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Reviews
Chloe (2009)
Ingenious Plot Twist ***SPOILER ALERT**
I am a huge fan of Amanda Seyfried. She's beautiful, exceptionally talented, and this role demonstrates her ability to perform in all genres and to do so flawlessly. Quite frankly, I was in total shock to see the tables turned on a theme: to watch women in traditional male roles (the males as transgressors vs. the passive wife/victim). I would have preferred to see others cast in the roles of the Stewarts (keeping the son, however-I thought he was adorable and charming). Was I the only person to notice the billboard in view of Dr. Stewart's office window? It appeared to be her, in full view of anyone on the street. Since that seemed to be Chloe's "turf", she could have easily set her sights on Dr. Stewart. Chloe possessed the intellectual resources to stalk her prey and catch her. I doubt she was bisexual. I believe she was a lesbian, but men were simply a part of her job. Chloe's obsession with Dr. Stewart seemed to have deep roots associated with her mother. Her dialog in the beginning tells the entire story: she has to know her craft. It is necessary to know what to say, how to touch, etc. In short, to find each person's magic button and when to push it. I thought it was brilliant!
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (2009)
I Can't Believe I'm Going to Say This
If I were reviewing this type of movie, I would almost always stop watching after ten-fifteen minutes due to the absolute stupidity of it. However, I LOVED this film. I'm not a genius, but I'm very far from ignorant, so I'm not sure what the appeal was initially, but that poo scene was HYSTERICAL!! I laughed so hard that I could barely catch my breath. BTW, that Visine trick doesn't really cause an attack of violent diarrhea. It can, however, make people extremely ill: shallow breathing, roller coaster blood pressure, visual distortion and a number of other potentially dangerous side effects. Facts aside, the characters are stereotypical males on a bachelor party adventure. The "payback", in the form of poo, was priceless for the quintessential sexually-obsessed narcissist. (If people were honest, they would admit to being in a similar situation-having an "accident" or close to it, the mad dash for the toilet, and the absence of good ole toilet paper when you need it the most!) I consider myself extremely picky about the movies I'll watch, but I'm afraid I'll have to take a second look at it, just to see the scene again. I watched a documentary about the lengths to which people will go for shock value, rather it be blood and guts, or pushing the boundaries of raunchy, disgusting humor. This movie ranks in the top five of all-time poor taste. But I can't help myself; it was really hilarious.
Redbelt (2008)
I don't understand a few things
I've never been a fan of martial arts, per se, but I've watched this movie each time it comes on cable. I've never seen the main character (I won't attempt to spell his name) in anything before, but I think he, (as well as the rest of the film), is excellent! I saw a post regarding the incident where he was slapped. The person who wrote the post referred to the female who slapped him as his wife, but I thought it was the attorney. My question is why? He appeared to be explaining his actions, and after raising his head, she smacked him. He seemed distressed while talking to her, so her action perplexed me. I feel like a fool, since I've seen the movie so many times, yet didn't get what his wife did. That husband/wife relationship was strange to begin with, given the nature of the members of her family, and his unwavering nobility. His character was inspirational, thought-provoking and a perfect template for all people, regardless of who or what they are. I think that's why I've seen in around thirty times! The character was beautifully written, and the script was honest, without the usual gratuitous sex scenes and other unnecessary garbage. The inclusion of the attorney's traumatic history, and Mike's method of dealing with it was pure genius.
The other issue I had trouble wrapping my head around was how bulky Tim Allen was. Has he really put on that much muscle? It's odd to see him in a dramatic role in the first place, but the seeing him in a tight shirt really emphasized his upper body. (I'm actually watching it right now, and the slapper was definitely his attorney.) Can anyone shed some light on this for me?