The Ex

For a romantic comedy starring Zach Braf and Amanda Peet, both of whom have spent their entire careers doing either romance or comedy, there was very little of either in the movie.  Braf was doing a lite version of his Scrubs character, Peet was too intense, and was only cute when she was interacting with children or babies and Jason Bateman, fabulously funny as he can be, was just mean and sad and sadistic.  Really, I didn’t like anybody in this movie and felt depressed watching it.

Pirates of The Caribbean:  At Worlds End

Well that was kind of confusing right?  This movie had way, way to many characters, plots and ideas for one movie.  So things like Calypso, the final Armada fight, and the Pirate Lords, that were pumped up during the entire movie, ended up being not much at all.  Good acting from Depp, Rush, Knightly, and even, amazingly Bloom.  However, the occasional moment of brilliance did not rescue this film from its confusion or length.  It makes you hearken back to the simplicity and straightforwardness of the first film.  Sail here, steal that, fight them, one double cross, more fighting and done.  How hard was that?

Waitress

Such an odd quirky delightful movie.  You never really know who will get together and who will separate.  The relationship between Russell and the doctor was cute, intense, funny and uncomfortable, all at the same time.  I think big props have to be given to Jeremy Sisto, who played Earl, for each and every time he is on screen finding a new and nasty way to be a controlling, abusive, dick.  Also, the final birth scene, where we don’t see the baby, following Russell’s point of view, as she has not wanted the baby, and did not like it until she actually lays eyes on it and then her subsequent total change in focus and temperament was excellently shot.

Knocked Up

Judd Apatow continues to make my favorite comedies, with this his follow up to 40 Year Old Virgin.  What I really like, beyond the fact that the movies are blindingly funny, beyond the fact that they manage to be funny with little or no gross out disgusting humor, no poop or farts, is that all the characters are either friends or nice to each other.  There is no antagonist, nobody is evil, the only enemies are peoples own insecurities and hang ups.  It is both funny and touching, but the touching isn’t invasive, it just makes it heartfelt and realistic.  And really, really fucking funny.