Sex and the City

First Hit: I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it and I loved one the themes of this film - forgiveness.

Because I haven’t had a television for over 15 years, I’d never seen the HBO television series of the same name. I didn’t know what to expect but I do know not many television series have converted well to the film medium (Think - Brady Bunch).

If the television series was as fun as this film was, then I might have enjoyed watching it the series. Four women, very different from each other yet connected through their femininity, love of the city (New York), and interest in men; share their differing life experiences together. Through all the ups and downs they, no matter what, are there for each other.

The major plot of this film is that Carrie (Played by Sarah Jessica Parker) is going to marry Mr. Big (Played by Chris Noth). Mr. Big, having been married twice before, just wants something simple and Sarah lets the wedding get away from her and it becomes the "talk of the town wedding". He just wants to be reassured that it is “just the two of us”.

The sub-plots are Samantha Jones (Played by Kim Cattrall) is living in LA as a manager for her much younger actor stud boyfriend. His work schedule is keeping him away from being home and giving Samantha what she likes, lots of sex. This is causing Samantha to wonder about her life and her hunky neighbor.

Charlotte York (Played by Kristin Davis) is the more straight and princess-like wife who couldn’t have a child and therefore adopts one. But then she becomes pregnant. She is in a happy marriage and is “happy most of the time” which is different from the other three girls.

Then there is Miranda Hobbes (Played by Cynthia Nixon) a tight lipped lawyer who thrives on her schedule but has a husband who is more open, kind, and flexible. These differences are starting to show and causing breaks their family unit and the scenes with the child in the restaurant and them together making love are especially telling.

With these 4 plots set in place this film unfolds in a clear, fun and thoughtful way.

Michael Patrick King is the film’s director and does a wonderful job of setting up the film for those of us who didn’t know the characters from television and then briskly moves the film along. Even though it is 145 minutes long, I was never bored and felt like each piece fit and brought something to the overall experience. What I liked most about the film is that there was this strong message throughout, which was forgiveness. It was about the forgiveness of friends, spouses, boyfriends, and fiancés.

Overall: Although there were some parts (1 crucial part) that didn’t work for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and the characters.

Then She Found Me

First Hit: There are some very funny moments in the film and it was also a well acted dramatic touching story.

Helen Hunt plays April a woman married to Ben (played by Matthew Broderick), a man who just never seemed to grow up.

Helen wants a child so bad but their attempts have been fruitless. Her mother keeps telling her to adopt, there are plenty “of Chinese children looking for a home”. However, April insists on wanting to have the experience of going through childbirth.

April walks into the kitchen one day and Ben says he wants out of the relationship. However, they end up making love one more time. Later that day she meets Frank (played by Colin Firth) whose wife ran out on him, “because he was too much for her”, leaving him to raise both his children. In the parking lot of the school where April works Frank inadvertently comes on to her.

Here the film could have just moseyed along to a predefined conclusion. However life presents challenges: April’s mother dies, then she finds out she was adopted by meeting her birth mother Bernice (played by Bette Midler) who wants to dive right into a relationship with April, discovers she’s pregnant with her to be ex-husband’s child, and is falling in love with Frank all within a couple of weeks.

Again, there could be a smooth ending to this more complicated set-up, however real people get their buttons pushed and this film displays some of these possibilities.

Helen Hunt both acted in and directed this film. She is a wonderful actor and, in her directorial debut, intelligent enough to know how to direct other strong actors, including herself. I loved how the tension in her character was palpable as the film progressed. What surprised me most about this film was complicated and somewhat abrupt set up at the beginning of this story. However, Helen was able to take these pieces and stitch them together with clear direction enticing strong multi-dimensional characters from each of the actors while keeping the story line in focus.

Overall: The film got better and better as it unfolded and in the end it was touching and felt true.

Son of Rambow

First Hit: The film had potential but failed in most ways.

This was a poorly constructed film which, with some additional thought, might have been fun and interesting.

The story is about two kids, Will (Bill Milner) who is being raised by a mother who is part of a religious group called “The Brethren”, while Lee (Will Poulter) is being raised by his older brother, meet in the school hallway and end up deciding to make a film call “Son of Rambow”.

The kids are very different in that Lee is somewhat of a bully, loner and doesn’t get along with anyone while Will is very creative, thoughtful and wants to break loose from the hold and beliefs of The Brethren.

The scenes of them making scenes of the film are cute but the addition of the exchange students from France and one of their characters doesn’t add a whole lot to the plot.

The boys have an obligatory falling out but the reconciliation and end of the film is very well done and made sitting through the film worthwhile.

Will Poulter gave a strong performance and could be someone we hear from again in the future.

Overall: Might be a reasonable DVD film for grade school children to see some rainy afternoon.

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay

First Hit: Sophomoric humor was funny a few times and will appeal to a certain crowd.

I was immediately reminded that Harold and Kumar are probably the Cheech and Chong of the latest generation.

The story revolves around pot and guys missing the love of their lives and try to put it all together by way of a detour to Guantanamo Bay.

Harold is a neat and controlled type person, while Kumar is messy and unorganized. In the first few scenes you get the idea as they pack for a trip to Amsterdam where pot is legal. However, Kumar cannot wait and decides to tryout his electric smokeless bong in the airplane's restroom.

However, he is seen by a passenger who thinks he’s a terrorist and the smokeless bong is mistaken for a bomb and therefore the air marshals arrest them. Because Harold is Korean and Kumar Indian, an over zealous government agent decides they are terrorists and sends them to Guantanamo Bay.

The rest of the film is their adventure of trying to find someone who can help straighten this mess out.

There are some funny scenes along with the more gross sophomoric bits. The best scene is when they are smoking pot with President Bush.

Overall: Maybe good enough to watch on DVD when you just don’t want to think and watch something stupid.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

First Hit: I was surprised by some of the accurate realisms portrayed by Jason Segel about being dumped by his girlfriend. Additionally I enjoyed and found some of the scenes very funny.

Jason Segel not only starred in this film but also wrote it as well. I liked how Jason, as Peter, showed some balls (literally as well) by showing some of the self inflicted agony men experience when they are dumped by the love of their life.

It also shows how men can become complacent about relationships by taking things for granted. In this case, he is messy, unclean, and lies around on the couch too much when Sarah isn’t around. And only attempts to get things together when she comes around. This point is brought home again later in the film and is well made.

Peter and Sarah are working on the same TV show when the breakup happens. Sarah (played by Kristen Bell), is the star of the show and therefore Peter takes the supporting role in public. She decides she wants to be with another man and dumps Peter. Peter takes solace in sleeping with other women but ends up in Hawaii as a way to escape his depression. He meets Rachel (played by excellently by Mila Kunis) who is the hotel desk clerk who helps him out with Peter discovers that Sarah is at the same hotel with her new boyfriend.

Overall: I was cautious about this film because it could have tipped into a full-fledged sophomoric frat boy humor, but it didn’t. It held its own space and did this rather well. It is a nice fun romp.