to say Sam was thrown that the hottest guy in school is her pen pal would be an understatement. The two spend the evening talking and the two fall in love. However Sam is forced to leave before midnight in order to get back to the diner before Fiona gets there, but drops her phone as she and Carter (who in his Zorro costume finally managed to woo Shelby) escape. Austin finds her phone and the next day puts up fliers asking his Cinderella to come forward (which causes many girls to claim they are Cinderella including Brianna and Gabriella in hilarious fashion). Sam tries to tell Austin she is Cinderella, but is scared to because of how popular he is and how unpopular she is. About as far as I should go without giving away the rest of the movie, although I will say the last forty minutes are very satisfying.

Hilary Duff was my favorite actress when I was younger, and this to me was her best role. Watching Sam’s character development was amazing, especially the final parts of the movie when she comes in to her own. Chad Michael Murray was also a personal favorite of mine and again watching his character grow is fascinating. Jennifer Coolidge is wickedly good as Fiona, Dan Byrd is hilarious and Regina King is sassy and golden (one of my favorite characters in the entire franchise). Yes in case you didn’t know there are three more Cinderella story movies after this one staring popular teen stars, but those are for another day. I love this movie so much (although I would not call it must see) and if you like romantic high school comedies than this is the one for you.

Movie Review: Penelope (2006 film)

Haven’t heard of this movie, don’t worry not too many have, but I still found this to be very cute. The reason why I have to place 2006 in the title is because while I don’t think there are other movies called Penelope yet you might mistake this for a movie starring someone named that. Now while the film is not perfect it is far from one of bad (at least in my opinion) given the fantasy complex. Spoilers ahead as usual. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.

The Wilhern’s seem like one of the nicest and richest families in England, but there was a legend surrounding them. Many years ago one of the Wilhern men had an affair with one of his servants, but was talked out of marrying her by his family. After he wed someone more to his family’s blue blood standards, the heartbroken and pregnant servant killed herself. The girl’s mother, the town witch, cursed the Wilhern’s that the first daughter born would have the face of a pig and only when someone of their own kind loves her for who she was would the curse be broken. For many years only sons were born, until Jessica and Frank Wilhern (Catherine O’Hara and Richard E. Grant) had Penelope (Christina Ricci). Throughout her childhood Penelope was kept hidden from the world, despite reporters trying to take pictures of her. When she reached 18 Jessica, along with a match maker Wanda (Ronni Ancona), try to find a suitable blue blood match for Penelope. However when any of the guys they pick see her they run, forcing the family butler Jake (Michael Feast) to stop them and make them swear not to tell anyone about Penelope. One man, Edward Humphrey Vanderman III (Simon Woods) gets away before Jake could catch him and is laughed at by the police. One person does believes him: a reporter named Lemon (Peter Dinklage) who lost his eye trying to get a picture of Penelope when she was a baby. Needing proof Lemon and Edward hire a man they believe is Max Campion (James McAvoy), a blue blood with a serious gambling problem, to try and take a picture of Penelope. However Max is caught off guard by how sweet Penelope is and the two begin to bond. When she does reveal herself he is not disgusted by her, but flees when the camera goes off making Penelope think he ran from her face. Max destroys the camera before giving it to Lemon, but when Penelope asks him to marry her just to break the curse he tells her he can’t, leaving her heartbroken. Inspired by Max’s talk of the outside world Penelope leaves her home for the first time, wearing a scarf around her nose and mouth to keep herself hidden, much to the horror of her mother. She meets Annie (Reese Witherspoon) who becomes her mentor and friend. When Penelope decides to expose herself to the world there is a lot of good that comes with it, but there may also be a big cost for herself. About as far as I should go without giving away the rest of the movie.

Like I said this film is not fantastic but I highly doubt it will be the worst thing you see. Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon are my favorite parts of the movie as they all accept each other for who they are, which is what we want in the people we choose to love. While I think Catherine O’Hara is good in the movie let’s just say Penelope’s mom is not exactly mother of the year, although Simon Woods’s character can give her a run for her money. If you like cute fantasy movies then Penelope might be a cute movie for you; otherwise this is probably a skip.