The Love Guru (2008) - Schnabel and Myers' vulgar belly flop is actually hilarious

♥♥♥♥

+ Silliest Movie of the Year + Best Huge Flop Movie of the Year + Most Expensive Flop of the Year: 45.68 mil. $ range + Most Under-appreciated Movie of the Year

Colorful, kooky antics from five beloved stars are promised on this chuckle-inducing poster for Marco Schnabel's The Love Guru

Guru Sitka is the world's second greatest guru. A Canadian hockey team now wants to use his wisdom to win the Stanley Cup, all the while the guru falls in love.

The Love Guru is written by Graham Gordy (Rectify (2013, TV-series) and co-writer/co-producer/star Mike Myers (Wayne's World 2 (1993)) and directed by debuting Marco Schnabel (Brain Trust (2011, TV movie), writer). It is an outrageously silly film, which can be enjoyed (or not) according to personal humor and taste. If you are a Myers fan, you should be able to jump headlong into the embrace of this comedy, one of the nuttiest film to date.
The tomfoolery reaches previously unknown heights, (some would argue, lows), and although there are repetitive and uncool jokes and gags, I for one still find them fairly irresistible.
Ben Kingsley (Hugo (2011)) is funny as another guru, a part that also makes fun of his demure legacy as Gandhi in Richard Attenborough's masterpiece Gandhi (1982). Justin Timberlake (Black Snake Moan (2006)) is energetic and funny; Jessica Alba (Machete Kills (2013)) is sweet and lovely; the late Verne Troyer (Here Lies Lonely (1999)) is incredibly funny as the hockey team leader; and Romany Malco (The Duff (2015)) is charismatic and funny. Myers heads the pack and is incredible, infectious, fearless and visibly in love with performing here. A consistently happy, daffy energy runs through The Love Guru, which I personally favor over Myers' infinitely more successful Austin Powers sequels, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).

Related post:

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  

 2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 62 mil. $
Box office: 40.8 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.65 times the cost)
[The Love Guru was released 20 June (USA, Croatia) and runs 87 minutes. Shooting took place in Canada, including Toronto, and in Los Angeles from September - November 2007. The film opened #4, behind fellow new major comedy release Get Smart and holdover hits The Incredible Hulk and Kung Fu Panda, to a 13.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week and grossed 32.2 mil. $ (78.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.5 mil. $ (6.1 %) and Australia with 2.1 mil. $ (5.1 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 1/4 star review, translating to 3 notches harder than this one. IMDb's users have currently placed the film at #74 on IMDb's Bottom 100 list, sitting between 2001: A Space Travesty (2000) and Turkish youtuber comedy Enes Batur Hayal mi Gerçek mi? (2018). Schnabel never returned to directing; instead he has slowly returned to writing and producing for TV. Myers returned in Inglorious Basterds (2009) but has not led a movie since The Love Guru, (an announced Austin Powers 4 could change that fact.) The Love Guru is rotten at 14 % with a 3.3/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Love Guru?

Bad Teacher (2011) - Diaz and fine co-stars make Kasdan's weak-premised romcom float

♥♥♥

Cameron Diaz's naughty school teacher look's sex appeal is a major selling point for Jake Kasdan's Bad Teacher

A morally questionable woman is forced to continue her life as a teacher in a middle school, when her relationship to a rich jerk falls apart, so she can afford the breast operation she wants.

The premise's drive (getting those breast implants) unsurprisingly doesn't result in comedy gold, as it is simply too arbitrary. But Bad Teacher is saved primarily by Cameron Diaz (The Holiday (2006)), who is wonderful in the lead and just as endearing as Jason Segel (Sex Tape (2014)), although their romance here doesn't make one's heart race out of control.
Justin Timberlake (Runner Runner (2013)) is convincing as a preppy fool/substitute teacher, and several wacky comedic actors amuse in side parts: Lucy Punch (Someone Marry Barry (2014)) is energetic; Phyllis Smith (The Office (2005-13)) is delightful; Thomas Lennon (Bob's Burgers (2012-16)) is funny, and John Michael Higgins (Tween Fest (2016), TV-series) as the dolphin-obsessed school leader is fantastic. They all help make Bad Teacher go down much better than it otherwise might have.
The film is written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (Hello Ladies (2013-14), both) and directed by great Michigander filmmaker Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)).

Related post:

Jake Kasdan, with Diaz and Segel: Sex Tape (2014) - Sex comedy fun with beloved stars Diaz & Segel

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 20 mil. $
Box office: 216.1 mil. $
= Mega-hit
[Bad Teacher premiered 17 June (the UK and Ireland) and runs 97 minutes. Columbia Pictures bought Stupnitsky and Eisenberg's spec script in 2008. Filming took place in California, including Los Angeles, and in Illinois around March 2010. The film opened #2, behind fellow new release Cars 2, to a solid 31.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it remained in the top 5 for two more weeks (#3, #5) and grossed 100.2 mil. $ (46.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 18.7 mil. $ (8.7 %) and Russia with 13.4 mil. $ (6.2 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2 star review, translating to a notch harder than this review. Kasdan directed for TV-series Ben and Kate (2012) and New Girl (2011-13) before returning with the less successful but slightly better next pairing of Diaz and Segel, Sex Tape (2014). Bad Teacher is rotten at 44 % with a 5.3/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Bad Teacher?

The Social Network (2010) - Fincher's a-hole biopic leaves me cold (and more anti-Facebook than ever)

♥♥♥

 

Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg behind the huge tagline for David Fincher's The Social Network

 

The Social Network tells the story of how a group of assholes created the platform that made the rest of the world a bit more socially distanced, unsympathetic, frat-boy-like assholes like themselves: Facebook.

The film is written by Aaron Sorkin (Moneyball (2011)), based on (but apparently more accurately; written around the same time as) Ben Mezrich's (Reaper (1998)) The Accidental Billionaires (2009), and directed by Coloradoan master filmmaker David Fincher (Se7en (1995)). Like many of Fincher's films, The Social Network is deeply competently made and phallocentric. He brandishes a peanut-sized heart here with a film that doesn't really awaken any emotions, despite dislike for several of its characters. It races towards the finish line and in doing so feels pretty shallow, not unlike the invention it portrays.

The actors do fine jobs, although it is sad to watch Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Whale (2005)) as alienated and humanly blunted as we get him here. Armie Hammer (J. Edgar (2011)) plays a pair of twins, which are the film's most sympathetic and funniest characters.

The Social Network is without a doubt among the most overrated films of the year.

 

Related reviews:

 

David Fincher: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - Fincher's Nordic noir is technically astute but overlong and redundant

Alien 3 (1992) or, The Monsters Go to Jail!

Watch a teaser trailer for the film here

Cost: 40 mil. $

Box office: 224.9 mil. $

= Huge hit

[The Social Network premiered September 24 (New York Film Festival) and runs 120 minutes. Sorkin began writing and researching based on a 14-page book proposal, while Mezrin was also writing his book. Filming took place in Massachusetts, Maryland, California and England, beginning in October 2009. The film opened #1 to a 22.4 mil. $ first weekend, staying atop for another week and spending a total of four weeks in the top 5 in North America, where it grossed 96.9 mil. $ (43.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 16.9 mil. $ (7.5 %) and the UK with 16.8 mil. $ (7.5 %). Several people portrayed in the film, including Zuckerberg, found that it was historically inaccurate, especially in upping the drama of the lives of the main characters. The film got nominated for 8 Oscars: It won for Best Adapted Screenplay, Score and Editing. It lost Best Picture to The King's Speech, Actor (Eisenberg) to King's Speech (Colin Firth), Directing to King's Speech (Tom Hooper), Cinematography to Inception and Sound Mixing also to Inception. It was also nominated for 6 Golden Globes, winning 4, and for 6 BAFTAs, winning 3. It was on at least 78 critics' top 10 list of the year, topping 22 (including Roger Ebert's), reportedly the most for any film of the year. In its first week out on DVD and Blu-ray, it made an additional 13.4 mil. $ on that. The Social Network is certified fresh at 96 % with a 9 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Social Network?

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - The Coens and a killer ensemble deliver cinematic gold

♥♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best Music Film of the Year

Gruffy poster for Ethan and Joel Coen's folk musician movie Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis is a dramedy period portrait of a week in the life of Davis, a struggling folk musician in New York anno 1961.

The character is inspired by the real Dave Van Ronk, who was a known musician in the New York folk music scene, but who never broke through to the public, although the inspiration is mostly music-wise, it appears.
The film is the story of a struggling, faltering artist, who is down to his last legs as a creative performing artist, and who spends most of his days securing his next couch to sleep on and mope about his unfulfilled existence. There are also plot points about a cat going missing, abortions and a hope-induced trip to Chicago.
The film is in a way sad, because it takes very real looks at some facts of life without sugarcoating them, - namely that not all great artists make the cut to the public, - but it is never heartbreaking, because Davis never succumbs to total desperation or despair. He is a character who holds his head high, - although it is a surly, moody head, - and defends his way of life, what he at one point claims "pays his rent", (although he doesn't actually ever pay any rent, because he doesn't have a place.) SPOILER He even takes a beating for his unfeeling arrogant heckling without sentimentality which both opens and ends the film in a very touching way.
People go in and out of each others' lives and sometimes rub up on each other, creating friction, (be the outcome sex, violence, kids, hatred or despair), and that is the thing which is showcased in Davis. It is very real, very disarming, and often hilarious. It dodges ever getting near to being a downer by having tons of dry and black humor and wonderful characters in it. There are awfully funny situations, (the first cat-scenes are extremely wonderful, for instance), and rich New York-characters like the lady at Davis' management's office. The trip to Chicago features a funny performance from John Goodman (Argo (2012)) as an obnoxious, unhealthy individual, but he is just one of so many who shine vigorously in the film:
Among its great performances especially Carey Mulligan (Drive (2011)) as a very bitter and angry woman, F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus (1984)) and Garrett Hedlund (Tron (2010)) excel. And Oscar Isaac (The Two Faces of January (2014)) is just so fine as Llewyn Davis, and his actual guitar-playing and singing are a marvel.

Oscar Isaac with cat in The Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis

The music is wonderful, and the songs get to have their space and make their impressions. The photography by Bruno Delbonnel is evocative; New York (and Chicago) is grim, wet, messy and cold in Davis. Nothing glamorous or romantic about the big cities or the land in between them here.
Some of the musicians who were around in the early 60s New York folk scene have complained that the film makes the environment at the time look dreary and sad, and that Ronk was a nicer guy than Davis; but the writer-director brothers Ethan and Joel Coen (The Big Lebowski (1998)) never claim that this is the film about Ronk, (check the title for that for instance!), and they are really free as artists to not make a happy-go-lucky folk musician movie, - in fact I for one am glad that they didn't.
Llewyn Davis in the film is a man who frequently is called an idiot, and who has more or less gotten used to seeing himself as a loser. But he is stubborn and believes in himself, and he has feelings and can write songs. It all makes him very human, and a very good acquaintance.
Inside Llewyn Davis is surely one of the best movie acquaintances of 2013, and one of the best Coen films ever. I can watch this one over and over again.

Related posts:

The Coen brothers: 2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
Burn After Reading (2008) or, Idiocy 2008 
The Big Lebowski (1998) - The stoner comedy to reign over all
Barton Fink (1991) or, The Writer's Hell

Oscar Isaac and F. Murray Abraham in a 'climactic' song session in the film's Chicago-segment

Watch a trailer here. - The film is better!

Budget: 11 mil. $
Box office: 32.5 mil. $
= Big hit

What did you think of Llewyn Davis and the film?
Do you know any other fine movies about folk musicians?

Black Snake Moan (2006) or, The Mississippi Blues

♥♥♥♥♥♥

+ Most Undeserved Flop of the Year + Best Music Movie of the Year + Best Mississippi Movie of the Year

Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci make a sexually charged pair on the poster for Craig Brewer's Black Snake Moan

QUICK REVIEW:

I love Black Snake Moan!
It's not 110 % perfect like some 6-hearted masterpieces are, but it has its heart so strongly in the right place and tells such a fantastic and multi-faceted story that I can't but bow down in the dust before it.
Samuel L. Jackson (Django Unchained (2012)) is brilliant, - although his blues-voice is nowhere near the strength of probable role models like John Lee Hooker or Howlin' Wolf. He plays an aging blues-man, who finds a young, white (!) nymphomaniac in the ditch and decides that he should right on some of the wrong in her life, because it is the will of God.
Christina Ricci (Anything Else (2003)) is equally amazing as Rae, the fiery young woman, and all the supporting parts are accomplished simply phenomenally.
The blues music, the longing and the pain all stream through this sexy, authentic, unique film, making it a soul-filled joy to watch and listen to. Moan is as much a music film about blues as it is a drama with sexual and societal overtones.

Ricci has disappointingly lashed out at the sexy posters for the film, (which, after all, she must have posed for at some point?), calling them exploitative of women and solely aimed at college boys. Both statements couldn't be farther from the truth. In any case, they unfortunately didn't get very many people to see this excellent gem of a movie.
Writer-director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow (2005)) of Virginia has yet to make anything else of anywhere near the imposing quality of Black Snake Moan, but he is also still just a relatively young director (of 42).

Related posts:

 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

This trailer doesn't look like much, but trust me, this is a hefty, great, great film

Budget: 15 mil. $
Box office: 10.9 mil. $
= Flop

What do you think of Black Snake Moan?
Other blues-movies that need to be seen?