Reviews

As a single 20-something I've had to watch seemingly hundreds of romantic comedies with girlfriends. "It Had to Be You" is probably the only one I would consider watching again.

I was half asleep when this movie came on Turner Classic Movies this afternoon. I've been trashcan-by-the-couch sick all week, so what's been on the TV is a complete blur.

Before I could cycle through what was on the DVR, the movie had gotten its hooks in me. When I got up and ran urgently to the bathroom I did something I never do: I hit 'pause.' I'm probably a dream subject for people marketing to the 21- to 35-year-old bracket. I like violence, video games, electric guitars and scantily-clad women. None of these things are in "It Had to Be You," but it kept me entertained anyway.

It's not a classic by any means, but this movie is solid. Its humor carries through 60 years later and the actors felt right for their roles. Also, the story is believable in its unbelievability - I still like to think my kindergarten-crush will pop up and be right for me.

The movie also has that post-war wholesomeness that's hard to describe. There are a lot things left unsaid in the film that would be brought up in a modernized version, mainly about a live-in male friend who is not the fiancé. As it stands it feels fresh compared to the last half-dozen romantic-comedies I begrudgingly saw in theaters.

If you want to see a quality, lighthearted, funny and fantastic 40s-era movie, then check this one out next time it's on TCM.

Like many other people I had an obsession with Bond as a child, few other characters caught me the same way. I'd seen every single bond movie out by the time I started middle school and wore that like a badge of honor (and back then that enviable).

But also like many others, I was not the biggest Brosnan fan. I personally think that Dalton is the best Bond, and Brosnan just never captured me the same way. The movies turned into tech demos for new products and the usage of gadgets was almost laughable. This is a movie, with a plot, with action, and it's a lot of fun - that's all it took to sell me.

Casino Royale tried, and I think was successful, at wiping the slate clean for the Bond series. There is a real sense of character development and intrigue in this film, it's a real return to the roots of the series. It does have it's lows, though - I rolled my eyes through the text messaging tidbits, and about the time the 2 hour mark passed by it slumped a little, but as a whole I feel like James Bond still has a few kicks left in him.

The acting is also surprisingly good. Daniel Craig plays the role very confidently and while all the kinks aren't out, I already know I'm going to be at the next one just like Mr. Broccoli would have wanted.