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Da Couch Tomato Podcast, Episode 21, discussing Little Women, the unavoidable comparisons with the 1994 version, and how this film gives us something new as another remake of a certified classic.

Background music used is the Little Women score by Alexandre Desplat.

Hosts: Sting Lacson and Rachel

Rating: 8.7/10

YouTube

Da Couch Tomato Podcast, Episode 6, discussing Netflix's The Laundromat, underutilising the stellar cast, and the unusual approach used by director Steven Soderbergh.

Background music used is "Rodney Yates" by David Holmes, who also composed The Laundromat's musical score.

Hosts: Sting Lacson and Rachel


Hope Springs, as the title would hint at it, is about having hope and hope following through with your expectations. Headlined by the Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones, the film morphs into a hopeful romantic movie about an elderly couple. But really, Hope Springs is actually the name of the small town where our two leads spend a few days or so to undergo an intense marriage counseling from this guy.

That's doctor-psychologist Steve Carrell. Would you really take this guy seriously?

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Despite sounding like a movie about Josef Stalin's wife, this is actually about Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain. And to answer the number one FAQ: Yes, she still lives.


"Yes, I'm alive. And so is my hat."

Seeing Meryl Streep in her Oscar-winning performance made me realize that La Streep, even with make-up to make her look old, still looks very attractive. Also, she can do a decent British accent.


"I can also sing British New Wave songs on karaoke."

This film, however, is quite boring. First, because it makes Thatcher's Alzheimer's an integral part of the story. I'm not even sure she had Alzheimer's, to be honest.


"What do you mean you're not sure?"

Second, there wasn't really any strong narrative. Like, if Thatcher was played by any other actress, I wouldn't even watch this.


:-(

And so to draw in the younger audiences, the casting department decided to throw in one actor from Harry Potter, and three actors from Game of Thrones.

Professor Horace Slughorn
Jim Broadbent

"Sometimes I'm mistaken for Alan Alda."


Magister Illyrio Mopatis
Roger Allam

"Meh."


Viserys Targaryen
Harry Lloyd

"Want a pretzel?"


Ser Jorah Mormont
Iain Glen

"I won't get to fuck Daenerys in Season 2? Why?"


If they altered reality a little bit and featured Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan having sex, that might've drawn a bigger box office crowd.



The Iron Lady. UK/France. 2011.



Rating: Six out of ten.

Nobody likes love triangles. Two's company, and three's a crowd, as the saying goes.

The title, I believe, was popularized by the relationship status found in social networking sites. And for that, we thank you, Friendster, even if you're already dead.

Okay, since this is a love triangle, I shall just discuss the three main players in this game called "adult relationships".

La Streep: I don't even have to keep saying it. In fact, I get tired of saying it over and over. Meryl Streep, you are one brilliant actress. You make acting so effortless. And you age ever so gracefully.

Steve Martin: This is the first time I've seen a subdued Steve Martin. I'm used to seeing him as a comic. I'd like to see more roles like this, though.

Alec Baldwin: You are simply too big to be allowed. And I hate your guts for playing an obnoxious ex. But that actually means your performance was effective.

Final three points: 1) I would really like to smoke whatever it is they smoked in this film. Looks like some pretty strong shit. 2) Caitlin Fitzgerald is pretty. She plays the eldest daughter. But she doesn't look pretty in her other pics on Google search. 3) And finally, hooray for women who do not go back to their exes. Especially the obnoxious, asshole, jerk type of an ex. 'Nuff said.


*some info from IMDb
pic from altfg.com


It's Complicated. USA. 2009 (2010 Philippines).


Original rating: Eight out of ten.
Alec Baldwin's hugeness: Minus one point.
Final rating: Seven out of ten.
Three words: Pretty Heavy Stuff.

Story and Screenplay: Great. Excellent even. The screenplay was very well written. I could not have crafted a more perfect story. Not once did the film become explicit. All the crucial things were merely implied. And therein lies the beauty of it, for in implying something, there is no certainty; only doubt. And that's where the title comes from, in case you didn't notice.

John Patrick Shanley: Writer. Director. Storyteller. This guy speaks the cinematic language fluently. You can tell by the pacing of the film, plus the poetry of the shots. A true visual storyteller.

Amy Adams: Yeah, you look cute. And you're acting's cute. Okay, everything about you is cute. Too bad about that Oscar though.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Yes, I know you're a great actor. But this is not your best performance. You and I know it. Especially you. You know you've performed better. But hey, you're always great anyway. But this still isn't your best performance.

Meryl Streep: Using a ten-star rating scale, Meryl Streep alone is an automatic five stars. The first time she shows her face on camera---brilliant. Meryl Streep is the bitchiest nun I have ever encountered. Bitchier even than the Mother Superior in The Sound of Music. Wait, I don't think the Mother Superior was a bitch at all. Anyway...Meryl Streep...I just love the accent. Italian-American northeastern, probably. New York, Jersey, or Connecticut, or somewhere thereabouts. And while I have not seen The Reader yet, I am certain that Ms. Streep gave the best performance that year, better even that Kate Winslet.

So, let me end this by saying: Go watch Doubt. Especially the Roman Catholics. This is, after all, a Catholic school film.


*some info from IMDb
pic from welt.de


Doubt. 2008. USA.


Rating: Nine out of ten (One star each for cinematography, screenplay, directing, and acting; five stars for Meryl Streep).
Viva la Streep.

I shall explain the title's double meaning later. We shall not dwell on the story anymore, as it is quite your usual predictable plot. So let's just talk about the acting. (Unless you want me to comment on the cinematography, which I'm sure nobody wants to hear.)

Anne Hathaway: Okay. Not great. Just okay. Have to remind myself to see Rachel Getting Married and check out her acting.

Stanley Tucci: Great performance. Subtle, yet totally amusing. Stanley Tucci is always a treat to watch.

La Streep: Excellent. No question. The first thing I was expecting when she first appeared in the film was that she would start nagging in a really high-pitched, bitchy voice. But lo and behold, once she opened her mouth, she broke stereotypes. Miranda Priestley is a bitch---but a soft-spoken bitch. Bitchy without even uttering a single word. Bitchy just by the way she looks at you. Oh, and the hair. I love the hair. I love you, Meryl Streep.

So, about the title. First, Miranda Priestley, the boss of Runway magazine, is the devil herself. You know, mean boss equals devil, that kind of thing.

Second meaning: the whole fashion industry is the devil. Once it swallows you, you'll come out better dressed, but with horns coming out of your head. The fashion world is the dark side.

But don't watch this for any philosophical insights between fashion and life. Just watch it for Meryl Streep. I love her so much that if I were a girl, I would be Meryl Streep.


*some info from imdb
pic from www.forum.militaryltd.com


The Devil Wears Prada. USA. 2006.


Rating: Seven over ten.
Contrary to popular belief, males who like musicals are not gay.

Musical films have experienced a resurgence recently, and I'm not sure what brought about their new rise in popularity, but it seems that they're here to stay. I think it's the fusion between Holly- and Bollywood.

Anyway, this film is based on the musical of the same name, and as the title suggests, it is scored with music from the Swedish band Abba (the two male members of Abba in fact also make cameo appearances in the film).

Surprisingly, this film has now become the highest-grossing film musical of all time (how could it ever beat The Sound of Music?) and yet I do not consider this film a personal favorite.

First of all, I find it problematic when writers try to craft a musical around a pop band's discography, like what they did with The Beatles in Across the Universe. I believe it limits the story that can be crafted out of it, and it would take a genius to pull it off perfectly. And for me, this film comes off as a bit forced. But Abba seems happy about it, so why bother?

Performance-wise, Meryl Streep delivers a great performance, and though she is getting older, she still has the vibrancy of youth. It's not something that can be altered by plastic surgery; I'm talking about the inner youth from within. Meryl Streep still has it in her. Amanda Seyfried's performance is okay, to put it bluntly. It didn't suck, but it didn't stand out either. But her three possible fathers in the film are another matter altogether.

Critics lamented the fact that three talented gentlemen not known for their singing abilities were cast in a musical of this caliber (this was actually produced by Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson). I mean sure, Colin Firth knows a little guitar, and Stellan Skarsgård has some moves, but I pity Pierce Brosnan, whose singing has been compared to "a braying donkey" (ouch).

Production-wise, the film's setting limited the production, as everything took place on the Greek island of Kalokairi. So all the dancing and singing was confined to that location. And it is my opinion that Abba's songs are too colorful to be limited to such a small space.

Finally, when reviewing a musical, one cannot avoid comparing it with other musicals of its time. And my standard for modern musicals is still Hairspray. At least Hairspray had all original songs. Like I said, it is a very difficult task to construct a decent musical out of an existing band's discography, and this film is no exception.


Rating: Three stars.
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