Beyond the Sea, In Good Company & Sideways

Beyond the Sea

Kevin, Kevin, Kevin... Vaudeville, Broadway, The Old Vic... yes! Transitioning it to the big screen... meh. It pains me to give this movie a bad review, but I just couldn't get into it. Granted, I don't know much about Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin, and would probably appreciate it more if I did... but she's such a cheerleader. And I have to admit- I've never been a fan of Bosworth- the girl from Win A Date with Tad Hamilton. She is so young...

The singing was pretty good, but it was far from his best work.

I know that he did this movie for himself. I appreciate him sparking interest in a man he so admired. But I just wasn't... feeling it, I guess. Too bad.

In Good Company

Yeah- it was pretty good. Not what I expected, but in a good way. Johannsen was beautiful, as always, but she was playing an 18 year old *raises eyebrow*. Grace was good, as was Quaid.

The story itself jumped around all over, and you were never really sure how much time had elapsed- the only way to know was to look at Quaid's wife's belly to see how far along she was in her pregnancy. It was an interesting movie, but something about it was just... missing.

Sideways

Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church were fantastic in this movie. The dialogue was hilarious, the whole plot itself was great. Marcio said something interesting- I have to agree with him saying that Virginia Madsen was nothing fantastic. Perhaps the role needed to be meatier. The critics seem to love her, though.

Roger Ebert says that if "there's any justice in the world, (Virginia Madsen) will be nominated for an oscar for best supporting actress. Nominated? Yes. Awarded??? I don't agree. He says

"What happens between them all is the stuff of the movie, and must not be revealed here, except to observe that Giamatti and Madsen have a scene that involves some of the gentlest and most heartbreaking dialogue I've heard in a long time. They're talking about wine. He describes for her the qualities of the pinot noir grape that most attract him, and as he mentions its thin skin, its vulnerability, its dislike for being too hot or cold, too wet or dry, she realizes he is describing himself, and that is when she falls in love with him. Women can actually love us for ourselves, bless their hearts, even when we can't love ourselves. She waits until he is finished, and then responds with words so simple and true they will win her an Oscar nomination, if there is justice in the world." (Thanks for the link, sweetie)

However, that merely talks about the screenplay- it has nothing to do with her delivery of the monologue, even though it was good. Besides, I have a hard time being convinced that she fell in love with him. I think that's going a little overboard. I'd like to think that was when she realized that he was a lot more interesting than she had originally thought. To say that "she falls in love with him", in my honest opinion, is going a little too far. If anything, because I was not convinced that she fell in love with him at that point, she should not get the oscar.

It is a great movie, though. The merlot scene made me laugh my ass off; I couldn't agree more.