Bad Teacher

The Synopsis
Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is a teacher purely as a means to an end. What she would really like is to settle down with a husband... a stinking rich husband. Convinced the way she can do this is by getting breast implants, she works extra hard on every 'get rich quick' scheme she can think of. Her incentive sped by the cute new teacher that has started at the school with his own trust fund, Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake).

The Review
My reason for wanting to see this film? The same superficial reason for why I wanted to see Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, and even Shrek the Third... Justin. Justin is just so pretty to look at.

However, I found myself barely watching him and spending more time laughing out loud at the jokes throughout. Cameron Diaz was hilarious in this film and surprisingly the whole premise wasn't nearly as predictable as I had initially thought. There's no cliche character development to ruin the plot, instead just a complete devotion to making it as funny as possible and for that I tip my hat. I liked that aspect A LOT.

Jason Segel is also in this film as the sarcastic gym teacher that holds a bit of a crush on Elizabeth (Diaz). The banter between the two is awesome and completely un PC but once again this just adds to the film rather than detracting from it.

Justin's character Scott is so pathetic that you have to laugh and he plays it well. I don't think there was a single bad performance. It was incredibly enjoyable.

I'm off to watch James MacKavoy in something or other that isn't X Men... three guesses as to why I want to see this one. Film-Buddy-Kezia refused to come and see it with me until I had written this review. That girl can really crack the whip when she wants to. I'm a little scared.

All in all go and see Bad Teacher if you want a laugh. But probably not one to share with the kids.

Peace out with four faces.

Your Highness

The Synopsis
Thadeous (Danny McBride) is the younger brother of the impressive and good looking warrior Prince, Fabious (James Franco) and has always been in his shadow. But when Fabious's bride Belladonna (Zooey Deshcanel) gets kidnapped by the evil warlock Leezar (Justin Theroux) he is forced to work with his brother and brave his first quest to bring her back home. Along the way they meet Isabel (Natalie Portman), a beautiful warrior who Thadeous immediately falls for.

The Review
I liked this. It was funny in a way that these particular film makers and writers are. It had an feeling that screamed if Pineapple Express had been set thousands of years prior then this is what it would have been.

I loved the juxta positioning they did of the Medieval time they were in and the modern language and other little bits and pieces of today's time thrown in. It became a running joke throughout the film that didn't ever get old.

I particularly adored Fabious's almost incestuous love that he had towards his younger brother, always hugging him that little too close and talking about him with just that little bit too much adoration in his eyes.

I also realised that I hate Natalie Portman's body (in the sense that I loved it and mourned that I do not have it). I'm usually not that fussed about my own weight, I'm too lazy to really do anything about it anyway. But I watched this and thought, hmmmm, I definitely envy you Natalie Portman. Film-Buddy-Kezia had a particularly humourous moment during watching this film as she turned to me just as Natalie Portman was taking off her clothes to bathe and said "I love Natalie Portman." She then stopped, tilted her head to one side and added, "Probably not the best point of the film to mention my appreciation for her acting is it? It just sounds sort of pervy now." Oh how I laughed.

Overall it was a fun film, I did have to take a moment of amazement at one point as I realised I was watching a scene with 6 or so actors all speaking in an English accent and not one of them actually was from England. That seemed a little weird lol.

I can't bring myself to give it anymore than three faces because although I enjoyed it, there were moments I felt dragged and, well, there really wasn't anything about it that made me get that excited tbh. It is a fun one though and I definitely do recommend it if you fancy laugh. Especially if you are a Pineapple Express fan.

Killing Bono

The Synopsis
This film follows the story of two brothers, Neil McCormack (Ben Barnes) and Ivan McCormack (Robert Sheehan), who went to school with U2's Bono and had the same dreams of forming a famous band as he did. However the journey wasn't as smooth for them as it was for Bono and they soon struggle under the strain of constant bad decisions and the overwhelming shadow of their former friend.

The Review
Well this was a first. Never before in my life have I ever gone into a movie that I hadn't even seen a poster for. Sunday afternoon I found myself waiting in the queue and scanning the screen to see which films were starting. The only one that seemed to be available was the mysterious film "Killing Bono" so I thought... hmmm why not?

I must admit I was a little concerned, especially as the title sounded a bit dubious and I had NO CLUE what it was about, but all in all I was pleasantly surprised and here's why.

The opening credits come up and immediately I spot Robert Sheehan's name. Being a complete and utter HUMUNGOUS fan of the amazing Channel 4 drama 'Misifts' I perk up straight away and figure, well even if the film is rubbish at least I'll have his stupidly sparkly eyes to look into (I'm not kidding, they LITERALLY sparkle).

Then Ben Barnes appears in a car talking in an Irish accent and I thought to myself, "Well you might as well give the film a chance."

Once the perving stopped and the plot began to progress I actually started to watch the film and it was smart, funny and very well put together. It's based on a book that as far as I can tell is the true story of Neil McCormack, the lead singer of a small time Irish band called Shook Up. He was friends with Bono at school but due to Neil's constant inclincation to make stupid decisions and pass down amazing opportunities, they never reached anywhere near their potential.

Robert Sheehan and Ben Barnes both give very funny and genuine performances of two brothers who struggle to keep their bond together through all of Neil's shortcomings.

I love Irish humour and I loved this. The writing was just right and the film made me chuckle. It took me a while to get into the swing of what the film was trying to say but I blame my complete lack of knowledge about the film prior to seeing it for that one.

It was refreshing to see a genuinely unique and good film again after the dry spell of late and it is with great happiness and pride I dust off my four faces and present them for all to see.

I'll have to go in blind to films more often.

Hall Pass

The Synopsis
Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are two married men who can't help but look at other women. This becomes such an issue that their wives Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate) give them Hall Passes from their marriage for one week, allowing them to do whatever they want as if they weren't married to get it out of their system.

The Review
When I first restarted this film review blog I was concerned that all I ever seemed to be doing was giving good reviews to films. I began to question how my integrity would look if I just continued dishing out the four and five faces. However, over the past couple of weeks I've been reassured as I've realised that it wasn't necessarily bad reviewing on my part but rather they had just been a little slow in bringing out the bad films for 2011. They are arriving now.

Now you don't need to be a brain surgeon to work out how this film is going to pan out. It's pretty much obvious from the beginning. So why oh why did they insist on dragging the whole process out for so long? Little tip to 'Hall Pass' people, if the film has me and Film-Buddy-Kezia sinking to the bottom of our seats about three quarters in exclaiming we're bored, then you've done something wrong at some point. I mean the fact that the film had lasted for about an hour before the hall pass had even began just showed that these are people who like to rinse something within an inch of it's life.

It's really annoying because all of the actors in this film I like. I have seen them all in other things that have made me wet my pants. Maybe that's the reason why I was so disappointed, I had gone in with too high expectations.

There were some mildly funny points, and even two very funny points (two imagination sequences of what could happen should the particular character make a certain decision). But the rest just seemed like they were trying too hard. Steven Merchant, who had a minor part and was the largest reason why I had wanted to see this film in the first place did have some good moments but he was in it for a total of five minutes which again, I fear, was bad judgement on their part.

Film-Buddy-Kezia summed it up at the end of the movie by saying 'If they had ended that half an hour earlier, it may have been an okay film.' Was quite shocked however when I noticed we had only been in the cinema for an hour and a half rather than the three hours it had felt like. I guess they would also have had to make it good as well.

Apologies for the ruthlessness of this review. It was kinda harsh. Alas no surprises I'm sure though when I say, one face from me.