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Reviews
Hit by Lightning (2014)
Lightning Strikes Twice ... A Plot No-No ...
SPOILER ALERT! ...
Halfway through the movie, the popcorn still tasted fine and my only concern ping-ponged between Jon Cryer and the script. While his character, Ricky, was essentially a reprise of Cryer's character on "Two And a Half Men" ... I was left wondering if he was actually miscast. Could someone else have played Ricky's role better? Steve Buscemi was alluded to in the film. Buscemi playing Ricky? THAT would be hilarious. But Cryer should be nailing this role, the movie should be more memorable than the sitcom. Alas, I must put the "NEEDS MORE FUNNY" post-it on this one.
Then the writing came off the rails. Why does the ending fall flat? Because we've already seen the Stephanie Szostak character, Donita, leave Ricky for 10 days. Her nine-month disappearance after the shooting is just more of the same. The story needs a more convincing second plot-point pay-off.
Solution! ... Following the church scene where Ricky secretly meets Donita, have the cop (Ricky's relative) bust Ricky and Donita. Perhaps while the cop was visiting another 'family tree member' at the cemetery, he saw the grave Ricky dug and puts it all together. Tighter than the "crazy serial killer confessing to the wrong murder" excuse.
Ricky and Donita go to court. They get a hard judge who goes soft. Donita gets 4 years, Ricky gets 5-and-a-half for pulling the trigger. Their love is now tested by a new element -- the only thing love truly desires: time. Ricky lamented about time before. Now he HAS something to wait for. Even jail is better than managing at Debby's. Ricky has plenty of time to write ... sappy love poetry? Fast forward to four years later. Donita visits Ricky everyday in jail. Silly conjugal visits. Revise the earlier runner about "I love you plus infinity" and close movie with Ricky and Donita in the prison visiting room, their palms pressed together against the glass partition, Donita tearing up, saying, "I love you plus ... how many days are there in 18 months?" to which Ricky quickly replies, "547 ... counting the leap year."
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Hurt Locker Hurts To Watch ...
I finally watched Hurt Locker this weekend. Unbelievable. This movie won Best Picture? Better than Avatar? Are you kidding me? Let's forget for one second that Avatar out grossed on a global scale The Hurt Locker by a gazillion to one. Those numbers usually are a harbinger to which is the most popular flick. The U.S military industrial complex obviously held Hollywood hostage on this one.
The Hurt Locker is nothing more than a slapped-together documentary or a 90-minutes-too-long, recruitment public service announcement for the U.S. Army. The most telling, revealing moment? Probably when Sanborn decides that he wants to go back home and have a child with his wife. Wow. Nice build up with a few bombs to help nudge along that epiphany.
Besides the "be all you can be" aspect ... did I say PSA? ... the Oscar voters piled on James Cameron, sticking knives with his ex-wife's name on them in his back. Come to think of it, this was a better story line than Hurt Locker.
What memorable mark, if any, did James Cameron's ex leave on this film? The 850-yards apart sniper fire scene could've been lifted from CNN footage following 9/11. How can the American sniper miss by five feet and then hit a moving target from that distance? James Cameron cemented his fame in movie annals with Avatar. His ex tried playing God with her hit-the-moving-target shot ... and failed miserably.
The funny thing is, whatever movie James Cameron's ex directs next does not really have to fare well to better the Hurt Locker. Next time, just leave the hurt in the locker.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
"Not a Love Story"?!
Nice flick ... but the writer ruined it for me by having the narrator say right off the top: "This is not a love story." Thanks a lot. You just told me the ending. Why not let me experience the movie with both options open. You just killed the "boy wins girl" possibility.
The writer has effectively cut himself off at the knees.
Is it because he's telling the audience, "Here, I just tied my hands by limiting my options -- now watch me write my way out of this one." Minus 10 points for thinking too much.
By the way, for the record, it was a love story until they hit the skids.