Eric Bana notices a booger.
Even though it was pointed directly at the female audience, I really enjoyed the movie. Eric Bana’s Henry and Rachel McAdams’s Clare have genuine feeling chemistry when the moment is right and have that sense of awkwardness when the moment isn’t. As far as a love story and romantic movie go, it’s clever and unique. It never felt really cliched or obvious (like in The Ugly Truth), and even the tearjerker moments weren’t telegraphed a half hour ahead of time (like in The Ugly Truth). And Eric Bana could teach The Ugly Truth’s Gerard Butler some lessons on speaking with an American accent.
This movie is sad. It’s dark. It may make you cry. And if that’s the type of movie that you’re in the mood to see, go see this. If you want a fun romcom romp through time, rent Back to the Future.
Oh, and if I have to see another preview for that fucking idiot Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself“, I may stab my eyes out. It’s unbelievable to see yet another black producer/writer/director make money by preying on stereotypes and cliched writing rather than trying to write stories about people.
Enjoy this post? Try these:My review of Drag Me To Hell (Spoiler Free)
My review of Bruno (spoiler-free)
My review of Avatar (Spoiler Free)
Twitter: mommy_wins
says:
The book was really good – glad to hear they didn’t suck it up in the movie version!
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@Colleen – Mommy Always Wins, I plan on trying the book now.
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Twitter: Amanda234
says:
I’m psyched to see this. I LOVED the book, so when I heard Rachel McAdams was in it, I got really excited. So now we just have to decide if we’re seeing this or District 9 first
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@Amanda, I’m seeing District 9 tomorrow. Looking forward to it too.
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I’ve been really wanting to see this movie. I’m hoping I’ll get a chance too before it leaves theaters.
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@Sarah, that’s why I like going during the middle of the day.
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I just got home from seeing this movie and I cannot decide if I liked it or if I didn’t. It depressed the shit out of me though, I know that.
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@Peggy, it was definitely a tearjerker!
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Twitter: VerdantDude
says:
I’m not trying to stir up shit, but have you ever seen a Tyler Perry film?
I haven’t. I’m a little curious because he sells a ton of tickets to his demographic, but I’ve still never sat down and watched one.
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@B.E. Earl, I have – and I’ve liked several of the ones I’ve seen.
Of course, I’m always the one sitting next to Adam when the preview for I Can Do Bad All By Myself comes on who is DYING to see the movie.
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@B.E. Earl, I’ve seen enough parts to know that they’re horribly written, stereotyped worse than anything you could find elsewhere and insulting to anyone’s intelligence.
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I plan on taking the wife to see this movie, but she won’t come with me to see Inglourious Basterds!
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@Mik, what? It’s tit for tat. Or tit for bloody Tarantino violence.
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is Eric Bana actualy ‘good’, though? He has been soooo disappointing in the past. This is my only worry, that he will Colin Farrell fuck the movie up.
xo
b.
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@just beth, what has he been disappointing in? I’ve liked him in everything I’ve seen him in.
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@Avitable, Oh. ah… well. I thought he was barely passable in the first ‘Hulk’, ‘Munich’ was disappointing all around, ‘Lucky You’ was just horrid… I think I liked him best in ‘Troy’. Which isn’t saying much.
xo
b.
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Glad to see that I’m not the only one who despises Tyler Perry. He’s a hack.
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@Badass Geek, yes he is.
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Since I read the book and cried and cried, I will probably NOT see this in the theater. If I am going to pay that kind of money, I a) don’t want to know how it ends already and b) know that I will cry cry cry. But thanks for the review!
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Twitter: an_bhean
, August 16th, 2009: 11:43 PM
@MidLifeMama, me too. I’ll wait to watch it at home after I stock up on kleenex.
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I absolutely loved the book even though I was often confused trying to figure out where in time he was. I’m usually disappointed in the movies based on books but I just might go see this one. Thanks for the review.
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@MB, it wasn’t obvious where in time he was?
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@Avitable, No, it wasn’t always obvious. He would travel and end up somewhere nakid and have to figure out where the hell in time he was. Read it a couple of years ago so I’m fuzzy on the details. Maybe I should read it again before seeing the movie.
I wish my boss took me to the movies on Friday. I’m lucky to be able to take lunch on Fridays.
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I have actually been wanting to watch this. I think I might read the book first, except movies always kind of suck compared to the book. So I haven’t made up my mind yet. Which makes this comment completely pointless. I need a nap.
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@Elisa, I’d prefer to see the movie, enjoy it, and then read the far superior book.
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so your sack didn’t fall off after watching? heh
back to he future, best comment ever!
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@sudobeer, no, it retained nicely intact, especially with Rachel McAdams.
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You’re not allowed to criticize Tyler Perry’s awful work. Roger Ebert tried to critique Diary of a Mad, Black Woman and was immediately labeled a racist pig despite his wife being black. I think he declined to review any of his other works after that. If you want to continue, you should go the whole nine yards and post a YouTube video of yourself wearing white sheets while illuminated by a burning lower-case letter t.
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@Grant, I will take your suggestion under advisement.
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I am dying to read the book so I think I will do that first and see the movie when it comes on HBO.
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@tuesday, I’ll do it the other way around.
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Seriously, I still get a little teary when I think of this movie. I agree that it was good though and Eric Bana actually did a good job this time.
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@Hilly, you think he’s been bad in other movies?
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Tyler Perry sucks.
As usual, I probably won’t make it to the theater to see this, but I’ll totally watch it at home. The book was good.
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@Sybil Law, the theater is awesome – you should go every week.
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Twitter: poppycede
says:
I find anything Tyler Perry is promoting to be embarrassingly uncomfortable.
Not sure I wanna see this but if Dawg drags me to it (he wants to see it) I’ll go.
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@Poppy, it’s sappy and teary, so watch out!
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Twitter: poppycede
, August 17th, 2009: 6:43 PM
@Avitable, I’ll just go when I’m pissed off which results in me making fun of the actors rather than being affected by their characters.
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GODDAMN Tyler Perry.
Can’t stand him. He makes money of his own fucking minstrel shows.
We need to go back to the 90′s when black film was good.
The Brothers, Soul Food, Juice, Hav Plenty, the likes of those…
What were we talking about again?
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Twitter: Bellaventa
, August 15th, 2009: 3:58 PM
@Maria, PREACH!!!
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@Maria, don’t forget that paragon of black cinema, Cool Runnings.
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Twitter: Jayman3768
says:
I’ll eventually see this movie on DVD. I rarely go to the theater and when I do it isn’t for chick flicks. I like to cry alone.
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@Jay, I’d think you’d go to the theater regularly!
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NOT in the mood to cry publicly, so I’ll wait on this one.
As for Tyler Perry? Aren’t all his movies the same thing? I’ve never actually sat through one, just watched a scene or two with the odd feeling that I’d watched it before.
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@Kay, yeah, the scenes I’ve seen all feel the exact same.
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*sob*
*sob*
*sob*
Also? I recommend you see this with someone who won’t roll their eyes at you.
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@Miss Britt, I didn’t roll my eyes at all! I was supportive of your weeping!
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Twitter: Kapgar
says:
Look at that! Another one we agree on. It wasn’t great, but I enjoyed it and thought the chemistry between Bana and McAdams was really good. I’m assuming that you, like me, have not yet read the book?
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@kapgar, I have not read the book yet. I will.
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Twitter: http://whall.org/blog
says:
The wife really wants to see it, and I’m all for watching anything with the words “time traveler” in the title. Even if it was The Joy Time Traveler Luck Club or Time Travelling Magnolias or Beaches II – the Time Traveler’s Childhood Revisited.
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@whall, what about The Sisterhood of the Time Traveling Pants?
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The previews have looked good, but I’ll be honest… I’ve very nervous I’m going to hate it. The book was and still is one of my favorite reads ever and there is something telling me the movie is going to disappoint. I’ll see it I’m sure, but I may have to wait until it comes out on DVD so I’m not bothering anybody else if I happen to yell at the screen during inaccurate moments. I’m glad you like it though and that did at least relieve a bit of my worries.
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@Clown, stab stab.
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Twitter: Bellaventa
says:
You TOTALLY cemented why I wish Tyler Perry sucks big hairy donkey balls. Although I did like his movie “The Family Thay Preys”…but that was because it wasn’t a god damn minstrel show.
I may see The Time Traveller’s Wife later tonight.
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@Robin, it’s just like he chooses out of a box of different stereotypes and those are the ones he uses. Doesn’t he have something to do with House of Payne too?
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Twitter: Bellaventa
, August 17th, 2009: 6:52 PM
@Avitable, Yep – that’s his show too. He just rubs me the wrong way.
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Twitter: Barking_Mad
says:
I had THE hardest time getting through the book a couple of years ago. I never finished it. I’m hoping the movie is every bit as good as you say it is. I typically don’t enjoy films based on books, but perhaps, because I never finished the book, and I enjoy Rachel McAdams flicks, I’ll enjoy this. Maybe.
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@Audrey at Barking Mad, I think that I only like movies based on books if I see the movie first, and then read the book.
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Twitter: s_csr
says:
I loved loved loved this movie and I cried my eyes out through most of it.
I can’t wait to see the movie but my husband is trying to get out of it because I already made him take me to see My Sister’s Keeper and he’s filled his chick flick quota for the decade I think. Luckily, my mom and sister want to see it. And they’ll bring extra tissues.
Of course, I’ll probably wind up waiting til it’s out on DVD just because I never can find the time to go to the theater.
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@Sheila (Charm School Reject), by “movie” you mean “book”, right?
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Twitter: s_csr
, August 17th, 2009: 8:52 PM
@Avitable, Well fuck. Yeah, that’s what I meant.
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I can’t watch shows that are too “emotional rollercoaster”-y. I’d be thinking about it for days, bursting into tears. I’d be a wreck.
Give me Back to the Future any day. I did think about that one for days, but it was mainly visions of Michael J. Fox slathered in coconut oil driving the Delorean.
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@Nenette, well, I do love the BTTF trilogy. And Michael J. Fox in a purely hetero non-sexual way.
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I read this book 2 years ago when I went on a little trip with a friend of mine and I irritated the hell out of her by gasping as I read it and saying, “Let me read you this ONE part!” I’ve been on the fence about going to see any movies lately (fucking recession is cutting into my movie fund!) and you’re making me really sad that I haven’t seen it yet.
We’ll have to talk about that disgrace Tyler Perry at another time. Sheesh.
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@Mocha, don’t you have any students who work at the theater who’ll just let you sneak in?
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Twitter: _scifidad_
says:
My own personal definition of being Avitabled: coming to a site expecting a review of District 9 (promised last week) only to discover one for a chick flick.
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@SciFi Dad, I’m seeing it Tuesday.
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Twitter: themuskrat
says:
Tyler Perry sucks cock for wine cooler money. I’m sick of his name and mug being all over ever billboard and MARTA bus in Atlanta.
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@muskrat, yeah, I hate how much of a pandering hack he is.
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Can NOT wait to see that movie! Maybe I’ll convince Matt to take me before I go in to the hospital.
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@Sarcastica, it’s definitely worth it.
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SPOILER ALERT:
Maybe I left the theatre too soon. I left after 30 minutes, I was so bored. And maybe it was just me, but the whole grown man coming back to visit the little girl was a little creepy. It was supposed to be sweet, but really? Of all the times you’re drawn back, it’s the pretty pre-pubescent girl that pulls you in? What a perv. But I found Benjamin Button creepy that way, too! Yeah, probably just me.
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