Something's Gotta Give
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Movie Reviews of Something's Gotta Give
Movie Review: Why this will be a classic....
Summary: 5 Stars
For all the reviews citing cliches in this film, it was surprising to me that the majority failed to mention that the screenplay was extraordinary. There are a couple of twists in the traditional plot lines of your typical romantic comedy, but what I felt was so special about this one in particular was that it didn't insult my intelligence. I felt the relationships were believable - especially the December/May relationship relationship that unfolded between Reeves and Keaton. Is it that hard to believe? Older women marrying younger men is a growing trend and I applaud the script for taking that chance. I also liked that there wasn't two of the more common romantic comedy plot devices: 1) a misunderstanding ala "Three's Company" or the 2) soap opera style standoffs between love triangles. Not a single one in this movie and I thought that the script treated the characters with a level of maturity that was more in line with reality than Hollywood.If you want to see Jack and Keanu fight at the end or Amanda Peet chew out her Mom (Keaton) - you won't get it. Go watch a Meg Ryan movie instead.
Other highlights from my perspective:
A clever incorporation of IM and the internet without it being the focal point of the movie.
Some wonderful beach scenes that will remain classic - 50 years from now they will be used for an Oscar night montage.
Character arcs - they may seem simplistic and perhaps packaged quickly (esp. with the Peet character), but all the characters develop.
The cerebral flavor of the movie in general. If the average moviegoer can't appreciate the importance of "eating pancakes" in a certain scene then perhaps I suggest they are missing the point of that scene.
I am a big Jack fan and you think he is playing himself, but until those credits are rolling at the end does he flash that trademark smile in the restaurant. Not only did that simple act get applause in the theater when I saw the movie, but symbolized that he is complete - being himself again despite severing his bachelor ways. That was a brilliant subtlety that personified the whole movie, in my opinion.
Movie Review: A Must See Film - Keaton & Nicholson Are A Real Treat!
Summary: 5 Stars
Boy did I love this film!! I needed a good laugh...and I found myself with a stitch in my side from laughter. I also found a few unexpected tears in my eyes. There are definitely poignant moments here. But then, I happen to be a woman "of a certain age" so perhaps I really related. Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, a superb supporting cast and writer-director Nancy Meyers have provided entertainment at its best with "Something's Gotta Give." (I hate the movie's title, though. Surely someone could have come up with something more apt and original).Harry Sanborn, (Nicholson), a 63 year-old music industry mogul, is a renowned bachelor who prefers his women under 30 and gorgeous. He is allergic to commitment - the word is not even in his vocabulary. Erica Barry is a 50-something divorcee and a super successful playwright. Her daughter, 20-something Marin, (lovely Amanda Peet), brings her latest lover (Sanborn), to their Hamptons summer home for the weekend and - Surprise(!) - finds Mommy home too. The interaction and verbal sparring between the 4, (including Aunt Zoe, played by Frances McDormand as Keaton's feminist sister), is a riot. Unfortunately Harry's hard living catches up with him during this, of all weekends, and he has a heart attack. Keaton saves him with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. And hunky Dr. Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves) forces him to remain at the Barry home to recuperate. Then the fun really begins.
The combination of Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson is an absolute joyous one. Two great actors, with plenty of chemistry between them, are at their best - they sizzle! As do Keanu Reeves and Keaton. She gets all the great guys...deservedly so. The script is witty, the dialogue is acerbic...and tender at times. The characters have depth and room to grow - which they certainly do. There may be some weak moments - the ending is slightly schmaltzy, but I loved it anyway and wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
So, if you're in the mood for a good flick that will make you laugh and touch your heart - this is the one. Highly recommended!
JANA
Movie Review: Loved, Loved ,Loved this movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't enjoyed a movie this much in a very long time. I saw it on TNT, recently, and went right out and purchased the DVD and the soundtrack. It was funny, light, and very entertaining. Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton were wonderful, as usual. However, I enjoyed the fine performances by Amanda Peet and Keanu Reeves, as well. Frances MacDormand had a small part but added to the fine cast.
Diane Keaton plays,Erica Barry, a divorced mother of an adult child who is a very successful playwright and lives in upscale Hampton.
Jack Nicholson plays,Harry Sanborn, the owner of a hip hop label called "Drive By". He enjoys dating much younger women and was dating Erica Barry's daughter, Marin, previously. He has a hard time committing to any relationship and suffers from multiple "heart attacks".
Amanda Peet plays, Marin, Erica Barry's 30 year old daughter who also suffers from committing in a relationship. She was previously dating Harry and brings him to her mother's Hampton beach house for a little romp when Harry suffers from a near fatal heart attack.
Keanu Reeves plays, Dr. Julian Mercer, who is the emergency doctor who cares for Harry after his heart attack. It is at this time that he meets and falls in love with Erica Barry with whom he has a relationship with before she dumps him for Harry, a more age appropriate companion for her.
Frances MacDormand plays,Zoe, Erica's sister who encourages the relationship between her sister and Julian.
Erica writes a play based on her relationship with Harry which ends with the two of them (along with Julian) in Paris. It was the French music and the scenes of Paris that helped make this romantic movie so endearing.
I enjoyed seeing a movie about two mature adults falling in love. It was a pleasure to see a movie that showed that it is still possible to fall in love at any age.
This movie is well worth seeing and the price is right, too.
Movie Review: Intelligent and charming!
Summary: 5 Stars
To paraphrase a line found within this film, this is a movie to love! The writing and the directing are solid. It successfully delves into the realms of comedy and drama both without becoming too much of one and foresaking the other. Is it intelligently written? Yes. Does "intelligently written" mean that it's "Citizen Kane"? Of course not! But then, would a romantic comedy benefit from an austere take on life like some whine is missing from this film? Probably not. Besides, there are other worthy films that achieve that goal and are available. Sometimes, I think cynicism is confused or equated with"intelligent". Rather, it's intelligent in the fact that it does not blandly parcel out the storyline like so many movies do these days. It doens't pander and go for the easy laughs and/or sight gags. I intensely dislike movies that seem as if written from a board room of Hollywood executives. Fortunately, this movie is not one of them whereas "Sleepless In Seattle" was (for me).
The acting is fantastic! Keaton and Nicholson could charm an audience by reciting the ingredients off of a soup can! They're chemistry together feels genuine and they hit all the right notes from the smallest inflections to the larger, overall actions within the storyline. All of the other actors are solid in their performances as well and lend credibility and their own sense of charm as well.
The music in this movie is great too and works well to support the tone without being intrusive.
My only criticism (and it's minor) is that it dragged just a tad three quarters through the film but picks up again towards the end. There really are no holes in the story which I was pleased with.
All in all, this is a movie that will give you a lift without sacrificing intelligence or compromising integrity for the sake of doing so. "Somethings Gotta Give" is not only a movie to love but one to own as well!
Movie Review: The Ultimate Romantic Comedy For Baby-Boomers
Summary: 5 Stars
Thanks, Hollywood, for remembering that while we baby-boomers are not your prime demographic we are still around and yearning for a great movie like this to make us laugh all the way to retirement.Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton are fabulous playing roles not that far removed from their real lives. Jack is Harry Sanborn, a sixty-three year old entrepreneur who doesn't believe in dating anyone under thirty. Diane is Erica Barry, a highly successful playwright ("the best since Lillian Hellman") who has had an emotional shutdown since her divorce. Romance and sex are not even options for her and Harry is not at all attractive when she first meets him half-naked while he is preparing to bed her daughter. Their relationship is best described as intense dislike at first sight but when he accidentally see her naked, it goes to full-out hate!
You might have a good guess as to how this will turn out, but there are so many twists along the way you might not get exactly what you were expecting. What you will get is a great, feel-good movie to have you laughing a lot and thinking "how true, how true." When the relationship hits the rocks, Erica is able to turn her humiliation and rejection into a Broadway hit that features a male chorus line of Dancing Harrys replete in hospital gowns with peek-a-boo backs as well as every romantic and not-so-romantic line Harry ever uttered to her.
Keanu Reeves is a most delectable piece of eye candy, but it is Frances McDormand as Erica's sister Zoe and Amanda Peet as her daughter Marin who give great supporting performances. Also good to see Paul Michael Glaser, albeit in a very small role.
If you're under thirty, just tell your Mom and Dad to see it. But if you're over 40, don't miss this. Hollywood may not permit us to see the likes of it again.