Tag: film review

“Hitch” Film Review

Directed by Andy Tennant

Starring: Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James

Rated PG-13 for language and some strong sexual references

Hitch is a romantic comedy starring Will Smith as the titular character. Alex “Hitch” Hitchens is a dating coach who helps men land a date with the woman of their dreams. Hitch helps Albert (played by Kevin James) get a date with Allegra Cole (played by Amber Valletta), a wealthy celebrity whose’s love life is on tabloid papers. While helping Albert, Hitch is also dating Sara (played by Eva Mendes), a gossip columnist who takes an interest in reporting Cole’s love life.

Hitch is a great hilarious film that brings a good chuckle out of me every once in a while. Will Smith was on top of the world during this era, coming fresh out of Bad Boys II and I, Robot. Smith proves that he is more than capable than starring in action films and can go back to his roots in comedy. Smith brings wit and charm to the role of the dating coach. It’s not hard to believe that Smith can cleverly pick up a date as his charisma works in his favor. In addition, Smith works best with his co stars Kevin James and Eva Mendes. The scenes with Smith and James are very humorous as their polar opposite personalities somehow works well. Meanwhile, the scenes with Smith and Mendes are adorable they are almost magnetic and work well off each other. These two are both charming and smart in their own way and you want to see these two succeed together.

While the film is a fine watch, it does have its typical cliches that are common in rom-coms. These cliches are not bothersome nor do take away from the enjoyment from the film, but its worth mentioning as the film does go by the numbers. Also, the ending is a bit too Hollywood for me. How do I mean? Well, the ending is a bit unrealistic and feels a bit forced. I know its customary for rom-coms to have a happy ending and I am certainly not asking for a gloomy ending, but something more realistic would be nice for a change.

Overall, Hitch is an enjoyable two hours filled with lighthearted and amusing moments. It’s stars Smith, Mendes, and James bring a good chuckle to the role every once in a while. Smith is certainly in top form here at the height of his popularity. Hitch is sweet comedic film that is certainly worth a watch.

3/4

The Gentlemen Film Review

Directed by Guy Ritchie

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery

Rated R for violence, language throughout, sexual references and drug content

The Gentlemen is a newest Guy Ritchie film with an all star cast that includes Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. The film centers around Mickey Pearson, played by McConaughey, a marijuana dealer who is trying to keep his business and empire in order when chaos ensures. The film is told as a narration/screenplay by Fletcher, played by Grant, who is in it for the money.

Considering The Gentlemen is a January film, and January films are mostly poorly made, it came as a shock how fun and exciting the film is. The film is filled with funny moments and hilarious characters. Matthew McConaughey may be the main star of the film, but he gets overshadowed by other characters in the film. This is not to say that McConaughey didn’t do his job, but his character wasn’t as interesting as the other characters we see on screen. Hugh Grant, as Fletcher, is a smart and witty character and is a joy every time he is on screen. Most of the joy comes from watching Grant play a different character he is used to playing and he does it well. He’s smart, funny, and interesting in a film filled with an A list cast. Fletcher frequently interacts with Ray, played by Charlie Hunnam, who is hearing the story Fletcher is telling. Ray is also another interesting character who works for Mickey Pearson who is very loyal to Pearson.

The reason why Ray, along with Fletcher, is such is another great character is due to the sharp and witty dialogue and screenplay of the film. The film is smartly written with memorable lines, interesting characters, and a story that makes the audience keeps guessing. But as much as I admire the writing, it did take a while to get the story going. This is not take anything away from the film, but it takes a while to understand what exactly the story is about. And to mentioned before, the main character, Mickey Pearson, isn’t the most interesting character.

Overall, The Gentlemen is an exciting film that was an enjoyable time. It has fascinating characters who have the luxury of saying dialogue that is written with humor and wit. The film is certainly not for everyone, as it does feature many slurs one may find offensive, but those who do view the film will certainly find themselves having a good time.

3/4